Alaska – Land of Adventure

By Judy Davis –

The sun was rising over the mountains when our airplane descended into the remote wilds of Alaska. The splendid, snowcapped mountain peaks with the rushing rivers were an awesome sight. I gazed in awe at the stunning contrast of the snowcapped mountains against the blueness of the Gulf of Alaska.

It was at that moment I remembered the Scripture: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good… Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 1:31, 2:1).

After unpacking and settling in our motel, we met many wonderful people. They told us about all the different places to visit. We had a wonderful opportunity to see much of the native culture.

We drove over to an amusement park. Our children were delighted riding all the rides and seeing the thrilling shows. Watching the native Eskimos weave their braided rugs and make colorful beads added to the adventure.

We visited North Pole, Alaska. The house Santa lived in had silver and gold tinsel, huge red and green bows and a sidewalk covered in snow. It was a cold and windy day and as we started walking up to the front door I slipped and fell on the sidewalk. My wig blew off! When my husband leaned down and asked, “Are you OK?” I hollered, “Yes, run get my wig before it blows away!”

Moose and caribou scraping snow aside to find bits of scraps was a sight to see. Huge bears with their cubs walking beside the road made taking photos fun. Camping at Mount McKinley National Park in a tent was an added treat especially with signs on trees stating: “This is Grizzly Country. This is their home. You are a visitor.”

The beautiful northern lights (aurora borealis), all different colors splashed across the heavens. Visiting Alaska was an adventure. A trip we enjoyed immensely and will remember forever.

The long days of summer were exciting in Alaska. The longest day was June 22 and the sun came up and stayed all day and night. On the shortest day December 22, the sun rose and set almost at the same time.

The remoteness of Alaska appeal to many seeking a slower, simpler life. As we packed to leave to return to our home, I we knew we had been on a journey many would love to see. We have traveled to numerous states, but Alaska was one of the most magnificent places God created.

The Perfect Accessory

By Carin LeRoy –

I received my first piece of jewelry from my grandparents when I was only five years old. One day they took me to the store to help me choose my first ring. I remember being so excited and admiring it on my hand. Over the years family members have given me other special gifts: the opal necklace my parents gave me on my 20th birthday, the diamond band from my husband on our 20th anniversary and the birthstone heart necklace that my children bought me one Mother’s Day. These gifts are special as I wear them to compliment my outfit or adorn my hand.

God has picked out the perfect accessory for us too. In Proverbs 3:21,22 He says, “Preserve sound judgment and discernment , do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.”

With all the characteristics God could choose, what makes these so important that He wants to emphasize our need for them? God desires for us to navigate life well, and that requires good judgment and discernment.

Judgment can be described as the ability to logically compare and understand the best results and outcome, and discernment is the skill to see and comprehend what is not obvious or evident in a given situation. Both of these help us make wise decisions. In a culture where wrong is only relative, the ability to make wise choices has become obscured. No longer is the firm foundation of God’s Word used in making wise choices.

Just as a necklace that adorns our neck is the first part of our wardrobe that people see, so, too, our sound judgment and discernment (or lack thereof) will be the first thing that people notice about us. God’s adornment of sound judgment and discernment give us a life with meaning – not a life with bad decisions and regret. Let’s remember to adorn ourselves with God’s perfect accessory.

PRAYER: Lord, give me sound judgment and discernment. As I make decisions, help me to have wisdom to make right choices for my life. Give me a heart that desires You to lead and guide me each day.

“My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared,” (Proverbs 3: 21-26 NIV).

Not Going Anywhere?

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Stuck. Drifting aimlessly. Going nowhere fast. Maybe going nowhere at all. Three steps forward. Two steps back. Or is it four?

And since I am stuck, accomplishing nothing, I take a look around. I no longer recognize my surroundings. How did I get here? And where is ‘here,’ anyway? Is this even the right path? Am I lost? And if so, why am I the last to realize it?

I am supposed to be somewhere. Somewhere else. Anywhere else. Accomplishing something. I am sure of it.

But I am here. Stuck. Is it getting darker? What’s that animal noise I hear in the distance? Oh wait, it’s getting closer. I should run. But where? And to whom?

How did this get to be my journey? And why am I having to travel this road, wherever it is, alone?

Stuck. I hate that feeling. Mainly because I might be the one to blame.

By following the same patterns that led me to that place, to this place, I end up with the same results. My current surroundings frighten me, so I go back. Like the Hebrews, yearning for a past where they knew what to expect. But their past required them to be a slave. They overlooked that part in their flight from the unknown.

Perhaps that’s why their journey took 40 years instead of 40 days. Two steps forward. Three steps back. I’m certain that’s not the way God mapped the rescue effort.

They were unwilling participants in their own rescue.

They were stuck. Shame on them. Shame on me.

