Just a photo.

God's creation is amazing enough that I'm pretty sure it doesn't need a caption.  Take this for whatever it means to you.

On the Defensive

This twig gained some interesting ice crystal additions when a humid night dipped below freezing.  At first glance, it seems quite well-prepared for whatever circumstances might threaten it.  However, when one actually tests the resilience of these defenses, it turns out that those formidable little spikes are actually quite fragile.

Many of us have a tendency to depend on our own defenses.  After being hurt a few times, we generally put up walls that (ideally) prevent us from experiencing the same pain in the future.  If you've ever had your trust broken, your expectations disappointed, or your friendship discarded, you probably know what I'm talking about.  It takes a while before you're willing to let yourself feel the same trust and the same hope.  It's the way we work.  None of us wants to be hurt.  We keep our little spears by our sides, warning off all but the most stouthearted of friends.

As much as it's nice to avoid painful situations, going through life with an icy demeanor is not the best solution.  If these ice crystals had formed while the tree was flowering, quite likely the buds would have been killed.  Please don't ever let your defenses silence the spirit in you that God can use to show His love to those around you.  The Lord is our Healer, and He can protect your heart far better than you can.  My prayer today is that you would let the warmth of His love melt away any frosty barricades in your life.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

-Psalm 37:3

Why hello there!

Mon petit chien, Belle.

This character is a good friend of mine- she's almost as mischievous as I am, but she's got the cute factor to get her out of trouble.  She saw me snapping photos and decided to get in on the action; little did she know that she would end up on the world wide web.  Don't be fooled- beneath those cute little puppy eyes lies a steely resolve to be the top dog.  That hasn't been too much of a problem, however, because she readily gives up all ambition for the sake of a rawhide snack.

Upheaval

A few days ago, this small stone was flush with the surface of the ground.  Then things cooled off; frost action in the soil caused the ground to expand while the rock remained very close to its original position, giving it the appearance of having sunk into the ground.  It's a relatively simple phenomenon at first glance, but it's well worth a second glance.
In addition to making for a nice photo, this sunken stone makes me think of the way our lives work.  At times, everything seems to be going smoothly.  Life glides along with only the occasional glitch, and we're perfectly happy with the way things are.  Then things cool off.  The going gets tough; friendships struggle, tensions are high, and you are overloaded with stress.  Often, our first reaction is to recede into our safe little hideaways and avoid the world around us, waiting until conditions improve.  When we do this, however, it's not at all unnoticeable.  Even if it feels like nobody cares when you sink out of sight, there is One who sees all, and who cares more than you will ever know.  You might think you can remain hidden away, but I guarantee you that if you will come to God with your problems, you will be able to face the world with a new strength and peace.  With Him, there is hope for the future- you don't have to wait through the long winter!

The Heavens Declare

Art is a very subjective thing.  Whatever one man finds to be aesthetic and appealing is, in all probability, unremarkable or altogether deplorable to at least one other person within earshot.  With such a variety of opinions to appease, the modern artist faces a formidable challenge if he is to make a living from the outlet of his choice.  There are critics to cater to, publishers to convince, and masses to whom a work must be marketed in exactly the right way.  The number of people who thrive on the income of their artistic productivity is miniscule compared to the number of those who express themselves to the fullest, but fail to strike a note that resonates with the public.  There is, however, an Artist who is not dependent on patronage or popularity.  His masterpieces are purely for His enjoyment, as well as the pleasure and instruction of all who chose to recognize them.
I was struck by this fact one cloudless night while I walked the dark but serene road home from a family gathering nearby.  I happened to glance up at the sky as I meandered along; so overwhelming was the number of stars sprinkled across the endless canvas that this glance led to another- and another- and soon, I was walking with my head thrown back, eyes on the heavens.  Most will admit the idea of merely counting the stars is incredible in itself.  Estimates have been made, of course, in this age of science; but to the naked eye, the display of glimmering specks of light is too dazzling to make so much as an accurate guess.
Although one could easily be awestruck by this aspect of the night sky and leave things at that, men and women have been further fascinated by the stars for thousands of years.  The Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Indians, and Chinese all saw the stars to be an artistic display of immense variety, and created maps of the heavens in which stars played connect-the-dots with each other to form shapes of humans, animals, and objects.  Today, many of these constellations, as they are known, are used to identify different regions of the night sky.  I must admit, though, I have never developed a fondness for the mythological characters of these ancient civilizations.  I'm well aware that they are an important part of history and that they have their cultural significance and such, but to me they represent the idols of people lost in darkness without the one true God.  I doubt that the Creator, when He fashioned the stars, intended for them to remind people of fictional characters- and He most certainly did not design them to be a source of direction in life, as we have been told by astrologers for generations.
As I walked that brisk evening, transfixed by the stellar sight, one particular thought found its way into my mind: perhaps the stories told in the stars are far more relevant and enduring than those recognized by most people.  For example, I'm not convinced that Taurus is actually a bull.  I believe him to be a donkey- the one who opened his mouth to rebuke the wayward prophet Balaam.  He stands among the nebulae as a reminder of how dangerous it is to challenge children of God.  And Leo?  Well, naturally, he is one of the fierce lions who had to wait for a meal along with his comrades in the den, because God's hand of protection was on His servant Daniel.  Ursa Major, the brilliant bruin of the northern sky, was used to deliver God's punishment upon the boys who mocked the prophet Elisha.  Draco serves as a reminder of the beast of Revelations- a fearsome enemy whose persecution of the Lord's children will not go unnoticed, nor will it be unpunished.
The human caricatures in the sky seem to have been mislabeled, as well.  What if, rather than the mighty Hercules keeping order in the night sky, the renowned Samson kept guard over his twinkling neighbours?  Perhaps the twins of Gemini are the sons of Isaac, and the legendary hunter of the skies is not Orion but David, a man whose fear was dwarfed by his faith in his Father, whether facing enemies or wild animals.  Virgo, I am sure, is no generic maiden, but rather Mary, the girl who was willing to follow God's directions and through whom Jesus Christ, our Saviour, entered the world.
Finally, there is Sagitta, the arrow, which makes me think of the origin of the word "sin."  It was an archery term, as a matter of fact, and meant "to miss the mark."  Sagitta reminds me that we have all missed the mark of holiness set for us by the One who so lovingly placed the stars in the sky.   Fortunately for us, the situation is not summarized by Sagitta; the climax of the stars' story is found in the constellation Crux.  It was on a cross that Jesus died so that all who have sinned might find reconciliation, peace, and eternal life.  With this in mind, perhaps you will look differently at the sky next time you are out on a clear, crisp night.  Take a moment to identify the different stories in the constellations, and don't thank your lucky stars; thank the God who took the time to write out His story in the sky.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." -Psalm 19:1

