Working Out My Salvation With Fear and Trembling...

When everyone we know found out we were going to Fort Bragg, and that we had never been there before, they ALL had suggestions for where to go and what to do.

Dave contacted the Chamber of Commerce and got a huge envelope full of brochures, and wouldn't let me see any of them.

So we had plans before we even left.

They lasted one afternoon. We ate at Egghead's, visited the Pygmy Forest, walked on Glass Beach, drove to Mendocino...and ran out of stuff to do.

On Saturday, we got up and had the entire day ahead of us...and I was tempted to just pack it up and go home. Why stay? We'd seen it all, done it all...it was over.

We had breakfast, I grabbed the phone book and the visitor's directory...and we hit the road.

With no agenda, and no time constraints, we just drove. We looked for little shops to check out, we hunted down thrift stores (Dave's favorite haunt), we discovered beach access points that rocked.

We tried a local hangout for lunch, we took a nap, we poured over the maps and found new places to explore. We walked 1/2 mile to the lighthouse on Point Cabrillo, and then almost died walking back uphill (at least, I almost did!).

We found the point where they filmed "Murder, She Wrote" and called it Cabot Cove--which was really Noyo Point. We found the bed and breakfast that served as Jessica Fletcher's home in the show and took pictures for our daughter.

We bought gifts for family back home, and collected shells and driftwood on the shores. We watched the sunset and took pictures and got sandy and wet and kissed on the beach.

We got insulted by a hoity-toity hostess at a ramshackle oceanside restaurant, and then went to Denny's and were served like royalty.

Basically, we stayed within the boundaries of Fort Bragg/Mendocino and made our own vacation...and had a BLAST!

And that is what I do in my Christian walk. I stay within the bounds of God's Word, and do my own thing, and have a BLAST!

Of course, some will be upset that we didn't visit the botanical gardens--but we didn't want to. Some will be disappointed that we didn't walk on Black Sands beach. We didn't want to do that either. And we wanted to see a movie---but ran out of time.

Some will be upset that I raise my hands during worship--but we do it. Some might be disappointed that I don't speak in tongues--but I don't. And I want to go to Israel one day---but I will probably run out of time.

I am working out my salvation, my relationship with God in fear and trembling. I know Who saved me, and I know Who is the boss of me...and I answer to Him. When I focus on that, we have a cool time together, come what may. Others may show me things, others may point things out...

But it's fun to discover those hidden treasures that God plants along the way just for me. And it's way cool when we uncover something that blows my socks off...I love it when He does that!

Stay within the boundaries Scripture establishes...but explore His full territory. Don't let fear and others hold you back from what He has for you...

And be blessed!

Deena