Cross Country Adventure - Day Seven

Only one more entry after today. The adventure is nearing a close, but not without some tense moments.

Let's have a look at what happened.


Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Tonight we are sleeping in Las Vegas, but yesterday we set out across New Mexico and Arizona ... after a harrowing day in Texas. The weather was ominous so we got on the highway early. Reports of dozens of tornadoes in the states we'd passed through the day before buzzed across the radio stations. And there were reports of continuing severe weather. We were nearly through Texas when a tornado warning blasted over the radio. A tornado on the ground in the county we were in and the clouds looked pretty scary. The landscape offered no hiding places, and I wondered what we would do if faced with a damaging twister.

We managed to reach Fort Stockton without incident and settled down for the night while warnings of severe weather continued. There were still no real safe places in the small town, but God's peace surrounded us and we slept soundly.

(In my book To Dance With Dolphins,it is Willow who helps hold our group together when tragedy strikes just outside Fort Stockton.)

Tonight we are sleeping in Las Vegas, but yesterday we set out across New Mexico and Arizona. The morning began with clear skies, but soon the winds picked up and dark clouds appeared on the horizon. We were in for it, or so we thought. Although strong winds buffeted our truck, the storms remained north and south of us and we made our way across the prairies and deserts bathed in sunshine. God has done this for us from our first day of travel.

There was so much to see and savor as we moved through the dry lands in the middle of the country. New Mexico was a mix of  broad prairies, rocky mountains, and red rock formations. I loved the colors of the landscape and Greg and I decided to incorporate many of them into our new family room. We picked up a few pieces of pottery and art work that will remind us of our time here.

 (This typical of what we saw in New Mexico)

It was all so interesting I wanted to stay and explore our history and the unique sites and to study what God had made, but we were forced by time constraints to keep moving.

We stopped briefly at the Petrified Forest in New Mexico. It is an amazing place, where centuries of history have been laid down. What a privilege to revisit our past. I could have spent days there.

Yesterday we arrived at the Grand Canyon. There are no words to describe the canyon, but I will make an attempt - magnificent, majestic, frightening, humbling, breathtaking. It is a place layered with colors and textures. A place where I felt God's presence, a place only He could have created. And a place that made me feel small and at the same time significant because the God who created this wonder also created me. Even now when I think about it tears well up.

I wanted so badly to spend more time. I needed to find a quiet place overlooking the grandeur where I could be quiet and contemplate God and what He must have been thinking when He created this glorious place.

Instead, I had to move on. This is a working trip, after all,  and I'm nearly out of time. So, we packed up and hit the road. Tomorrow we will begin the last leg of this adventure.

My next message will be from my office at my home up on my mountain in Oregon."

Tomorrow I will wrap up my trip across our great country. There are still many wonders to come.

Today's Question:  Have you ever been caught in a dangerous storm. What did you do?

Today's Gift:  Willow loved her tea. So, I'm excited to give away a set of Mara collectible dinner mugs (coffee or tea).  

One day to go. I'll see you tomorrow.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie