Leaping or Limping?

Happy Leap Day!

The weather has been really unusual this winter, although—in truth—weather is predictably unpredictable and therefore “unusual” most of the time in Michigan.

After a glorious January blanketed in heavy snows, our weather took a long turn for the warmer, and we had many grey days of heavy fog and dripping eaves.

It’s hard to walk through deep snow, but I think it’s harder still to navigate mud season.

Despite my love affair with the outdoors, during mud season I retreat to my elliptical where the footing is secure and the impediments and pitfalls few. However, once the roads aren’t too icy and the potholes more obvious, my heart aches to feel the free again.

It was in such a mood and on such an occasion I went out for a jaunt. I was making good progress when all of a sudden my left leg just sort of gave out. Something about the juncture where my bionic hip unites with my femur. Not sure why, but I can get unexpected, sharp pain if I push too hard. When that happens, I have to stop and rest for a few seconds, which seems to give my leg time to “reset,” and then I can walk again. But, sometimes I walk with a limp. Limping when I’d rather be leaping!

This happened while I was considering that 2024 is a “Leap Year,” where February has an extra day. Do you know this old mnemonic rhyme?

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty-one
Except February. To keep up with the sun,
It has 28 days for three years straight
Then leaps to 29 on the fourth to not be late.

Well, I might have changed the last four lines, but you probably remember the first two. Why have a leap year? The most commonly used calendar in the world is the Gregorian calendar, which was developed in 1582, but it requires a recalibration every fourth year to keep up with the solar year, so they add a day. In truth, even with this improvement, the Gregorian calendar is 26 seconds less than a solar year, so by 4909 A .D. the Gregorian calendar will be a complete day behind the solar year. Should we be worried?

No! Should we be worried about limping rather than leaping? Well, if we’re over 70, we might be wiser to accept that we’re inevitably going to be losing a little more muscle mass year by year. That doesn’t mean to stop exercising; that means to have realistic expectations. BUT, there’s good news! The psalmist reminds us, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:26). This sentiment is echoed by Paul in the New Testament: “Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

We may not have the strength physically to “run through a troop” or “leap over a wall” anymore (Psalm 18:29), but Jesus calls us to “rejoice . . . and leap for joy” spiritually when we are persecuted for standing against evil (Luke 6:23). So, any of us can still be leaping in our spirits no matter how young or old if we’re standing for Jesus, who is the epitome of good: “Who being the brightness of his (God’s] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Does it get any better than that? Jesus—God incarnate—came to earth and died for our sins, then ascended again to God the Father!

By the way, if you find yourself limping spiritually, take heart! God loves you and is patiently waiting for you to trust him fully. I love this reflection by Anne Lamott: “My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear.”

If you’re not sure whether or not there’s a spiritual world to explore, please take a small step toward God by reading the “Coming to Christ” explanation at the top of this page. People say that believing in Jesus as our Lord is like taking a “leap of faith,” but once you sense His hand of love is reaching out to save you, it stops feeling dangerous. It’s really leaping into the everlasting arms of love! It’s “rebirth” from the womb of darkness into the Light of the World. Will you leap to Jesus and joy?!

“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains,
skipping upon the hills” (Song of Solomon 2:8).

TWA: SW (27): Carlsbad Caverns—Light in the Darkness

Buried beneath the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains in Southeastern New Mexico is an amazing system of caves known as Carlsbad Caverns.

Although it doesn’t win competitions for size or length, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a World Heritage Site.

The park includes 117 known caves that are famous for the intricate beauty and diversity of their rock formations.

Carlsbad Cavern is also famous for its huge colony (2-5 hundred thousand) of Mexican free-tailed bats which summer in the caverns (although we came in March and they hadn’t returned from Mexico yet).

Also, just as a FYI, the world’s largest colony is at Bracken Cave, just north of San Antonio, with a population of some 20 million bats! We went to great pains to visit “just in case,” but there were none to be found mid-March, so if you really want to see millions of bats in either cave, go in the summer.

