Entering Yosemite Valley for the first time, having travelled there with the youth groups of Colton First Baptist and Bethany Baptist, we were greeted with this awesome sight, an amazing reminder to enter into his gates with thanksgiving.

I climbed up a myriad maze of rock to capture this amazing view! As I was taking this picture the wind picked up and blew the water toward me as a soothing summer rain.

Here’s a close-up of one of the rocks on my ascent.

Here are three random people enjoying a dry, sunny spot. I couldn’t pass up the striking image. It reminds me of a song by The Choir that was going through my head all week. It says, “Hey, isn’t the light okay? Isn’t the day alright? So what if your head won’t raise to the sun? Catch the rain on your tongue.”

As we headed down the mountain to meet some friends, we were greeted by these wild creatures. They are a good reminder to us not to live by the stereotypes that treaten to define and confine us.

This lake was shallow enough from end to end to be able to look in and see the rock bottom at virtually any point.

On the way up to the lake I revealed, as the official tour guide of our van, that the moss on the trees was really sprayed on by the Forest Service every Spring, as a means of providing insulation and maintaining a healthy temperature for the trees, as well as a favor to the Department of Homeland Security which places sensors in the moss as a means of keeping tabs on any terrorist cells that may be gathering in the woods.

How could you not be impressed by this gigantic grove of trees?

On the out-of-the-way trail called “Shadow of the Giants” I took this one and only picture of myself.

All those who walk in the light find their lives intertwined.

Even the mightiest of men must take heed lest he fall.

One cannot help but be taken in by the good green beauty of nature. Sometimes we give in the the deceptive charm of less natural allurements.

God sometimes gives us times of calm to prepare us for the rush of life ahead.

The lush glory of this vast forest is the composite effect of countless pine needles. In the contemplation of nature you may think yourself insignificant, but how would God orchestrate his providence throughout history without you?

I wore a shirt one day that exclaimed “you are unique just like everyone else.” We all have a significant place in the river of life.

Just playing with my camera here.

Here we see a feather resting on a tree branch. At first a lost feather, like a lost dream, may be cause for sadness. But the feather came to rest on a growing tree branch. In the same way, the dreams that seem to allude us in life can be salvaged as we learn from the experience and grow in character. Everything’s not lost.