A blogsite of Bible studies, photos, food, coffee, and anything else that piques my interest
A sunrise is a reminder of the beginning of another day of life. I am grateful for each one. But, today I have a cousin in the hospital from a stroke, a friend who’s going for brain surgery in the morning, and other friends who have very few sunrises left to enjoy. As I am grateful for each sunrise, I am grateful for each person who’s impacted my life in one way or another.
Sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico on Galveston Island
Twice a year some friends of mine from a Bible study plan a camping/hiking trip. Last weekend we went to a Texas State Park, Pedernales Falls State Park in what is known as the “Hill Country” of Texas. It’s one of my favorite areas of Texas and I’d been wanting to go to this particular park for a while having seen some photos. It did not disappoint. We saw the falls. We saw a bald eagle. We had perfect weather for hiking. But, one of the unexpected treats of the weekend is shown in the photo below. You’ll notice that the photo isn’t particularly amazing. But, do you notice something in the photo? It’s maple trees. Now . . . my friends back in Illinois are probably thinking, “Big deal! We have lots of maple trees.” That’s true; but not in Texas. Maple trees are rather scarce in this geographically large and ecologically diverse state. There is a “Lost Maples State Park” also in the Hill Country. If you have a state park named after something that is lost, that should be a clue that they have something rather unique to draw people there. So, you can appreciate my surprise and pleasure at finding something rather rare here in my current home state of the past 22 years. So, why is this important? It’s important to me because it was a reminder of something beautiful and pleasant from the place where I was born and grew up. Maple trees are gorgeous; especially in the Fall when the leaves are changing color. This is the third state I’ve lived in my life and I’ve loved something about every place I’ve lived. Sometimes things that may seem little or insignificant to some people are reminders of our past; where we’re from and the beautiful things that have etched themselves in the good memories of our past. These memories are cause for gratitude not only of our past and where we’ve been, but there’s beauty in where we’re at today and where we are going. Are we looking for it? Are we taking notice? Are we thankful?
Maple trees at Pedernales Falls State Park near Johnson City, TX