Roses and Spiritual Roots

We've greatly enjoyed the opportunity to relax the past few days, play tourist, and just resettle into the High Sierra Mountain reality. We've read, played cribbage (Karen leads two games to my one), taken (and continue to take) the time to talk about important things between us, and hiked a bit on nearby trails.

 Cribbage!

 I'm holding six points (toward the count) hoping to peg a point or two in the play.

 One of the several public hiking trails around Empire Mine State Park.

On Saturday we made the two hour drive up to Lake Tahoe to be part of the lakeside baptismal service and evening fellowship meal with our brothers and sisters from Calvary Bible Church who are enjoying a week of family camp at Sugar Pine Ridge State Park.

 A portion of Lake Tahoe.

This was Karen's and my first trip to Tahoe and it truly is as beautiful as the pictures. It was such a joy to witness the public profession of faith in Christ by the one man and four young ladies in anticipation of Christ's ultimate testimony before God in Heaven acknowledging each of these individuals as His own.

Sunday we worshiped at Calvary for the first time in 4 1/2 years. It was a sweet time of greeting, hugs, handshakes, smiles, and tears as our brothers and sisters welcomed us home after such a long time away. We look forward to continuing this reunion for five more weeks.

Calvary Bible Church, Grass Valley, CA

Today we started the focused effort to set appointments, confirm details, and arrange opportunities to share our ministry with MMS Aviation with anyone and everyone having ears to hear. We're currently booked every night this week, are already scheduling into next week and beyond, and are arranging daytime appointments as well. This coming Sunday we'll speak to combined Sunday School classes and look forward to seeing familiar faces, learning to recognize the new faces, and answering all the questions generated by God's work in our lives over the past few years.

At our borrowed "home" here, we continue to be blessed by the contemplative setting and quiet, semi-secluded location. Here are four snapshots of some of the roses we're privileged to enjoy (see, touch, and smell) within our gracious host's back yard garden.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that make this critically needed time of reunion and refreshment a reality for us. It is wonderful to be back in the mountains and back to my spiritual roots.