Journey To Cali: Part Four

I can’t even begin to express to you how thankful I am that I planned two days of pure rest into my journey to California. It was so wonderful to sleep in on my second day of scheduled rest. Laura was a lovely host, and pointed me to one of her and Joel’s favorite hiking spots called Vedauwoo.

It’s a popular place for rock climbing and hiking as there’s a compilation of huge rocks that literally look like a mountain (yes - the rocks are that big as you can see above) and a lovely trail the loops around it called Turtle Trail. I thought that was appropriate since I had such a fascination with turtles while growing up.

The hike was quite refreshing after sitting in a car for over twelve hours the previous day. One of my favorite things to do is spend time in nature enjoying God’s creation and marveling at how magnificent God is. After driving across the USA, I understand God’s diversity in His creations at a whole new level. And all of it is so beautiful!

As I was awe struck by the rock formations surrounding me, I thought of what it would be like if all the rocks cried out as scripture mentions in Luke 19. The praises coming from these rocks would be quite loud and rambunctious because they’re so big! Verse 37 of Luke 19 says, “When he (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.”  I think I can understand their sentiment and am anticipating joyfully praising God at the top of my lungs this year as I continue to see my God of Love do miracles for His glory and the good of His children.

I also thought of the Lord being my Rock, my fortress, my tower of safety as I marched around this mighty rock formation. As I was reading my Bible shortly after the hike, I especially took note of Psalm 61: 3 & 4 as it captured all that was welling up in my soul earlier. It says, “Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!” This is exactly what the Lord has done for me. What a precious gift! And it’s available for everyone – that excites me even more!

My only disappointment for the day quickly turned into a funny thing later when I was sharing it with Laura. At one point I decided to remove my sunglasses and hang them on my shirt since the path had turned shady. It wasn’t until near the end that I realized at some point they had slipped out of my shirt and fell. I was shocked because I hadn’t even heard them drop on the ground! I was so enraptured by the beauty of my surroundings it didn’t even phase me when they fell. I was sorely disappointed when I first realized I had lost them because these were no ordinary sunglasses. I had purchased them specifically for my season in California. While they were a bargain price, they still had a little bling, bling on the sides which made them perfect for my time in Cali. I was quite humored by Laura’s response when I told her what had happened. She mentioned that there would be one happy chipmunk with a new toy. As she said that I immediately got this image of a chipmunk running around the forest wearing my sunglasses. That one gave me a good belly laugh and somehow made the loss a little more manageable. I’ve since replaced them with a new pair. There’s no bling, bling on these but the price was right and they will certainly do the job!

I ended my afternoon of adventure at the perfect little place, Coal Creek Coffee Shop, and indulged in the best deli sandwich I have ever tasted – smoked turkey pesto - accompanied by a creamy caramel latte. Yum! Heaven knows I was hungry after that hefty hike!

Journey to Cali: Part Three

My longest day on the road was from Kansas City, MO to Laramie, WY. It was almost 12 hours of driving time but ended up being more than that after making stops, etc. I had heard lots of negative comments about driving through the state of Kansas but I found it to be quite enjoyable. It was probably the easiest part of my trip because it was flat in comparison to the rest of my trip. I guess I didn’t know what I was missing either since I had yet to get into the really beautiful landscape. Toward the end of Kansas, I saw two huge fields of sunflowers! Their heads were laden down with seeds.  It was a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us. Whenever I see sunflowers, I think of Psalm 57:10 that says:

“For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

These magnificent flowers grow so tall and their blooms are so big, I can’t help but be reminded of God’s love, grace, peace, and joy that stand over us – taller than we can even fathom (as high as the heavens!) and are bursting forth with the biggest most beautiful blooms. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get a drive by photo of these lovely reminders of God’s love. But I certainly took a mental note and received the message of God’s love for me gladly.

I learned to stop for gas often – and often means whenever it looked like a gas station existed at the upcoming exit. By the end of the trip I had grown accustomed to the exits with signs saying, “No Services Available this Exit.” I never knew when my next opportunity would come – so I seized the moment when I saw gas was available.

The Colorful State of Colorado didn’t look much different until I reached the outskirts of Denver. It was there I saw my first set of mountain ranges. It was breathtaking. In fact, I was so excited I’m pretty sure I squealed.

At one point toward the end of this long day of traveling I had a decision to make – a fork in the road so to speak. I debated staying on the well traveled interstate or taking highway 287 to Laramie - a more direct route but one I had no idea of what to expect. There’s a certain level of risk when going off of the interstate and entering a hwy that you know will be going through the mountains – and this at dusk. I decided to take my chances when I saw a sign saying 287 to Laramie. The risk quickly turned into a reward as it became evident that this was going to be a beautiful drive.  It was a good reminder of an important life lesson: rewards often follow risk taking. In fact, it’s been said the greater the risk, the greater the reward. I have a feeling I’m going to be learning a lot more about this principle this year!

