The Greek word – Katapausis – means to cease, refresh, giver intermission from labor. How we thank YOU JESUS for the gift from YOU of – Katapausis.
Hebrews 4:3 3) For we who have believed do enter that rest...
Wednesday 08/25/10 A beautiful sunny morning as we take a hike at ‘Carlton Mountain’ which is at the ‘Temperance River Gorge’ a very different sight to what we have been seeing - now we see some very large cliffs. The Temperance River is 38 miles long and runs quietly through fields of grass for many miles until it becomes a babbling Brooke rushing through the Gorge over the falls and finally feeding into the wonderful Lake-like-Sea Superior. We hike upwards to an unbelievable sight and sit a while to try and absorb all if this beauty (see photo). A long way down we look and fly high above the tops of the trees and there beyond all of this green beauty sits Lake Superior in all her splendor an amazing expanse of rich navy blue calm water, and not one cloud in the sky, surely this is where the eagles nest! Can we see anymore beauty and retain all of this? Where do I store this? How do I keep this forever? LORD, show me! We walk on and meet Aaron a young man who will have been hiking for 150 miles when he reaches his destination which is 25 miles from here at ‘Grand Marais’ Minnesota. “Aaron, what a great name” we say to him “Do you know anything about Aaron in the Bible” He replies that he does and that is why his mother named him Aaron, “Do you know JESUS” ? We ask, and Aaron nods with a smile , yes, and then gets honest and says “Well, no I don’t” (don’t want to right now). We discussed what JESUS did for him and the HOLY SPIRIT gave him (through us) John 10:28,29 JESUS says “And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of MY hand. 29) MY FATHER, who has given them to ME, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of MY FATHERS hand. “Aaron, the LORD knows those whom HE has been given and if it takes until you are 80 years old to surrender to HIM you will be HIS”. Aaron smiled and thanked us and went on his way and we ask you all to pray for Aaron that he surrenders his life to JESUS as I believe that Aaron knows that ‘today is the day of Salvation’. What a wonderful hike it was 6 miles of beauty. Terry has been feeling a little flu-like so we took the rest of the day Terry resting a while and me always finding something to do. After dinner we take a walk on the beach and the Lake tonight is silver blue and the contrast against the black volcanic rock makes it looks divine. The sky is a dust pink and it is painted all around the lake with a thin blue line at the base of it, and as we stare out into the open expanse of water we realize that we are looking at a painting, that the LORD has painted, a mural for his creation to enjoy and then HE adds to this amazing canvas HIS Own light, - up from the horizon comes the FULL moon and it is orange, and as it rises in the sky the reflection of the moon falls onto the Lake causing ripples of orange causing a straight towards us on the water and we bask in the color as we watch GOD’S ‘live art show’. The scene is too amazing for Terry to catch on his camera, he has the wrong lens on it tonight, he attempts to take this photo but it cannot do the moon justice (see photo), again it is GOD’S Handiwork and HIS mural. It is late and we retire very Blessed and thankful as we loose the grip on another spectacular day in paradise. I am beginning to challenge Terry at ‘Uno’ now and I am coming up quite quickly, umm! Let me see what will I spend that $50.00 on? During the evening our baby ‘Angie’ called with the devastating news that darling Chopper, their gorgeous 3 year old bulldog, died today and we are all crying as Chopper was a special little dog that brought many laughs, joy and love to many people, he went everywhere with his daddy (Jeremy) and had a very full three years – a good life, we ask for prayer for Angie and Jeremy as they release all of this to JESUS who knows our frame(s) and created all animals and loves them just as much as we do – breath easy darling Chopper. Needless to say Terry and I didn’t get too much rest as Angie was so very sad, we wanted to be with her but the LORD has HIS perfect way.
