A View From The Mountain

This is a photo taken last fall on a hike with a few of my sisters and their families during fall break.  

We were in Idaho, climbing Black Pine Mountain, the mountain that was our mountain growing up.

And even though I'd seen that view before, it was more than a breath of fresh air to my soul that day.

It was windy that day, and a little rainy...

But nice for a fall day.  

Not too cold.

Not too warm.

And even though the raindrops made us wonder if we'd get stuck in a storm, we didn't get too wet.

Along the way there were nice views.

The fall colors were amazing.

There were a few obstacles in the trail...

But the kids were troopers...

Even though they were so tired!

(Joie with Eve, Dani, and Olivia.)

We all looked forward to breaks when we could get a drink...

 Or snack on some trail mix.

But when we reached the top, it was oh, so worth it.

Tired bodies were smiling again.

(My sister, Becky, and her daughter, Sydney...check out their blog.)

A view from the mountain will do that to you.

And so it is in life.

We trudge along our individual path, sometimes enjoying some decent views.

Trails can seem long.

Storms can threaten.

Obstacles get in our way.

We need breaks.

And nourishment...

To both body and spirit.

For me that comes in the form of daily walks with God.

Prayer.

My own and prayers of my family.

(I love to hear children pray.  They speak to God like he is a friend.)

Scriptures.

Verses of much eternal perspective for my worried and anxious soul.

(And treasured moments of family time that are usually worth the battle to get us all there.)

A view from The Mountain.

Tired bodies smiling again.

Life is once again in focus through the lens of eternal perspective.

And the journey continues.