Portal of Hope

It’s not too uncommon to see rays of light shining from behind a dark cloud on overcast days, reminding us that indeed the sun is still there and will eventually break through. Such a sight offers us the extra encouragement we need to hang on until the dreary weather—or current unhappy life circumstance—passes. Those rays of light impart hope, don’t they?

The more unusual sight happens when hope pierces the clouds and forms a window, a portal to the blue skies beyond. We see not just a whisper of light but instead a crystal clear view of the beauty awaiting us. We see the azure glory behind the clouds.

And even though the window view may be small, it’s still an invitation to come and see, to look through the portal and take hope in what lies ahead—to put our trust in God and wait for His perfect timing in giving the promised blessing.

So when the skies of our lives hang low with dark clouds or when overcast days color our existence, let’s remember to look for the portal of hope. All it takes is a small window view to revive our hope for a better tomorrow. For as blue skies eventually break through the clouds, so also blessing comes to those who put their hope in the Lord.

“. . . I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Isaiah 49:23b

Giveaway Winner Plus A Question for You

That’s right. Today’s the day to announce the winner of the "Back At It" Giveaway 2 so let’s get down to business. This time the lucky winner of a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble is . . . Kristin! Congratulations, Kristin! Hope you enjoy! (Kristin has been following my blog since my first post and has entered every giveaway. So fun to see her finally win one!)

Now on to part two of this post: As you may remember, the reason I hosted the "Back At It" Giveaway 2 was to kick off getting back into more focused writing here on the blog after doing several weeks of Summer Photo Fun. The timing was good since so many of you were also trying to get back into gear with a new school year for your kids.

But what I want us to ask ourselves today is if there is something else we may need to get back to—something we may have let fall by the wayside for any number of reasons.

Have we let our exercise routine slide lately, or have we gotten away from the healthier eating habits we’d been trying to follow? Have we neglected certain medical check-ups or tasks around the house? Or maybe we’ve drifted away from regular Bible reading and prayer. Maybe we’re not spending the time with God that we once did.

So the question for each of us is this: What do I need to start doing again?

There’s no better time than today. Let’s go out there and get back at it!

“. . . for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again . . .” Proverbs 24:16a

*Flickr photo by mikebaird

Taking the Leap: A Goal Fulfilled

Fulfilling a goal many times requires taking small, gradual steps. Other times, however, it demands a giant leap. I took such a leap two weeks ago.

Since my former critique partner decided she could no longer critique for me, one of my writing goals (and ongoing prayers) for the past couple of years has been to find a new critique partner or group. Even though I’ve known having other writers read and make suggestions on my writing is essential to turning out my best work, I’ve been hesitant to take the plunge and get involved in a new critique situation. Why? Fear of the unknown.

For one thing, it would mean learning a new computer skill. I hate to admit it, but I hadn’t yet learned how to insert comments into attached documents emailed to me. I didn’t know if I would be able to figure out whatever method a new critique group might require.

Also, since I don’t live in a metropolitan area, I knew my chances of finding an in-person critique group were pretty slim. The other option would be an online group, but the thought of joining an online group that would include strangers didn’t really appeal to me.

Not only could it be uncomfortable communicating with strangers, it could get especially tricky when pointing out weaknesses or offering suggestions on their writing. I was also concerned about getting into a situation where I didn’t know the level of experience the other members might have.

Still, I knew I needed a critique group if I hoped to improve my writing and my chances for publication. It was time—no, past time—to set my fear of the unknown aside and join an online critique group. It was time to take the leap.

And so, after seeking the Lord’s guidance, I joined the FCW online critique group. I have to say it felt GREAT to finally fulfill this particular goal of mine. I’ve already had one piece critiqued and offered critique as well, and now I’m kicking myself for not having taken the leap earlier. I can already see that this group will be a huge help to me—and I know some of the members as well since I attend the group meetings in Tulsa.

How about you? Anyone need to take your own leap of faith in order to fulfill one of your goals? Don’t let fear of the unknown (or any other fear) hold you back the way I did. Seek God’s leading—and then leap away!

“‘. . . The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:17b

*Flickr photo by The Daily Ornellas

**Don't forget to enter the "Back At It" Giveaway 2! Leave a comment on that post by noon Sunday for a chance to win.

Church in a Condo

Have you ever had church in a condo? We enjoyed just such a time a few weeks ago during our family vacation to beautiful Colorado. (Sorry to keep referring to our vacation, but lots of life happened during those days that I’d like to share with you! :) )

That Sunday started off extra sweet as Kelli and Jake made cinnamon roll pancakes for us for breakfast. (And yes, they tasted every bit as good as they sound!) But what was even sweeter is what happened next. Church happened. Right in the midst of our family. Right at the dining room table.

