Starting to feel the quiet

Thursday, June 18, 2026
What a peaceful awakening in Montana. W is out the door at morning devotions by the time I rouse myself.

Our room offers the perfect place for quiet reflection. This summer, I'm reading a thought-provoking classic: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together. He gives a timeless call for followers of Jesus to live in Christian community because of Jesus and only for that reason.

He reminds us that we don't gather because we like or dislike each other, or when we agree or disagree with others' theology. Jesus is the center and the reason we exist in community. There is no life outside of the forgiveness of our salvation or the centering wisdom of Christ's Body, the Church. In a fragmented, opinionated world, Bonhoeffer is a startling read.

I emerge into the upstairs sitting room, designed for our kids when they were youngsters. Now the next generation enjoys hanging out there. The huge Costco dog sofa wasn't purchased for dogs but as the perfect sprawl space for our kids (and now the grandkids).

Remember the Blockbuster video stores of the 1990s? When they closed, we bought a rack of shelves to house books and toys, including a leather-bound collection of Louis L'Amour Westerns. Our friend Mel loved L'Amour books. Since his kids use the cabin, I hope their families enjoy the stories that their dad and grandpa relished reading.

We placed a long dresser beside the stairwell to prevent guests from toppling into the opening. Someone gave us an expensive hutch. It was great for linen storage, though the front and sides looked uninspiring. In a creative mood one day, I cut and pasted Mac-Tac shelf liner into a more campy "birch" vibe.

The house is full of family memories. My "best uncle" Erich's vintage portable typewriter became an end table in one of the bedrooms.

The day's bonus is greeting Joanna Weaver, a friend and companion in faith. She and her mama have made a 2-hour trip to inspect the family cabin built by her daughter and son-in-law. It's beautiful and almost complete.

Friday - Will's birthday

My youngest brother is in his 60s. He rides his bicycle to work with our son this morning, taking a "short-cut" through the mountains on the German-Swiss border. Hills all the way buti it's "harder on the way home," he remarks. Happy birthday! Love ya.

W and I walk along the Flathead River, picking up a shed snakeskin on the bank. I say it's for the grandkids but really? I enjoy such things as much or more than they do.

These recent tracks don't look very friendly: bear? It is bear country.

The water is still high with spring run-off. We waded across one August with experienced guides. Now I marvel at our adventures, that one with two of us hanging on to our youngsters so they weren't swept away as we crossed the deeper flowing sections of the summer level. What were we thinking? (Were we thinking?)

We used to kayak down the river years ago, too.

We admire the old firetruck that waters the dusty roads into submission. The "shop guys" have modified it with PVC pipes to sprinkle water as it drives up and down the streets.

Another classic can be used for fighting fires.

The wildflowers are bright in the morning light.

There are yellows, purples, pinks, whites, and blues. Over the course of a summer, when the kids and I spent late-June through August here, we admired the parade of wild beauties.

Wild roses smell so sweet! Each time I notice a shrub, I stop to smell the honey-rose scent.

I have had an allergy since we got here. I've only been allergic twice before: once on a trip to Disney World (Florida) 35 years ago (same drip), and with my last penicillin shot (body-wide rash). Today my eyes drain, nose runs, and I am tired. We pick up a generic Claritin allergy med ($6 instead $20 for more tablets). Taking 1-pill-a-day should help.

After breakfast, I hang a curtain, using a scarf from Indonesia. Safety pins create a hem so it can be threaded on a curtain rod under the sink. It's tidier than an open shelf where the garbage, the underside of the sink, and a storage box rest. I rearrange baskets and storage jars on the shelves, washing items that have become dusty.

The sun is high in the sky. The slim balcony overhead shades the entry. Sunshine reaches half of the hanging plants so we turn the pot twice a week. I clip a few long vines and put them in water to root. 

W uses the big scythe to cut the weeds near the birch stumps. I weed grass and dandelions, gathering the cuttings into a heap.

I have barely enough energy to do a load of laundry and wash inside the entry windows before I fall into bed, fast asleep for a few hours. "Could the meds be making you so tired?" W asks.

W helps camp volunteers turn the accommodations around after the teen camp wraps up. New campers arriving this weekend. The volunteers clean, including sanitizing bedding and surfaces.

Just before supper,  I check emails and write the blog post using camp wi-fi. My eyes start streaming again. At least my nose is drier than yesterday.

I pause my walk at the cross and benches along the river.

Some years ago, aging campers started buying golf carts to get around. Now there are over 100 on site.

Supper is fresh and refreshing.

