The San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado are among the least known and least visited of the Colorado Rockies, yet they are thought by many, especially those who live here, to be the most beautiful and serene. It is against this backdrop that Candy Beebe and Julie Stephens present Mountain Devotional.
In a time that American Christianity seems focused on large churches seating thousands, the authors take us along on quiet adventures far from crowds and traffic and even roads. Centered in the USGA-designated most remote country in the lower 48 they lead us toward a sense of prayer and peace that Jesus must have felt when he climbed, often alone, toward a special experience of the Holy.
While Jesus was hardly a 'mountain man' in the modern sense, his attraction to them almost reminds one of John Muir's well-known quotes, "The mountains are calling and I must go." What called Jesus to these special places? And may it, if we listen closely, call us as well?
Often, Jesus led his disciples to a mountain. At the conclusion of his earthly ministry they went on their own to a mountain "...to which Jesus had directed them." There they encountered him.
In this devotional, though they may at first seem to be simply about a bear or rocks or birds or sky, we too may encounter the Lord himself. That is the purpose, after all, of Mountain Devotional.
Ed Nettleton
Lake City, Colorado
May 2013
Review :
"I got chills reading this devotional.Candy and Julie have reminded me why I live here, and that the good book provides the answers to questions we may have." - Bernadette Hagendorf, Lake City, Colorado resident and current St. James Episcopal Church representative for the Lake City, Youth Council
"Let the authors gracefully take you on a breathtaking journey, savoring the painted beauty of God's arresting, stately creation. Be forewarned. They take you a bit further than you might expect, pulling back the curtain of creation itself. Behind it shines the blinding light of its Regal Architect, radiating His brilliant power, beauty, and intimate compassion. People who have seen such things seldom remain unchanged." - David Booth, PhD, is the Minister of Education and Family Discipleship at First Baptist Church in Winnsboro, Texas. David and his wife Christy have three children
"I have been reading around in the writings of Thomas Berry recently and your book affirms his contention that nature is the primary source of revelation.It was here, eons ago, long before the Scriptures were written for us as revelation and displays, magnificently the majestic presence of God in all he has created, the great and the small." - The Rev. John Manahan retired Catholic Priest, former high school teacher
"Many people come to the Rocky Mountains for various reasons. Now, with this wonderful book, the glory, beauty, and majesty of God's creation in the San Juan Range of the Rocky Mountains can come to you wherever you live.As most of these devotions begins and ends with pertinent Bible verses, this devotional is a variety of thoughts, ideas, and inspirations derived from life in the Rocky Mountains. Many of us who live in the Rockies, including I am sure Julie and Candy, have had numerous reasons to realize the truth and the reality of the words of Psalm 121." "Now, these God-sent, God-graced, God-gifted reflections of everyday life are yours to share as well through the pages of this exceptional devotional as we each "lift up our eyes to the hills" here in the midst of God's Cathedral, again and again and again. As one member of our congregation says so often and so well, "this is a very special place." Read this book and you will understand that truth." - Rev. Rick Underwood, Lake City, Colorado Pastor, Community Presbyterian Church
"I don't read devotions or most religious things, but Mountain Devotional is an exception. Perhaps it is because the writers often use nature as a takeoff, or it could be because of the sparkling writing! Whatever the cause it is an exception! I felt uplifted after reading it. Happy reading!" - Mary Stigall, Lake City Colorado resident, former teacher, author and director. Mary started the Cabin Fever Players and the Arts Council - now Lake City Arts
"So much of life comes in moments, little slices, and short impressions. Julie and Candy have the ability to take these moments and polish them so that they shine and become praises. The writers know and feel that the mountains are special because everywhere you look there is the touch of God.This is not an ordinary devotional, it is a book that shows the reader how to praise God, one in which your thoughts bounce back and forth between scripture and those little slices of life in the Rocky Mountains. Mountain Devotional is a delightful set of reflections." John W. Roose, PhD, Lake City, Colorado resident, retired philosophy professor at Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois
