West Virginia is still a few weeks from Spring. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the bursts of color and the sound of tweeting birds. At the end of February, I start looking at the buds on the trees for signs of life. The Dogwood is one of the first to wake up. I began to get excited just thinking about it. The long cold nights have been giving way to earlier sunrises and later sunsets every day. Soon it will be time to plant gardens and gather the dead wood from the lawn for the fire pit. In the past few days I’ve started hearing the frogs sing and the hatchling fish have been spotted in the stream that runs through my property. Life is returning to the mountains once more.
Tag: Fayette County West Virginia
The Art Of Getting Lost
Feature image take on the shore of the Gauley River in Fayette County West Virginia.
I grew up watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island. In reality being shipwrecked would be a horrible experience no matter how pretty Ginger and Maryann are.
But the idea of being in a place where the outside world can’t find you can be appealing at times. The mountains of Appalachia are full of little trails with plenty of hidden spots where one can build a fort and find peace and quiet. I had two spots in the woods where I grew up. One on a cliff overhang and another in the valley below. A small wet weather stream was in the lower spot. Surrounded by small trees with a large rock on the edge. An opening in the canopy of trees would allow just the right amount sunlight to warm up the rock. It was perfect for a young boy to climb onto and stretch out like a lizard in the Sun. As the water ran by the rock we would make little boats out of leaves and race them downstream. In those days there was no cellphones to break the silence and end the adventure. You could have the whole world to yourself for just a little while.
Nobody wants to be lost in a forest unable to see the way home.
Image was taken in Kanawha County West Virginia on private land.
However, occasionally being able to remain “unfound” for a day can be nice.
Image above taken in Beartown State Park
Life More Abundantly
John 10:10
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
King James Version (KJV)
If we simply define abundant life as living forever we are cheating ourselves out of blessings. Abundant defined as existing or available in large quantities; plentiful. But how do you define life? There’s a scientific definition. “organisms maintain homeostasis, are composed of cells, undergo metabolism, can grow, adapt to their environment, respond to stimuli, and reproduce. …“. But that cold laboratory life is merely biology. It can apply just as equally to a slime which has no dreams and ambitions. Life is energy in action. A dynamic flow body, mind and spirit. Science defines energy as the ability to do work. By implication abundant life from God is the ability to do work for God. Like batteries we fill up and release our energy into the world. Like a battery we must recharge on a daily basis. Our energy supply is plentiful and always available.
Hawk’s Nest State Overlook in Early Spring
The Hawk’s Nest State Park overlook is one of my favorite places. When I was a small child I lived next door in Lovers Leap,West Virginia. The cut stone and general architecture reminds me of an old world castle wall. In contrast, I still think the coin operated binoculars look like a robot from a 1950s science fiction film. The old gnarled tree in early Spring provides an interesting focal point. In the valley below is the New River. The New River is one of only three rivers in the world that flows from South to North. I love to stop and walk out onto the overlook and feel the wind blowing up from the gorge below. This is what it feels like to be on top of the world.
Sunday… A day of hope
Okay, so I have written this and started over.
Then I didn’t like the way it sounded so I erased it and started over.
But, my writing wasn’t perfect so I deleted and started over.
And once again it wasn’t making sense so I started over.
Eventually I realized what God was trying to point out to me. Sunday is about a chance to start over. To delete the mistakes and have a fresh start. Christianity is about having the opportunity to allow Jesus Christ to erase all our sin and let us start over. It’s not just on Sundays, it’s every hour of every day for as long as it takes to be restored. That is the hope we celebrate on Sundays. That’s the hope we live with every day.
Image was taken in Deepwater West Virginia which is in Fayette County.
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