Alaska Day #3

Really Friday Evening, July 31st, 2009

Here I sit at a hotel in Homer that has the SLOWEST internet possible. I cannot download any of my 100 pictures that I took today. I was wanting to put a few on this blog. Tomorrow morning we are headed out for coffee and a place that we can get on the internet with some speed that will allow us to post pictures....so pictures will have to wait till morning...
We left Anchorage at around 10:30am and had a leisurely beautiful drive of 220 miles to Homer. I took some great photos. My sisters were laughing at me at what I was taking pictures off... We stopped in Soldotna at the Moose is Loose Bakery so I could see some special friends. Then we stopped in Clam Gulch at the mile marker post and put up a purple ribbon in memory of mom....near the site of her accident almost 17 years ago. We also stopped at her grave that is in Anchor Point. It is a beautiful spot that overlooks Cook Inlet. We put a purple ribbon on her cross that marks her grave and had some pondering moments there.....
We headed to Homer and found our hotel.... then we took a drive out to the Spit and went through town.... or as Homer teens call it, We did a town lap.... Then headed out to my brother, Kenneth's house and his wife Theresa and had a HALIBUT dinner. :} Uncle Mark and Isi and my dad came over too. We had tons of pictures and much laughter. I was able to see Samantha, my niece, and see her new engagement ring!!! She will be a beautiful bride this November. There is nothing and I mean nothing like family..... I am so incredibly blessed and thankful for the family I have and the relationships the Lord has built among us as adult siblings.
I better get to bed as it is early morning already...we might look for a different hotel room for the next few nights as this one doesn't have some of the necessities that the brochure said.... we will see....
p.s. Homer is incredibly beautiful.... I am going to take a walk on the beach in the early morning as Debby and Marie go for a run.... a good time to ponder, pray, think and listen.....

An Alaskan By Heart, Terry

Alaska Day #2

Today....I was on the hunt for Sarah Palin...a dream of mine is to meet her and to give her a hug!!! From the moment that John McCain introduced her to the world almost a year ago, I fell in love with this lady that lives by her convictions and stands up for righteousness and truth. My sisters, Debby and Marie and I headed out to Wasilla, Alaska. It is about a 35 minute drive east of Anchorage...I had my camera in hand as we walked around Target in Wasilla just in case Sarah happened to be in there... Every where we went we kept our eyes open to find her.... We didn't see her, so I finally got the nerve to call her. Her number is not unlisted. The phone rang and rang, no answer, no answering machine...boo hoo....So, off we went to hunt out her home.... we found the driveway going to her home. It is in a beautiful spot on Lake Lucille.... the driveway is long and signs are posted everywhere that say NO TRESSPASSING and PRIVATE PROPERTY.... So, we didn't drive down the lane.... BUT, I did get out and go stand by one of the signs as you can see by the picture above. That is the closest I was going to get to Sarah UNTIL.......... this big black truck drives up to go down the driveway....the truck stopped, the window unrolled and there I was standing face to face with Bristol Palin! She is more beautiful in person than what you see on TV. Anyway, I chatted with her a little and told her my heart for her mother and that I was praying for her and I asked her to share it with her mom. She said she would. I didn't know if Sarah was home or not and Bristol didn't give any information out. I didn't want to push my luck. She was very gracious to me and such a sweetie she is. So, I am thrilled!

Another memory is that we were able to see our nephew Aaron in Eagle River. What a treat that was. Can hardly believe he is 18 now. He was such a little boy last time I saw him. Now he is a handsome young man!

What a special day it was..... time for bed..tomorrow is a big day...heading to Homer.....YEAH!!!!!

An Alaskan By Heart, Terry

Alaska Day #1

Greetings from the land of the Midnight Sun!!!! I have arrived in Anchorage and my sisters were inside the airport to greet me with this sign! I feel so loved!!!! I just asked a stranger who we were standing by, waiting for our luggage, to take our picture. I love my sisters.....

