photo gallery 2

Another beautiful sunset at our favorite Costa Rican surf spot... The sun sets here into the pink tangerine twilight every day year-round at almost exactly the same time (about 5:30PM)... this is due to Costa Rica being located a mere 9 or 10 latitude degrees north of the Equator (which is also why the water is so amazingly warm)... Check out those die-hards still in the water trying to grab a few last waves before dark... I'm usually one of them (lol)...

Each new day brings its own new beauty... At water's edge in the late morning, as the sun rises higher and the temperature soars well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit,  maybe the best thing to do is just sit under a shady palm tree and admire God's handiwork. (Photo by Matt Epstein)

....However, there is always a high price to be paid here for staying out in the water so late:  As soon as the daylight begins to fade, the mosquitoes come out with a vengeance, swarming upon us in "full attack mode" as we scramble back home along the path through the jungle. (!)                            (Photo by Matt Epstein)

This AMAZING photo by Matt Epstein is further proof that Costa Rican nights offer their own rewards.  Here the Volcano known as Arenal, which has been erupting regularly since the late 1960's, sends forth a dramatic flow of red hot lava and giant boulders under the bright light of a full moon on this clear night in April 2006.  Even at a distance of nearly 5 miles away, this massive display of Nature's Fury is truly awe-inspiring.

Of course, most of the time, we can't be in such idyllic places... but that doesn't mean that we can't see nature's amazing beauty... check out this beautiful sunset as seen through the windows of Chicago's O'Hare Airport (Feb. 5, 2007).

Okay, so I admit I struggled hard to not be a total grump about the announcement that my flight would be delayed for 4 hours... I kept looking for something positive about the situation, looking for some ray of light... and then I literally found one: the setting sun sent an amazing amber beam through the window that bathed the whole terminal in a beautiful, golden warm glow... Like so many things in life, it didn't last very long, so I made sure to make the most of it.

As I turned the camera to myself, I realized once again that life is what it is, a journey through both the good times and the "not so much"... And through it all, whatever it is we are going through, whether it's relatively minor inconveniences like delayed flights, or the seriously bad stuff that can shatter your soul,   we just have to ask God for the strength to endure... and remember that every once in awhile, the sun will shine on us.