good medicine...

I have had two really awesome days in a row. They were both Sabbath-ish for me even though I had to work some. (Huh... Isn't that cool that even though I had to work, it was still like a Sabbath for me?) I found renewal both last night and today. Last night I went to Veronica's with my friend Lisa. We sat on the sun porch and I sipped my decaf, skinny, caramel iced mochas and she her soda, listened to some awesome live jazz (every Friday night 3 guys play some great jazz), and had some good conversation. The highlight was when they did the Pink Panther song. We closed the place down and then went to one of the areas where there's bluffs and sat watching the sunset and had more good conversation. I mentioned how when I look at things in nature (a sunset, the ocean, mountains, a sunset over the ocean AND the mountains, moose, an eagle soaring, etc...) I often think of it as actually seeing God. Each one of those things reveals something about God's incredible character. The sunset at almost 11pm last night, although it doesn't really get dark here this time of year. It makes for very long, beautiful, full days. I love it!

Today, Lisa, myself, and our two friends (the Cheryls) went down to Homer. Being a holiday weekend and the kickoff for summer and the tourist season, it was very busy. But I still loved it. We drove out to the end of the spit and ate at Boardwalk Fish & Chips where I had the best clam chowder of my life and the best fried clam strips ever. We watched the tourists and talked to some of them. We petted the German Shepherd named Taslina and talked to her owners. We watched the eagles. We dipped our toes in the frigid water. We talked and laughed together. I mentioned, for probably the 26th time, how much I love Homer and Lisa said, "Yeah, it's like one giant coffeehouse. And not the corporate Starbucks kind either, but the real kind, the honest kind." It was great. And we headed to Homer High School where you can sit in the cafeteria (or on the deck off the cafeteria) and look out and see where ocean meets mountain and they both reveal more about God. Anyway, we went there for a concert. Broken Walls was playing there. It's Native Christian rock and soooo cool. Jonathan Maracle (pronounced miracle), a Mohawk Indian, heads the group of 3 guys total. They are a cultural music group who invite us to be reconciled to one another and to God, to rise up and worship our God. I had heard their cds and loved them but they were so much better in person. And his heart for God is amazing. He prayed over us at the end that we would be the warriors we were meant to be and that God would send down his power and authority on us and it was tangible. The Holy Spirit was I mean. It was unbelievable. We sang together, songs like "Jesus is Good Medicine," "Rise Up, Mighty Warrior," "River of Life," and "The Spirit of the Wind." At the close of the concert, Jonathan commented that he had wanted the place to be full. And in my head I thought, Oh but it is full. This place if full of the Holy Spirit. And it was.

On the way back to Soldotna, we watched the sun set over the mountains again, down behind the ocean and counted moose and eagles. We only saw about 7 moose but probably a couple dozen eagles. And I was reminded of this verse: but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31, NIV)

And tomorrow... Lisa and I are heading to Anchorage until Monday to surprise our friends Tom and Doug that came down last weekend. And I am sure I will find even more renewal with them. God is so good...