...the Fiery Furnace. Now I'm sure most of you are familiar with the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel Chapter 3. These three men refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, which got them bound and thrown into a fiery furnace so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw them in. But much to the amazement of King Nebuchadnezzar, not only were the three men up and walking around in the fire, but there was a fourth man in the form of the Son of God! So the King called the men out and further inspection revealed that this same fire that killed the soldiers outside, didn't singe a single hair on their heads, burn their coats or even taint them with the smell of smoke. The end result - the King promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and made a new decree that no one was to speak poorly of God lest they be cut into pieces. Yikes! So how does that apply to us today? Are we standing up for God and worshipping Him alone? Are we trusting God to carry us through the storms of life? Are we living as though our God will prevail victoriously in the end? Are we willing to give all to walk beside Jesus?
I suppose you were wondering why this is called the Fiery Furnace. Well, it has nothing to do with the heat, but instead, the area has the appearance of being on fire in the afternoon sunlight. Since we were up early, I can't confirm this, but after watching a ten minute video instructing us to:
1) Only step on rocks and run-off areas
2) Be quiet - because this is a sanctuary and not a playground, and
3) Don't get lost... we were on our way (without a ranger of course).
Look close to see some of the arches from the previous day.
I don't know the names for the geological formations, but these massive, narrow rock structures were inviting us to run, jump, climb and play.
Now remember - it's not a playground, but that does look like Chris way up there.
OK, so there were some arches in there too.
This panoramic tried to capture all of it, along with...
...these two arches. I think I forgot to mention that this might not be the best post for Mom's to review, as there were no ropes or harnesses tying us off... just pure climbing and not much room for stumbling.
The scenery, along with the mountains in the background were awe inspiring.
Here's Chris climbing up to help provide you some perspective for their size.
Vertical walls (some people call them cliffs) on each side, oh, and Shayna up there on the right.
There's Joe hanging out on some towering rocks.
We spent about three hours just climbing all over.
There's another view with Chris looking small in comparison to the rocks surrounding him.
Narrow slots...
...and arches with people on them.
The arch in sepia.
Looks like a tear drop, formed by the fear of...
...a kid hiding in the boulders, scaring by passers. (Now remember to be quiet - the birds want to enjoy the area as well!)
Looks like one of those places you wouldn't want to get stuck.
Poor Chris - the "Joe-speed 'vacation'" must have worn him out. But now you have it all - 4 days, 6 parks, 1600 pictures (reduced to 800) and tons of fun. Who wants to go back to work after that? We all know that answer, but lucky for you, there are more weekends of pictures on their way so check back tomorrow! If you haven't been checking the blog for the last few days, be sure to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom or use the "May" menu on the right to see pictures from the rest of the trip.
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