Rock City

My parents flew out to visit me in Tennessee last weekend. What I hoped would be a really relaxing time, turned out to be moving weekend. And if you've ever moved, you know it's anything but. After two days, we were finally (mostly) unpacked in the new house and ready for to enjoy a couple days of fun in Atlanta and Chattanooga, TN.

All along our drive the first day, we saw signs for something called Rock City, which I'd never heard of before. So on our trip back to Nashville, we stopped to see what all the signs were about. And it was incredible.

If you haven't heard of it, Rock City is a naturally formed rock formation that seems as thought it's laid out with streets and avenues, all atop Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga. There are several stops on Lookout Mountain (and we stopped at them all), but the natural beauty of Rock City took my breath away.

Of course they've added bridges and restaurants and gift shops over the years, but the wonder of it all is this amazingly beautiful display of God's creation.

So what does this all have to do with suspense novels? The whole time I was there, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone were chased between the often narrow crevices. Or what if someone tried to dispose of a body between giant rocks? Was someone blackmailing the owner or hiding out from a stalker behind the counter at the fudge shop?

At every turn of the trail, I was reminded how amazing nature is at giving me ideas for stories. But sometimes ... well, sometimes we just need a moment of peace with our families and our God. And nature is pretty amazing for that too.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to appreciate God's creation this weekend. Whether it displays his power in a thunderstorm or his beauty in a sunset, it's all a reflection of the Creator.