On Kris and Kell’s third morning at the big Shoe House in Pennsylvania, an envelope arrived just after breakfast. Kell tore open the envelope and found a note that said that they were supposed to drive their rental car to the airport and catch a flight to Chicago. Kell was excited because when they went to Chicago before, they did not have time to go to the top of the Willis Tower, and she wanted another chance to do that!
When they arrived in Chicago, they were handed another note that said that they had to take a bus immediately to the Union Train Station in downtown Chicago! They were going on a train ride! When they got downtown, they did not have much time before they had to catch their train; they could see the Willis Tower, but there was no time to go to the top of the tower!
They had tickets for the Empire Builder Train that was going to take them to Glacier National Park in Montana! It was a long train ride, and they got to see a lot of scenery while they crossed the western part of the country. At night the Porter in their train car folded down their seats and made them into bunk beds! Kris and Kell got to sleep in the train!
The train dropped them off just outside of Glacier National Park, and they got to stay for three days in a nice hotel inside the park! During those three days they got to go hiking, swimming, walking on a glacier (frozen snow and ice that does not melt in the summer), and see some of the most amazing scenery! They also saw many mountain goats, and they even saw a moose!
The last day they were in the park they took a ride in an antique red bus called a Jammer. The Jammer took them on a 53-mile trip through the park on a road called: Going To The Sun Road!
(A Jammer)
(Going To The Sun Road)
The scenery was spectacular; they saw many mountains and valleys cut out by glaciers in the past. Glacier valleys are wide U-shaped valleys that were carved out by glaciers. When the glaciers melted, they left behind these deep valleys with very steep sides. Sometimes a small glacier that was carving a small valley would join a much larger glacier that was carving a deep valley, when the snow eventually melted, many years later, the small valley carved by the small glacier would end abruptly at the edge of the deep valley that was carved by the bigger glacier. The small valley is called a Hanging Valley, because it ends so abruptly high above the main valley! Many times, a waterfall comes out of a hanging valley in down into the main valley!
(Hanging Valley (Bird Woman Falls) along the Going to the Sun Road, look close for the waterfall)
Kris and Kell had a wonderful time in Glacier National Park, and they did not want to leave, but they got a telegram that told them that the next day they had to go to the airport and fly to Alaska!
Lesson Learned about God
On that last night in Glacier National Park, Kris and Kell talked about all the adventures that they had had while they were there. They suddenly realized that during the whole three days they had not had a single misadventure! That was amazing!
Then Kris said, “We need to send a report to your grandmother about what we learned about God in this amazing place. What shall we tell her?”
Kell answered, “I learned something from the hanging valleys. When they told us how a small glacier joined a much larger and deeper glacier, and became part of that big glacier, it reminded me of how we are joined to Jesus when we accept Him into our life. Just like the small glacier was absorbed into the big glacier, when we accept Jesus, we are absorbed into His family and into His kingdom! That small glacier was no longer by itself, it was joined to something much bigger than itself.
Jesus told a parable about a vine (like a wild grapevine) has one main stem and many branches that are joined into that stem. Jesus said that He was like that main stem of the vine, and each believer is like a branch that is joined to that main stem. The main stem feeds and nourishes each branch, and each branch is joined into something that is much bigger than itself. If a branch is separated from the main stem, it will wither and die, the branches depend on the main stem just like then small glacier is joined to the big glacier and never separates from it again!”
In the Bible in John 15:5 Jesus says:
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
If you have not given your life to Jesus yet, please pray and take care of this today. It is the most important and the best decision that you will ever make! Attach yourself to Jesus today!
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.
- Kansas – Humans are filled with hatred and evil. Genesis 8:21-22, Romans 3:21-25a.
- South Carolina – Reminder of the Crucifixion. Isaiah 53:3-9
- Arkansas – Jesus is Crowned with Glory and Honor. Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16, John 11:25-26
- Idaho – Times of Refreshing. Acts 3:19-20a, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:28-31
- Washington State – Obeying God is Important! James 1:22-25, James 4:17
- Oregon – Do not let your first love for Jesus erode. Revelation 2:4-5a, Psalms 51:10-12
- Ohio – We are secure in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:13, Psalms 139:9-10, Psalms 73:23-28.
- Iowa – God is in control: Past, Present, & Future. Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 4:8.
- South Dakota – Believers are the family of God. Ephesians 2:19-21, John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:5, I Thessalonians 5:15-18.
- Indiana – Win the Race! I Corinthians 9:24-27, Matthew 25:21
- Michigan – Cost of following Jesus. Luke 14:27-33.
- Missouri – The Book of Life. Revelation 20:11-15.
- New Jersey – The Light of the World. Philippians 2:14-15, Matthew 5:14-16.
- New York – God will meet our needs. Philippians 4:19-20.
- Pennsylvania – A special place and rest in heaven. John 14:1-3, Hebrews 4:9-10
- Montana – Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. John 15:5