An Unexpected Adventure

An Unexpected Adventure

Jan Burkhart
Salvation

Our friends told of an unexpected adventure on their vacation while in southwest Oregon. They were staying in Grants Pass and traveled west to Gold Beach. After checking a map of the area, they determined to return a different route. And so, they headed toward Agness. As they traveled, they passed a sign indicating Agness was straight ahead. The further they went, however, the worse the road conditions became. First the two-lane road became extremely curvy.  Eventually, it turned into a one-lane road, which led straight to the sign in the picture above: This is it! Agness. Welcome. Population: small. What you can’t tell from the picture above is that the road was a dead end. There was no city; there was nothing but trees.The road they had been traveling led to nowhere. As they turned around, they saw another sign that said, “Come back!”

Near Your Altar

Near Your Altar

Whitney Prosperi
Intimacy with God

On a mission trip in Africa, I visited Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world. The thundering roar can be heard from twenty-five miles away. As you approach, you realize that even if your words could be heard, they would be inadequate to describe the beauty before you. 

Time-Lapse

Time-Lapse

Whitney Prosperi
Sanctification

Have you ever watched a video that was filmed with time-lapse photography? My favorites to watch are those of blossoming flowers. A process that takes hours in real-time is shown in mere seconds. Subtle movements, not seen by the naked eye, are clearly displayed.

Stop and Help

Stop and Help

Whitney Prosperi
Kindness

Have you ever stopped to help someone, but then later realized you were the one who was blessed?

My husband is a salesman. He walks in and out of hospitals all day in hopes of making connections that will ultimately save a patient’s life. He knows every back stairwell, fast elevator and good area for cell service. 

Name Dropper

Name Dropper

Whitney Prosperi
Encouragement

Have you ever known someone that is an incessant name-dropper? They needlessly share names and places in conversations or on social media. It’s become so common today that no one really notices. 

The Serpent's Lies

The Serpent's Lies

Whitney Prosperi
Temptation

Pythons like to slither into holes. A young Portland woman discovered this when her pet BART crawled into the gauge hole of her earlobe. She reported that before she knew what was happening, he was halfway through. After the fire department was unsuccessful in removing BART, the hospital emergency room coaxed him to freedom.

Once Upon A Garden: Day 4

Once Upon A Garden: Day 4

Nancy Shirah
Hope

On the seventh day, God, in a sense, stood back to look over Creation and pronounced it “done.” He rested from His work because there was nothing more to do. And, Creation “rested” also because it was at peace and in perfect balance within itself. Then God blessed it—“sent it forth for abundance and enrichment” and hallowed it—“set it aside for a sacred purpose.”

It’s Not Complicated

It’s Not Complicated

Karen Sims
Salvation

Almost daily, while at work, I encounter a tedious battle. It’s the battle of gaining access to websites. First, I enter the website address. Once there, I type in my username and password.  Then I find out that I must reset my password because I haven’t visited that site in over thirty days. I’m running out of new password options (and patience), but I try one more time. After my password is accepted, a verification code is required. I must choose to receive the code by cell phone text or email.  I choose by text because it’s faster.  I wait for the text to come through, then enter the several-digit code into the appropriate box before it expires and finally click “OK”. Next, the security questions must be answered correctly. Finally, I’m at the Home page and I must remain active on the site so that I’m not automatically logged out.

Facets of Hope

Facets of Hope

Karen Sims
Hope

The Hope Diamond weighs 45.52 carats and is one of the most famous jewels in the world. Its recorded history goes back to the 17th century in France. The gem was cut into smaller pieces multiple times, so its appearance has changed. The French, deep blue diamond was stolen in 1792 and has exchanged ownership several times. As of 2019, gemologists have valued it at about 350 million dollars. It’s currently housed in the National Gem and Mineral collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Even so, there are no guarantees of perfectly guarding it from theft. 

Choose Life

Choose Life

Terri Vardeman
Grace

The older I get, I focus more on my family’s lives and less on my own. Opting for life-giving choices benefits me as well as others. I am motivated to eat healthier so I will be around for my children and, hopefully one day, for any grandchildren that may come along. I haven’t adopted a challenging exercise regime although I still retain that hope!

Dig Deep

Dig Deep

Terri Vardeman
Challenge

Oh, the importance of a good foundation! Numerous foundation cases were filed in Corpus Christi because of the shifting sand and soil of that area. As an attorney in Corpus, my husband heard some interesting facts in these cases.

Believing is Seeing

Believing is Seeing

Terri Vardeman
Hope

Thunder shook the air as lightning lit the sky. The windshield wipers feverishly cleared the window but only for a second. Pounding rain obstructed my view. The lane lines were no longer visible so I followed the taillights of the preceding car.

Illuminate Me

Illuminate Me

Terri Vardeman
Challenge

My mother complained for a couple of days of eye pain. I looked at her eye but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Because my mother has macular degeneration, I didn’t want to take her eye pain lightly. If her retina was bleeding, urgent action was necessary. 

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