Let Us Rejoice

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 118:24 – This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Trailside view looking toward the lake, north of the Caesar Creek Lake Visitor Center. Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio.

Today we got our first glimpse of spring. Though the trail was muddy and the forecast calls for a return to colder temperatures in the coming week, less than a week ago the ground was covered in nearly a foot of snow.

Any day in late February with sunny, blue skies and temperatures near 60 degrees Fahrenheit is special, but having that day fall on a Saturday is truly an occasion to rejoice. And, I cannot imagine a better way to rejoice and be glad in this day that the Lord made than getting out on the trail and enjoying the beauty of God’s amazing creation!

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For to the Snow He Says, ‘Fall on the Earth’

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Job 37:5-7 – God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he made may know it.

Snow and ice cover Flat Fork Creek. Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio.

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They Shall Become One Flesh

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Genesis 2:23-25 – Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

On our 10^th anniversary trip at Virginia Falls, Glacier National Park, Montana.

Before the fall in the Garden of Eden becoming “one flesh” would have been an easy prospect. The fall has affected all of all our relationships. For marriages to work in the world after the fall, for us to truly “become one flesh” with our spouse now takes time, effort, and a commitment to each other, but most importantly it takes a commitment to keep Christ as the central focus in our lives.

Shared interests and friendship are also keys to keeping the love for one another alive and growing. For my wife, Leah, and me that shared interest is hiking. Our honeymoon, 5^th anniversary, and 10^th anniversary were all celebrated with hiking as the central theme, with many, wonderful, shared adventures in between, and God willing, many more to come. Hiking and the outdoors may not be your “thing,” but do yourselves a favor and take the time to find something that you enjoy doing together as a couple. It is sure to bring you closer with each passing year.

To the best wife and hiking partner a man could ever hope to have!

Happy Valentine’s Day Leah!

With Love,
Todd

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He Will Make Straight Your Paths

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Proverbs 3:5-8 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. ⁸ It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Rough Trail descends a twisted path from the Second Story rock shelter. Red River Gorge Geological Area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky.

If you plan to hike in a remote area like Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, you really should not just head out and rely on your own sense of direction to find your way; carry a good topographic map and a compass and learn how to use them. Before you venture out on an unfamiliar trail spend time studying your maps so you have a good understanding of the route you plan to follow as well as key landmarks along the way. Even though GPS technology is useful and quite amazing, anybody who carries one will know what I mean when I say that reception is very unreliable in places like the one in this photograph. Finally, even if you are hiking on familiar trails, you should always let someone know where you are going, what trails you are hiking, and when you plan to be back. If something happens and you do not return as expected, this information could save your life.

In our daily walk we too often rely on our own understanding, failing to pick up the map and compass God has given us to navigate on our Christian journey through life, the Bible. Whether in good times or bad, we think we have all the answers and fail to seek the Lord through his inspired and infallible words found in the pages of Scripture. Nor do we turn to him in prayer like we should, seeking him with all our heart and trusting in his perfect will for our lives. Yet if we heeded the words of today’s passage from Proverbs 3, we would realize that it is God who “will make straight [our] paths,” instead of following the twisted paths of our own understanding.

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