Page 98 ended up being a restful day with nothing on the schedule that needed done.  After a few days roaming the countryside of West Virginia and a return to work yesterday, a day at home sounded like the perfect plan.  After some extra sleep brought a later than usual start to the day, it was time to start going through the photos from our West Virginia trip.  It was a big project and about midway through, I stopped to cook some hamburgers on the pellet grill.  The sun was shining brightly and made it look deceptively nice outside as the air temperature was colder than it looked like it should be.  The brisk temperature made me decide to continue working on the photos after lunch instead of going out walking.

As I went through each day’s photos, I contemplated what to do with them beyond keeping them stored on my computer.  I will share some of them on social media but flooding my social media accounts with 900 photos would not be a very sociable move.  I suspect that I will eventually upload them to my online smugmug account where they can be sorted into galleries and viewed by those interested.  In the meantime, after processing all the photos, I put together a blog post about one day of our trip so others could get a glimpse of not only the beauty that we saw, but could have some direction in how to experience it for themselves.  You can read that at Southern West Virginia Waterfalls & Scenic Views Roadtrip: Day 2.

Today’s photo is one from a stop on the final day of our trip as we made our way toward home.  It was a rainy day so we stopped at a park to photograph some waterfalls.  Even on a cool, rainy day there was much beauty to be seen.  Surrounded by the beauty of the park, Susan’s happiness could not be hidden.  Her love for life, her love for us as her parents, her love for her panda bear, her love for people, and most of all her love for God brings her great joy that shines wherever she goes.  Yes, there are times when we probably push her patience to the limit, but as long as we keep her warm, fed, and comfortable without having to walk too much, she shares our adventures with great excitement.  There is so much I can learn from her contentment as she reminds me of the teaching of Jesus about learning contentment in what God provides.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Vacations are good for the family but they can be tiring.  Planning to rest after an active vacation is a good thing.
• Some days look nicer than what they are and some days are nicer than what they look.  You won’t really know until you experience what the day actually is.
• Sharing is good, but sometimes sharing too much is overwhelming to others.
• What we learn from our experiences ought to be shared with others who are willing to learn.
• Sometimes our greatest lessons are taught by the person most people would least expect a lesson to come from.
• True happiness is more closely tied to genuine contentment than most people realize.
• We ought to find great joy in being with those we love, and with those who love us.  That statement ought to describe our relationship with God as well as with people.

Page 97 was back-to-work day after the family getaway that we were able to take.  With the long day yesterday, and no electricity when we got home, today began with the writing of page 96.  Now that I’m home, I’ll try to go back to writing each day’s page at the end of the day rather than the next morning.  Once yesterday’s page was written, I headed into work and began the workday catching up on messages and accumulated mail.  Eventually I made it through the office tasks and then took care of some maintenance issues before starting to get the building cleaned and ready for Sunday.  

I’ve not found anything glamorous about cleaning bathrooms, floors, glass doors, or any other part of the building but they are necessary tasks that are not only a part of my job, they are also a part of serving my church family.  Most of us have responsibilities of some type that are necessary but not all that exciting.  Our attitude in doing them can make the difference between experiencing contentment or discouragement.  I know there are times when the cleaning that needs done is beyond the level that occurs with normal activity.  Often my first internal response is frustration that someone would be so inconsiderate to leave a space in the condition I find it.  The ironic part is that I think the frustration rises so quickly in my mind because most of the time people really do a good job of cleaning up after themselves at the building.  I get complacent and begin to expect everything to be easy.  But that’s not life — at least not the life I experience.  When I learn to take captive every thought, I submit my frustration to God and He reminds me that the work I do, I am doing for Him.  He also reminds me that there are times when I don’t measure up to the expectations of others and their work is increased because of something I’ve done or haven’t done.  When we follow God’s instruction to serve one another, we begin to find joy in serving because we recognize that Christ is honored when we do so.

