Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Songwriter: Stewart K Hine
(Photo: St Mary Lake, Glacier NP)
Great is the Lord and highly praised in the city of our God: God’s holy mountain, fairest of heights, the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon, the city of the great king. Psalms 48:2-3
(Photo: Hidden Lake, Glacier NP)
This is the view from the Grinell Glacier Overlook Trail (Glacier NP). My wife and I hiked here in 2017. That day my wife accused me of trying to kill (not that she really meant it). But it was a long, hard and hot day of hiking. This spur, in particular, was a 1000 foot gain in less than a mile off the main trail. But what a spectacular view!
It is said “What does not kill you, makes you stronger” (first attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche). In Proverbs, we are told that God purifies our hearts like gold is purified by fire. While I don’t believe that suffering is intrinsically good, I do believe God can work through the challenges we face.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:6-8
(Photo: Lake Josephine, Glacier NP)
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Majestic and glorious is God’s work, God’s righteousness endures forever. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who practice it. God’s praise endures forever. Psalms 111:2-3, 10
Photo: Highline Trail, Glacier NP
This is a photo of Lake Haiyaha in Rocky Mountain NP. Notice the color of the water. I think this due to the remnants of glacier run off. Thousands of years ago there many large glaciers in RMNP, but all that remains now are a few cirque glaciers which are the remnants of much the larger valley glaciers. Other remnants of glacier can be seen throughout RMNP, including Moraine Park and Glacier Basin.
In a similar way, each of has had remarkable events in our lives that have long lasting effects. Daily reflection helps us keep these events in proper perspective.
This is another photo taken during our hike on Root Glacier. I thought the name “Root” might be somehow related to the nearby copper mines. However, it was actually named for Elihu Root who was the Secretary of War at the time and later the Secretary of State. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for many achievements during his time in office.
I would guess that more people know of Root Glacier than about Elihu Root. It is said that we are remembered more for who we are than what we do.
This is a view of Kennicott, which is an old copper mining town. The biggest building is the mill which is actually several connected buildings going up the side of the hill. The mill was built between 1909 and 1923. These buildings were constructed to take advantage of gravity in the milling process. As you can see, some of the buildings have been renovated and others are literally falling down.
Sometimes I wonder if that is how God sees us.
The flight from Chitina to McCarthy was about 30 minutes long and was filled with one amazing view after another.
Glorious are you, more majestic than the everlasting mountains. Psalms 76:4
I didn’t notice the bird when I first looked at this photo. It sort of blends in. When we got closer to the glacier, the captain pointed out dozens of seals laying on the chunks of ice in the water. They were hidden in plain sight.
As I reflect on being hidden, Colossians 3:3 comes to mind: “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” What does this mean? For me, it is captured by our Parrish theme: “think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus.”
Signs Along the Way 