I can’t believe it has been a whole 2 weeks since I last wrote, and yet there have been so many new things in that span of time. It has been a glorious time in the Pacific NorthWest. We ended up having a few extra days more than we thought to spend driving through Oregon, so we took our time and explored the coastline, camping at different spots every night and soaking in brisk air and sunshine that locals told us was not very common. It was such a relaxing few days, not having to be anywhere, just being able to enjoy each other and bask in some beauty.

Another part of that week that made it so sweet was what God was doing in our hearts. He has been really stirring us to pray and challenging us to realize the part we have to play in His story through interceeding for others. We realized that He has been moving us around the country, intersecting our lives with other’s, trying to get our attention about who we need to be remembering in prayer. One of the things that began this realization was the conversations over the past couple weeks with my brother, Nick, who moved himself and his family down to Sebring, Florida in order to attend a Bible school that will equip them for the life of ministry they feel called to. It has been a very  rough transition for them, for a lot of reasons. But I know that God is doing a work in their hearts, getting them to the end of themselves in order to show Himself strong in their weakness. This is never an easy or comfortable process. But Nick has called me many times pouring out his heart, really struggling to see God’s hand in the midst of being emptied. My heart has been broken for them. God has done a new thing in me to bring me to the place of true intercession. We both have been burdened in a way we’ve never experienced before, to pour out our hearts before the Lord on behalf of others.

So we took the week on the coast to put legs on this new move of God in our hearts. We spent mornings in prayer for the people God has shown us that we are to be partners with Him in what He wants to do in their lives, and afternoons walking wide beaches and catching glimpses of whales swimming through the bays of the northern coast. It was a really special week. We felt refreshed by it and ready for the next stretch ahead of us, and grateful that God would take the time to teach us this precious lesson.

Our next stop was Kenmore, Washington, just a bit north of Seattle, where we spent 4 lovely days with old friends of mine from Minneapolis. It was so good to be with friends where you just feel completely at ease. They were our travel guides through the sights of Seattle, and they were our connection into a little church in Bothell, where I got to share some of my songs on Sunday. It was a sweet community of believers, and they were very responsive to the heart of my music.

After Seattle we set out across the rest of Washington. We spent a couple nights in Manson, a quaint town on Lake Chelan in Washington’s beautiful apple country, with the family of one of my best friends, who were so sweet to host us and eager to have me bust out my guitar for a personal concert. Then we arrived in Spokane, at the home of friends who were insistent to have us park our trailer and head into the house for a real bed and hot showers, which were much apppreciated as the weather begins to dip a little lower than I appreciate (at least for trailer life!). Sunday I led worship at a church plant called Emmaus, in Spokane. This new fellowship was started by a guy that David used to live with, so David has really enjoyed seeing an old friend and having a fellow football fan to catch up on this season with. I’m not always the best sports companion… although, I did officially pick a team to like, which is an entirely new world to me, so it took a while to find a reason to offer my devotion.

So that brings us to today, catching up on some communication and making plans for our return into Montana tomorrow. We’re very excited to return to Bozeman and share what God has been doing with the people at C3, the church we attended before we got married and headed out on the road.

And for those who know Nick, I spoke with him today and they are doing so much better. He said they are feeling settled and at peace as they learn what it means to surrender their hearts completely. Praise God for His provision in their lives!!! And I am reminded again that the most precious provision that He gives, is His presence in the midst of it all.

I am spending this afternoon next to the Rogue River, just west of the entrance to Crater Lake National Park. And I am really happy about it. There are a few reasons why. First of all, we have crossed the border into Oregon, which is an exciting thing for both David and I. For David, it is feeling more and more like home as we enter the North West. We spent last night being lulled to sleep by the rushing of a river, which he tells me is for him, what falling asleep listening to the ocean is for me. It is a peaceful sound, a constant sound, a comfort.

Also David is happy to be in Oregon because it means that we are not in California anymore, and apparently Montanans have a natural propensity to dislike California.

For me this river is a comfort as well. My dad’s parents lived outside Portland for many years during my childhood, so I spent many summers exploring woods just like these that I sit in today. One summer my Nana organized a week long family rafting trip down this very river. Traveling down the Rogue with all the people I loved was one of my happiest childhood memories, so sitting beside it again makes me smile every few minutes as I recall fond memories.

Now that I am an adult it is good to know that this river is still here; to know that those things actually happened. Though the water that carried us down the Rogue has long since joined the salty waters of the Pacific, there is new water here. New water, same river. Same path cutting through ancient ground; ever changing with it’s incessant march forward, yet comforting in the constancy of it’s flow.

John Muir said (we’ve been to 12 National Parks so far, so I have a lot f John Muir quotes in my head), “Nature is never and always the same.” As I am watching this river, I think this could be how life with God is as well; dynamic, always shifting, affected by changes in our surroundings, and yet governed and directed by God’s principles that are true and stand every test of time.

Life with Christ is never and always the same. Constantly we move with the current of God’s direction, unsure if the next bend holds bumpy rides and heart-sinking drops, or gentle stretches of calm water. And yet, on this ancient path, God’s character and His Word are what is always the same, and He is guiding us deep into His heart, and eventually to a vast ocean of True Life with Him.

Update time:

We had a great last couple weeks in California! There was some time for us to play (exploring the Northern California coast, experiencing San Fransisco with old friends and some family, and a childhood dream of David’s… an A’s game in Oakland!). And there were some divine appointments as I got to share at 2 churches in the Bay Area. God showed up and touched hearts! It was amazing to be a part of. We have the next string of Sundays booked as we move quickly through the Pacific North West in order to make it through Montana before the snow does. This weekend we spent with a friend from Maui days, and I sang in her church this morning in Eagle Point, OR. Next Sunday we’ll be in Seattle at a church of some old friends from Minneapolis days. The next weekend I’ll be sharing in Spokane, WA at a church of a friend of David’s. And that puts us back in Montana where we are still discussing our route and such, but we know we are excited to meet our newest nephew, Benjamin and reconnect with David’s family.