When God Takes You Into A Once In 50 Year Bomb Cyclone!!

I decided to take some time off from my "house hunting" updates, which is about the same anyway, to share what has been going on weatherwise close to our campsite. We've been in the middle of a King Tide(a common thing on the coast), as well as a "Bomb Cyclone"!!!

"The powerful bomb cyclone, considered the biggest to hit the Pacific in 50 years, has brought severe weather conditions to the West Coast, particularly in California, Oregon, and Washington. The storm, which made landfall on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, has resulted in the deaths of two people and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of residents. The bomb cyclone has broken records for rainfall and snowfall in several areas.

 A bomb cyclone occurs when a cyclone undergoes rapid intensification, with a pressure drop of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. This type of storm is different from a hurricane, as it forms when cold and warm air collide, often over cool ocean waters."

Below is a satellite view of the powerful storm this past Tuesday evening along the West Coast. Gladly, we were on higher ground and inland far enough to only experience a fragment of the harshest part of the storm. 

To see cool video satellite footage of the cyclone, go to: https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/regional/satellite-video-of-bomb-cyclone-off-oregon/video_9d186e35-47ce-5152-a84d-bf7e71dab763.html

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1. Life is Often Like a Cyclone

   Just as a cyclone is a powerful and a dynamic weather phenomenon,life can be likened to a whirlwind of experiences, emotions, and challenges.

   The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all aspects of life, including natural disasters like cyclones. While these storms can bring destruction and chaos, they can also serve as opportunities for spiritual growth and refinement. In Psalm 29, David writes about the power and majesty of God’s voice, likening it to a cyclone: 

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:3-4).

1. When faced with a cyclone or any challenging situation, we first must acknowledge God’s sovereignty and trust in His goodness. 

2. We also are called to humbly recognize our limitations and dependence on God.

3. We must choose to exercise faith and trust in His promises, even when circumstances seem uncertain.

4. Also, we should continually seek comfort and peace in God’s presence, and praise Him for His character and power.

5. We can use the experiences as opportunities to worship God and ascribe to Him the glory due His name.

6. Seek to embrace Uucertainty: Recognize that life is inherently unpredictable, and cultivate flexibility and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

7. Find Moments of Calm: Identify and cherish moments of peace and clarity, even amidst turmoil, to recharge and refocus.

We must reminded ourselves that the Lord uses cyclones(literal, as well as in an analogy) in our lives to refine us, teach us, and draw us closerto Himself. May we respond with faith, trust, and worship, even in the midst of life’s storms.

I’m especially working on embracing and cherishing the moments I have within the stormy days….through photos. 

The beauty and creativity of God in sea life...

 Loud sea lions, gathered on a rock. 

I learned something about the purpose to their loud barking!!

"Sea lions, especially females, produce loud vocalizations when they sense danger or perceive a threat to their pups. During a king tide storm, the loud sounds of the storm may trigger alarm calls in females, leading them to bark loudly to alert other females and pups." 

The power of God in the mighty waves. We were at this spot a few days before the cyclone and king tides hit the hardest, but we did still see some awesome splashing waves!!

Check out this video I filmed on Youtube... 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X4K-_D_nqkA

The promises of God in a rainbow we saw over an area lake, while a drive.

 It's the beginning of Thanksgiving week, as well. 

In spite of the "cyclones" we may have had or are currently experiencing in our lives, may we focus our hearts and minds on what He has done to show His goodness, kindness, and love to us and He desire to bless us.

The song below is one I am focusing on this week!!

May we all make it a point to count every blessing !!!

go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rYalhQNgI4

 

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"You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip.

You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,

you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.

No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions

that doomsday’s just around the corner,

Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound."

Proverbs 3:23-26 (MSG)

The Freedom to Live One Day at a Time

 

Starting out on our moving adventure, I had my doubts about whether we made the right choice. We’ve definitely had our challenges getting here and the process of knowing where God wants us to settle has been anything but easy. But, I can honestly say that our time here has been a blessing from the Lord!! I find being an “Oregonian” relaxing and awe-inspiring. The pure beauty and variety of nature in this state has me wanting to get up every morning with energy and a readiness to try something new! From seeing giant waterfalls, to experiencing unique ocean views, I feel like we’ve often found paradise on earth.

⛰️🌲🌄

At this point, I don’t feel like we are on vacation anymore. But, I also don’t feel like a full-time resident yet. We are still on the search for the house and area we want to live. We have come so close, but the offer we made on the house we thought was possibly our new home was rejected. We are praying for a definite answer to finding where God wants us to be. We are committed to taking one day at a time and not being too anxious. That’s the beauty of being retired and living a simple RV life.

