The Sound of Music Trail 2015......There have been a lot of critter sightings around Marble recently. My friend has spotted three different moose. Jon saw a small bear cub which means Mama was close by. There have been lots of garbage can attacks from bears and of course there are always the usual mule deer, foxes, elk, etc.

So Jon, Starbuck and I took our annual Sound of Music Trail yesterday. We were going along when I acknowledged bear scat (poop for those not familiar with scat). It was relatively fresh but as we say not steaming which is always a relief if you know what I mean. We continued along and spotted moose scat which appeared quite old, a good sign seeing as how moose do not like dogs provoking them and can be quite mean to dog and owner. As we continued just a little further we heard a rather loud snort! All of us stopped dead in our tracks! I asked Jon if he heard the snort as well, since Starbuck and I were ahead of him. He assured us he did and he was scanning below us to see if he could see the critter making the noise. Then there was the second snort! Seeing as how I was warned by a thrashing, running, snorting black bear a couple of summers ago, I was a little concerned. So I stood a little taller and calmly spoke in the general direction of the snort and said, "We are humans and we mean you know harm. We will not bother you, please do not bother us." Thankfully, Starbuck was oblivious to all of this and did not provoke Snorter!

We continued to a spot in which we took a break and I asked Jon what did he think our snorter was: bear, moose, or elk? He said he did not know and that the snort was more or less a warning that the animal was there and for us not to invade its territory. No problem there. I asked him what would our game plan be if Snorter got irritated. He reviewed the "proper" responses: elk, hide behind a couple of trees to avoid being charged; bear, stand tall and do not run and make lots of noise; moose, get behind a clump of trees that you can circle around because moose are fast and not very nice with their hooves and of course, praying could help. Well, that was certainly comforting.....I voted bear since the bear scat was relatively fresh and it seemed as if our chance of surviving a bear over an angry moose might be 1/1000th of a chance better. Thankfully, Snorter stayed in his or her place and we made a wonderful hike and safe return home.

Life is often like a hike. You go along about your business enjoying the day when God allows a Snorter into your adventure. It is comforting to know with whom your faith lies. For if your faith is in God, no matter what confronts you, we know that the Heavenly view at the end of life's trail is breathtaking and worth the journey!!!!

Back in Marble........this morning I sat in the sanctuary of our church praying for the service that started later. I also took time to contemplate the recent loss of my father. I spoke quietly about that loss in the sacredness of the moment and in the sacredness of the place: I am less. And that is true. I am more. And that too is true. I am complete in Jesus. And that is absolutely true!

Tribute to Mother........ My Mother had the challenging task of being a caregiver. She has taken care of my Daddy who just passed away. She watched the deterioration that accompanies Alzheimer's on a daily basis. She and Daddy became inseparable as he became more and more dependent on her to hold on to his memory and his ability to do day to day activities. He would ask her if he looked good as he put on the clothes that she picked out for him the night before. He took joy from being dressed in the "pretty" things that she provided for him. He would wake up and ask, "what are we going to do today?" As long as he was able, he would help her drive verbally telling her where he saw a park or if the way was clear. But he could not remember how to get to wherever they were going.
He held his own for about three years. Then suddenly, he declined into that other world of Alzheimer's. He kept her up night and day. She tried to be as patient as possible with him. She stood her ground that she would not put him in a nursing home if there was a way around it. She was loyal to those vows, "in sickness and in health". Then he declined so rapidly that he was hospitalized. She stayed day and night by his side except when someone else could give her a break.
I arrived on a Saturday evening. In a moment of rare clarity, he recognized me. I stayed overnight with Daddy to give Mother a break. When she told him goodnight, he made a kissing motion with his lips and reached for her. She leaned down to hug him and kiss him and told him over and over that she loved him. By Monday night, he breathed his last breath upon this earth. She had stood by him. Even though her health was compromised, she was there for Daddy. She was truly in every possible meaning of the word a caregiver! She was a trooper! She showed us all true love!
So Happy Mother's Day does not seem enough! Mother, I am proud of you and I love you! So even though it seems inadequate, I wish you a very Blessed and Happy Mother's Day!

