GHOST LIVES

Stephen w/family 1950s

STEPHEN BLY

Copyright©1993,2008

Florence, Idaho, at one time boomed as a frontier town. Settled in 1861 with the discovery of placer mines in the Salmon River Canyon, by 1862 10,000 people reached the settlement. Florence, at its peak, produced $50,000 worth of gold per day. Even when the mine played out, many folks hung around. The post office remained in service until 1912.

Idaho’s full of ghost towns. Some of them lasted a few months, others for decades. A few got deserted almost overnight. Some were torn down and moved to another place, piece by piece. Some burned to the ground. A couple still remain as shells of their former selves. An interesting hobby is to search for those traces that used to be thriving communities.

         

There’s not much left of Florence today. No permanent residents. Most buildings have disintegrated into the hillsides. It’s a ghost town. I enjoy visiting sites like that to try to imagine its better days and create stories.

People’s lives can become like that.

         

Do you know someone who’s caught in a ghost life?

         

There’s signs of a once prosperous existence. Perhaps, they had a vibrant  family. A promising career. Awards and trophies. However, that’s all in the musty past. And there’s no hints any of that will return.

Are they considered worthless now…has beens?

 

Not to God. With God's grace, anything’s possible. "You are God's building," the Bible says (1 Corinthians 3:9). He can renew any life. With new construction. Rebuild the faulty structure. Mend the broken years. Even create a prosperous city through them.

 

I’ve seen him do that with folks who seemed destined for destruction. Through the power of His Son Jesus. He stirred new zeal, fresh goals for them. Each of them now has the promise of eternal life, no matter their past.

New novel coming MARCH 2011: Throw The Devil Off The Train

10 TIPS TO SHOW SMART GRACE

Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2010

Anytime the subject of grace comes up, I realize how short I fall in bestowing graciousness in every thought, word and deed. It begins with, just how well do I know God? He’s the epitome, the originator of grace. And I always remember hubby and pastor Stephen Bly’s definition for grace: "God’s love freely given to guilty sinners in defiance of what they deserve."

EMBRACING GRACE

Janet Chester Bly

 

We returned recently from a trip to the Oregon coast. We rented a house there via internet, not only for ourselves, but also for family members who would meet us there. On the way, we got nervous about what we’d committed to.  “What if it’s a junker?” “What if the beds hurt our backs?” “We’re so looking forward to rest and refreshment. What if . . . ? What if . . . . ?”

We followed the directions to the place. As we got out of our truck, opened the gate, and entered the yard, a splay of sun-rays burst through the coastal fog. I ran back and got my camera and shot these photos. Good thing. The wonder moment didn’t last long and never returned during our stay. We considered this a sign from our heavenly Father that he was here, that this was a good place for us to be. We embraced his grace for that whole week. 

In the cliff-side house we stayed in, we navigated steep stairs, but enjoyed glorious landscaping with numerous footpaths. . .a mini Buchart gardens, we called it. The upstairs bathroom was smallish, but several of the other rooms displayed full-length windows overlooking Agate Beach. We spent hours with jigsaw pieces and evening movies. We read, toured the region, collected beach treasures, watched the tides. One of our crew did suffer a nasty fall. Not free of mishaps. But there was plenty of laughter and comfy space for all of us. And, yes, we slept well on the just-right mattresses. An excellent vacation spot.

Now that we’re home, we continue to look for splashes of sun, even if it’s cold or foggy or sad news intrudes.

But most of all, we’re trusting in God’s daily grace.