Denali National Park

I just paid a visit to Denali National Park, about two hours south of Fairbanks, AK. Definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been!



Here's a mama Grizzly bear with her cub.


This is the view after driving on a three and a half hour bus ride to the Toklat station, and ninety minute hike. You can see the tent where I started my hike in the bottom left.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

Just wanted to share one of my favorite hymns. =D
Singing the harmony on this is really fun (if you haven't heard it acapela, watch this), but most of all I just like the beautiful description of Christ it vividly paints, our precious Rose of Sharon.

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. (Song of Solomon 2:1-2)

I looked up this verse because I was wanting to find the verse that refers to Christ as a Rose of Sharon, and got sidetracked with verse two- just wanted to briefly share what I noticed.

We, as the bride of Christ are described as being His beloved and "as the lily among the thorns" immediately after He says that He is the Lilly of the Valleys. How great is His love for us! And may He transform us more into His image for His glory!

Quotes from the puritan, Richard Steele

"It is a most irrational thing to converse with God without an heart...he delights more in the chirping of birds than in the singing of psalms without understanding; for these do what they can and so are accepted; but brutish service from a reasonable creature is intolerable.

Is it reasonable that you should cry out for the Spirit, and think on the flesh? To be hearing about another world and ruminating on this? Your eyes directed to heaven, and your heart in the ends of the earth? The tongue busy, and the soul idle? The knee devout and the thoughts loose? There is no coherence, no reason in this.

Consider, that else thou art a madman before God, and God hath no need of madmen; if one should come to thee about business of life and death, and after a word or two therein should run from one impertinent thing to another, would you not think him mad? If thy thy thoughts were put into words and mingled with thy prayers, what strange mad prayers would they be?"

Quotes from pgs. 36-38 of
A Remedy for Wandering Thoughts in Worship
by Richard Steele
(From Sprinkle Publications, one of my favorite publishers)

Brothers in arms

Jacob and I were the only ones home today, and it's been neat to be able to spend some one-on-one time with him. He's sitting here beside me right now, helping me come up with ideas for what to talk about, and what the title of the post should be. :P

We started out just doing typical Saturday chores. We fixed the electrical fence, and worked on the bikes. And we couldn't resist taking the bikes out for a spin. =D

It's been a while since we've taken the time to go out and brush up on marksmanship. So, it was good to finally get out there. =D I have a compressed gas pellet gun, and a Springfield XD40.

It was pretty fun watching the XD kick the boxes around. We look forward to next time! =D

Musings of thankfulness

God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart. ~Izaak Walton

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton

The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all. ~Augustine