Campfires in the [Smoky] Mountains

There was more smoke in the mountains near Buena Vista and Clear Creek last week than we generated with our little campfire

as we camped with another family, new friends the Russells.

Everywhere we looked, the mountains were hazy with smoke blown in from one or more of the many forest fires blazing out west here. 

All just before another hurricane was generating in the Caribbean!

But in the middle of all the disasters around us, we were thankful to spend three days camping,

 griddling bacon and skillet toast,

enjoying the just-beginning to turn aspens!

 Jonathan Russell, the dad, did a lot of the grilling and fire tending. 

Angie, their oldest daughter, and I read stories out loud around the campfire different times,

and we sang Scripture choruses and a cowboy song and rounds.

The highlight was being able to take turns on the four-wheelers.

Here the boys and men are getting the flatbed and four-wheelers ready to go.

The funnest ride of two for me was the one up near Missouri Gulch, including riding through this stream behind my hubby!

I just loved the excuse to hug him tight several times as we bumped along!

There were several beautiful spots like this one.

And a lake way up there on Thursday.

The two Jonathans had such a grand time together, talking hunting and all sorts of very manly things,

and wondering where each other had been all these years of not knowing each other existed!

The Lord had spoken to the entire Russell family just two weeks before meeting us at the eclipse party, through a verse of Scripture, "Arise and go down with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them."

They were just perplexed as to who the Lord was talking about, and where they should go!

And when they saw us at the eclipse party at Kearney, they all knew we were the ones God was talking about!

We were awed when Jonathan Russell shared this with us during worship Friday morning before they headed back to Nebraska. 

We believe God meant for our paths to cross, and that He has a divine purpose.

We both desire to serve the Lord and help people--and there are so many people who need God's touch, healing for past or present hurts, and direction for their lives--just like us.  

We don't give up on serving God just because of things that happen to us, 

or just because we are lied about and smeared big time by people we've tried to reach out to,

or just because we don't have all the answers.

In pain or joy, we keep on quietly serving Him, loving Him, caring about others.

One night we were in need of more firewood, since most of the young people and children wanted to just sleep under the stars by the fire, and they kept the fire going all night.

So all the girls are watching Tim Russell chop down this dead tree with an axe.

Our Sam loops a cargo strap around the tree to try to make sure it falls the right direction.

My Jonathan and three other boys hang on tight--and then break loose and run as the tree begins to fall!

Timber!!!!!

Just love how I caught them in the second of letting go and starting to split out of there!

There weren't many flowers this time of year, but I loved these blue gentians, I think they are.

Sam and the boys pick up a few rocks to throw in the creek to make as huge a splash as possible.

It is always more fun to throw rocks when there is an audience to whoop and yell.

Big Splash!

Needless to say, there weren't very many quiet times for me in those three days!
Wednesday the young people hiked Mt. Antero.

Here the young people are unloading four-wheelers to get as far up Mt. Antero as possible.
Then they were going to hike the rest of the way.

And they all made it--even Crystal!
Meanwhile, we parents, Danny and Hannah hung out down around the ghost town of St. Elmo,
enjoying those chipmunks again.

Although we  plan ahead, and grow gardens and stock up on sales at the grocery store,
why should we be filled with anxiety about the future, Jesus asked.
Does not the heavenly Father feed the chipmunks?

And the mountain jays?

Danny had collected a handful of bright red rose hips, which the chipmunks would take and dash off to some rockpile or tree or down some fence to their favorite storing spot for the winter.
We loved watching the difference between how the chipmunks treated the sunflower seeds (eating them or stuffing their cheeks with them) and how they treated the rose hips (hiding them for later.)
God wants us to enjoy the fresh every day provisions of His hand, (including memories!)
as well as storing up some for the winter seasons.

I loved sitting there high up by the stream bank one morning while the older children four-wheeled,
reading my Bible and pouring my heart out to the Lord in prayer.
It was good to just have an hour to be alone and away from people--where I could cry my heart out to the Lord and let Him translate what I was not able to put into words.

Then Wednesday evening, we had worship together again and I read a sweet story by master story teller Margaret Jensen, daughter of a Norwegian pastor, of how a raccoon named Jeremiah contributed to her and her husband's ministry to the down-and-out druggies and street people. 

Angie read a hilarious chapter from a humorist who wrote about the miseries of camping.

Now we're back home and washing load after load of dirty or smoky clothes and sleeping bags!

Crystal, Carrie, and Rose fulfilled their hours at the restaurant and left Saturday for Missouri where they plan to spend several days helping our dear friends the Goodwins since he had a stroke.