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Review: A Traveler’s Advisory, by Marcia Lee Laycock

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A Traveler's Advisory, by Marcia Lee LaycockA Traveler’s Advisory, by Marcia Lee Laycock (Small Pond Press, 2015)

These fifty-two “stories of God’s grace along the way” include tales of travel by air, on land, and on water. They’re drawn from the author’s experiences in Canada (including the Yukon), the US, and more exotic locales like Papua New Guinea.

Marcia Lee Laycock writes with a clear, practical style, sharing travel anecdotes and drawing common-sense spiritual parallels for life’s journey. The readings are a good length for a daily burst of inspiration that’s relevant to readers – be they seasoned travellers or homebodies.

A Traveler’s Advisory is a great little book to keep handy for a quick pick-me-up or as a discussion starting-point for a group.

Canadian author Marcia Lee Laycock is known for her devotionals as well as for both contemporary and fantasy fiction. For more about the author and her work, visit marcialeelaycock.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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The Invisible Made Visible

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The Invisible Made Visible

by Steph Beth Nickel

In the English Standard Version of the Bible, Romans 1:19-20 says, “What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

I journeyed across the Pond this month to attend my son’s wedding in Scotland, the homeland of both my ancestors and my husband’s. It was a truly amazing trip. Neither Dave nor I had traveled internationally before except for the occasional trip to the US.

We arrived in Glasgow on Thursday and the wedding took place in St. Fillans by Loch Earn on Saturday. Our son and daughter-in-law were married outside, beside the loch. The scenery was breathtaking.

There is an Arrogant Worms song about Canada titled “Rocks and Trees.” Most of the lyrics are as follows: “Rocks and trees. And trees and rocks. And water.” The Scottish version could go like this: “Mounts and lochs. And lochs and mounts. And castles.”

Mountains

[photo credit: Steph Beth Nickel]

On Sunday, the newlyweds began their married life by driving us north to the Isle of Skye, where we all stayed for three days. Nathanial drove his sister and me while Laura chauffeured her brand new father- and brother-in-law. Nathanial had recently earned his full license and this was the first long journey he had taken as the sole driver. (If you’ve ever driven in Scotland, especially in the Highlands, you will realize what an accomplishment this is.)

I live in Southwestern Ontario and though I am very thankful for our home—and the fact that we experience very few natural disasters—“it really is flat,” as Dave observed when we flew home.

But traveling to the Highlands of Scotland . . . around almost every corner was a spectacular vista. I was snapping pictures like crazy through the windshield.  And Nathanial was so excited to share the wonders with me. He had only been to Skye once since moving to Scotland, but he loves it.

Mountains

[photo credit: Steph Beth Nickel]

There were many reasons for my mama heart to overflow with joy, but there was also a heaviness known to Christians whose children are not walking with the Lord. I was experiencing the awe of observing God’s eternal power, His creation. My son marveled at the beauty but attributes it to millions of years of chance happenings.

While I acknowledged God as the Creator of all the beauty I witnessed, I must confess that I didn’t take time to consciously think about what it revealed about Him. What did it say about His eternal power and divine nature? As I review the pictures I took, this would be a great question to ask myself.

I often pray that the Lord will give me eyes to see and ears to hear. I must start praying this prayer for others as well.

What do you see when you look at the beauty all around? Do you take the time to look for the invisible in what is visible?

Mountains

[photo credit: Steph Beth Nickel]

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Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.

Guest Post: Do Not Be Anxious about Anything—Even the Good Stuff

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Do Not Be Anxious about Anything—Even the Good Stuff

by Steph Beth Nickel

In times of heartache and worry, I’ve often quoted Philippians 4:6-7, which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

On September 2, I will be boarding an airplane with my hubby and our daughter. We will be taking our first trip across the Pond to the land of our ancestors. You see, my eldest son is getting married next to Loch Earn in Scotland, which will be followed by three days on the Isle of Skye (pictured) and various day trips.

Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye [image courtesy of pixabay.com]

As I write these words, I’m very conscious of my breathing and my heart rate. Am I anxious? I guess I am. Am I afraid to fly? Not at all. (And hey, I’ll have hours and hours to read. Bonus!) Am I worried about meeting new people? (If you’ve known me for say—five minutes or so, you’ll know the answer to that one.)

Do I have issues with my future daughter-in-law? Actually, we get along really well. At Laura’s request, we went shopping for her wedding dress when she and my son were visiting for my hubby’s surprise 60th birthday party in March. And she found the dress in a local store I hunted up online.

Why be anxious?

Having purchased our tickets online (with a lot of back and forth and missed telephone calls, but that’s another story), I have to trust that there will be a place for us on the flight—three places preferably. I also have to trust that we will have all the necessary documents and will clear security—on both sides of the Atlantic—without incident.

Have I done my homework? Yep. Have I made an all-inclusive list of things to pack in our checked luggage and in our carry-on, of things to wear and things to have readily available? I actually started packing over two weeks before the departure date. Have I booked my daughter’s transportation home from the airport? I have. (She has to return after a week for work. Dave and I are staying for another seven days.) Hey, I’ve even watched a YouTube video on bundle packing. (If you are planning a trip, it really is a “must watch.”)

Even as I mentally check off the things I need to do, I’m still a little anxious. Can I flip a switch and experience instant calm? Well, not exactly, but there are certainly things I can do.

What to do when we’re anxious:

I can do what the Lord instructs in the passage I shared earlier. I can pray and thank Him for this amazing opportunity.

I can rest assured that He will fulfill His promise and grant me the peace that passes understanding, a divine peace that guards both my heart and mind. Wow! What a promise!

And a number of weeks ago I made a tremendous discovery. It’s like a game actually, a mind game called “Worst Case Scenario.” Based on the reason for my anxiety, the worst thing I can imagine is that we would get to the airport and not be allowed on the plane because of a mix-up with our tickets. (Yes, I know there are even worse scenarios, but they aren’t the possibilities that are troubling me.)

The question is do I trust God? Do I really trust Him? Do I know that everything that comes into my life is filtered through His love? Do I know that He has all the details worked out, even those that haven’t even crossed my mind?

As I ask myself these questions and come to the conclusion that the answer to each one is a resounding yes, I can take a deep breath and leave it all in His hands.

Beyond that, I think it’s about time I memorized the entire passage, Philippians 4:4-7. Those preceding two verses read like this: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (ESV).

Tweetable: God has every detail under control. There’s no need to be anxious.

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Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.