Carlsbad Caverns is also one of the most accessible cave systems in the world open to scientific research and public enjoyment.

There are several options for hiking (all of which require advance reservations now).

We took the Big Room Trail (self-guided, 1.5 hour, uneven footing but mostly flat), but there are more strenuous options and even ranger-guided options, so do a little research before you go to see which would best meet your needs.

Meanwhile, I thought you might get some vicarious enjoyment seeing the highlights from our trip.

(Land above Carlsbad Caverns)

For a starter, caves form when rainwater rich in carbon dioxide (from plant decomposition) seeps through limestone, forming a weak acid that eats away the joints and fractures in the limestone layers.

As the water percolates through the layers of rock, cavities (caves) are formed, and the dripping water redeposits calcium carbonate, forming icicle-shaped stalactites on top (I remember it as “t” for “top”) and stalagmites underneath.

As a fascinating bit of history, Carlsbad Caverns has three layers/levels of cave based on the growth of the “Capitan Reef,” a prehistoric time when the area was covered with water but then had a series of upheavals that changed the floor levels.

I’m finding a pattern here!

There have been signs of sea life on top of Mount Everest, under the South Pole, and now inside this cave.

To me, it’s another evidence for a universal flood at some point in history! 🙂

For those of us who would find trotting down 75 stories (and then back up) to see the cave a bit strenuous, there are elevators that whisk visitors down to the start of the Big Room Trail in just one minute!

Although you go through a series of passageways and trails, the “Big Room” is truly the pinnacle stop, just by merit of its size!

For those of us who love numbers: The Big Room is 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 high!

(For comparison, the largest church in the world, St. Peter’s, is 720 feet long and 490 feet wide . . . although almost twice as high!)

It’s hard to grasp how big the cave is because it’s so dark. For instance there’s a place called “The Bottomless Pit” that seems to go into eternally deep blackness below. 😦

Only some of most unique among the thousands of formations are lit up.

Everything is gigantic and unlike what we can see above earth, so it’s disorienting.

And, a bit creepy at times, like this formation, which looks like a disintegrating animal skull to me.

Or, how about this one? Anybody see a human skull with a dislocated jaw and one sunken eye to the right here?

I couldn’t help but feel like I was taking a Rorschach Inkblot Test. Does anybody besides me see a bear looking to the right with a mouth full of teeth and a dark ear to the left?

How about a seal with his nose pointed toward the roof?

“Chinese Theater”

Many of the formations look enough like “something” so they’ve been named!

Can you imagine what it must have been like for the first explorers—being lowered by rope ladders into the pitch black darkness below?

The Carlsbad Caverns have existed for ages, but Dr. Willis T. Lee started seriously exploring them a hundred years ago (1924) after the area became “Carlsbad Cave National Monument” in 1923.

In 1985, a team of cavers using helium balloons discovered a large passageway above the Big Room, which they named “Spirit World, a place where few have since stood . . . What wonders high above our heads still wait to be revealed?”

View of the open land and sky above Carlsbad Cavern

As Christians, Alan and I believe there truly is a Spirit World, and that high above our heads reigns God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth!

There are clearly others who have the same belief, just based on some of the names. For instance, one of the huge stalagmites has been named “Rock of Ages,” (see Isaiah 26:3-5). Do you know the song? “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee . . .”

I believe it would be impossible for anyone to find their way safely through Carlsbad Cavern without any light, and I believe this is also true of the Spirit World, not just in Carlsbad, but in life on Earth, even though many people don’t have a clue that a spiritual world exists!

Are you aware that there is a spiritual dimension to our world? Without spiritual light, it would be impossible to pass safely through this life. Did you know that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5)? God can see all things. Even in a pitch black cave, He can see everything as if there were no darkness to hide anything!

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Psalm 139:11-12).

As humans, we are so limited. We have darkness within and without. We need light to see so we don’t stumble and fall. Thankfully, Jesus taught us, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).

(Credits: All the photos are mine, except the photo of the bats leaving the cave and the first cave map, which are from the Wikipedia article on Carlsbad Caverns National Park.)

