God's Natural Wonders.

As you know, a group of us from my school and my father just returned late Sunday night from Puerto Rico.

This trip was very special to me for several reasons.

One, I got to spend some much needed time with my daddy. He means so much to me and is by far the best dad in the whole world. I've been so blessed and I know that he has helped make me the person I am today. Without him I don't know what kind of person I'd be. I love him so much.



Two, it gave me the chance to see God in a way I've never been able to before. Yes, here at home I see Him in my yard, while I'm sitting out there doing my quiet time, listening to the birds and seeing the sun shine bright through our trees. But having a change of scenery and getting to see the amazing landforms in Puerto Rico just made Him all the more real. And it was incredible.

Let me just take it day by day.

Day 1:

8 hours of plane flying.

To me, there's only one good thing about flying.. the view from the window of the plane.

There's just something about seeing the clouds below you and seeing the sun shine that just gives you peace. Absolutely beautiful.

He also blessed us with save travels and little to no problems with our journey.

Day 2:

El Yunque National Rainforest.

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

The lush vegetation is incredible, and you know that only a God like ours could create something so beautiful.

We saw four rushing waterfalls, snails, and listened to the coqui frogs sing underneath the tent of thousand year old or more trees and pouring rain.

The rain was absolutely perfect because it kept us cool, and we got to see what makes the rainforest.. well.. a rainforest.

Psalm 19:1-6
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat."

Day 3:

Old San Juan/Ponce.

We got the chance to tour Old San Juan, which was absolutely beautiful.

I'm a huge history buff, so this was one of my favorite things to do.

We got to see the breathtaking view off of El Morro, which used to be the fort that protected San Juan, and looked into the vast Atlantic Ocean.

After that, we loaded up on the bus and were on our 3 hour journey down to Ponce, Puerto Rico.

The drive there was breathtaking as well. Beautiful, green mountains lined the highway.



Day 4:

Sight-Seeing in Ponce/Phosphorescent Bay.

In Ponce, we went and toured el Castillo Seralles, a castle built by the 4,000 acre sugar plantation owners.

It ws a beautiful tour, and had a view over all of Ponce.

We returned back to downtown Ponce where we visited el mercado, had lunch and did a little shopping.

We then went to the Tibes Ceremonial Center where we learned about the pre-Taino Indians and some of their culture.

After a long bus ride, we arrived in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The hotel was right on the water and had a gorgeous view.

Once it got dark, we loaded up the boat and headed to the Phosphorescent Bay. Being on the boat is one of my favorite things to do, especially at night. With the light breeze and lights from the island fading in the distance.. it was beautiful. That was just the beginning though.

We pulled into this small, round bay and anchored. After a few instructions from the driver, we all jumped in. The water was the perfect temperature, it was cool, but a comfortable, refreshing cool. As we swam through the water and moved our hands and feet around, we noticed glowing sparkles in the water. These were microscopic plankton that live in the bay. It was an amazing sight to see. And then I took a minute to look up..

First I looked to the sky, and saw about half of a moon shining down, with stars surrounding it. Then, I looked into the horizon. There was a little pink glow of the sun right above the mountains surrounding the bay, and I just had to take it all in. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life, and the peace I felt then was unbelievable. I just felt God's presence, and Him saying, "Look at what I've created, Taylor. Just so that you can see Me." That picture will forever be etched into my mind.

Psalms 23
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Day 5:

Snorkeling/Return to San Juan.

After breakfast, which we took out to the deck, watching the sunrise and waves of the Caribbean Sea, we loaded onto the same boat we took out the night before and headed to the coral reefs.

The water was again the perfect temperature, and we got to be hands on with a few of the sea creatures.

We were inches away from yet another of God's natural wonders and it was an incredible experience.

Day 6:

Camuy Caverns.

A two hour bus ride later, we arrived at the caverns. Yet another incredible scene, and to this day can't even grasp the immensity of it. Inside this huge cavern, which was so tall a 17 story building could be built in it, we saw the amazing limestone formations formed from millions and millions of years of water carving through it. You just have to step back and know that only a God like ours could create something so amazing, something where time is endless.

Our last night was very enjoyable. We went to Latin Roots restaurant, and I got the chance to learn a bit of Salsa dancing and enjoy some Daddy-Daughter dancing :)



The flight home was long, but was very thankful that we made it home safetly.

Alright, reason three the trip was so special. I was given the chance to learn a little bit about the people, and God has put it on my heart to return one day to Puerto Rico, but not for a "vacation".

I would like to return to Puerto Rico for mission purposes, and get the chance to share the gospel with the people there, whom are very special. I can't wait to return.

Psalms 24:1
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it;

the world, and all who live in it;"



"Your Love Never Fails"

1 Corinthians 13:2-7

"If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

With that said, let me share another verse with you.

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither  height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The God of all creation loves us unconditionally. And we have not done one darn thing to deserve it.
It's impossible for me to wrap my head around.

All of us that have grown up in church, we have heard those verses from 1 Cor. millions and millions of times, over and over.
But do we really understand what it means to be loved by God?
I know it's something that I don't think about every day.

I think about how I love my family.
And my friends.
The people that are a big part of who I am.
But I always fail to consider that the God who has my life loves me more that any person ever could.
If I could ever come close to grasping that fact, every day of my life would be completely different.

Love is a big part of my life right now.
I love my family with all that I am, even though I know I don't tell them enough.
I have been blessed with an incredible family that is close and has love that will never end.
No, none of us are perfect but I love all of you so much.
I love my friends just as much.
What I would do without them, I have no idea. I know that they will always be there for me no matter what.
But ever since God has been in control, everything has taken a shift.

I don't think about things the same way as before, I don't look at some things the same way as before.
There's no way to describe it other than I know I have a God who I can call to anytime of anyday, anywhere and I have comfort that he will be there listening. I know I have friends and family that I can go to and that I know will love me, but the honest truth is I have found that I can't get the feeling I get when I talk to God about my issues and troubles because human love can't come close to the love God feels for us. Too often we turn to the people in our lives before we ever think of turning the issue over to God, when that should be our first reaction.

Nothing can separate us from the love of our God, and even when we think he's not listening, he sends blessings to show that he is there for us and will reward our perseverance.

No matter what issues are going on in your life, always remember the love that our God has for us as His people, and call up to him continuously.

James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

He gives us issues in our lives so that we will draw closer to Him and learn to call on Him in everything that we do.
I challenge you, as well as myself, to call on God as a first instinct, not a back up plan.

---

I have been praying very hard about posting these blogs, and I hope that in some way they allow you to draw closer to God.

I leave Monday morning very very very very VERY early.. to head to Puerto Rico, so it will be awhile until I get to post again, but I'm hoping to have something special to write about when I return :)

Hope you enjoy this song. It's one of my favorite songs of all time.