As I took the trash out this afternoon, I startled two different birds that were perched in the trees near the dumpster.  One was a flicker that I often see from my office window and the other was a hawk that I’ve seen numerous times hovering over the property.  While I didn’t have my camera outside with me, today’s photo is of a similar looking hawk that I photographed at Hawk’s Nest State Park in West Virginia earlier this week.  The various birds of prey are fascinating to watch as they soar through the air on the rising thermals or wind currents.  The appearance given is of effortless flight.  God says that part of the result of waiting on the Lord, or resting in Him, is that we would rise up on wings like eagles.  As we learn to trust God and rest in Him as we allow His timing to come about, we find that we can soar through life with much less effort then when we attempt to do life on our own.

After my work was done, I came home and began to work my way through the 900+ photos that I took over during our trip to West Virginia.  It seems that when I go through the photos I take, there are always a few that I delete right away because they are blurry, I missed the shot, or they simply didn’t turn out.  But most of them are saved on my computer and I try to find the highlights out of the number to share on social media.  I know that there is an element in the sharing that wants to be seen, but usually more than that is an element that wants to share the beauty and creativity of God with people who may otherwise never be able to see the things I photograph.  

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Routine can be useful if it helps us to accomplish the good God has created for us to do.
• Routine is good but it should never replace listening to and following God.
• Routine can also be destructive if it keeps us from doing the good God wants us to do.
• Flexibility in knowing when to adjust our routines and when to hold fast to them is something we should seek from God.
• Serving others won’t always be exactly what we expect but it will always be what God expects.
• Giving others more opportunity to serve is no excuse for being inconsiderate.
• Sometimes what we view as being inconsiderate is simply someone giving more importance to what they’re considering than what we are considering.
• There may be an occasion when people deliberately make your job more difficult, more often we make it more difficult ourselves with a poor attitude.
• It is far easier to become weary than it is to be renewed when we rely on our own strength.
• Waiting on the Lord and resting in Him can be very difficult but it also can be the only way we can find renewed strength.

Page 96 was a travel day.  It marked the end of our family spring break getaway, but that didn’t keep us from making the most of it.  The day began with rain, but early on our drive the rain gave way to some beautiful layers of clouds with patches of blue sky.  Our drive home would take us by a few areas of interest, so I left the course mapped out by my GPS only to have it constantly tell me to turn around when possible.  After adding a potential stop to see some covered bridges, the GPS was satisfied with the route I had chosen and the constant reminders to change course stopped.  As we drove, the beautiful sky gradually turned back to gray.  I began noticing all of the rivers and streams we passed were very full, so I changed our stopover destination to some waterfalls instead of the covered bridges.  

When we stopped, the light rain had resumed but the air temperature was still fairly warm.  Rainy days when photographing waterfalls have at least two advantages over warm, sunny days — more water flowing over the falls and fewer people that end up in the photos.  This stop at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio didn’t disappoint.  The parking lot was nearly deserted and there were virtually no issues with having to wait for people to move away from the falls only to have them replaced by others.  It was nice to be able to enjoy the peaceful beauty with a sense that we were all alone with God in such a remarkable place.  We did cross paths with people occasionally and one of them said that the day before, which had been sunny and warm, the place was packed solid with people sightseeing.  The final waterfall we stopped at had a paved path so Susan could ride to the falls, but the others were down rugged trails and/or many steps so MJ and I took turns going down to photograph the waterfalls.  

While we could have stayed there much longer, we knew that the journey home needed to continue.  As we headed toward home, the intensity of the wind picked up and the journey included times of driving rain.  When we left West Virginia in the morning, the distance to empty showing on my truck computer and the distance to home showing on my GPS indicated I could make it home with about 40 miles to spare on a tank of fuel.  Our waterfall stop changed that to about 20 miles to spare but as I drove into the wind, that cushion kept decreasing until by the time I made it to Indiana it was showing I would be at least 30 miles short.  As we crossed into Indiana, the rain stopped and a line of reddish-pink began to show on the western horizon.  As the clouds lifted and moved eastward, the sky before us unfolded into a beautiful sunset.  While the wind was still fairly strong, it was fun driving the final two hours home into the beauty that God was putting on display.  As we neared the house, there was an unusual darkness in our neighborhood.  As we pulled into our driveway, it became clear that what I suspected was true — our electricity was out.  As we got out of the truck, the surrounding darkness made the sky above even more brilliant as the light from the moon and stars shone down upon us.  Today’s photo is of the moon that was shining in the night sky.  With the power out and it being late, we unloaded the truck and headed to bed.  

