An abundance of blessings

We have just felt so blessed on our trip west.   So I decided to make a list of some of the special blessings we have noted.   The messianic blessing promised to Israel and received also by the church is pronounced in Isaiah 65:23 (NIV),  “They will be a people blessed by the Lord!”   We have certainly felt His care and provision on this vacation.   Here’s a small list to celebrate the last Sunday of our vacation.

• It was a special joy to connect with loved ones on the West coast.   At the beginning of our trip, we so enjoyed our stay with our son-in-law’s parents in Eugene, OR.  We had not seen them since the wedding.   We were also happy to meet Mark’s brother, Bill and his wife Fatima for the first time.     Then at the end of our trip we had the privilege of seeing our nephew’s wife, Kim and their son, Lincoln, who is not quite 2, in Seattle, WA .                 
• We sighted so many animals on this trip including elk, moose, black bear, grizzly bear, pica, prairie dog, ground squirrel, marmot, mule deer, and mountain goat. I’ll be blogging more about this.
• We had unusually good weather – very few clouds on our trips to places that usually have clouds like Olympic National Park and Mt St. Helens.  We had almost no rain at all. 
• We found safety while driving about 3100 miles in a little cherry red Nissan Versa the trunk of which surprising swallowed our large suitcases perfectly.   We had a couple close calls on the road, but God rescued us.
• We worshipped on August 15 with Staters and it was communion Sunday at their church.   It is special refreshment for me to be able to receive communion while on vacation.
• We were able to find places to stay that were quite nice.   The first night at Glacier was a little problematic because there was a state fair in Kalispell. Montana.    But we ended up at an East Glacier guest house, the most luxurious housing of the trip.  It was only available because the person renting it missed a plane for that evening. 
• We repeatedly commented how much we enjoyed traveling together.  We work together while we travel.  JoAnne plans, reads tour books and maps and navigates.   I drive, handle luggage, and make choices that she hasn’t already figured out.  For us, it was a joy to be away from our routine, away from our responsibilities,  and doing something we love for vacation – seeing national parks.   It is a great way to celebrate our 40^th summer together as a married couple.