Saturday
Every day feels like the weekend here. The sweet fragrance of Donna's peonies stops me in my tracks. "Help yourself to flowers if you want a bouquet," she says. Really? (That's more exciting than offering a steak to one of our dogs.)

There are several kinds of hydrangeas and mop-heads. I just can't get enough of summer flowers.

I cook our meals, go for long walks, and keep washing dust off items in the cabin. We're almost there ... 

W finds me partway through the campground; we stop to chat with people. This field, complete with benches and river view, is empty until the next group comes.

Rifling through storage, I come across a pad of paper labeled 2000. It's covered with drawings and words explaining games our youngest son created as a pre-teen. He still loves gaming, but now he's mostly online (or playing board games with friends when they meet.)

Back in Bandung, 85 show up for Saturday English lessons at the Project. We are thrilled to serve the community in this way. Devoted leaders and volunteers serve with grace, whether we're there or not.

After a late lunch, we walk within range of the camp wi-fi to write and read emails. Our perch is quiet, shaded by 80' pines, alders, and birches.

It takes us a few days to relax. A few decades ago, with 4 kids to cook for and get to bed, it used to take me 3 weeks at camp to unwind from the hustle and bustle of city life. We don't have that luxury of time this year, so we're hurrying to slow down. Ummm. Is that even a thing?

Read more:
* [4 proverbs or wise sayings] 

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:1-4

* I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One. Isaiah 60:16

* We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

* The one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. 1 John 5:18

Moravian Prayer:  We are so glad, Lord, that you are strong. You give us the strength we need to work wonders. May we remember to let you work through us and to not do everything on our own. Help us look to you for all we need to serve you and others. 

You are a mighty fortress, Lord. We thank you for your protection over us. We know that you will always be with us when the world challenges us. Thank you. Amen.

The world is a beautiful place ...

Saturday, June 14, 2026
I'm writing when W heads out for morning coffee with "the Saturday guys." Every Saturday for the decades when we lived in Seattle, W met with them. He tries to see the guys every time we get back. Our son T goes along this morning. 

The kitchen is fragrant from the mock orange blossoms on the stem plucked yesterday.

W goes to the camera shop to see what they'll give him for his old gear and cameras. Meanwhile, I dump powders and leaves from the spice cabinet into a big jar for disposal. Most of the spices smells fresh, even after 12 years sealed in cool, air-tight containers. But I need the glass jars for our Indonesian kitchen.

By the time the bottom shelf is 3/4 empty, my hands are wrinkled and I'm ready for a break.

I have lunch before washing jars and lids from the lowest level and scrubbing the bottom shelf. There's time for some laundry, shaking out rugs, and vacuuming. I'll have to wash down the floors where they touch the walls and corners. Without trim around the edges of the rooms, dust and dirt accumulate. The margins are due for a deep clean on hands and knees.

Sunday
We're at Cedar Park for the morning service. Ps Jay reminds us that the Spirit of God lives in God's children and guides in God's ways. W visits with former students and I hug old friends.

Lunch at the golf course is with a dear friends. Bev and I used to walk the neighborhoods early in the morning. We catch up on kids, health, and next things. (Unfortunately, W's camera lens is blurry.)

The kids invite us up for supper. Time with them and the grands is special.

Monday
W's book on Paul's practises and writing about women in ministry is trending on Amazon. With new restrictive culturalization happening at SBC, it's a timely read. (Click the link above to get your own copy.) He reads each comment. He's taken by the interactions between people who have read it as well as those who comment before reading it.

It's a quiet morning, between laundry, packing suitcases, and cleaning the flat. I check in on Mom: she's having a hard time sleeping with new meds. We pray for her safe and soon Home-going. What a release it will be from her pain and suffering. 

Before noon, I meet with two of three women in a 20+ year accountability group. Our initials were WPPRs (W: oh, the Whoppers!) haha The name stuck and we have remained friends for over 30 years. The cafe is hot and noisy so it's hard to hear each other. But we visit, chat, and pray together. What a precious time.

W picks me up and we drive to Spokane to visit a longtime friend of the heart. Time with Martha refreshes my soul, every time. Jeremy and Rebekah join in for supper at the German restaurant Das Steinhaus. Sadly, I'm not even slightly hungry but the food smells good. I eat a quarter of a Reuben sandwich and put the rest away for another time. (W and I eat it on the way to the cabin.)

Jeremy and I walk the country road near his place. What beautiful silence - and what polite neighbors. They slow their pickups and cars to minimize clouds of dust as they drive by.

Wildflowers have sprung up along the gravel road.

The skies are filled with color as we enjoy dessert and prayer before bedtime.

