After breakfast, I gathered the new mailbox and the tools I thought I would need and headed for my friends house. When I arrived, I found that I did not have the right tools to remove the old box and could not do the job then and there. I would have to admit that I was upset with myself for not bringing more tools and being ready for whatever challenges I would be faced with. Dejected, I left and drove back home, thinking I would have to make the trip again another day and hoping that the old box would hold until I could get back.

After lunch, it was still not raining. I decided to go back and see if I could finish the Job. If only God would hold the rain for just a little longer, I could have this task accomplished and “out of the way.” I guess I could say that it had become a job now instead of a favor for a friend. But, not only did God hold the rain, He sent a special blessing my way.

As I left home and was driving down our road, I caught a glimpse of a large bird, flying across the road. The bird was black with white markings. I slowed the car and looked carefully in the area where the bird had entered the woods on the other side of the road. To my delight, there it was, a pileated woodpecker. He was beautiful, with his red head and black and white feathers. This was only the second pileated woodpecker I had ever seen. If I had not gone back to finish the job, I would have missed this majestic bird.

Some may call this a coincidence, but I choose to see it as a blessing from God. God is present in all of nature and, if we take the time to see it, nature cries out in His praise.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.”
Psalm 19:1-3

I don’t know exactly how this relates to investing in the Kingdom of God. I do know that as we use the talents He has given us, whether great or small, God will bless us.

Peace

I had just started my trip to New Jersey to see my son, daughter-in-law and grandson. The radio in our van doesn’t work so I figured this was a good time to spend talking with God. I confessed that I had been having a hard time listening and being at peace and that silence was something that I needed to learn. Then there was a loud noise, as if something had stopped working. The noise was followed be a loud bang and the power steering and power brakes were gone. The engine heat began to rise rapidly. I started down an exit ramp, turned the engine off and let the van coast to a stop on the shoulder.

I told God that this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I was reminded of what He had told the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient.” I told him that I was listening and would simply trust him. When I looked under the hood, I found smoldering rubber on the alternator pulley, where the fan belt should have been. That didn’t seem like a very good sign.

I called my wife and told her what had happened. As it turned out, the exit where the van had come to rest was for Hillsborough, NH. Seven or eight miles from Hillsborough is a little town called Deering, where my wife’s uncle has a cabin. She gave me uncle Bill’s phone number in Manchester and I called him. I told him what had happened and asked if he would be over in the Hillsborough area that day. Uncle Bill is a retired priest who sometimes fills in at the parishes in the Hillsborough area. He said that he was just going down to breakfast and then would be going to the camp in Deering. He said that if I could give him about an hour, he would come and lend what assistance he could. I told him that would be great.

He arrived as promised and took me to see if we could find someplace to get the van fixed. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and all the places available were closed. I’m pretty sure that God knew that in advance.

Since there wasn’t much else we could do, we went back to the van, retrieved some of my things and proceeded to the camp. I told Uncle Bill about my prayers and he seemed to think that God had answered them. I had already come to that same conclusion. Uncle Bill remarked that God has a sense of humor and that He surely knew that I needed this break.

Uncle Bill had to go back to Manchester but told me I could stay at the camp as long as I needed. The only problem was that I would have to figure out how to get back to town the next morning. I figured that since I had been hiking all summer, 7 or 8 miles wouldn’t be much of a walk. I settled in for a nice quiet evening. I had brought along a book entitled Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. What a “coincidence”! I was able to read several chapters and spend time listening to God’s guidance through this book and through Scripture. What a great evening it was, just me and God.

Monday morning, I got up and had some breakfast and headed back to town. I had only walked for about a mile or mile and a half, when a nice young man stopped and gave me a ride to the Chevy dealer. I told them what had happened and asked if they could tow the van in and fix it. It turned out that the tow truck was on another call but I was assured that as soon as he was finished with that call, he would get my van. The van was finally retrieved at about 11:30 am.

