A New Thing

Every day while I was on the mountain I would get a morning walk in down to Wild Iris Loop. I was surprised by a new kind of flower blooming every day. I had seen most of them before.

On one of the last days I thought I saw an odd color in the midst of the golden pea and wild iris. The iris can range from white to stages of lavender going into dark purple. What I saw had more deep pink tones. As I got closer I could see the beautiful 'shooting stars'. The morning light was shining through the thin hot pink membrane of the petals. In the same place I had always walked God showed me a new thing!

I get comfortable even in what I consider to be beautiful. I look with limited vision for the same old thing, or something I am familiar with. But the wild Spirit pushes me to learn something new, to sing something new, to try something new, to do a new thing. Our cells actually are totally replaced in a certain time period. We are continually becoming a new thing. So, don't get too comfortable in that old skin...a new thing is coming. Answer the invitation! There are exciting discoveries in the world and in you!

Things Above

It is not hard to set your mind on things above when you look at such a majestic peak as Mt. Evans. I will be seeing the Grand Tetons tomorrow morning. The only other time I was there I didn't have such a good camera. I am anxious to capture their awesome beauty for you. I wouldn't mind seeing a few moose either. haha

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Set your minds on things above,
not on earthly things. For you died,
and your life is now hidden
with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3

A Place for Me

I photographed this Victorian painted lady in Idaho Springs, Colorado. I loved the colors and light on the house as well as all the life around it that gave a welcome to all who passed by. It brought to mind the beautiful paintings of such houses by Thomas Kincaid. He is so gifted in how he uses the effects of light in his paintings. I was reminded in my spirit that Jesus goes to prepare a place for me. It will be illuminated by the light of God Himself.

Three Foxes

I have come to know several generations of foxes on Evergreen Mountain. These three were the ones I saw the most on this last trip to Colorado:

Flopsy, a gray fox, is just precious. She has a favorite place to sit up on the hill before she comes down to the cabin. She is so named because one of her ears has been injured. At one point she seemed to look up at me with a sweet smile and acknowledgement of 'knowing' me. She had not been there for awhile so I was tickled that she came during my visit.

Sparky, a red fox, has a beautiful fuzzy face. He seems to also look straight at me with a feeling of trust and familiarity. He was pretty easy to photograph. Sparky came with a kit one day, so we are not sure if he is male or female.

G.Q., a red fox, was quite elusive. His face was quite sharp and he seemed to know he was gorgeous; a bit full of himself. He was also quite skittish, so I was lucky to get any photographs of him at all.

These foxes each seemed to have a very distinct personality. I felt quite humbled that two of them established a trusting relationship with me. They are beautiful creatures.
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I think of how God formed each of us in our mothers' wombs, and how he knows us by name. He made us for relationship, each different and precious.

Ears to Hear

On the same day the bear came in the afternoon to the cabin, 'Little' came to visit in the morning. She is the matriarch of several generations that I have gotten to know on the mountain. This morning I got the news that she became a grandmother by her daughter, Amber. The bottom picture is one I took of 'Little' and 'Amber' several years ago. The top two are of 'Little' resting underneath my bedroom window on my recent trip.

The new birth happened quite early this morning. My friends heard screeching and got up to see what the noise was all about. What their ears had picked up was the birthing of Amber's fawn. Amber and Little protectively surrounded the new babe in her first moments of disorientation and trying out her new legs. Soon papa 'Buckybuck' came to see the fawn. He and Amber nuzzled necks and touched mouths. Can you imagine seeing that sight?

My friend called me with the news and asked if 'Aunty C' might have a suggestion for the name. I thought awhile and called her back. There is a phrase in French, "Chez Nous", that means 'at our place' or literally, 'WITH US'. She was born at their house. Chez Nous (pronounced 'shay new') seemed a perfect name, because God is WITH US, Emmanuel.

