The Transfiguration

Then he said to them all:  "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor talking with Jesus.  They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.  Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the tow men standing with him.  As the men were leaving Jesus Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here.  Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.  (He did not know what he was saying.)

While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, "this is my Son whom I have chosen; listen to him."  When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.  The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one of that time what they had seen.

Luke 9:23-36 NIV 

Forest Canyon - The Lord is My Strength and My Song

 In that day you will say:

"I will praise you O LORD,

Although you were angry with me,

your anger has turned away 

and you have comforted me.

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The LORD, the LORD, is my

strength and my song;

he has become my salvation."

Isaiah 12:1-2

Lake Irene - Living by Faith and not by Sight

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with  our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent,  we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.   So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

 

Big Meadows at Green Mountain

 

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers.  Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

"No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

Luke 16:22-31 NIV

Appalachian Foothills

He who dwells in the shelter

of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of

the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He 

is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.

Psalm 91:1-2

If you make the Most High 

your dwelling--

even the LORD, who is my 

refuge--

then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his 

angels concerning you 

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion 

and the cobra;

you will trample the great 

lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," 

says the LORD, 

"I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he

acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I

will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91:9-16 NIV

Lake Columbine - Voice of Many Angels

 

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and then thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they sang:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who
was slain,
to receive power and wealth 
and wisdom and 
strength
and honor and glory and
praise."

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

"To him who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and
glory and power,
for ever and ever!"

The four living creatures said "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelations 5:11-14 NIV

Rocky Mountains - The Chariots of God

 

The mountains of Bashan are majestic 

mountains; rugged are the mountains of 

Bashan.  

Why gaze in envy, O rugged 

mountains at the mountain where God

chooses to reign, where the LORD himself 

will dwell forever?

The chariots of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;  the LORD

has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

When you ascended on high, you led

captives in your train; you received gifts 

from men, even from the rebellious--

that you, O LORD of God,

might dwell there.

Psalm 68:15-18 NIV

Matthew Henry said of this passage that "'Angels are the chariots of God; his chariots of war, which he makes use of against his enemies, his chariots of conveyance, which he sends for his friends as he did for Elijah...his chariots of state, in the midst of which he shows his glory and power.  they are vastly numerous:  "Twenty thousands; even thousands multiplied."

Rocky Mountains - Life is a Mist

 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 

What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:14 NIV

Blue Ridge Mountains - He will wipe every tear from their eyes...

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mournings or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelations 21:4

Chasm Falls - A New Heaven and a New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,  coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautiful dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Revelations 21:1-3

Lake Irene trail - Eternity in the Hearts of Man

 He has made everything beautiful in it’s time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.  God does it so people will fear him. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

Horseshoe Park

 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 NIV

Always There - Forest Canyon

 Jesus said to [Thomas], "Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

John 20:29 NRSV

Colorado River - "The Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You"

The Priestly Blessing

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace."

 

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV

In the Silence - Arapaho Forest Fires

 

As far as the eye could see, everything was burned; No wildlife, no birds for miles.  Not a tree standing without scorched limbs and blacken trunks.  Over 300,000 acres of National Forest System lands on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest in 2020.  As we drove though the forests, flowers and plants appeared everywhere.  Beautiful pink and yellow flowers decorating the ground at the feet of the ravage burnt trees.

May the God of peace...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to  him.

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV

Thought for the Day:  Sometimes God speaks most powerfully through silence.

Trail Ridge Road - Which Path?

 

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Psalm 119:35 NIV

Trail Ridge Road - Rocky Mountains

 

May the God of peace...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him.

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV

Dusk and River Clouds over the Colorado River

Genesis  15:17 

And after the sun had gone down and it [was] dusk, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between those half pieces.

Rocky Mountains Majestic

 The mountains quake before him
    and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
    the world and all who live in it.

Nahum 1:5 NIV

A Time for Fishing

 

“Once again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a net let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.”

Matthew 13:47

Lake Columbine - Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

By Robert Frost

Trail Ridge Road

 Highway to Heaven

Adams Falls at Grand Lake

 It was a mile hike with a lot of rocks.   A beautiful waterfall with hazy skies due to the smoke from wild fires in Nevada.