Natural Wonders

When you spend time in such a remote place as we do in Canada, you get to see some amazing natural wonders.  I post many pictures of the sunsets because they are often spectacular, but there are many other things that are wondrous and strikingly beautiful.

Phil and I both wanted to see the Northern Lights.  If the evening had clear skies we would go down to the beach and look out at the sky and the water.  Any time either of us got up in the middle of the night we would take a look outside to see if anything was happening.  A couple of times we got up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and went out to see the astronomical show.

My 1:00 A.M. visit to the lake is my favorite moment of my trip to Canada.  There was no moon so it was very dark.  The stars were brilliant and the Milky Way made a dusty streak above my head.  As I took my place on the dock I looked at the sky and saw the Big Dipper in its position not far above the horizon.  The night was so soft and still; there was no wind.  As I looked to the north I could see the perfect reflection of the constellation in the water.  It was such a beautiful thing to behold, and I sat there for quite a while just taking it all in.

Although I wasn't able to take my own picture of the night sky,
I found this picture online that is a pretty good representation of
what I saw.  However, without the 360 degree view you
don't get the full impact.

Seeing the Northern Lights is always a great experience.  We had three or four nights that we were able to see the Lights.  Besides the eerie green glow on the horizon, we observed beams of light and ripples moving across the sky.  The first night we saw the Lights they looked like the giant swirl of a galaxy.  So amazing!

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Recently, Phil and I heard someone describing the different ways that worship can look.  Worship might include standing, raising hands, clapping, shouting, silence, bowing prostrate or kneeling.  It can remind you of what you see and hear at a football game.

This past weekend I experienced worship like this at Catalyst.  Singing, shouting, dancing.  Ovations for people whose words stirred our hearts.  It was such a blessing.

But I'm also glad for the worship I experienced in Canada.  The silence and awe I felt at the beautiful scene my Creator allowed me to experience was even more powerful and yet another blessing.

In one week I was able to experience both of these extremes.  We all need to have more of both of these kinds of experiences in our lives.