I am in love with Little's ears. She can turn them forwards or backwards to hone in on sounds. They are incredible. I am glad God gave Les and Dale ears to hear this morning so they would be able to witness this new creature's first moments on the mountain. I am so grateful to be able to experience the generations of deer, fox, and other wildlife right in their yard when I go there to visit.

~~~

Then shall the righteous shine forth
as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:43

Words of Light

I experienced a few incredible sunrises in Evergreen on the mornings I made it down the mountain in time. The sky this particular morning changed every few seconds. As I look and remember these skies I think about how our understanding of the Word changes as we study and learn. More is revealed, and new understanding 'dawns' on us. A verse becomes clear or is deepened and unfolds more of its light.

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The unfolding of Your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130

An Extreme God

I found the extremes of wildflowers strewn amongst the enormous "Red Rocks" a beautiful contrast. God's creativity from greater than mountains to smaller than wildflowers is a testament to His mighty works and great love for us.

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Praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock,
His works are perfect,
and all His ways are just.
Deut. 32:3-4

I Lift My Eyes...

This sunset over Mt. Evans taken from outside of Evergreen reminded me of one of my favorite life verses:


I lift my eyes to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord;
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

Arise, Shine!

One of the mornings at my friend's cabin I was awake at 5:30. I decided to walk down to the open space to see the sunrise. It was so ethereal, and I felt like I was watching something of God's glory as it changed each second to a new painting of light.

~~

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee."
Isaiah 60:1

Grasping Christ's Love

I found this particular wildflower at the side of the road leading up to St. Mary's Glacier. I had never seen it before. Anybody know what it is? I was so taken by the blossoms because they seemed to just reflect light in an amazing aura surrounding themselves.

I thought about Ephesians 3:17-18:

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
~~

It is perhaps easier to look at a mountain or ocean and believe that God's love is high and deep for us. But I have found that it is equally as amazing to see His great love for us in those incredibly crafted butterflies, bees, and blooms. His love is reflected in the massive and the miniscule.
Oh, how He loves you and me!!!

Wildlife Babes

Spring is a wonderful time to visit the mountains. On my spring trips to Colorado I have seen fawns, fox kits, and various other wildlife babes. But this spring in Evergreen ( right down from the Catholic church IN Evergreen!) I was able to see elk calves for the first time. Their spots and gangly legs were just precious.

When we saw a few adult cows on the front step of the church we decided to see where the walking path led to the left. I thought I saw a few small brown spots behind a resting cow up on the hill in the trees. As we watched, a small calf got up and stretched. Then two others stood up on their spindly long legs. What happened next reminded me of a litter of puppies. One ran off followed by another. They chased each other around and periodically stopped for a refreshing moment of nursing only to take off again to resume their riotous, joyful playing.

~~~~~

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your spiritual salvation.
1 Peter 2:2

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You will begin to crave deeper understanding and more than milk. That is a natural desire that God puts in us to know Him more and to mature in our understanding so that we might be able to give others a reason for our hope.

In a Parking Lot

I went with my friend into Evergreen to spend some time outside while she did one of her accounts. I took my camera, never knowing what I might see along the way. Right in the parking lot we saw a coyote as we turned in. As I looked around at the parking lot I began to see the beauty of the new growth on the trees.

I have found one of the lessons through the lens is that if I go with an attitude of expectancy to see something and allow God to clear and direct my eyes, I will see amazing things, even in a parking lot. Many of the Apostles saw amazing things even in prison. God will give you eyes to see and ears to hear. Ask him and be prepared, for you will not be disappointed.

BUSTED!

This little chipmunk hanging out in the front yard of the cabin was just delightful to watch. I saw him snip off a dandelion and take it up on the woodpile to finish. He started nibbling from the stem end and ended up with the flower at his mouth. Another afternoon I caught him up in the tree nibbling again.

But the best interaction I had with him was sneaking up to my friend's basil that she had received for Mother's Day. She was a little distressed that it was not doing very well. I had parked myself up on the hill level to the cabin's roof to get a better vantage point for taking pictures of the hummingbird feeder. Then I saw him. He made short dashes as he headed towards...the basil plants. He scurried up to the planter, stood up on his hind legs, and leaned forward to take a nibble. Then he spotted me and got a look on his face of utter dismay that I had caught him about to snitch some tasty raw Italian snack. He had been BUSTED!

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Aren't we like that sometimes? We think that what we are doing in secret or darkness nobody will every know. But someone watches from up on the hill, and even knows what we will do before we do it. The good news is that when we tell on ourselves to Him, he forgives and forgets. In Him we have the forgiveness of sins.

Fly Away

There is something about seeing a bird in flight that speaks to my soul. It represents freedom, a lifting up, an escaping to a place of beauty and safety. I even feel the muscles at my shoulders ache to fly across the sky as the birds. I fly often in my dreams, sometimes to escape danger and other times to go to a destination of beauty that I have visited in my travels. I often find myself in my dreams in the front of the cabin up on Evergreen Mountain visiting the foxes, deer, elk, birds, (sometimes a bear!) that frequent the view out of the picture window onto the driveway.

The first photo is of the birds at the spillway off Evergreen Lake. The last is of the blue swallow that lives in the house on the fence looking onto Mt. Evans. The middle four are in Nebraska: a hawk, red-winged blackbird, vulture, and goose.

I think David had prayer in mind as I read Psalm 25:1:

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
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Again, he repeats the idea of lifting up or flying away to the Lord, a safe haven, in Psalm 55:

Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest~~~

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Fly away in some prayer today...you can trust the One who waits for you there. Your spiritual wings of faith can take you to resting in the Lord.