I had a good morning sitting in the waiting room. I spent a good deal of time talking with an older man about politics, taxes and the general decline of society as we had known it. I can’t say it was the most positive of conversations but we did talk about old cars and a few other “fond memories.” Later, I talked with a young woman who couldn’t understand why it was taking so long to change the oil in her car. After all, she said, she had tried to flirt with the mechanic. She finally decided that he must have just been concentrating too hard on fixing her car to notice. My final conversation was with an elderly lady who assured me that God had his hand in my situation. I didn’t have the heart to admit that I had asked for this, in a sort of way, but did agree that God surely did have his hand in my situation.

At about 2:30 pm, I received the good news that the mechanics had been able to determine just what the problem was. The bad news was that they would have to order parts and that the parts would arrive sometime on Tuesday. The good news was that once the parts arrived, it should only take a couple of hours to make all the repairs. The bad news was that I would have to find a way back out to the cabin for another night. The good news was that they had a car that I could rent. So, here I am, back at the camp writing this down. Looks like another evening with the Father. I think that God is trying to tell me that He is in control and that when He is ready to let me go, the van will be ready. Thank you Lord for answering my prayer in a way that I could hear you.

The neat thing is that I have not been upset by any of this. I put it in God’s very capable hands and that’s that. This is the way that I want to live, trusting that whatever happens, God is in control and I will let Him lead. And, if this is what it means to be a follower, well, I’ve always enjoyed a good adventure.

I retired in 2005. I had looked forward to retirement for several years and walked away from my job on my 55th birthday. WOW, what a great day. A few months later, my wife and I moved to New Hampshire. We felt that God was calling us to make this move. My wife’s family was here and it just seemed like everything pointed in this direction. As we looked for a house, we were led to an area where our son had spent a summer working with a house church. I just knew that God was leading us here to be a part of the work. We were able to purchase a house close to where the house church had been meeting and not have a mortgage. God was working everything out. We were so blessed by His great mercy.

Looking back, I think it started in the winter of 2007-2008. It was the worst winter that anyone could remember here in New Hampshire. There had been other winters with blizzards and 20 below zero temperatures, but no one could remember so much snow for so long a period as we had that winter. We averaged two snow storms per week. It seemed like we only got the snow moved from one storm and another one hit us. We wound up with a total of over 130 inches of snow.

I had already gone back to work because my retirement was not enough to meet our needs. It seemed like all I did that winter was work and remove snow. By spring, I was exhausted. It isn’t an excuse but somehow I gave up my time with God that winter. It got to the point where the only time I spent with Him was to complain about how bad things had become.

I began to think about how retirement had gone all wrong. It was supposed to be one long vacation, but I was forced to go back to work. Never mind that I was only working part time, I hadn’t planned to work at all. I was going to hike and fish and travel and play golf and improve my woodworking. Well, that sure didn’t happen. I would tell myself that I had made a big mistake by retiring. If I wanted to work, I could have stayed in my government job and made much better money for my time. Do you begin to see what was happening?

The house church that I was so sure God was leading us to, didn’t exist anymore. On the day we moved in to our house, my son and I went over to surprise the folks who had started the house church and let them know that we were her to help. We pulled up in the driveway and a strange man came out of the house. We told him why we were there and he informed us that the previous owners and sold the house and moved to Florida. My wife and I began trying to find the place that God wanted us to serve. That didn’t go very well, but that is a long story.

Then, my wife’s health began to slowly go down hill. She became more and more reliant on me to help here with things. That too began to cut into my time and kept me from being able to do some of the things I wanted to do. Do you see a trend building here?

Anyway, that winter of 2007-2008, everything seemed to come crashing in on me like and avalanche. Work, the snow, lack of time, retirement not being what I had expected. Everything was going wrong. I am ashamed to admit that I began to resent my wife for “getting me to move to New Hampshire.” She got to be close to her family and I had given up everything.