An Invitation to Join Us at Aqueduct Project for an Open-House, Online Prayer Service

Puertas Abiertas

Tag der offenen Tür

Have a heart for the unity of the Church and the global mission of sharing the love of God? Got an hour?

If so, I’d like to invite you to join me (and others at AQ) on Wednesday, February 28th, 9:00-10:00 New York City time, for a one-hour, multilingual prayer service (English, Spanish, and German), where we will join together as a global community and pray the Moravian Daily Texts (Psalm 7:2 and Matthew 10:19) for the cause of world mission. The prayer service will feature live reports from several missionaries. / Durante este servicio de oración multilingüe de una hora de duración, nos uniremos como comunidad global y rezaremos los Textos Moravos Diarios (Salmo 7:2 y Mateo 10:19) por la causa de la evangelización mundial. El servicio de oración contará con informes en directo de varios misioneros. / Während dieser mehrsprachigen Gebetsstunde werden mehrere Missionare live über ihre Arbeit berichten. Wir beten als globale Gemeinschaft für die Verbreitung des Evangeliums weltweit und für den Schutz der verfolgten Kirche, unter Berufung auf die Herrnhuter Tageslosung (Psalm 7,2 und Matthäus 10,19).

https://www.aqueductproject.org/courses/open-house-puertas-abiertas

Jesus prayed to God the Father, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21, NKJV).

TWA:SW (26-A)Everything Bagel Breakfast Sandwich

For awhile, Alan and I were indulging in donuts as a special Saturday morning breakfast treat, since it’s one of the few breakfasts you can’t whip up for two people on the spur of the moment, especially when you’re traveling! One of the things we notice at donut shops is the popularity of breakfast sandwiches, usually made with some type of egg and meat on an English muffin or toasted bun of some type. That hadn’t been part of our family’s repertoire, but then, when our kids were growing up, we always ate breakfast together sitting at the table, so a grab-n-go breakfast sandwich seemed like a waste of money.

Donuts, on the other hand, are very hard to make at home. They require hours of prep and execution, and there’s no chance of producing one shredded coconut, one Boston cream, one vanilla-filled, 2 glazed raised donuts, and one chocolate-frosted cake donut all on the same morning! So—what a perfect treat to eat out! However, to our dismay, we discovered the Southwest has an abysmal paucity of donut shops. You can find a donut shop at almost every exit along the freeways of America’s Northeast and Southeast, so we were shocked that they seemed almost non-existent during our trip through the Southwest (until we reached California). That being said, we ate a lot of breakfast sandwiches on the road, and this one turned out to be my favorite:

Everything Bagel Breakfast Sandwich
(Per sandwich)

One toasted and buttered everything bagel
1 fried egg
2 strips of bacon (or a patty of sausage or slice of ham)
Creamed cheese and horseradish (equal parts of both) dressing

Quick. Easy. Zesty. Salty. Filling. Definitely a satisfying breakfast. No wonder they’re so popular with commuters!

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (Psalm 63:1).

Do You Know About “The Hill”?

Last week on a flight to Seattle, I watched a wonderful true story about a little boy who overcame unbelievable odds to play pro ball.

The story is set in West Texas about the same time I was growing up in Michigan, so it was especially captivating to me, and I wanted to share it with you before leaving “Texas” on our TWA (Travels with Allie) adventures. (However, the photos I took were terrible, so I had to find some online to share.)

After returning home and doing some research, I’ve also discovered that it’s one of the “truest” stories ever produced as a film! Although I read all sorts of articles about Rickey Hill, my favorite is from History vs Hollywood, so I’ve drawn heavily on their information. Apparently, all the details in this incredible movie were carefully documented in a book by the movie director, Jeff Celentano.

Rickey Hill grew up in poverty as the son of a Baptist preacher. By the time he was eight, he had two great loves in life: preaching and playing baseball. The only trouble was, Rickey had a degenerative disease of his spine and had to wear braces on his legs that made running impossible.

