Vacation Pics

 

We just got home from a wonderful weeks vacation in sunny California.

The area is called Point Arena and it is about 140 miles north of San Francisco.

I was going to tell you the above picture was our cabin,

but I knew you would not believe me....

 

So, here is the outside of our real little cabin.

And here is the row of the other 43 just like it!

 Our little kitchen.

 bedroom

 and living room. A total of 350 sq. feet.

Just right for two people who after 42 years have learned

to share quite well. =)

 

Here we are at breakfast.

 Miss frugal ( meaning me) tore the paper towels in quarters to use as napkins.

This is my sweet fella 'complaining' sweetly about it. 

"C'mon. Can't a guy even have a whole napkin around here?"

Sorry, hon, when you are frugal you are frugal, 

whether the paper goods were bought by us or someone else.

(I did relent, and gave him whole paper towels the rest of the time.

After all, my fella deserves the best!) =)

 Here are a few pics of the beautiful coastline.

In most of the area there were cliffs rather than beaches.

So relaxing to hear the waves hit the rocks.

We usually went for several walks a day.

 We did find a couple of areas where little beaches were accessible.

Tomorrow I'll show some pics of the gorgeous trees we saw, and

treasures we found..

Thanks for coming by.

blessings

barbara jean

Outing at the Falls

Last week we went to Silver Creek Falls and hiked around.

can you see the water on the left?
I was actually in a recess behind one of the falls.
It was a perfect day.

My sweet fella helped fix a picnic lunch,
and after we hiked, and ate,
we did our Bible reading there in the park
with the sound of a stream in the background.
It was a wonderful day.

Beautiful falls....

and we even saw a giant lizard!
Isn't it great!!!

blessings
barbara jean

I'm joining outdoor Wednesday today.

Our Mini Coast Vacation

Yep. That's me, on a recent 2 day mini vacation.
We went to the coast.
Stood on the rocks watching the tide come in.
Splashing on the rocks.
Showing the mighty power of the Creator.
and that's me running away, when a wave got too close! =)
Here is my sweet fella enjoying the view too.
more waves. It was such a beautiful day.
Here is a whole pool of sea anemones.
It was a huge pool and I have never seen so many in one place.
My sweet fella being silly. =)

Even the simply Oyster shell fascinates me.
and little thingies attached to it.
Here we are going for a bike ride.
We had matching bikes. =)
Lots of sea gulls around....
till we ran out of crackers.


And here is my sweet fella again,
saying, thanks for coming by.

Blessings to all

barbara jean

This helped me, about my fear and anxiety

Courage is fear prayed for.

Everyone feels afraid many times during life. However, when the Bible instructs us to "fear not," it doesn't mean not to feel afraid; rather, it means to decide to press on even in the face of fear.

Several times, the Israelites were instructed to "be strong and courageous." For example, in Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses commanded Israel: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Even in the face of fear, we too must "be strong and courageous."

Indeed, we are encouraged in 1 Corinthians 16:13 to be men of courage; be strong. So, next time you feel afraid, overcome your feelings through prayer so that you can "be strong and courageous."

This is part of a morning devotional, Christ's Notes, that I read each day. It really helped me think about my fear (anxiety), in a different way.

That first paragraph, " Everyone feels afraid many times during life. However, when the Bible instructs us to "fear not," it doesn't mean not to feel afraid; rather, it means to decide to press on even in the face of fear." actually made me see I am a courageous person, a conqueror, because many times I have felt anxious, and I kept moving ahead with my day, my life.

I wake up anxious most mornings, and spend time trying to figure out why I am anxious, or trying to work through it, or beating myself up because the Bible said 'be anxious for nothing' and I feel anxious.

But, each day I do continue to get up, continue to function, continue to pray, continue to go on with life, continue to love and encourage and care about other people.

I do not take pills or drink to numb me, I do not just sleep the day away to escape the feelings I have.

I AM A CONQUEROR!!! AND I DID NOT EVEN REALIZE IT!!!

THANK YOU LORD FOR SHOWING ME THAT TODAY!

I hope this will help you see yourself as a conqueror too.

blessings
barbara jean

Life can be confusing

I'm sitting here this morning, with tears running down my face.

No, nothing horrible has happened.

That is part of what makes it confusing, hard.

If there were some big, sad thing, it would make sense.
It would make it.........OK? understandable? acceptable??

But there is nothing.

Then there is the soul searching.
What is causing the morning anxiety. The sad?

How much time to we spend on that? Trying to figure that out?

How many times we do claim the Lord's joy, and power, and peace, before we actually achieve it? Before we actually feel it?

How many hours a day can we work, how busy can we stay, to try to keep the feelings at bay?

Is there ever any understanding of what is going on?

Do we need to understand things in order to be healed?

If indeed healing is what needs to happen?

If there is wholeness at all?

Just wondering.

Tears have stopped, but emptiness? sadness? still there.

Time for my morning walk.

Thanks for listening.

I'm seeing color again

I'm seeing color again.
For some time I have felt like I was under a cloud that was sucking the life out of me. As hard as I tried to focus on the Lord, it was like I just couldn't connect with Him. I either felt nothing, or felt like crying. I was going through the motions of life, but there was no joy.

Well, every moment was not like that, but the times of joy were fleeting. My grandchildren: they bring me joy. My sweet fella brings me joy. Serving others at the store brought me joy. But all in fleeting moments.
Anxiety overwhelmed me every morning when I got up, but waned as the day went on. Busyness would fill the spots where emptiness seemed to loom. But it only covered it up.
And the things that would usually cover it up no longer did it as well.

I prayed, I asked friends to pray. Still, some underlying darkness prevailed in my quiet moments.

Well, yesterday, and today I felt better. I felt like the cloud was lifting. I saw color again. I saw flowers instead of weeds. I saw the brightness of all God's creation around me. I saw hope.

Is there a secret, instant answer to how this happened? Did I do one certain thing that made yesterday and today better? No. I wish there was. I wish I could say to those of you who feel the same as I did, "do this, and it will all go away. Do that, and it will get better." But there isn't.

Saying to 'persevere', to 'hang in there', is easy to say, hard to do. But, we must do it.
We must continue to be willing to be healed, shaped, formed, loved.
I persevered. With the help of friends, I hung in there, although some days I slept extra, I watched TV more. I'm still here.

We must continue to cry out to God with out heartaches, our loneliness, our hurts. We must continue to praise and thank Him, even when we do not feel a thing when we say it. We must continue to have friends pray for us, even when we fear they are sick of hearing it. That is the enemy. He is a liar!! We are here to support each other in times of need. And we all have seasons when we need help. We need each other!

God knows our hearts. He knows our desire to please Him. He knows our desire to be whole, and healed. He is there, and willing. He is reaching out. He sees us as a blooming, and beautiful flower.
He rejoices over us with singing. He loves us.

Can you, will you, reach out to Him? Can you go just one more day? One more mile? One more step? YES. YOU CAN!!! YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE RISEN LORD IN YOU!


God's blessings and peace as you walk with Him.

Barb

Dancing Before the Lord.

My morning insight:

David shed his clothes to dance before the lord
His clothes represented encumbrances in his life.
Once removed he was free to dance.

Lord, Please help me not to be sidetracked by the things of this world.
Set me free from encumbrances, that I might freely dance before you.
Thank you Jesus. Amen

Sweet blessings friends.

barbara jean