Scotland trip, part 1

We've already been back a week...so sad the adventure is over. But wow! We had a great time and saw some amazing sights and enjoyed every minute of it. Well, almost every minute. There were some stressful moments getting used to driving on the left side of those narrow roads. 

Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9
The vacation began for me on Friday, June 8. I took the day off from work in order to do last minute laundry for myself, as well as Andy's parents. Then I packed my suitcases and stopped to see Andy before driving over to Christy's to pick her up, along with Grace and Anna (Grace's cousin).

I drove my Prius up to the Stewart International Airport with the four of us and our luggage. Christy had chosen that airport because the flights, as well as long term parking, were more reasonably priced. Another advantage was that we avoided city traffic congestion. I suppose with pros, you can expect some cons, though. We had to sit on the tarmac for an hour before taking off. And the flight was interminably long, especially since I couldn't sleep at all. In the sitting position, my legs just couldn't get comfortable. It didn't help that people around us were eating, chatting, and having a great time. I might have slept 1-2 hours, but it didn't feel like I slept at all. 

When we arrived in Edinburgh, we got our rental car. That was an adventure, to say the least. The roads in the city are very narrow, some are cobblestones, with high walls right next to the road. Because of the narrowness of the streets, Christy was driving very close to the left curb and it was pretty scary: for her because of cars coming at her from the "wrong" direction and for us on the left side of the car because it felt like she was going to hit the curb or wall. We found a place to eat our lunch, and had our first meal in Scotland - fish and chips. 

After eating, we drove out of the city toward Dornie where we stayed the first half of the week.

On our way, we got stopped behind a line of traffic. Cars were at a complete standstill. When we got out to investigate, there had been an accident. The scenery at that spot was a bonus, though.

Those lavender rhododendrons and yellow flowered bushes were growing along the roads all over Scotland, helping to make the drive a little less stressful. After a helicopter arrived to airlift casualties, we were on our way again. We hope the victims were not too badly hurt.

This first day was tiring, considering we didn't sleep much on the plane, then most of the day was spent getting used to driving and being in completely unfamiliar surroundings. We arrived in Dornie, settled into our cozy cottage and slept long and well.

What we saw when we looked out our windows!

Sunday, June 10
We all slept a little late but felt rested and ready to begin our sightseeing. First on the agenda was a trip to Loch Ness. There are ruins of the Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. It was a lovely spot with a lot of history. Many battles were fought during the years to gain possession of the castle. The last Highlanders who gained control took all the gunpowder and blew up the main gate house. It was never rebuilt or restored. According to the brochure we received, this is "one of Scotland's mightiest strongholds." "With 1,500 years of history, Urquhart Castle was fought over by medieval armies, played host to lavish royal banquets and inspired generations of poets and artists. Today, scarred by warfare and the passing of time, this great fortress remains a magnificent sight."

We did get a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster. Unfortunately, none of us had our cameras out when he surfaced so we are unable to prove it. You'll just have to take our word for it.

Our cottage was less than a mile down the road from another castle, the Eilean Donan Castle (pronounced Ay-len). This one is privately owned and the owners still return several times a year for family reunions and functions. There are parts of the castle that are open to the public and it is pretty impressive. The guides posted throughout were fun and provided interesting tidbits. This castle also had a delightful cafe next to the visitor center that we were happy to frequent for tea/mocha/coffee and shortbread/scones.

We were delighted to hear this fellow play the bagpipes one of the times we stopped in.

Monday, June 11 

We drove over to the Isle of Skye. This was a short distance from where we were staying in Dornie, crossing a bridge that separated the Isle from the mainland. This is an amazing island, with more highlands and breathtaking views of the sea around every bend of the road. We hiked up a mountain to see Old Man Storr at the top. The brochure said it was a strenuous hike. You're never quite sure if their definition of "strenuous" is the same as yours, but this one was accurately labeled. According to my phone, we hiked 4 miles, 10,767 steps and climbed 72 floors! The view as we climbed was spectacular. It was a bonus that the skies were blue with fluffy white clouds. It was pretty windy at the top, but quite bearable. 

