Picture This!

Two weeks, seems like I have been here for the summer, yet it feels like I just got here. That is what this place does to you. I am blessed to be back here at Rainy Pass Lodge for my 4th season. I call this place my home and the people I work with my family. God had given me such a wonderful opportunity to be such a part of this beautiful place in the heart of His creation. I can't really express how exciting it is for me to be here year after year.

We are placed here far from the normal day of work, people, and civilization. I like to say we have a little village of our own here, not always the greatest, but we seems to find ways to get passed the times of hard and get back to the times of being able to communicate and get along with those around you all summer. No one here is perfect and we know that. We love each other no matter what, helping each other on the difficult tasks and encouraging words. There is always room for jokes, too. We become family, our guests become family once they leave. It takes special people, with a love for Alaska and its wilderness, a heart for hospitality with guests, a love for serving. We take life out here and our job serious. A passion for people, yet we don't always see loads of people when you do you make them feel loved and valued. Their is a passion for keeping the lodge going and keeping those you work with happy. My passion is being around people and feeding them food, cookies, playing games and getting to know those who are here. God had set me here and I love my life. It is peaceful and can be stressful, but the people that God brings here is amazing, special connections made.

Take a moment and picture yourself 130 miles away form the nearest town, fly in only. Surrounded by about 10 other people for 4 months. Those 10 people you work with, some keep meals coming, people fed and happy, others are running around outside keeping four wheelers going, propane filled, generator going, horses fed, lawns mowed and the grounds looking nice, a few are working with clients to get them to this village you are imagining and once those clients arrive its go time. Keep them fed, comfortable and happy to be here. Take them on horse back rides to see some history, or a hike to see an even larger view of this creation God has given us, teaching them to shoot guns, playing card games, volleyball and horseshoes. It is a blast, yet hard rewarding work. Once hunting season rolls in its a whole new experience. A time to be hospitable and feed them yet again, but at the end of the hunt when its story time you get to hear about their time they had and all the fun that was had. Laughter ad stories fill the night, most go home happy about their time whether they got an animal or not. At the end a long season you are ready to go home, and being home with your loved ones and back to the real world is a culture shock, yet well worth it to be back. And once it is summer time again you are ready to go back and do it all again. Ready to meet new people and see how the season will shape up.

Now that moment that you just pictured, that is my summer June-October. My heart is here and I am amazed at the time I get to be here. I can't believe that it has been 3 years now going on 4 with the Perrins family at their Lodge. This is where my ministry is right now. God has me on a mission in my own state of Alaska here at Rainy Pass Lodge. I never really know what He has planned for me here, but I consider this a mission He has placed me on and my work is not done yet.

It's That Time of Year...

Well another winter has come and gone. This winter was filled with me making coffee daily and loving and learning the ropes to owning a business. As I have said before I am still amazed that I can say I own my own business. I am proud of myself, these past 6 months of getting the business started and then proceeding to work 6 days a week has proven to be very exhausting, but also very rewarding. The coffee shop is growing and more people are learning about it and loving it. I love when I make a coffee and someone has a sip then says, "What a wonderful cup of coffee", "It is perfect!" My heart smiles and I say "Thank You, glad you like it."

It is now time for me to pack up and head back to the lodge! I am excited to be spending my 4th summer at Rainy Pass Lodge. The Perrins have become family to me and I am just blessed beyond measure to be going back again. I leave June 1 and will be back in October.

4 months of not making coffee, well I will be making coffee, but not espresso. I don't know what it will be like to be away from my business for 4 months and leaving other people to handle it all. I know it is going to be taken great care of. But it is like my baby, and being away for a length of time will be hard, but so refreshing. My heart and mind will be refreshed and I get to go spend another summer at a place that has a large part of my heart!

Rainy Pass here I come and I will see you in the Fall my Coffee Corner! Here is to a summer filled with wonderful people and to making amazing memories!

Life Isn't Always Smiles

I have been reading lately how social media is a snap shot of only the good in peoples lives, and I would agree. As I scroll through Instagram or Facebook I am flooded with pictures of all the beauty of life and only the happy moments. There is nothing wrong with the beauty God gives us, but we are told to thank God in all things, to rejoice always. It is healthy to share the good, the bad and the ugly with others around us.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

This verse has come to mean a great deal to me lately. Always reminding to thank God in all my circumstances. He is working things out in my life for the good of His kingdom and I may not understand it right now, or even until I get to heave. But I trust the Him.

Well to get to the story for this post, about life always not being smiles, but finding the good in the bad and finding out how to be thankful no matter the situation.

The other night my family and I were just enjoying ourselves, watching a movie. One of my brothers decided to go hangout with a friend and I being the sister who wants to help out and not see anyone get hurt volunteered to drive my brother, as he had been drinking and should not be driving. So we decide to take his truck and as I am pulling out of the driving way I ran into my little car with the tire of his large truck and tore off the bumper and head light of my car. It was not the happiest of nights for me. Yes, tears were shed, I was worried that I may have damaged my brothers truck. Well no damage to his truck was done (thank the Lord) but my car is no longer on the road without a head light.

So why is there rejoicing to be had since I no longer have a working car? Well no one was hurt, I was still able to drive my brother out safely, my other car will be getting fixed sooner, and now my family has something to joke about and pick on me more with. My brother loves me and is happy no damage was done to his car and now he is helping me get my other car on the road, which is something he has been trying to give me money to fix for a couple months now and I always so now, but this time I had to humble myself and take the money to be on the road again, soon I hope.

The good far outweighs the bad. Yes it sucks, but it was my car and I did the damage to it. I can joke and laugh about it.

The damage done...

My car....Brothers truck, just a bit of a size difference.

Learning, Painting, Donations, Coming Soon

Well I can't believe it, but it has been about 4 months of being open. I can't say that it is the easiest thing. It has been a wonderful learning experience, and I am still learning daily.

This last Saturday we hosted a Painting Party with The Canvas Cafe. A group of ladies came and learned how to paint a wonderful picture, they had a blast and all walked away with a wonderful painting. It was such a success we are hosting two more this month and I am sure more in the future.

The Canvas Cafe Painting Party

I am excited to see The Coffee Corner continue to grow, knowing full well that it will take its own time and not move at the pace I want things to, but I am learning more and more patience as time goes on. One day I believe I will have my dream of my cafe and this is just a stepping stone.

The four months that I have been open we have a can on the counter for Guiding Influence, a non-profit in Alaska to raise money for youth to attend camps at Rainy Pass Lodge with Camp Iron Sights. In these months of being opened we have raised $100 and I plan on counting to help as much as I can. Working out at the lodge for three years, two of which had camps during them I have seen these young men grow so much in just a week and a half. Camp Iron Sights is amazing and I love being part of it.
    Check out Guiding Influence and Camp Iron Sights on Facebook to learn more!

Guiding Influence Donation Bucket

COMING SOON!
Very soon there will be large and wonderful changes happening at The Boardwalk Shop (where I am located) We have a bookstore moving in. Beauty for Ashes, a christian book and gift shop will be moving in. We are all supper excited about this ext opportunity and love how much the shop is growing and expanding. You will have to come check it out and grab a book and coffee and enjoy your time in the shop.

The Future is A Secret Thing

About a week ago I was reading my devotional book "Jesus Calling" and loved what I had read. It struck me how often I worry about what my future holds, on a daily basis something about my future goes through me mind. As I read I realized how much of my time is consumed by wanting to know what the future holds and just wishing everything would be going the way I wanted them to be going.

I quickly had to check myself, Why am I worry about my future SO much? I have no need to worry, yes it is something all humans do, but why so much? I don't know why, but what I did learn long ago and it was brought back to my attention is that God is leading me step by step through life. I have no reason to worry. Yes, things may not go as I planned, but God has a plan and there is a reason for the trials we go through and the good things we go through. He has a plan for all of it.

Daily I try my hardest to give my day to the Lord, trying not to worry and stress about where the day will go, how many customers I will have at the coffee shop, worrying about money, what will I be doing in a month or will I be going to the lodge this summer. I have no reason to worry, God has got His hands all over my life.

The future is a huge secret, slowly showing itself to me daily and I just have to be patient and let it come to me as God is ready to show me what is next. I know that if I knew what all was going to happen in my life, I would not be happy because I know I would figure out a way to try and make it better, better to my likings. I would have nothing to look forward to and life would in turn be pretty lame.

So the fact that my future is a secret to me, but God has it all planned is wonderful! Yes I am sure I will want to change things as they come, but I must just remember the grand plan that God has for my life. I am here to glorify Him and share His love with those around me. I am part of the body of Christ. I was not put on earth to worry about my future, but to love and to be a light to others.

My future is in the hands of the Creator, He is my Father, He loves me and wants what is best. He saved me. I think I can handle not knowing every little detail of my life and I am okay with not getting what I want. I pray that the desires of my heart are the desires that God places on my heart and makes me passionate about.