Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Colorado - A Dreamy State


Truly Alive! That is the phrase that runs through my mind as we travel around this beautiful place! I don't know if it is the cool, crisp air, the natural beauty, or the elevation getting to us, but we feel more alive here than ever before! (Or maybe it is the absence of five busy boys &various real life duties?) Whatever it is, it is a wonderful feeling!
I think others must feel the same way when they come to this place. The more people we have met, the more we have heard of those who have visited Colorado, fell in love with it, and moved here to live out their lifelong dreams. Apparently this is not a new thing or so we learned as we visited Georgetown today to learn the history of this "gold-rush state". In the 1800's people flocked here to pan for gold in in hopes of fulfilling their dreams and making a good life for their families.
We too have felt the effects of this dreamy place. When you see the amazing beauty and the greatness of this place, your mind just kind of soars and you start to believe that truly your own dreams may be possible. What are they incomparison to this? I mean if God can make something so vast & incredible, can He not do something miraculous with us as well? Hasn't He already? God is able to take simple, raw materials and make outstanding works of art that speak to the heart of all who see them - and this is just in nature! Imagine what He can do with a life fully surrendered to Him, with people that will believe that He can!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Another Gorgeous Day


Jason and I began the day by heading back to the Continental Divide with the intention of hiking to the top to have a picnic lunch and enjoy the views. As the old saying goes, "the best views are at the top". Well we wouldn't know because we never made it that far!
We did however make it to about 13,000 feet and we felt very proud to do that. There were some incredible views and we spotted a lake near the lower part of the mountain that we would not have known was there had we not hiked up far enough to see it. We considered that our reward when we drove over to it later and enjoyed it's peaceful beauty. The water was so clear...no matter where we were we could see the bottom perfectly!
Afterwards we drove back to the resort and decided to take a bike ride through Keystone. There is this lovely biking trail that runs alongside of a stream and parallel with the main road. We rode along happily on our way into town, but it wasn't long before Jason pointed out that we had been gradually descending the whole time and would have to take the same route back so we better be careful how far we go. I am glad that we stopped at that point because by the time we reached the resort again we were both exhausted! We were so tempted to stop and walk the bikes back at times, but we could not give in....we had to go all the way so we would feel that we truly had accomplished a great feat of strength! We realized that we were not as athletic as we thought we were as other bikers zipped past us talking on their cell phones and looking completely relaxed & rested while we huffed & puffed and called out encouragement to each other to make it to the end!
One of the highlights of our time biking was when we stopped along the stream and sat together on a little wooden bench to rest and talk. It was such a beautiful setting, so serene and peaceful, that we decided to pray together and give thanks for our marriage & family. It was one of those moments where you felt as if you might cry, but really we were too out of breath to do so!
We really are having a great time here and I think we both have been reminded that life is such a gift and God's goodness is unfailing!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

What an amazing day!

Beauty is something you never tire of...or so we have found today! Around every bend in the road and over every mountain pass, we were continually in awe of what we were seeing. Each time we thought that it could not get any better - we were wrong.
We began the day by attending a small church in town and then went into Breckenridge for lunch at a little cafe. After enjoying the delectable foods, we headed off to see the Aspens once again! We took a mountain pass out of town and into the most beautiful area I have ever seen. We were surrounded by the rich colors of the green Pines and the golden Aspens, along with the overhead beauty of the bright blue sky with stark white clouds. The combination was truly breathtaking.
We parked awhile and hiked up into one of the areas where we saw a few wildflowers and birds, along with a little chipmunk and mountain stream. It was quite an experience to hike in this elevation, so Jason and I had to stop and rest for awhile to catch our breath and that is where we saw the delicate butterfly on the flower. It looks fairly large on the picture, but in actuality it was quite small.
We ended our afternoon by heading back into Breckenridge to rest at Starbucks and enjoy some warm coffee (it was pretty chilly by this time) where we met alot of great people from all over the country. We enjoyed hearing their stories and visiting with them.
As we headed back to the resort we asked ourselves again, "Are we really here?" It was truly an amazing day and we praise God that He has allowed us to be here.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Our Trip To Colorado....ALONE!!!

For the very 1st time in our lives, Jason and I are so blessed to be in Keystone, Colorado this week. We have 7 amazing days to enjoy God's Creation and His gift of marriage!
Needless to say, we are so excited!
As we arrived today, we were struck by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains like never before - Wow! The Aspens are changing colors and that is truly a sight to behold! The golden-yellow is magnificent! I told Jason that surely Heaven will be filled with that kind of color! It is such a testimony to the wisdom and the creativity of God! It reminds me of Romans 11:36 "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
When you see such beauty your heart cries out to give praise to someone and I am so thankful that we know That Someone whom we should thank! It is such an invigorating experience to stand at the Continental Divide (elevation 11,990 feet) and see things from such a different perspective. I think we would all be much better off if we could step back more often and see the bigness of our world and in turn, the bigness of our God!