 

There he is - Old Man Storr - behind us

Unfortunately, all that walking produced some significant blisters on the backs of both my feet. By the time I got to the bottom again, they were bleeding and pretty painful. What a start to our vacation. 


After the hike, we found a hotel restaurant in Portree, Skye, and had our one meal out for the day. I ordered cullen skink soup. If you google that, you'll find it's "just a strange Scottish name for Smoked Haddock Chowder. Cullen Skink may sound like an animal, but it's actually an incredibly flavorful, chowder-type soup originating in Scotland." It was very tasty and I would like to find a recipe I could try at home.

Tuesday, June 12
We packed a lot into this day between driving and hiking and exploring. First things first: we stopped at a cafe to buy our morning coffee and indulge in a scone or shortbread. (When in Scotland, do as the Scottish do!) We also bought a pair of flip flops for me since my feet couldn't walk in my shoes. Those flip flops enabled me to enjoy the rest of the week, to keep up with the younger ones without hobbling.

We drove back over to the Isle of Sky and spent our second day there. We first drove to the Fairy Pools, but when we got there, we saw there were no toilet facilities. Well, that would not do...there was no way we could do any hiking with all that coffee backed up in 4 bladders. So we decided we would visit a castle first and come back to the Fairy Pools later in the day. On the way to the Dunvegan Castle, we saw a Highland cow (pronounced by the Scots: "hay-len coo." He was happy to pose for us. Is he used to tourists stopping to snap a picture of him?

Dunvegan Castle is privately owned so it was not in ruins. Parts of it are open to the public so we walked around inside and ate our lunch outside on the terrace overlooking the water. 
 

The castle gardens were spectacular, such variety and unusual specimens. We couldn't stop taking pictures.

Did you ever see blue pine cones??? Or a blue poppy?

We could have spent a whole day in this lovely setting, but then we would have missed other treasures. It was hard to break away, but we wanted to see the beach with white sands. It wasn't far from the castle, so we drove about five minutes away, then hiked into the beach, through fields with cows and sheep. A lot of Scotland's coast is rocky so it was surprising to see a beach with sand. The water was so clear you could see to the bottom. There were no waves to stir up the sand.
 

 

Such a beautiful spot...it was hard to leave, but we wanted to fit in the Fairy Pools before calling it a day. And we're glad we did. No one's sure how this stream got its name except that the water cascades over rocks from high in the hills, sometimes settling into pools before continuing its way down. We hiked along the stream and up into the hills. By the time we got back to our car, it was 8:00 pm but the sun was still fairly high in the sky. According to my phone, that day we logged 16,000 steps and 4 miles again. My flip flops worked fine for me, allowing my blisters to begin healing.

That was a lot to fit into 4 days. And we still had another 5 days of adventures ahead. What fun to spend it with Christy, Grace and Anna. I enjoyed the company of Christy and the enthusiasm and giggles of the girls.

I will post a part 2 as I have time this week.
 

A friend pointed out to me that in Romans 8:18-25, Paul uses the idea that we eagerly wait 3 times. Waiting shouldn't have negative connotations for us. Think of Christmas. I remember as a kid being so excited for Christmas. As soon as presents were put under the tree, I would shake them, feel them, and try to guess what was in the package. And do you remember the chain links we created out of construction paper to indicate how many more days there were till Christmas? Or crossing off the days in December as each day was finished? This is a beautiful example of how we eagerly wait for something. 

Paul tells us in verse 19 that "the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Then again in verse 23 he says we "wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." He says that this redemption is what we hope for. "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

So true...I've been waiting for months to take a trip to Scotland with Christy and Grace. When I was first invited to join them, June seemed so far away. But here we are and I'm on my way. So when I return, I will upload some amazing pictures, and share my experience on this blog. And I will no longer be waiting eagerly for my trip.

But I will still be waiting in eager expectation for God's plan to unfold. Every day is an adventure as a child of God. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. We have so much to look forward to...an eternity with the One and ones we love in a perfect heavenly paradise. And so we wait as patiently as possible, eagerly anticipating that blessed hope.

