Mountain Top Experience

Memories permeate my mind of moments past.  People of yesteryear have flooded my soul, linger, treading up memories of the distant and not so distant past.  Memory lane can be a time of refreshing. triumph or despair.  Praise the Lord that despair does not linger to much on memory lane for me.  Don't get me wrong, there are some I would like to change but most are wonderful, lingering moments that I treasure.  From the mountain top experience to the valley floor below the path is what ties them all together and be the best part of all.

The most impact, life changing moment in my life is when I was standing in the parking lot of Prairie Camp in Wakarusa, Indiana in the dark just after attending the revival service of the Missionary Church. The evangelist was Dr.Harold Hunter from Cookville, Tennessee and his sermon had been about what heaven would be like.  A friend looked at me and asked me if I knew who Jesus was. I replied,"Of course I do!". He asked me again and I replied the same but then my mind began to doubt.  Inside I was screaming "I know the story. Its in the Bible.  Where do you think I have been? Don't you know where I came from? We have the corner on this Jesus thing all figured out." Oh, how sadly was I wrong.

Over the next several weeks I struggled with this question.  I finally decided to ask Jesus himself who he was. And boy, did he ever show me.  He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  So one afternoon, I called my friend and asked him to meet me at McDonald's.  In the dining room of McDonald's I met Jesus Christ for the first time in my life, right over a cheeseburger and fries.  My heart and life where forever changed from that moment on.

To me, that is why McDonald's is known as the Golden Arches.  They lead right into heaven.



This past week, has been another week of wonderful memories. On Sunday I had an unexpected phone conversation for several hours with an old friend that knows and shares a lot of my deepest and sweetest memories.  On Tuesday, I woke up to a bright sunny day.  I lingered over my quiet time with God then he whispered to me to come outside and play.  I have to admitted I argued with him about needing to do earthy chores such as clean, wash clothes, grocery shop ect.  But I finally surrendered and took a hike up Sea Harbor Mountain, I was so glad I did because it rained on Wednesday. Thursday the sun really shined so I went for another hike and met some wonderful new people. 

My Hike up Sea Harbor Mountain!





On the hike up.





Sitka airport. The quickest way out of Sitka!





If you look really close to the left above the tree limb you can see the ferry boat at the ferry terminal.  This is one of the only two ways to come and go from Sitka.





The last lingering of blooming vegetation.





At the top of Sea Habor Mountain





On the way back down with one more mile to go!



Seeking Answers

The mysteries of life are to be pondered, thought about, twisted around in ones mind and regurgitated.  As I was growing up I always wondered why "I" had to be the weird kid.  Many of my friends today would not believe this but I really did not naturally like lots and lots of people, talking or trying unfamiliar things.  The natural order in my life pretty well calculated and catered to my aloneness.  My maiden name started with the letter "Y" placing me always at the back of the line, in the back of the classroom or in any event that took place that required order, the last to be called upon.  So when you add all this up, last to be born, end of the alphabet, and being shy, it doesn't quite work out to what I am today.  Today, I so enjoy meeting new people, don't mind being singled out and enjoy trying many new things.

When the Bible says you become a new creature in Christ and old things pass away and all things become new, it literally means it.  As a child I struggled with my identity, trying on, hiding behind or running away from many IDs but continued to always be looking for, crying out for answers of why I felt this pain lodged so deep inside my heart. Cookies, pretty things, romance books, being alone, having crushes on boys, the desire to be noticed, just wanting to fit in, or at the very least not to be the weirdo kid that had to wears skirts and have a  mom that wore a funny looking dress and hat, where just substitutes of something I knew was missing.  But what was I missing?

The earliest memory in my life that I can remember is waking up from a nap and seeing strangers standing in my bedroom surrounding my bed and pointing at me.  Some people today might say they where aliens or angles but I still to this day remember I was struck to my core with fear.  The one question swimming in my head at the time and putting my little body on full alert was "Where is my mom?"  Just so you all don't think my mother was an unfit mother, I came to find out later that the strangers in my room where with her and they where looking at the house to see if they wanted to rent it and I was suppose to be napping.  To me my mother meant safety and that nobody would hurt me.  In a perfect world parents are part of a child's life representing safety, security and unconditional love but in this world of sin those relationships can get turned around, abused and just plain distorted. Even at the young age of two my perfect world view was distorted but my little mind was still seeking. Seeking answers to questions that would one day turn my upside down life right side up, putting it into perfect order!