I don’t want to tell you too much, because it’s too beautiful to spoil, but it includes a childhood love story that also made me smile, since Alan and I met when were 12/13!

Anyway, in the History vs Hollywood review, every question about the historical accuracy was answered in the affirmative. (I don’t remember that ever happening before). Here are some quotes from their article, although if you’ve got time (after you watch the movie), the entire article is well worth the read! (All the following quotes are from https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/the-hill/):

Yes. In answering the question, “How accurate is The Hill movie?” In reality, Rickey Hill drew a cross in the dirt every time he came up to bat. “From the time I was 12 years old, 10 years old, I drew the cross. … I drew the cross in the dirt and I always stood on the cross every time I got to bat,” he told Risen Magazine. “I’m the very last. … No one has ever even done this in baseball ever. No one’s ever drawn a cross.”

Yes. In the final scene of the movie, Rickey Hill faces a nearly impossible challenge. The Hill true story reveals that in real life, after feeling like a freight train had hit him just prior to his last swing, he stood up and didn’t think he could keep going. He said that he believes that it was then that God took over. “That’s the only way I could do that last thing in the movie that I did was because I was not myself,” he told director Jeff Celentano. “It was in me, overtaking that moment in a really amazing way. That’s when I really knew … always knew that God is controlling everything.” -Risen Magazine

Hill, who was 67 at the time of the movie’s release and working as a financial planner, said that he has a 14-inch rod, six cages, and nine screws in his back that “hold him together” and have given him new life. He has no discs in his spine but thanks to technology, he is able to walk normally. He can still toss a baseball around and even recently threw out the first pitch at a Texas Rangers game. He expressed that, despite his age and health, he would love to try to step up to the plate and hit off of some of the game’s star pitchers. -The Athletic

(l-r) Actors Ryan Dinning, Dennis Quaid, Joelle Carter, Bonnie Bedelia, Colin Ford, Carina Worm, Siena Bjornerud, and Randy Houser on the set of THE HILL, an Open Road Films / Briarcliff Entertainment release. Credit: Open Road Films / Briarcliff Entertainment

“It’s an honor to have my story told in this way with Dennis Quaid and Colin Ford starring in The Hill,” he said. “I hope audiences find inspiration in their depiction of my life and that it offers encouragement to anyone with a physical disability, because loving what you do is the key to a wonderful life.” -RickeyHill.com

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

TWA:SW (26) The True El Capitan of Guadalupe Mountains National Park

On our trips around America, we always tried to stay at national park campgrounds when we could, but we most often couldn’t, so if you want to visit national parks, I recommend making your reservations a year in advance (like we didn’t)!

Nevertheless, with even 3 months advance notice, I was usually able to find some place nearby that was pleasant enough, just not as scenic— and more expensive.

We spent the night at the Big Bend Resort and Adventures Campground. It dropped to a low of 42°F. during the night with a prediction for 90°F. for the next afternoon.

Deserts are notorious for extremes in temperatures, since there’s precious little foliage to keep heat.

The goal of our day was to tour Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but given the pace of our trip, we’re slowly learning that travel is very much like life generally.

Getting to the goal (heaven) takes a long time—a lifetime—so it’s good to learn as much as we can along the way!

Therefore, I’m sharing lots of photos of what caught my attention as we traveled. If you’re from West Texas, please don’t be bored.

Just know that what is simple and familiar to you may seem foreign and new to others!

Although not completely new to me, I was really taken with all the mirages on the roads. The intense heat made the roads reflect shimmering light that looked exactly like water.

Of course, the mirage would disappear as soon as we got very close.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a mirage in Michigan, but I know I’ve never seen a train loaded with double box cars in Michigan!

Most of the trains looked normal, but (like everywhere around) there are always some hard-working graffiti artists with a passion to color the world. 🙂

Although most of the land seemed uninhabited,

There were rare signs of human enterprise and a few small herds of cattle.

We only saw one orchard, but it was like everything else in Texas—huge! I think it was over a mile long and I couldn’t see how wide. They were barren pecan trees. We worried they might be dead from drought, although I read that pecans are dormant during the winter, so I hope they were fine and bloomed a few weeks later.

