Coming to the Still Waters

  Snow still at 10,000 ft but manageable to get where I was going.  This is probably one of many trips this spring, summer and fall to the Grand Ditch Road.  I followed this up with a hike the next day to the summit of Shadow Mountain.  I don't think I have my " trail legs " yet so I am thankful for a couple of days before heading out again.   In the title of this post I used the word " whoever " to stress the invitation offered to the scribes and Pharisees who wanted to destroy Jesus and also called His driving out of unclean spirits as of the devil and also the words " harsh but heralding " to stress His attention getting words ( brood of vipers and evil and adulterous generation ) used to again warn them of a coming judgment and they were on the wrong side.  Jesus is speaking the truth in love.  A judgment is coming; this is how they are responding; and this is the solution out that will cost Him His life.  No greater love than this, that ...

  Here is looking at you just outside the main entrance of the church last week.  It looks like a mother and last year's child.  They were munching on a bush that had some green on it and maybe some fiber content.  You can see our outside cross in the background.  Moose are large and can be aggressive so keeping your distance is a good thing.  Thankful for many doors out of the church! This week is a hard one for me.  We are helping my dad (94) transition again to a more suited situation for his needs.  These situations make you look back to the man who raised you and what he could do and also look forward to see some struggles you might face.  The state of your mind seems to be so important in walking through these later years.  I know sometimes what happens up there is out of your control (like my mom) but I hope to keep being curious about the world around me. Jesus gets right in the faces of the Pharisees (brood of vipers) and thei...

  Spring is coming to the mountains.  These are some of the first flowers to appear even before the snow has receded.  These are flowers in the burn scar that were protected by their time in the earth when the fire of 2020 raged above them.  Spring is also time for the elk and moose to seek out the new greens provided by nature. Jesus knows that the religious leaders are out to destroy Him.  It is 2 years before He will hang upon a cross, the finality of their plan.  He continues on with His ministry in this section of the Scriptures and is surrounded by great multitudes who are going to give one response to His actions while the religious leaders give a totally different one. As I was studying this passage and the next I saw a trilogy appearing.  In the passage with the healing of the man with the withered hand I saw an extreme plan , the destroying of Jesus.  In this passage with the assessments of who Jesus is, I saw an extreme conclusion , He...