The Oregon weather in the fall is cool and crisp, with average highs in the mid-50s to mid-60s Fall foliage is stunning, as we get to view autumn leaves on some of the trees turning many colors, as well as enjoy the giant pine forests, mountains, and sandy beaches. We’ve had our share of rainy days already, as well as some gorgeous sunny days. The variety in weather keeps us wearing layers of clothes each day. When it’s sunny and just a few miles inland, we are in short sleeves and sunglasses But, once we get to the coast, it’s jackets and hats. The wind can be wild one minute and calm the next. As we are entering into winter, Oregon’s monsoon season, also known as the rainy season, will pick up and we will get more rainy days. Fortunately, it rarely snows or gets below 40 degrees here, at least until you get inland and up in the mountains, which gladly are aren’t staying in. The valleys and coast stay extremely mild, compared to Indiana. That’s one of the great advantages of living here!

Below, I am sharing some more pictures of our fun-filled days here. 

Waterfalls and forest trails:

Lots of unique mushrooms (who knows how dangerous they could be!!) 

Also many inland lakes. We hiked the Lake Marie trail,, which took us a full

 mile around the lake! Incredible views and unique plants!!

The Umpqua Lighthouse, Oregon’s first lighthouse, offers a unique experience combining history and wildlife viewing.

The lighthouse overlook features a whale watching platform, providing an ideal spot to observe migrating whales along the coast. This vantage point also offers stunning views of the nearby dunes and sea.

Whale-watching starts around mid-to-late March and coincides with the beginning of the spring gray whale migration, so we obviously didn't see them this time of year. I would love to come back in the Spring to see the whales!

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We also visited the Coquille River Lighthouse.

 It was really peaceful sitting here and watching the waves crash against the rocks.

More interesting views 

Thousands of oyster cages in the background....they are actually called "Oyster Gardens" for growing baby oysters before harvesting them to sell.

Our first sighting of a harbor seal coming somewhat close to investigate us....

Gorgeous sunset!!

Today is also Veterans Day. As we honor our vets, may God have mercy on the people in the U.S.May we be reminded that without Him, we would be nothing.  May we turn our hearts to Him and serve Him alone!!

"You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,

you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.

No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions

that doomsday’s just around the corner,

Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound."

Proverbs 3:23-26 (MSG)

STAYING BUSY, WHILE ... WE... WAIT

 Hello again, blogger friends!!

Just updating you all on the past few weeks we've been here in Oregon!

We have looked at several houses in the area, but until last week, we just didn't find any that checked off most of our list. So we traveled a little farther inland. We were interested in a couple different houses near Salem. We spent the week asking the realtor several questions, discussed our options, and decided to put an offer on one of the houses. So, it's just a waiting game at this point, which we are really used to.

In the meantime, we've been really taking in the coast and some of the local tourist attractions. The good thing is, most places are pretty empty this time of year. We had some beautiful weather to enjoy the outdoors. And a few rainy days, when we visited a museum and had LOTS of coffee. The cool thing about Oregon is they have several drive-up (and walk-up) coffee kiosks can be found in almost every town! That's definitely not an Indiana thing!

Check out this article: https://roadslesstraveled.us/coffee-kiosks-of-the-west/

We visited "Thor's Well"(Also known as the drainpipe of the Pacific), a famous large, bowl-shaped hole carved into the basalt shoreline, which appears to be draining the Pacific Ocean. 

A few things about this area...

• 1. The Well is believed to have started as a sea cave dug out by waves, before the roof collapsed, creating openings at the bottom and top through which the ocean sprays.

• 2. Depth: Despite its seemingly bottomless appearance, Thor’s Well is approximately 20 feet (6.1 meters) deep.

• 3. Tidal Activity: The Well is most spectacular during high tide or storms, when water washes violently over the rocks and funnels into the hole. The best time to visit is about an hour before high tide to see it without water and then observe how it fills up.

• Safety: The area around Thor’s Well is extremely dangerous due to sneaker waves and large sprays, which have been known to sweep onlookers into the ocean. 

• 4. Surrounded by rugged basalt rock formations and tidepools, the area offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of land and sea.  

If you look closely in the next pic, you can see how Thor’s well first spays the water up, then in the next picture, how it drains down into “the abyss”!! What amazes me is how close people stand by this dangerous spot!! Ken and I stayed way back on the trailand watched.

  Tyler, looking for some unique life in the tidepools.

This sign warns visitors of all the dangers of walking down near the water’s edge!!

One of the MANY bridges that we drove over and under on 101, along the coast!

Love the seashore, with sea stacks in the background.

Seeing lots of boats and fishing spots along the coast.

Stacks of fishing traps

Cool museum and boardwalk.

An old tugboat and some large ships

(most likely rescue/fire boats)

Coos Bay was known as one of the largest logging towns in the west. It still produces LOTS of logs and wood chips. This is just one “stack” of logs along the bay.

Loved this quote in the Coos Museum! Coos Bay was discovered by European explorers in the 19th century. I can only imagine this is what they first saw and experienced upon arriving.

This is our camping spot….

As we continue to take in our new surroundings, I will try to keep you all updated. Thank you for your many prayers!! We know God is in control of every part of our journey. We also will be praying for our country, as the next weeks ahead are so very unsure and unpredictable.

"You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,

you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.

No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions

that doomsday’s just around the corner,

Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound."

Proverbs 3:23-26 (MSG)