Genesis 1: 9-13
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
Swallow Falls is the most beautiful and breath taking place I have every seen here in Maryland. On one end of the park is Muddy Creek and Maryland’s largest natural water fall (Muddy Creek Falls) and a short 2 minute walk brings you to the Youghiogheny River. From there another walk of 3 minutes brings you to Lower Swallow Falls and then Upper Swallow Falls. Just a short 6 minute walk from there takes you to Tolliver Creek and another falls called Tolliver Falls. Through out the walk you are in the middle of towering old growth Hemlock and White Pine trees reaching toward heaven. The serenity of the natural beauty is just beyond words. I could never grow tired of walking this ½ mile trail and gazing at the flora and fauna.I am generally an outdoor person and I love to hunt, fish and camp. I have camped in a tent in 10 degree weather during a blizzard in southern Montana while Elk hunting. I have climbed up the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India. I have flown in a helicopter over and though the Grand Canyons and I have camped, hiked and tubed the rivers of the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I have walked the banks and delta of the Mekong River in Southern Cambodia. In all my journeys I have seen God’s hands at work. He has molded and formed everything we see for his own pleasure and he said it was good…
I would like to encourage you to take an hour or so this week to drive up to Gambrill Park at Mountaindale (off of Putman Road). If you go west on Mountaindale road you will pass the Frederick City reservoir on the left side of the road. From the reservoir west for about 1.5 miles runs Fishing Creek. I suggest you drive ¾ of a mile up stream of the reservoir and pull over. Take your bible and walk down to the creek, find a rock and sit down and take in the beauty God has made for 15 minutes. Then read the follow verses.
Genesis 1
1 Peter 1:23-25
The human life is like that of a flower: it blooms and is beautiful for a time, but inevitably fades and withers away. By contrast, God is eternal and will never die or fade away.
Matthew 6:26
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?
Finally send time in prayer, mostly listening to what God wants to say to you. I have found that when I am out in the beauty of the mountains and I sit and listen God says some big things that I can’t hear when I am my own house or car. Go out and find him and listen…he will come to you…
Curt,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. This week our family has been enjoying God's creation in a big way. We have hugged a sequoia, reached for a redwood tree,run the mountains of the Siera Nevadas, climbed rocks to a great water fall, said hello to brown bears, elephant seals, and antelope in the wilds of California. We have also seen the creativity of man at the Golden gate bridge and the Painted ladies (victorian houses) of San Fransisco.
God's creativity leaves us breathless and man's creation gives us pause. It's all food for the soul and leaves us richer as we drink in God's goodness.
Kyle Christiansen