California Weekending

 

We got home from Hawaii late last Friday night.  By the time we got in bed it was after 1:00 a.m. on Saturday - Les' 60th birthday!  I'm a horrible blogger since I didn't even mention it here, but I'm a good wife who showered him with love on his big day.

Four hours later, Les' alarm went off and he was out the door by 6:00.  He met up with friends in Ventura and they rode the Cool Breeze Century ride - 100 miles on his 60th!

Meanwhile, I went to the grocery store to get enough food to get us through the weekend.  I also bought supplies for another batch of homemade ice cream.  This time I made cookies and cream, cherry, German chocolate cake, and Heath bar.  I'm having SO much fun experimenting with different flavors!  I don't really measure the add-ins, I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup for each quart of ice cream.

We hadn't been up for long on Sunday morning when we received a text that church was cancelled for the day.  This was due to tropical storm Hillary, with the threat of flooding and road closures.  The rain started mid-morning and didn't stop the rest of the day.

Sunday afternoon, Les was taking a nap and I was reading when I felt something a little different.  The wind had been blowing all morning, but I knew this was something else.  Within seconds, our phones started going off with emergency alerts.  It was an earthquake!  This was in Ojai which is about 50 miles from us.  Later that evening we had another emergency alert - this time for flash flooding.  Our total rainfall for Sunday was about 3.7 inches - more than a fourth of our annual average of 12 inches.

Les received two birthday gifts on Monday.  A bag of coffee from his sister, Lisa:

 

And a flugelhorn!  

 

 

This is something he's been wanting for a while.  His horn collection is growing:

Trumpet, flugelhorn, pocket trumpet

 

Things are definitely odd - a wildfire in Hawaii and a tropical storm in California, but one thing hasn't change, I was with my best friend!

Friday Trail Run

 

It's Saturday morning and it's raining again.  I am NOT complaining, not one bit!  We still need more rain.  I looked at the forecast a few days ago and knew if I wanted to get a longer run in this week it needed to be on Friday.  I really wanted to get back on the trails but wasn't sure how messy they would be.  I woke up around 5:30 and was out the door around 6:00. I spent the first 3.5 miles on the road because it was still dark out!  

 

By the time I got to the Tapo Canyon trailhead it was light.  There weren't any cars parked there, so I knew I had the trail to myself.  About a mile and half later I was at the top of the Tapo Canyon climb.

I then had two miles of downhill running, my favorite!  The trail was dry, but I had to be careful of deep ruts.  Two mountain bikers came up behind me in the last half mile, but other than that I enjoyed a wonderful seven miles on my own.  Today's rain will just make our hills that much greener.  Can't wait to get out again next week!

That's a Promise!

I decided to go for a run before church this morning.  We are getting more rain this week so I'm taking advantage of any day that it isn't raining.  The sky started off colorful:

Right about the 2.5 mile mark I turned around to head home and saw this:

I followed the rainbow towards home for several minutes...

It slowly disappeared from sight:

Two miles later, I made the final turn on our street and was greeted by another rainbow!

Genesis chapter 9 tells us about the first rainbow:

12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

 

I'm thankful for this beautiful (and colorful!) reminder of God's grace this morning!

His Word Is Enough

Along with studying women of the Bible, I am reading one chapter in the Bible each day.  I read Proverbs with its 31 chapters in January.  This month I'm reading Matthew which has 28 chapters.

While reading Matthew chapter 8 on Friday, I was amazed at the many times Jesus healed or delivered with just His Word.  He touched people, but He also just spoke.

Verse 3 He touched a leper and healed him
Verse 13 He spoke the word to the Centurion and his servant was healed.
Verse 15 He touched Peter's mother-in-law and healed her.
Verse 16 He cast out spirits with His word.
Verse 26 He rebuked the winds and sea and there was a great calm.
Verse 32 He spoke the word and evil spirits came out of two men.

It continues in chapter 9:
Verse 2 He spoke to the one sick of palsy and he arose.
Verse 20 The woman with the issue of blood touched Him and in verse 22 Jesus told her that her faith had made her whole.
Verse 25 He took Jairus' daughter by the hand and she arose
Verse 29 He touched the eyes of two blind men and their eyes were opened

I've been thinking on this and wondering why Jesus chose to touch some and not others.  I think it's a beautiful example of what happens in our lives today.  Sometimes we can feel His presence so strongly.  It's a beautiful, almost indescribable feeling.  It mends broken places in us.  But there are other times we can't feel a thing.  We may see others being touched, but our own spirit feels dry and empty.  It's in those times that we need to turn to His Word.  We need to search the scriptures for the answer to our problem.  We can't rely solely on feelings.

The last couple of days we were in Hawaii it was very rainy.  But after the rain out comes the sun and with it rainbows.  We don't see rainbows often in California, but they are in abundance in Hawaii.  I am always awed when I see them.  They are a reminder of God's promise.  Others may use them for different purposes, but rainbows will always be God's reminder that He keeps His Word.

Just as we were taxiing down the runway on January 31st, I snapped shots of this beauty.  I'm thankful that even when I can't feel it, God is always faithful and His Word is true.

Standing on the Promises

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
 Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Can't Stop the Rain by Complaining

California has been in an extreme drought for several years.  One year ago 40% of the state was in exceptional drought - the worst possible drought condition.  Currently no part of the state is in exceptional drought and only 2% is in extreme drought.  Thank God for the rain!  We have needed it so desperately.

