It's All Good - Part Two

My travels this past week didn’t allow me time to write. So, I’ll share an overview of our trip and photos. 

Who knew Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming were so beautiful? If you’ve visited or lived there, you knew. But since this was my first trip to these three states, it amazed me. My husband and I flew to Denver, picked up a rental car, and drove from Colorado to western Nebraska. Here we saw two bison herds.

Next, we traveled to South Dakota to a retreat center near Rapid City. Our bare, eight by ten room held a bed plus a bathroom. We left our room unlocked during the day because there weren’t any guest keys. The thought of leaving my things unattended where everyone had access didn’t appeal to me. But my hubby reminded me, “It’s all good.”

After we left the retreat center, we drove to Badlands National Park. Rock formations fascinate me. We got several shots of prairie dogs while there. So cute to watch. 

We enjoyed Custer State Park, Needles Highway, and Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. Besides prairie dogs and bison, we spotted deer and donkeys. We loved the rock formations, lakes, tunnels, and valleys. 

We left South Dakota and drove to Wyoming. We saw rolling hills dotted with antelope. After a few stops, we made our way back to Denver and traveled home. 

God’s creation continues to amaze me. We visited many magnificent places and met wonderful people along the way. 

I hope you enjoy our photos. And remember, “It’s all good”!

3 Traits of a Godly Friend

Godly friends bring blessings into our lives. I don’t mean someone on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, unless they are a close friend. I’m referring to a person who speaks life into our heart and soul. Someone who’s there for us no matter what.

Friends Give Wise Counsel
A friend listens, empathizes, and supports. They won’t lead us astray. They seek God on our behalf and offer godly advice because they want what’s best for us.

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.
(Proverbs 27:9, NLT)

The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.
(Proverbs 12:26, NLT)

Friends Help Us Succeed
Friends share in our struggles, walk alongside for support, lend a helping hand, and pray for us. They enjoy spending time with us to encourage and share God’s Word. They make us accountable and invest their time and talents to help make our relationship with the Lord stronger.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NLT)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
(Proverbs 27:17, NLT)

Friends Always Love
Godly friends love us with Christ’s love. They show mercy, kindness, and grace. We may hurt or upset them, but they are quick to forgive us.

A friend loves at all times.
(Proverbs 17:17a, NIV)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord
forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves
with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
(Colossians 3:12-14, NLT)

And let’s not forget, we are God’s friends. He gives wise counsel through His Word, helps in time of need, and always loves us.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God
because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
(Romans 5:11, NLT)

Take time to thank God for the godly friends in your life and the blessings they’ve brought you. 

What traits do you look for in a godly friend? Please leave your comments below.

Photo by Krista Mangulsone - Unsplash

Extend Grace

What are tangible ways to extend God’s grace to others? When I consider the Lord’s undeserved kindness toward me, I’m in awe. I cannot do anything less than share that same grace to my family, friends, and coworkers. 

When my youngest child leaves dirty dishes on the counter instead of placing them in the dishwasher, I forgive. When she squished my fresh, out-of-the-oven homemade bread as she cut a slice, I gave instructions on how to cut warm bread.

A friend, Daphne, and I get together often. A third person shared something from Daphne’s past I didn’t know. When Daphne apologized to me for her past behavior, I said, “No reason to apologize. That’s not the Daphne I know.” I offered love and kindness.

At times, I mess up and forget to extend grace. I get upset with my youngest when she leaves her personal belongings all over the sofa in the family room. And on one occasion with a coworker, instead of sharing grace, I threw up my hands and said, “Whatever. But I’m not happy about this.” (Later, I apologized. To make me happy wasn’t a part of my job description.)

Then there are times in the heat of a battle, I remember to pray and ask God for help to offer grace. When I received a promotion, Marcy accused me of climbing over everyone else to get to the top. She’d worked for the company longer, and anger consumed her. I took a position that placed me above her, and she no longer wanted to interact with me. While she criticized me, I prayed. “Lord. Help me extend grace. Keep me calm and help me respond with kindness.”

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare
(Proverbs 15:1, NLT).

I understood her frustration and didn’t argue. Instead, I sat and listened while she shared her feelings. Then I told her I was sorry and hoped to repair what had broken between us. It took two years, but when she apologized for her reaction that day, she admitted I’d done a good job in my position.

Did Marcy deserve my kindness? Bitterness filled her words. I hadn’t promoted myself. I could have argued several facts with her. But whatever I said during her heated condition would have proven nothing to her. Better for me to extend grace even though at that moment she didn’t deserve it.

Just as I don’t deserve God’s grace. But I’m so thankful He extends His love, kindness, and forgiveness to me.

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others
the Good News about the wonderful grace of God
(Acts 20:24, NLT).

This Scripture describes telling others who Christ is and sharing the truth of His grace. When we walk in love, kindness, and forgiveness, we show God’s grace. People may need to see it lived out in us before they’ll hear it from our lips.

How do you extend God’s grace?

Photo by Leah S. Terrell

It's All Good

Two weeks ago, I traveled with my husband to central California. Over the weekend we visited Yosemite National Park. We arrived later than we’d hoped. After 9:00 a.m. Bumper to bumper traffic and we were still a mile from the entrance gate. Hubby commented, “It’s all good.” This became our motto for the trip. God’s delightful creation surrounded us, and we were enjoying it together.

The drive along the Merced River held its own artistry. Crystal clear water flowed over rocks of various sizes and formed ripples of white.

Once inside the park, we drove a short distance along a road cut through huge rocks. We then pulled off and parked along a plush meadow and viewed three waterfalls that make up Yosemite Falls. We pulled back into traffic and found our way to the visitor center where we hoped to park and catch a shuttle. The lot was full. We tried several other locations nearby for a space but found none. “It’s all good,” said my optimistic husband. He found a spot along the road away from the traffic, pulled off, and parked. From there we caught a shuttle to several trailheads, restaurants, and restrooms.

Later, we drove through a long tunnel and stopped at Tunnel View which overlooks El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall. We found a parking space where I took the above photo. When we arrived back to our car, we thought we’d never get out. Vehicles waiting to find a spot blocked us. “It’s all good.” And it was. Patience won.

During our visit, we hiked to Lower Yosemite Fall, Mirror Lake, Bridalveil Fall, and through Mariposa Grove’s giant sequoias. They estimate the Grizzly Giant red wood with a diameter at its base of thirty feet to be 1,800 years old. Magnificent.

We observed a deer on one of our hikes, and brave squirrels in the outdoor eating area foraged around our feet. We saw several birds that reminded me of blue jays from back east. After my research, I found they were Steller’s jays. A darker blue than my eastern friends with black heads and necks.

Despite the long line of traffic, lack of parking, and long waits for a shuttle, we enjoyed our time at Yosemite. We hiked, talked, held hands, took nature photos along with a few selfies, visited with others in line as we waited on shuttles, and waded across Mirror Lake. We look forward to more trips together and hope to travel to several national parks. “It’s all good.”

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31 NLT).

Which national park do you recommend we add to our bucket list?

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