Sunday Reflections

In Paul’s letter to the believers at Ephesus penned through the inspiration

of God while in prison, he begins by reminding them of the precious gift of

salvation they’ve received through Jesus Christ. It’s not a gift to be taken

lightly, as he instructs them to live in such a way that they

should be to the praise of His glory.

Paul’s epistle gives specific examples of what to do and what not to do

in order to live an exemplary life as a follower of Christ – and he continues

to reiterate what they’ve been given.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is

the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Because they know the Lord, Paul implores them to

walk worthy

of Him. They were to

put off the old man

and

put on the new man.

Their lives were to be different in every area – in speech, behavior, actions,

emotions, and motives. Doesn’t Ephesians 5:8 sum it all up?

Walk as children of light.

What would happen if believers always walked as children of light?

What would happen if I always walked as a child of light?

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

In reality, this sunset was more peach & gray than pink, but pink seemed more fitting for Valentine's Day/love week. Psalm 40:16 is one of the first verses I ever memorized shortly after accepting Christ. The Lord used it to speak to my heart one evening almost 37 years ago as I was reading through Psalms. I prayed then, as I do now, that I wouldn't stop seeking the Lord or rejoicing in Him, that I would joy in my salvation, and would continue to praise the Lord. We're praising the Lord especially this week, as it looks like He's answering a prayer that we've had for more than a year. It's so wonderful to see God work! 

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Awwww!

I am so blessed! Mr. Cut Off is such a gem of a husband that when the weather forecast called for a beautiful blue-sky, cloudless, warmer-than-lately day on Valentine's Day and hubby "asked" if he could go snowmobiling with his buddy that day, I said, "Sure." We had dinner plans for the evening, so I had no problem with him having a play date with Marty during the sunshine hours. 

They went off exploring on the east side of the Keweenaw peninsula this time. Here's the view of Lake Superior from near the small village of Gay.

Ice along the shoreline.

Although it's difficult to tell from this photo, it's a long way down to the water/ice from where Mr. Cut Off was standing.

The boys thoroughly enjoyed their day, and Mr. Cut Off arrived home in plenty of time to get cleaned up for dinner out. He had made reservations at our favorite local eatery - not a fancy place - but great food! We still dressed up a bit to make the occasion a little more special. I'm not a gal that requires a lot of over-the-top grand gestures on holidays to make me happy. In fact, I'm the get-me-flowers-on-some-random-day instead of Valentine's Day type. (Actually, I never need flowers at all.) Well, unbeknownst to me - Mr. Cut Off had dropped off a box of candy and a balloon earlier - with the instructions for our favorite server to have it waiting for me at our table. Of course, she went the extra mile (as usual) and also had red hearts strewn on the tablecloth for us. (One of the many reasons she always gets a good tip!) 

We both ordered a steak, and it was cooked exactly as ordered. Super, super delicious! We enjoyed every part of our meal. Mr. Cut Off's original plan was to exchange cards at the restaurant, so I had them tucked into my purse. As the evening progressed, we somehow forgot about the cards until we were getting ready to leave, so we decided to open them at home instead.

Now, here's where you're going to say, "Awww!" When we opened our cards later, we discovered that we had purchased the exact same card for each other! Exact. Same. Card. Everybody now - Awwww! 

It's not like we had a limited last-minute selection either. We purchased these cards about 10 days earlier when there were lots from which to choose. We had to laugh - especially since we were just telling someone on Tuesday how in sync we are as a couple. If that doesn't prove we're in sync, I don't know what does!

I am truly blessed to have this wonderful man to call my husband, and I appreciate him more and more every day. I give thanks to the Lord daily for bringing us together.

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Valentine's Day!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

Although I've often been able to capture the color pink in a sunset, I purposely manipulated the color of the blue sky in this photo in honor of our upcoming Valentine's Day. 

I like this verse from I Corinthians. We feel very blessed to live in the Keweenaw - a place we LOVE so much - and we thoroughly enjoy the beauty that surrounds us here every day. However, it's wonderful to know that something even better awaits us on the other side, and the beauty and glorious sounds in heaven are far above anything we can imagine!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

I couldn't help myself - one last deer photobomb. Can you spot her? In the lower right hand corner? It may help to click on the photo to make it larger.

Our deer have been gone for several weeks now. The snow gets very deep here along the spine of the Keweenaw, so they migrate to areas along the Lake Superior shoreline to spend the rest of the winter where the snow isn't as deep. We refer to it as "yarding up." Those deer yards provide them with shelter, more protection from predators and food. Local clubs even participate in supplemental feeding programs to help these animals make it through our harsh winters. As soon as the snow melts enough in the spring, the girls will be back. Right now, we're missing our daily visits with these beautiful creatures.

I love this verse, as it reminds me that the Lord knows me - everything about me. He knows my name, the number of hairs on my head, and He also knows my heart. This verse then goes on to instruct me to depart from iniquity. Although I'll never be able to live a sinless life, it is surely my responsibility to strive to sin less and less as I live my days here on earth. Yarding up with fellow believers can certainly help me with that!

All is well in the Keweenaw.