Another prominent difference was the presence of border patrols. I grew up along the border between America and Canada (at over 5,000 miles, it’s the world’s longest undefended border, but I think Americans and Canadians have gotten along like siblings for the past 200+ years).

There were also border patrol cars about every 25-30 miles, sometimes off to the side of the road with no one visible.

We wondered if they were out checking for illegal aliens trying to immigrate to America.

Miles before we reached Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we began to see mountain peaks rising steeply from the desert floor.

Guadalupe Peak

The highest natural point in Texas is at the top of Guadalupe Peak, which is 8,751 feet above sea level and rises some 3,000 feet from the floor of the Chihuahuan Desert.

El Capitan on the far left and Guadalupe Peak on the right

Approaching the park from the south, you can see Guadalupe Peak (the highest point in this mountain chain), although we didn’t really know what we were looking at.

As we drove nearer, Guadalupe Peak started to disappear from view behind El Capitan, which is 8,085 feet high.

El Capitan is the southernmost of the Guadalupe Mountains and stands like a sentinel over the valley, serving as an iconic guidepost for early travelers, most famously the Butterfield Overland Mail Route for the Pony Express Riders, although many settlers passed this way.

El Capitan, in Texas

In fact, even today U.S. Highway 62/180 passes under its shadow, and the best views of both mountains can be seen from this highway before you actually reach the park!

It wasn’t until we reached the Pine Springs Visitor Center that we figured out what it was we had been viewing all along!

El Capitan on the left and Guadalupe Peak on the right

I had to go back and pore over the photos to find Guadalupe Peak, because even though it’s obviously higher, it’s obstructed by El Capitan as seen from the valley below until you go around it toward the north and east.

And, by the time you’re at the visitor center and trail head, both are a bit hidden.

The rangers sent us to the Frijole Ranch House (just a mile up the road) so we could actually see the peak and know what we were looking at!

How like our search for God! He can be right in front of us, but we don’t recognize Him because we don’t know what we’re looking for, and really He appears different from different angles.

Sometimes we get so distracted by other icons we can’t see Him at all.

Sometimes we think we can just barely make out His outline behind the mountain in front of us . . . but is that really Him?

Sometimes it’s only in hindsight that we realize He was there all along, we just couldn’t see Him.

We may think we’re the El Capitan of our souls, but there’s really Someone greater, higher, and mightier than we are standing behind us.

It is possible, if we keep track of what we’ve seen and where we’ve gone . . . if we study the map (Bible) and follow the GPS (Holy Spirit) to get to the visitor center (church) and talk to the rangers (spiritual leaders), we’ll finally arrive somewhere where we can clearly see who’s really the highest and best . . . and the steep trail we need to climb in order to stand on the mountain top with Him!

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Every other way is like a mirage. It will evaporate into nothing when we get near and is a deception.

The Bible teaches us concerning Jesus: “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). Do you want to do all your own suffering, or would you rather allow Jesus to be the captain of your life?

P.S.—While studying for this blog, I came upon the work of a fellow Christian who has done a lot of exploring in Guadalupe National Park. If you think you might want to do some mountain climbing there, consider checking out his blog: https://exploretexas.blog/tag/guadalupe-mountains-national-park

Luscious Lava Cakes

If you love the lushness of melted chocolate, here’s a dessert that combines all the essential elements for chocolatey magnificence. It’s simple to make but rich and worthy of savoring every bite!

Lava Cakes
(Makes 8)

1 cup butter
12-oz special dark chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Set eight 6-oz ramekins on a large cookie sheet

In a saucepan, melt together over medium-low heat (stirring often):
1 cup butter
12-oz special dark chocolate chips
Whisk together until smooth and set aside for a minute

In a mixing bowl, combine:
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whip for 3-4 minutes until light and frothy

Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly pour in the melted chocolate and butter mixture, scraping the sides so you get every last drop!