While everyone chatted, I slipped away for a moment. When I returned with my Bible, I was pretty sure my girls knew what I was up to since they had grown up with good ole Mom trying to jumpstart some kind of family share time during holidays or vacations. During their teen years, protests or groans usually ensued but not anymore. (All of you with kids at home, take heart—they do grow up, and there is hope! :) )

No, this time a slice of heaven on earth—at least to this mom’s heart—transpired. I began our share time by reading one of my favorite Bible passages and then suggested that everyone else either share their one of their favorite scriptures or tell what God had been doing in their lives lately.

Along with my husband, one by one our daughters and their hubbies shared scriptures and stories of how God was teaching them something or encouraging them in some way. Bottom line? We had church. What a blessing to sit back and listen to our adult kids talk about the Lord and His Word. What a blessing to see our kids walking in the truth.

Church in a condo? You bet. No greater joy… no greater joy.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

*Flickr photo by brett.wagner

*Don't forget to enter the "Back At It" Giveaway 2! You must comment on that post by noon Aug. 28 for a chance to win.

Sometimes the Wonder Is at Home

High hopes and firm expectations of a marvelous week fueled our packing and quick-as-possible exit from home a few weeks ago. As we escaped the confines of our small community in our rather ordinary region of the country and headed towards the mountains—towards the promise of beauty and wonder and grandeur galore—God surprised us with an early taste of the refreshment we sought.

Not more than a half-mile outside of town, unexpected movement not far off the roadway captured our attention. In a split second, Don and I both saw it—a fawn leaping through an overgrown field. No momma in sight, just the baby. Our first wildlife spotting of the trip.

We had to laugh. Here we were headed to Colorado to surround ourselves with the beauty of the mountains (and our kids!) and to see the wonders of God’s creation—wildlife included—and we saw a little miracle bounding through a field not five minutes from home. In that moment, God reminded me that sometimes the wonder is at home.

Not only did He give that reminder as we left for our much-anticipated week in the mountains, He bookended our trip with the same reminder as we traveled home. Believe it or not, less than twenty minutes from our house, we spotted in the light of our headlights four or five deer dashing across the highway in front of us. After a week filled with exciting encounters with the wildlife of the Rocky Mountains, God seemed to say again, “Remember, sometimes the wonder is at home.”

Even though over the next few days I experienced the normal let-down most of us feel after a vacation and even though the beauty of the mountains feeds my spirit like nothing else, what comfort I found in the knowledge that wonder and beauty can be found at home, too. What comfort in knowing that God—and the beauty of His creation—are ever-present, no matter where I am.

How about you? Are you in need of such a reminder? Take a moment and consider your life. Consider the world around you. And remember—sometimes the wonder is at home . . .

“I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1

*Flickr photo by Jeffery™

**Don't forget to enter the "Back At It" Giveaway 2! You must comment on that post by noon Aug. 28 for a chance to win.

"Back At It" Giveaway 2!!

Can anyone guess what mid-August means here on the blog? It means it’s time to say good-bye to Summer Photo Fun and for me to get busy concentrating once more on “refreshing spirits and nourishing souls”—though I’m guessing the photo fun helped refresh your spirits occasionally, too :)

Even so, it’s time for me to get back to more focused writing now that Don’s vacation weeks are behind us, and we slip back into our normal routine. Like last year, I thought it would be fun to get back into gear with a little giveaway. Since sequels can sometimes be lots of fun, how about another “Back At It” Giveaway?

I’ll offer a $15 Barnes & Noble gift card to one lucky commenter once again. Nothing like a new book, journal, or notebook to get back into the spirit of books, writing, school, and learning, huh? To be entered in the drawing, leave a comment on this post by noon (CST) Aug. 28th. If I don't know you personally or cannot contact you via your own blog, be sure to leave your email address in your comment or you won't be eligible for the drawing.

To add to the fun, tell me one of your favorite memories from this summer. For me, it has to be our family vacation to Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park. Don’t ask me to narrow it down to just one memory from that special week, though. Too many great ones to decide on just one. Suffice it to say, it was a week I’ll never forget. One I will treasure always.

How about you? What will you remember fondly from the summer of 2011? Can’t wait to hear about it!

“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5

*Flickr photo by striatic

*It's still not too late to receive the current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter/ezine. If you're not already a subscriber, sign-up is free and to the right!

Colorado Vacation Beauty

It's time to bring Summer Photo Fun to an end so let's do it giving God glory, huh? While on our family vacation to Estes Park, Colorado/Rocky Mountain National Park in July, God blessed us with the magnificent beauty of His creation, and I'd love to share some of it with you. The pictures don't do it justice, but you can click on each photo to see a larger version where the beauty can be better seen.

Since our daughters and their husbands vacationed with us, many of these photos belong to them. Please remember that photos as well as the written word on my blog are copyrighted.

Now on to the beauty :) Hope you enjoy seeing some of God's best work! :)


Behind our condo, this trail ran alongside the Big Thompson River. Such a beautiful and relaxing spot!

Lily Lake in RMNP.

One of many chipmunks we enjoyed watching while in CO.

We spotted several deer in the wild as well.

Nymph Lake in RMNP.

