Reciprocal love

       God calls us to participate in a reciprocal relationship of love, but too often we are too busy, too "moral" (in our own eyes), too self centered to respond. More than three thousand years ago, when the people of Israel were forming their relationship with him, Yahweh instructed the Israelites to show their love for him by "walking in his ways and holding tight to him." As we know, then and now, we fail in this walk. Yet God never gives up on us. He "delights in showing us unfailing love." 

And so at this time of year, we are again reminded of how much our Creator cares for us.  We could not recognize his love in the abstract, so he came to live with us, to join us on our journey, to listen to our story.  As Henri Nouwen writes, "the God of love who gave us life sent his only Son to be with us at all times and in all places, so that we never have to feel lost in our struggles, but can always trust that he walks with us."

Fall along the Yellowstone River

Flowing freely from its origin high in Absaroka Range of northwestern Wyoming, the Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 States. It flows through its namesake National Park and after 692 miles, joins the Missouri in North Dakota. The name is derived from the Indian word for the yellow sandstone bluffs that are evident along the lower reaches of the river, not the falls that are in the Park. William Clark was the first white man to explore the river extensively during the Lewis and Clark return expedition.

Meg and I enjoyed the brilliance of the cottonwood trees at their full peak during the last week of October.  Their glow was a special surprise, as we had expected the leaves to be gone this late in the season.