There didn't seem to be anything in particular, maybe just everything in general, but Friday felt especially heavy to me. My natural response wants to figure out why I'm dealing with these feelings. Why do I feel like crying when nothing has happened to add to what I'm already going through. Oppressive humidity? Attack from Satan? Lack of sleep? In this case, though, I have to be satisfied with no answer. I just don't know.

But as usually happens when I'm feeling low, God provides the encouragement I need at the precise moment of my need. I am currently reading Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren.

She writes about God being a part of every detail of our lives: when we wake in the morning, when we lose our keys, when we eat leftovers, when we sit in traffic...

In her chapter, Sitting in Traffic, she focuses on patience and being unhurried. I had heard a phrase in a song, and I don't remember which song at the moment, about God always being on time, never late. Trish reminds us that "we live in a waiting world, a world where time itself, along with all of creation, groans as in childbirth, waiting for something to be born." We live our lives each day in light of a future reality. Our best life is still to come. But in the middle of waiting for that future hope, are we patiently enjoying the days we have in the present? Waiting itself can be a gift. Our waiting is active and purposeful...God is at work in us and through us as we wait. A couple of days ago, I was struck with a feeling of expectancy as I wait for God to work things out for me. He is so creative in the way He works, not tied to uncertainty, but the Sovereign Ruler of all things, working for the good of his children. In my own perception of things, my situation looks hopeless...but that is not taking into account God and His divine purposes.

Recently I've noticed Steven Curtis Chapman's Glorious Unfolding being played frequently on KLOVE. It was recorded in 2013 so I really don't know why I hadn't heard it until recently. But it has spoken to me and been an encouraging reminder to me.

Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight 
Don't try to figure it out
Just listen to what I'm whispering to your heart
'Cause I know this is not anything like you thought the story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
but it's just not true
There's so much of the story that's still yet to unfold.

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You've just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding.

God's plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing love
And the story has only begun

We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we're living 
Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding
We will watch and see and we will be amazed
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
We'll see the glorious unfolding
Songwriter: Steven Curtis Chapman, copyright BMG Rights Management US, LLC

That's right: Don't try to figure it out. Someday it will all be unfolded and we'll be amazed at the glorious plan of God.

I was able to have some family time on Tuesday when I drove up to Lancaster County to spend a couple of hours with Amy and her kids. They've been doing a lot of work to finish the upstairs of their new house as well as doing some outside projects. It was a joy to see those projects and be with her and the kids in person. After lunch we investigated a new park Amy had found. There was a huge lake that was an opportunity for the kids to fish and explore. There was also a paved trail around the park that we hiked. The sun was hot but the breeze was cool and refreshing. Amy and I stayed in the gazebo to chat while the kids played and fished at the lake.

Amy and I were amused with the momma duck and her babies on the lake. Whenever Chase would cast his fishing line, the ducks would paddle quickly to where his line was and follow it as he reeled it in. In spite of his moving from place to place to keep far away from the ducks, he did manage to catch a fish.

I heard a teacher on the radio tell about the story of Gideon in Judges 6. When the angel came to tell Gideon that God wanted him to fight against Israel's enemies, he addressed Gideon as "mighty warrior." Isn't that interesting? Gideon hadn't done anything yet. But in anticipation of a great victory, God calls Gideon a mighty warrior. Along with that pronouncement, God promises to be with him.

"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior'." (Judges 6:12)

And there's the whole reason God could address him as a hero before he had even gone into battle: because God was going to do the fighting for him. It reminded me of David's confidence in Psalm 18:29 and 2 Samuel 22:30 (both verses have the exact same wording): "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."

Scripture is full of God's promises to always be with us and to fight our battles for us. With God, the victory is assured.

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:29)
 

"With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings."

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

It was pretty hot and humid to be out hiking, but the spring scenery was so pretty and the time spent with a friend made it all worth while. We hiked for 7 miles and I admit, I was dragging by the time we got back to the car. That was a lot for an "old" lady like me, especially in that heat and humidity. But I lived to tell about it!

I don't regret being out in nature in that weather because it's always an opportunity to worship the Creator as I observe and soak in his beautiful creation.

