Beautiful in the faces of my friends

John Stuart, photo

Sometimes it's nice to get away. Several friends and I were able to do just that last month. We carpooled to Centennial, Wyoming, an artsy community nestled below the Snowy Range Mountains, and holed up in a cabin that was on loan from a generous couple in our church.

Wow. Even now, a month later, I barely have words to describe the peace and joy I experienced that weekend. We sat by the fire and dug into each other's lives, something Christians don't do often or honestly enough anymore. We laughed. We played games. We cooked together, finding nearness in small spaces, in creation, in pure guttural enjoyment. We skied and snowboarded, meeting God and each other in the raw wilderness. We read, and we talked about what we were reading. We slept.

What simplicity. In a culture of connection via screens, buttons, and 160-character text messages, it was refreshing to connect via touch, vision, real conversation, and even silence. I felt as close to my friends giggling over a game as I did curled up on the floor sleeping at their feet. My comrades are teaching me that God often reveals Himself and His character through humanity. He is beautiful in the faces of my friends.

John Stuart, photo
The gang hangs at a cabin in the woods, courtesy of a very generous couple in our church.

John Stuart, photo

We couldn't find a muffin pan, so we made a muffin man.

John Stuart, photo

I'm ready to ride.

John Stuart, photo

After skiing and snowboarding all day, we ate pizza at the Beartree Tavern in Centennial, Wyoming. Sweet company. Awesome pie.

Woke up to this sunrise on snowboarding Saturday. Wow.

Sarah and Dave coming in from the snow.

Becky and I thinking lofty thoughts.

Aspen grove outside the cabin.

A rousing game of Pictionary on Sunday morning.