Divide the mixture equally in the eight ramekins and place them on the top shelf of the oven. Carefully add about 1 cup of water to the cookie sheet to provide extra moisture while the cakes bake.

Bake only 10 minutes, unless you’re going to serve them immediately, and then bake them for 12 minutes. I find it’s hard to bake the cakes at exactly the right time (not having a sous chef to help me in the kitchen unless my kids are home), so I prefer to bake them late in the afternoon of the event and then set them on a counter, covered with aluminum foil and a couple of tea towels to keep them as warm as possible, reheating them just before serving them. If you use this approach, they should only be about 3/4 baked the first round and look wet (ish) in the middle.

Just before serving them, preheat the oven again to about 400°F and pop them in the oven for another 1-2 minutes, just long enough to make them hot. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream (or your favorite flavor of) and drizzled with hot fudge and/or caramel syrup on top. The edges of the cakes will be firm, but inside they’ll be like melted chocolate “lava.”

Some people bake them in buttered and floured ramekins at a higher heat (about 450°) for 10-12 minutes without any extra moisture, which produces a crisper crust around the edge if you like crispy cake (which I don’t particularly). I’ve had them served without ice cream, simply flipped over onto a dessert plate after cooling just long enough to get them to fall out of the ramekin (or be coaxed out with a knife sliding around the edges . . . about 3-5 minutes). This highlights the “lava” aspect of the cake, but overall, I wouldn’t trade it for a volcanic dessert with a mountain top of snowy ice cream where lava and fire are running down the sides! However, for chocolate lovers, I don’t think you can lose no matter how you serve it. 🙂

“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness;
and thy paths drop fatness”
(Psalm 65:11).

Dust Bowl Destitution: America’s Greatest Manmade Ecological Disaster

Experiencing dust devils and disturbing winds as we crossed the Southwestern desert areas made me remember horror stories from childhood. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl out West during the “Dirty Thirties” (1930s) happened a couple of decades before I was born, but my parents, who grew up in Colorado, had been permanently affected by their struggles to survive and thrive during those dark years while they were teens and early twenties. Throughout their lives, they never seemed to waste anything and found a use for almost everything at hand—and they passed this ethic down to me. “Waste not; want not.” My mom recounted living on skim milk and bread for months at a time while working her way through college. My dad had a scholarship that helped a little, but when he tried to enlist to serve in World War 2, he was rejected for being underweight (despite eating a bunch of bananas before he went to the recruitment office), so I know times were very tough for both of them.

Map of States and Counties Most Effected by the Dust Bowl
(My parents grew up just outside the worst-hit areas)

My parents weren’t unusual. My spiritual mentor (by then 40 years post war and very wealthy) was still shaking out the last crumbs from her plastic bread wrappers and adding them to the seeds on her bird feeder. “Waste not; want not.” She had earned her way through school by being a nanny.

Most of the people who lived through the Great Depression and World War 2 were tough as nails and trained their children to be survivors. They were the generation who helped defeat Nazism and (theoretically) made the world safe for democracy. They were “The Greatest Generation,” and I admired them intensely.

Although both Alan and I had heard tales and felt the unwavering strictness of our fathers, it wasn’t until we watched Ken Burn’s documentary on The Dust Bowl that I really grasped the desperation of life during that time. (8.2 on IMDb and I highly recommend this series for anyone trying to understand America.)

Just so you know: The images of the Dust Bowl on this blog are all in the Public Domain. Most were taken by professional photographers such as Arthur Rothstein and Dorothea Lange, who were hired by Roosevelt’s Farm Security Administration. The ones with captions on them were taken while I was watching Ken Burn’s Documentary, The Dust Bowl.

America (and much of the world) was struggling with deep economic depression, and then to add more to the already crushing weight of financial crisis, millions of acres of America’s south-central plains suffered one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in world history.

I never heard my parents blame anyone for the disaster; I always thought it “just happened” as an act of nature. In my naive understanding, there was a drought that swept away the prairie grass and stirred up millions of acres of dirt.