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• The way a day begins isn’t necessarily the way it will end.  You have to live it in order to see it.
• Plans are good.  Sometimes adjusting those plans in light of the circumstances around us is even better.
• If you don’t know where you are going, you probably won’t get good directions.
• Many people choose to ignore the directions that God gives in His Word, yet complain about where they end up.
• If our path is aligned with God’s directions, the journey becomes simply a matter of following and enjoying.
• God doesn’t force us to follow His directions but He will continually remind us that we are off course when we stray.  It is still our choice in what we do about those reminders.
• Sometimes the journey home takes more effort and energy than expected.  Keep pressing on.
• Watch for the evidences of God and you will surely see them.

Page 95 was a true spring break roadtrip as we sought to enjoy the day as a family while accommodating the effects of the seizures that Susan had throughout the night and into the early part of the morning.  It is difficult when you don’t experience something to know all the lingering effects it has on the one who does experience it, but observation, listening, and research go a long way toward understanding.  We have read, and observed, that a major seizure will wear a person out with similar effects to the effort put into running a marathon.  It was apparent as we began our day that anything involving walking beyond a very limited necessity wasn’t going to work today.  So, we hit the road in a driving tour, visiting a few stops where we could photograph waterfalls, but mostly enjoying the scenery of a beautiful day that God had given us.

For me, the seizures are always a reminder to enjoy the moment because there is no guarantee of future moments.  The passing years and the joy that Susan has, and gives to all she meets, also reminds me of an encounter with a doctor twenty-some years ago — a doctor that I soon fired.  I was out of town when Susan was hospitalized with a seizure that had gone on for a few hours before they were able to get it stopped.  When I got word, I left the conference I was at and began the 12 hour journey home.  Before I made it to the hospital, the doctor that was assigned to Susan seemed to want two things from Mary Jane — 1) Sign over all care decisions to him and 2) know how we were going to pay for her care.  It wasn’t long after I arrived and got the report of what had been going on that this doctor walked into the room and started in with what we needed to do and why he was the only one that could do it and that he needed a plan that would show payment would be made.  He warned us that people don’t survive multiple seizures of this magnitude and since this was Susan’s second such episode, she was living on borrowed time as it was.  As I remember, he tried to make it sound as if he was the only one who even had a chance of helping her and that he had great success with similar patients.  The first step of “care” would be for us to figure out how her care would be covered and then he would proceed.  I’m not sure what it was — it could have been the all day drive, it could have been the “fight or flight” adrenaline from seeing Susan, it could well have been the hand of God upon me, or it could have been a combination of these and other reasons I know nothing about — but my response was that he was wrong, our first step was finding a new doctor and that he needed to leave the room.  I’m not sure that anyone had ever responded to him in such a manner but he left Susan was put under the care of doctors who actually cared.  I know that is a longer story than I usually write as background to a “page”, but there are a lot of lessons in it that I continue to benefit from even today.  Some of the biggest ones are that no man is God and no man, including me, knows how long we will have on this earth with those we love.  So, with an approaching birthday this summer of twenty-eight years, well beyond anything this doctor tried to tell us she would reach, I continue in my attempts to enjoy whatever days God allows Susan to live with us.  

