From Yorba Linda to Minnesota during PCUSA GA218

What a week it has been so far!

I moved a whole lot more of our stuff to storage over the weekend to leave my house ready for my husband to manage us through a bit more of the never-ending interior remodel. I was very pleased at what I was able to get done.

And I thought I'd left work in good shape with all the technology in a state to support what is currently going on with sales and web development and the conversion to a new accounting system . . .

And I prayed as our denomination opened the General Assembly in CA's Bay area -- for God's Spirit to be poured out on all the delegates in new and fresh ways, and for His purposes for causing us all to walk together in Truth and Grace and Obedience and Joy to be fully accomplished in every detail.

And on Monday I loaded Noah and Brooks and 3 weeks worth of stuff into our van, and went and picked up Dominique Davila -- their 23-y-o nanny who just graduated with a BA in Elementary Education -- from her house, unpacked all our stuff to fit her MONSTER suitcase into the small space in the back of our van, repacked all our stuff on top of it, leaving the cooler at her house . . .

And drove to St. George, Utah.

The next day we packed everything back in the van again (it all has to come out to get Dominique's bag out) and drove to Ogden, Utah, where we checked into the hotel with Brooks saying he was going to throw up and his head hurt. I unpacked it all again, and then Noah and Dominique went off to the pool. Brooks wanted to as well, and felt a bit better; so I put my swimsuit on, and we all swam. Then we ordered room service and hung out, as Brooks proceeded to throw up again and again all night. It was a long night!

Yesterday I was exhausted, but Brooks was feeling better by 10 a.m. I packed up the van again and we drove to Yellowstone and had a wonderful, wonderful day driving through Yellowstone. Brooks still felt a bit sick, but he walked with us to see Old Faithful, and was awake to see the moose and buffalo and bears and wolf and other assorted wildlife that amazed us all. We drove out of the mountains before the sun had set fully, and checked into our hotel in Cody Wyoming in the dark.

This morning I finally had a good time of prayer for the first time in the week. I closed myself in the bathroom for privacy before anyone else was up. I am very concerned about PCUSA's General Assembly and all that has gone on and all that will go on . . . so prayers for all of us in those concerns! And I am concerned for things at work and at home and at my church and with my friends and older sons . . . and prayer is such a healing thing!

God is good to all of us all the time! We just need to learn to enjoy His presence fully, right here and right now! And today I did that. And even when I allow myself to become disconnected from the full intimacy of His presence, He is still faithful to care for me and to draw me back to intimacy with Him.

So today we will see the Buffalo Bill touristy stuff, and I'll get a memory card for my new camera that holds more than 7 pictures at a time, and we'll drive on to Roosevelt National Park and then stay the night in Bismarck, ND. And tomorrow to my parent's in Minnesota, where we'll see my siblings and their spouses and kids. And then on to Cornerstone 2008! And finally we'll drive home through Colorado and enjoy some touristy time there.

And I will make time to not only "practice the presence of God" as I enjoy prayer all day long (which I did all week) but also to find daily solitude and experience the joy of giving Him my full attention and receiving the fullness of joy and peace and power that comes only from that kind of time.

Another day today . . .

And God is God over it all . . . Anderson Bat Company, my life and marriage and kids, PCUSA, St Andrew's in Newport Beach, our economy, the election . . .

But He desires our prayer, and each of us -- and all of us together -- need our prayer. It is the core of obedience and joy, for without it our actions are powered by us rather than directed by Him.

May we pray!