However, this was not what really happened. While the drought could rightly be considered an act of God, the endless tons of dust and dirt were the result of erosion from inadequate precautions against uninformed plowing. What started as a plan to produce millions of acres of wheat ended as an ecological disaster perhaps unequalled in scope, certainly within America. The farmers plowed under the prairie grass (which was holding the soil in place). This exposed loose soil, which could have turned into rich crops if there’d been enough rain, but there wasn’t. Instead, there was a decade of terrible drought. Year after year, the farmers hoped for rain but reaped nothing but dust storms as the seeds died and the dry soil was sucked up by fierce winds.

It reminded me of the terrible drought in Egypt during the time of Joseph, although God providentially forewarned Pharoah through a dream that there would be seven years of abundant crops before the seven years of famine. Only Joseph could interpret the pharoah’s dream, and he also suggested a wise solution, so Joseph was granted permission to buy up and store all the extra grain, which ended up keeping Egypt from dying out during the famine. (see Genesis 41-47 for the whole story.)

Sadly, there was no Joseph in America to prepare the people for the coming drought.

April 14, 1935, was called “Black Sunday.”

Instead, the land withered from drought and then dust storms struck with such terrifying force that many people thought the end of the world had come!

The Dust Bowl precipitated the largest migration in American history. It’s estimated that half a million people were left homeless and another 2.5 million people moved out of the Dust Bowl states, hoping to find refuge elsewhere.

Out of gas. Out of money. Sick baby. (By Dorothea Lange)

Among the exodus were some 200,000 who moved to California, many of whom lived in makeshift housing and became migrant workers. In a few weeks, I hope to review a movie depicting the plight of one family who lived through this era. It was ugly.

Darfu Refugee Camp in Chad: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Darfur_refugee_camp_in_Chad.jpg

Drought and famine may seem like a past problem in America, but displacement and homelessness is raging around the world today (including America). According to the United Nations, there are some 100 million displaced people (approximately 62.5 million within their own countries and 35.3+ million refugees who have fled to foreign countries). Poland and Germany have both taken in over a million refugees from Ukraine. In America, 60,000+ refugees were admitted into our country in 2023, and President Biden is trying to allow 125,000 more to enter in 2024. The short answer is that there is most likely a refugee family living close by (and homeless people) no matter who we are or where we live.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the need and end up paralyzed because the needs so far exceed our capacity to “fix” them, but as Teddy Roosevelt preached, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” We might not be equipped to solve world hunger, but we can participate in helping our neighbors and those in need within our communities.

³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40, ESV)

Happy Valentines Day

I hope you have a truly happy day today and feel very, very loved!

Although we don’t often ponder the roots of this holiday, it has a rich, ancient heritage dating back to a third-century priest and physician who ministered to Christians being martyred during the persecution of the Roman Emperor, Claudius II. 

For his compassion and good deeds (as well as his faith), Saint Valentine was eventually arrested, beaten, and beheaded on February 14, 270 AD.

He was buried near Rome on the Via Flaminia (Flaminian Way), which was a famous road between Rome and the Adriatic Sea (marked in blue in the above photo).

View of the Flaminian Way in modern times

Pope Julius 1 (333-356 AD) built a basilica at the site to preserve St. Valentine’s tomb (which has since been destroyed, although archeological evidence of his tomb was found centuries later).

Porta del Popolo by Giuseppe Vasi (1710-82); Public Domain
(aka “The Gate of St. Valentine” in the 12th Century)

To this day, you can walk along the Via Flaminia and remember the great physician priest who died for love of his fellow believers.

“Jesus Christ Crucified” by Diego Valázquez, circa 1632
(Public Domain)

What love, to sacrifice one’s own life while ministering to the needs of others! Yet, St. Valentine was following the example of Jesus Christ, the great high priest and physician who loved every person in the whole world so much that he laid down his life for us (Mark 2:17; Hebrews 5:9-10). “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

The pure, holy, undefiled son of God—Jesus Christ—died in our place so we can have forgiveness for our sins and become children of His Father, God . . . so Jesus can become “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Jesus loved us before we even existed or ever understood his love: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the greatest expression of love in the universe! It’s God’s gift offered to us (Romans 3:23). Jesus’s “valentine” if you will. So, whether you give or receive any paper valentines today, please know that Jesus has sent you a valentine of sorts—His love letter to you, inscribed in the Bible! Will you reach out and accept His gift of love today? If you do, you will feel very, very loved and know that true happiness comes from being known, accepted, and loved by God!

