What Happened in Vegas

We returned Sunday night from our trip to Las Vegas. I was a first-timer. My sister-in-law got a great deal for 6 of us at the Bellagio. I was glad to be there with people who knew where to go, and where not to go! We were so busy I didn't even knit! I had a good time sightseeing and enjoying temps in the 90's. The fountains at Bellagio were a highlight, as well as all the beautiful hotels. The flowers in the lobby of the Wynn were gorgeous.

One night we got a couple desserts to take up to the room. For once something this pretty tasted even better than it looked:

Unfortunately Jack got a cold which did not stay in Vegas. I'd go back again, but not right away. There are a lot more naturally beautiful places on my wish list. Maybe we'll go some winter when I really need to soak up that sun.

Peace

Today my nature walk came complete with the usual squirrels and chipmunks, two rabbits, three golf balls, a swimming muskrat and, oh yes, a snake. A new variety this time, a tiny gray snake who was just lying on the gravel, playing possum I suppose. I prodded it with a stick to get it to move off into the grass where I imagined it would be safer. Maybe the real desire of my heart is to be a herpetologist. But I doubt it. Thankfully this one was so little and slow-moving that I didn't jump.
Last month I asked whether hardship is really the path to peace. I looked up some things the Bible says about peace and my short answer is "No." My search was by no means exhaustive, but I got a review of a few truths I seemed to have forgotten. Peace is fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Jesus gives us His peace (John 14:27). He will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast (Isaiah 26:3). I kept getting the message that peace is a gift and it comes from God.
I did find some evidence of hardship bringing peace: The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him (Isaiah 53:5), and He made peace through His blood (Colossians 1:20). So He took the hardship upon Himself and makes the peace available to us as a gift.
As usual, I think I was asking the wrong question. We will all walk the path of hardship to some extent. But it won't bring peace of itself. Hardship will happen; peace is available. The only source is Jesus.

Delighting

I have been walking regularly at the UW-Green Bay arboretum the past couple weeks, and I enjoy it a great deal more than sidewalks. I highly recommend it unless you are afraid of snakes. I have seen three of them since last Monday. They are just garter snakes, minding their own business. I am not really afraid of snakes, but they always startle me at first glance. Then I am irritated with myself for being such a baby. Once I get over the initial shock, I like to watch them because they are pretty interesting. If I could just stop shrieking like a girl!

I attended the Beth Moore event last weekend. As usual, when God wants me to hear something He keeps repeating it. Before my walk today I picked a card out of one of those little Bible verse collections I have sitting on the kitchen counter. Sure enough, Psalm 37:4-5. "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this..." So I have been pondering that and was delighting myself in the Lord on my little nature walk. I even tried to be delighted about the snake. One of Beth's points was that behind the desire of our heart is the heart of our desire. All the things I desire are based on a deeper longing. I am still figuring out both the surface and the deep stuff, and the only way to get there is delighting in the Lord.