Santa Fe trail; Papa goes sooooo slow!

We've not done much "tripping" this year.  It just didn't happen.  But now we were going to Colorado to babysit while Mindy and Jason went on an anniversary trip to Cabo, Mexico.

We decided to take a different route, not I-70.  We started going west on Hi-way 50, straight out of our town.

Sandhills by Sylvia.  I would have stopped to see a friend who lives there, but our grandchildren were anxious for us to come.  Tenley kept telling Mindy "Grandpa drives sooooooo slow!"

We stopped outside Dodge where you could walk out to see where the Santa Fe Trail was;

 where all those wagons traveled from 1821 to 1880.

It was hard to figure out where the ruts were.  

I found this aeriel view:

This is cattle country.

We were getting hungry for lunch.

We found a picnic site by a historical marker.  It was quite interesting to read about this Indian attack back in 1816.  If you want to find out more, click here.

This picnic area said "wet paint" but with the hot wind, it was dry.  We decided to eat here because we didn't find anything else around.  I'd packed pork bbq sandwiches and some salad.  

It was on the edge of the golf course of Lakin (a town of about 2,000).  We saw a few people out golfing.

At Lamar, we turned north, then on 287 that angled north to Limon, Colorado.  Some of these were new roads for us and we were able to highlight them in yellow on our atlas.  That's how we know if we've been on them before.

The Arkansas River - mighty small here!

It was a lot of open space.  A beauty of its own.

When we got to Limon, there were lots of low hanging clouds.  We ran through some rain.

The girls were so excited when we finally arrived!

We were excited too!!

Mindy had fixed a delicious meal of chicken, asparagus and couscous.

Then we went to the backyard to play!

We were so anxious to play with the girls for a few days!  But we were going to have some help too!   A couple of cousins were coming the next day......

On Dying

In one month's time, four of my friend's husbands have passed away.  Alan, 72, Paul, 64, John,74, and Bill, 67.  Also my Dad's cousin, Myron, who was 96.  You expect the 90's, but not 60's or 70's.  That seems young to me, now that I am 70!  Last January another friend's husband passed, Bob, and he was 51.  And in the past couple of years, even more friend's husbands.  My heart breaks for these young widows. I remember my mother once saying "All my friends are dying.  I just go to funerals anymore."  I have felt that recently.

My husband has told me several times, "Deb, if I die before you, keep the eternal perspective."  Which is not death at all.  It is actually the beginning of non-dying, as once we are born, we begin the death process.  It is really a change of location.

I love this quote from Dwight L. Moody:  “SOME day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all; gone out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body like unto His own glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”

I love Anne Graham Lotz' piece on the narthex.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Westminster Abbey in London. It is a grand cathedral where many of the kings and dignitaries of England are buried, and where the kings and queens receive their coronation. The narthex is small, dark, and cramped-just a brief space to pass through between the outside door and the door leading into the cathedral itself. I can’t imagine anyone visiting the abbey and being satisfied to stay in the narthex. I also can’t imagine anyone who would make an enormous effort to stay there with no thought to passing through to the glory of what lies beyond.

Your life and mine here on earth is like the narthex to a grand cathedral. Our lives are simply an area to pass through on our way to the glory of eternal life that lies beyond the door of death. Physical death for a believer is simply a transition into real life. And it’s God’s purpose that you and I live forever-with Him. - Anne Graham Lotz

The Lord is preparing a place for us.  Are we ready?  Do we cling to the "narthex" and fear the "grand cathedral"?

I have loved Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven" and also John Eldredge's book "All Things New."  If you fear death, these are great books that expound what the Bible teaches about eternal life!   

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  Hebrews 9:27

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live."  John 11:25

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."  John 5:24

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."  Psalm 139:16

My friend Shirley, when her husband died told me "We will not die until it is appointed for us."

And then came Tuesday

 And then came Tuesday....

Our bags were all packed and we were ready to head to Wisconsin.  Jill and Adam had purchased a home and we were going to go to help them paint and do some other projects.  

However, there were last minute situations at work and Allen called me to say we would not be able to go.  He would have to work and couldn't get away.

I unpacked all our things and uncanceled our "hold mail".  The LORD says "Do all things without grumbling or complaining.  Give thanks in all circumstances." so this is what we do.  The LORD had other plans for us.

One evening as we were taking a walk around the lake, the stillness of the lake made me think of the verse Psalm 37:7:

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him."  

Also I thought of 2Co 3:18 (NLT)

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image."

What a thought! May it be so, more and more!

Because we did not go to Wisconsin, I was able to visit with a friend at Presbyterian Manor. We talked about drawing near to God. I have a study book called Draw Near. The first chapter and teaching talked about how burdens can weigh us down like carrying very heavy water buckets on a pole.

I went home and made me a little picture of what it would look like. I began to write down what some of these are, and I will continue to add more as I have them. But Christ says to give our burdens to Him. We need not carry such heavy "buckets". Fill my bucket with the Living Water, instead of the cares of this world!

I was able to go to the women's prayer meeting on Wednesday. There were some heavy things to pray over. And we gave these to Him, who is able to carry them.

I was able to go to my women's Bible study on Thursday and it was such an encouragement! Plus one of the ladies brought some Hershey's chocolate from her trip to Hershey PA with her husband. Another brought some fudge from her trip to Mackinac Island with her husband! And a friend brought me a fun mug for my birthday!

I was also able to help clean out a home for a friend who is moving next door to her kids! What a joy to help her out!

We sure did enjoy sitting by the pool with refreshing drinks!  I was very tempted to jump in the pool, sweaty clothes and all!!

I was able to go to the women's swim class at the lazy river the following night!  That is so fun!

And we were able to take Filipino friends to the Pretty Prairie rodeo!  That was a new American experience for them!

One of the bulls trampled the cowboy he bucked off, but he was able to walk away from it!  Incredible!

On Thursday evening I was able to go to our ladies progressive dinner too!  Had we gone to Wisconsin, I wouldn't have been able to do that either!  It was so fun!  

His ways are not our ways.  We trust Him, however He leads us.  And we experience things we would not have been able to otherwise.

Coffeehouses and friends

 

The kids left on Tuesday.  I spent Wednesday (and a few more days) cleaning and washing sheets/towels.  But I also took time out to have fun with friends!  On Thursday, instead of our normal Bible study, some of us drove to Inman to the Lighthouse Coffee.  

The daughter of one of the girls in our Bible study owns it.  I got a breakfast burrito and it was amazing!  Too huge and took 1/2 home to Allen.  She also gave us a HUGE cinnamon roll that we cut up and shared. 

                                         I highly recommend this place.

On Friday, July 4, we went to the fireworks at Kidron.

On Saturday I went to the funeral for my Dad's cousin.  My Dad did not have brothers so he chose Myron to be his groomsman when he got married.

On Sunday, we had Community Life group after church.  Allen had to work the weekend so he was not able to come.

Vicky has decorated her window well.  I LOVE this idea!  There is a plastic cover on top which keeps the rain out.

On Monday, I drove to Wichita and went out with my friend.  We went to Kohls and then to a new restaurant called Raisin' Canes.  It had just opened so was very crowded as everyone was trying it out! They had policemen helping with all the traffic!

Then came Tuesday.  Our bags were all packed to go to Wisconsin.

I will tell you what happened on the next post.