Eyes Wide Open

Hello my treasured friends! Thank you for your patience in receiving my new published post. It's been a bit of a whirlwind these last eight weeks, but it's been amazing all the same. Over the last 2 months I've been unusually busy, as I have gone to 3 different seminars over 3 weekends, Easter weekend came and went, my birthday occurred, I went to a powerful women's weekend church retreat, with the theme of Renewal. It was so amazing and refreshing. I also met some amazing folks that I am honored to call new friends, and to end the 7 week crazy schedule, I had the pleasure of having my mother stay with us for a week, which was lovely in every way! Although it's been unusually busy, I wouldn't change a thing, although I am glad to finally get some time to write this new post and relax a bit. I think my husband is a bit relieved to have me back to my regular routine as well. He was doing his best to be supportive, so thank you again!

I also would like to take a moment to also say thank you to my treasured supportive subscribers, for spending your valuable time with me as you take your precious time to read this new post and explore the different facets of my site. I hope you have had an enjoyable last few weeks, and you have been succeeding as you take steps to grow in a positive way, even if they are baby steps. Each step you take in this endeavor truly counts :)

I was trying to decide whether I was going to mention what I am about to write. It is not for sympathy because I have learned a few valuable lessons from what happened. I can now see the relevance in mentioning it, so I will. As I was finishing this post yesterday, after spending several hours on it, I got out of my chair to take a few minutes break. When I got back to my laptop, it had turned off and I am not exactly sure why. My cable was not plugged in all the way, but when I turned my computer back on, the battery still had adequate charge left. Well, my situation went to another level when I realized my finished draft I was about ready to post, never saved. I even got my technical husband involved to try and retrieve it, but we were both unsuccessful. I sat there stunned for a few minutes, and after I picked my chin up off the floor, I walked away to decide what my next plan of action was going to be, as gracefully as I could. Would you expect anything less of me? lol

The irony in all of this is, the content in which I was writing about in my first draft, actually paralleled, the point I was coming to at the end of my first draft before the document vanished. My computer not automatically saving my draft, gave me the opportunity to live one of the reminders I was writing about. I will never know if this was the act of spiritual warfare, because I am aware of crazy things like this happening, or if I should chalk it up to just happenstance. Regardless, I am going to take this as the enemy trying to block this from being published and trying so hard to steal my joy, especially as I go in a second time to continue on, to describe him and his schemes more in depth! I felt such peace when I was working on my first draft. I hooked up a Bluetooth speaker to my Spotify playlist and had some powerful worship music playing in the background as I was writing. I felt such peace and satisfaction finally getting the opportunity to write a post after a few weeks of being so busy. I was having such a joyful experience and it all came to a screeching halt, the minute I realized my finished draft had vanished. I had to regain my composure pretty quick because we had 15 minutes to wolf down our dinner before we had our Churches Life Group Zoom meeting. I didn't mention it to anyone last night, because I didn't want to relive it, or give this experience more rent space in my life. I am sure at one time or another you have all had this happen to you, and you can relate with how horrifying this can be. Once again, it's a reminder of hitting the save button periodically while creating your drafts. After I got over the shock of not being able to retrieve my several hours of enjoyable writing, I was actually somewhat proud of myself for the way I reacted to the whole situation, and I learned a few very important lesson from it. If we take our tough lessons in life and realize they happen to make us stronger and wiser, they are all worth it. This point leads me straight into my story. This last Sunday, Mike and I went on a beautiful new hike that we heard about through the grapevine. It is called Double Peak in San Marcos, California. It is a wonderful hike that we will visit again because we liked it so much. It does have a fairly steep incline so I am including the All trails app so that you can read about it more if you are in the area. It is a also a great resource to have, if you haven't referenced it yet to find other wonderful hikes in your area. https://www.alltrails.com

As we began the trail, we came upon a small pond with some beautiful mallards swimming peacefully about. It was so cute to see one of the mama's three ducklings, basking in the sun on a rock close by. I have included a picture below.

It is always fun to try a hike you've never been on, because everything is new, and you have many choices to make while you are trying it. You just always hope you are taking the right turn or you are choosing the right path to have an enjoyable experience. I have come to realize the importance of being aware of key landmarks and directional signs for many logical reasons, one of them being, it comes in handy when trying to locate your car at the end of your adventure :-) As we proceeded on the trail, the incline began to get steeper, but we were more focused on the beautiful surroundings and the perfect 70-degree weather with the gentle ocean breeze we occasionally experienced, as we ascended the trail. We knew if we got up close to the top of Double Peak, we would most likely be able to see the beautiful coast line. That was going to be the icing on the cake. Many times hiking can organically bring about wonderful conversation. This is where Mike and I sometimes have our best talks. I was so zeroed in on our conversation, I quickly became stunned when all of a sudden Mike raised his voice and said, "Snake!" Of course I stopped in my footsteps and thank God I did, because if I had taken 2 or 3 more steps, I would have stepped on the back end of a rattlesnake that was quietly basking in the middle of the trail, right in my path. Either the snake's rattle was completely out of working order, or he was trying to figure out his next move because I was quickly approaching without a clue of what was ahead of me. I was so grateful that my husband was so in tune and aware of our surroundings, and I was so eternally grateful that I felt God's Holy Spirit had protected me by making him aware of the snakes presence, just a few steps ahead. After my complete shock, I finally regained my composure, and was able to back up and snap a couple quick photos (see below)

