Okay guys out there in Blog-land here is the scoop.  I am 16 days behind in writing this blog and I don’s seem to be able to get caught up as quickly as I’d like.  I write a bit daily in long hand in my diary so I willremember what was happening but can’t get it blogged.  So rather than write retrospectively I am first going to write about about “real time” and then bring you up to date on the last 10 days.  So, today is Saturday Sabbath of the Holy Week, April 4, 2015.  It is about 9:00 p.m. Denver Colorado time.  And how do I know that?  It’s because that is where I am at the present.  I am at my dear friend’s home in Centennial, Colorado who are  Cynthia and Chris and their two beautiful boys.  One being only 2 weeks old.  Oh my goodness are these boys precious.

I arrived in Denver on Thursday coming from Albuquerque.  It should have taken me less than 6 hours but by the time I arrived after several stops it was over 8 hours.  The drive was awesomely beautiful.  I didn’t realize how many mountains were in this area.  Most of the day was traveling either uphill or down hill.  The mountain range is called the FRONT RANGE OF URBAN CORRIDOR.  Just to let you know, just as I pulled up to my friend’s apartment complex it started snowing!  I woke up to a white morning the next day.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the high 70’s.

After arriving in Denver I learned a lesson about

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altitude far to quickly.  Denver is 5,280 feet above sea level.  My friend lives up three flights of steps (long stairways) without an elevator.  And of course I had to make several trips to tote my bags up the steps since her husband wasn’t home and I wasn’t going to allow a woman to carry my “stuff” who had just given birth less than two weeks ago.  Well I quickly went into atrial fib and my heart was pounding and racing after one trip up. I was short of breath wondering what was happening.  By the time I finished unloading 4 trips up and down the stairs I was in a bad state; dizzy, light headed, heart palpitating and racing.  I rested and felt  better but still somewhat lightheaded  (No comments from the peanut gallery Courtland).  Courtland is my son and always has a fast quip in response to most things I say.

The next morning I planned to work out at the gym in the apartment complex where I am staying and thought I should check with the doctor back home about the episode the night before in relationship to the altitude.  I was instructed to go to ER to have my oxygen and heart examined and monitored.  Well, at the end of the conversation I simply stated I was not going to ER as I realized now that it was the altitude and exertion combination that put me in distress.  I promised not to exercise, go up the stairs slowly and drink lots of water.  And that is what I have done.  The first full day here was pretty intense with the light head but is now somewhat better.  When I was in Albuquerque the days before coming here I had some of the same symptoms, especially when I tried to do a cardio workout.  I knew enough not to press my heart rate as it was going up too high too quickly.  My friends in Albuquerque informed me that Albuquerque was a mile high.  It was not until I got to Denver that I put the quickened heart rate, dizziness, and light head as symptoms caused by the the high altitude.  Oh the things you forget when one gets older.  Actually I just forget that I am “older”.

So the bad thing is I couldn’t exercise and the good thing is I couldn’t exercise.  Sort of a two edged sword.

One highlight of my time here in Denver was visiting the Headquarters of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a non-profit organization the works to have volunteer professional photographers available to take photos of babies who do not live after birth.  I met several people at the office who I only knew by voice.  I have been a volunteer photographer for this organization for 9 years.  I am currently the area coordinator for NIMDTS for the Madison area hospitals.  I am on leave now due to my travels but still continually receive calls to do the photos even while gone..  It has been a very difficult task to volunteer for such a sad occasion in someone’s life, but the notes I receive afterward from bereaved parents telling me how much the photos mean to them makes it well worth the effort and heart ache. You may to to:  www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org to learn more about what this organization provides.  It is really amazing.  I am honored to part of this group.

As I traveled to Denver I discovered my phone wasn’t working and hadn’t been for awhile.  I stopped by the Apple Store and was informed there was no  hope for it as it was terminal.  One problem was that I could get no WiFi and thus none of my pictures and and information could be transferred to the new phone I bought later.  HOWEVER, God always has a way of answering prayers, sometimes before I even know I need to pray them by send an angel, this time in the form of my friend’s Husband Chris.  Chris is a computer programmer and knows computers from the inside out.  He took my old phone, transferred everything to another computer , then downloaded everything off the computer into the new phone. My data and photos were safe on a computer and transferred to the new phone.  I think everything else is about ironed out.  Chris helped with a couple more scary glitches before the day was over.  I’m sure there are other persons I know that might have been able to do some of what he did but he made it seem so easy.  One thing I found out after everything was finally working tonight (bought the phone yesterday 4/3) was that my phone had been malfunctioning for longer than I realized.  Finally got the voice mail working and I had voice mails that I hadn’t heard from almost a month ago.  Some were time sensitive and very important.  Sorry to all of you out there who asked me things that I didn’t hear about until tonight.  I still haven’t finished listening to them all.  Figure this much time has passed, what’s another day.

Early tomorrow morning my hosts are taking me to a place in the mountains to take a photo and then I will be on the road headed south to another mile high city.  I know people get used to this altitude, but I undoubtedly don’t have enough red blood cells built up in my system to support my body at 5, 280 feet for an extended period of time.

I shall go snuggle into my borrowed bed and hopefully rise for another day when I will say: “This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it”.  But….before I go to sleep I want to share one more thing with  you.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  Today is Sabbath Saturday. My friends attend a Messianic Jewish Congregation called “Congregation Yeshuat Tsion“.  I attended the service which lasted almost three hours and followed with about an hour of eating and fellowship.  Met some awesome people.  This service was all about worshiping God the Father and thanking Him for fulfilling the promise of a Messiah.  They are believers of Christ with all the Jewish heritage and customs of the Jewish heritage.  There was a reading of the Torah from a scroll, dancing in praise to the Father, and worshiping and being thankful for our redemption.  The music was mostly scriptural hymns and the dancing was beautiful.  Many of the readings were read in Hebrew by the whole congregation (except me).  The message was about the Passover and we partook of wine and flat bread in commemoration of Jesus Christ shedding His blood for our sins, the wine being a symbol of His blood and the bread being a symbol of His broken body.  It was quite an amazing experience.  When I left there I knew I had been in the presence of the most High and Holy God.  So much reverence is given to God by the Jewish Messianic believers.  It was pure joy and a privilege to be part of that congregation for even one day.  I don’t know if I have ever been to a more friendly and welcome body of believers.

One couple I met told me I could share a bit of their story.  Svetlana and Vladimir are from Ukraine.  Vladimir’s family is still in Ukraine in the war zone.  It has been several months past since they have been able to get word to them or to hear from them.  They do not know the whereabouts or situation of their loved ones.  Please pray that God will protect them and allow Svetlana and Vladimir to make contact with them.  MESSAGE TO LANA:  If you should read this know I am praying for you and your husband’s loved ones and will continue to do so.  Please let me know if you find out any news.  And thank you Lana for your generous blessing that  you sowed into my life today.  I will never forget our meeting.

Goodnight