As many of you know from my website and newsletter, I chose to take some much needed time away this summer and it was good. But it is also good to be back! During that time I closed down my webstore (which I will open again soon), did not send out any newsletters (which I will begin again next month), did not update my website (which I just did... yeah!), and did not blog until now. It does feel good to be back... I've missed spending time with you... but it was also good for me to be away and take some time to rest and refocus.
One of the most restful highlights of the summer included a road trip with my husband, Mike. We drove down the Oregon coast, across Napa Valley to Yosemite, and spent a few days with our dear friends
Audrey and Steve Roberts and their daughter Jacque.
After that we were off to the Grand Canyon, up to Big Sky Montana where our car started acting up and prompted us to postpone our trip to Yellowstone and head home a couple of days early... which ended up being absolutely perfect.
Another restful time was the week we spent camping at Alder Bay Resort on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We have wonderful friends we see there every year who have become like family.
This is our "Alder Bay Family" portrait for 2007. (minus Susan and I)
The highlight of my trip there is always the whale watching and, again this year, I was not disappointed!
I also enjoyed some fun times with family and friends...
including my annual carnival time
at BG Harvest Days with my granddaughters.
And I delighted in being able to spend quite a bit of time reading and just relaxing with no agenda. Okay, that part is not totally true because most of what I read was purposely chosen to gain wisdom and insight in preparing three entirely new retreat messages on Redeeming the Time which I will be sharing in just three weeks to a wonderful group of women from Calvary Chapel El Centro in So. California.
And that is how I've ended my time away... refocusing on the Lord and on what He has in store for me and for all those who love Him and trust Him as we redeem our time in the days ahead! I look forward to sharing some of that wisdom with you here in the coming days. Until then... "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17
