Category: Traveler

Happy Anniversary .... Almost

8/4/2013

Nearly 50,000 of you have been on this particular journey with me now for mere days shy of a full year. And, oh, what a year it has been! As I look back over this span of time, I see that it has been filled with many changes that resulted in adventures, as well as a number of detours to our otherwise normal, day-to-day living.

This last year has brought with it a birth and several deaths; a near-divorce in one quarter and an approaching wedding in another; job and residence changes; thousands of miles of anticipated travel, and another thousand or two of unplanned travel on top of that; both destruction and construction home projects; overall, our household has been bursting with good health, with the exception of one memorable urgent emergency room visit for a ruptured appendix –  always in the middle of the night. Why is that? – that resulted in surgery and a longer-than-normal hospital stay; newly-formed friendships, reaffirmation and strengthening of older friendships, and, sadly, the deterioration of relationships due to challenges that have yet to find an amicable resolution.

All of these occurrences were tucked in between the normal demands and obligations of everyday home- and work-life.   No doubt, if you were to review
the previous twelve months of your life, it, too, would be filled with tales of
similar trials, changes or rough patches.

John 16:33 (NASB) “These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation [trials and distress and frustration], but take courage; I have overcome the world.” [Emphasis mine.]

Through it all – through every one of the ups and downs and sideways movements of life – God’s presence can be clearly seen as He silently wove His way in and out, around and through each and every circumstance, guiding and strengthening so we could successfully navigate these unexpected storms. He stood firm and unchangeable as the one constancy in the midst of the chaos. And He will always stand firm.

While change is a constant and keeps our life in perpetual flux, there is a much better, consistently reliable Constant available to us.

Hebrew 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

He is our strength giver …

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the
weak.”

and  our wisdom imparter.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

He is our Rock …

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

and He is our peace.

Isaiah 26:3 “You [God] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

None of us know what tomorrow will hold (let alone over the course of the next year),
but God does and He will be with us until the end.

Psalm 48:14 “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”