I got up for a run on Tuesday morning.  It had rained some during the night, but wasn't raining when I got up.  By the time I was dressed and downstairs the rain had started back up.  It didn't last long, so I decided to throw on a hat and take my chances.  Most of the time that I was out there was a light mist and some times a little more than that.

While I was running an old song came to mind.  I couldn't remember all the words so of course I looked them up when I got home:

Raindrops are falling on my head
And just like the guy whose feet
Are too big for his bed
Nothing seems to fit
Those raindrops are falling on my head
They keep falling.

So I just did me some talking to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way he got things done
Sleeping on the job
Those raindrops are falling on my head
They keep fallin'

But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me

It won't be long till happiness
Steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes
Will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me 'cause,
I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining,
Because I'm free nothing's worrying me.

The line that has always stood out to me is "I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining."  We can grumble all we want but that doesn't change a thing.  Rain falls on our lives and complaining won't change it.  So grab a hat, put on a smile and know that after the rain the land is going to be green again!

"Not the greatness of our troubles but the littleness of our spirit makes us complain."

~ Mom's Bible

Wordless Wednesday ~ Meet Stormy, Our Hawaiian Landlady's Cat

Saturday Surprise and Another Adventure!

It's raining! We need this and a whole lot more!

Things started getting crazy around here on Wednesday.  Les has been on a huge project since the first of the year.  It is THIS close to being finished and that means lots of work and pressure!  The teams have been working across six time zones - from Virginia to Hawaii.  They decided to bring everyone together for the final sprint.  We thought it was only going to be a week then realized Les was going to need to be gone for two weeks.  We don't like spending any time apart, but two weeks is just too long.  So we booked flights for both of us!

We are off to St. Louis, Missouri in the morning.  I've only been there once, it was years ago for a national Bible Quizzing tournament so all I saw was quizzers, coaches and buzzer systems.  We will have one full weekend and the Gateway Arch is on my list of things to see!

I'll be taking my laptop, so I'll still be blogging.  I'll also kick off marathon training with two weeks of heat and humidity!

{Nearly} Wordless Wednesday

While driving home in the deluge on Saturday, we saw so many waterfalls!  You can't have waterfalls without rain...

Rainbow Reminder

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." Genesis 9:13

I never get tired of seeing rainbows.  We had a quick storm that blew through this morning and the result was this beautiful rainbow!  God never breaks His promise.  "And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth."  Genesis 9:16.

I have seen more rainbows in the past nine months than I have in years.  I think it's God's way of reminding me that He knows where I am.  This has been a year of change, uncertainty, sorrow, joy, and adventure.  But God's peace has been with me and His bow in the cloud reminds me of an everlasting covenant that He will not break.

Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Has a storm blown through your life recently?  You can KNOW that God hasn't forgotten you, He knows right where you are.  The clouds will break, the sun will shine again, and you'll see His bow in the cloud.

My View This Morning

After a little rain...

The Promise

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

I took these pictures from our condo this morning and was reminded of the promises of God.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"  John 3:16.  May your Resurrection weekend be blessed, and remember, every promise God makes will be fulfilled!

A Little of This, a Little of That

We are on day six of our new adventure and it hasn't gone as expected.  Les woke up Saturday morning with the flu!  Fever, cough, runny nose, body aches, the whole nine yards!  It was horrible watching him so sick.  He finally went to the doctor Tuesday afternoon and after just one day of antibiotics, he was feeling much, much better.  I've had a slight touch, but nothing serious.

Blog Updates
I noticed that now that my blogs are private, there isn't an easy way to see when I've posted. When I check my Blogger Dashboard Reading List, the blog name shows up but I get this message:
You have followed this URL, but we couldn't find a feed for it.
Please check that the URL is correct: http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/
If you want to update configuration please use Manage page.
When I followed the Manage link, it showed the blog, but no updates.

If you check a Blog List or Blog Roll that lists blogs with the most current post at the top, I don't show up.  My most recent post shows "Be Back on Sunday" from last week.

I think the best way to know when I've posted something new is to sign up for email updates.  I moved the Follow By Email box near the top of my blog on the right.  Please let me know if that does not work!

Otherwise, I guess you'll just need to check my blog each day.  I usually post Monday through Friday and sometimes on the weekends.

Hawaiian Winter
While chatting with a store keeper the other day, she said, "This is our cold season, we call it 'Three Blanket Nights.' "  It certainly isn't cold to me.  We are getting rain today.  I was out exploring the International Marketplace when it started sprinkling.  About halfway back to our hotel, it started pouring!!  I was soaked to the skin but never cold.  I wish my camera could capture the rain as it is coming down right now.  An umbrella wouldn't be much good since it is coming down sideways!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods??

What to Do on Rainy Saturday Morning

We haven't had rain in over a month, but it's raining today!  We've received 3/4 of an inch so far and it is needed.  I also needed a lazy morning, no running or cycling, just resting.  Here's my plan for the day...

Sleep in...

Have a tasty breakfast...

 Warm my feet by the fire...

Read a good book...

And possibly take a nap!

1:20 edit:  I haven't read or taken a nap - I spent 3 hours listening to the funeral of Sis. Ballestero (while sitting by the fire and it's no longer raining!)  It was a beautiful home going service!  You can listen here if you'd like.