Along the Way

If you happen to be driving through the Mohave Desert from Arizona to Southern California along CA State Route 62, be prepared for a strange sight, the abandoned “ghost” town of Rice, CA which was formerly named Blythe Junction. Rice is now a town with zero residents.

You won’t see abandoned streets or buildings from the highway here, just the foundation of a gas station beside the two lane road, its steel girders still holding up an outdated sign of a business which surely doesn't even exist anymore. Next to the gas station are the burned out foundations of some buildings, surrounded by a wire fence. Across the highway, a string of unused freight cars sits in storage on a defunct spur of the Arizona and California Railroad. While the physical EVIDENCE of past residents of the ghost town of Rice is minimal, there is EVIDENCE of multitudes of more recent visitors to this bleak and desolate place, 50 miles from a town in any direction.

What evidence am I referring to? Taggers have left their mark here. The rail cars, girders of the gas station and even the cement foundations of the former buildings are the canvases for multicolored graffiti art. Along the bank of the railroad tracks you can see rock art graffiti - designs and names made from the multicolored rocks taken from the rail bed. All this graffiti art leaves an interesting blend of new upon the old.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing mark left by visitors to this deserted place is the thousands of pairs of shoes on the fence and thrown onto the remains of the gas station sign. 

Yes, I said shoes! Some are worn...some new...some name brands... some are small children’s shoes...sandals...men's boots. You name it, you will see it here! 

On the internet this place is now designated as Rice Shoe Fence; it is actually listed as a tourist destination on some web searches. If you use Instagram you can find it under its own hashtag, #riceshoefence. If you look carefully you might find a designation for it on Google maps, but we found this place quite by accident. But in walking around this area and taking some photos, it struck me that all these people who have left their mark here (either by painting graffiti, assembling rock art or tossing shoes around a steel beam or fence) have gone out of their way to come here. They PURPOSELY made this trip through the desert to this deserted spot in order to leave a mark - the EVIDENCE of their passing through, either with paint, shoes or rocks! These “taggers” seem to have a desire to leave behind something artistic or unusual that says, “I was here.” I think this reflects our innate human desire to achieve something, to leave a legacy, to have PURPOSE. 

This place which we discovered by accident, brought a couple of questions to my mind: 

1.     What is our PURPOSE in life? Do you know it’s more than driving miles into the desert to tag a steel beam or cast off old shoes, or make art from rocks!

2.     What EVIDENCE of our life’s journey are we leaving along the way? Certainly it is more than paint, rock designs or old worn out shoes! 

There is an account in the Bible of a man who came to Jesus with questions about how to live his life, what PURPOSE he could pursue to be successful. He asked, “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

Jesus said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Matthew 22:36-40, http://bible.com/72/mat.22.36-40.hcsb

PURPOSE and EVIDENCE! If we follow these two commandments given by Jesus, from Matthew chapter 22, we will leave an eternal legacy behind as we journey along the way. In His first commandment Jesus sums up our PURPOSE in life; it is to love the LORD our God with all our heart. Flowing from this PURPOSE, the EVIDENCE of our love for the Lord will be that we love our neighbors as ourselves. 

As we pursue the PURPOSE of life, let’s be sure to intentionally leave behind the EVIDENCE that we love God by loving others. As the town of Rice has disappeared into the landscape, so the paint and shoes at Rice Shoe Fence will not be there forever. But LOVE will not fade away!

“And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother.”

1 John 4:21 http://bible.com/72/1jn.4.21.hcsb

In the Shade

Kelso Post Office

On our way back home from a recent trip to Arizona, we wanted to do a little exploring instead of just driving straight home. We found that there is an old Train Depot in the town of Kelso which was a little bit of a detour from our direct route along Highway 40.

Union Pacific System - Overland

Kelso Train Depot is in the Mojave National Preserve, so at this time of year (late May) the temperature was expected to be between 110-120 degrees. The Depot building is beautifully preserved and houses a museum of the area. And fortunately it is now air conditioned! We had a great time learning the history of mining, the railroad and the highways of the area from the early 1900’s, through WWII, to present times.