Thursday 08/26/10 Although sad about yesterdays news, we trust in the LORD and thank HIM for all HE does, and pray for strength and peace for Jeremy and Angela. We thank the LORD for this amazing sunshine that is so unusual for this part of the world at this time of the year. We take a hike ‘Oberg Trail’ which takes us upwards to overlooks of the pristine Lake-like-Sea. The lake is afar off and we look down on thousands of green trees, many different shades of green a green that has been lit by the sun and so illuminating this lush forest. This trail is divine with rays of sunshine pouring through the trees warming the forest floor, lots of vegetation. We go to ‘Grand Marais’ today which is the nearest bigger town and we get our laundry and car washed, we talk to many with no true bites but wonderfully friendly people. We hike another trail to ‘devils kettle’ overlook, and we watch a split waterfall, one side of the falls is gushing over into the river and the other side goes into a massive hole in the cliff and no-one knows where it goes (see photo), apparently, park rangers have put in golf balls and the such to try to determine where the water goes - no success – GOD knows. The stream running from the falls is Indian land, a stream of pristine clear water running over pink pebble-like-rocks, passing this way and that, making its way to the Lake-like-Sea which embraces the water and welcomes it in with its open expanse. The Lake today is a pale, creamy, sapphire blue that sparkles like diamonds when the sun shines on it. Our day ends at the beach by the campground, it is 7:30pm and we notice that the nights are drawing in a little earlier each evening. Again, the sky is a dusty pink rose color and where it joins the Lake-like Sea there is a strip of sapphire blue all around the lake – a panoramic view. I must admit I see through ‘rose colored’ glasses normally, but tonight I said to Terry that I doubted that we would see a moon like last night, at that a lady walks on the beach and is looking for the moon – we wait and chat. Carole and her husband John are the ‘host’s’ (monitors) of the campground and she comes each night to see the moon over the Lake. Carole and John are ‘born again’ and we have wonderful fellowship as we wait for the moon. Carole would appreciate prayer for her sister, Candy, and two brother’s Kevin and Allen they are all involved in an eastern religion which denies the deity of JESUS. While we spent a great time together on this ‘black rock’ beach I forgot why we were there and as we were all chatting suddenly I noticed peaking up over the horizon is a peach colored ball shaped – here it comes as it climbs higher and higher into the red/blue sky and it is orange and as we stand and watch the night sky get darker and the moon get even more orange, and the reflection of the moon streams along the lake towards us and Carole say’s “Look the reflection is a cross” and there on this Lake-like-Sea the most amazing mural we have ever seen. The reflection, shaped like a cross, on the water is shining and the stars in the sky are twinkling and Oh! LORD YOU never fail to make it better than the day before, YOU are an amazing GOD. We bid farewell to Carole and John and are so happy to have met them, we will see them before we leave. Our night brings another win in Uno for me, I am catching up fast, and a call to Angela who is busy with bridesmaids so Jamie and I and Terry and James talk and tell one another how much love with have for them, and the animals.
Friday 08/27/10 We awake to bright sunshine and a garbage truck collecting the rubbish and letting us know it, the odd twitter from a bird or two and we are up and ready for the day. The Lake-like-Sea is again silver blue and we take a drive to almost the Canadian border (6 miles from it) and see an encampment of a fur trading Indian village - Grand Portage (see photo). In the mid 1600’s the French/Canadian explorers began a new era for the few hundred Cree and Ojibwe Indians who lived at Grand Portage, and being the superb canoeists and hunters, these tribesman practiced their skills in the international fur trade. Tribesman taught the newcomers to build canoes from birch bark (this is the wallpaper bark that I have been talking about) and guided them along the water routes into the wilderness. The French Canadians often referred to as ‘Voyageurs’ (French for travelers) offered the Indians exotic items which became necessities in the end as they used them to decorate ceremonial clothing. Wool blankets and woven cloth replaced animal skins (good), and iron implements – kettles, axes, firearms etc became indispensible, as did distilled spirits. By the 1800’s even the most remote of these people had an indelible mark on their lives left by the Europeans. In 1763 after the French and Indian War, France ceded Canada to Great Britain. The Northwest Company was formed in 1784 and Scot McTavish (the head of the company) succeeded mainly because of the expedient waterway into the Canadian interior via ‘Grand Portage’ There was competition for the furs, Voyageurs versus the tribesman and by the early 1800’s there was intense rivalry while the partners vied for the Hudson Bay Company (British Owned) eventually profits diminished for both, and by 1821 the two merged putting an end to the sometimes violent feuds. I learned that the wigwam’s that the Indians built were also made from birch bark and the sap from the trees was what they used as a sealant, and I also learned that the word ‘wigwam’ means birch bark. We took a one mile hike ‘Mount Rose’ which took us to an overlook of the wonderful lake and the fort at the encampment at the water’s edge. Our drive back took us to another hike ‘Kadunce’ a five mile trail taking us high up along a winsome river filled with the pink and gray pebble rock and as we walk high above the trees we again stand in awe looking at the Lake-like-Sea in all her splendor. We spend another wonderful day in the sun and going where the LORD directs, and evening comes all so quickly now, but we are so very thankful for this amazing opportunity that the LORD has given. Oh! I won again at Uno.
