We went on a vacation to Arizona recently. God let me relax renew and restore myself after a tough few weeks. It was much needed.  To see the wonders of nature and of God’s creation was amazing. To be able to reconnect with family that I hadn’t seen in years was even more special. We got to see my uncle get baptized again. To see the majesty of the mountains and the color of the sky against the red rocks is amazing.  Every day was something to marvel at and I could stare at the mountains forever. It was literally like being in a trance and in another world and getting glimpses of what Heaven could be like over and over. It put me in awe and it seemed no matter how many pictures I took, there was always something to photograph.

We went hiking up in Sedona Arizona, and my dad, cousin and I hiked up a steep mountain. It was invigorating to conquer my fear of getting up the mountain. I’m not afraid of heights, but going up the steep incline I was definitely afraid of falling. But with my dad and cousin guiding me, it made it fun and easier to relax and get my barrings.  It was a great workout and made me really stop and realize the wonders of God’s creation. It also made me more aware of what I can accomplish when I set my mind to it.

My dad never thought I would be willing to hike up a mountain, nonetheless three different ones. He thought I was going to stay on flat ground. Instead, I surprised him and everyone, including myself at how much hiking helped me conquer my fears. I thoroughly enjoyed hiking and want to do it more and more now. I know I will continue to push myself and go past any limits that I may set for myself.  It also taught me to always hike with a partner, take plenty of water and to always take in the surroundings around me. It also taught me to take in God’s wonders and to enjoy everything He allows me to see.

I knew there could be and were snakes, scorpions and other poisonous creatures out there. It was a pure blessing and in my opinion, a miracle that we didn’t encounter any. I was praying that we wouldn’t encounter any scorpions or snakes or black widow spiders. We were extremely blessed not to encounter them out in the open.  I had the constant reminder that there are dangers lurking everywhere and if you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself in dangerous and even deadly situations.

From the beauty of the rocks and the mountain formations in Sedona, the steepness of the terrain at Camelback mountain, everywhere I turned there was something to stare at in wonder and to marvel at. It also made me think “how can anyone say God doesn’t exist? Look at what He created for us to see.” I knew I was in one of the most beautiful and rugged places on Earth. I was honored to be there and to witness such beauty and wonder. Over and over, all of us kept thanking God for what He was allowing us to see.   It made me realize how blessed we were to be able to take a vacation after a few years of not going on one.
There is nothing like feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin after experiencing cold for six months out of the year. There is something about the sun that makes you breathe in and out easier. There is also something so much better about smelling fresh air instead of cold air. It helps the body relax and ease more. There is also something about it that helps lift your spirits. It never ceases to help me feel better. God allows us to see beauty every day of our lives. We just have to know where to look for it. We also have to be willing to see many different things as the beauty and the blessings in our lives. We may not see them every single day or be aware of them day in and day out, but the beauty of His creation is there.

From the snow we see back home, to the mountains and rugged desert of Arizona, there are both dangers and beauty that is there. We can’t and shouldn’t take anything for granted. Escape the daily grind of your everyday life and take a vacation somewhere you’ve never been before. It does so much good to see a new place and to unwind from your daily grind and work days. It gives you the chance to recoup and enjoy life again without the daily distractions that life brings. It also gives you the chance to reconnect with your family and your friends. Going on vacation also gives you a chance to disconnect from technology and to rediscover the things you love about the place your visiting. It also helps you appreciate the time you have to yourself more.

Experience the wonders of God’s creation whether it is cold or warm, snowy or not. Push yourself to new limits that you didn’t think you could reach.