"If the Lord wills, we will do this or that..."

We left our Monterey hotel this morning with grand plans to end up in L.A. at a friend's house.

Silas: "Mommy, where are we going today?"
Mommy: "We are hoping to make it to Mr. Wayne's house."
Silas: "What if we don't make it?"
Daddy: "Oh, we'll make it."

So we made our way down the coast on highway 1.  We fixed our gaze out the window across the ocean.  For days we've been hunting for whales and haven't seen a single one.  I gave up, picked up a book and began to read aloud.  After the first two pages, I glanced up.  
What was that?!  Did I see a whale spout?  
Yes!  
Stop the car!  This is it!  
How could I have seen it in one little glance?  I was reading after all.  
But, yes, there it is again.  A whale.
Finally.
The truck coasts to a hasty stop and out we jump; camera, binoculars in hand.  We see him fluke and spray and roll...way out in the distance.

We are captivated.

The spray center right in the photo is our whale. :)

After a long pause as we spy this one in the distance, we finally decide to continue on.  If we don't, we'll never make it to Los Angeles.  We drive 15 more minutes...  ROAD CLOSED. 
What?  A rock slide? Were there signs?  How far back is the detour?  50 miles?  All the way back to Monterey?  Really?  This will add 4 hours to our day.

There were signs.  We were too busy looking for whales.

What's that verse again?

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?  it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'  But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16)

Right.  AS THE LORD WILLS.

Jamie met a CHP officer who told us about a secret waterfall and a beach with purple sand and elephant seals.

We found the waterfall.  

We found purple sand.  

We found the Lord's will for our day

...and it was way better than our plans. 

L.A. will come tomorrow, as will the elephant seals.  ...if the Lord wills.
Today, Brandon said it was "a great and fun day."

It was.

 We're in Cambria tonight at a cozy motel.  Just south of San Simeon.

Thank you, Father, for being so totally sovereign.