Thursday, November 13, 2014

clearing our heads

One little advantage to the unemployment blues... there's plenty of time to spend it in the Word, devote ourselves to ministry needs and even take some time to get out into nature and refresh ourselves.

sunshine on a clear cold crisp day. lovely!!

Bruce has work lined up for next week at a retreat center where he has done work before over the years. He needed to go there today to make some measurements and suggested I come with and we could incorporate a hike into the day. It was plenty chilly out there today but sunny. I said yes, put on a triple layer of clothing and hopped in the truck.

getting ready to replace some log support beams.

Measurements done in short order, we set out on the trail that takes one to a fantastic lookout above the retreat center.


It's a short hike (less than a mile to the top) but it is steep. (burn baby burn said my thighs to my glutes!) The entire trail was carpeted with discarded leaves and the crunching of them under our feet was so noisy that at times we couldn't hear each other speak.


Once we reached the top, the bird's eye view took our breath away. It's not the largest mountain, in fact I believe technically it might actually be called a hill, but at around 700 feet it still offers an astounding view of the central fraser valley.


The last few days have been rough as I have mentioned before. What's the best thing to do when you feel you can't stand anymore? Get on your knees and get your support team there with you. We've put the plea for prayers out there to our praying friends and family and been rewarded with feelings of love and peace. Words of encouragement coming in from different perspectives has been so helpful.

looking north into Canada. Canadian Rockies in the background.

Last night as Bruce and I were talking a verse came to mind from James 1 about praying without believing. It warns us that when you ask God for something, make sure you really expect Him to answer, "for a doubting mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1.6)
This morning when I opened my bible app for the daily verse, guess which verse it was?
Of course.
James 1.6.


We've come to realize that our attitudes have been leading us down a path we don't wish to travel. We've let the situation get the best of us and allowed worry, depression, frustration, and anger to rule in our hearts rather than the peace that passes all understanding.



We needed today to get up top and see the view to remind us that sometimes when we are in the middle of a muddle, we really can't see what God is up to. Climbing the mountain to gain a clear picture of where we live is akin to spending time with Jesus to gain a clearer picture of how much he loves us.



The hike was invigorating and refreshing. We had some time to just be together, enjoying one another's presence and the glorious surroundings we live in. We had time to clear our heads and put worry aside for the day.


Jesus loves me this I know. 



2 comments:

  1. Such beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing the beauty you encountered on your hike. :)

    ReplyDelete

thank you so much for taking time to read and comment! have a great day!