Each year, my boys Adam and Andrew and I like to head to the mountains for a few days, strap on our backpacks and spend time together enjoying God’s creation. This year, just a few days ago, we headed up Hwy 12 to Packwood, and hiked past Packwood Lake to Lost Lake in the Gifford Pinchot wilderness.

Although forest fires left the air quite smokey and cut down visibility, and biting flies and mosquitoes tried to hinder our fun, yet we still had a blast together in the outdoors. It is so good seeing my boys learning how to take care of themselves in nature, watching them grow stronger in being able to carry more weight and hike longer, and enjoying some good father/son time.

During the trip, we had solo times several times where we found a quiet place and met with God, prayed, sang, journaled, read His Word, and listened to Him. Then we’d get together and debrief our time with the Lord. Those are sweet experiences I remember from growing up, and hope they will stick with the boys in times to come. Sometimes life gets quite busy and we get in routines that make breaking away and spending extra time reflecting with the Lord quite difficult. For me, the mountains help to reorient my perspective and remind me what is most important.

We swam in Lost Lake, climbed to a lookout spot on the ridge above, shared stories and laughed together, prayed for each other and our girls, and experienced the beauty of God’s creation.

I encourage any who might be reading this, even if you cannot make it to the mountains, find a way to break from the normal grind and regain perspective by meeting with God in a quiet, solitary place. Listen for His voice, journal some of your thoughts, and enjoy His pleasure as you spend time with your Creator.

Grace and peace to you as we continue on the journey. Eric