With whom will you place your trust today for the changes to come in all of your
tomorrows? The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

~~~~~~~

Dear Fellow Travelers,

A known change is ahead. I am being led onto a new path which will result in either less time being spent here on this site, or else may indeed lead me away from it altogether.  Until that is known, I will write pieces as I am able that will continue to show that God truly is present in everyday things each day of our lives. Do please check back for the new postings, or else to re-read postings that have previously been published. They will continue to be available for you to read over the course of the next twelve months.

Thank you again for traveling this particular path with me. I hope to meet each one of you in heaven.  Remember, the choice is yours.

Be blessed,
Robin

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Almost Home

7/1/2013

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Summer is now in full swing and so is the vacation season.   Both little ones and big ones alike eagerly look forward with great anticipation to trips that have been planned to familiar spots or new locations and all of the wonderful adventures waiting there to be explored
and/or experienced.

Travel can take us many miles around the world or across our own country, or just a few miles around the corner from our house, where we can discover new and different
landscapes as well as environments that are alien to us.
(Think that’s not possible within our own country’s borders?   Take someone from the wide open spaces of the mid-west to the heart of a large metropolitan city and see how they react.)

A trip to new locations can be filled with many prospects of as-yet-unfound treasures or incredible vistas, interesting cuisines and new cultures to immerse ourselves within.

There comes a point in every journey – sometimes quite abruptly- when the excitement and the newness wears off; when the smells of this foreign environment seem less appetizing; the cultural images of the bustle of life around you that had held wonder only yesterday has all but lost its appeal; and even the cuisine that had previously held adventure in every bite is now gone. Homesickness settles in and you crave all that is familiar and comfortable to your everyday existence. The excitement during the preparations at the outset of your journey dims significantly in comparison to the road-weariness you currently feel.   You eagerly turn your steps homeward where, upon reaching the threshold of your front door, you sigh contentedly at the familiar sights and smells of your home environment. It’s good to be home!

John 17:14 “I [Jesus] have given them your [God’s] word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

As a child of God, this earth we live in each day is not our home and certainly not our intended destination. This is our temporary abode. We are only passing through it on our way to the final destination, our true home in heaven. While we have not had the experience of having been there before, nevertheless, our Spirit-filled heart yearns for this heavenly home and fills us with a deep-seated longing to be where our Father resides.

Our journey in this life is made sweeter because we know not only our destination,  but also that we have a constant traveling companion who will guide us along the entire way.

Psalm 73:24 “You guide me with your counsel,  and afterward you will take me into glory.”

Once this earthly journey is over and we take our final breath, as a Child of God, we arrive home at long last to a warm welcome and the open arms of the Lord. Nestling into His loving arms, true rest is finally ours when we hear Him say,

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” Matthew 25:23

Do you have questions about the purpose of this life or where your journey is taking you?  Weary traveler, the Father longs to hear from you and will give you the answers you seek.

As always, the choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Safe in His Care

2/15/2013

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During a recent plane trip, I watched a darling 2-year-old boy as he interacted with his mother during the flight.

As is normal with 2-year-old children, he was eager to experience everything that was within his reach. He would happily and contentedly remain playing with the object that currently held his attention until he was distracted by some new interest that captured his notice. When he reached for something that would be an unknown potential danger to him, his mother would “no-no” him which would upset him. This denial of something that looked desirable to him would immediately throw him into a fit of tears and wailing. Even though it was his mother who had withheld the wanted object from him, he would bury his face into her lap where he would remain while she comforted him with gentle pats and caresses until his sobs quieted.

This precious one was enthralled with the learning toys and games his mother placed
into his hands that she had wisely packed so as to occupy him during the journey. She joyfully shared in each new discovery he made and praised all of his correct answers to the game’s questions.

When he was hungry, he would look at her in expectation of receiving a shared portion of her food. This loving mother did not disappoint her son.

When an unexpected, loud mechanical or electronic sound startled him, he bodily threw himself rapidly into his mother’s chest – again face first – where he remain
hidden from the world (or so he thought) for several minutes until he finally worked up the courage to shyly peak out at the world; his big eyes looking for the unknown scary thing that had made the offending noise that had sent him scrambling to safety in the first place.  Seeing nothing to fear, he gradually unwound from her embrace and immersed himself once more in the wonders around him, of which there were
many. Time and again, he would point to an object, look towards his mother with wide-eyed questioning that quietly asked for her to give him an explanation.

At last, exhausted from the many discoveries that had filled his day, his head drooped lower and lower, his eyelids closed further, until he was picked up by his
mother and placed gently against her breast. His fell fully asleep before his head
came to completely rest against her neck; his little body safely encircled within the security of her arms.  He peacefully slept.

Having watched how this little boy interacted with, and looked in confidence to, his
mother during the course of this trip, one particular verse in the Bible came to mind.

Matthew 18:3 “And he [Jesus] said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.””

God longs to have His children – those of us who accept His Son as our Savior – look to Him in the same way that this young one looked to his mother.

Safe in His care, we are fed and clothed and have all of our needs met.

Matthew 6:25-26; 28-30 “Therefore I [Jesus] tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?   Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

“And why do you worry about clothes?   See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God  clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?”

Safe in His care, we can always find a willing ear to listen and can receive the comfort we need whenever we are upset over confusing situations, unexpected occurrences, or other issues in life.

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all  your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (Emphasis
mine.)

Safe in His care, we have nothing to fear.

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Safe in His care, He freely gives wisdom to any who would ask.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him.” (Emphasis mine.)

Safe in His care, we can rest in the security of His arms and peacefully sleep.

Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Come as a child to the Father. You will not be rejected.

John 6:37 (AMP) “All  whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].” (Emphasis mine.)

He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Weary Traveler

1/14/2013

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Recently, it was necessary for me to drive several hundreds of miles from home ….. by myself …… during the nighttime.   Though this was a first for me to drive such a great distance alone, it was not a fearful thing for me to do as I knew that if others could do it, then so, too, could I.

For a number of days prior to the trip, I tried to find as many
positive features to this lone journey as possible.   After all, it isn’t often that I get that much quiet time by myself. I looked forward in anticipation to spending time praying about anything or anyone that came to mind.  I also looked forward to singing along with some of my favorite tunes. (And don’t we all sound good when belting out a favorite melody while alone in a car?
If nothing else, we are certainly entertainment to those who may look at us through our closed windows and see all of the facial expressions and gestures we exhibit while we bellow at the top of our lungs.   But I digress.)

The first half of the trip went quite well.   Many prayers were prayed, countless conversations held with God and numerous praises were sung to Him.  As the hour grew later and my eyes grew tired and blurry, the enthusiasm I had felt at the start of the trip began to wane.   All I thought of was the distance I had yet to travel and how I would love to sleep for at least a full day.
Then, halfway through to the border of the next state, patches of wispy fog moved in and gradually grew more dense as it populated additional areas along the way. By the time I
managed to cross the state line, the fog had turned very thick and had completely covered the surrounding area.  Ahead of me, for mile after long mile, the only things visible for a few feet in front of me were two parallel lines of painted white dashed road lines against black asphalt, a wall of fog and an occasional glimpse of a hazy deer along the berm. The only way to get out of the fog was to concentrate on staying in between those mesmerizing white lines. I had to trust that there truly was more to the road beyond what I could immediately see and that it
would lead me to safer conditions eventually.

Nearly hypnotized from the limited visibility and the consistent
flash from the white lines as they whisked by hour after hour, I was reminded that we are all travelers in this life. None of us can see into the future nor can we see what obstacles may lie in wait for us there.   Just as the lines on the highway had to be trusted that night, we too have Someone who can be trusted to light the way for us as we travel along life’s road.

2 Samuel 22:29 “You are my lamp, O Lord;  the Lord turns my darkness into light.”

And He will faithfully guide us until journey’s end.

Psalm 48:14 “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”

Weary traveler, is there some ‘fog’ in your life that makes you doubt the road ahead or obscures the next step you need to take in the journey? Trust in the Guide who will always lead
you in the right path and will never leave you alone during any part of your trip.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Happy Anniversary .... Almost

Almost Home

Safe in His Care

Weary Traveler

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