Many of you have been polite enough to ask about how our family reunion in Utah and Northern Arizona went. Well, it was wonderful. Thirty of my uncles, aunts, first and second cousins, and their spouses gathered at the childhood home of my uncle Lynn in Kanab, Utah. We gathered to celebrate the 80th birthdays of my uncle Vernon and Aunt Georgia. If you are extremely bored you can check out some of the 300+ photos we took by using the Picassa Web Album tool above or going directly to the site by clicking HERE. Some of the highlights of our vacation include:
- Being in a place where you can see real cowboys shopping alongside fundamentalist/polygamous Mormon families (Hint: Women in prairie style dresses & lots of kids) at WalMart …..and finding yourself looking around all the time because most of the women sound exactly like Terri Loranger.
- Surviving a place that can be characterized by a T-shirt we saw which proudly proclaimed: It’s freakin’ hot, it’s freakin’ freakin’ hot, it’s so freakin’ hot..Arizona..it’s freakin’ hot (but its dry heat)
- Taking a four mile round trip though the canyons of southern Utah in crushing heat to explore 1000 year old Ancient Pueblo/Anasazi cliff dwellings. Also HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
- Looking out at the bright stars in the desert sky.
- Visiting my uncle Lynn’s cattle ranch, Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Pipe Springs National Monument, the Western Legends Roundup, and Bryce Canyon National Park.
- Laughing with relatives at our nightly community meal.
- Hearing my uncle Louie offer up a toast in honor of our uncle Vernon and aunt Georgia that was recorded on videotape at his room in a nursing home in Minnesota and delivered from a TV set on the front porch. His words were so true, good, and beautiful that they ended up being a benediction/blessing that kept most of us, including myself, in tears.
- Being constantly reminded of two bits of wisdom from God’s word:
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Isaiah 51:1 [show]Isaiah 51:1 [51:1]"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (9) What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 [show]Philippians 4:8-9 [8]Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [9]What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (ESV)
PS..If you have any online summer vacation photos or reflections you would like to share with your fellow members of Peace please let me know and I will include them in this blog.
