“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” ~~ Luke 12:27 (NIV)
While gazing at a scenic view, how can one not be amazed at the wonderful world God has created?
The wildflowers in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado were glorious this summer. Snowfall was plentiful during the past winter, so the vegetation received enough moisture for abundant wildflowers. My husband and I are blessed to live close enough to visit this forest often and to be able to hike in these mountains.
While we trek along the trails through meadows and forests, the bright colors of the flower blossoms catch our attention. Each bloom is a reminder of the intricate detail God included in His creations. And He designed His world to have an infinite variety.
As we are restored with the refreshing power of nature, I’m reminded of God’s love for us. If He planned the amazing majesty of all these flowers, doesn’t He have an even greater plan for us, His beloved children?
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” ~~ Luke 12:27 (NIV)
Just look at these perfect flowers I photographed while hiking the San Juan Mountains this summer, each one colorful and unique. Enjoy their beauty and know that you are loved by God!
Blue Flax
Rocky Mountain Iris
Purple Geranium
Yarrow
Leafy Jacob’s Ladder
Sunflower
Harebell (Blue Bells of Scotland)
Goldeneye
Sticky Geranium
Colorado Columbine
Colorado Columbine
Indian Paintbrush
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You for loving us, for providing for our needs, and letting us refresh in Your glorious creation. Please help us remember to release our fears and know You have the ultimate plan for our good. Like the flowers You have adorned, we trust in You to take care of us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for joining me for #ThursdayThoughts. We know proof of God’s love surrounds us…everywhere we look. Where do you find reminders of our Heavenly Father’s love?
With blessings and prayers always,
Sherida
*Comments are appreciated and will appear after moderation. I apologize for delays in posting.
Welcome to #TuesdayTea…just a bit early! Today we’re celebrating REFRESH, so I’m pouring invigorating chai spice black tea by Stash or a calming herbal camomile by Celestial Seasonings.
September brings the beginning of autumn and the start of the new school year.
As a former kindergarten teacher, I have a collection of Caldecott Award books and alphabet picture books.
For many years, I was a teacher, both in early elementary levels and in preschools. The new school year always brought a refreshing new beginning. A new assortment of unique kids. The smell of wax crayons. Bulletin boards full of color. Shouts and laugher on the playground.
Fall colors along the road to the trailhead.
But now as September arrives, I have a quieter time to breathe in the refreshing cooler air, carrying hints of pine. During the start of autumn, the mountain hiking available near us is special. Colors of fall…reds, golds and maroon…paint the landscape and a chill touches the wind as we hike through forests, passing creeks and climbing hillsides.
Recently, we followed a trail up a mountainside to have lunch on Sharkstooth Pass at an elevation of 12,000 feet above sea level.
Majestic Mount Hesperus stood beside us as we traveled along the path.
Even though we were slow on the climb up, we were refreshed along the way by the little creeks we crossed and by the chilly breeze blowing along the rocky slopes above the tree line. When we reached the pass, we stopped for lunch and marveled at the valley below and how far we’d come.
View from near the top of Sharkstooth Pass
My husband and I both felt the presence of our Lord as we absorbed the beauty of His creation before us. We felt deeply refreshed.
To me, September is a time of refreshment after the heat and busy times of summer. I hope you are able to take time to refresh during this month.
That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. Romans 15:32 (KJV)
PRAYER
Lord, we do get busy, pulled in so many directions. Help us appreciate the season of autumn as a time to breathe deeply, quiet our minds and refresh our spirits. Amen.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS to refresh your heart….
Christmas with the Cowboy (Big Heart Ranch) by Tina Radcliffe (releases 9/18 and Kindle releases 10/1)
I’ve loved all the books featuring Big Heart Ranch, a home for forgotten children. Each story centers on one of the three siblings helping to run the ranch. Tina Radcliffe’s writing adds humor, along with faith, to create fun and inspiring romances. This latest book is filled with Christmas spirit. I love this story…and will post a review next week! 🎄
The Sound of Distant Thunder (The Amish of Weaver’s Creek) by Jan Drexler (releases 9/18)
Though I haven’t read this book, I always enjoy author Jan Drexler faith-touched historical stories. This is the first in a new series. From the description on Amazon, it sounds good.