Sitka sits in the Tlingit native tribe territory known as modern day southeast Alaska. Tlingit is pronounced as Klinkit. I recently visited the Sitka National Historical Park and viewed some totem poles.  The tribe just raised one in the past year which you can tell by the brightness of the painting.

Listed below are reasons why they make and raise totem poles accourding to the Sitka National Historical Park website http://www.nps.gov/sitk/historyculture/totem-poles.htm

• Crest poles give the ancestry of particular family.
• History poles record the history of a clan.
• Legend poles illustrate folklore or real life experiences.
• Memorial poles commemorate a particular individual.

http://www.indians.org/articles/tlingit-art.html  more info on the tribe if interested.

In the Beginning

To many of you I am known but to some I am not.  I have been reflecting back over my life and pondering the moments that I can remember. Some bring smiles and lots of laughter others just bring quiet reflection of events that one wishes had taken another turn.  But the past is the past and is forever cemented in time.

So in the beginning when creation began for this life, I arrived as the youngest of four children, all which had been boys until till me.  Most certainly this had to have been a major event!?  Or so I have been forever reminded of by my brothers.  Being the "baby" and the only "girl" from my point of few had and still has advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation.

This wonderful event called life took place in a Midwestern state in a "Amish" style home. One can only image what that means to people looking in but to those looking out it just is normal.  Television, radio, movies etc. just where not a part of daily life.  I was not allowed to wear pants and to this day find myself gravitating to wearing skirts just because that feels "normal" to me. 

But in the depth of all these beginnings one thing that was taught to me "God is God and the Bible holds all the unquestionable truth of God!"

 

Sitka is made up of two islands connected by a bridge.  The main part of town and my house are on the main island.  The second island has the airport, hospital, Coast Guard, college and a few other things.  When I pass over the bridge everday I see this island with houses on it off to the south.  If you notice closely there is a walkway of rocks but they can only able to be used when the tide is out.


 

I noticed it also has a rope with a boat! Talk about a wet ride home!




A view of downtown Sitka from bridge.




Another view from bridge looking south.





More of downtown Sitka

 




Downtown Sitka

  


Sitka and the bridge that connects the two islands on a more clear day.

 


Another clear view!

 

Walking in the Rain

It has now turned toward fall here in Sitka which means rain!  



Sitka, Alaska



Sitka, Alaska





 I look back and just a few months ago I was in  Arizona enjoying warmth and sunshine. Miss those nice sunny days!

 

On a weekend trip to Williams, Arizona I took the back road heading south out of town. Williams is located just south of the Grand Canyon so this trip is driving down from rim country to the desert valley floor. The views where absolutly magnificent.



As I traveled I pondered the wonderment of God's creation and thought of a poem from my eight grade liturature class taught by Mr. Brown.  He made us memorize and stand up in front of the whole class to recite it. To an eight grader it brought such horror of being in front of your peers, feeling their judgement and not being able to run unless you wanted a failing grade. It kind of reminded me of how Adam and Eve must have felt when they where in the garden right after they had just partaken of the fruit from the one tree that God had ask them not to eat from.  The first feeling and realization of their nakedness. The first introduction of sin into a perfect world. I praise the Lord that I can once again have a perfect relationship with our Father through his Son, whom took on all of my sin so I could stand clean without stain in front of my Father.



 

 



Arizona







Arizona















Arizona

 I do so thank Mr. Brown now for introducing, making me memorize, and recite some wonderful liturature.  This poem has been for ever implanted as a reminder of the way I want to live my life.

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Arizona











Arizona







Sitka, Alaska on rainy day! One of many!







Arizona







Arizona







Arizona



 

Arizona

 

Northern Arizona



Glad you could join me on the road less traveled by!