We are one half way through another Minnesota summer. We are Minnesotans! We love our summers. We are proud of our license plate that boasts over 10,000 lakes (there are actually 11,842 lakes over 10 acres).
What do you like best about being outside?
You enjoy the sounds. Listening to soft rain or hearing the wind blow through the trees is very soothing. Is there anything more beautiful than hearing the songs of the Common Loon?
You enjoy being active. We are blessed with many trails that we can bike or walk very close to us and throughout the state. Maybe you have experienced the exhilaration of jumping off a swimming raft into one of our lakes.
You enjoy the feelings. Sitting in the shade during an 80 degree day with a slight breeze blowing on you is just so relaxing. Seeing beautiful birds and flowers creates such a pleasant emotion.
You enjoy the views and vistas. Looking across the majesty of Lake Superior is stunning. Sitting on shore by a lake when there is a bright blue sky filled with fleets of large cumulus clouds sailing by is mesmerizing.
You marvel at the fine tuning of creation. I have a friend who lives on a northern lake. The loons return every year just one day after the ice goes out.
What do you enjoy the most? For me, I can sit for extended periods of time taking in a beautiful view.
On second thought, it isn’t a contest. We can- and should- enjoy the extensive variety of sights, sounds, sensations, and activities that nature provides.
When I sit and enjoy a view, I am also taking in the sounds and feelings God created.
I feel deep appreciation for the complexity, beauty, and perfect order of what I am experiencing. I continually say to myself, “I can’t believe how beautiful this is!”
I have often wondered. Is nature inherently beautiful or did God implant within us a gene to appreciate creation? I believe it is both. What do you think?
The verse, Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!” shouts out to me. Being still and enjoying God’s creation enhances our ability to be intimate with God. Absorbing all the magnificent aspects of creation reinforces how awesome God really is.
Have a discussion with your family and/ or friends and talk about your favorite places and experiences in God’s creation. Discuss the marvel of the lifecycle of a Monarch butterfly. It goes from a very tiny egg; to a caterpillar; to a chrysalis; to a magnificently beautiful butterfly. This defies human understanding!
No- God has not created any ugly lakes. His creation is beautiful beyond description.
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