I had my usual ups and downs this week. On Monday morning, there was an envelope on my desk addressed to me. When I opened it, someone had assured me of their continued prayers and included $100 in cash. What a blessing. I put the card away and forgot about it as I did my work. In the afternoon, I received a call that a check I had written for Andy's care at Harmony Village had bounced. What??? My heart dropped to my toes. That didn't make any sense at all since I had written the check on my home equity line of credit, which had been approved. So I called the bank to inquire what was going on. They had to research the problem, but when they called me back, they admitted it was their fault. Well, that was all fine and good...but now I was an emotional mess. I couldn't stop thinking about it and worrying that Harmony Village would be concerned about my reliability for future payments. 

When I got home from work, as I was emptying my briefcase of paperwork, I came across the card from that morning. Oh yes, it was a reminder to me that God had known all along what was going to happen that day and provided me with a "little" reassurance to pick me back up. How good He is to me.

Andy is doing about the same. I don't know how he is during the day when I'm not there, except what the care givers tell me. They are encouraging him to go outside now that the weather is a little nicer. He doesn't seem to have the stamina or strength he did last summer. After I help him with his dinner each evening, all he wants to do is go to his room to lie down. Most evenings, he falls asleep while I'm reading to him, and doesn't even wake up when I leave. I expect him to because the door needs some WD-40 to stop the creaking when I open it. But he doesn't stir. His tremors are extreme and severe at times. Fortunately, they are not constant, there are moments of relief. He doesn't seem to be as bothered by them, and I sense he's more at peace about them. I wonder if it's part of the Parkinson's -withdrawing inward. Who knows?

I am currently reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper.

 

I think most people desire for their life to count. But what do we want it to count for? Pastor has often mentioned that God doesn't waste experiences. And I certainly don't want my experience to be wasted. I can't help but think that with an experience this difficult, there must be a reason for it. What is the purpose? One of Piper's chapters is entitled: Risk is Right--Better to Lose Your Life than to Waste It. He defines risk as "an action that exposes you to the possibility of loss or injury." Although my situation isn't technically a "risk," there are principles that apply. For instance, "risk is possible because we don't know how things will turn out. This means that God can take no risks. He knows the outcome of all his choices before they happen...And since he knows the outcome of all his actions before they happen, he plans accordingly. His omniscience rules out the very possibility of taking risks." (page 80)

"Every direction you turn there are unknowns and things beyond your control." "Safety is a mirage." 

Piper gives three examples of people in the Bible who risked all for God. They made a decision even though they didn't know how things would turn out, then left the results up to God. There was Joab in 2 Samuel 10 who led the battle against Israel's enemies, saying to his brother: "Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him."

And what about Esther when realizing the danger she and the Jews were in, promised Mordecai she would do what she could by going to the king, saying: "If I perish, I perish."

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego showed the same resolve as they refused to bow down to the image Nebechadnezzar had erected for the people to worship. They told the king: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." 

By God's grace and enablement, I want to display that same resolve. I pray for my situation to go a certain way, but even if it doesn't, I want to trust God that He has a better plan than mine. I must leave the results up to God, surrendering my will to His. May he do what seems good to him.

Paul tells the churches in Acts 14:22, that "we must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations." Our earthly life is one of great uncertainty. "Not all will die for the cause of Christ. But not all will live either. Some will die. And some will live. This is what [Piper means] by risk. It is the will of God that we be uncertain about how life on this earth will turn out for us."

"There is risk everywhere. But this very risk is the means by which the value of Christ shines more brightly." And isn't that the point, after all? To be a means of showing how precious Christ is, how his grace is enough for our situation, how valuable he is to us. 

..."To know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..." Philippians 3:10

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

I happened upon some notes Andy had made on the computer three years ago. At that point, he was already two years into his illness. The notes reveal his heart for God and his family. I am including it word for word (unedited by me) below.
 

Dear, Dawn, Amy, Christy, and Mom

     I want to try to reach out to you guys (Christy, Amy and Dawn.  so you just don’t just get your information from mom.  (She always does a great job)   I love all of you very much.  We just got back from seeing my specialist, Dr. Janoff, and he was very positive.  We have been seeing him for over two years now.  He has known of my condition and He said that I am doing well and did not have to step up to another level of medication and therapy.  That was great news!  At the same time, I don’t want to fool myself with regards to the challenges this disease brings.  That is no place to dwell on, so I’m going to play it a day at a time, thanking the Lord for his blessings and his trials.  Trials can be great teachers.  

