[Red & Green Autumn leaves, photo by Dawn. September, 2013. full-size]

Here’s two final photos from our hike on Sawnee Mountain that illustrate a simple truth about life: Contrast helps us see beauty, purpose and meaning more clearly. In the first photo you see the dark red deciduous leaves contrasted against vibrant green pine needles. This is enough to show you that one tree is cycling toward dormancy, while the other sees no need to sleep for winter.

In the photo below you see those same crisp, sharp needles contrasted against a bluish-grey background haze, which highlights the sense of vitality and energy within them.

In this blog, Dawn and I try to point out the contrast between this average life, and the next great life. This life is fragile and short; the other is rock solid and everlasting. We believe Christianity teaches us to observe this contrast to discover where our ultimate value, purpose, meaning, and beauty are found.

Both lives are worth living; only one is worth living for.

We want to encourage you to place your hope in Jesus Christ for His promise of the greater life, and then, to live for that hope.

[Pine Needles on Sawnee Mountain, photo by Heidi. September, 2013. full-size]