Monday, July 23, 2007

Out of Touch

Life is funny sometimes. There are seasons in life where one can be so busy that you barely feel like you can keep your head above water and there are times when everything is pretty relaxed and easy going. The latter has not been seen in this neighborhood in a while. Seems to have disappeared with the demise of Mr. Rogers.
For the last several weeks I've been working quite a bit and when I have been home I have NOT really felt like looking at a computer any more. Did I mention that I am a computer programmer? It isn't a good thing when somebody who makes a living working on a computer, doesn't want to look at a computer!
So for those of you out there that occasionally visit my blog, I know it has been pretty dry the last several weeks. Sorry! Life happens.
Tonights post isn't going to be much, but at least I'm putting something out. I just wish it might have more substance that it does. That would require thinking and I'm not sure how much of that I can really do at the moment.
I'll be trying to catch up with your blogs as well.

So in the infamous words of Tigger - TTFN

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Rocky Mountain National Park

As my wife Kerry posted on her blog, we enjoyed a wonderful time in the outdoors. Here are a few of the 200+ pictures I took. I brought the resolution way down for the sake of uploading and viewing.

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In case you didn't know, you can click on the pictures for a larger view.
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The picture on the left is one that I just thought was really cool. I love streams and the depth that they reveal as it winds its way back into the woods behind.

This picture on the right is of Morraine Lake. It is a very picturesque setting. The water is only about five to six feet deep across much of it, but looking at it from different angles reveals that there are definitely some much deeper spots.
And the water is VERY COLD, it is fed by melting snow, some of which can be seen on the high peaks in the background.

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The shot below shows a small pondlike area a little below the Morraine Lake.
Trout could be seen swimming around in it.
Too bad I didn't bring a fishing pole. ;)

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Another photo of the same area from a different angle with different light.
The white in the upper right (back in the trees) is snow. The snow is melting and dripping down the rocks into the pool.
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I couldn't resist this shot on the left with the leaning tree and the reflections captured on the water. It is one of my favorites.










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The photo on the right shows the dark storm clouds that form quickly over the Colorado mountains.
Severe thunderstorms can occur quickly and the lightning at these high altitudes is extremely dangerous. Shortly after this picture was taken my wife and I found shelter in a cave to wait out the storm. It rained for about 45 minutes and we witnessed a terrific display of lightning flashing all around us.



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One of the many elk that roam the park. While they look like deer, and are related, they are much, much larger.

This big fellow on the left was nice enough to smile for the camera. At least that is the way it turned out looking like.

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Bugling Bull?
Not this time.
This big bull let out a big yawn...
All the laying around in the sun, munching on grass and letting people take pictures gets tiring.



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It is always a special treat for an amateur photographer like myself to be fortunate enough to catch moments like these.

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A Classic Shot

If I Only Knew...

How many times, I wonder, have I said, "If I only knew then what I know now, I would have done things so differently."

I just caught myself thinking it again about something. Not anything really important, but just that thought crossed my mind.

I've thought it a couple different times lately with regard to the mountain bike I bought. If I only knew a year ago that I would have gotten into it like I have, I would have purchased a higher end bicycle... one with rear suspension and higher quality shifters, derailleurs, and brakes. But as my friend at the bike store reminded me, there wasn't any way to know. Not that the bicycle I bought was not a good one, it is just that there are things I've learned since that would have affected the decision I made at the time.

I know I have thought it many times over the past couple years regarding some really stupid choices I was making a few years ago; thoughts about quitting on God, my marriage, my kids, and my church. I got burned out on the boring doldrums of day-to-day life. I was looking to see what my life was about. Had I done anything worthwhile? Was I a success or was I a failure? I was trying to find my worth in the world. The events of September 11, 2001 kind of kicked it off. All of a sudden everything that I thought had been secure, wasn't feeling so secure any more. I thought I might be able to find my self-worth somewhere else, maybe with someone else. --- Lot's of nonsense really. Thankfully God kept me and showed me very clearly how foolishly I was thinking and acting. Thankfully He also restored all that I had considered throwing away. I have since seen through eyes of His Spirit how much would have been, not just lost, but destroyed. So now, with 20-20 hindsight, I look back and can say "If I only knew then what I know now, I sure would have done it differently."

Of course God knows and I have to remind myself of that.

So now I am trying to be attentive to those times when I am apt to utter the phrase, or even to think it, that I am to take every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ Jesus and demolish every lofty thought and speculation that would raise itself up against God...

Thankfully, every time I consider "If I only knew...", it just means I've learned something important and I need to be mindful of the lessons that God teaches me through the life He has given me to live. I'm pretty sure He meant for me to live it in fullness. After all Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has a plan for our lives that include a future and a hope.
-- This is something that I'm glad I already know!