Kelso Depot Porch

Upon stepping back outside of the Museum, I wanted to get a picture of the building. As I stepped off of the porch, the heat immediately assaulted me. I hurried to get a picture so I could return to the shade of the porch, which ran the length of two sides of the building. It was surprisingly refreshing there in the shade of the sheltering tiled roof. Benches along the wall invited me to rest here in the shade where the brightness of the afternoon light was softened and reflected off of the polished floor. A breeze ran the length of the porch, the air cooled by the adobe floor and walls. We were in the midst of the Mojave desert, yet sheltered from its heat by the Depot building beside us, cooled and protected by its shade.

Mojave Desert

Sometimes in our life we are surrounded by desert...not always a physical one such as the Mojave, but deserts of emotional struggles, physical hardships, relational strife, depression, or grief. The Lord promises to stand with us and He wants to be our shelter, a safe haven in our storm, our oasis in the deserts of life. If you are in any kind of desert or storm, step into the shade that the Lord is offering you. Come let Him be the shelter beside you and around you!

“The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:5‬ 

Love

“Love must be without hypocrisy.”

My reading this morning in the New Testament book of Romans 12:9-21 presented an amazing section on ethics, how we should live out the Christian life. There was a lot to think about and to be challenged on, as I searched my heart in regard to the verses.

The section begins with the verse above…love without hypocrisy. This is the key to successfully live out all of the points that follow through to the end of the chapter.  I considered those words: love, hypocrisy. So many people mention hypocrisy in those who claim to be followers of Christ as the big offense that turns them away from following God and His Son Jesus. So I must examine what aspect of hypocrisy may have crept into my love for others. I don’t want any bit of hypocrisy in my love; I do not want to be a cause of stumbling for another.

• Do I love some more than others? 
• Do I love others more when I feel appreciated?   
•  Do I withhold my love to punish someone?   
•  Do I love those who hate me?
• Do I love so I can gain something in return? 
• To whom have I been unloving?

Jesus truly loved without hypocrisy. He loved the poor and the rich, the outcast and the beggar and those who were sick and disfigured. He loved those who followed Him, and those who turned away from Him. He loved those who were sinners, and those who thought themselves to be righteous. He loved those who slandered and killed Him, as much as He loved His close disciples. 

"Love must be without hypocrisy."

 

Today I ask God to search my heart, to try me and to show me any inkling of hypocrisy in the way that I love others. Only then can I live out the ethics listed in Romans 12:9-21:

Love must be without hypocrisy. 

Detest evil; cling to what is good.  Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in 

everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.  

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Changing Seasons

Changing Seasons

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

² A time to be born,
    And a time to die;
A time to plant,
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
³ A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
⁷ A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
    And a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
A time of war,
    And a time of peace.

--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 

Last day of Winter

Last Day of Winter

My husband and I took an opportunity to drive to the local mountains this past Monday for a day trip.  It was a gorgeous day, the best day of the week in the mountain forecast on our weather app! We wanted to enjoy the mountains, but we also wanted to see the snow. 

Having grown up in Southern California and living in a coastal climate, I am not very attuned to the seasons. I don't consider our So Cal Coastal area to have four seasons spread out in 3 month increments over the course of the year as some parts of the country and the world do. We can have freezing temperatures at night, followed by highs in the 80's the next day, even in December! So I was a bit taken by surprise when Tuesday's calendar greeted me with the announcement: first day of Spring. While in the mountains, the previous day, I hadn't recognized it as the last official day of Winter.

It struck me on Tuesday that from outward appearances nothing seemed to have changed in the seasons in my neighborhood. The weather was pretty much like the previous day. However in the mountains, with snow still on the ground we could see many indications of the coming season. Warmer weather. Leaf buds on the bare branches of the trees. Longer hours of daylight. Spring. Yet I had not recognized Monday as the last day of Winter, until I heard that Tuesday was the first day of Spring!