”From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.”
At Home in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne (releases 10/2)
If you like small town stories with warm down home characters, you will like this contemporary romance. This second book set in Wishing Bridge, New York, brings Dr. Ethan Brandenburg and nurse practitioner Thea Anastas together to temporarily bring medical assistance to the small town. They did not plan to be stuck in the tiny rural area, but He has an even better future ahead for these two people. A faith-filled story of leaving the past behind for brighter tomorrows.
WRITING NEWS
After completing an online class titled Monster Revisions, I have many ideas for improving my manuscript as I work through the revising process. In another class, I learned about submitting short stories for magazine publication and find this smaller word count goal may work for me.
Thank you for joining me for #TuesdayTea! What ways or in what places do you feel refreshed? I hope you treasure being refreshed the by the start of a new season.
Blessings and prayers always,
Sherida
*I appreciate comments. Your comment will be visible after moderation. I apologize for delays.
Usually when I invite you to have TUESDAY TEA with me, we’ll share a pot of tea and a tea time treat. Today our treat is a bit different. I’ll explain. After attending the sunrise service at our church on Easter Sunday, my husband and I went hiking in the desert to refresh in God’s amazing creation of wilderness. The area of our hike, shown below, seems like an interesting contrast to the setting of the book I’m featuring today on TUESDAY TEA, Sandra Leesmith’s LOVE’S PROMISES. Sandra’s novel is filled with scenic mountains, sparkling water, glistening snow, and the scent of Ponderosa pine forests. Beautiful Lake Tahoe is where this love story unfolds as Monica and Greg experience the outdoor adventures the Lake Tahoe area offers. Therefore, I’m serving trail food, water and energy bars, as Sandra discusses the active environment of her inspirational romance, Love’s Promises. Please be sure to enter the giveaway (at the bottom of this post), featuring Lake Tahoe and Sandra’s favorite coffee.
Tuesday Tea-Hiking-This isn’t Lake Tahoe!
First, enjoy the beautiful cover of this book! When Sandra revealed the cover a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to learn there was a tea house on tiny Fannette Island, or as the locals call it, the Tea House Island. You can see the island on the cover. However, the Tea House is not a place to drop in for afternoon tea, as Sandra will explain below.
Love’s Promises by Sandra Leesmith
About the Book:
For Monica Scott, building her late father’s house at Lake Tahoe isn’t an option—it’s a necessary distraction from confusing memories and an uncertain future. But a handsome planner working for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is keeping Monica from moving forward with the project. Never mind that he’s young and charming with a great sense of humor. No one is going to stop Monica from making her father’s dream—and her own—a reality. All Greg Linsey wants is for his work to mean something. His job at TRPA gives him the opportunity to fight for the environment he loves and make a difference in his small corner of the world. But with the sophisticated Monica Scott’s arrival, his dedication is tested as never before, especially when Monica turns to his unscrupulous nemesis for assistance. As Greg and Monica’s animosity turns into something far sweeter, can they learn to accept each other’s promises and avoid the growing danger to their lives and hearts?
Now to chat with Sandra about the beautiful Lake Tahoe setting of Love’s Promises!
SHERIDA: What glimmer of an idea started your thoughts for Love’s Promises?
SANDRA: Two glimmers happened for me. My husband and I bought a house at Lake Tahoe, and it needed a lot of work done on it. The work needed permits, and that is when we ran into the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. My husband is a biologist and we both have deep concern and love of nature, so we were very impressed with the Agency’s plan to protect the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe in spite of the extensive use. The research was very rewarding.
The other thing that happened at that time is that I was involved in a class for women offered at church that pointed out God’s plan for women and their role as godly wives. Becoming an adult in the era when women’s lib started, I thought the precepts presented in my Bible class were refreshing, and I wanted to show those in my writing as well.
SHERIDA: Both of your inspirational experiences are developed so well in the book, the concern of preserving natural beauty and the reflections on God’s plan for being a wife.
As I mentioned, I love tea houses, but the Tea House mentioned in your book is not what I was thinking it would be. Please tell us a bit about the Tea House you describe in Love’s Promises.
