Salty Zebra

  "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'" Luke 14:28-30  In Western Washington, if you drive out to the coast, you’ll pass through some beautiful country. About halfway between I-5 and the ocean, you come across the little town of Elma. There are forests and hills, rivers and even giant metal sculptures to keep you entertained. You might drive right past without noticing them during the day, but if you make the drive at night, you’ll notice flashing lights on top of two giant towers up on the hill. These towers, WNP3 and WNP5 collectively known as the Satsop Power Plant, are the stark reminders of one of the biggest failures in our region, really our country. Let me tell you the story.   Back in th...

Image created with Gemini But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.“ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 1 Corinthians 12:9  Have you ever given God a wish list of how you think He should use you in this world? Almost like a resume, have you said that you are really good at certain things and would really shine if He gave you an opportunity in a certain area? I know I have.   In my young adulthood I wanted to be a missionary. Many people in my family have done this for generations and I’ve dreamed about it since I was a child. I’ve read missionary biographies, sat on the edge of my seat during missions presentations at church, sought out opportunities to visit with missionaries, everything I could think of. I prayed, oh how I prayed! I went on a couple of short-term mission trips which taught me so much and blessed me abundantly, but the door never opened ...

  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11  Have you ever been sure that God is doing a thing, but you can’t quite see it yet? Does everything just look like an impossible mess around you, but you’re absolutely certain that God’s going to work it out somehow? Take heart, He absolutely will! Today’s verse promises us that God will put everything together just right in His perfect timing. If things aren’t right yet, God’s not finished yet.   You know who had to live this out in a very challenging way? David. He had a wild youth serving as his family’s designated shepherd, watching over the flocks and keeping them safe, but this was not seen as an important or valuable job in his day. In fact, as the eighth and youngest son in the family, he wasn’t even invited to dinner when Samuel the prophet came for a visit. The family didn’t know th...

Image created in collaboration with ChatGpt depicting the upper room being prepared for Jesus to observe the Passover   For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10  I so enjoyed looking into the language and background of our verse for today! I was most drawn to the phrase at the end where it talks about how God has prepared good works in advance for us to do. There are a lot of tools out there that can help you break down the original language of the Bible and see how different passages relate to each other. I’m particularly fond of the site, Blue Letter Bible , where you can click “Tools” on the left side of a verse and access at your fingertips a wealth of information. Through this tool today, and a few others, I was led on a journey through the New and the Old Testaments.  To start with, the phrase “prepared in advance” comes from the Greek word proetoimazō  which means, “t...

   Sometimes life isn't ideal. Let's face it, most of the time it isn't! So, we do what we need to, to make things work. In my "Making It Work" posts, I share life hacks and ideas that have helped me so that, maybe, they can help someone else too. I hope you enjoy! This is how I used to do laundry: several loads washed and then piled up on a couch  or bed followed by one massive folding session Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3  Less is more. We hear it all the time, but do we believe it? I often don’t, or at least I don’t live in such a way that shows that I do. I think it’s kind of like my purses. It really doesn’t matter what size purse I carry; I will fill it. If it is a tiny clutch, I will fill it. If it is a mega satchel, I will fill it. So, I have to be careful what size purse I use or I’ll throw my shoulder out! Turns out I have a tendency to do this with my life as well. Whether I have a little ability o...

  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  Ecclesiastes 3:1  Our incredible, all-knowing, imaginative God created rhythms and seasons in the world. Trees require the fall to let go and the winter to rest so that in the spring they can have new growth for summer’s bounty. The moon circles the earth every month, it’s gravity pulling on us in different ways and causing changes in the ocean’s tides – but what many don’t know is that the gravitational pull of the moon actually stabilizes the earth’s rotation, keeping our seasons on track and our axis tilted properly. Even day and night are rhythms that our bodies require to live and function well – throw it off with something like jet lag and you’ll get a crash course on it’s importance. Nothing in this life lasts forever, except for our perfect and eternal God.  This week I enter a new season. Twenty-seven years ago we moved into this house and I was pregnant with our firs...