"Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty...he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind...You make springs gush forth in valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate...The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. He made the moon to mark seasons; the sun knows it's time for setting.
You made darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.
O Lord how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made all of them; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable,living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it...May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord...Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!" - Psalm 104: 1-35-

All photography by Whitney Burton, all creation by God.

Long time no talk...

I know that I have not posted in a while. It's hard, really. It's hard to find words for the feelings your heart feels at times and hard to express your minds thoughts. It's funny though...when I do write, I feel better, not in a sense that my body and mind feel better, more in a sense that I am more aware of my thoughts and emotions. I put out all that is coming in and and I feel in ways I do not usually. Therefore, I am writing.
Over the past month or maybe two, I have experienced so many incredible things. I have swam the deep ocean and learned what I can and can't touch on the magnificent coral. I have explored the underwater with schools of fish and learned the ways of a graceful diver. I have breathed deeply and soaked in the sun's warming rays on white sandy beaches for hours on end.
I have surfed the glassy lakes on my wakeboard, and beat myself up on water toys. I have made new friends and seen new places. I have played with orphans, swimming out to the deep coral while their little lungs try to support their excitement. I have given a bible to a girl who has never seen one nor heard of Jesus Christ as tears stream down her face because she has nothing but the clothes on her back for the time being.
I have known what it is to be alone, to feel as if a part of you is missing, and it is because your best friend is off on his own adventures. I have known what it is so be sad and cry until the spring is dry, because I am, sad. Sadness comes when your parents are moving 2,500 miles away, when your friends turn out to not be who you thought they were, friends die and living alone becomes lonely.
I have learned to be content, to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and to sure as heck not lean on my own understanding because it does not hold. I have learned to love more deeply than I ever though possible, but not the man you would think. God has become number one again in my life, a place where I have struggled to let him be. My hand has been closed to areas of life that the He needed to work in, but I am now hands open and on my knees. I have learned that treasures on earth will one day end up in a land fill, then you die. My treasures I will store in heaven, not where moths will destroy them and theaves can steal them. Positively not in return, but as a result, life has more meaning, people have more space in my life, I have become less and He has become more.
I have fallen deeply more in love with my family. I have a courageous father and loving mother who ever day amaze me at their strength and valor. I have fallen more deeply in love with creation, in all aspects of it, for I have spend much time delving in it.
I look forward to what lies ahead, the adventures to come and the lessons to learn. I am excited at the opportunities I will be given to be patient, to be courages and bold, and to love God more deeply. I look forward to the hard times I know are nearing closer, to the struggles I will soon face and the strength I will have because of my wonderful Savior who is much stronger than I.
There is nothing I would take back, no regrets, I only press forward in hopes of attaining God's will for me, the dreams I conspire and adventures I seek, in hope of bringing Him glory through it all. It has undoubtedly been one of the most incredible summers of my life.