i'm off to a faraway land!!

Dear Blogging Buddies and Cyber Friends,

I know I haven't mentioned it until today, but early tomorrow morning I am off to a faraway land!! I've been crazy busy packing and gathering requested items to take with me. I am going to the nation of Georgia (you know, by Russia) to visit my sister, brother-in-law, two nephews, and niece who live there. They are missionaries with Youth With A Mission and are currently in the capital city of Tbilisi.

I will be there for two whole weeks, and it is my very first visit! I'm very excited, as you can imagine!! My travel there will be very long (because I'm using awards miles and, therefore, must go via Moscow and Munich...which is quite a bit out of the way)--if I've figured it correctly, with the 11 hour time difference, I will be traveling 31 hours with 4 flights and various layovers along the way. So, please keep me in prayer as I travel...and as I get to visit with my family.

I probably will not be posting much from Georgia, but in my preparation to leave, I have scheduled some auto-posts of some of my favorite photos and thoughts. I will try to post a few times from Georgia if I can--maybe to share some photos of my adventure! I'm sure I will be inundating my blog with travel photos when I return.

Thanks for making this blogging thing such a blessing! I enjoy your comments and your blogs so much!

And, I'm off! : )

sunset on vacation...

The sun is setting on my time in Michigan, and I am soon to be on my way home to California. I have had a wonderful time enjoying family and fall and will be sad to say good-bye. I have one last day to soak it all in.

A couple of days ago, my mom and I took a day-long road trip across the state and ended the day on the eastern shore of Michigan at Lake Huron. We were treated to this bit of sunset on the Saginaw Bay...

Thank you, God, for family and for the beauty of Your creation...

I am grateful for both this day.

imagination and a little vacation...

No worries for me this week! I'm on vacation! Ok...so, not really. Actually, I'm PRETENDING I'm on vacation, and so far, it's been a pretty good one (except for the work part thrown in each day)!

Very gracious friends of mine are away for the week, and they kindly gave me a key to their kingdom (condo) and free reign (I think!?) to use the amenities: balcony, grill, washer&dryer, pool. My clothes were cheering at the thought of being washed in a home-washer, and my outdoor-lovin' self was jumping up and down at the thought of eating a freshly-grilled dinner on the balcony while drinking in the glow of the sunset! And a pool! What a delicious ending to each day!

So, this week I've been using my imagination and pretending that I am far, far away from home on a resort vacation. I do have a very active imagination, but it hasn't taken too much of its resources to actually 'feel' far away (though it's only 4 mi from my apt)! They live very near the ocean on an "island" with a canal running around it (see photo), and there are delicious sea breezes, brilliant blue skies, great green palm trees, and the quiet of a small community. It has been a wonderful treat for the senses!

"Come to me,

all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest."

~Matthew 11:28

I love how God knows us so thoroughly and completely--that He knows the deepest needs of our hearts and spirits. The past couple of months have been difficult ones for me, and I have been much in need of "rest." He, Who knows me so well, has given me this few days of "away time," "eyes to see" it as such an opportunity, and an imagination to enjoy it to the fullest. I am grateful that He loves me so much to provide in this way for the unspoken cry of my heart.

Be at rest once more,

O my soul, for the LORD

has been good to you.

~ Psalm 116:7