Gerle Creek

We just got back from a sweet time camping in El Dorado National Forest at Gerle Creek. It was the most beautiful weather--warm with deep blue sky and cool, evergreen scented breezes. We played in the creek. Trey was leaping from granite boulder to granite boulder like a frog. Hanna and Maggie figured out different ways to jump into the pools with Lily judging their jumps. The creek with it's little waterfalls and rapids gave me such delight--I could bask in the sun and in the goodness of the Lord as I watched my little ones play. We also swam in the reservoir and boated. We jumped from a boulder on an island, hiked to find a geo-cache, had deep conversations, laughed and played, saw a baby squirrel with Trey, went for a dusk walk around the lake, had good time with friends, saw the children enjoy each other, made food over the campfire (hot dogs, croissants, smores), saw snakes, saw lizards, received many flower bouquets from Lily and Trey, tossed things into the creek to watch them go down, had a chipmunk jump in my lap, and watched a butterfly land on Lily. Trey's assessment of mosquitoes? "The bite me because they think I'm cute. And they want to make me itchy." What a wonderful time of worship. The beauty of His creation always causes me to worship. I had the opportunity to jog some trails around the reservoir and worship some more. This song was one that I enjoyed and took to heart:

"Good Life"

I've watched my dreams all fade away
And blister in the sun
Everything I've ever had is unraveled and undone
I've set upon a worthless stack
Of my ambitious plans
And the people that I've loved the most
Have turned their backs and ran

This is the good life
I've lost everything
I could ever want
And ever dream of
This is the good life
I found everything
I could ever need
Here in Your arms

Loneliness has left me searching
For someone to love
Poverty has changed my view
Of what true riches are
Sorrow's opened up my eyes
To see what real joy is
Pain has been the catalyst
To my heart's happiness

What good would it be
If you had everything
But you wouldn't have
The only thing you need

I keep learning more and more that He is my everything. I truly feel as if I have lost everything I wanted--but it has opened my arms and heart more to Jesus.

I was able to see thousands upon thousands of stars up in the Sierras--and see them reflected in the lake. What am I, that You O God are mindful of me?