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