Saturday 08/28/10 Happy anniversary to Terry and Carole who met 36 years ago today, so we celebrate by going for a cup of coffee. I chat with Debbie in the restroom this morning, a casual conversation leads to how a tragedy happened in my family abouth this time years ago and the LORD had obviously put that in my mouth as Debbie begins to tell me that the same thing (and for similar reasons) happened to her brother who was 34 at the time, also poor Debbie was very sad as he father 77yrs old went in to the hospital to have surgery and something went wrong and he passed away – I am reminded of the LORDS Word -Today is the day of Salvation, and tomorrow is promised to no man. I went over to Debbie afterward and gave her my information and Debbie said that when we were talking she felt so much better, and I assured her that it was not me talking but the HOLY SPIRIT who comes to comfort and to remind her that JESUS Loves her and has not taken HIS eyes off of her, she hugged me and I hugged her saying farewell. It is HOT 85 degrees and Terry and I drive to Silver Bay passing Beaver Bay where 175 people live and I am betting that all of the 175 are Norsemen, the majority of people in these northern parts are the northern people, they can handle the winters. We take a 6 mile hike which is called Bean and Bear Lakes trail (odd name) and we walk high up above the trees along rocky paths and all looks much dryer here at the top the hot sun is devouring the lush greenery that is still prevalent in the shaded forest. At the top we peer down at the Lake, which is a long way off, and the tops of the thousands of trees and we wonder where all the birds and animals have gone. In the hot quiet early afternoon we hear a popping sound and quickly realize there is a shooting range close by and all the hunters are practicing their skills for when the hunting season starts and they can go and kill again, oh, how I hate it and I ask JESUS to return to make ALL things perfect, where the lamb will lay down with the lion – I long for heaven. Our next hike is at ‘Shovel Point’ a beautiful green walk along the bluff along-side the silver Lake-like-Sea. We don’t get too far before a man stops us and points to an eagle on a tree, and when we see him he is quite large and perched on the branch of a tree that overlooks the lake looking very stately. So we perch ourselves down beneath him on the craggy rocks and sit and wait for him to take off and maybe Terry could get a photo to show you all. Terry can’t take a photo with the eagle in the tree cause (guess what ) he doesn’t have the right lens on him again. There was a group of teenagers below swimming and making a noise in the lake and we thought for sure the eagle would swoop down from his perch and fly away soon and this will be our moment. However, this is not the case and we sit and wait. While we are waiting a mum and two daughters come and sit by me and we point out the eagle to them so now there are 5 people waiting for the eagle to swoop down, and we wait. I talk with the girls while we wait and Maryn is 8yrs, Megan 17yrs and mum is an editor, and dad a writer, so I mention our newsletter and give the website and come to find out that his lovely family are all Christians so we rejoice and fellowship a while until they have had enough waiting on the eagle and leave. We (die-hards) are still waiting on the eagle to do something, he pecks at his belly once or twice while keeping an eye on the chipmunks that occasionally pop in and out of the trees, the teenagers leave and we are still waiting. Just as we have had enough another couple (Angie and Austin) comes up and we point out the eagle to them and tell them that we have sat for over an hour and we are leaving. We leave and walk up a way and Terry says I’ll get my other lens and maybe we can go back, we did that and on our way back to see the eagle, we see the couple that we left there and said to them “Did he take off”? and very reluctantly Austin say’s “Yes, he took off less than five minutes after you both left” “WHAT”! Angie, again reluctantly, showed us a gorgeous photo that she took of this eagle falling out of the tree and swooping over to his next roost. Angie said that she will email us her photo as we diligently waited on this eagle for an hour and a half, maybe he was there only when we were there? We then took a hike to Shovel Point (see photo) in search for more eagles – we saw none. We see Carole and John at the campsite and give our information so Carole can check out our journey with and for JESUS, another day runs away from us in a hurry and we are absolutely Blessed and thankful.
Sunday 08/29/10 A gorgeous sunny morning as we pack up the fortress and get ready for a couple of nights in a hotel which brings me to a question how many nights do you think we have stayed in a hotel versus camping in the fortress? The total days are 200 and when Terry asked me I guessed it exactly. So, if anyone is still reading this, I will give you the answer at the end of this week’s newsletter. We drive northwards to our destination in ‘International Falls’ Minnesota which is right on the border of the Canadian border south of Ontario, Canada. Oh! and we are about 30 miles from Hibbing, Minnesota, and you all may well ask “why on earth do we care” ? – Well this is where Bobby Dylan was born. As we drive we notice that the trees are very tall evergreens (Christmas trees) and my eye is on every one as I look for an eagle on every one and then I see an eagle fly over us, Terry is driving and sees it also, I say to Terry that is the eagle from yesterday, he is taunting us – still no photo. Yes, we stop at ‘Eagles Nest’ as we are now on an eagle hunt, so we take a hike to a lake where we believe eagles may nest. As we continue our walk the pine needles are giving off an aroma only they can give, it is a warm forest Christmas tree aroma, much like we have in southern California. We arrive at the lake and NO eagles are nesting here, so we hike on. The leaves on some of the trees are beginning to change some very rich red and some yellow and some just beautiful green leaves that are dancing in the breeze turning their downside up and when we see the downside – up it shows their pale green under skirt which is a white opaque and looks like shining silver bells. We arrive at the hotel in ‘International Falls’ late afternoon and check in, it is very hot and hunid and just as we settle in the hotel we hear thunder and see lightening and rejoice that we are in a hotel and will not be dealing with the elements this evening. We take a drive of the city which consists of paper mills, lumber mills a very blue collar ‘good ole boy’ kind of town, no wonder Bobby got out. We eat a good meal chat with a number of people, with nothing to report, and settle in for the night while we make contact with family in London also.