One of our stops was a a park where today’s photo was taken.  While the photo appears to be of an old mill along a stream above a beautiful waterfall, all of that is true except the old part.  Evidently there had been a mill along this stream but not at this particular location and not this mill.  It’s a replica because the old one had fallen out of use and with no one maintaining and using it, it eventually disappeared from the landscape.  It reminded me of old mills that I have photographed that are in their original location and still being used — even if just for tourist and demonstration purposes.  The reason some are still standing and being used while many are not is that someone, or a group of someones, decided to invest the time, money, and effort into maintaining them.  While I enjoy old mills, covered bridges, and other structures that have withstood the test of time, family is more precious than any of them.  There are a lot of reasons that families crumble apart and some of those reasons are beyond simple and may require a tearing down and complete rebuilding as in the case of today’s mill, but many times the reason is simply a lack of maintenance.  To me, spending time with my family and trying to be flexible in caring for the daily needs of each one of us, is a big part of the maintenance that helps us to survive.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Accommodation of disabilities shouldn’t have to be a mandated thing, it should be a result of caring.  Unfortunately not everyone cares for one another as they should.
• There are many things that we will never fully understand about a person.  That’s okay, there are many things they will never fully understand about us.
• Progress in understanding others only happens when we take the time to observe, listen, and learn.
• Adapting your plans, schedule, life to the needs of another isn’t a sign of weakness but rather a sign of great caring and strength.
• No one is God but God alone.  The more a person tries to portray themselves as God, the better off you are in distancing yourself from them.
• Opportunities often take place in the moment.  If you have the opportunity to spend time with those you love, take it.  Don’t assume there will always be another.

Page 94 began with a dark, cloudy sky and rain.  It was also another day to spend with my family looking for some places to enjoy the beauty of creation as we set out on another sightseeing adventure.  As we headed out in the morning, we were prepared to get wet but during our drive the clouds began to break apart with patches of blue sky showing through.  When we reached our first stop it was mostly sunny and warm.  The trail to the first of two waterfalls at this stop was paved, so Susan was able to ride in her wheelchair.  After taking some photos we headed up the trail to the next waterfall and the path became so rocky and rough that Susan asked to get out of the  chair and walk.  That was a good thing because it was becoming difficult to push the chair safely over the rugged terrain.  Fortunately, the trail was a loop and we didn’t have to come back this way.  Shortly after the second falls, the trail became smooth again and Susan was able to rest from her walking.

The day ended up being filled with a variety of driving and stops as we looked for waterfalls and other natural beauty to photograph.  I think my GPS is set to take us on the quickest path between two points, but I began to wonder if perhaps it doesn’t have a “most interesting route” setting that it somehow ended up on.  At times it would direct me down a narrow, alley-like roadway for a block or two only to end up back on the same road it directed me off of.  One of those times was funny as the car that had been behind me went by in front of me as the GPS had me rejoin my original road — not so sure that counts as the quickest. 🙂  Many of the roads it ended up taking us down had signs warning that they were “not suitable for large trucks”.  Some of them I wasn’t too sure were all that suitable for any vehicles but the drive along them was often as beautiful as the intended stops we made along the way.  And then there were other times when I would choose not to follow its instructions and head in the direction I wanted to go.  In those times it would constantly search for, and direct me toward, ways to get back on track.

At one of our stops the sign said there was a waterfall just a quarter mile up the trail.  Susan did such a good job walking to the falls and waiting patiently as we took photographs.  Halfway on our way back, however, she had a seizure so we stopped in the middle of the trail as she fought through that and was rested enough to continue.  It made me think about how often we have things in life that “seize” us yet sometimes we fail to continue on because we don’t make the effort to fight through them and get the proper rest needed to continue our journey.  We made a few more stops throughout the day, including one where today’s photo was taken.  This wasn’t at some out-of-the-way, obscure location but rather it was at a highway intersection where we stopped along the entry ramp to the interstate.  As we were driving, the sky gave all appearances of a beautiful sunset in the making but there were no clear views of the western sky.  We had driven past this intersection on our way to a park that ended up having some great views to photograph, but not views of the sunset.  So, on our way back to town for ice cream to finish up the day, we stopped along the highway and enjoyed the beauty of the setting sun.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• The weather in your life now may not be the weather you will experience all day.  Keep moving forward in your pursuit of God and allow Him to make beauty out of your circumstances.
• When the going gets rough, sometimes you have to step out of your reliance on other people and rely fully on God.  We need the help of people, but there is a limit to what they can provide.
• Yes, our destination of heaven and eternity with God is important, but they journey we take to get there is also important.
• Sometimes the route of life I’m on doesn’t make sense to me.  In those times I have to first check to see if I’m on the path God has provided direction for.  If I am, then I need to trust Him and His directions.  If I’m not, then I need to listen to Him redirecting me back to the path I should follow.
• Being seized by something along your journey doesn’t mean your journey has to end.  God is always there to comfort and encourage you until you are rested enough to continue — but you must choose to continue.
• Sometimes the beauty of creation must be sought and discovered.  Other times God reveals it broadly and we only miss it because we’re not paying attention.

