A Glimpse Of Heaven

The smell of the Redwood trees, campfires and sunscreen.

The sounds of the birds chirping, the creek flowing, children laughing.

The feel of the sunshine on my face, the breeze in my hair, the ice cold stream on my feet.

The taste of pure water after a hike, meals made on a portable stove, roasted marshmellows.

The view of the mountains, meadows, streams.

This is the place where magic lives in the trees; where memories are stored behind each boulder; where promise whispers in the wind.

A place where I can get perspective, and at the same time let my imagination run wild.

The place that feels like home, but offers endless opportunites for adventure.

A place where families and friends gather for games or stories around the campfire.

In this place, I look out at snow-capped mountains while soaking in a pool of hot water that came bubbling right out of the ground.

In this place, my dogs run happily with their long, pink tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths.

In this place, my mind and body feel more alive, and yet at rest.

In this place, my soul feels closer to God.

This place is one of my favorites in the world. An escape, a getaway, a refuge. A glimpse of heaven.



Grover Hot Springs, California




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Happy Easter

This post is a little belated, because I had a very busy Easter. It was amazing to get to go to church and see my whole family, instead of working all day. Despite the rain, it was a beautiful day!

Jesus' Tomb:

The Door To The Tomb:

The writing says, He Is Not Here - He Is Risen!

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

Good Friday

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Isaiah 53:7

Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father into Your hands I commit my spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last.

Luke 23: 34, 45-46

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

My feet on the ground where Jesus was beaten.

Golgatha, where Jesus was crucified:

Holy Thursday

"Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me; nevertheless not my will but yours be done."

Luke 22:42



Me, in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spoke these words the night before He died.

Palm Sunday

The crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

"Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven!"

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, "Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!"

He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would immediately cry out."

Luke 19:36-40

This is my favorite part of the Triumphal Entry. I have always had a picture in my mind of my God, my King, Jesus, riding into the city on a donkey (arguably not the world's fanciest animal) Simple clothing, simple transportation, but still a King. And as his followers praise him with palm branches, others rebuke those who worship the Lord. I picture His face, calm and serene, looking at them and simply replying, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would immediately cry out."

And as I stood there, on the hill where my Lord entered that amazing city, I picked up a few of the rocks from the road. I imagined them bursting into praises, and to be honest, I kind of wished they would, because that would be something to behold. But they didn't have to, because I do it for them. Do you?

Pictured above: moments after my much less triumphant entry into Jerusalem, with my friend Jenn.

My Favorite Places

No need to explain, really, just wanted to share. Some of my favorite places on earth:

Jerusalem, Israel

Honfluer, France

Toledo, Spain

Monteverde, Costa Rica

New York City, New York

Portland, Oregon

Grover Hot Springs, California

Disneyland! Anaheim, California

Any place that involves these four faces:

And, of course, Home!

Carmel, California

Penny Lane and Rocky Racoon (And Me)

Carmel Valley, California (Actual Home)

To join in the fun, visit Gypsy Mama.

Spain Day Eight: Barcelona

On Day 8, our last day in Barcelona, Adriana and I ditched the tour bus and explored the city on foot. First we checked out the Gothic Cathedral, which was very close to our hostel. Unfortunately, they were doing some construction to the outside of it, but it was still very impressive.









Then we went to the Parc de la Ciutadella, which is filled with trees, pretty buildings, a gorgeous fountain, and the Arc de Triomphe (a bit familiar... ha ha.)









Then we wandered to La Pedrera, another building designed by Gaudi. It used to house luxury apartments, but now is kind of like a museum, with one decorated "apartment" inside, and a bunch of his unique structures on the roof.















Then we wandered back to the area where our hostel was located. We wandered down Las Ramblas, which is a strip filled with street vendors and performers.

We stopped by La Boqueria market, which is a huge open market with all kinds of colorful fruits, vegetables, meats, candy, etc. We each had a fresh squeezed juice, which was very refreshing. :)






We headed back to the hostel and got dressed up, since it was our last night in Barcelona. On our way to dinner, we were followed by a creepy guy begging for money, and we hurried into an Italian restaurant to escape him. Believe it or not, he followed us in! Adriana told him that we were eating dinner and to leave us alone. The restaurant staff escorted him out, and they were very nice to us after that. Luckily, we had a delicious meal and more amazing sangria, and we promptly forgot about our little scare. :)