Tuesday
We wake early: at 4:30AM, it's starting to get light out. We've said goodbye last night so W and I pack the generous gifts of goodies (pastries, eggs from R's chickens), and a bag to pass on to Melissa. I can't resist a photo of the flowers along Martha's sidewalk.

We're on our way about 6AM. 

The mountains and ranchland surround us as we pass state lines into Montana. 

Long trains wind their way around the rivers and forests.

Before long, we're at Flathead Lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the world. It has the largest lake surface area in the western USA.

We make a quick stop at the Lakeside Marina to share my leftover Reuben sandwich before driving to camp. 

On the way into the campground, we spot a genius solution around a firepit = the long pipes offer low maintenance and lots of seating.

The big windstorm earlier in the spring destroyed 30 trees. Looks like that wind also blew over the birch that shaded our cabin. Volunteers cleared the trees off the campground.

We have a quick look around. The doors need painting. Some siding needs repair. The kitchen faucet is leaking. Otherwise, it's in good order.  Keelee and Jenn cleaned and closed the cabin last fall. It is spotless. Paul comes to turn on the water. 

We do a quick dust and vacuum to get the winter grit off the surfaces so it's ready for unpacking. After things are put away, I melt a Trader Joes Belgian chocolate bar, smash roasted almonds, pistachios, and a few toffee bars and stir them together, adding salt and vanilla. After it cools in the fridge for an our, it's not bad. I break it into pieces and store it in the fridge again. Here it's cool enough to leave fruit and chocolate on the counter (47-80oF/8-27oC). I'm in the habit of refrigerating everything in the tropics for protection against heat and ants.

We walk up to an early supper at Tex and Jerry's. What do you know? It's Taco Tuesday. We're 20 minutes early for supper, but too weary to find another place to eat. It's worth the wait since the food is utterly delicious and hits the spot. We plot to bring the grandkids up here when they come.

My new-to-me Merrills, snapped up online by Kirsten, are comfortable.

Out walking off the meal, we meet Yvonne, who is as curious about a cabin for sale as we are. The owner lets us in to look around. He has an offer but hasn't decided if that's enough to sell it.

Nature is largely left to its own creativity. Several residents are woodworkers, so they'll make beautiful spoons and vases from these little burl pouches.

Wednesday
It's a short night. I'm wide awake at 3AM. It's very quiet! here. You hear every crackle of the metal roof as it adjusts to night temperatures. Every chirp of a bird. Each scuffle of branch against branch. I listen to Ezra/Nehemiah from scripture, read some Bonhoffer, and write. By 5AM, it's getting light out.

Ugh. We leave the suitcase of food from the pantry behind. We've accumulated canned goods and stable foods over the past decade, each time we were back to Seattle. This was our chance to eat up and clear it out. I berate myself: I should have checked what got packed into the car!

Instead of taking a leisurely stroll around the campground, we waste the morning grocery shopping.  Ugh. At two stores, we buy pasta, pancake mix, jam, sugar, and other staples. We'd have to get fresh vegetables, potatoes, and fruit anyway. Distances of 30-40 miles are "nothing," driven here.

When we return before noon, I am still hungry for breakfast. I unpack the groceries while W checks us in with the office. Then I make pancakes, spicy chicken-mango sausages, and hash browns. The fresh cherries we've purchased round out the meal. We don't yet have water in the kitchen, so W offers to wash dishes in the laundry sink. No way am I turning down that offer. 

The faucet works again by evening. I seem to remember its 0-ring drying out over winter, spilling water everywhere, and then working after it gets rehydrated.

I'm sleepy by mid-afternoon. Glacier Park is another third as high in elevation as Bandung - and I haven't been home for a month. It must be time for a rest: I crash out for an hour. I make loaded baked potatoes, cherries, and coleslaw for supper. I add a half-apple to my plate.

We walk the grounds for an hour, meeting friends old and new. Reflecting on the faithfulness of God with those who have served Him over decades of ministry encourages us.

The Christoffersons insist on our pic as well. (Since this is my journal, I might as well remember what we looked like in 2026.)

Read more:
* Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me. Psalm 138:7

* I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD and my reward with my God. Isaiah 49:4

* God desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

* Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5

* Jesus said, “In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!” John 16:33

* Paul said, “For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’” Acts 27:23-24

* Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:1-6

Moravian Prayer: Oh God, we pray that you protect the least among us. Help us find ways to aid those around us who need a helping hand. We know that when we help others, we are honoring you.

Lord, you know our families are a big part of our lives, as is our work. Help us to keep you in all parts of our lives; we need you there. Be with us on all our journeys. Help us to see you in those around us, regardless of how different they are from us. Amen.