SANDRA: No, the tea house located on Fannette Island in Emerald Bay is very unconventional, isn’t it? It was built by Lora Josephine Knight, who purchased the property on shore and the island in 1928 and built the house and teahouse according to Scandinavian architecture. She would take her lady friends out to the island for tea. The small structure included a fireplace and a table and chairs. I think she built it to protect them from the wind and cold that can come up while on the lake.
SHERIDA: I do hope to visit this tea house! My husband and I love travel. We have plans to see Lake Tahoe this summer for the first time. What would you suggest to add sparkle to our visit? (We like camping, hiking, and food. Any place for tea or coffee you enjoy?)
SANDRA: My recommendation would be to go to the tourist information centers. They are located in the major towns and also in the state parks and national monuments. You need to make reservations early as they book up fast for camping. Any of the campgrounds are fabulous. Take your bicycles, as you can ride to interesting places from all of the campgrounds. Hiking trails abound in the forest around the lake. There is also access to the Desolation Wilderness Area on the west side of the lake.
Every town has fabulous restaurants for coffee and tea. Just ask the campground hosts where you camp. I particularly love to have coffee on the deck at Sunnyside along the west shore. (Here is their website: http://www.sunnysidetahoe.com) Btw, they received a “best ambiance” award in 2014.
SHERIDA: Thank you for your trip-planning suggestions, Sandra. And thank you for your blog tour events and the giveaway featuring Lake Tahoe. I love Love’s Promises!
SANDRA: Thank you, Sherida. I am looking forward to the blog tour. I am delighted that you love the book.
Follow the Love’s Promises blog tour set up by Amber Stokes by clicking on the pretty button below. Visit with the other bloggers who present fun information about LOVE’S PROMISES!
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT LOVE’S PROMISES:
This is a story about Monica Scott’s determination to build a house, designed by her father, on an environmental sensitive plot of land in the Tahoe Basin area of California in the 1980’s. Her plans are thwarted by Greg Linsey, an agent with the organization charged with protecting the quality of life in the area. Well-motivated characters and the different ways love is expressed, fill this story with thoughtful inspiration. I enjoyed the sense of hiking and exploring the beautiful scenery of Lake Tahoe, so lovingly described by Sandra Leesmith.
Favorite quotes:
A slight breeze rushed through the trees. The cool air refreshed his exerted body. Birds sang. Squirrels scattered in front of him. Pleasure coursed through Greg as the stirrings of spring transferred from nature to him. He looked around and thanked God again for His wonderful creation, and thanked his forefathers for the wisdom to preserve it. For the first time in months, peace settled in his heart.
“That’s called love. It’s the way love works. You put someone else before yourself. In appreciation, that person does the same.”
About author Sandra Leesmith:
Sandra Leesmith
Sandra Leesmith loves to travel in her RV and explore all of nature’s beauty, discover America’s history, and fellowship with the wonderful people she meets while on the road. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, swimming, and pickleball. Learn more about Sandra and her books at www.sandraleesmith.com.
Sandra is offering one reader a taste of Lake Tahoe with a sweet prize pack: a signed paperback copy of Love’s Promises, a journal, a Lake Tahoe coffee mug, a pound of Millstone Velvet Chocolate coffee, and a Hulet Glass chocolate drop! This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. You can enter to win via the Rafflecopter form below: a Rafflecopter giveaway //d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js
Thanks to Sandra Leesmith and my readers for stopping by for TUESDAY TEA, even if we just had water and trail bars today, but so fitting for the beautiful hiking to be experience in Sandra Leesmith’s Love’s Promises! Be sure to enter the giveaway. Hope you enjoy Love’s Promises,as I did! May you always be blessed by the gift of our Savior’s love as celebrated at Easter! Blessings to you!
We went hiking recently….in a land that looks like wilderness.
The trail starts innocently enough…a dirt path with unnecessary cairns marking the way.
But as we hike further, the trail turns into the stone of old lava flows.
The cairns become vital to showing us the correct direction.
The black layers of lava are pushed into mounds. Deep crevices split the rough surface.
But here among the rocks of the wilderness, bright desert flowers grow.
How perfect an example of God leading us through the wilderness…with a gift of life at the end.
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. Isaiah 35:1-3 (NKJV)
So enjoy a trail bar and sip some iced tea from your water bottle as we marvel at God’s blessings.
Sherida Stewart 