We stood there in awe for a few minutes, and proceeded with an increased heart rate and our eyes wide open, scanning the perimeter. After a few minutes, I looked back and there was a man walking on the trail close to where the snake was. He had his earbuds in and was completely unaware of the quiet camouflaged snake that had now slithered on the trail next to the curb, in the shadows. I began to make very large gestures to get his attention, while pointing to the ground. I think he thought at first, I was the dangerous one, but he soon realized I was harmless, and he stopped in his footsteps about 3 feet from the snake. He was so appreciative that I had gotten his attention. He took out his earbud and said he was in his own little world enjoying listening to a podcast. He was completely unaware of what was right in front of him even though his eyes were wide open. As we continued the hike, we were able to warn several other hikers we ran into, about the rattlesnake ahead. As I was writing about this experience, the serpent written about in Genesis in The Holy Bible popped into my mind. It is an incredible life changing historical event that happened with Adam and Eve, the first human beings created thousands of years ago, that would ever change the world as it was first created by God. The enemy we call Satan came to the couple in the form of a snake, tempting them with the opportunity to be more knowledgeable than God by disobeying the only rule God gave them, which was to not eat of The Tree Of Knowledge and The Tree Of Life. God gave them choices as we are given each and every day in our lives today. If Adam and Eve would have been thinking correctly, they would have realized this was a scheme of the enemy to try and do the impossible. God put a rule in place and gave Adam and Eve a chance of experiencing perfection, but he did not make them obey. He gave them a choice in life as we are still given in this day and age. No one will ever be smarter or more powerful than God, but they thought it sounded interesting to try and see what would happen. Here is a good article explaining what was written about in Genesis 2 & 3. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-exactly-was-the-forbidden-fruit.html

As I have studied this topic some, I have become aware that satan can not create anything. All he can do is mimic and twist the truth just slightly to try and package his deceit in a way that seems alluring and beneficial; camouflaging the negative effects it will surly bring. This is done to deceive you, and get you off track. This is his motivation. He wants to get people as far away from the truth so they are prevented from experiencing true freedom, peace, and joy in their lives. It is all a bunch of smoke and mirrors, like you witness happening at a magic show. I'm going to take this opportunity to circle back to that story, and how the enemy is a master of camouflaging danger in a very quiet and sly way, just as the rattlesnake we encountered on Sunday. We never heard a rattle to warn us! Which is kind of alarming. We did later read that when a rattlesnake is young they do not rattle, but their bite can be deadly. Coming so close to being bit by the snake helped me to reflect and once again realize, life is not always going to be a walk in the park. We will go through trials, tribulations, and uncomfortable situations, but if we are aware of our surroundings and what can be lurking in this wonderful but unpredictable world, we will be much better off and one step ahead in life.

I don't know exactly why we had that uncomfortable experience on the trail last weekend, but I do know that it happened for a reason. Maybe it was because God was reminding me to be much more aware of what is around, and how easily danger and the enemies schemes can be camouflaged, or was it for the man who we were able to warn, as he was innocently strolling along enjoying his day; unaware of the dangers around him? Was it to help remind anyone reading this of the importance of being prepared and aware? Was it to remember to keep ourselves and our loved ones in prayer for their guidance and protection each day? Was it to remind us of the importance of putting on The Full Armor Of God before our feet hit the floor each day, believing that God will be at least one step ahead of us as He guides our path and helps us spot any dangers around us, if we do surrender our day to Him, and believe He will. You can read this enlightening scripture if you look up Ephesians 6:10-18. I'm including a wonderful article I have found that helps to understand how the enemy works, what to look for, and why he is able to do this. I hope you take the time to read it. It is a very beautiful and informative article explaining this event and how God put in a plan of redemption and salvation for mankind https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-does-god-allow-satan-to-steal-kill-and-destroy.html

As I close for this week, I want to apologize for not making this post so close to Mothers Day more relaxing. I expect to get a call quickly if my mom takes out time to read this lol. I gotta go where the spirit leads me! I would like to take a moment to wish all of the future mothers, present day mothers, grandmothers, and treasured biological aunties as well as honorable aunties a lovely and enjoyable Mothers Day. I know some of you out there did not have the best mother figure, but I am hoping and praying you have had some wonderful healthy minded good hearted female influences in your life. If you have not experienced that, I would encourage you to pray for them to be in your near future. God hears your prayers!

I thought I would include a picture of the beautiful and fragrant roses my son Jordan and his wife Norissa sent me for Mothers Day. Thank you so much! I am looking forward to celebrating my mother, and also going out with my son Chase and his Fiancé Ann, and her parents as well. What a joy you all are in my life. I love you all.

I am also adding a few pictures of our Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Tree I promised I would keep you updated on as the flowers progress in bloom. Here is what it looked like on April 25, 2023.

(This Picture was taken on May 4, 2023)

Mike planted this tree for me when I would no longer be able to enjoy my other tree at the last home I lived at, before moving down to the San Diego area. It is still in full bloom as of today in 2023 and the fragrance is as stunning as the three colors it produces. In the years past it began blooming about 3 weeks earlier, but this year it will still look beautiful this Mothers Day! I consider this another amazing gift from our Lord, who get's great pleasure in blessing us all and seeing us progress :) As I watch this tree continue to bloom, I believe it is a perfect picture of how each step we take in our Growth Walk, leads to increased beauty in our lives :) Keep up the great work my friends!

If you have not already done so, please SUBSCRIBE to get email notification of future posts I publish. I am so happy you stopped by today, thank you again! I would love to hear how you are doing on your Growth Walk. The COMMENTS section is there for you to share. I am truly interested and I am looking forward to hearing from you! We are in this together and need to continue cheering one another on as we break out of our comfort zones. Have a lovely rest of your week, and enjoy!

All my best and God Bless,

Jen Henry