“O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.” Psalms 34:3

Dear Friends,

​I came across a funny story about a woman and a mountain that she should have never climbed.  No one would have blamed her it was 12 below zero, even Frosty the Snowman would have opted for a warm fire and some hot cocoa.  Hardly a day for skiing, but her husband insisted.  

After waiting in line for the lift, she realized she needed to use the restroom.  Her husband rushed her along and assured her there would be a facility at the top of the mountain.  After the bouncing lift ride she could not wait to relieve herself when to her terror there was no restroom.  Again, her husband chimed in and suggested she go in the woods especially since she was wearing an all white outfit and would blend with the snow. 

Really, what choice did she have?  She skied past the tree line and arranged her ski suit to half mast.  Fortunately, no one could see her.  Unfortunately, she forgot to remove her skis – before you could say “shine on harvest moon,” she was streaking backwards across the slopes revealing more than she ever intended.  After all, hindsight is 20/20 right?  With arms flailing and sailing, she sped under the very lift she had just ridden and collided with a pylon.  She then scrambled to cover her bare essentials when she discovered her arm was broken.  Her beloved husband raced to her rescue and summoned the ski patrol who transported her to the hospital. 

While being treated in the emergency room, a man with a broken leg was carried in and placed next to her.  By now she regained her composure enough to make small talk.  “So how’d you break your leg?” she asked.  “It was the darnedest thing you ever saw”, he explained. “I was riding the ski lift and suddenly out of no where came this crazy woman skiing backwards with her back end in full view.  I leaned over to get a better look and I guess I didn’t realize how far I had moved and fell out of the lift.”  Then he turned to her and asked, “So, how’d you break your arm?” 
           
​Sometimes we climb mountains we were not intended to climb.  We try to go up when we should stay down and as a result we end up taking nasty spills.  Yet, I have come to realize throughout my mountain climbing decisions – God continues to be present with me in spite of myself.  As long as I keep my eyes focused on God and his majesty he keeps my step in place.  Webster says, to magnify is to enlarge.  This year, together let’s enlarge our awareness of God and who He is.  Thank you for stepping out in faith with me.
                       
Because of Him,
Betty Alvarez Ham
President

---