Monday 08/30/10 HOT and humid and we make use of the hotel by taking it easy and hanging around today. Although we do take a drive to the ‘visitors center’ and check out a trail or two in the area, I notice so many stuffed animals in this center, animals like gorgeous wolves and lots of birds and a massive Moose, I ask the gal on the front desk and she tells me that all of these animals have a horrible story, of course I don’t want to hear it, but I am thinking to myself we have been traveling for almost 6 months and we have been hiking in some very remote areas but we have seen very few animals, and then I am reading how the French Canadians as far back as the 1600’s, along with their (enticed) Indian partners and Brits and Scots began to kill animals for their coats and I am sick to my stomach. I chat with four people and one was born in Oakland, California and thinks we are crazy for living in L.A. they live in Idaho now. Throughout the conversation we discuss why we are traveling so long and we talk about our journey with and for JESUS with no bites, the world is of much more interest to most people but be forewarned in case we miss HIM Luke 21:34, 36. We take a short hike and the mosquito’s accompany us, no wonder, they thrive in this humidity so we make it a short day out in the elements again today, why not use the amenities at the hotel while we can. The rest of the day is spent working on the computer, working out in the gym and just lazing around. Later we get word that there are storm warnings, but a few thunder showers is all we heard. I ask for prayer for my brother in law who lives in Italy, he has been very sick and is 74yrs old Please pray for Luigi and my sister Bruna, thank you all and thank YOU LORD for loving us so much.
Tuesday 08/31/10 Wow! We have one month until we get home and it just doesn’t seem possible that the time has already gone – This too shall pass says the LORD GOD Almighty Who is and was and always will be. Our drive today is long as we head south towards Itasca State Park still in Minnesota. We are having to stay one night here and one there more now due to many miles to drive and not too much time left. The roads are quiet now and you can almost hear the school bell ring at lunch time, kids are back at school in most towns and the hubbub of spring and summer has become eerily still. The very tall pine trees on either side of the road bid farewell to us as we pass by for the last time, will we return? Only the LORD knows. Other trees like Birch, Spruce and Oak are beginning to sport their bright colors for the fall which is quickly creeping in. Indian reservations are plentiful in these northern states and the landmark of recognizing one is usually a casino or two. Very little people contact as we crawl across the country getting closer to our destination. Talk about timing we drive through ‘Bemidji’ a town that Diane had mentioned (met her and her daughter recently) and as she is e-mailing us we are passing her town, it is good to hear from her and Emery (her daughter) and receive the photo’s she sent us. We arrive at ‘Itasca State park’ which is adorned with lots of tall lush looking trees - it is one of those sunny quiet afternoons, a bird here and one there, the scent of the warm pine needles rises from the forest floor as we erect the fortress. This state park was founded as a monument to mark the beginning of the Mississippi River (see photo of tiny stream with reflection of clouds) which runs for 2552 miles south culminating at the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans, LA – The Mississippi Delta. It is late evening, cool and getting cooler as we stand at the mouth of the Mississippi and my mind wanders as I think of all the states this river flows through, peaceful and quiet sometimes, noisy and boisterous other times, small, as we see it now, sometimes and much wider and deeper at other times, it is home for the fish and a sport for the fisherman and the Kayakers, it houses the tall grasses and bull rushes where the frogs and toads make their homes and as we stand at the beginning of this Mississippi River we know it will still be here when we are long gone. After dinner we take a walk to Mary Lake a young family is fishing, a dad teaching his young sons how, we chat a while and Terry takes a photo of the Lake (see photo) and here again is the very tall, feathered grass and, equally as tall bull-rushes gently swaying in the cool breeze. The clouds are a dusty pink and they are formed perfectly sitting on the evening dusk sky, all is good as GOD had said after HE created each of HIS creations “It is good”. We have our favorite classical music on and a little tinge of sadness comes to me as our day is winding down and as we move into a new week and a new month it is the last month of our journey with and for JESUS, we again ask for HIS power, HIS words, HIS Love as we deal with each day as HE gives it. I will be giving my testimony another two times in Colorado in September so I ask for your prayers that the LORD deals with the hearts that HE wants to speak to. Back in the fortress Terry about to finish Zechariah and the O.T. and me Revelation and the N.T. BUT we are going to go back to the beginning SO does that mean that the LORD is going to be starting something new in us? We will leave that in HIS Mighty Hands. We tied at ‘Uno’.
We have traveled around 25’000 miles in this anointed chariot that is 12.5 years old – it is GOD powered!