      God has been so good to each of us and shown us his love for us in so many ways!   How could we ever be angry for what we call trials?

David said in the psalms.  “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I shall I fear!  The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?  (God has the answers for us before we even think about them!  WOW.  I am man of few words as you know, but  I feel that is very important that we keep touch in some way.   

The Sunday school class I attend is doing book studies for the summer. The first book chosen was A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God. We already owned the book, and as I read it, I was so excited to note that Andy had read it, underlined key points and written notes in it.

What he wrote: "How would I feel if God took away my ability to sing or speak, walk or run, hike or read. They are all precious to me - would I still love him? Would I be content with Him alone, or would they send me into a fit of temper or depression from which I could not escape?"

Well, Andy is now experiencing just that - his inability to sing or speak, walk or run, hike or read. But he seems to be at peace through it all. He isn't angry or upset. He is calm, quiet, accepting, persevering in spite of so many losses that he formerly enjoyed. It is obvious that God is still at work in his heart, soul - giving him peace, not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives - the peace that passes understanding. He is a beautiful example to me of the work of Christ in a person's heart, shining through the cracks of our human-ness.

2 Corinthians 4:7 ~ "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

We just came through 4-5 days of rain, rain, rain. It's hard not to complain about it, but I've always been convicted not to complain about the weather. I confess I love blue skies the best, but there are benefits to rain. I turned off the sprinkler system, so think of all the money I saved on this month's water bill! Then there's the truth that after the rain, sunshine seems all the more precious. And of course, without rain, there would be no flowers.

Before the rain came through the area, I hit the golf course. Actually, I was part of the staff helping in our church's golf tournament. Over 120 people participated in a day of golf. It was a nice day...a little warm in the sun, but the shade was very pleasant with a stiff breeze that kept us cool. I was assigned to Hole 5 on the course, with the express purpose to make sure people were honest and not padding their scores! I was at this post with a friend, and we enjoyed the afternoon just chatting and hanging out as the golfers came and went. She insisted that I be the one to drive the golf cart, which I did, although I had to stretch my short legs to reach the gas pedal.

I've been working on my latest puzzle for 6 weeks. It was the most difficult puzzle I've ever done. It was actually in a stack of puzzles that Christy gave me to work on. I did all the others quickly and with a minimum of effort, but I put this one off because it looked so impossible. But little by little, and because of so much rain this past week, I had a lot of time to work on it and finish it.

Yes, every single piece is a small, tiny picture of ocean, water, boat, ship, sea creature, etc.

Occasionally, I would send a picture of my progress to Christy's kids. It was an encouragement to receive their kudos. So this morning, when I sent them the finished puzzle, Christy sent back their thumbs up for my accomplishment.

God called King David a man after His own heart. Although David wasn't perfect by a long shot, he had a heart for God, pursuing Him in all of life's difficult circumstances. I read Psalm 63 this morning, where David exclaims: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." The heading of this psalm tells us that David wrote this when he was in the desert of Judah. So he was understanding hunger and thirst because he was experiencing it first hand. But even greater than the physical hunger and thirst is his desire for God. He says in verse 5 that his "soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods."

Tozer says: "We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety. This is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him and nothing is really safe which is not so committed...Our gifts and talents should also be turned over to Him. They should be recognized for what they are, God's loan to us, and should never be considered in any sense our own. We have no more right to claim credit for special abilities than for blue eyes or strong muscles." "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)

What we enjoy in this life is God's loan to us. They are given to us to enjoy for a time. This includes our loved ones, our gifts and abilities (my husband and his health, hiking, speaking, singing, etc.) Are we ok if He chooses to take them back? Can we be content with whatever God allows in our lives? I want to exhibit Job's attitude: "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21)

The most precious truth to realize and experience is that even though life is tough and we experience hard things, God is with me. He is the greatest Gift of all - Himself.