Spring and summer were not much better. Things were so busy that I didn’t have time to fish or hike or play golf or any of the other things I wanted to do. Then came winter again and more snow and cold temperatures. I was almost to the end of my rope. I found myself blaming my wife (and God) for everything that had gone wrong.

Do you see what happened? Do you see where the mistake came in? I had taken my eyes off of Jesus! I had given up my time of praise and thanksgiving with the Father. Oh, I was still “going to church.” I was still doing the outward things the show how righteous I am. I was even teaching a men’s group on Saturday mornings. But. I had lost my relationship with my savior. The more that I looked inward, the more Satan was trying to blind me to the constant blessing which God was pouring on me. It was like when Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water with Jesus. “But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.“ (Matt. 14:30)

The most wonderful thing about God’s mercy is that He never gives up. He constantly pursues us and He kept pursuing me. Air 1 bought a local radio station and I began to listen on my way to work and on my way home. A few months ago, Matthew West put out a song called “The Motions.”

The Holy Spirit started tugging at my heart through this song. I began to realize that even though I was going through the motions, I had lost the passion for Jesus. “I” had gotten in the way. The Spirit kept working on me, even though I was still tied up in my own pity party. Somehow, this past Sunday, Easter Sunday, He broke through the walls of my self pity and brought me back. God pulled my eyes back to the cross and to Jesus. How could I have become so selfish when Jesus had given everything for me? It was as though scales fell from my eyes and I could see for the first time in such a long time. The God of mercy, my precious Jesus, had called me home once more.

I began to remember all the blessings that had come during those dark times. A new grandson had come into our lives in the fall of 2007. We had found the body that God wanted us to be a part of. He had led me to a job that I could enjoy and still be just part time. He began to show me that I could still do the things that I wanted to do and do them in a way that could bring glory to Him. He has led me into opportunities to mentor and share in the lives of others. And, He caused me to remember that He had called us to New Hampshire for His purposes. He led me to confess my feelings to my wife and ask for her forgiveness. My gracious and merciful Father has begun a healing process and has drawn me close again. Praise be to Him for his undieing love and His never ending mercy.

Maybe you have gone through (or are going through) the same type of things. Maybe life is getting you down and you can’t figure out where to turn. The God of Mercy will draw you back if you will let Him. Allow His Holy Spirit to talk to you and begin the healing process. And, know that you are not alone. I would be glad and honored to pray with you and for you. I am also willing to listen. You can e-mail me at twcheek at cheekheritage dot com. Jesus gave his life for you and God raised him from the grave. If God has that kind of power, He can help you overcome anything. Turn your eyes to Jesus.

Sometimes, I live my life that way. Things are going along smoothly as I am focused on Jesus and trusting him to lead me. Then. All of a sudden, I come up against something I can’t seem to figure out. I can’t see the answer to some situation. I’ll try and try to figure it out. Many times the answer is staring me in the face but I can’t see it. Then I realize that the problem is that I’m trying to do it on my own. I’ve lost my focus on Jesus and started relying on myself again. Why do I keep on doing that? Then Jesus reminds me that if I rely on him, I’ll find the answer. There was only one move to make—taking it to Him.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) I wonder if that was what he was talking about. I know that I am much more at rest and filled with peace when I am focused on Him. Every time I go off on my own, I wind up filled with fear and doubt. Then Jesus calls again, “Come to me.”

I have a hard time explaining faith. I’ve been a Christian long enough that I can give you a lot of theological reason and evidences to believe in Jesus. But, I can’t explain faith. How does someone come to a point of faith. It’s a lot like love. I can’t explain love, it’s just there. I can feel it, I know it’s there, But, I can’t explain it any more than I can explain air.

In his book, “Blue Like Jazz,” Donald Miller writes a chapter about Faith and Penguin Sex. It struck a cord with me. He talks about the migration of penguins and the birthing process. How do they know where and when to go? I related because of an interest in Monarch butterflies.