By this time, I was pretty exhausted. Mostly my eyes were strained from driving so long. In addition I had just come through an amazing storm. A storm in the Midwest is completely different than storms in wide open spaces. I saw it coming miles away and it took a good half hour before I felt the effects of it. The first thing I saw from a distance was a magnificent lightening show. I watched the lightning bolts go from cloud to ground. It was incredible and frightening all at the same time. I was in awe of God as I watched the remarkable storm before me unfold.

For some reason – storms remind me of God’s strength and power. The wind was so strong I thought my bike was going to rip right off the back of my car so I decided to stop at Bennett, Colorado (appropriate don’t you think?) to make sure it was tied on securely.

Once I got on Highway 287, the wind got even stronger and I saw tumble weed fly across the road in front of me. The view was breathtaking though as I wove around the mountains in yet another storm – or perhaps it was the same band of storms I had just driven through. As soon as I entered Wyoming, I saw a sign that said, “Possible Strong Winds Ahead.” I had a great big laugh at this considering I had just fought the wind for at least 30 minutes!

Pretty soon the sun came out and it was raining simultaneously! As I looked to my right I saw the most brilliant double rainbow! So I did the smartest thing ever – I practiced drive by photography. J I actually don’t recommend it. Thankfully nothing bad happened in spite of my stupidity.  God spoke to me through the double rainbow and confirmed a Word of prophesy that had been given to me just the day before at IHOP. Check it out - do you see the rainbows in this photo? One of them ends at my bike seat and the other at my bike's handle bar?

Here's another photo I took while my car was stopped due to construction. I find it quite interesting that fireworks are at the end of this rainbow. :)

Even though I was tired from the long journey I noticed there was great beauty in a storm like that – and there was even more beauty afterwards. It made me think of the storms in my own life – and how God has brought me to a place of being able to look upon those storms and see the beauty in them. Some of those storms are over, and I’m experiencing the rainbow after the storm. There are some storms I’m still in the middle of – but I’m clinging to the promise of a rainbow soon to come and in the mean time I’m enjoying the beauty in the midst of the storm. I pray God gives you the grace to do the same in whatever storms you’re facing.

When I arrived at my friends, Joel and Laura Pontius, I  felt so loved and taken care of as Laura fed me some delicious elk stew and quinoa salad. Their house was so inviting and truly a place of rest. After dinner I promptly hit the hay glad for a lovely place to sleep and excited for the adventures my next day would hold in Laramie.

Journey to Cali: Part Two

Have you ever been in a place where God’s presence is so thick you’re overwhelmed with joy and gratitude? If not, I suggest you visit International House of Prayer in Kansas City. I was strategic in planning  IHOP in Kansas City as one of my pit stops on my way to Redding. Why? Well, it was on my way home from my first visit to IHOP that God confirmed my move to Redding. I thought it appropriate that I go there on my journey out west and ask God to use it as a platform for this next adventure. I believe that’s just what He did.

It’s amazing to be in a place where hundreds of people are there with the purpose of worshiping God, encountering God, and interceding for the things that are on the Father’s heart.  As I sat in the prayer room my heart swelled up with gratitude for what God had done for me in the first leg of my trip. The worship band was singing, “I believe you move at the sound of my voice. You heard my cry and you answered me.” These lyrics ring true in my own life as evidenced by the amazing journey I had coming to Redding! The next song the praise band sang had these lyrics: “So shall I be saved from my enemies - You lifted me up higher, and higher.” As these words washed over me I came became keenly aware of how God had been saving me from my enemies on this journey to Bethel. I felt so at peace, secure, safe, and careless in God’s care the entire trip. I know that was a beautiful gift from God. My thoughts floated back to an incident that happened around lunch time earlier that day during my road trip to Kansas City.

I stopped at a gas station to retrieve food from my cooler when I noticed a grandfatherly fellow who was parked next to me. As I was gathering my lunch, he said to me that it made him really sad when he saw girls like me. I thought this was a very interesting statement. What made him so sad? So, I asked him. He said because he and his wife had noticed a trend over the years that it was pretty girls like me who are alone that come up missing and it made them really sad. I responded with an assurance that rose up so strongly in my spirit saying, “Yes, but you know what? I serve a BIG God and He’s placed mighty angels around me and my car to protect me.” He then looked at my car and it was almost as if he was seeing the angels himself as he said, “yes, He has.” And then he proceeded to tell me that God had put angels around him when he served in the army in Germany. We parted ways saying, “God bless you” to each other. I praise God that He brought that truth to my heart and mind in a moment when I could have decided allow fear to journey with me. Fear makes a terrible travelling companion. I’m so thankful for that resolute truth of God’s protection over me and the rest in God that followed.  

Another gift God gave me that day was near Effingham, IL. As I looked to my left I saw a huge cross – at least three stories high – probably higher! It made me smile and it was as if everything I’ve done to take this journey to Bethel came into clear focus with that cross as a part of my journey. I wasn’t quick enough to do a drive by photography shoot nor did I stop to take a photo – but I found this image of it on google so you can have an idea of what I saw.