Page 93 was a spring break family adventure day.  We spent what ended up being a mostly cloudy and rainy/drizzly day driving around taking photos with an occasional short hike to photograph a point of interest.  The primary photo theme of the day seemed to be waterfalls — which ends up being a very good choice for a rainy day.  Some of the waterfalls we photographed probably would be considered “seasonal”, meaning they dry up to a trickle or less through the summer months.  A rainy day during the spring, however, produces an abundance of falls with a good volume of water over each one.

With all of the waterfall photos, it was too hard to choose so today’s photo is of a bridge that spans the New River Gorge in West Virginia.  It is said to be one of the longest single span bridges in the United States.  Some bridges are impressive as you drive over them, with visible massive support structures rising above you as you drive.  This bridge wasn’t one of them.  From the driving surface, this was just another section of four-lane concrete highway with a great view on either side.  The impressive part isn’t even noticed until you view it from the side and/or underneath.  As I watched some video of its construction, my first thought was a bunch of well-trained adult boys playing with a giant erector set. 🙂  Only this wasn’t play.  This was serious work that required each piece to be properly placed and securely fastened together.  When completed, this bridge turned what had been a thirty minute drive down one side of the gorge, across the river, and up the other side of the gorge into a thirty second trip.  As I let that fact sink in, I first thought about how valuable we have made time but then after driving the old route down into the gorge and back out, I thought about the transportation of goods via truck that can now cross the gorge that never could have made the trek down and back up with the variety of hairpin curves and switchbacks.  

Later in the day I found myself with a slight dilemma at a toll booth.  I had put the correct amount of change in the collection hopper at the toll plaza and crept forward anticipating a green light — only the green light never came.  Traffic was backed up behind me so close I couldn’t back up and put more money in and it didn’t seem right to have to do that anyway.  So, after waiting for what I’m sure seemed like forever to the guy behind me, I went on through half expecting to be pulled over down the road by the cop that had been sitting in his car just prior to the toll plaza.  But no flashing lights appeared in my rear view mirror and after a while I was able to quit glancing over my shoulder expecting to see those lights.

After a long day, I spent a little time going through the over three hundred photos from the day before deciding I was too tired to write the day’s page.  So here I am just before five o’clock the next morning, awake and writing.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:  

• Family is a gift from God and even as a gift, good ones require effort to make and keep them that way.
• Jesus asked the question, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?”  I think a similar question should be asked of ourselves regularly, “What does it profit a person to gain the things of the world but lose their family?”
• When God’s Spirit is poured out within us, it ought to be visible to those around us.
• Not all impressive lives appear that way on the surface.  Some are very noticeable and others live with an unseen foundation that is even more impressive at times than that which is noticed.
• Sometimes we feel like such a small part but regardless of our size, we are not an unimportant part.
• It is amazing to think about what the body of Christ could support if each part did its work.
• They say that time is money, but often time is much more than money could ever buy.
• Routine and schedules are good when they serve us but are very poor masters when we allow our self to become servant to them.

Page 92 was a Sunday and being the first Sunday of the month, I had the privilege of preaching this morning at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.  I went to bed early last night, and it seemed like I slept better than I have in a while, so I was awake early enough to spend some time with God in a continual refinement of the sermon before heading to Dowagiac to share it.  This morning’s message continued a series I’ve been doing on “Living As the Lord’s Servant”.  As we’ve looked a different Bible characters who are described as a servant of the Lord, today we spent time considering the life of Hannah.  

God says through the writer of Hebrews, that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith requires that we believe God exists and that we believe He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  There are many characteristics we could examine and learn from in the life of Hannah, but none are as important as the example of living with faith.  Here are the key lessons from the message, “Living With FAITH”.

