Tillamook Forestry Center
Into the woods near Newberg
Picking blueberries near Newberg
Scenes from the Oregon Coast. Joyce and Sarah getting out of the wind. Chilly! Smile!
Oregon Coast — Pacific Ocean
MORNING FOG
SUNSHINE
Amazing! Today we’ve been transported from the beauty and serenity of Crater Lake to the stately grandeur of the California redwoods in a matter of hours. (Well, there were a lot of very windy roads in between.)
The giant redwoods can stand 300 feet high and have a circumference of 40 feet. Some of the trees we saw today may have been standing when Jesus walked the earth! Tomorrow we get to do more redwood exploring and hopefully do a toe-dip in the Pacific.
We spent the day driving the 35-mile, winding rim road around CRATER LAKE with lots of stops for pictures and a walk to a waterfall. The lake is a beautiful deep blue; the mountains and rocks majestic; the cliffs awesome; and the road very curvy and scary with deep drop-offs all along the way.
. . . on to California and the Redwoods tomorrow.
We are currently ensconced in a refurbished 1930’s cabin in the woods of southern Oregon about 20 miles south of Crater Lake. No TV, no A/C, no cell phone. But the trusty Wi-Fi is working—some of the time. Don’t feel too sorry for us . . . less TV is good.
Earlier today Joyce did a bit of reflection: We are driving across one of many flat basins that characterize northern Nevada and south-central Oregon. The biggest basin we crossed this morning was about 55 miles wide. In Nevada these valleys were surrounded by bald hills. Now we have moved into an area where the hills look like they need a shave. Lots of stubble! We just passed through Adel, Oregon. The scariest part this morning was the 8% road incline into a huge arid basin. The side of the road was pretty much a drop-off and the road was very curvy! At another point, what we think was a large coyote dashed across the road in front of us. It has been very deserted along our route today –amazingly so. The huge distances and stark landscape are breathtaking.
Greetings from Win
nemucca, Nevada, located in the north central part of the state. Highlights of today included the Bonneville salt flats, Great Salt Lake, wide valleys surrounded by mountains still evidencing snow, and a side trip up a beautiful canyon. It was very hot (mid to high 90’s) but our rental car is 
keeping us cool.
TLT
Good news! The Church Alphabet has been translated into Hindi and published in India. I received a copy of the book today. It is good to see this project reach another level of distribution. Thanks to Evangelism Resources for their work in making this possible.
Here are some pictures of the book’s cover and table of contents.
If you want to read it in English, click here: https://hillsidelaughter.com/theology/
May the people who read these words be blessed and encouraged in the faith.
TLT
Father’s Day, 2013: A few sprinkles hit the windshield. I silently pray for no rain and feel nudged to pray for sunshine, as well. A few moments later, we pull up in front of Gray Valley Cemetery. And, as if in answer to my prayer, the clouds part and, yes! The early summer sunshine touches the silent gravestones and graces the bright green of the country hillside. This is where my Daddy is to rest. It can hardly be more beautiful. As a youth, my Dad often traipsed these very same hills of northern Pennsylvania. He was a bit of a loner and often it was just he, perhaps his dog, and his rifle—off in search of rabbit or grouse or maybe a raccoon.
The better part of a century has passed. And I make my way to his gravesite where a lovely pink granite stone stands, decorated to acknowledge Dad’s service as a marine in WWII. In a way, Dad never stopped being a marine. Those years deeply influenced the rest of his life—both for good and, I suppose, somewhat for the not-so-good, too.
His ashes are placed in the ground and I hear the military gun salute behind me, followed by taps. A prayer of thanksgiving is offered for the life of my Dad. Good words of remembrance bring both smiles and tears.
The record will show that Dad was rather like most of us—a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. But in my eyes he was always my hero. I love my Dad and even though he rarely actually said it, I absolutely know he loved me, too. He taught me good lessons that have served well, both for him and in my own life, too: the value of perseverance and hard work; the importance of saving money and using it wisely; the desire to be the best one can be; and what faithfulness looks like—whether within the walls of the Church, or caring for one you love.
As our farewell draws to a close, five of the men sing a beautiful song of hope:
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.
Each of us drops rose petals on the urn and says goodbye. Dad is gone. But in a very real sense he lives on in each of us. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to touch our world with the good that Dad stood for, and with the hope that one day we will again rejoice together with Jesus.
Good-bye, Daddy. I love you!
–Joyce
 | Melanie Kierstead on Becoming Poor |
 | Jane Wang on Becoming Poor |
| Kierstead, Melanie on New Beautiful Cushions |
 | Sandylegrow on Jeremiah |
 | adrieldriver on Jeremiah |
Hillside Laughter 