On the Mountainside

Bachelor buttons blooming along a peaceful mountainside road.

I reach out to touch one as my husband brings our car to a stop.

Sad memories of yesterday still collide in my heart and mind;

they colour today a shade of grey.

But there, on this rural road, above the valley floor

I find a bit of blue in this small, fragile flower's petals and for a moment

I smile.

Blessings this Saturday morn.

Aimee

Today

I was going to post this morning about another lavender farm;

about the beauty of the world around us;

about a day filled with peace and many blessings.

I can't.

Last night, I stayed with my father and awoke in the early morning to reports

of the horrible tragedy in Aurora, Colorado.

I cannot make sense of this;

I didn't understand Columbine, Virginia Tech, Norway or any of the other mass shootings.

I've never been able to understand the mentality of someone who could take life like this--

so callously, so coldly and in such a calculated manner;

I cannot make sense of someone who would knowingly choose to hurt so many families,

including his own.

God did not create us to be like this;

He created us to love one another--as He loved us.
He condemns acts such as this one.

On this very sad day I send prayers and thoughts

 to those who have lost loved ones,

to those who are wounded and in hospitals-

some fighting for their lives at this very moment,

 to medical staff using every skill they have to save the wounded and heal broken bodies,

to firemen and the police who are dealing with the aftermath

(and those still in danger)

and to the family of this young man.

Lord, be with us on this very sad, very horrible day.

God, bring healing to our land
and the ones that follow it.

God bless,

Aimee

The WORD on Wednesday: God's Unfailing Love

Sometimes I feel like God has deserted me...

that I am alone;

that He longer loves me.

Sometimes

 I even feel as if the words spoken on the cross by Jesus Christ could be my own...

"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

(Matthew 27:46b KJV)

Others have felt this way before me;

even King David, a man after God's own heart

 (see Acts 13:22 KJV).

In Psalm 42:9, He writes

"I will say unto God my rock,

Why hast Thou forgotten me?

why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

~

You see
 (and I am reminding myself here)

these feelings that God has deserted you,

that He doesn't love you,

that He doesn't care for you or your needs...

are just that--feelings;

NOT reality.

~

The truth; the reality can be found here

in these verses also written by King David,

under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

  Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the ocean depths.

 You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.

How precious is Your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings...

Psalm 36:5-7 NLT

~

So the truth is

you and I are not alone,

God has not deserted us.

And despite the circumstances that you and I are facing

God loves us

and

He wants you
and I to know that.

~

O God,

Pour out Your unfailing love on those who love You...

Aimee

 ~

Photos:

Central Oregon coast range wildflowers

Gleneden Beach

A view on a rural road in Lincoln County, Oregon

Notes:

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Last scripture verse Psalm 36:10a KJV

Lavender Festival: Music + Good Conversation in the Hills

I've loved this area of the Pacific NW for years and thought I pretty well knew it,

but there was a road I'd never been on...this past weekend we turned on that road.

 After a few miles of driving past pretty wild sweet peas,

gorgeous vistas,

beautiful evergreen and deciduous trees,

country homes and more,

we arrived at our destination--

Woodland Lavender,

a farm located high on a hill above the valley floor.

 There we found fragrant bouquets of lavender hanging in the shade,

bees happily going about their work of making honey, some nice lavender products,

and a very talented musician, Therese Michaud playing wonderful melodies on her keyboard.

Soon we met the owner who offered to show us,

in response to our question, the proper way to prune lavender...

we followed her to the field where

she used a small, sharp scythe with which she quickly and skillfully accomplished the task,

leaving a perfectly shaped mound and a basket full of lavender.

We had a really good time talking with her and a friend of hers!

~

After a bit, I headed off to see the old farmhouse there--

where I imagined a pioneer family, just like my ancestors, sitting on the front porch of the house

or working in the fields nearby.

In many ways I would have liked living back then...

would you? 

I spent quite a lot of time walking around this old (1898) home--

admiring the awesome view

and wishing the lighting wasn't quite so harsh on this sunny, very bright day.

 But what can one do when you can't control the weather...

while you take your photos,

you breathe in the calming fragrance of the lavender,

you talk with the many interesting people who share your love of this plant

and you say a quiet thank you for the ability to enjoy this blessing

(and we did all that and more)!

Blessings,

Aimee

Note:

A BIG thank you to the very kind owner of Woodland Lavender for permission to take and post photos of her beautiful farm during this year's Lavender Festival!

If you would like more information  please see this link: http://www.woodlandlavender.com/index.html

For fellow lavender lovers you can find information on the annual festival here:

http://www.oregonlavenderfestival.org/

(the festival is held in mid July but some farms have additional hours or are open by appointment)

And here, on this site:

http://www.myspace.com/theresemichaud/music

you can listen to some of the beautiful music we heard at Woodland Lavender this past Saturday

(a favorite of mine is her composition 'Cottage')

As is always the case unless I state otherwise,

I am not associated with this farm, the festival or musician:)

And now,

I bid you a good night as I am

off to bed...

Lavender Weekend

Good Monday afternoon!

I hope today finds you well and surrounded by love.

This last weekend was quite a busy but enjoyable one for me as we toured 6 of the farms/venues of the Lavender Festival! It was a wonderful weekend and I will tell (and show) you about it as soon as I can, but first we have our own lavender harvest to take care of--all 9 plants or so:)

Have a great day and share a smile with those you meet!

You never know what a difference such a simple gesture will make.

Blessings,

Aimee

Photo:

A field of lavender at the beautiful Lavender Valley farm in Hood River, Oregon (taken 2009).