Skip to main content

Sanctuary in the Mountains







Spring is a lovely time to visit Flagstaff, AZ.  The air is still cool and the snow capped San Francisco Peaks shimmer in the bright sun.  As I drove to this wonderful city for a few-days' retreat, I prayed for clear direction for my life.  I treasure these heavenly times in a mountain sanctuary far from everyday routine.









These daffodils know what direction they should lean.  I guess it helps to have a strong morning breeze lead the way! The teachings in God’s Word lead me and I heard some powerful messages. 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.  Psalm 119:105









I never tire of pine trees.  Rows and rows of them speak strength and faithfulness to me.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.  Psalm 91: 1, 2


I’m thankful to be refreshed and ready to engage again.  The neat thing about being with Jesus – He always whispers encouragement and love and offers rest for the weary! 

Comments

  1. A beautiful reminder of the faithfulness of our God's presence, Mary! The beauty of His creation is a reminder of His strength...especially in the mountains! Thank you so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary, I am so glad that you were able to get away with the Father and let His renewing hand rest upon you...It sounds like a wonderful retreat.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Lord loves for us to search out a quiet place to be alone with him...he blesses it with His peace and clear thinking. I am so happy for you to have experience this.♥

    ReplyDelete
  4. How often I talk...talk...as I pray...asking for what I want...what I need...Thank you for the reminder of the importance to be still in His presence and to "listen" instead of what He wants to say in my heart...I know the refreshment from Him is "not of this place..." God bless and protect you sister Mary.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Memorial Day Reflection

  Memorial Day is always noteworthy for me and my girls.  Next Thursday marks the third year of missing their father, my husband. So many thoughts  run through my mind.  The journey of loss takes on various emotions.  The strongest feeling, at first, was emptiness.  In a split second, I would forget he departed forever.  I imagined things I needed to talk to him about when he got back home.  My mind is realistic now.  He's not coming back.  There will be no more times of sitting on the porch swing together on the front deck staring at the moon and the stars.  He would tell me all he knew about the majestic night sky. I have so much I wish I could tell him, like the excitement of seeing our oldest grandchild make a decision to follow Jesus and get baptized on Mother's Day!  And our little Amy, 11 years old, I wish he could have seen her on stage receiving her induction to the National Honor Society. Our daughters have their own ...

Changing it a Bit

I learned years ago in Marriage Encounter that I need to find creative ways to keep love alive.  Avoid the boring status quo and experiment with new ways of doing things.  The principle of changing it a bit can be applied to any relationship, really.  Healthy friendship is a gift but doesn’t just fall in my lap.   I have to work at that too and think of ways to enjoy life together with those special friends. I’ve changed some things around the house recently to spice up things.  When I took down Christmas decorations, I placed my plants in different rooms and rearranged the bookcase to give the living room a different look. I drank my coffee black.  Ugh, that did not work! I knew months ago the “read through Bible” plan I especially like and have used off and on through the years would not suffice this year and found a new way to pray and study in the morning.  How refreshing to wake up to a new way of saying hello to God!...

Got My Smile Back in Los Algodones

Leave it to a crisis to get us to take action!   That’s what happened when my husband, Tom, chipped a front tooth.   He spent $1100 several years ago for a wire partial he hates to insert, but at least it covered an empty space where a front tooth once was.   And now with this chipped front tooth, it was time to consider our options.   Los Algodones, Mexico grabbed our attention. The first thing we did was pray for discernment.   Then we began a search online.   RV Forums and bloggers are extremely helpful.   As we read about others' experiences with dentists, we gained confidence.   We talked to people in our church that have their dental work done in Mexico and weighed the facts.   Yes, we decided to go to Los Algodones.   Our passport cards took four weeks to process.   During this wait, we pursued a list of dentists we found with the best reviews.   We sent out emails with Tom’s most current X-rays att...