Just Another Day in Paradise

Yesterday my daughter and I loaded the back of the pick-up truck with 7 boxes and 11 bags of discards to take to the thrift store. 

Now there is room in my moms old steamer trunk
for some of my daughters' treasured toys

And today the discarding continues, it feels good. But it also feels good to get out and enjoy this beautiful world. 

Paradise at Mount Rainier with Edith Creek and Tatoosh Range

After another powerful message at church on Saturday night we chose to head for the mountains Sunday morning. Needless to say we did not require long underwear! It was in the 60s and with the sun reflecting off the snow and the workout snowshoes provide we were just plain hot!

You can see the steam coming off the top

We packed a snack for lunch.

Our view for lunch

We've been promised rain for next Sunday, that's fine, we'll be glued to the TV.

A mountaintop 'twelfie'

I hope you, too, can take time out from your everyday activities to celebrate the beauty of God's creation!

Heading back down

And, 

Sing for joy, O heavens; shout, O earth. Break forth with song, O mountains, for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion upon them in their sorrow. 

  --  Isaiah 49:13

The end!

Linda <><

And So It Grows

The pastor's message  was a simple one. All we have and all we are is God's and not our own. This made it a bit easier to continue the process of discarding 'my' belongings as the weeks progress. Other commitments have slowed things down a bit, but I have faith and I'm appreciating what I've accomplished. So far I'm not missing anything. 

The donate pile grows

This has been my main focus for the past few weeks. I thank God for brightening these days in ways to numerous to list. Here are some of the images. Hope they brighten your day as well.

Someone found a patch of sunshine

A walk with my daughter along Ruston Way

Morning walk as the fog burns off

First camellia blossom in my back yard on a frosty morning

And then there was that Seahawk comeback!

Have a great week and count your blessings!

Linda <><

I'm In

I admit it, I'm a football fan! Born in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated for the University of Nebraska my blood runs Husker red. But after 15 years in the Pacific Northwest the Seahawks also have my heart. I can't begin to tell you how much fun the last few weeks have been here, especially Sunday!

Hubby & me snowshoeing Saturday
(Mount Olympus in the background)

This Seahawk team is a neat bunch of young men, each with their own story. They came together to create such a cohesive team that a relatively unknown teammate was the MVP of the super bowl. Most were late draft choices or even passed over. Russell Wilson was told he was too small,  Derrick Coleman told you can't play deaf. They were too loud, too quiet, too young. But Russell Wilson's dad gave him a bit of advice he passed on the this team, "Why not you?"

Great advice for each and every one of us. I've let self doubt and fear hold me back far to often. With my Heavenly Father behind me, beside me and before me, I don't have any excuses! Why can't we be as joyous about our own faith walk and cheer each other on in our wins and losses like those crazy Seahawk fans do?

Football fan or not, there is something to learn from these young men. Several members of the team are open about their personal faith. I can't help but consider this verse, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). I'm also currently reading Exodus. Moses was a reluctant leader, but with God....

Are you in?

Linda <><