Snow Day!  It has been cold this week in Texas.   Granted, I know some of you are much colder and have a lot more snow-but I will take what I can get.   
It is such a rare opportunity here to photograph birds in the snow so I had fun behind my camera.  I posted several of my shots on Facebook on the Tuning My Heart page.  (I do not know if the link will work for you, if not click on the facebook link on the right side of this webpage.)

My look at Psalm 119 continues:
Psalm 119:129-136
Psalm 119:137-144
Psalm 119:145-152

Freebie Thursday-It's all about Redwork this week on the Quilt Blog
Happy New Year:Part 3-the conclusion to my photo journey of our anniversary trip.

Preach the Word: Because It Makes the Ministry Dependent on God-I have been enjoying John MacArthur's series Preach the Word.  What he has to say is not just relevant to pastors, but for all of us.  This particular one struck me as I continue to consider the ministry of my life as a blogger.  "By contrast, a ministry that centers on the preaching of God’s Word is a ministry that is, by definition, wholly dependent on God. Rather than relying on gimmicks or ploys, it relies on God Himself for both its content and direction."

Judges Judging US-This is a great look at the book of Judges I saw it in a new light after reading this post by Jesse Johnson.  "Plainly and practically: the church is not defeated (or threatened) if a court case about marriage goes this way or that way. The church does not lose if there are, say…gay marriages at the Grammy’s, or if abortion is funded by tax dollars. Those things are sinful, obviously, and are signs of God’s judgment on our country. But the danger for the church is always compromise being allowed on the inside. We are not responsible for what happens in the world, but we are responsible for what happens in our heart and in our flocks. That is where defeat and danger are seen. We should lament the culture’s run into sin, but also understand that the real battlefield is not the culture war, but the war for the purity of our hearts, our homes, and our churches–culminating in evangelism. "

Dear Donald Miller-There is an interesting conversation going on in the blogosphere about whether Christians should attend church or not.  Many young people are looking for a way out of the inauthenticity they see in their local church.  The results have been very interesting and worthy of consideration by all of us.

Blessings!
Deb

They say all good things must come to an end.  It seems our travels always come to a close before we are ready.  It has been fun to relive our adventure through these posts.

The freezing fog presented an opportunity for photos on a drive towards Diamond Lake.

We met up with some family in the area for lunch at Diamond Lake.  I wish I had an audio recording of the "moaning" and gurgling the lake was doing under the ice.  

The mountain in this photo is Thielsen.  Our oldest son has stood on the top of that peak....I am glad I was back at camp at the time and did not witness his ascent.

After lunch we headed back to Crater Lake for some pretty sunset shots.  It was cold!  OUr intent was too stay and watch the stars on this clear winter night.  Which we did, but not for long.   Even with all of our layers Ken and I packed it in pretty quick to get back to a nice warm cabin and the promise of a warming drink that was waiting for us.

Before we left Oregon, there was one little item we needed to take care of....I had won a free breakfast at Beckies Restaurant through a facebook contest.  Beckies is our favorite summer time haunt for burgers and pie.  Then we hit the road and made our way through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and finally stopping in Colorado to visit our son and his sweet girl.  (Who now works in a candy shop by the way.) Our Google map journey.

I hope you have enjoyed this little photo journey.  I am ready to hit the road again with my beloved man!

Deb