i love nature (part 2)...

Some of my fondest memories from growing up are of times spent on hikes with my Dad and my sister. Every weekend, my Dad would always make sure that we spent time outside... winter, spring, summer and fall. Sometimes we'd go to the beach, sometimes build forts in the snow, sometimes just play at the park- but my favorite of all was hiking in the woods. It was during those times that some of the most influential discussions took place. And how could they not? Being out in nature- God's amazing, miraculous creation- always sparked interesting inquiry, discussion and revelation.


Well, life has changed quite a bit, and that group of 3 (my Dad, my sister and I) has turned into a party of 10! And though we may not get a word in edge wise while we hike with the kids, it is still just as meaningful - and, in many ways, even more so to be sharing this with my children.



One of my favorite things about hiking, besides the obvious feeling of communing with our creator, is that my kids always seem to nonchalantly throw out the most insightful questions. Why? How come? What about about this? What about that? And, the questions aren't always about nature- yet walking through the woods seems to give such a sense of peace that it feels safer to ask any question about life....



I have found that God has provided endless parables in nature to reveal the depth of His love and His character to us. And Papa (my Dad) is an expert at identifying a parable in just about anything....



But that involves us listening, and paying attention!






My nephew, Samuel (the observative one), even found some type of vertebrae. It was pretty gross, I'm not gonna lie. Let's just hope that it belonged to an animal at one point...



Times spent together with family are priceless, and even more so when we are blessed by the abundance of God's creativity that surrounds us.