Three hundred and sixty-five days in a year. On the one hand, it seems like a long time, and on the other, not so much. The years are like a vapor, here one minute and gone the next. But this isn't a blog about life's fleeting nature; it's about today's post being the three hundred and sixty-fifth post on Upward focus. But Jeremey, didn't you just post a blog about it being a year since you started blogging here? True, but I only post six days a week. So, take off the Sunday'

Do you ever wonder what went through the minds of people in the Bible? Case in point, David. This morning I read a small portion of Psalm 57; it is a favorite of mine. But the occasion for its writing was when David hid in the cave from Saul. Now, if you're at all familiar with the life of David, then you know that he was in caves more than once. So, which particular time this Psalm is referencing, I don't know. But I'm sure in each case, he had a heavy heart and a burdened m

It's been a minute since I wrote about artificial intelligence. I am not shy about my opinion of the technology. But I do recognize that it's here. Just look at the headlines, and you'll constantly be reminded of it. Someone asked me recently if I used A.I. to write something for a social media post. I took it as a compliment. I guess they thought it was written well. It raised a deeper question I feel is worth taking a moment to address: How do I use A.I.? An important prefa

Autumn is in full swing where I live. Just a few days ago, I returned from a short trip to West Virginia. Close to home, at least, it's some of the finest fall foliage you'll see. Everywhere you look, there are forests full of reds and golds, and every shade in between. In the hollows between mountains, beautiful waterfalls, full from recent storms, flow down steep gorges, seemingly disappearing into the deep, dark rivers below. Meanwhile, on any given morning, you might find

Three hundred and fifty posts? That's right. But currently, I'm in West Virginia, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind. Between the big 350 and this current trip, I have some writing to do, I suppose. In the meantime, instead of writing out a full blog for today, I decided to share a couple of my old posts. I couldn't pick between these two; I just know they both struck me as posts I should re-share. So here we are. First, this post is about how God is our help and our hope. Ps

It's getting a bit chilly outside around here. Okay, forty-nine isn't that cold, but it's a clear sign that fall is here. Leaves are starting to change, and the air is crisp and clear. It's a strange time of the year, if you ask me. On one hand, it's when nature starts to close down for winter. Leaves fall, bugs go somewhere (I honestly have no idea what happens to all of the little insects), birds migrate, and the days are shorter. Yet, I feel like it's a time of so much lif

Over and over, a theme appears throughout Scripture: wait on the Lord. Abraham had to wait on the Lord for a child in his old age. Hannah had to wait for a child as well, as we see in 1 Samuel. David had to wait years between being anointed king and actually becoming king. The Israelites had to wait on the Lord to deliver them from slavery. The world had to wait from Genesis 3 until the opening verses of Matthew for the Messiah to come. And we now must wait for the Lord to re

Pride goes before a fall, as they say. Last fall, attempting to find an off-trail waterfall, I came face-to-face with that idea. My adventure was cut short; a coming deluge, high cliffs, dangerous footing, and a wrong approach all kept me from reaching my destination. I would have to return. Thankfully, I was finally able to, and this time I wasn't alone. My friend and I headed to the trailhead and started down the overgrown path. I had done a bit more research this time, and

Have you ever woken up and wondered how in the world you were going to face the day? If you haven't, don't worry; your time is coming. Several years ago, I was hiking with a friend. It was a much longer and steeper hike than I expected. Daylight was waning. As we trudged uphill, I reached a breaking point. Unless I got rid of my backpack, there was no way I would be able to keep going . Thankfully, my friend was able and willing to take it. My weakness presented itself ever s

It was a smoky afternoon in Montana. That was the story of the week, if I'm being honest. But challenging situations caused us to travel, to look, to try something different. Which I'm actually glad for. But on this particular day, we ended up driving all over. I can't recall the original plan, but it fell apart, and we drove northward to one mountain range in particular, if my memory serves me correctly. Montana is full of back roads, dirt roads, and roads that you can't rea

It's really hard to believe today marks twenty-five years since the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. It's also hard to believe that an entire generation has been born and come into adulthood since that time. It's hard for me to believe, as well, how quickly it seems that we as a nation have forgotten those events. My desire with this blog is not to be highly political or unnecessarily controversial—meaning I don't feel the need to make bold accusations about leaders

If you've followed me for any time, you've likely noticed some recurring themes. From nostalgia to getting back on track, showing up when others might not, or just taking the next step because you can't see past it, these are common themes for me as I continue this venture. But they're themes that are important for all of us, quite frankly. I suppose nostalgia can be important in helping us remember our purpose. Sometimes we do have to take a step back, look at the big pictur

Do you remember back in the nineties when TV shows would have recap episodes? A couple of people would talk and remember something. Then the screen would get all fuzzy, chimes or some dreamy music would play, and then there would be a scene from an earlier episode. I suppose I do something like that on this website at times. But hey, I was a nineties kid. It is amazing to me, however, that here we are, around a year in. By God's grace and with His help, I've been able to writ

I mentioned the other day that I am often asked Bible questions. A lot of those times, if I'm honest, seem to revolve around my views on the end times. Now, this post isn't the time or place for me to talk about my beliefs on the topic, but I had a thought I wanted to share. If you're not familiar with the various views of eschatology (the study of last things), then I may link to a few articles soon to help you understand the differences. Regardless of the view, there are es

I get asked questions at work sometimes. Okay, a lot of times. And often, they have to do with certain stances that I have Biblically. I don't mind the questions, and I run with it. Sometimes it leads to great conversations; other times it's simply an opportunity to mess with my coworkers. But all in all, when disagreement strikes, I think we've done a decent job of not being angry with each other. I am incredibly thankful to God for that, because on our own, it would be easy

Not the typical photograph I would go for, but when conditions are what they are, you have to make do. Is it everyone's cup of tea? Perhaps not. But it actually is one of my favorite shots from my recent trip. It tells a story. And those are my favorite photographs. Mountain vistas, alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, epic sunsets brought on by afternoon thunderstorms. These are all things that come to the mind of a photographer when they think of the American West in summer. B

I can hardly believe it: Three hundred posts. I have to stop and let that sink in, honestly. But I am thankful that God has given me that. I look forward to what He will do from here on out. As with my previous mile-marker posts, I wanted to share highlights from the previous hundred posts, and today that means sharing my Top Ten posts from that stretch. I hope that this work has been helpful and meaningful to you, and that it has and will continue to bring honor to God. Now,

Greatest shot of all time? No. But a stunning scene that points to God's beauty and creative power? I believe so. I'm in Montana with a friend of mine. A big part of why I'm here is because it's a spectacular place to photograph, and lately I've been wanting to be better at photography. But, as you have probably seen in posts I've written on the topic, photography itself can be a challenge. If you've ever played golf, then you know how it is. You may have all the knowledge in

The light was looking pretty good. That's what I was thinking as we cruised along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park the other night looking for a sunset. The weather had been promising a couple of days prior. But I hesitated and opted to wait for another day. So, it would be the last opportunity to venture into the park before my upcoming trip to Montana. I wanted to make it count. A particular location I know of seemed a good option. I had scouted a couple of shots i

If you haven't already gathered from many of the blogs on this website, I'm a tad bit nostalgic. On a walk recently, I got thinking of all the small adventures I've had in life. Nothing crazy really. Many a solo hike in Shenandoah or other parks. I even briefly thought of what the top three might be. But it's a tough choice, maybe something I can write about at another date. Then, I got thinking about life in a broader sense. My spiritual life and those adventures as well. It