For a time, my son and I raised Monarch butterflies. One of the most interesting things about the monarch is their migration. In the fall, monarchs migrate south, much like birds. They travel hundreds and thousands of miles during migration. The thing is, the migration trip is longer than the normal life span of a monarch. Butterflies born in early summer usually live less than 2 months. The last generation of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase known as diapause and may live seven months or more. (wikipedia) These butterflies travel to the overwintering locations. This generation doesn’t normally reproduce until they start the northern migration in February or March. It isn’t this generation which makes it all the way back to the northern regions of the U.S. And Canada. In the eastern region, these butterflies may make it as far as Texas or Oklahoma. It is the second, third and fourth generations that make it all the way back north and the process begins again. The question is, how does every fall generation know where to go for the winter? No one knows for sure; they just do.

I think it is the same with faith. There is something deep in our hearts that make us know that the things about Jesus are true. Some deep emptiness can only be filled by coming to know God and His love for mankind. There is some deep longing for a love that is only found by faith.

I can’t really explain it; it’s just there.

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

(Psalm 136:1-3)

I don’t know about anyone else, but my God is good. He has been good through the years and I trust Him to be good forever. 2008 has been a year of new beginnings for me. Father has opened new avenues of service and has brought wonderful new friends into my life.

As I look forward to this new year (2009), I am excited to see what Father has in mind. I know about all the negative things in the news. I realize the economy isn’t looking good. I understand that there is pain and suffering in the world, even next door. But, I also know that Father is still in control and He still has his heart and His eyes directed toward us. He has never failed and will not fail now. This time of testing will only draw us closer to Him. We will grow in faith and trust. We will be stronger!

Jesus told us; “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25-27)

There is hope for today and for tomorrow!

There is love that lasts forever!

There is faith which draws us closer to Him!

May Father bless and keep us all in this coming year. May we keep our eyes turned toward heaven, watching for Jesus. And, may we keep our eyes and hearts open to those around us.

Many have often wondered why Jesus came in such a lowly fashion. It seems he should have come as a great king. At least, he should have been born into a wealthy family. Instead, he was born into the family of a carpenter and at a time when there was no room in the inn.

The other day, I was reminded of some interesting facts concerning the circumstances of Jesus birth.

He was born in a sheep pen or stable. He is the GREAT SHEPHERD!

His first bed was a manger used to feed the sheep. He is the GREAT SHEPHERD!

His birth was announced to shepherds. He is the GREAT SHEPHERD!

The shepherds could not have gone into a palace. He is the GREAT SHEPHERD!

He is the GREAT SHEPHERD! Do you hear his voice?

Merry CHRISTmas and may God bless you in the coming year. I pray that you and I will let our SHEPHERD lead us into the fields of peace and rest and that we may be about our Father’s business.

]]> http://becauseofyeshua.org/?feed=rss2&p=131 0 http://becauseofyeshua.org/?p=123 http://becauseofyeshua.org/?p=123#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:58:41 +0000 Terry http://becauseofyeshua.org/?p=123 It’s late fall here in New Hampshire. All the leaves are down and we are already getting snow in the mountains. Some of the ski resorts will be open by the end of this month. For me, this is a favorite time of year. I enjoy the crisp fall air. I thoroughly enjoyed the changing color of the leaves and, even now, there is a certain beauty. The beauty is in the shapes of the branches and the backdrop of the pines, hemlocks, spruce etc.

As I was looking at all the naked trees, I was reminded of how the cycle of the seasons can affect people. For some, moods can change with the seasons. Here in northern New England, fall and winter can be very depressing for many people. The long months of overcast skies and cold temperatures can become hard to take. For those who live in more northern climes, it must be even worse. I’ve heard others talk of fall as being a time of death–at least, it looks like everything has died.

