STAIRWAY FROM HEAVEN

I was at Red River Gorge over the weekend. I had never been there before. We hiked for endless hours on Sat and Sun. On Sunday, we were headed towards a rock with a split in it, was all that I knew. I had no idea that the bottom of the rock was about 10 feet from the edge of a cliff. This would have been where you would reach your leg up to get onto this rock, that was about half as tall as me.



My friend had it in his head that my other girlfriend and I would be totally fine climbing it. Normally, I am up for a good challenge, and it is hard to get me to back out of one. I was not sure if this was a time to face the fear of falling, or if this was an unwise move all together. As we sat there on the other rocks deciding whether we were going to climb it or not, I prayed to God to tell me what to do. I felt as if it was not a wise move because there was no one else climbing this rock, my legs were already spent from all of the hiking that we had done all weekend, and this was my first time hiking like that. I did not feel it would be a wise choice. Now that I had made this decision, I began to wonder what the alternative route was going to look like. We had already climbed some very big rocks, in some very tight squeezes, to get to this rock in the first place. I began to pray Lord, please make a safe way for us. As we ventured around the front side of this mess of rocks, there were, wooden and steel steps with rails. how they got them all the way up there, and built them around all those drop off points, WOW! He had mentioned they were not there the last time that he came. Even though my legs were aching, I was never happier to see those staircases from Heaven. Thanks God for making a way for me! He will always make a way out for us if we call to Him.

We got to the bottom all of us still in one piece. That was a miracle in itself.

Me on a safe rock, LOL:

BUTTERFLY BLESSING

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Harbin Park. I arrived earlier to spend about an hour and a half, talking to God, and reading my Bible. I have been struggling lately, feeling a little disconnected. I felt much better after spending that time with Him. A friend of mine met up with me to take pictures, walk, and talk. We had a wonderful afternoon! There are many paths that lead to the hiking trails at this park. We walked down one of these paths, thinking we were going to take a small hike in the woods. We began to take pictures on the way, but her camera was not taking her pictures correctly. It's a little hot out at this time, the bugs are biting us, and now we are really irritated with this camera. Why did it all of the sudden stop taking macro shots correctly? As we are standing there, I look down and see the feather of a cardinal!! I had never found one before. It was awesome! As I bent down to pick it up, I was deciding whether I was going to give it to my friend rather than keep it for myself. Just then another one caught my eye, THERE WERE TWO! WOW! Not only did God bless me with this treasure, He provided another for me to give to her! Then there were two smaller feathers, that were lighter and smaller, able to float in the air better. So, we decided to pick them up, make a wish and throw them into the air. Both of our feathers blew to the left and right side of the trail on top of leaves. I took a picture of both of them, but I liked the picture of hers the best.

After this, we went to get lunch and I was able to get my blue Slush Puppie, that I had been craving at the local ice cream stand. It started to get cloudy out. I was in shorts and a tank top, and it was getting a little cold out there. I was wishing that I had long pants to put on. I went to the trunk to get my Bible and my journal thinking, well maybe I will just stay for a little longer and read and write. Something navy blue caught my eye. It was the track pants that I had put in there, in case I needed them! I thought that I had taken them out. I was able to slip them on over my shorts, and go on my next adventure. I felt a strong sense that there was something exciting waiting for me on one of those paths. I decided to go with my gut and investigate.

Walking down the path, I could hear my feet crunching the grass, the swish of my track pants, and the sound of tons of crickets even though it was only about 6:30Pm. There was a cool breeze blowing, and everything was vivid and crisp. The bugs could no longer use me as a walking buffet as I was well covered. It was as if I had stepped into a beautiful painting, or a different land of mystical wonderment. I stopped at one point in the path to take pictures of a tree of thorns, mixed with flowers. As I was standing there, I heard something fly by my ears similar to the sound of a small plane. It was a beautiful butterfly! He was fluttering all around. I tried to get a shot of him, but he was much too fast, and very skittish. It was as if he was playing with me. Flying right past my face, and then up, up, and away. It was making me giddy with joy, that he was making his presence known to me. Rather than chase the thing around, I stood still and I held my left arm out, camera in right hand, deciding that the butterfly would in fact land there. I prepared everything as if I knew it was going to happen. I had also asked God to intervene, and allow this to happen.

It was less than a minute, that this beautiful creature blessed me with his presence on my hand exactly in the spot that I had the camera pointed to! WOW! What a miracle/gift of God.

After taking these pictures, he flew away. I asked God if I could have a picture of him, next to the footprints ring that God had given to me years ago on my pinkie finger so that my two miracles could be together. So, I held my arm out again and stuck up my pinkie finger.



Praise the Lord! Thank you so much for making your presence known through your creation. I could never explain the euphoric feeling to have God instantly answer a prayer right before my eyes. Butterflies do not just land on on you. Unless you are at the conservatory at the butterfly show, LOL. Nope, God led it to me because of my request, but more importantly because of my childlike Faith that it would happen. Those are the prayers that release Heaven on Earth, and that is exactly what it felt like in those woods on that day.



I look forward to my next adventure! I will also try with all of my heart to continually remember that things that we perceive as bad or aggravating, happen along the paths of our journey, to slow us down and have us take note of the beauty around us. I guess that is why her camera kept messing up, because once we got off the trail, it started working again. If that had not of happen, I may not have had the time to notice our feathers!

EVERY GREEN PLANT FOR FOOD

Ge 1:30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it I give every green plant for food. And it was so.

Ro 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Ro 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Ro 10:11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Ro 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
Ro 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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I ran into an old friend of mine. He showed me his bracelet that he had just purchased. The person that was wearing this bracelet has no doubt in his mind, or heart that he is saved. He knows that even though he is not perfect, Christ is what makes us perfect in the eyes of God, and it is nothing of our own works.

If you are that person and you are reading this now, KUDOS! Even though we may not always agree, and we are quite different people, I do see Christ in you and it is beautiful!

We can defiantly agree on one thing, WE ARE SAVED THROUGH CHRIST!!!

Ro 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Ro 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
Ro 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Ro 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Ro 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Ro 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good