• Living with Focus:  When we first meet up with Hannah in the opening chapter of 1 Samuel, we find her in a situation with many distractions.  It is in the midst of these distractions that she maintains her focus in believing God exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  Because of her focus, she never wavers from her request for a son.  I believe that her crying out to God for this request to be granted, shows a belief that God could deliver.  Unfortunately, as we set out to live a life of faith, many of us lose our focus as the enemy sends mockers and distractions our way.  When we don’t get what we ask for when we ask for it, the enemy begins to plant doubt in our mind and our focus begins to waver.  Living with faith means that we use our faith to keep focused on the things of God no matter what.
• Living with Acceptance:  Hannah also appears to do something that many of us try — she makes a deal with God.  The truth is, however, these deals are generally one-sided — “God, if you do such and such I promise to do this or that.”  I’m not so sure that is really what Hannah was doing, but regardless of the cause, she does make a promise to God that the son He would give her would be given back to Him.  We have to be very careful what we promise God.  I don’t believe He is a party to our bargains, but He does take our promises seriously.  Living with faith says that we accept the consequences of keeping our promises to God.  When your read about Eli and his sons, and realize these are the people Hannah is leaving her son with, you might be tempted to think she had just cause to go back on her word.  Not Hannah.  Her life of faith accepted that God would somehow honor the results of her honoring her vow.  
• Living with Insight:  After Hannah drops her son, Samuel, off to live with the priest and serve the Lord, we find a beautiful prayer of her recorded in the second chapter of 1 Samuel.  In this prayer we read of great insight that God has given her through her faithful obedience.  Living with faith in a God who exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him, fills us with an insight into the very nature and character of God.  If you want to have a greater understanding of God, then ask Him to increase your faith.  If you want insight into the nature of God, then choose each day to walk by faith.
• Living with Trust:  Woven through this life of faith, is an element of trust.  Even when it would appear our course of action makes no sense, when we are pursuing God, faith leads us trust Him.  Often times we choose not to live by faith because we don’t trust God to truly care for us.  We fail to accept the consequences of our promises because we don’t trust God to work all things together for our good.  Hannah had made a promise to God and in spite of circumstances that would cause many of us to say she had reason to change her mind, she continued to trust God to be faithful in response to her faith.
• Living with Hope:  Living with faith should always produce an expected outcome that we also live with hope.  The Bible says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for.  When faith is our way of life, we have an assurance of God’s presence that should fill us with an overflowing hope.  Hannah’s hope is seen in her request.  It is seen in her interaction with Eli when God’s promise is given.  It is seen in her willingness to leave Samuel with Eli.  And it is seen throughout her prayer that is written down for us to read.  As you look at the life of her son, Samuel, I believe that her hope was far greater than cultural validation of being a mom.  Her hope, which was fulfilled, was for a son who would be a blessing to a nation.  When we live with hope, we would do well to always remember that our hope in Jesus is meant to be for the people around us in the same way that it is for us.

After sharing the sermon and the worship gathering concluded, we headed home with a stop for lunch on the way.  Once we had changed clothes, we threw some things in the truck and set off on a little sightseeing adventure.  I didn’t have time to do much with photos today, but today’s photo is a sunset scene on a cloudy evening.  Like most things in life, balance is the key when it comes to clouds and sunset photos.  Too many clouds and the sunset really isn’t visible.  No clouds and you miss out on so many of the beautiful colors that can be found in a sunset in a sparsely clouded sky.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Early to bed and early to rise may not make a person healthy, wealthy, and wise but it sure makes me feel better when I need to be up early.
• Preaching is a privilege I don’t take lightly.
• God’s Word is given to us for instruction in the way we should live.  The characters in the Bible are real people that we can learn real life lessons from.
• If I want to please God, I must have a growing faith.
• My faith grows when I stay focused on God.
• My faith grows when I accept God’s authority over my promises.
• My faith grows when I listen to the insight I receive from God’s Word.
• My faith grows when my trust in God grows.
• My faith grows when I fully put my hope in Him.
• The greatest treasure that God gives us besides Himself and the salvation that is ours through Jesus, is the people He brings into our life and family should be at the top of that list.