TACOMA ON MY HEART

MT. RAINIER AND PUGET SOUND, POINT DEFIANCE, TACOMA

Since my arrival from the northern Oregon "sisters" location, I have been hanging out at Point Defiance.  Driving through it, walking on the beach, taking a "million" photos of Mt. Rainier ... much more extremely clear now, but I can't download them until I'm home with a computer, so you're stuck with one from a couple years ago.  Anyhow, watching the waves, the islands, the mountains [both Olympic and Cascade ranges seen from the Tacoma area], the boats, the birds, and millions of flowers and trees. I'm overwhelmed with joy.

God has used me to meet and teach and touch a number of people.  I had no idea when or how it would come to pass.  It has been amazing. For instance, I met a lady at my favorite restaurant, Harbor Lights, yesterday.  As I was leaving from the small outside eating area, Terri and I said, basically, "Bless your day."  Well, I asked where she was from and she said Indianapolis.  I said I was from Omaha.  We talked about much, and when she said her son is a leader of a Teen Challenge, I began rejoicing. Shortly after I was saved, in 1967 the book by David Wilkerson, "The Cross and Switchblade", was dropped into my life and filled me with extreme desire to serve and fight for the Lord.  We talked for quite a while, and are going to be spiritual "forever friends".  I never could have imagined that was the reason the Lord had me stop there for dinner, when, as much as I like it, it ain't cheap.  It was more important to meet Terri than to be concerned about a few bucks.

That's one example.  There are others.  Can hardly wait to share those when I reach home in a couple weeks.

I miss reading so many of your posts... but rarely have time to do more than toss something on for you. When I get home, I'll spend a number of days of posting my things and reading yours.

God truly is using me... and I truly am tired and struggling physically and mentally.  Can I trust ME??? NO!!!  Can I trust HIM??? ABSOLUTELY!!!  HE is "IT"!

[Oh, and a long-time friend of mine with me today ... met when in 4th grade ...and, when sitting in her living room, she said very strongly that she thinks abortion and suicide -- as you are old and are ill -- is perfectly OK.  I can't change her mind and her heart, but, while driving her around and about, I told her more and more re: the Word and some of the Reality I know.  Hope Dorothy will eventually turn to the Lord thoroughly instead of just casually.  I truly hope so.  She and her mother always saw me as a poverty, poor, emotionally-ill kid ... they were, in their way of thinking, much better off than me.  Dorothy has a lot more respect for me now, but she also still somehow thinks I'm "less than".  I want the Lord to break through before she dies.  She's dealing with cancer and other issues now--she's been smoking since her teens and will be 68 this Fall.  Believe me, her house is filled with the nicotine stains on the walls and the odor is pretty overwhelming..  So I'm  tossing her on your hearts.  Can trust you more than I can trust me.]