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. AnonymousApril 4, 2013 at 3:29 AM

    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. NancyApril 4, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    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. DeniseApril 4, 2013 at 1:02 PM

    Lovely reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DeeApril 4, 2013 at 3:54 PM

    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
  5. RCUBEsApril 4, 2013 at 7:26 PM

    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

Holiday Movie Comes to Life

It’s uncanny when a new holiday movie comes out and resembles your personal life.   I came clean to my husband on that drive to the Harkins in Sedona confessing that the movie got bad ratings.   It isn’t the type of movie that he would choose to see in the first place.   Rotten Tomatoes gave it one star.   My prince charming replied:   “ Let’s see what we think of it and rate it ourselves.”   Yes!   High five to his palm! It started out as a fun afternoon date.   It would have been perfect if the lady directly in front of me didn’t have on super-strength perfume.   Smells can be troublesome when you’re prone to headaches.   I stuck my head in a big bucket of buttered popcorn; you know-- to alleviate her fragrance, because popcorn smell is less offensive.   What else is a girl like me to do? We named the genre “drama with comedy.”   Cast of characters acted like the typical family scene at Christmas tim...
27 comments
Read more

Abba's Lap

I noticed a behavior pattern in little Amy, twenty months old, that I want to imitate.  She moves fast engaging in one toddler activity after another spinning like a whirlwind from one room to another.  Yet, she pauses,  intermittently , long enough to get refreshed.   I want to be like this grandchild of mine because she knows where to go and how to get comforted. Amy moves at record speed, putting more miles on a pedometer in one hour than my accumulated weekly workouts at the gym.  She can build a skyscraper so tall, I wonder why those bright pink Lego’s don’t topple to the ground as she continues to stack just one more piece on top. I learned never to leave the room to get another cup of coffee.  Once, when I returned, I found her climbing past the couch with hands and feet reaching for the living room drapes. She has a consistent habit that I admire.  In the midst of her activities, as she moves robustly from one play...
51 comments
Read more

Spiritual Sundays ~ Flamboyant Love

I was shopping for a birthday card during my lunch hour last week when I overheard an elderly woman in the card aisle talking to her niece, a woman about my age. Here is what she said: “ I threw out all my cards. They never meant those words anyway .” Lots of laughter followed. How sad I thought to be unable to receive the love sent to her in the sentiments of a card. This incident got me thinking about the love of God and resolving to embrace it when it is offered to me. It doesn’t matter if I think I’m worthy of such extravagant love; He thinks so! In contrast, just a day later I received one of those gorgeous hand-crafted cards in the mail from my friend, Kay, who loves paper crafting. It was so pretty and love and joy just oozed out of it when I opened it. This is a sample of her designs at Creativity is Good. Kay wrote a beautiful note to me in the card reminding me of God’s tender love for me. She ended her thoughts with “The God of the universe loves us more than we can ever f...
25 comments
Read more