I live in a valley. The most beautiful valley in the state, if you ask me. Unfortunately, you can’t always tell that I live in a valley. My valley is about an hour away from the front gate of Yosemite National Park as well as an hour away from the front gate of Sequoia National Park, well, maybe I should say my town not my valley. In any event, the mountains are flush with snow right now and the air is clean and so the views when I drive over to my school are breathtakingly beautiful! I mean I could stare at the wonder of the mountains and the snow for hours. The foothills are green and the mountains are snow capped, its the valley of my youth. I was so very thankful to God today for my views, almost 360, amazing!

My valley feeds the world. It is a beautiful place to live, even in the summer when it’s hot. I love it in every season but my favorite is probably right now just before spring and fall, whenever that happens because sometimes it doesn’t happen until December. We live hours away from a spectacular coast line and like I wrote an hour away from beautiful foothills, lakes and world class National Parks.

I love running here. It’s spectacularly beautiful most days. I love my drives to work. I love driving past the open green fields and the orchards. Much of the land has been owned by family farmers, sometimes for generations. It’s getting harder for them though, which concerns me. My town is a relatively conservative leaning town in a crazy liberal state. I enjoy my town. I know people at my church and in my community. I feel like I belong. I care about the people here, the kids here. Some days I am so happy as I drive through my valley I think my heart will burst, like today.

Today….for the spectacularly beautiful mountains that are surrounding my valley, they remind me of God’s ever lasting and ever surrounding love…I Give Thanks!

KOR