A Declaration of Glory

“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." Job 12:7-10

When I stand in the midst of such glory and beauty that is the Rocky Mountains, I wonder what must creation have looked like in the very beginning in all of its perfection? I dare say it would cause me to fall on my knees in awe and wonder.

We worshipped with a body of believers in Arvada, Colorado this Sunday and then traveled to Estes Park and RMNP for the rest of the day. Our goal was to encounter elk and hopefully hear them bugling in the "wild". 

As we made our way into Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), we saw these pockets of color. The Aspen trees are already changing color. It really is a sight to behold. Green everywhere and then a pop of color here and there. 

We did a tiny, tiny bit of hiking. Really we meandered down some trails in search of elk, our ears ever listening for their bugle. In all honesty, with the sons of thunder around, listening for elk is as easy as if we were inside a full stadium of football fans.

Rain is scarce here so this trail proved a little challenging, but they are always up for the challenge.

As Zack stands spying out the land, the boys are below trying to find a way to follow him up this boulder. They are persistent in their pursuit of following him wherever he goes.

Creation really does declare God's glory. There in the distance you can see a rainbow peeking through. 

We chose a smaller boulder to climb. It felt like fall sitting on this rock. The wind blowing slightly, the creek below us gurgling, the leaves changing. You can see snow on the mountains in the distance. I've never been to the Rockies when I haven't seen snow. And I've yet to master preparing for the temperature changes in the mountains. Note the boys are in shorts and short sleeves.

Their relationship amazes me. So often, especially more recently, a lot of attention has been given to ethnicity, citizenship, rights, ancestry, etc., in this country. These two are brothers through and through. They're on this rock talking about whatever it is they talk about. It's their conversation; their bond. 

We had one pullover and they decided to share it. Though they fight and bicker, they are fiercely devoted to one another. 

We tried really hard to get a picture together and this is the best result. We are not short on smiles in our family, but we are short on teeth.

Storyline Church in Arvada, Colorado invited us to their worship service so they could pray over us and the ministry of Overland. Church planting is not for the faint of heart. These past two months have grown me in incredible ways and have challenged me. God has continually shown Himself faithful. It's easy in this process to feel alone, like you're in it solo. It was a great encouragement to have another church plant cheer us on and commit their prayers to us. 

Looking for elk in RMNP is a thing. We weren't alone in our pursuit of hearing the elk bugle. There were many other people doing the same thing we were yesterday. That's Longs Peak in the background, one of Colorado's many 14ers. 

We spotted an elk and spent some time watching him as he made his way to a few cow elk bedded down nearby. We watched him for a while and then began to make our way out of the park when we heard the faint cry of an elk bugle. We turned quickly down a side road and made our way up a short trail. And then it came, breaking through the silence---the bugle. And then again. And again. We listened as the elk made its way down the mountain and into the meadow in front of us. He emerged from the woods and we all whispered excitedly. He put on a show for us and then as the sun said good-bye behind the mountains, we headed back home. 

Creation really does declare God's glory.

I really can't tell you the impact your prayers are having. I hope to share with you some individual stories, but know that you are our lifeline. God is hearing your prayers and working in this place on your behalf. You are as much as part of this as we are. Every day this place becomes more familiar and our hearts are more knitted to it than the day before. As we drove back from RMNP, it felt like we were driving home. There are still days when I miss my people. I feel bittersweet about the happenings in your lives, but I know that He is worth the sacrifice of everything I have. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey.