To say that all of creation cries out that God exists to me is an understatement. As I walked through the trees surrounding the Mildred B. Cooper Chapel I was completely in awe of how an area so densely populated with trees could give you such glimpses of light. I also realized that as we walked along the cobblestone and cement path that some trees were shedding dead branches and bark while others had fallen completely and lay as a reminder that amid such beautiful life there are remnants of death all around.
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I loved every inch of our walk. That morning the temperature must have been at least ninety degrees but in that particular wooded area we barely broke a sweat. A cool breeze danced overhead and swirled all around us as we made the journey that wove through the trees about this chapel.
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I guess the other thing I noticed was how intimate the setting seemed. This place was untouched - so raw and natural. Aside from the paved walking path and the two buildings in the park area - the place remained relatively untouched. A small squirrel (or chipmunk) played just up the path from us as we began our walk and I managed to snap a couple of photos of the little guy before he scampered off up a tree.
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Just before we finished our walk, Scott pointed to a little Robin (red-breast) that was hopping down the sidewalk a few yards ahead of us. I quietly crept up the walk and snapped a few shots of this little friend. He made a short flight into a tree and I captured the most remarkable shot while trying not to leap for joy as not to disturb this sanctuary of peace.
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On the way out of the park we spyed a small beetle snacking on a leaf near the entrance and the wonder of creation hit me fresh. If that had been all... Oh that would have been enough. However, God continued to delight me with His beautiful testimony throughout that morning. We went around the corner from the chapel area to a dammed lake. I walked out and took pictures. In my photos you will find several pictures of huge boulders that have all manner of vegetation growing out of them. Life on the "ROCK", so to speak.
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Another little bird rested on a sign before flying off to join his friends in some nearby trees. The view was breathtaking ... And that's when it happened, I noticed that the dense wooded area just to the right of the dam was actually the little hill on which the chapel sits. Yet, from that dam you would not even know there was a building nestled among all those beautiful trees. Utterly protected and sheltered from a prying and adulterated world, this chapel sits among the trees relatively secure and serene. Undisturbed. Peace be still.
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It was so hard to leave such a beautiful place. Still, we found ourselves heading off to capture the pictures of Eva and Ben's fishing trip. While we waited for them to arrive at the second small lake a few blocks from the chapel I began searching out a spillway that led to a creek running through the trees just off the small lake. All this beauty tucked in just behind a hardware store off of Highway 71.
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We could see the large boulders and rocks that seemed to be cut by the water peeking at us through the trees as we drove by. Little did we guess what wonders flowed through them. As I got closer I could hear the rush of water and knew there was a treasure behind all those trees lining the road.
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I was right.
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A beautiful cascade of water was falling through those rocks. So I searched and searched until I got the perfect shot(s). A little butterfly even came along side me to play and catch the wonderful view. Just as I snapped the last few pictures, Jef and Dad drove by with the kids and I went to snapping away at all the fun they had that day. This has been the best vacation of my life.
So... Without further adieu, the sights of our little walk continue as nature speaks through these pictures. I hope you enjoy them.
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(Songs included in this video are "Draw Me Nearer" and "Peace Be Still" by Gateway Worship available on the "Conversations with God CD" at www.gatewaypeople.com [Click Resources]).