The scriptures that I quoted above assure us that there is a time for every purpose, and a purpose for every season. Winter is a time of rest, Spring a time to plant and greet new life, Summer is a time of growth and maturing, and Autumn is a time to harvest what was planted. This is the agricultural purpose of the annual cycle of nature's seasons.  Some areas nearer to the equator have only a rainy season and a drier season, while the regions near the poles have seasons marked by greater or lesser hours of daylight. 

Storms can also come seasonally. Rainy Season...Hurricane Season...Monsoon Season. Some events, such as droughts can cross over many years with no indication on the calendar as to when to expect them to begin or end. In a similar way the scriptures indicate that there are emotional seasons and storms in life: births, deaths, loss, gain, peace, war, joy, grief. I am encouraged to know that these events, while their beginning and ending dates are not on a ,are seasons. When in the midst of these tragic seasons of life, we can lose sight of the new season that may be soon coming upon us. We must hold onto the fact that there will be a new season...that the winter will have an ending determined by God.

It is a natural inclination to focus on "firsts" in life...first child...first steps...first day of school...first day of a season. We are always excited about new things.  When we are in the midst of a season of storm and devastation we can feel it will have no end. But like the "last day of Winter" was not on my calendar, I could see signs that Spring was coming. If you, like many of my dear friends, are struggling in the aftermath of great devastating emotional storms, I pray that you can soon begin to have healing and see some signs of Spring around you. I am praying for your Winter to end soon.  I know there will still be evidence of the destruction of the winter storms for a long time, however God promises to be faithful and present with us through all of our storms. Only He can make all things new!

A New Season

 

But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint. 

--Isaiah 40:31

Let me know how I can be praying for you!

Like a Tree

1. Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.  

3. He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1-3 

My neighborhood here in southern California has a vast variety of trees; Palms, Pine, Magnolia, Citrus, Eucalyptus and many others can be seen over the course of a very short walk.  Most of these have been planted in our neighborhood and nearby parks, and are not necessarily native to our semi-arid climate, but do well from the irrigation they receive. 

Today as I enjoyed my morning walk, the trees just struck me, drawing my eyes upward to the cloudless blue skies. Now I have always enjoyed trees - the incredible variety of textures in their bark, their towering height and varied foliage. In college, back in the late seventies, I studied art and photography, and trees were often the subject I chose for my images. I enjoyed the process of the pre-digital era, when the image was framed in a viewfinder and captured on film, which then needed to be processed, printed and edited in a darkroom. 

The assignment that was the most challenging for me in my college courses, was the "self-portrait". I much prefer to be on the back of the camera, taking the photo, to being a part of the subject. In our modern digital era, where everyone uses their smart phone to take pictures, one of the most commonly used features of the 'smart camera' is the ability to turn the camera to face the photographer, while still providing a preview of the image, enabling the photographer to take a "selfie", the modern term for a self portrait.

I reluctantly made the switch from a film camera, to digital, but now I solely use my phone as my camera. The portability and ease of access have finally won me over! The digital technology still provides opportunity to enhance the imagery through editing and apps, as I previously was able to do in the darkroom.  However, the self portrait, (oh I mean "selfie") is still difficult for me; I appreciate those who are able to get a nice looking "selfie". Personally, I mostly use this reversed lens technology to take photos of trees without having to strain my neck! So I suppose these images would be "tree selfies."

Today as I took tree selfies, I felt challenged with the thought, "Are you like a tree?" This question comes from an analogy in the book of Psalms, chapter 1 where the righteous (followers of the Lord) are likened to trees. As I reflected on the trees I saw today I pondered what qualities trees have, that I should be compared with them. Here are some questions to consider.

• Am I planted by the stream (God's Word) so I get watered each day? Only then can I flourish and grow tall.

• Am I content in who I am? Trees are not comparing themselves to others, some are tall, others short but they each are beautiful as they are.  Do I compare myself to other too much, or do I enjoy who I am?

