We’re continuing our series on Joseph and how he handled the trials and tests that came into his life. First, he needed to believe that God had spoken to him. Second, he had to continue to believe even when his…
Acing the Test, Part 2
Last week, we talked about how Joseph aced his first test: The test of believing what God was telling him. The problem for Joseph was that once he believed, his troubles were far from over. Joseph to bear the…
Acing the Test, Part 1
If any of us have lived in relationship with Jesus for very long, we’ve personally experienced the fact that there are tests in life. I’m not talking about a life of continual hardship without any victory; along with Paul, we…
Rest in the Storm
I wrote last week about turning our faces to the storm – facing it so we can see what is coming, fight the required battle faithfully, and not turn our back on the place God has called us to go. …
Face to the Storm
Last summer, I had the special treat of hiking to the Swiftcurrent Lookout with four amazing group members (some of whom might have been even more excited to do the hike than me – now that’s unusual!) The day was…
Mountains and Valleys
I love mountaintops. Most of my favorite hikes have been high-elevation – peaks overlooking the mountains, ridgelines with views to mountains or countrysides, even meadowed mountainsides. Get me above treeline with great views to cliffs and mountains and meadows, and…
Pleasure in His Purpose
Eric Liddell, the British sprinter who broke world records at the 1924 Olympics, once said, “I believe God made me for a purpose… and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Liddell recognized that God had created him with the…
Creation is Not Our Salvation
In the hiking communities I’m blessed to be a part of, I hear many comments about the wilderness. They talk about how going out into the wilderness relaxes them, gives them peace, reconnects them with God, helps them remember what…
The Narrow Road in the Wilderness
I tend to lump wilderness trails into two categories: 1) The trails that are wide and crowded, and 2) The nearly deserted trails that are narrow and sometimes hardly exist. There’s plenty of gray area between these two extremes, but…
Eyes for God’s Beauty
I read an interesting quote by John Muir yesterday. He said, “God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild.” The quote more or less speaks for itself. …