Shabbat Adventures

  Sometimes when your plans fall through, the Lord surprises you with something better. Next on our schedule was Petrified Forest NP. It’s the first time we’ve been affected by the government shutdown. The park was closed. We passed Sedona, AZ on the way there and decided to backtrack. I’ve heard about Sedona from several friends and have seen their pictures of this iconic spot, The Devils Bridge (Jeff and I don’t think the devil should get credit for this). Don’t miss the tiny  person on the bridge.  Jeff had the brilliant idea of making the hike to the bridge shorter.  A little off-roading  This picture says it all.  This place was like an oasis in the desert.  Our second detour came when Carlsbad Caverns was closed. Guadeloupe NP instead. Here we hiked through the desert to a natural spring - another oasis. We found a little bit of fall color.  The desert has its beauty but let me tell you we are eastward bound and I’m seeing HOME up ahead! Ark...

Beautiful, beautiful Zion! Do you know the old hymn? Well, Zion National Park is aptly named. There are other biblical references here which I will show you. These mountains are called The Patriarchs. From left to right - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The center mountain is called The Great White Throne (from Revelation 20:11). You can bike on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive through the park. No cars are allowed. Occasionally you have to pull over for the tour busses.  The scenery along the road is breathtakingly beautiful.  But I can’t wait to show you our side trip to Antelope Canyon! There it is! Not impressed? Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon that you can’t see from the surface. You have to climb down into it. Going down. Just wait for it… That was my first photo. I took 125. Even Jeff took pictures- 12.  Surely God made this place for modern day photography. These colors only show up in pictures.  It doesn’t look real, does it? Our Navajo guide took our picture w...

  I wasn’t expecting this. I thought one look and the Grand Canyon would be in the books. It was mesmerizing. When I thought I’d seen enough, I was drawn back in. It was like gazing into another world.  It was exhilarating to get up at 5:30 am and watch the sunrise over the canyon. I wanted to break out in song, “How Great Thou Art”. And so I did. Silently in my head. I also said to myself Psalm 19 (and to the Lord).  Being there for sunset was just as majestic.  Hiking into the canyon was another level. I love being up close and personal with the creation rather than stopping at viewpoint with a guardrail. Heights scare me a bit so I can only peer over the edge momentarily. I’m a wall hugger on these switchbacks.  We had a woodsy campsite where the elk passed through.  Jeff captured this buck “trumpeting”.  On to Zion NP View from camp More on this next week…now I keep hearing in my head “We’re Marching to Zion”. 🎶

This is a special place for us - Pagosa Springs CO. Our family has spent many Christmas holidays here skiing at nearby Wolf Creek. We have lots of memories of friends and extended family joining us here.     It’s beautiful in the fall.  We finished our second week of working on three Habitat for Humanity houses. Jeff and I make a good flooring team. He “rips and cuts” and I lay it in place like a puzzle.  These are our fellow Care-A-Vanners and new friends.  Pagosa boasts of having the world’s deepest hot springs. People come to soak in the “healing” mineral pools along the river. Ironically, my arrival in Pagosa began with a trip to the urgent care clinic - my fifth trip to urgent care in 10 weeks  (allergic reaction, swollen feet, foot injury and lastly Covid).  It seems like enemy attack. God says Sabbath and satan says opposition. I keep repeating a verse that came up in my reading from the onset - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under ...