I guess everyone really knows that it is just a time when the trees go dormant. It’s a time of rest and renewal. It’s a time when the earth is replenished with needed moisture. And, thank God, it is a time without mosquitoes. Fall is just a part of a cycle which Father gave us. It’s a change of season.

Everything goes through “seasons of change.” Nations, economies, nature and people. As I think about seasons, I’m reminded that Father is in complete control, no matter what season it may be. It’s a great blessing to know that He is in control and that He cares for us enough to sacrifice His Son for us.

Usually, when we think about the seasons of our lives, we relate it to our age. Maybe we think about the passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says; “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” We talk about the passing of the seasons and look at “old age” as our winter. Our trust is that after the winter, there will be “new life” with Christ. All of that is valid and a comforting thought, especially when you are in the fall or winter of life. But, what about now?

How do the seasons relate to today; the right now part of life? In a time of economic struggles and many other uncertainties, how can we take comfort from the lessons in nature? I hear individuals who aren’t sure if they will be able to cope with everything. I know people who lost retirement income with the problems in the stock markets. I have a family member who has lost his home due to foreclosure. How are we supposed to deal with all the hardships we see around us in this time?

Seasons change. Perhaps, if we can remind ourselves that this is simply a change of season, we can look forward to the coming of something better. In nature, the something better is the new life of spring. Remember, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Times have been tough before. Father knows that and He knows what our needs are. Father has already provided a place for my family member to live and He will provide your needs as well. Trust in Him.

When the Israelites were faced with entering the promised land, Moses said to them and to Joshua; “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

King Solomon built a temple for the Lord and had the ark of the covenant brought up to be placed in the temple. After sacrifices were made, Solomon prayed. Toward the end of his prayer, he said; “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.” (1 Kings 8:56-58)

The Hebrew writer reminded the people of what had been written in Deuteronomy 31:8, when he wrote; “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.‘” (Hebrews 13:5)

What about these promises of Jesus?

He said to his disciples; “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) That promise is to us as well.

Jesus also said; “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Seasons change, but our Father and our Brother never do. They are constant and they constantly love and provide for us. Can anything change that? The apostle Paul writes to the Roman church; “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Don’t be afraid of the seasons. Seasons change and with the change comes new life. Instead, do what Paul told the Philippians to do; “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7)

Shalom

Sunday morning, my wife and I were on our way to the celebration gathering of the church. The moon was still in the sky and we began to talk about how the moon reflects the light from the sun. We talked about how much of the moon could be seen depending on the shadow cast by the earth. We also talked about the dark side of the moon. Now, neither of us are scientists but common sense tells us that the dark side is the side pointed away from the sun. It’s the same thing that we call night. It’s dark on the part of the earth which is pointed away from the sun.

Do you find it strange that observations like these tend to lead us to reflect on God? After all, He is the one who put it all together. All of what we refer to as nature reflects God and his awesome power. It also shouts boldly about his great love for us in giving us such marvelous beauty. Here in New Hampshire, we are coming to the end of the peak colors of fall. It was like the most beautiful painting you can imagine. Soon, everything will be covered in a blanket of white. Each of the four seasons which we experience here has it’s own beauty and declares His workmanship.

The great King David must have been thinking some of the same things when he wrote these words;

The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

(Psalm 19:1-4, NLT)

What about mankind? God created us in his own image (Genesis 1). If we are created in His image, shouldn’t we be a reflection of Him? But how do we do that? We become a reflection of God as we become a reflection of the Son. His life was a total reflection of Father God.

The analogy may be a bit simplistic but true. We are a reflection of the light of the Son, when we are in him and loving the way he loved. If we are not reflecting His light, then something else is in the way and is casting a shadow. It could be anything; but for me, it is usually myself. I seem to have a habit of getting in the way more than anything else.

