Thursday, July 26, 2007

Power of God

Since returning from Oregon, my life has been comprised of VBS, part-time work, and Harry Potter. So, suffice it to say, I am just now getting to a more detailed blog about my trip to Mt. St. Helens. Although, I must confess that it is hard to put into words the magnitude of what I saw and experienced a week and a half ago as I gazed into the enormous crater left behind on May 18, 1980. The entire area is desolate and feels almost like a war zone. I left awe-struck at the beauty that can be found in such desolation. After 27 years, things are just now beginning to regrow and recover from this powerful catastrophe. The mountain itself is actually repairing itself slowly. Mt. St. Helens is currently erupting which I discovered did not necessarily mean the powerful explosive devastation we always attribute to the word "erupt." There are areas inside the crater where molten rock and lava are bubbling over into the crater slowly buiding a "lava dome." This lava dome will effectively become a new top to the mountain if the volcano continues to erupt in this manner. In this way, the volcano is healing from what happened 27 years ago. It's amazing to me that the power of God is demonstrated not only in a massive explosion, but also in the mountain's ability to make itself look like a mountain again.

I think one of the things that has stuck with me so powerfully about the eruption from 1980 is the timing. While doing a guided tour of the area, we were told about how the timing of the eruption saved approximately 1000 lives! 50+ people were tragically killed on that day, but the number could have been much more catastrophic. Here's why: Mt. St. Helens exploded at 8:32 on the morning of Sunday, May 18, 1980. At 10:00 that morning, the gates into the valley were scheduled to be open to let approximatelly 100 cars (200-400 people, most likely) into the valley in order to allow these people to remove personal belongings from the summer homes located at the base of the volcano. If Mt. St. Helens had erupted an hour and half later than it did, all of those people would have been buried under 250 feet of melted mountain. In addition to that, if Mt. St. Helens had erupted on Monday morning instead of Sunday, it has been estimated that about 600 loggers would have lost their lives while felling trees in the fir forest located near the mountain. What I love about this is the idea that God might have been sitting in heaven saying, "I am going to demonstrate my power over creation, but I am going to do it My way by sparing hundreds of lives." What a mighty, awesome, powerful God we serve. Taking a tour of the area around Mt. St. Helens is something I will never forget. What an incredible reminder of the power of God over His world!

"Since we are are receiving a kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 12:28-29

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Bloomin' in Oregon


Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I am loving it in OR

and the flowers do too!



We went to the market yesterday where I spent about an hour and a half tasting all kinds of different fruits. Along the way I stopped every so often to snap pictures of the gorgeous flowers that could be found in abundance. The picture of the red and yellow lily above is actually in my parents' yard. What gorgeous color!


I have filled my bedroom here in Oregon with lavendar, hydrangeas, and peonies. It smells absolutely heavenly. I spent time this afternoon reading a book on a swing in my parents' yard while the smell of wild jasmine wafted across the yard from time to time. The Lord God is surely creative. These pictures are just a small sampling of what I have seen. I hope you enjoy the beauty of Oregon as much as I am!

"The desert and the parched land will be glad;
The wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
It will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
The splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God."

Isaiah 35:1-2


Friday, July 6, 2007

Quick Update



Hello friends! Just a quick post to let you know what's been going on with me recently. I am still puppy training. Rori is so much fun, but I have decided obedience school is a must! She is very dominant and would rather chew on my toes, ankles, and shoes than obey my "no" command. This week she has discovered how much fun trash cans and toilet paper rolls can be. I have discovered that if I am busy running around the apartment working on something or on the phone, then she decides it's time to get into EVERYTHING she isn't supposed to. She has hit the equivalent of the "terrible twos." But, she makes me laugh everyday!

I am currently in Portland, OR spending 10 fabulous days with my parents. For those of you praying for my flight anxiety, thank you so much! The Lord blessed me greatly! It all went very well. I am looking forward to 10 very relaxing and fun-filled days ahead of me. The picture attached above is just a taste of the beauty I will be surrounded by during my trip. It is gorgeous here, and I am looking forward to many opportunities to eat AMAZING fruit while sitting outside in incredible weather! My sweet boyfriend will be joining me for the last four days of the trip which will be great fun as well!

May God bless each of you during this mid-summer weekend!