Thomas Trock

Mountain Cathedrals: The Outdoors From a Different Perspective

Mountains

Water Source

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10, 13-14 Even though I’ve been blessed to spend a lot of time in the woods during my …

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Ponderosa Pine

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 Ponderosa pines are rather majestic trees that are fairly easy to identify from even a long distance away. Their trunks usually grow tall and straight, and can be quite large in diameter even several feet off the ground. Ponderosa pines can grow to a height of 230 feet. They tend to be found in sites that are drier than most in the …

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Courage

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 Sometimes whilst hiking the mountains, I get to see things I think are rather remarkable. I’ve walked past this tree a few times over the years and I don’t think there has been a time that I haven’t stopped to study it. Years ago a small seed from a ponderosa pine landed among these big rocks. The chance of that seed surviving even a year had to be close to zero. From the size of this …

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Strong Tower

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 I never was much into rocks per se. I knew they were good for tossing at things and into lakes and such, and I knew I wouldn’t much care to get beaned on the coconut by one. Other than that, I didn’t give too much thought to rocks while I was growing up. Rock formations near where I now live are varied and unique, at least to my untrained eye. Some are quite striking, with various patterned layers of color and …

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Rock of Ages

Photo by Jim L He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:15-18 A friend of mine recently sent me the above photo. …

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Eagles in the Snow

Have you visited the storehouses of the snow, or seen the storehouses of hail? Job 38:22 NLT Have you ever wondered why there is more snow at higher elevations than lower? Usually the main reason for this is temperature variations. The higher you go, the colder it is, at least if all other variables are equal. Folks who study the weather tell us that for about every 1000 foot gain in elevation (approx. 300 meters), the air temperature drops about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes a new snowline is very distinct in the mountains; sometimes it’s a little fragmented, such as …

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Mountain Snows – I

He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; who can stand before His cold? Psalm 147:16-17 Some years ago, back when I may have known more than I know now, I often thought I’d like to just wander off into the mountains during the summer and see if I could make it through until the next one. I mentioned this to a few of my biologist colleagues. They all seemed to think it was a crazy idea. And here I thought they’d all thought the same thing, but were just …

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Snow Home

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.   Jeremiah 8:50 It has been cold in the mountains of late. I saw this old homestead a couple of days ago and had to stop and try to capture the setting in a picture. Seeing the broken down timbers and open windows made the wind feel a bit colder as I snapped the shutter. I wondered how many generations were raised here, and when was the last time anyone actually lived in this old place. I imagined there once was a lot of life scurrying about both …

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Elk Bait

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10      Star the Wonderdog and I were recently hiking in an area new to us. It’s a tract of land not too far from our home. In the few times we’ve explored it, we’ve seen sign from deer, elk, moose, bear, wolf, and cougar. The area has had some extensive human activity, but there are still large pockets of semi-wild country within its borders.      …

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Living Water

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39      I’ve often been amazed at how life thrives around water. Even if it’s not much water, just a little seems to draw a …

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Springtime in the Mountains III

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. Galatians 6:14-15      A while back, Star the Wonderdog and I were seeing lots of bear sign during a springtime hike. Quite naturally, I had bears on my mind, so I kept Star close by as we ascended the mountain. …

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Springtime in the Mountains II

 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.    Ps 96:1      When we first moved here several years ago, I rarely saw or heard a wild turkey while hiking. As the years went by, the turkeys have done very well for themselves. They are not native to where we live; they were introduced over 50 years ago. I don’t know what data was gathered before turkeys were brought to my home state those many years ago. The idea of introducing a new species to an area – be it bird, fish, or wildlife …

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Springtime in the Mountains

 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new…” Revelation 21:5       One of the welcome signs of spring in my part of the world is the flowering of the trillium. After months of early darkness, along with ice and snow, seeing a trillium blooming in the mountains is just plain good for my soul.      Trilliums are found in many areas of the world and the flowers can vary in color. The ones I see most often on my hikes are white, although I sometimes see the red and pink varieties as well. They like …

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Help in Time of Need

 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16      Stardog and I hiked about six hours yesterday. I didn’t intend to go that long, I really didn’t. But as per usual, once I got out there I just found too many places to explore. Keeping on a schedule when out in the mountains is not my strong suit. I always seem to find one more ridge or grove of trees or stream that beckons for some investigation. The wind was stronger than I’d hoped for …

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Mountain Treasures I

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      Hiking in the Rockies, especially when setting off cross-country, can yield some interesting discoveries. Obviously, if in a high-use people area, it’s best to stay on the man-made trails. That reduces erosion and allows for people passing by to experience more fully the surrounding magnificence of creation.      Fortunately, for those like me who desire some solitude, there are still places …

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The Work of His Hands

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Psalm 19:1 NIV      Sometimes when I can drag myself out of a warm sleeping bag to view the coming day, the rewards are many. On this chilly September morning in the Rockies, the clouds swirled overhead for a brilliant display of creativity. I knew my camera wouldn’t be able to fully capture the experience, but I tried anyway. At least for a little while.      Mostly I just worshipped. I would have found it difficult not to.      To think that the God of …

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Wisdom Beyond Ourselves

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:9      I’ve hiked this canyon a few dozen times over the years, but on this chilly morning I never saw it look quite like this. Wind swirled around us and tried to strip away what warmth we had. I drew my fingers back into fists inside my gloves to keep them from going numb.      I’d thought I’d had a good alternative plan before we left the house this morning. I figured that if it …

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