SANCTUARY

It's hard to believe that we have had our Mountainview Hideaway over eighteen months already! Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it hardly seems real that God blessed us so tremendously with this property! We are looking forward to the day when we can open our home up to others and they can enjoy the beauty that is Northwest Montana. For me, this place has already embodied the meaning of sanctuary. The dictionary defines sanctuary as a holy or sacred place and that sort of fits, in a non-blasphemous sort of way! For me though, when I think of sanctuary, I think of a refuge; a place where the outside world can't touch you.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Psalm 46

I think of how many times I have sought refuge from the Lord God Almighty and how He has never failed me. In my darkest times He has been only a breath away as I have cried out to Him. I think of how His majesty is displayed in everything our eyes, ears and sense of touch takes in. When the day arrives and He is revealed in all of His glory and splendour, His name exalted; the earth and all within her will quake. And yet...He will gather those of us who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, to His breast and declare,

"This one is mine, their name is recorded in the Book of Life!"

WHERE YOU BEEN?

Yes, I have been away for a VERY long time but in all honesty, I have been busy and quite honestly felt that I had nothing to write about. I hope to change all that by picking up blogging once again.

I feel like the last four years of my life have been radically different, almost unrecognizable in fact. Cancer has unfortunately become this "entity" that floats around, hovering near and often times preoccupying my thoughts. My Mom's diagnosis nearly four years ago, Dave's diagnosis three years ago, losing my Mom three years ago, Dave's cancer surgery right after my Mom died and then having him undergo radiation last summer because it had returned, has been a lot to deal with. Dave and I have a saying that we have used a lot in the last three years: When asked how do you eat an elephant, we reply, "One bite at a time!"

At times when I've attempted to look at the big picture all at once, it's made me want to curl up in a corner somewhere and just stay put! I am realizing that you can only deal with manageable portions when life assaults you from all directions since so many factors are out of ones control. I simply can not imagine how I could have retained my sanity had God not been my center. He has been the one thing that has been constant throughout it all, the one thing that I have been able to remain grounded in when I have been overwhelmed!

In the three years since losing my Mom, I have grown a lot. In the three years since Dave's cancer diagnosis I have grown a lot. I have grown and been stretched in ways I never knew were possible. On those days when I was stretched so ridiculously thin that I felt the elastic of my nerves fray, God would put His hand on me; He would calm and soothe my fears and anxieties and my feet would once again touch firm below me. Other days I would just simply try to put one foot in front of the other and move forward through my day. Responsibilities and life in general, don't stop just because I am having a hard day. I've been uplifted by so many people and their prayers have made such a difference in my life! At times though, I have felt very alone, in spite of the loving outreach I have received. That's just life. I've realized that it's okay to visit that place once in a while but God never intends for me to establish residency there!

Our lives are a journey and we all have a destination. Life, be it good or bad, touches us all leaving us winded and wounded as well as joyful and exuberant. Where we visit or reside is up to us...I am learning to live my life more intentionally.

Dave and I at Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana. Summer 2012