"My Dear Child, You Are Worried And Upset Over All These Details"

On one of the days we spent in Alaska, we drove two and a half hours from Anchorage to a small historic town called Talkeetna.

This town was so intriguing because the downtown core area had many historic buildings that dated back to the early 1900's. (The town was first established in 1919.) Here are some of the pictures I took and the information I learned about Talkeetna.

The population of Talkeetna is only 876 people.

Talkeetna is located at the junction of three rivers: the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna.

Nagley's General Store is one of the first and oldest buildings to be constructed.

This store had a huge selection of Alaskan children's story books written by local authors. I could have spent all day reading them. I finally ended up buying three children's books to take home with me.

I think my father-in-law and I together bought this store out. (We couldn't resist the 50 percent sign.)

Talkeetna is close to salmon fishing areas and to Denali, which is where Mount McKinley, the third highest mountain in the world, is located. The town has an airport that provides flight for mountain climbers who wish to climb this beautiful mountain, as well as flight-seeing trips for tourists. (That was an adventure I couldn't resist, but I will share it later.)

This is the restaurant at which we ate lunch. The food was awesome! It felt like we went back in time 100 years when we entered the building. The old saying, "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover," is so true!

When I walked through this town and enjoyed so much of the people's hospitality and friendliness, I couldn't help but feel sad. In general, people's lives have become way too complicated and so busy that they end up missing out in enjoying the beauty of life, people, nature and, more importantly, our Creator.

I remember when I was nineteen years old, sitting on a park bench with a close friend. I spontaneously expressed my innermost dream, a dream of living in the woods in a small log house overlooking a meadow or a lake. I had a love for nature and the simplicity of life even when I was a teenager. Why? Because I sensed God's presence and His character in all that He created.

As I ponder the memory and the feel of this delightful town, a verse in the Bible comes to mind. It is when Jesus speaks tenderly to an over-worked, tired, and worrisome woman, and says,

"My dear Martha,

you are worried and upset over all these details!

There is only one thing worth being concerned about."

Luke 10:41-42a (NLT)

And that one thing is enjoying a close relationship with our Heavenly Father and all the wonderful blessings He has given us that don't cost us a dime. It was a pleasure to see and talk with the people in this tiny town who live in the middle of Alaskan wilderness, far from modern civilization. These people have learned the joy in the things God has so freely given to us — the things in life that really matter!