Friends – Page 6 – Skelton Sketches

Prayer-Hikes

Posted on May 28, 2011April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

Thanks to a visionary and persevering friend with a truck and a passion for the lost, I have been introduced to one of my favorite pastimes: prayer-hikes. Every weekend we load up whoever’s available and strike out for a trail. After the initial chatter of greetings and playing ‘catch-up’ we settle into a rhythm of walking and praying for whatever comes to mind—may be the nation, may be the church, may be our neighbors or ones we’ve just met… But always we pray, sometimes we sing, and always it is good to be together united in prayer and faith, celebrating this wide world of nature around us, rain or shine!
I commend the practice to you and whomever you are arm-linked with there. It is good.
Here are pictures from a recent hike, this one was new for us and is part of the famed Sunshine Coast Trail system…

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations…I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph.3:20-4:3)

En Route to the Knuckleheads…

Posted on October 22, 2010April 28, 2017 by lindaskelton

Before the snows come our fearless leader was determined to show us a picturesque cabin for wayfarers nestled in the bush up towards the Knuckleheads… So our motley crew set out to see, and to pray along the way. That’s what keeps us going–our commitment to pray together. This idea of ‘prayer walks’ is for me the perfect combination of two passions. And who says you have to close your eyes when you pray? Wonderful new thing for me ( : So off we go, most Saturdays to hike, to see, to pray.

This week we headed toward the Knuckleheads….
Here, they are pictured from afar…

I’ll save you the steps and the false start. What does it matter when the sun is shining and the air is crisp and clear. After gaining some altitude we found the cabin sitting pretty, just waiting for our company…

And adjoining it, the cutest little biffy you’d ever hope to find…

with a view of it’s own!

So we let ourselves in (to the cabin!) for a look around–fully outfitted kitchen, wood stove, sleeping loft with mattresses, pillows, extra sleeping bags… Great place to spend a cozy overnight, or a sunny afternoon visit, to munch our lunch and share our prayers… before getting chilled and scampering back outside to soak up the sun…

This week’s motley crew…

Fireweed gone to seed…

“…the firmament showeth His handiwork…”

…and wend our way back home.

“We [too] are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2:10)

–LS

Blessings on you as you walk His trails this week! Thanks for sharing mine!

Life as we know it…

Posted on August 5, 2009April 27, 2017 by lindaskelton

My trails of late have mostly ended with water. We’ve had a record breakingly wonderful hot summer– the likes of which we have never known here in Powell River. It has brought back memories of summers growing up when days were hot and corn grew tall…
So, we’ve been heading to the water a lot to brave its chill and celebrate its getting warmer with each successive week of sunshine. The day I want to highlight here was an all-girl adventure. We set out with our bikes to fetch a friend’s boat out of Okeover Inlet… The tide was w-a-y low so the ramp to the dock was rather precipitous…
But we got the bikes all tucked in at last and donned our ill-fitting life jackets for the cruise out to sea…

We picked our way along slowly, sharing the job of deciphering the charts and determining which rock was which! We missed them all (whew!) and here’s the view–the gateway to Desolation Sound.

But we were headed the other direction–towards Savary Island, fabled land of white sandy hot beaches, home to summer cottages for people from far and near…

But first a stop at the Copelands–designated a ‘marine park’ and more affectionately known as the Ragged Islands. We tucked into a little cove there for a picnic lunch and swim in the brisk ocean water! (brrr! good thing the sun was hot at least). This cove was the first one we discovered as a family in our sailboat so it’s full of happy memories…

(in the cove…)

(looking out to sea)

Then we were off to Savary Island…dropping our bikes off at the dock, anchoring off shore, waiting for our ‘captain’ to swim in, and then setting off for the little wee church to have some focused time to pray… (this was in fact the purpose of our trip)

Next notion was to pedal to the end of the Island; not sure how far that was going to be we took our cue from signs (and passersby) along the way. The island was all set up for a triathlon on the coming weekend so we had the bonus of mileage signs to count down our distance. It was about 8 km. to Indian Point, the island’s westernmost tip. And it was all adventure, esp. the running out of water and the prospect of no stores on the island– but surely someone would give us some water?…

Had to pause for a photo of this whimsical knight adding decor to someone’s private drive…

And then there was Indian Point–snack time with what we could scrounge. It was now actually supper time and time to get going home but first one last dip in a very cold ocean…

Oh, and we did find water at last–a tiny house store with a shingle out– the price? $2.00 a bottle. But what’s a little money when you’re going to die of dehydration otherwise?! And somehow the pedaling back seemed shorter than the coming and the hills not as foreboding as we’d thought. We arrived safe and sound at the dock and after fetching the boat and loading the bikes we headed off across the sea to the dock at Lund just down the highway from home. We were met by our gracious escort with not only the boat trailer but watermelon and Sesame snaps besides–sweet pleasure to end a sweet adventure.

“In [His] presence is fullness of joy; In [His] right hand there are pleasures forever…” (Ps.16:11) and to think we haven’t seen anything yet!!