Trip to Indiana

Monday:

Well, I'm all moved out! Not moved in yet, but my pastor and his wife offered to store my things for me for the month of th July. I'm so thankful! It didn't amount to much, and it's nice to have it tucked away until I'm ready to move into my new room in August. 

I'm getting really quite efficient at this moving deal. Phew! Five personal moves, and into three new classrooms in the past four years really have fine-tuned my box-packing abilities! 

Tuesday:
I flew out yesterday evening after spending some time with a few friends in Seattle. I enjoyed coffee with one friend, games with a few others, and then just relaxing with my pastor's family before heading to the airport.

I prayed for a clear day on my last day in Seattle and was so kind to grant that request. I really enjoyed seeing the mountains from above! 

The Rockies so beautiful!

We had a wonderful view of Mt. Rainier as we took off. 

Seattle is a tightly packed city all right! Surrounded by mountains, there isn't much place for it to go.

We could also see Mt. Baker far away to the north as we took off. Thank you, Lord, for a gorgeous day!

And then the flight over the Rockies... amazing! Isn't God amazing? 

I saw a couple of other especially tall mountains as I flew. I'm not sure what they are though. I'll have to look that up. :)

The western section of the Rockies is lush and green with trees covering the mountains.

The further east you go, the drier the mountains get.

Another volcano (I'm assuming) that I don't know the name of.

High mountains!

Approaching the eastern edge of the Rockies.

And then, BAM! The mountains are gone and it is flat terrain with ridges for the rivers.

I can remember driving west through the eastern Washington last summer and just seeing how dry, brown, arid, and treeless everything was. I kept thinking, "THIS is Washington? Oh goodness, what I have I done???" And then we made it through the Rockies and the other side was lush, green, and bountiful with trees. I am so thankful that God planted me on the west side of the Rockies! I certainly have enjoyed his beautiful creation on that side! 

I was able to experience the sunset in the air. The colors were amazing! And because of the altitude I was at, I had the privilege of enjoying the sunset for a much longer period of time than I usually get to! The colors simply stayed on the horizon for a really, really long time!  

Thursday:

I slept in a little, enjoyed a leisurely morning, and then went out and ran a couple errands with my mom. Then after Dad got off work, we all loaded up the car and headed to Indiana! I am so excited to spend time with my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, cousins, and aunt and uncle for the Fourth of July!

I hope you all enjoy your holiday weekend!

God's Creation (Seattle Area Parks)

The greater Seattle area has many parks, several of which I have had the privilege to visit over the past couple weeks. My favorite time to visit is at sunset. :) Enjoy the pictures!

Folks waiting for the sun to set. It's not uncommon to have someone playing the guitar in the evening out here.

The mountains... aren't they beautiful?

Even the locals are continually amazed by the beauty and majesty of the mountains.

It's like a giant, magnificent spotlight!

Another golden sunset!

Everyone comes out for the sunsets :)

God's Creation (The Ocean)

This past week I have spent a lot of time at parks around the area. Last week I visited the ocean for a couple days. Today I went to Mount Rainier. 

If there are two things that the Lord has surely blessed the Northwest with, they are exceptional produce and beautiful scenery. My surroundings continually remind me of Isaiah chapter 40, specifically verses 12 through 31. (It's a bit lengthy for a blog post, but I encourage you to read it and think on it before peeking at the pictures below. :) 

12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on the scales

and the hills in a balance?

13Who can fathom the Spirit^d of the Lord,

or instruct the Lord as his counselor?

14Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,

and who taught him the right way?

Who was it that taught him knowledge,

or showed him the path of understanding?

15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;

they are regarded as dust on the scales;

he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,

nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

17Before him all the nations are as nothing;

they are regarded by him as worthless

and less than nothing.

18With whom, then, will you compare God?

To what image will you liken him?

19As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,

and a goldsmith overlays it with gold

and fashions silver chains for it.

20A person too poor to present such an offering

selects wood that will not rot;

they look for a skilled worker

to set up an idol that will not topple.

21Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,

and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

23He brings princes to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

24No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown,

no sooner do they take root in the ground,

than he blows on them and they wither,

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

25“To whom will you compare me?

Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

27Why do you complain, Jacob?

Why do you say, Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Enjoy some pictures of the beauty I have been surveying over the past 10 days!

The Ocean...

*Disclaimer: Some photos may seem similar. I apologize for repetitiveness, but I simply couldn't choose! 

God's creation from different angles is beautiful in a slightly different way each angle you take! :)

What I have below was chosen from over a hundred photos of the ocean.

And to think... my God measures the oceans in his hand!

Toes in the sand. :) One of the loveliest feelings ever!

The hills and mountains come to the edge of the continent and then drop off into the ocean. Beautiful!

Pretty sure I have posted a photo of this rock before, but I really like it. :)

I'm convinced that the sun shines more brightly in the northwest!

I love the mountains right next to the ocean. Two of my favorite things right next to each other!

I've taken in so many beautiful sunsets the past few weeks! Northwest sunsets tend to be more golden and less pink.

I spotted a rainbow in a cloud that evening. No rain all day, just the sun reflecting off of the moisture in the cloud.

Ocean on one side and the Tillamook Bay on the other.

So much brightness! I had a hard time taking a pic of the ocean and me. ;-)

I stopped in a little town and it was simply adorable!!! A perfect little beach town. :)

The whole town seriously had the charm these two houses had.

Beach towels out to dry...

These signs made me laugh. How can you NOT take them seriously? They are so cute!

There are so many little streams running down the ocean. Seriously every beach I stopped at had at least one. This stream is one of the bigger ones I saw and waded in and it was ICE cold!!!

This little hill becomes an island when the tide comes in.

These are all over the rocks by the water.

Can you tell how high the water goes? :)

A little water carved cave.

The tide must have just gone out when I stopped at this beach. The sand was still quite wet far inland. The designs left by the water playing with the sand. :)

Lonely little lighthouse. I think this one is known as "Terrible Tilly" because of the wind and waves and rocks out there.

So beautiful! I have fallen in love with the Oregon ocean and countryside!

Pictures of some Seattle area parks and 

Mount Rainier coming soon!