It is 10:35pm here and still light outside. It is so beautiful, and the mountains so majestic. I love this land. There is just something about Alaska.

I must share with you a "God thing" that I experienced on the plane. Out of all the people that I could of sat beside, I had a gentleman from Palmer that knew SARAH PALIN personally. We had a great conversation. I told him to tell her that there is a lady in Oregon that loves her and is praying for her! He said he would....

It is a little cooler here than Portland. 61 degrees when I landed. The coolness felt good. Glad I brought a fleece jacket to wear.

I am grateful for this opportunity to be here and look forward to a fun week filled with all sorts of adventures. I know there will be tons of laughter and hugs....

I will write each evening and share a photo or two of the day's adventure.

An Alaskan by heart..........Terry

For the souls and hearts of my grandchildren.....

I am not a mall shopper. I don't enjoy going to the mall. I am not one of those that would just go to pass time. I was given a gift card to Bath and Body Works so thought I would run into the mall and see if there was anything I wanted to buy there..... I found myself so overcome with saddness at the state of our world and what the "world" is saying to our young people.... My heart immediately cried out to the Lord for the souls and hearts of my grandchildren... All over you could see the voice of IMAGE, MATERIALISM, and blarring with unclad manikins and shoppers loaded with bags, of things they probably didn't even need.... What has America come to? I pray desperately for my precious Taylor and Tanner and any others that the Lord would bless our lives with. That despite the state of this world, they would have a revelation to their precious tender hearts of the love of Jesus.... and it is through HIM only that you find your worth and value, not through things of this world, or what they are saying you must have or must be. That they would know that He does have a plan for them and it is for good. That they would value what He values and not what the world is screaming to them at every turn. This is my gift to them...that I have and will continue to commit to pray for them on my face before the Lord every day. I did not buy anything...and the gift card still sits in my wallet....

"What is that to you?"

I have pondered this verse from John 21:22 for some time now. I can remember the moment, I clearly heard the Lord speak this verse to my heart. I found myself perturbed by a certain individual who was responding in very selfish, prideful behavior.... I wanted to give them a piece of my mind....and I can clearly hear the Lord's voice, still to my heart..."What is that to you, Terry, YOU follow me. It is a continued lesson in my life. Whatever the Lord has asked of me, that is where my heart needs to walk in obedience. Others can choose, what they may...I must remain faithful and true to what the Lord has asked of me. More and more, I am understanding that it is the process that the Lord brings us through, and not the "end" result that is most important.

Waiting.....

I am finding myself waiting for something specific...... it is a hard place to be.... not knowing and yet learning to trust the One who does know.... Isn't it interesting the journeys the Lord brings us on. Each of us have a different journey, different road maps, different directions, but the Lord's ultimate goal in it all, is for us to find Him in deeper ways. I don't always like this culdesac feeling that I am finding myself in at the moment, but I know I am not alone. He sees every step and understands the anxiousness of my heart. I am thankful for that.

2009 A New Year.... of hopes & dreams...

These pictures were taken during Christmas at Mike & Laci's new home in Napavine, Washington. Auntie Marie took the family shot, so I had to include her in the other picture. She is wearing my mom's blouse that gets passed around year to year as a surprise. It is such an ugly blouse but we love it, because it was my moms. :}

The first day of 2009 is almost coming to a close...... I have come to a conclusion of late..... that the "process" the Lord has me in, waiting for Him to fulfill the deep cries of my heart, that, that "process" is when the Lord does the greatest work in us...it is not the final destination, or when we think we have arrived...(which we never do) it is the everyday, day to day, being faithful and finding Him in all the little things..... and it is in the "process" that we are changed.... So, it is with anticipation I look forward to this New Year. Recognizing that He is working in me, knowing He has my best interest in mind and knows my heart. What a Savior we have! So, my heart rests and trusts in Him......