Beauty is all around

"Never miss an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

As Chris and I sat at a table in the "bier garten" at the Hotel Landhaus Adler in the small Swiss town of Frutigen, we looked up at the mountains and watched more than 20 paragliders sailing free as birds in the warm wind off the various faces of the rock and snow! Beauty was easy to behold. This morning, the mountain in the distance came to life as the moring sun reflected off it. The photo [taken from that balcony] is good, but live is better.

It's only the third day into this experience, but already I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the beauty in the simplicity of the Reformed (and Evangelical and Reformed) Churches in Zurich [we visited four], Diemtigen [my family's hometown],and in Frutigen. Overwhelmed by the warm welcome we have received by those we met in Punta Gorda five years ago and who are acting as our hosts here in Frutigen. Overwhelmed by the land formations, the landscape of each valley and mountain, and by the care and stewardship of the limited land space that is Switzerland. Flowers and gardens tenderly cared for everywhere.

We enjoyed a unique funicular ride up to the summit of nearby Niesen and the 360 degree panorama took your breath away (as did the 9,000 ft elevation and the 40 degree temperature!!) The "big three" mountain peaks (Eiger, Monck, and Jungfrau) were beautiful, but so was everything else. We're trying not to miss any opportunities for the beauty oand the wonder of God's creation. Two more days in Frutigen.