Road Trip — Awe

Okay, basically… I have no words for the beauty I saw today. I have words… but none that will do it justice. It was only by the sheer grace of God that I did not crash, and I mean that whole-heartedly. I just kept pulling off the road and soaking it in… I took some great pictures that you will never see here (I did not take the ones I have posted, but they are of the Oregon Coast!!) because I haven’t jumped into the digital age yet. I have had my Rebel 2000 for many years and the equivalent in digital is waaayyy too spendy (I learned that word from a gas station guy in Oregon today!!) I asked him where the best fish and chips were in town and he told me. He was sooo right and I never would have stopped at the place where he said, had I not asked him. It was a dive… but super yummy!!! Way better than the yogurt in the cooler that I had planned on eating!! He told me it was the best place… “a bit spendy”, he said… “but good fish and chips”.

Did you know that they won’t let you pump your own gas in Oregon? I felt so pampered and dependent on the gas guys, it was great!!

So here are a few things I saw today…

Starting with last night…

an amazing sunset over the waves
rolling green hills
cows
a load of sheep that all had this gaping wound between their shoulder blades (can anyone explain this???)
Elk, real ones!! A whole herd of them!!!
This yellow flower that is so abundant everywhere in the Pacific Northwest (does anyone know what it’s called??)
Cliffs
Rocks
Water sprays
Ocean
rivers
lakes
rain
sun
dunes
fog
caves
villages
farmers
quaint houses
red farm houses
chimneys in use
Tilamook the actual place that makes my yummy yogurt!! I should have stopped, but I didn’t.
Treeeeeeeeeees trees and more treeees
Trees that canopied the road

It was almost too much beauty for one day. I was truly overwhelmed. Around every corner I turned, there was more beauty and more and more. God is so amazing in his beauty!

I ended the day in Ruch, Oregon where Jon Courson has a church called, Applegate Christian Fellowship. He used to teach at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa when I lived down there. I learned so much in that time, I thought I’d stop by since I was passing through. They had a service at 7pm and his son Peter-Jon was teaching. It was good to be there and God showed up… imagine that!!!

Another good day!

Road Trip — Insights From Today’s Reading

I have been on the Oregon Coast for two days just as a bit of a retreat. Here are a few insights from my reading, thus far…

The Message: Micah 6-ish

“But He has already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women… It is quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love and don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously.”

Amen to that!!

Donald Miller from Searching For God Knows What:

“Reality is like fine wine, it will not appeal to children.” (A friend told him this)

“… the times in my life when I’ve been most happy haven’t been the times when I’ve had the most money or the most freedom or the most anything, but rather when I’ve been in love or in community or right with people.”

Amen to that too!!

The Message: from the Introduction to Nahum:

“If we are conditioned to respond to noise and size, we will miss God’s Word and action.”

A third time… Amen!!

Today has been a good day!!

Road Trip — Music and Words

I love road trips!! Just getting in the car and driving somewhere… kind of exhilarates me. As I set out on Sunday, I just got this rush of excitement for the unknown adventure that lay ahead. I think I have always been this way. I have a hard time staying put for very long… God has used that personality trait in my life thus far, so I’m not worried about being hopelessly flawed, it is just who He has created me to be!!!

I filled up the CD player with music for my trip and I loved each one…

Hyperstatic Union is a pleasant surprise. I heard their song, Praying for Sunny Days on the radio and loved it… the rest of the CD is quite good. The lead singer has a pretty creative and amazing range to his voice!!

Matthew West has some great songs out right now. The one that led me to get the CD is Next Thing You Know, but I was also taken with just about the whole CD. The song, The Last Ones made me cry… literally!!

Johnny Cash was one that I have been wanting to get for quite a while. His song A Boy Named Sue made me laugh at the reality and irony of it. I love how he tells a story in each of his songs. Get Rhythm, and I’ve Been Everywhere stood out to me as well.

Salvador is a staple favorite of mine. I love their true Latin, almost Mariachi, sound. Then throw in the words they sing and it all adds up to good music!! I am partial to all their Spanish songs, naturally!! Montaña is one of my favorites, also Danzo como David, and Alegria.

Words: As I was driving and listening to all this music, with exhilaration running through my blood, the following words and images stuck out to me and I wrote them down as they came, as I was driving!! Thank you Jesus, for allowing me not to crash as I did so!! Woo Hoo!!

Free, Brave, I saw an eagle flying, Hands, Feet, Run, Life, Wonder, I Need, Fly, How Long do we have to Wait, The Last Ones, History, Dream, Harley’s and Community, Get Away, Casa Mia, Inside Out, Alegria, Light, Gozo, Felicidad, Brothers and Sisters.

Road Trip

I’m taking a road trip for the next two weeks!! Looking forward to driving along the Oregon coast and down to Southern California. I’ve always wanted to drive down the whole way on the PCH. I probably won’t do the whole thing, but I want to do parts of it!! I may write a few posts along the way! Thanks for your prayers

Post-Charismatic

I read an interesting history of the charismatic movement recently. It is a long internet read, but had some really good insights into where the church has been in the past, recently, and where it is going today. You can read it here if you are interested. It goes on for pages and pages, you just need to click on the next link at the bottom of each page to keep going until the end!!! If you are of a mind…. persevere, it’s worth it for the insight.