Hope Remains

Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

“The hope is in the yes, when times go bad.” -Tim

Tim and I sat in the tour boat waiting for the rain to pass. We’d been in Maine a few days and had planned a trip to see the puffins, a fun little bird with a colorful beak who lives at sea. As the drizzle continued, I wondered if we were going to get to go out to the island they lived on. To see the puffins, we needed to travel by boat about a half-an-hour out into the Atlantic Ocean. The guide warned, due to fog, we might not have the best view. Even with these hindrances, my hope of seeing these adorable birds kept me afloat. Instead of doubting and grumbling, I held on to my dream of watching these birds bob in the water.

In time, the rain stopped, and our tour boat took us into the waters, and we watched the puffins bob up and down, plus an array of other ocean birds on Eastern Egg Rock Island. I’m thankful I didn’t give up and go home, but waited for the yes from the guide to move ahead.

I could have pouted or given up while I sat in the boat and waited. Instead, I hung on to the hope we’d get to go out on the water. When life takes a difficult turn, or circumstances feel unbearable, instead of blaming God, reach out to Him and hope in the yes. Yes—meaning I trust you Lord in all my circumstances. He promises to be with us in all things. 

As long as we turn to God and not away from Him, hope remains.

Be strong, take heart, seek Him, and wait for Him.

Dreams and Bucket Lists

A trip to Maine had been on my bucket list for years. When Tim and I made the journey, I was determined to see puffins. On our third day in the beautiful state, we climbed aboard a boat and sailed out toward Eastern Egg Rock Island. The overcast day made for good picture taking. But the choppy waters challenged me. I held on to the rail, balanced myself and my camera and shot photos of the floating birds. They bounced on the water, I bounced on the boat, but I did it. I captured those cute little fellows in their environment. At sixty years old, I accomplished my dream. 

Atlantic Ocean Puffin

Stormy Lessons

A Puffin Haiku

We Grabbed the Tail of our Dream

I've imagined traveling to the great state of Maine for almost 50 years. It's true. When I was a kid in school, we were assigned a state project. My state was Maine. We had to use snail mail back then and write a letter to the Maine State Chamber of Commerce to gather information (no internet, way back then.) I discovered Maine had a beautiful coast.

I spent my 60th birthday on a Puffin tour 

Amazing forests. Mountains. Incredible wildlife and gorgeous flora. And so the dream began... a journey to Maine.

In February, things started to fall into place. Tim and I both researched the possibilities. Where to stay. Do we drive or fly? What do we want to see? In March, we booked an Air BnB. My dream turned into our dream. Being here with my best friend has been incredible.

 Lobstering was so much fun!

We got to eat the lobster we caught. Yummy!

  The beach at our Air BnB

 

 

                         A seagull egg