Kristin surrounded by an aspen grove. She has loved aspens since she was a young girl. (Taken on the trail to Alberta Falls.)

An area lush with fern, also on the trail to Alberta Falls.

Spectacular Alberta Falls. We were told by a local that it's wilder this year than he's seen it for 30 years. A good year to see the Falls!

One of the many amazing views from Trail Ridge Road. Can you spot the little mountain lake?

And wonder of all wonders, we happened upon an entire herd of elk grazing in meadow alongside Trail Ridge Road. I've heard of things like this but have never seen it before. We felt beyond blessed. Take a closer look with me:

"Well, hello there! Thanks for coming out to see us!" :)

What an amazing world we have. What an amazing God!

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1a

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter/ezine, came out last week. It's not too late to receive it. If you're not already getting it, sign-up is free and to the right!

Vacation Family Fun

How about one last week of Summer Photo Fun here on the blog? Maybe a peek into some of the Barker family's vacation shenanigans? I thought you might be interested :)

We had major fun making classic memories together in Estes Park, Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. Three couples equals three cameras and lots of great photos (many of these are Kristin and Shawn's or Kelli and Jake's) so today I'll share some of our fun moments, and in my midweek post, I'll post pics of some of the beauty we encountered along the way. Believe me, there was no shortage of that. Calgon, take me back to Colorado! :)

The shot above shows us on first hike in RMNP (Bierstadt Lake Trail) on our first full day there. You can't really make it out here, but I spent most of that hike gasping for breath :) Can anyone say altitude adjustment? Oh well, we still had fun -- as we did the entire week. Hope you enjoy a glimpse into our vacation family fun!

The hungry hikers chowing down that night at Smokin' Dave's BBQ. Yum!

Of course, we shopped as well during our trip, and Kristin fell in love with this little hand-blown glass pumpkin on the very first shop we entered.

While we were downtown, we Barker ladies had to test the waters of the Big Thompson (flows through town). Super cold, by the way!

We ran across three male models during another day of hiking (Lily Lake Ridge trail). They bear an uncanny resemblance to Shawn, Don, and Jake, huh? :)

One of the many timed photos we took (also taken on Lily Lake Ridge trail). Always fun to try to get into position and pull off a timed photo :)

Later that same day, we hiked up to Alberta Falls. After making it to the top, we all had to dip our toes into its icy waters.

When we took a day out to go to the rodeo in Cheyenne, WY, Jake turned into a cowboy. Thank goodness he still played games with us city slickers :)

Got to play on a designated snow field along Trail Ridge Road in RMNP. These girls never did know how to dress for cold weather :)

Jake grabbed the snow sleds/boogie boards from the garage in our condo hoping for just such an opportunity. Two very happy guys :)

The boys got to have their fun before threat of storms sent us hurrying back down to safer territory. The girls and Don all gave it a whirl, too, but not me. If anyone could break something, it would be me :)

At Forest Canyon Overlook on Trail Ridge Road in RMNP. Our family on top of the world -- in Colorado and in our hearts as well. Thank You, Lord, for such a special time together!

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy." Psalm 126:2a

*If you'd like to see an entire album of our vacation shots, friend me on my Facebook page. If I won't recognize your name, be sure to mention that you're a reader of my blog.

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter/ezine, came out last week. It's not too late to receive it. If you're not already getting it, sign-up is free and to the right!

Looking Back: A Wedding Party!

Are you up for one last Kristin and Shawn wedding related post as we continue Summer Photo Fun? I thought you might be :) There's something about wedding pictures we never get tired of seeing, huh?

Sit back and enjoy a peek at our joy as we partied down after our little girl's wedding on May 27, 2006. So much work went into the celebration, but it was so worth it. One of the best days of my life!

The mother and father of the bride arrive -- ready to celebrate and enjoy the party that took months to plan and a few hours to unfold!

The new Mr. & Mrs. make their entrance to cheers and a room full of smiling faces -- not the least of which is theirs!

A precious look of love during the dvd slide show depicting their lives and their love story. So glad the photographer captured this sweet shot.

Our girl -- so happy! And no one deserves it more. She's a sweetheart, if I do say so myself :)

Beautiful and delicious cannot begin to describe wedding cakes by Emeline of Nibbles Cafe. Definitely the highlight of the wedding feast.

The groom's cake, featuring Shawn and Kristin's Alma mater, fulfilled our dreams of chocolate indulgence. Absolutely divine :)

Shawn's expression says it all. This cake sent you straight to heaven :)

Shawn managed to pop the cork a good one. Boys gotta have their fun, huh?

There was dancing and flirting... :)

There were photo ops...

There was shared laughter... And I love how Kelli's laugh bubbles up with such inhibition. She's my other sweetheart :)

And finally, there was a dream coming true... There was love, sweet love... And I'm happy to report they're still in each other's arms today. So proud of them! So happy for them!

"They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day." 1 Chronicles 29:22a

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter/ezine, came out this week. If you're not already receiving it, sign-up is free and to the right!