Tonight we sat with my Daddy as he breathed his last breath. Sitting with someone you love as they die is a sacred thing. It is a sad thing and a glad thing. Daddy suffered from Alzheimer's and it was a glad thing that he went to his heavenly home but a sad thing to say farewell to your father.
Alzheimer's is a terrible disease. But not long before he died, he told me on the phone that I was his daughter and that he loved me and that I would always be in his heart. I held that close to my heart realizing that he was sharing some insight and wisdom about the disease itself. Maybe God holds those lost things in the heart of the sufferer to be a part of the Eternal.
I am grateful that he did not have to go to an Alzheimer's care facility and that in my heart, God showed mercy by taking him Home. But it is a thing of sorrow to lose a parent no matter how old you are. So farewell for now, Daddy, because I know that one day we will be together again. And in our heavenly home nothing will be lost, but through the grace of God everything will be gained.

They are here!.......one thing about living in Marble, a remote mountain place, that I have not shared is the importance of the arrival of the hummingbirds. They arrive sometime in April. This is a huge event for us because we consider it the heralding of Spring. We often hear the humming of their wings before we can see them. We get two varieties up here, the Broad Tailed and the Rufus. Everyone puts out feeders and they literally take over Marble in the summer. They will swarm right over your head and by your face to get to their food source. If you hold a feeder really still, they will eat out of your hand. They fight each other to protect their perceived feeder and will sit guard over it. We absolutely adore our hummingbirds in Marble!!

Today as my friend and I were wandering about, we discussed how they should be arriving at anytime! Low and behold, at the end of the walk, we heard the unmistakeable sound of the humming of wings! We stopped, we listened, we high-fived each other and let out a wooooohooooo! The official heralding of Spring had arrived!

My family is going through a difficult time right now with my daddy's battle with Alzheimer's. It is painful to see someone slip into that unknown territory of the brain as it deteriorates. There are really no words to describe it. But hearing that hummingbird today reminded me that the wonders of God are all around us even in our troubled times. We just have to be open to hear, open to see, open to the simple joy of one single moment that reminds us that Jesus promised to never forsake us.........Yes, Marble, they are here!

Good Friday......last night was our Good Friday service here in our beautiful Marble Community Church. There is a woman of God in our community who is suffering with some serious health issues. On a day in which we remember the passion of Christ, she epitomized the way of the cross. God has given her the voice of an angel and she was fortunate enough to be well-trained with her voice as well. Our small choir sang "Lamb of God" by Twila Paris. It was an arrangement that included phrases from "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord." My friend, my God sister sang the verses as a solo.
She was in much pain during the service but when she sang, the church was filled with her voice which could have only originated from Heaven. Her pain was Christ's pain in that from the cross, He knew that this day would come for her. His grace filled her being, allowing her to sing through her pain. And as a result Heaven came down and met us as a congregation at the foot of the cross. As a result there was not a person without tears in the entire church!
There are moments in our lives when we are aware that eternity coexists with our humanity, where the suffering of the cross coexist with grace. Last night was one of those moments for me and I cannot help but be forever humbly grateful that my Lord, Jesus Christ allowed me to share that awareness with my beloved friend and God sister as well as our beloved congregation!

Celebration of a life......I was so very proud of our small historical church here in the midst of the mountains surrounding Marble, CO. We celebrated the life of a long time community member today. She went to her Heavenly home a couple of weeks ago. Our church is small but it was packed with people remembering a wife, a mother, a sister, and a friend. 
A church celebrates the cycles of life. It dedicates babies, marries couples, and commemorates lives that have moved into eternity. So it was today that we as a congregation hosted a family as they remembered their loved one. We cleaned, we set up the fellowship hall, we worked with the family, the florist, and talked with friends of the family. Our little congregation prepared the snacks for after the memorial service. The table was full of food for the large crowd that came for the celebration. I was so proud of our folks. They came through and many worked very hard. The thing that truly blessed me was that everyone lingered and visited for a long time. It was a sign that told me they felt welcome. One guest told me that, "this little church just feels holy."
So yes, as a pastor's wife of a small church nestled between two wilderness areas, I felt a little pride in our folks and a lot of praise for God allowing me to share in the "heartbeats" of a community.