Two weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to see some beautiful landscapes far away. We traveled through Las Vegas and Zion National Park before arriving at our final destination, the Grand Canyon. The things we saw on this trip were incredible, and they showed the awesome power of the Creator. Here are some of my best pictures from the trip.
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On the corner of a high shelf on the wall lies a very large old book. This nature study guide is full of very old, now-yellow scraps of paper. Some were cut out newspapers, and others magazines. Others seem to be bookmarks or greeting cards of some sort. Also between the pages of this book are a multitude of leaves. These leaves seem to have been imprisoned between the pages for decades. This antique book (and the items within) are absolute treasures. It is incredible to flip through these pages and examine these items which have been hidden between the pages for years.
Many months ago in the summer weather of August 2017, my family and I were vacationing in the hills of Virginia, just miles away from Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. We found something at the campground: a very large caterpillar. Being the nature lovers we are, we quickly collected our "specimen" in a Starbucks iced-coffee cup and gave this caterpillar some leaves to chew on (although I don't think it needed to grow anymore... This thing was HUGE). Then, the next day, it had built it's cocoon and went to sleep for who knows how long. Months went by. We thought our caterpillar would never awake. But yesterday it did. One of the last things we expected to see crawling around our house, this fat, wrinkled, wet Polyphemus moth was a very startling sight to see. But it hatched! After over half a year, it hatched. Almost like a resurrection. Here are some pictures I took of the moth (click to enlarge) Thanks for reading. Happy Easter everyone!
For the first time this year, I had the time to take a short walk through the woods in the snow and take some pictures. It was gorgeous. Here are three things I wanted to share with you about walking in the snow: 1. It's cold. Although this is obvious, I had to mention it. Bring an extra pair of gloves even if you think you won't need them. With your finger tips freezing, it is nearly impossible to see the beauty in nature (never mind take a picture with your camera). So dress warmly. 2. Bring a camera. Even if it's just on your phone, bring a camera. The quality of the picture isn't as important as being able to look back at what you saw and remember. Take pictures of anything that is beautiful, and always be prepared to snap a shot. I found that I was taking a picture almost every ten seconds, so never turn the camera off. 3. Take your time. Especially if you are walking alone, take your time and observe. It is so peaceful in the woods when there's snow. Maybe stop walking every few minutes and look around, take a picture, and continue. You never know what beauty you'll see. Another good thing about walking in the snow is that you can see what animals have been there before you by looking for tracks. When you find tracks, take a picture of them and do some research when you get home. Compare your picture with the one on your screen. This is quite a fun thing to do in the snowy months. Here are some more pictures I took on my walk this week: This is my mom kindly posing for me. :)
2017 was the most painful year of my life.
Countless things went wrong. My trip to the hospital was just part of the pain. Another part was the death of a very close loved one from church. I could try to make a list of everything that went wrong this year, but I won’t. It wouldn’t be profitable. All I can say is I learned a lot about life. I learned that bad things happen. No matter what we want to believe, sin is in this world, and bad things will happen in this life. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have, or how much you read the Bible. Bad things will happen. Good things will happen too. This year was also a year in which my relationship with the LORD, with my family, and with my church has grown immensely. Through the hardships, I have matured a lot. I have high hopes for 2018. I hope that there will be less suffering and sorrow. Less pain. But I know that if the pain continues, I will grow closer to what matters, just like this year. But let’s hope the sky will clear. Let’s hope for happiness. No matter what happened to me this year, I have found peace where I always find it. I found a way to smile with my friends and family in the face of death. I have found a way to laugh even in the darkest night. That way is Jesus Christ. I hope you have found this light in the darkness just like I have. If you haven’t, it is never too late. You can find this light right now. Close your eyes, bow your head, and cry out to God. Ask Him to enter your life. You will never regret it. If you have any questions or comments, please talk to me. I’ll help with anything I can. No matter what happens, happiness can be found in Christ. So, happy new year! |
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