While I was at IHOP I was greatly encouraged by spending time in the Presence of God and worshiping Him with my brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the most encouraging ministries IHOP has is their prophetic ministry where a team prophesies over you out of 1 Corinthians 14. They do so for the comfort and encouragement and exhortation of the body. It’s an opportunity to receive encouraging Word from the Lord specific to your life and what God is bringing about for you. They don’t prophesy dates, mates or direction and ask you to take everything that is prophesied over you up to the Lord and inquire of His heart regarding everything that is said because they prophesy in part and the Lord fills in the details regarding what is said over you. One thing I’ve learned about prophesy is that the receiver is just as responsible as the giver. For example, the receiver is responsible for inquiring of the Lord to fill in the details and also to cast aside anything that is not from the Lord. The two times I’ve been prophesied over at IHOP have both rung true in my life and were a great encouragement. If you ever visit IHOP, I highly encourage you to sign up to receive this ministry. But do so online before you go because their open slots fill up weeks in advance. They do allow for last minute sign ups if there’s space – but I wouldn’t count on getting in last minute.

Not only was I greatly encouraged by the ministry at IHOP, I had the joy of spending time with my good friend, Ericka Smiley. I was so thankful for her and her housemates' willingness to host me for two nights. Ericka is so in love with Jesus, and I always learn from her. I was reminded of the beauty of stopping and praying in the moment when a need is recognized and/or when my heart wells up with gratitude to what God is doing. Ericka has captured this lovely habit so well. My last night there we decided to walk to IHOP (it was only a few minutes away). That evening the prayer room was a huge praise party! I felt like God was sending me off to Redding by filling me up with a bubbling fountain of joy that He gave me as I joined that awesome praise party to God. I also felt like He was saying, this is only the beginning of much joy to come. What a gift! By the time we left it was dark outside. While we were walking home, I noticed a car coming toward us with very loud (not so positive) music. I could clearly see there was a young man driving it. My first instinct was to pray to God for protection. Guess what Ericka’s was? To pray for his heart and for his salvation. Now that, my friends, is a Kingdom prayer. One driven by compassion instead of fear. That’s not to say praying for protection wasn’t legit. I believe it was. But that prayer coupled with hers rounded out what could have been a lopsided prayer. Just one way I think God uses the body of Christ. We need each other.

All in all – my time in Kansas City at IHOP was amazing and a great launching pad for what’s to come in this new season. Next stop: Laramie, WY!

Journey to Cali: Part One

I’ve been caught up in whirlwind of transition these past few months and it’s hard to believe I’m finally in Redding. The day I loaded up on my earthly belongings in Fort Wayne was bittersweet. I was surrounded by friends and family I loved which made it sweet. The bitter part sunk in right before I left town. I had been praying that the Lord would help me to grieve well ever since I knew I would be leaving people and places I dearly love. He was so faithful to help me do that over the few months I was preparing to go. But I had one final ugly cry (seriously!) right before leaving Fort Wayne. I must have needed it because there certainly was no stopping it!

The week that followed encompassed time finalizing a few details but mostly resting before my long journey out west. I was so thankful to have about six days in Bloomington to become acquainted with my future home (God willing) and relax. While I was there the Lord really spoke to me as I was reading Ezra one day. I sensed the Lord saying it was important for me to have my trip out West covered in prayer. I was aware of this but it seemed like God was hi-lighting the importance even more when I was reading about Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem and how he called together those who were going on the journey with him to pray and fast. They spent a concentrated time in prayer about their journey before they left and we see in verses 23 and 31 of chapter 8 that the gracious hand of God protected them and saved them from enemies and bandits along the way.

I found it quite interesting that Ezra felt he would be abandoning God if he asked for the King’s soldiers to accompany them on their journey because they had told the king, “Our God protects all those who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” So he earnestly prayed to the Lord, and He heard Ezra’s prayer. This was similar to my own journey to California in that I’ve had several people mention that I should have someone accompany me on the trip. But all along I’ve had a deep sense that my only traveling partner for this journey should be Jesus. I felt it important to only rely on Him. But before I embarked on the journey, I also knew it would be important to have a time or earnest prayer and request the same from my family and friends who are journeying with me on this new adventure via satellite through their prayers, encouragement and support. I did so – and let me tell you – I believe it made all the difference. I can say that God did the same for me as He did for Ezra and his people – “the gracious hand of God protected us (me) and saved us (me) from enemies and bandits along the way.”  And really He did so much more than that! Praise God for answered prayer – and for friends and family who are willing to cover me in prayer on this exciting new journey! I’m excited to tell you about it! I’m so grateful for this testimony of God’s protection and lavishing of beautiful gifts along the journey.

After spending some time in Bloomington, I spent a few more days resting at my parent’s home. We ate like we were celebrating a holiday every day! Perhaps we were trying to squeeze in every holiday we could since I’ll not be back home for most of the year. It was a wonderful time, and just what I needed before my 38 hour trip out west. I particularly enjoyed the flowers in my parent’s gardens. So when it was time to leave, I was rested and had one loaded car! My next stop was Kansas City, MO to spend time with my friend Ericka Smiley and soak at the International House of Prayer. But I’ll leave that story for my next post!