Happy 8th Anniversary, Donna and Nacer!

Do you feel like you still have a lot of gas in you?

That's what I asked this Old Navy employee dude today!!! We were talking about him finishing his undergraduate degree a couple of months ago. Although he was ready to be done with school, he is going to start law school next month. So I asked him, "Do you feel like you still have a lot of gas in you?" Why do I not go over my words before they leave my mouth? Grrrr.

Yay, Discovery!

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html

Today's Good Ole' Oswald Chambers

God's Purpose or Mine?

from My Utmost for His Highest

"He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side..." (Mark 6:45)

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God's purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish - His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see "Him walking on the sea" (6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.

God's purpose is to enable me to see that he can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.

Erika ~ Me, too!

This is me and Dixie in Fredricksburg. I didn't feel like the boss and she knew it. This photo was taken about 10 minutes before I was totally by myself with her while she was bucking. :) Interesting experience. Hey, do you see those boots on my feet? They belong to my friend Karen. For the first time in my life, I felt totally comfy in boots! They didn't hurt one bit. For fun, I kept them on for a while after I got off the horse. I was a cowgirl.

This One's for You, Trey!

It's another photo/post card of a piece of folk art from Poland.

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY TREY!

World War II

Today I went to a museum in Fredricksburg, TX:

http://www.nimitz-museum.org/

I feel amazed by how much our lives are connected to all of the people who lived, fought, and hoped during World War II. Before my visit to the museum today, it seemed like the war happened a long time ago. That feeling totally changed today as I watched a couple of WWII veterans and their wives looking at the museum's Memorial Wall:

http://www.nimitz-museum.org/plaques.htm

Also, did you know that 10 consecutive American presidents, starting with FDR and ending with George Bush, served in the military during WWII?

Ahhhh!!!!!!!

My new favorite things are photos of wooden sculptures from Poland. :) I discovered and bought about 10 different photos of these fine pieces of polish folk art which are actually for sale in a little shop in Santa Fe, NM. I'm sooooo glad that the photos were made into postcards. :) Who knows, one of them might even make it to you in the mail!. I will also post them here and there on this blog. (This photo is dedicated to Chris and Laura Seals.) I hope they make you laugh in the depths of your belly!

Palo Duro Canyon

That's me, Tressa, and Kodiak at Palo Duro Canyon. Chris and Laura, aka "The Extreme Sports Parents", are at the top looking down at us.

I feel happiest when...

I go to sleep without knowing where I am going to go the next day.

I wake up with a welcoming spirit to the unknowns of every moment in the day.

I go on whimsical adventures and discover new places in this world and in my heart, mind, and soul.