By no means is our San Diego hotel room "deluxe" accommodations...I wouldn't call it shabby either, but let's just say that that we are staying in the block of rooms for the people who managed to find the bargain price that was too good to be true. Little things that to me make a huge difference in the comfort of a room are missing. But, after 5 nights I've come to find comfort and contentment in our room - I've even gone so far as to sing the praises of our mattress (it's actually quite comfortable!)

But this evening, it didn't matter if you were staying at the Motel 6 or the Waldorf Astoria because the Creator of the Universe whipped up a little something special for us that no concierge could hold a candle to. Outside our window was the most spectacular, magnificent, stunning sunset that I've seen in a long time. This picture cannot do this sunset justice...it just had to be experienced. I just imagined what my sunset looked like at the cliffs (one of ours stops from the day before). I thought God might be sitting behind the sun and blowing the clouds our way because the effect was like pillowy waves that the sky could not hold onto. I feel ridiculous even trying to describe it...you just had to be there. Yeah, it was sight to behold.

I mentioned the cliffs...that would be Sunset Cliffs. A place of significance to me when I lived in SD, as I spent a many times there wrestling with things I didn't understand. My favorite thing about the cliffs is the sound and the smell. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful view - the entire Pacific Ocean is before your very eyes (and if the sun is in just the right place, you can watch it reflect off the waves like a golden shimmer). But there's just something about closing your eyes and using your sense of smell and hearing to experience it. It's something that I've missed living up in Northern Cal. and now I will surely miss it much more. I know there will be new things to experience, but there will always be a part of me that's "from the beach city".

While Steve, Dad, Mike and Abby went exploring down one of the cliff areas, I was looking around snapping pictures and something caught my eye. I'm walking on this rocky path...I mean, it's a cliff...it's rocky, dirty, sandy, whatever you want to call it. I'm looking down the nooks and crannies of the cliff and all of the sudden I realize that there is plant life growing out of these rocky areas. Forgive me if you are horticulturally savy with a green thumb....maybe my next comment is ignorant. But I always thought that you needed moist, deep, fertile soil for stuff to grow. How in the world does plant life come out of a rock?

I guess I don't really care about the logic behind why a lush green flowering plant can grow out of a rocky crag (actually, I don't know if this would be considered a "crag" - actually, I don't really know what a crag is but doesn't that sound good?). What I care more about is being open to a spiritual lesson...I think there are many from this scene - but the one that seemed to be highlighted at the time is this: God can take something rocky, rough, dirty, etc. and make something beautiful come out of it. I was also reminded that the place that experienced the growth had to yield to God's hand. Of course all a rocky area can do is yield, but hopefully you get the picture I'm trying to paint. Some of those rocky places in our lives that we have a hard time turning over are just waiting to burst forth with lush, green life...

Ok - enough of that...I know I didn't post yesterday - I just needed a day off. Here's the readers digest version. We went walking around at Seaport Village then went to Sunset Cliffs for awhile. We drove to Point Loma then headed back to base camp to rest. We had late evening dining at Sala Thai (another cuisine that we'll be missing in TN, I'm sure!! Hey S-girl - the Tom Kha here is AWESOME!!)

Feel free to check out the photo gallery by clicking here.

Prayer requests: please pray for Mike...he's feeling under the weather again and he's up against a 3am conference call on Friday morning and MANY hours of driving on Saturday. Also - we've got a huge travel day on Saturday....San Diego to Cottonwood, AZ. Please pray for travel mercies and also for good weather!

Lastly - today I had to take a ton of clothes to the laundromat in La Mesa. Fortunately, I had the company of my bro and daughter to take the edge off. Leave it to them to find something goofy to do at the wash-a-teria!

Missing you,
k