Thomas Trock

Mountain Cathedrals: The Outdoors From a Different Perspective

Holidays

Christmas

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:21-23 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there …

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Thanksgiving

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night. Psalm 92:1-2 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1Chronicles 16:34 And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will. Leviticus 22:29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! …

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Fireworks V

As he traveled he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him [displaying the glory and majesty of Christ]; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?” And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, – Act 9:3-5 AMP In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. … That was the true Light which …

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Memorial Day

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 (This is one of my favorite posts from a while back. I hope you will enjoy it. And I hope you will be thankful for the gift of freedom – Thomas). My wife and I visited a WWII Veteran this weekend. Mos (rhymes with doze) has been our friend for almost two decades. He is a former Marine who served in Okinawa, among other places. One of the things he lost while defending this country was his hearing. All the explosions and …

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Resurrection Day

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:5-6 NIV In these troubled times I hope you will consider the above Words from God to you this day. Jesus said He would be crucified and killed. He was. He said He would rise again in three days. He did. He said He is …

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A New Year

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19 NLT I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. – Isaiah 41:18 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have …

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Fireworks IV

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” – John 8:12 NKJV The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:16-17 NKJV “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” …

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Christmas Time

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the …

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Thanksgiving VII

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. … Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:17-18, 23-24 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. – Proverbs 15:13 NASB20 Recently I was chatting …

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Ants and Labor Day

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. Proverbs 6:6-8 NLT Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; Proverbs 30:25 NIV For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16 Whilst returning from …

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Fireworks III

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free… Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  John 8:31-32, 34-36 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God   Romans 3:23 Unless the weather is really nasty, …

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Christmas Time

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” [Matthew 2:1-2] Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the …

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Thanksgiving VI

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:62 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.  Psalm 107:8-9 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 As best I can tell without hiring a lawyer to interpret the hunting regs, it is now open season for wild turkeys in my neck of the …

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Veterans Day – WWII Vet Joe Meiners – Part I

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, …

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Fireworks II

… God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1 John 3:20 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT In a previous post I mentioned not knowing much about all the terms used in photography, and even less about taking pictures of fireworks. (You can see for yourself one of my first attempts, and the pitiful results which I posted on my site – Fireworks I). I also noted the …

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Christmas Time

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” [Matthew 2:1-2] Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the …

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Thanksgiving V

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Psalm 105:1 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 When turkeys are young, the tips of their tail feathers are more or less uniform, with a sharp, defined edge to them. As they walk about and sometimes drag their tails on the ground, the ends of the feathers fray a bit, like in the above picture. This, along with the size of the birds and their …

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Veterans Day – WWII Vet Mr. Vic

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or …

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Fireworks I

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:23 Photography has always been sort of a mystery to me. Back when I lived in Africa, my theory was to take as many pictures as I could and hope that at least one of them came …

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Thanksgiving IV – Turkey Surprise

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, …

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Arctic Grayling and a New Year

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Grayling aren’t new to the world, just new to me. They like cold water. I mean, like really cold water. (Notice my red fingers in the photo). A few years ago I was given the opportunity to try to catch some of these fish on a fly rod for the first time. This year I was given yet another chance. The grayling didn’t disappoint, and the Lord blessed me with some very nice fish. As …

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Christmas

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:21-23 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there …

Read moreChristmas

Thanksgiving III

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night. Psalm 92:1-2 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1Chronicles 16:8, 34 And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will. Leviticus 22:29 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, …

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Resurrection Day

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? …

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