Thomas Trock

Mountain Cathedrals: The Outdoors From a Different Perspective

Water

Ice Out

Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. – Psalm 147:18 NLT On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from the heart of anyone who believes in me. – John 7:37-38 NLT As I mentioned in an earlier post, most people living in colder climates have experienced water in three forms – liquid, solid (ice), and gas …

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Whales

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:21 KJV Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.  Jeremiah 33:3 Most of you know that despite living their entire lives in water, whales are not classified as fish, but as mammals. Whale sightings are a bit unusual for someone who lives in the inland mountains, so managing to get a picture …

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Sunrise Over the Mountains

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 NLT Not too long ago I chatted with someone who told me he did not believe there is a God. I appreciated his honesty. So, I asked him what he thinks when he looks outside …

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Icy Rain Chain

Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens? For the water turns to ice as hard as rock, and the surface of the water freezes. Job 38:29-30 NLT Almost everything contracts when frozen. Water, (H2O), however, is one of the few substances that actually expands when it cools from a liquid to a solid. At about 39º F, water expands slightly. But at 32º F, water expands quite a bit, about 9 percent of its volume. The fact that water expands when frozen is critical to life on earth. As water freezes …

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Basalt Columns

“No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2 Whilst hiking near a series of waterfalls, we came across some geological formations worth remembering.  The rock pictured above is basalt, which is the result of rapidly cooling lava. When things cool off, they tend to shrink. If the object is large, like say, a large, hot rock, then the cooling takes place at different rates throughout the material. This causes stress on the entire rock. There is a rather complex mathematical formula – which I …

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Water and Everlasting Life

Jesus answered and said to her, “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 4:13-14 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 Water is such an amazing substance. So much of life on this planet depends on it. The …

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Wondrous Works II

How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. Psalm 111:2 (NLT) By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen. Job 37:10 On a recent frosty morning, long before sunrise, I went outside to warm up the car and was once again treated to a spectacular glimpse into the artistry of our amazing Creator. If I had lots of time and a lot more skill, I couldn’t paint something as detailed and remarkable as this. Ice on the glass pictured above most likely formed from water vapor, …

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Water Ouzel / American Dipper

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 The very first time I saw a water ouzel, I thought I’d killed it. No kidding. Long ago I was fishing alone in a remote area in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. A medium-sized grey bird appeared very close to me, standing on a rock next to the river. He was dipping and bobbing up and down like nothing I’d ever seen before. I took a step closer to get a better look, and he bailed …

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Deep Waters

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; …

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Flood Waters II

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.      Isaiah 43:2 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears …

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Anchor Ice

By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen.  Job 37:10 NLT Most of us know water in three forms – solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (vapor). And most of us know that ice floats, at least under normal conditions. Simply put, that is because hydrogen bonds that form as water freezes are less dense (more space between the atoms of hydrogen) than in liquid water. Water is sort of unique in that way. Most everything else, when it freezes, becomes more dense, and in turn, would sink if placed in a solution of …

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The Recyclers

Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 Many of the rivers not too far from my home are a bit low in nutrients relative to other places in the mountains. The granite rocks which surround these streams don’t provide a lot of essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, or magnesium. The result is that the lower level of the food chain, i.e. the small plants and insects, which feed on the plants, aren’t quite …

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With All Your Heart

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters Colossians 3:23 NIV Last year at this time my wife and I were in Alaska working with wounded veterans. The injured military personnel and their spouses come for a week as guests of Samaritans Purse’s Operation Heal Our Patriots. At OHOP, the veteran couples find spiritual/mental refreshment and enrichment for their marriages. Many of these couples struggle daily with lasting effects of traumatic injuries and experiences that can cause their marriages and families to crumble. See Veterans Day The Beating Heart …

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Deer Swim

For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.  Colossians 1:16 NLT I have missed my share of photo opportunities whilst traversing the mountains where I live. And once in a while I’ll get a picture of something from a bit far away, but the uniqueness of the moment seems worth posting for others to enjoy nonetheless. Such is the above photo of three deer …

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Stardog Shakedown

You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai, his voice shook the earth, but now he …

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Flood Waters

Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great. …

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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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Puddles

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.” John 4:10 Hiking in the springtime with Stardog can be a thrill a minute. I don’t believe Star has ever met a puddle she didn’t like. She may truly believe all puddles were created for her to cool off and romp around in. I’ve seen her back up several yards from a large pool and then just run full bore straight through …

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A Deer Kicks the Bucket

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.  Psalm 42:1      About a mile from our home a river runs through our little town. During the dry summer, the river is the main source of water for many animals in our area. However, between our house and the river there are a few major roads which animals have to cross to get a drink.      Pictured above are some deer staying cool in the shade of our yard during a hot summer day. A while back, we put out a heavy rubber …

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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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Gary Lee and the Raft Trip

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 NLT      In the middle of the above picture you can see the foot and hand of a man who flipped out of his raft on a river not far from our home. People come from long distances to experience the thrill of rafting and kayaking some of our local rivers. It’s probably a very good …

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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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