My sweet dreams pillow and the horse fountain outside of our hotel. We thought we were going to have to stay on the reservation this night, which I joked, was better than "going off" the reservation. Quel surprise when we ended up in the celebrity (no kidding) hotel in Arizona.July 16, 2009
Today, I drove into Arizona, we rode through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert and stopped at the continental divide and it reminded me of Psalm 19:
Psalm 19 (Amplified Bible)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
2Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.
3There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.
4Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun,
5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.
9The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.
13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.
Lord, Your handiwork is a testament to You, to who You are. Your creation, both on the face of the earth and in the faces of the people who are daily living out their lives on it is awe-full.
Ginger and I got a little cranky with ourselves and each other, but that’s to be expected after so many hours and days in a car together, I suppose.
We rode also through a lot of Native American territories, Aztec, Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Pima. I wonder about the lives of these people, about their ancestors. I wonder about the people who pushed them on to reservations—white man coming with his fire-water and small pox and tuberculosis. Why didn’t they come with You? I know some of them did, but it seems also that it was some of the white men were the real “savages.” We drove through the Pima Reservation on our way to our hotel for the night. Trailers have replaced government brick buildings and lean-to-shacks have become homes on Indian School Road. But it is still the “ghetto”. We ride through on our way to our hotel/resort. But you know, the sunset was more beautiful seeing it from the tumble-down roads, nestling into the mountains in the distance. The city where we stayed is wonderfully nice, but we would not have seen the sunset from here for all the “things to do”: restaurants, salons, Fashion Avenue.
Our “resort” is amazing though. They have warm, chocolate chip cookies waiting for us when we check in, and a map so we can find one of the 3 pools. The room is roughly the size of my apartment, give or take a few square feet: “Sweet Dreams”, the pillows on each bed are a reminder that I am exhausted, cedar timber beams offer their beauty and protection, a glass, double door welcoming me onto a veranda. I feel a night swim is in order. I slip on my bathing suit and grab the map (just in case I need it to find my way there and back), but the pool is right across from our “back door”. The water is warm and glowing from the lights in the pool. The tall palms stretch up toward the dark sky. I feel like I am stepping into a magical lagoon. I swim and rest up against the wall to look at the lightning flash across the sky and think about the day.
We got a little turned around today, but we found our way. We drove through the most beautiful places trying to capture the sun’s rays and the lightning in its fierceness and glory. I believe, though, that some things are meant to be seen and felt in person—for you, at that time—rather than being photographed while looking through a lens. I have learned that lightning is a lot harder to capture on film than it looks—you have to be lightning fast!
Tonight I am tired, but happy as I close my eyes and sink into the triple-sheeted, luxuriously high thread-count billows of feathery down.
Today, I drove into Arizona, we rode through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert and stopped at the continental divide and it reminded me of Psalm 19:
Psalm 19 (Amplified Bible)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
2Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.
3There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.
4Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun,
5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.
9The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.
12Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.
13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.
Lord, Your handiwork is a testament to You, to who You are. Your creation, both on the face of the earth and in the faces of the people who are daily living out their lives on it is awe-full.
Ginger and I got a little cranky with ourselves and each other, but that’s to be expected after so many hours and days in a car together, I suppose.
We rode also through a lot of Native American territories, Aztec, Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Pima. I wonder about the lives of these people, about their ancestors. I wonder about the people who pushed them on to reservations—white man coming with his fire-water and small pox and tuberculosis. Why didn’t they come with You? I know some of them did, but it seems also that it was some of the white men were the real “savages.” We drove through the Pima Reservation on our way to our hotel for the night. Trailers have replaced government brick buildings and lean-to-shacks have become homes on Indian School Road. But it is still the “ghetto”. We ride through on our way to our hotel/resort. But you know, the sunset was more beautiful seeing it from the tumble-down roads, nestling into the mountains in the distance. The city where we stayed is wonderfully nice, but we would not have seen the sunset from here for all the “things to do”: restaurants, salons, Fashion Avenue.
Our “resort” is amazing though. They have warm, chocolate chip cookies waiting for us when we check in, and a map so we can find one of the 3 pools. The room is roughly the size of my apartment, give or take a few square feet: “Sweet Dreams”, the pillows on each bed are a reminder that I am exhausted, cedar timber beams offer their beauty and protection, a glass, double door welcoming me onto a veranda. I feel a night swim is in order. I slip on my bathing suit and grab the map (just in case I need it to find my way there and back), but the pool is right across from our “back door”. The water is warm and glowing from the lights in the pool. The tall palms stretch up toward the dark sky. I feel like I am stepping into a magical lagoon. I swim and rest up against the wall to look at the lightning flash across the sky and think about the day.
We got a little turned around today, but we found our way. We drove through the most beautiful places trying to capture the sun’s rays and the lightning in its fierceness and glory. I believe, though, that some things are meant to be seen and felt in person—for you, at that time—rather than being photographed while looking through a lens. I have learned that lightning is a lot harder to capture on film than it looks—you have to be lightning fast!
Tonight I am tired, but happy as I close my eyes and sink into the triple-sheeted, luxuriously high thread-count billows of feathery down.
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