Go. Be. Do.

“Hope is the thing with feathers  That perches in the soul  And sings the tune without the words  And never stops at all.” Emily Dickinson God taught me an amazing lesson on hope a few years ago. Each spring He blesses me with another reminder of this hope. This year it's bigger and better than ever. You answer us in righteousness,  with awe-inspiring works,  God of our salvation,  the hope of all the ends of the earth  and of the distant seas. Psalm 65:5

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true." ~Anonymous On March 1st, my first journey overseas began around 1:30 pm in the Atlanta airport. (It almost ended just a couple of hours later in Houston, but I'm getting ahead of myself...) The plane we were going to board for Houston came in about 20 minutes late. Nothing new...pretty much expected it would happen. It did put us really close to get to our connecting flight, but boarding began and things were progressing along. A lady, who apparently missed all of the carry-on luggage size charts and checkpoints, boarded the plane at the last minute with a bag that was very obviously oversized and not going to fit in the overhead compartment on our plane. More precious minutes of our few remaining to catch our connecting flight in Houston were very quickly passing. Nothing to do but hope and pray... Landing in Houston would have been more exciting had I had a minute to enjoy...

"As a rock on the seashore he standeth firm, and the dashing of the waves disturbeth him not. He raiseth his head like a tower on a hill, and the arrows of fortune drop at his feet. In the instant of danger, the courage of his heart sustaineth him; and the steadiness of his mind beareth him out.”   Akhenaton, Egyptian Pharoah

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,  according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."   Ephesians 3:21-22 As I listened to our guest speaker on Sunday morning preach the first of five revival messages on going from routine to revival, two images crossed my mind that summed up the topic perfectly in my mind. Routine... Nothing is more routine to me than my very own backyard...especially in wintertime.  Natural color scheme, nothing new growing, not one thing more outstanding than the other.  Ordinary.  Same day after day.  A true definition of routine, if there ever was one.  Nothing much to speak of with others. Revival... Warm sunshine beaming down from a clear blue sky; cool waves crashing upon the rocks on the shore.  A perfect mix of temperatures, colors, and fresh air to revive a wi...

An Irish Prayer  May God give you... For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer. An Old Irish Blessing May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. A Wish for a Friend Wishing you a rainbow For sunlight after showers- Miles and miles of Irish smiles For golden happy hours- Shamrocks at your doorway For luck and laughter too, And a host of friends that never ends Each day your whole life through!   

Sunset over Camps Bay Strand Beach I don't remember... Penguins @ Boulders, Simon's Town Driving through Chapman's Peak Seal Island

Ten things I learned traveling overseas to and around Cape Town, South Africa, with a layover in Amsterdam... 10.   Customs & Immigration aren't all that bad. The only thing that made me nervous about this trip was facing the unknowns of C & I...I have heard of many dreadful experiences.  Praise God for safety and clear communication on this, my first journey overseas by plane!  Made it through all of the countries, in and out, just fine.  Atlanta was even smooth sailing...landed at 8 something PM and walked out in under an hour.  Probably took longer to get off the plane than anything else.  Very thankful for the short lines and courteous agents. 9.   Always make room for closed toe shoes. An extended layover in Amsterdam called for a few hours of touring Amsterdam Central.  Not checking a bag on this journey overseas, there was limited room in my carry on luggage.  I only took sandals since that's what I needed for Cape Town. ...