Up the Sunbeam

-- I'm not sure who originated the idea (anybody know and want to tell me the story?), but many of us who blog have adopted the practice of asking God for a word and a picture to go with it as a theme of focus for the new year.  This is my second time joining in--last year my word was ABIDE and I focused on abiding in my Father's love, looking to Him in eager expectation while I learned to settle down and rest in adoring relationship with Him. Abiding will be a lifelong focus, so I am not dropping last year's theme for a new one, but this is a year of newness for me and that being the case, 2012 needs it's own word.  The word I believe God has been repeatedly bringing to my heart the last couple of weeks as I prayed about my One Word is:   CHALLENGE. At 48, I am not at an age that is typically characterized by new beginnings or launching points, however, 48 or not, I am beginning something new.  I am picking up the reins of a dream I let go of when I ...

-- Somehow he looked at me and still thought I could do it. Perhaps he was an angel and I was unaware. My little brother Chad and I had just entered the lodge at Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park. Since we were both visiting for the first time, we wanted a little guidance to help us decide which trail to choose for our day trip. We asked the quiet, but friendly young man who had been our driver on the 9-mile, 1-hour, 4-wheel-drive climb from the floor of the Ashnola River Valley up some 5400 feet to the lodge which sits at about 6800 feet above sea level. He told us about the popular but difficult Rim Trail, which I knew would be too hard for me right now (I have a bunch of weight to lose and a lingering problem with one foot that has kept me from doing much walking/hiking for the last few months), so we asked him for a less strenuous recommendation. He told us we could take the Glacier Lake Trail part of the way up to the Rim Trail and still get some beautiful views and that it would...