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

TWA:SW (25) Where’s the Big Bend in Big Bend National Park?

Big Bend is a big park!

NASA image of Big Bend National Park from outer space.
2002, Public Domain

The park covers 1,252 square miles and is the only national park to encompass a complete mountain range: the Chisos Mountains.

Visitors looking at a topographical display of Big Bend National Park

The Chisos Mountains are America’s southernmost (continental) mountain range, and they are enchantingly beautiful!

All the variegated colors of sand and rock reminded me of the Painted Desert (which we didn’t get to see on this trip, although my family visited when I was a child).

The name “Chisos” may reflect its wild beauty, as the Castilian (Spanish) word hechizos means “enchantment.”

However, the most direct connection is probably from the Native American word chisos, which means “ghost” or “spirit.”

(“Dust Devils,” looking like ghostly white clouds, form and dissipate in the distance. They were very intimidating when they’d fly across the road in front of us, which happened several times on our trip through the Southwest. I will write more about this, because it provoked us to study about America’s terrible “Dust Bowl” from the 1930’s.)

The Chisos Mountains are 40 square miles of rocky beauty completely within Big Bend National Park, which is completely within the Chihuahuan Desert!

The highest point in the Chisos is Emory Peak (7,825 ft). We were never quite sure if we were actually seeing it, because from the road closer peaks look taller.

However, we think we saw it from a distance on our way to the Panther Junction Visitor Center (likely to the right in this photo. If anybody can verify this, please let me know!)

There are hiking trails from Panther junction to climb the mountain, but both the Northeast Rim and Southeast Rim Trails were closed when we visited. (They close February 1 through May 31.)

We still enjoyed the visitor center and learned a lot about the park. Although I had great hopes of seeing a road runner in the wild, I never did (on our entire trip). On the other hand, I harbored some dread of confronting a rattlesnake in the wild, but I never did! Surrogate learning has its place. 🙂

Oh, but we did get to see some of the famed Texas longhorn cows, which can have horns spanning more than 8 feet! I expected to see them everywhere (which we didn’t), but it was a treat to see even a small herd in the park.

I think of all the major terrestrial environments on earth, deserts are my least favorite.

My skin gets so dry I’m constantly itchy. My fingernails chip, and my nose and eyes become uncomfortably dry. I even ended up with a few bloody noses. 😦

I long for blue waters edged by wildflowers and green trees!

I’m definitely a northern lake girl, although I’ll bet most people who live in the desert adjust to the dryness and learn to love it, just like I’ve adjusted to the cold and humidity. Dry warmth is definitely good for people who suffer from arthritis, and the sunshine is a good deterrent for depression. There are fewer slippery roads and accidents. There are advantages and disadvantages in every biome, don’t you think?

On our trip, I realized that deserts have a beauty all their own and grew to appreciate the wild, open spaces painted with pastels.

It some areas, it seemed like God had intentionally planted sagebrush gardens in neat rows!

Big Bend National Park Service Map, Public Domain

Do you know how “Big Bend” got its name? The southern border of the park, which is also the border between America and Mexico in this area, is formed by the Rio Grande River.

Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
From NPS article by Steve Lantz

There is a “big bend” in the Rio Grande exactly where the Rio Grande forms the southern border of the park (and our country).

Has there been any “big bend” in the flow of your life? There has in mine!

In America, we sometimes say something is “heading south” when it’s losing value (like the stock market). My life went from heading south back toward the north (going up in value) when I realized I was spiritually lost and started following Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior!

I can’t say my life has been transformed from a desert to a garden just yet, but I can say I’m growing and looking forward to the day when I shall be like Him!

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).