I lift my eyes up to the mountains. . .

When I was 16 our family took a vacation to Colorado Springs to visit Leres.  Needless to say I was very VERY excited to see Philip.  [VERY excited].  It was my first time in Colorado, and I absolutely fell in love with this place and knew in my heart of hearts that I would be back.  Oh that trip. . . it makes me laugh to marvel about it now. . . I remember getting to ride [alone!] with him in his blue pickup truck.  I remember a lot of minute details and moments of the trip as I was working very hard to soak up every moment in the presence of the man I so desperately wanted to marry someday.  I also remember our visit to the AF Academy.  I remember pleading desperately with God that Philip would attend the Academy so that he would not be in a university environment saturated with beautiful, eligible females.  (God had other plans, but all's well that ends well, right?)

One thing that I will never forget about visiting the Academy chapel was a banner that held the words of the 121st Psalm.  I lift my eyes up to the mountains - Where does my help come from?  Quite apropo given that the chapel is beautifully situated at the base of the Rockies.  This morning at church, Psalm 121 was printed in the bulletin.  I couldn't help but think of being impacted by those words in that venue over a decade ago.  I also found myself marveling at the power that the rest of the passage holds and how its truth is exactly what I need to focus on right now.  These verses do not insinuate or give any kind of blanket guarantee that life will be without tragedy or loss but together are a powerful reminder that we are firmly in His grasp and constantly under his close, careful, loving, protective watchful eye.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains-
  where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you -
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day
   nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm-
   he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forever more.