Category: Susan

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Beacon Heights – Morning Prayer

For the last umpteen years I’ve attended Church where personal confession comes early in the service. Then later the ‘Our Father’ is recited.

That gets it just right.

We all fall short of our own expectations, much less God’s. But always remember, our God is a Loving Father who desires mature, flourishing human beings.

C.S. Lewis once quoted a favorite writer, George MacDonald, who wrote this about our Heavenly Father:

Easy to Please and Hard to Satisfy

That no keeping but a perfect one will satisfy God, I hold with all my heart and strength; but that there is none else He cares for, is one of the lies of the enemy. What father is not pleased with the first tottering attempt of his little one to walk? What father would be satisfied with anything but the manly step of the full-grown son?

That gets it just right!

30 Day Morning Prayer Challenge.

Would you join me in a 30 day morning prayer?

Find a quiet place each morning. A candle helps. I have such a place. I’m fortunate to have the sun rise directly behind my house and beyond two sliding glass doors. It’s your typical Mountain View home, which conveniently forms a Cross.

Here is a picture.

(The electrician was not particular about light-switch placement! But most importantly, the cross is centered & central.)

Morning Prayer

I have there a few ‘heirlooms’. Two sock puppets “Chemo-Socky” & “Chemo-Snoopy” that Susan took to every treatment session. A few items from her Funeral Mass, most notably, a Crucifix. Also her rosary.

I call it my “Susie-Shrine”.

You may not have a place quite like this. But you have a place. Go there for the next 30 days, each morning, before the house begins to bustle. And run the video below: Beacon Heights – Morning Prayer – Sunrise Service.

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First kneel.

As the music plays and the sun rises slowly in the distance, thank God for light, & warmth & created beauty. About 30 seconds into the video we’ll confess by reciting ‘The Jesus Prayer.’ It’s a short prayer our family members from The Orthodox Church often use.

Meditate.

After another 30 seconds we begin the ‘Our Father.’

Recite with me.

Again, give thanks. And, perhaps, make quick intercessory prayer for a few of those you love. Of course, feel free to pray for other things as well.

Then start your day.

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Beacon Heights – Morning Prayer – Sunrise Service

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It takes 60-90 days to form a ‘second-nature habit.’ Maybe, by God’s grace, even sooner.

God’s blessings as we pray together.

(Please let me know your progress. email: blog@blueridgemountain.life)

Companion Post

Beacon Heights: Blue Ridge Parkway Hike (MP 305)

Check out the other Beacon Heights videos.

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Inner Freedom Through Christian Prayer

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Yosemite Day 1 – Repost

Original post March 3, 2022

Where is Smokey the Bear when you need him? I guess since they legalized some things in California the contact high has him a little off his surveillance game.

I posted about the beginning of our California trip previously. Last September we were “Just Walkin Around” at the Golden Gate Bridge.

And here is our first day at Yosemite. We did a smokey tour of the iconic valley. You can barely make out Half Dome at the end of this video. Drought conditions led to fires throughout the area.

But it was still great. More to come from day two of our trip. And a lot less smoke.

Also, I’ve mixed in a few photos of a 2015 trip I took there with Susan. It was her first time at Yosemite. And she loved it.

Yosemite, May 2015 & Sept 2021

At one point in the video you will see some hang gliders. They said it takes about 10 ‘weather assisted’ minutes to make it down to the valley floor. Nice.

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Celebrate God’s Beauty

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Doughton Park – Our Spot

Waiting To See & Know
(originally posted March 20, 2019)

Our Spot

We call it “our spot.” On a clear day, to Susan’s far right (off camera), you can just make out Grandfather Mountain where the ole guy still sleeps. And to her far left (also off camera) rising from the ashes of Big Tobacco the Winston-Salem skyline.

From Salem to Grandpappy, as the crow flies, about 100 miles. And all of it, every square mile of it, right there in front of us. At our spot.

Sitting there you could almost imagine omniscience. I mean, of course, if you had the best possible vantage point. And perfect vision. Panoramic vision to widen the frame. Telescopic vision to cover the distance. Microscopic vision to get really close. But more, a vision that penetrates the surface, a vision that uncovers the hidden. That detects the subtlest fold of the heart. With vision like that, from a place like that, you could see and know it all.

We spent hours at our spot. Hours full of small talk. Big talk. And re-creative silence. Munching on crackers and cheese. Salami and prosciutto. Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Laughing. Loving. Thinking. Contemplating the meal set before us, the view set before us, the hours and days to come, hoping to see, hoping to know. Convinced we are known. And given our limited vision, by Faith willing to embrace the mystery. Grateful for the beauty we could see.

The View
The View

All the while sipping a nice Pinot Noir or easing back a water bottle of “Magic Elixir” both carefully crafted to make the heart glad. And they did!

Stretching below us the Yadkin Valley boasts of 38 wineries. We visited many of them. But none of them with a view like this. Up high like this. As elevating as this. We loved our spot. Our place in the world.

“Magic Elixir”
My Sweetie
My Sweetie Selfie

A day with my best friend. Waiting to see and know…

 Psalm 33:13-22
The LORD looks down from heaven; 
     He sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
     all the inhabitants of the earth--
He who fashions the hearts of them all,
     and observes all their deeds....
Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
     on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
     and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD;
     He is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
     because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
     even as we hope in you.  (NRSV)

Our Spot – At Dawn
(Aug 19, 2023)

If you haven’t already, email me and I’ll notify you when I update the blog with more of God’s Beauty.

Here is my email address: blog@blueridgemountain.life

More videos of Doughton Park
in the next few days.

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