As it turns out, the Hebrews and I aren’t the only ones who suffer with this problem.

The disciples wandered a bit as well. They doubted. They fought among themselves to be the favorite. They thought like humans, instead of like the spiritual beings Jesus was developing them into.

They bumbled around, like me, the last to figure out what was happening to them.

Bless their hearts.

It is through this bumbling around that we can learn from them. How not to do what they did. Or rather, how to do what they ended up doing. They learned. Eventually.

In John, Chapter 6, the story is told in this way. “Later that evening, the disciples walked down to the sea, boarded a boat and set sail toward Capernaum. Twilight gave way to darkness. Jesus had not yet joined them. Suddenly, the waves rose and a fierce wind began to rock the boat. After rowing three or four miles through the stormy seas, they spotted Jesus approaching the boat walking mysteriously on the deep waters that surrounded them. “I am the One. Don’t be afraid.” Jesus spoke to the disciples.

“They welcomed Jesus aboard their small vessel, and when he stepped into the boat, the next thing they knew, they had reached their destination” (John 6:16-21 The Voice New Testament).

Perhaps they should have invited Jesus into their vessel much earlier in the story. That had to be a long and exhausting three or four miles of boat-rowing.

Maybe that’s what’s missing when we are stuck. Not going anywhere.

We need to welcome Jesus into our vessels much earlier in our journeys.

Or better yet, never leave home without Him.

Advice to My Graduate

By Janet Morris Grimes –

To My Daughter:

As a high-school graduate, I realize you are past these teachable moments, but I wanted to cram in one last life lesson to summarize everything I had hoped to teach you. Consider this the Cliffs Notes Version. Read and repeat as needed.

1. Don’t pick up hitchhikers. Nor should you become one.
2. Starting a new project is much harder than finishing.
3. The guys you think are cute now will be bald within ten years. And most 80-year-olds look the same. Dig deeper.
4. Don’t be jealous of the people who get the most attention. In your twenties, this is called being high-maintenance.
5. Pay attention to your car. If you don’t, you will learn this lesson on the side of a road. Refer to #1.
6. The happiest people on earth are those who do the most for others. Be one of them.
7. Money can’t buy happiness, but it is a blessing in the right hands. I suspect that God is always watching to see who can handle it.
8. God can’t bless a bitter heart. Your job is to keep yours from becoming one. He will do the rest.
9. The people who play it safe never score a home run.
10. Never be your own worst enemy.
11. Allow God to direct your steps with the little things so that you will recognize His voice when it gets to the big ones.
12. Never believe what you see on the news each night. Or on reality television. The truth has usually been edited out completely.
13. A phone call would be appreciated on the day you realize that I knew what I was talking about.
14. God has a plan for your life. And so does Satan. Enough said.
15. Life is a marathon. Keep running in the right direction, even on days you want to give up. There are no shortcuts. The winners are the finishers.
16. Surround yourself with people who help you feel closer to God.
17. Peace is most needed in the midst of chaos, not when things are going well. Hold on to the things that matter.
18. Write out your dreams. Give them permission to come true. They are there for a reason.
19. Find a way to get paid for what you love to do. That is the difference between a job and a career.
20. It is impossible to worship and worry at the same time. So worship. As much as possible.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Daddy, Daddy, I want to See

By Cheri Cowell –

Don’t you just love to see the joy on a child’s face as he is lifted up on his daddy’s shoulders? As he rides safe and secure on his father’s back, he can see things he was unable to see before. “Daddy, Daddy, pick me up. I want to see,” the child pleads until her father lifts her high over his head and onto his strong shoulders. Often the dads will point out things of importance as they walk along together. There is beauty in watching their relationship grow. The child is completely dependent on his father for his security. What a wonderful picture of what we can have when we say to our Heavenly Father, “Daddy, Daddy, lift me up high so I can see.”

When we ask, He will give us what we desire.

Luke shares the story of the beggar, who was a societal outcast in Jesus’ day. When Jesus came near the blind beggar, he boldly cried out to Him. Jesus said it was the man’s faith that allowed him to see, that allowed Jesus to lift him up.

We, too, can cry out to Jesus to lift us up when we are down, to give us eyes to see the world as He does, and to see those who are in need of God’s touch. When Jesus lifts us up, our focus is lifted from the earthly things to the things that really matter: people easily overlooked, creation too magnificent to miss, relationships that need mending, needs we can meet, and so many things we can pray for.

God is waiting for each of us to say today, “Daddy, daddy, lift me up high so I can see.”

PRAYER: Thank You, God, for hearing the cries of Your children and for lifting me up high on Your strong shoulders so I can see the things You want me to see.

“And he cried out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me recover my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Recover your sight; your faith has made you well’ (Luke 18:35-43 ESV).

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