This photo was taken at a bend in the Clackamas River in Oregon. It is not apparent in the photo, but water on the left was very still while the water right was moving very quickly. (It works better in nature than it does on highways.)

In life, sometimes you find yourself in the fast-moving water and sometimes over at the side standing still.

This is a picture of a sturgeon that we saw at the Bonneville Hatchery in Oregon. There was a sign in the viewing area that said sturgeons have changed very little since they first appeared 200 million years ago.

When I think about time, I usually think days/months/years. I don’t ordinarily think about millions of years. Peter wrote “With the Lord a day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years or like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8) I’m sure we can say with God, 200 million years is like a day. Our God is an awesome God.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We didn’t see a lot of birds on our trip out west but we definitely got a good look at this blue bird.

This was the view of Mt Rainier as we approached Seattle in October.

Your justice is like the highest mountains, Lord. Psalms 36:7

Your ears shall hear a word behind you: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left.

Isaiah 30:21

This was a tree we passed on one of our hikes in Glacier NP. It wasn’t obvious why it looked this way. It seems to have lost it’s bark, in a very peculiar pattern. Maybe it was from a lightening strike, or fire. Maybe animals. Or insects. Whatever the cause, the tree survives and it’s imperfections tell a story.

In a similar way, our imperfections tell a story. Do my imperfections tell a story about a loving God?

When I see pigs, there are a number of (random) thoughts that come to mind. Why do we say “sweat like a pig” when pigs don’t sweat? Why would anyone casts pearls before swine? I think about the prodigal son, who “longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed”. Which makes me think the father, who “ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him”. Which is how God welcomes us.

This was perhaps my favorite view in Glacier NP. It is looking at Boulder Creek from the top of the Siyeh pass; the view from where we came (Preston Park) was nearly as spectacular. This was the highest point that we hiked during our week at Glacier. We thought the view was well worth the climb.