Thomas Trock

Mountain Cathedrals: The Outdoors From a Different Perspective

Winter/Snow

White as Snow

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.  Isaiah 1:18 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you …

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A New Thing

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 Have you ever noticed – when there is snow on the ground in the spring – that there is often a circle of open area around plants where there is no snow? I had my suspicions when I observed this recently, but I admit I had to do a bit of research to make sure. From what I’ve seen, and the best I could find out, the …

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Springtime in the Mountains IV

Then, at his command, it all melts. He sends his winds, and the ice thaws. Psalm 147:18 NLT Signs of a long awaited, and much welcomed, thaw are beginning to reach my small corner of the world. There is still a lot of snow in the high country. Several feet, actually. But in the foothills where I live, signs of spring are struggling to emerge. Psalm 147 speaks of God’s love for those who put their hope in His unfailing love. How He provides food and the changing of the seasons without us even asking Him to do it. It …

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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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Unity

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Job 12:7 For as long as I can remember, interactions between animals have always fascinated me. When I see various critters near each other, I can watch them for a long time and not grow tired of seeing what transpires. I often find myself wondering what the animals are thinking when they look at each other from close range. I wonder if that …

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Be Still and Know

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10  NLT If you live in snow country, have you ever noticed just how quiet evenings can be during the winter months compared to other seasons? Where I live, there is a stillness in the air during winter sunsets which is quite different from any other time of year. I might hear a coyote or an owl, but not too often. And maybe a wolf if I’m out a little further. But that’s usually the extent of …

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Refuge from the Storm

It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm… Isaiah 4:6 NIV There seems to be a constant supply of cold and snow this winter in my little corner of the world. Animals near us are taking creative measures to stay warm and dry. We’ve had some deer bedding down next to our house of late, along with sleeping under our shed in an attempt to get out of the wind and cold. Birds are well equipped to deal with cold nights providing they get some high …

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Deer Stretch

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 Deer are amazingly adaptive. For one thing, they are able to change their diets with the change in seasons. In winter, deer can digest woody vegetation from twigs and buds. During the warmer months they prefer a variety of grasses and seeds, leaves, fruits, nuts, etc. When hard …

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Turkey Breath

“O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. Numbers 27:16 NLT When I can see the breath of a wild turkey, I know it is cold outside. In fact is it was a balmy 15 degrees Fahrenheit (F.) when I took this picture. That’s plenty cold enough for me. A turkey’s body temperature is a bit higher than that of people (106 degrees F. vs 98.6). At that high a body temperature, water can exist as a gas, i.e. vapor. But when it is expelled, or …

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Mountain Treasures II – The Treasure Hunt

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1-3 It is treasure hunting time once again where I live. A lot of the mountains at higher elevations are still inaccessible, but I’ve been fortunate enough to find a few places to hike while waiting for the high-country snows to melt away. Hiking the mountains in the early spring is often a mixed bag of events. Sometimes a cold, …

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Snow Bird House

Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:1-2 When I have time, I like to build things in my workshop. Some of the things I’ve made aren’t very recognizable, but once in a while something emerges that …

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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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Deer Snowflake Catcher

He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.  Job 37:6 There is a scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” where some of the characters discuss trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Lucy proclaims that she never tries to catch snowflakes in December. She always waits until January. Linus surveys the falling snow and states that the flakes look ripe to him. Snow begins in clouds when temperatures are below the 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It is formed when there is water vapor present, and it changes into ice without ever going through …

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Snow Squirrel

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11 Sometime around Thanksgiving we like to head off into the mountains and find a Christmas tree. On certain tracts of public …

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Deer Touch

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Romans 8:19 NLT Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19 Sometimes while I’m pushing snow around the yard we get some interesting visitors. My wife took this picture from our dining room window a few years ago. I’m not sure if the sound of …

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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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