September 7 is the 2nd anniversary of laying  my daughter Crystal to rest near her grandmother’s grave in Columbus Georgia.  To honor her, we visited the river bank where her friends held a life’s celebration honoring her life.  We said a prayer and threw a bouquet of flowers on the river watching the tide carrying them to her “crossing the bar” to the other side.  

Crossing the Bar

Alfred Lord Tennyson - 1809-1892

 Sunset and evening star,

  And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
  When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
  Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
  Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
  And after that the dark! 
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
  When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
  The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face 
  When I have cross’d the bar.

Wayfaring Stranger

 

Wayfaring Stranger

Song by Emmylou Harris

I am a poor wayfaring stranger

While traveling through this world of woe

Yet there's no sickness, toil or danger

in that bright world to which I go

I'm going there to see my father

I'm going there no more to roam

I'm only going over Jordan

I'm only going over home

I know dark clouds will gather around me

I know my way is rough and steep

Yet beauteous fields lie just before me

Where God's redeemed their vigils keep

I'm going there to my mother

She said she'd meet me when I come

I'm only going over Jordan

I'm only going over home.

Crossing Over to the Over Side

 

September 7, 2019 is the day we laid our daughter, Crystal Michelle Fallin to rest close to her grandmother's grave in Columbus, Georgia.  They are together on that peaceful shore.  God gives me hope.

"In my heart, I'm Celebrating your life at the river, relinquishing your hand and watching you cross over to that peaceful shore.  You are on the other side, safe and at peace waiting for the day your love ones too can cross over tot he other side."

Continental Divide - Broken Beauty

 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14 NIV

When my daughter died, I feel my heart has been broken into a thousand pieces.  God's promise is that Jesus can take our broken pieces and heal our brokenness and give us purpose.  

Thought for today:  God can heal my brokenness and give me purpose.

William Shakespeare- “Is there no Pity in the Clouds?”

 Is there no pity sitting in the clouds,

That sees into the bottom of my grief?

William Shakespeare

Lake Columbine - Nature's Healing

 

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 11:7 NIV

Garden of the Gods

 

"Keep your face toward the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow."

Helen Keller

Cascade Falls - To Climb the Liquid Mountains of the Sky

 "It's wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky.  Behind me and before me is God and I have no fear."

Helen Keller

Mackinaw Island - Speak to the Earth and It will Teach You

 

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?

"To God belong wisdom and power;

counsel and understanding are his.

What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;

those he imprisons cannot be released.

If he holds back the waters, there is drought;

if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

To him belong strength and insight;

both deceived and deceiver are his.

He leads rulers away stripped

and makes fools of judges.

He takes off the shackles put on by kings

and ties a loincloth around their waist.

He leads priests away stripped

and overthrows officials long established.

He silences the lips of trusted advisers

and takes away the discernment of elders.

He pours contempt on nobles

and disarms the mighty.

He reveals the deep things of darkness

and brings utter darkness into the light.

He  makes nations great, and destroys them;

he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;

he makes them wander in a trackless waste.

They grope in darkness with no light;

he makes them stagger like drunkards.

"My eyes have seen all this,

my ears have heard and understood it."

Job 12:7-25, Job 13:1 NIV

Rocky Mountains - Love Never Fails

 Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even a I am fully known.

And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 NIV

Arbingdon, Virginia- Patience of a Farmer

 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.  Don't grumble against each other brothers, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:7-11 NIV

Marquette Lighthouse - Wings of the Morning

If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the 

farthest limits f the sea, even there your had shall lead me, 

and your right hand shalt hold me fast.

Psalm 139:9-10 NRSV

Clingmans Dome - The God of Daniel

The King Darius wrote to all the people, nations and men of every language throughout the land:

"May you prosper greatly!"

I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

"For his is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed,

his dominion will never end.  He recuses and he saves; he performs signs and wonders on the heavens and on the earth.  He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

Daniel 6:25-27 NIV

Smokey Mountains - Hope in him

 

The LORD is good to those whose hope 

is in him,  to the one who seeks him; 

it is good to wait quietly 

for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is young.  

Let him sit alone in silence,

for the LORD has laid it on him,

Let him bury his face in the dust--

there may yet be hope.

Let him offer his cheek to one

who would strike him,

and let him be filled with disgrace.

For men are not cast off

by the LORD forever.

Though he brings grief, he will

show compassion, so great is his

unfailing love. For he does not 

willingly bring affliction

or grief to the children of men.

Lamentations 3:25-33 NIV

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