Foreigner Suite by Cat Stevens

 "There are no words . . . "

As my life is undergoing some massive changes, I find myself reaching backward in time to remember emotions like happiness, joy, and love. Not that there are not people in my life that I don't love and cherish, there are many! But as I grow closer to being single again after over twenty-five years, I just catch myself longing for the years that seemed to be so simple and pure. (And yes, I recognize this is the impact of my current stress-filled existence and the filter of youth, I would appreciate you just granting me this moment of grace and alternative reality, even if for a brief moment.) 

Chaos

Do you ever feel like your world (and the world overall) is becoming more and more chaotic? That events have spiraled so far out of your control that you are like a butterfly caught in the winds of a storm? Does it feel like you can only get your life in order for small periods before it all falls apart again?

What if I told you that you could trust Jesus not only to accept and forgive you but also to use His omnipotent power to help put your life back together-and keep it together?

Let's start with some foundational theology . . . 

Why Don't We Get The Story We Want?

"For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21 KJV)

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21 NIV)

"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21 ESV)

Truth is sometimes hard to hear, no matter the translation.

Romans 8:20-21 is a great example of that kind of truth that is difficult to absorb, no matter the number of times it is read. Why? Because at the heart of this verse is a truth that few of us really want to hear, which is that this world, was not primarily designed for our personal satisfactions, dreams, ambitions, and relationships. 

Instead, we are told by God, that in this world we are destined for frustration, discomfort, and pain, so that in these insurmountable challenges, we will recognize our need for redemption. And after coming face-to-face with our need for deliverance, that we would accept the free gift of grace that God offers, which provides that only path for us to be freed from the shackles of our sin and to live in glory with God forever, and ever.  

That also means that in the "now", the reality in which we all live, we are not going to get the story that we feel like we deserve. We are definitely not going to get the story that we have all dreamed. So the easy, reflexive action is to blame God, or disavow any knowledge or allegiance of said God, who would have the audacity to not allow us the live of comfort and ease that we all deserve. 

Yet in the darkness of our hopelessness, pain, and fear, God calls to us to move our lives from the temporal to the eternal.

National Parks That I Have Visited

I've been fortunate to have visited 30 of the 63 national parks, (highlighted in either yellow or blue) and many other park units. I hope to add many more in my future travels and road trips. My top five national parks that I have visited are highlighted in blue. Here’s a list of all 63 national parks in 2026:

• Acadia
• American Samoa
• Arches
• Badlands
• Big Bend
• Biscayne
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison
• Bryce Canyon
• Canyonlands
• Capitol Reef
• Carlsbad Caverns
• Channel Islands
• Congaree
• Crater Lake
• Cuyahoga Valley
• Death Valley
• Denali
• Dry Tortugas
• Everglades
• Gates of the Arctic
• Gateway Arch

• Glacier Bay
• Glacier
• Grand Canyon
• Grand Teton
• Great Basin
• Great Sand Dunes
• Great Smoky Mountains
• Guadalupe Mountains
• Haleakala
• Hawai’i Volcanoes
• Hot Springs
• Indiana Dunes
• Isle Royale
• Joshua Tree
• Katmai
• Kenai Fjords
• Kings Canyon
• Kobuk Valley
• Lake Clark
• Lassen Volcanic
• Mammoth Cave
• Mesa Verde

• Mount Rainier
• New River Gorge
• North Cascades
• Olympic
• Petrified Forest
• Pinnacles
• Redwood
• Rocky Mountain
• Saguaro
• Sequoia
• Shenandoah
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Virgin Islands
• Voyageurs
• White Sands
• Wind Cave
• Wrangell – St. Elias
• Yellowstone
• Yosemite
• Zion