• What season am I in, and am I being fruitful in that season?  Some of the trees I saw today were devoid of leaves, others pruned back and beginning to have new leaves, while a citrus tree was covered in fruit! Each tree was content in its own season, either resting, budding or bearing fruit. Am I jealous of those who are bearing fruit while I am in a season of resting or pruning, or am I rejoicing with them?
  
   

• Am I bowed over in a crisis and resting on other trees, or am I the one holding another up? There is a time for each! Do I let others help me when needed? Am I quick and willing to help another in their time of need?
  

What about you, dear reader? 
How are you "like a tree" today?

• Are you flourishing with a daily source of water?
• Are you content in who you are? 
• Do you feel pruned back, or is it a season to bear fruit?
• Are you in need of help, or are you helping someone else to be strong?

Let me know in the 
comments below! 
I would love to hear from you...

In Everything

Rejoice always,  
pray without ceasing,   
in everything give thanks;  
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
                1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 


Being able to give thanks in everything is the will of God for us! Sometimes it is not easy to give thanks, particularly during the hard times when things aren't going the way we wish they would go. That is why prayer precedes giving thanks. "Pray without ceasing." In other words, don't lose heart or give up on trusting the Lord.  He does know our needs and is listening to our prayers. That is what we can rejoice in...that God loves us, hears us, and acts on our behalf. This verse states that God's will for those who put their trust in Jesus, is that they will be able to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, always and in every situation. 

We recently returned from a vacation to one of our favorite places, Sedona, Arizona. We have a couple favorite places to eat, but the main attraction for us is hiking and exploring the trails that abound in the valley and in the canyons. We don't grow tired of the sweeping vistas and breath taking views of red rock bluffs and beautiful trees.

For the past couple of years I have been struggling with chronic back pain and spasms, which can strike without warning and put me down for hours or days. A couple of weeks before our planned trip to Sedona, I received prayer for my pain at our church.  I believed I had received healing, however several days later pain returned.  I continued, with thanksgiving, to pray and trust that God had begun a healing and that He would complete it! The day that we drove to Sedona,  I noticed that the pain was gone.  The next day I was able to hike through some spectacular trails, without pain during or after our treks.

You can read more about God's healing power in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. Luke's account of Jesus' ministry has multiple examples of God's power healing many types of afflictions. To some a healing came immediately and other times it came through faithful obedience to Jesus' words. Those who reached out to Jesus in faith were made whole and well! After their healing they glorified and praised God!

I continue to trust that God is completing His healing in my back and so "in everything I will give thanks."  I put together a short video of our hike, as a gift of thanks to the Lord, which you can access at the link below. I hope you will enjoy the beautiful views of Sedona, while you rejoice with me, and join me in glorifying and praising God for what He is doing in healing me! 

 https://youtu.be/3Iw5T9UN1rI

I also encourage you to add your comments below:

•  What are you rejoicing in?
•  What are you praying for?
•  What are you giving thanks for?

In the Rain

I took a walk this morning-in the rain. I put on my warm sweatshirt, topped it with a raincoat, hat and umbrella and headed out down my street. There was only a small drizzle, but it had rained enough overnight so that everything was wet.  Somehow the gray skies combined with the wetness to bring out a depth of color that was so vibrant! 

 

 

The Eucalyptus trees in the nearby park were also soaked, the rain bringing out the colors of the bark. When they are dry the trunks have dull shades of brown and gray, but today they were set off by shades of green and yellow! The rain had also heightened the scent of the eucalyptus oils, a natural diffuser. I could hear the rain dripping on my umbrella as I walked among the trees.

 

 

As I strolled through the rain I couldn't help but think of the classic movie "Singing in the Rain." If you haven't watched it, you should! In the movie one of the lead characters is so overcome with falling in love that he dances and sings his way through a downpour! He is definitely rejoicing with singing...and dancing! Why? Because he is in love.

The Bible tells us that God is this much in love with us as well.  His love for us causes Him to rejoice with singing over us! I hope today you will feel His love in a new way, allowing Him to bring new color, fragrance and joy to your life because of His great love for you!

 ^"The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17