Hosea 14:5

I will be like the dew to Israel;

He shall grow like the lily,

And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.

Clinging to the Cross

This vine does just fine as long as it has a grip on the tree up which it is climbing.  As Christians, we will possess the supernatural power of God as long as we continually make sure our faith is in our Saviour and not in ourselves.  What would happen if the vine attempted to shoot towards the sky without a tree or other structure to support it?  It would collapse on itself.  The structure of a vine does not allow it to stand on its own.  Like the vine, we must be clinging to the cross if we are to become stronger; the closer to Christ you grow, the higher you will climb and the more beautiful to behold your life will become.

"I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." -John 15:5

Red Sky in the Morning...

Photographers, to your stations!

I believe the sliver of a moon is visible in the first picture as well, but it comes out much more clearly in the second.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.

-Psalm 5:3

Just a photo.

No caption necessary.

Battle Wounds

This old boy has been through a lot.  What caused the gaping wound on the side of his trunk?  I couldn't tell you.  Perhaps a piece of heavy machinery drove too close years ago.  Perhaps a grazing animal took a nibble at it when it was just a sapling.  Perhaps... well, who knows!  Regardless, something happened to leave it with an impressive scar.  What's more, it is still surviving and thriving, just as its peers who are perfectly intact.

Many of us can attest to having scars on our lives from damage done in the past.  Whether it's physical, emotional, or spiritual, each of us has been changed in some way by the negative circumstances we've been through.  None of us can entirely avoid the rough times, and none of us can avoid the wounds.  What is in our power to determine, though, is whether we flourish in spite of those scars.  With the joy of the Lord in our lives, we are fully able to "count it all joy," to learn from the past, and to become stronger in preparation for that which we will face in the future.

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." -Hebrews 12:11

Hang in there!

Don't let go!  You might feel like a withered leaf, but God is more than able to provide you with new life and the strength to hang on and carry through.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

Colours of Fall

~from today's hike~

Up the hill I am striding- I push on with all
The true, undying drive of a person who knows
That a mere byward glance at the colours of fall
Would give far more delightful a vista to those
Who will bypass the grand for the small.

A squirrel is sprinting, but pauses to peer
As my dog and I make our way into the clear.
He chitters and chirps and condemns our trespassing
But as we move on he goes back to his stashing
The nourishing seeds he will need to survive
When winter sets in; they will keep him alive.

The bird as it flits across the sky
And the deer interrupting its grazing to spy
Are my guardians here, in this aura of ease
While I wander along, pushing into the breeze
And the dog firmly pulls me ahead, for she sees
Yet another new friend to make, off in the trees.

There is much to be seen- more than words can recall.
From the trickling stream to the last dangling leaf
God's creation is beckoning me now to stall
All my hustle and hurry; I'll take the relief
And I'll bypass the grand for the small.

End of the Tunnel

There's something out there!

There's a light at the end of this tunnel.  There's a light at the end of yours, too. Even if you can't see around the bend, keep up the faith and trust that God will bring you out if the dark and into the brightness of His blessing.
"Our God is the God of salvation; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death." -Psalm 68:20

The Path Less Traveled

 Where does it lead?

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." -Matthew 7:13-14

I could have taken a picture of a freeway, but that wouldn't have intrigued me as much.  As a Christian, I believe the better path to take in life is not the straightforward, well-marked one, but the one that is narrow and difficult.   We can't see where it ends or what twists and turns it will take us through; it may lead us over mountain peaks or through the deepest valleys.  We do have faith, however, that end result is that we will be united with the Father in heaven.  That's what makes the trip worthwhile.  As an added bonus, there are some breathtaking vistas along the way, and many fascinating, obscure details that light up the trip.

As such, I have started another blog.  I intend for this one to be less wordy than the other one I maintain- hopefully, I'll be able to read through these posts without falling asleep myself.  ;)  I'm not entirely sure what I'll put up here, but it will involve pictures, little witty sayings that I come across, and pretty much anything else I feel like sharing with the world.  Bon appetite!

-Jeremy