I sometimes wonder if we humans don’t get the whole idea of being “like Jesus.” I sometimes look at this “free gift” of God’s grace and forget that it cost so much. Then I begin to remember that it cost Jesus his life. The part that I seem to conveniently not think about is that it also is supposed to cost me my life. That’s the part of the “free gift” and “being like Jesus” that is the hardest for me. Jesus said; “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul ?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

Jesus gave his life, freely. His desire was to glorify the Father and to reestablish a relationship with us. But in order for me to have that relationship, I must freely give my life as a reflection of Jesus. Until I put “me” aside, there will never be a complete reflection of the Son. It’s kind of like the difference between a full moon or only a partial moon. The more the earth gets in the way, the bigger the shadow. The more I get in the way, the bigger the shadow and less of Jesus can be seen.

Isn’t it strange how nature is a reflection of the things of God?

Wednesday, I hiked Mount Osceola. This mountain sits on the northwest side of Waterville Vally in New Hampshire. Osceola is 4320 feet tall and offers a great view from it’s ledgy top. The trail is sometimes steep and rugged. At times, you scramble from boulder to boulder to make your way. The trail is lined with birch and hemlock trees and offers very little view.

I left the parking lot at 9:05 a.m. and started my hike. At first the path was easy and fairly level but soon that all changed. The first half of the hike became steep and full of boulders. There areas which were wet and the rocks became very slippery. I can imagine that, not long from now, they will be icy. Footing became my focus. I could no longer enjoy the trees and nature which surrounded me. I was touched by the idea that this same thing happens in my walk with Jesus. At times, life gets in the way and diverts my focus. I no longer enjoy the journey because I am focused on a particular event or circumstance. I don’t remember who wrote it, but somewhere I read that “God didn’t create us to live ‘under the circumstances’ but to live in spite of the circumstances. The problem on the mountain is that if you take your eyes off the path, you could turn an ankle or worse. Even so, the journey is the reason for the hike and should be the main focus.

At 10:15, I took my first real break. I took off my pack and sat down to some water and a snack. I figured I was about half way to the top. As I looked around at the trees and listened to the birds, I was drawn back into the journey and I took the time to thank God for His marvelous creation. As I resumed the hike, I soon came to a series of switchbacks. These switchbacks leveled the trail, somewhat, and the path became more dirt and fewer boulders. A little further and I began to get small glimpses through the trees. At one point, there was a clear view of Mount Tecumseh. These glimpses began to give me hope and anticipation for the view at the top. Isn’t it a great blessing that along life’s path, God give us glimpses of glory? They come on a mountain or by the sea. They may come when God brings a person into our lives, at just the right time. They may come in the song of a bird, waves crashing on the beach, the leaves changing colors in fall, the first flower in spring or the cry of a newborn baby. If we simply pay attention, God opens up a view between the trees and give us a glimpse and those glimpses give us hope and anticipation of what’s ahead.

I took just over 2 hours to reach the summit. The path leveled out and suddenly, I walked out onto a granite ledge. The view was breathtaking. There were mountains as far as I could see. At that very moment, I knew that the effort was nothing compared to the reward. I sat and ate my lunch and tried to drink in all the beauty. I watched hawks riding the currents of air in the valley below me. I talked with several other people who had made the climb and were just as impressed with the view. All

the time, I was reminded of what a magnificent God we live for.

For some reason, nature has the power to touch me as nothing else can. When I am out in nature, it becomes a spiritual time for me. Especially when I am alone, I seem to be able to sense that God is near. I’m sure that part of the reason is that I’m experiencing His creation, up close and personal. But, maybe it has something to do with getting away from all the noise and hustle of life. One thing I know for sure is that, as long as God gives me the health and strength, I’ll be hiking.

The other thing that I know for sure is that I’m going to walk through life focused on Jesus. And each time the God gives me a glimpse of glory, I’ll try and remember that it is the journey the counts. I’m going to watch for those glimpses and enjoy each one. One day, when I walk out “through the trees” and into God’s presence, I’ll know that the effort was nothing compared to the reward.