Behind The Scenes || Retrospect

We reflect. We like to look back. We like to look for those fun and happy moments in life. It's good to remember happy times.

One such happy time for me was during the Christmas Season. The year was 2009. Just before this happy time life was very turbulent. So, experiencing this happy time was very memorable for me.

That happy time was Christmas Eve. This image was the view God gave us on this beautiful, but cold day.

As the typical motorcyclist puts their two wheels in storage for the Winter we keep ours on the road.

Since the Northern Hemisphere is the cold season in December not many riders like the cold and rain. I'm one of them. However, there is gear to make cold and wet riding not so cold and wet.

On Christmas Eve in 2009 we geared up for a ride. I had to dress lots of layers because I did not have gear for riding in the cold and wet, yet. On our ride we ended up going to a local motorcycle gear store.

It was late in the afternoon. As we stood inside the store going through gear options for me I looked up and out the store front window. To my amazement and awe I saw this image. It looked astonishingly majestic and massively bigger than my camera lens would depict.

Right there on the storefront steps outside I praised and worshiped God! His creation of nature continually blows my mind. The colors filled my eyes in a way that made my heart sing.

There was only a short amount of time at sunset that affords this awesome kind of lighting for photography. I wanted to capture it before it was gone. I may have never seen such a sight again. Voila!

I look at this image frequently just to remember and be in awe of God's wondrous work in our lives. After such a scene there was no denying God and His love for me.

On that beautiful day my wonderful husband, +Paul M Edwards, bought me a great Winter riding suit so that I could enjoy my rides and not get wet and freeze.

I'm hoping on January 1st when we have our traditional New Year's Day ride that my ankle will be healed enough that I can ride. It will be cold. I'll be wearing my great and awesome gift. I miss riding! It's temporary, until my ankle heals.

I've joined up with +Crystal Stine and the Behind The Scenes Community. Click the below image to be transported over there and check out other's posts. Join in if you like. There's plenty of room for more stories.

Memories | Behind The Scenes

It was August 12th, 2009. It was the perfect time for a walk through the park with +Hatsu Misa Takara & +Paul M Edwards.

Something had felt off during the past several months. Whatever it was just felt wrong.

One thing I could put my finger on was the struggling we were going through financially because Paul had lost his job. He started to focus on building his PC repair business. It seemed like he was gone all the time. It felt as if he was staying away to get away from home. It felt like he did not want to be near me anymore.

I recall walking through the park on this day. It felt nice to be walking by Paul's side and enjoying watching all the dogs running around us as the sun was setting. We rounded this one corner of the park and started up a small incline to walk between the trees. Just at edge of this wooded section Paul noticed a snake crossing our path. I felt something raised under my foot as I stepped. Then I heard Paul's voice say, "Oh, watch out, don't step on the snake." At that point I'd already finished my step and then turned around to look and see the garden snake slither into the shrubs.

Moments later we encountered this tree in the sunset. All the things that just occurred were part of a multifaceted miracle that we experienced.

The interesting thing about that tree? Something about ending an old life and starting a new one. Also, every single time after that day when we walked through that park I never saw that tree like that again. In fact, I couldn't even place the tree. I never saw it again.

The multifaceted miracle? Well, if you'd like you can read about it here.

I'm participating in +Crystal Stine's Behind the scenes link up today.

Behind The Scenes: Migration

Click image to join up with Crystal Stine and post your behind the scenes and read other's behind the scenes stories. It's very moving! It's uplifting to know there's others out there who struggle and you're not alone in this life.


The photo: 

The Story: For three years my husband pined over moving back to California where he was born and lived for 10 years as a child. I was open to the idea, because, I was tired of the Seattle weather and the mentality of some people there.

The time finally came in early Spring 2013. My husband had been praying that if it was God's will for us to move to provide a job for my husband. Not long after the prayer he got a phone call from a past co-worker. The past co-worker was interviewing for a position and realized that it wasn't a good fit and just knew the perfect person for the job. My husband. So, this past co-worker calls my husband and talks to him about this job and says if my husband is interested he would put a good word in and have the employer call my husband. Well, a day or two went by and the employer called. They did an impromptu interview. Then they called again a couple weeks later for a "real" interview for the position. They hired him. The icing on the cake? It's a telecommute job. It can be done from anywhere there's an internet connection. He then had to give notice at his current job. The new job didn't start immediately. It started two weeks later.

The migration began. We had two months to pack. We have two motorcycles and two cars. The planning went into full action. We decided to ship the motorcycles. We also decided to use a trailer to pull behind a moving truck to haul my car. His car stayed in Seattle. It is being upgraded and updated... [turbo-charged].

Fast-forward to May 2013, two months later. Packing is an arduous task. Everyone I speak to bemoans moving and hates it. I am not a fan of the process myself. I cried for a week before our departure. The whole thing has been a bitter-sweet event.

Last minute packing and rushing through the entire day. The day we planned to pull out and be on the road, turned into the next day.

When we left WA state is was raining and cold. We crossed the CA state line and it was sunny, warm and beautiful. I welcomed it. However, our final destination is on the fringe of the desert. It is a dry, hot, dusty/dirty place. I struggle with the heat and the dirt/dust.

Moving isn't just a one or two or even three day event. It involved acclimating  to the region, for me: finding work-which still hasn't happened, finding a church family, making new friends, connecting in places for events, etc that you like doing. There's a lot of mental and emotional work in it.

That's where the grace of God is. He's patient, kind, loving, caring and a host of positive mental mindsets. He places us where He wants to use us. It may not be clear, the fog will clear eventually. We simply must be patient and wait on God to open that door of opportunity.

Are you patiently waiting on God?

Behind the Scenes-The Call

Behind the Scenes: The Call

Today, I'm joining Crystal Stine. Click link above to check it out. Click image below of Behind the Scenes to find out what it's about.

The Story

Psalm 106:1-3 came to me after a very real and raw miracle from GOD. GOD called upon me to show grace and forgiveness. So, I did.

From 2006-2009 our lives were chaotic and a mess. You see, our pastor of 6 years had a severe and debilitating heart attack in March 2006. The pastor's wife cut everyone off from communicating or seeing Pastor. The flock began to run amok.

Truth behind the scenes... Pastor was mentoring my husband. Picture with me if you will - Pastor nurturing the growth of my husband's relationship with GOD. Now, bringing it forward - Pastor is removed from the picture all of a sudden and no communication. Panic struck everyone. We all scrambled to make things work without Pastor. Everyone felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under them. We all of a sudden felt as if we weren't worthy anymore... Like we didn't matter anymore. For the next three years I started falling apart as well as my husband.

In 2009 my husband lost his job and was unemployed for most of the year. He hit rock bottom and fell deep into sin. I slipped into heavy depression. One August day we took our dog for a walk in the park. In reality, my husband had decided he was going to give me a good ending. He was going to break up our marriage and leave... GOD had a different plan. That night after the walk GOD kicked it into high gear. My husband decided to confess and seek forgiveness from me for sinning against our marriage. God has been blessing us left and right since!