Painted by the Hand of God

One of the most beautiful parts of our trip to Utah has been witnessing the extraordinary colours of autumn.

Wow! What a beautiful and stunning world we live in!

We have been treated to some truly breathtaking scenery. Hillsides that were dressed in gold, with brilliant yellows, fiery reds and every shade in between. At times, the beauty has been almost too much to take in.

A trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon was a real treat. Walking around the beautiful Silver Lake with Anna, Libby and Sarah was especially lovely. On the lake there was a lone fisherman in a little boat – it was an incredible scene to behold. And on another wonderful journey through the mountains, down towards Midway and on to Cascade Springs with Cathy and Paul Ehlert, we also witnessed some remarkable wonders of nature, including the quaking aspens.

Everywhere we turned, there was something else to admire. Another view and another splash of incredible colours. And of course, naturally, another reason to stop, look around and simply marvel at the beauty of nature.

And perhaps what made it even more special was sharing these beautiful places with wonderful friends.

I love the words of scripture that remind us that the beautiful things of the earth are given to us “both to please the eye and to gladden the heart.” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:18)

The following verse adds another lovely expression: “to enliven the soul.”

How fitting!

These past few days have certainly pleased our eyes, gladdened our hearts and enlivened our souls.

Sometimes we just need to slow down, look around and appreciate the remarkable beauty of God’s creations.

There really was beauty all around. And so much to be grateful for.

How often do we hurry past the very things that were created to gladden our hearts?