October 5, 2013
Happy Saturday to all my fans! I have learned since yesterday that there are more readers of this here bloggy woggy type thing! (Any ideas from anyone as to what that is a sideways reference to?)
Today, Scott & I and Scott’s parents are planning on driving down to Texas… yes, I said it, we are willingly going to Texas… to El Paso to see a museum. Scott has to review two museums as part of his class on Musology (the study of museum science). Problem is, as of this writing, Scott hasn’t yet identified the museum we’re going to! Oh, how I hope it isn’t the National Cabbage Patch Hall of Fame! Wait, that’s a Federal Museum. They’ll be closed.
Yesterday, while Scott was off at class, I ran out to the Mesilla Valley Mall to run an errand or two. While there I checked out job openings, then ate at the chinese food place. Afterwards, I ran across the street to “Ride On Sports” to look at hiking shoes. I really do want a pair, but can’t afford them. My current shoes, a pair of Rockports are rapidly wearing out. They’re still good for walking around Trails West here, but when I come back from hikes up in the foothills, my feet are often bruised.
Then, last night, Scott and I joined friends at the Southern New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo. We had a fun time wandering through the poultry show then the livestock pavilion. I never realize just how ugly goats are! After that, we wandered down to the Model Railroad display. This appears to be a static display. So, now I know where to take my friend Tony if he ever makes it out here. After ogling some of the cowbo… er, cows… we grabbed gorditos (BLECH!!! never again!) some old fashioned birch beer and chased it all down with funnel cakes with chocolate drizzle.
We then spent about an hour or so watching the rodeo. Everyone loves to watch the roping! We enjoyed watching the ropers!
So, I’m looking at the suggestions my brother sent me. Which shall we pick, good readers?
Ah, here’s an easy, low hanging fruit of a topic to pick: “If we live in paradise, do we value God less? Or more?”
Who lives in Paradise? Well, to address the simple answer first, the only people I know who live in paradise are my mom & Dad, my grandparents… in short, those who have already passed this way, and have gone on to their reward! And I pretty well think they all continue to value God the same!
But, okay, I know that isn’t what BBMO (that’s Big Brother Minus One) had in mind when he asked the question. See, BBMO lives on the outskirts of Paradise, in a little town (ha!) in Southern California. He has a view of the ocean from his house. I love the fact more that he lives along a canyon with what I think are marvelous vistas… the one of the ocean is actually not the view I like most!
And, I am pretty darn sure that I live IN Paradise. There are views of mountains wherever I turn. There’s even a dormant (oh, how I HOPE!) volcano not far from my house. I see it during our morning walks. Still no steam there! But even Las Cruces, as close to Paradise as I have encountered is just.not.quite.there.yet. It does get hot here, and I’ve already bemoaned the monster mosquitos that turned my body into a miniature mountain range itself.
It doesn’t matter. Drop the summer highs from 100 to 80, raise the winter lows from… wait, don’t bother there. In any event, whatever you might do to the temps, to make this even closer to paradise it wouldn’t matter. I love Las Cruces!
So, does living in, or near to, Paradise cause one to value God less or more? I think one who doesn’t value God to begin with will find nothing changes.
But for the one who has valued God in one’s life, paradise must surely inflate one’s appreciation and value for God. For the one who values God, regardless of one’s surroundings, nothing about living in paradise is one’s own doing.
For me, what makes this place paradisical (poetic/author’s license… I know it’s not a word) is the mountains and the weather, things I have no control over. I look at those mountains, or I go hiking in them, or I drive out to the desert so I can look up at them, and I am in utter awe at the beauty of where I live. Each day I wake up, and it’s hot or it’s chilly, it matters not, I soak up the freshness of the air. And all I can say is that of course I don’t value God the less for living here.
I suspect I value God the more for having been blessed with being transported here.
Okay, guess that’s enough of that. What do you all think? If you are reading this in your email, go to www.scottneric.com/ontheroad then scroll down. You can use the Prayer Request form to leave me your thoughts, if you want, or you can “Reply to”. On the off chance that I receive any comments on this between now and Tuesday, I’ll repost them in one of my blogs.
Can we begin a conversation, however brief?
Prayer Intention
“Pray with [y]our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.”
? Oswald Chambers
I continue to pray for “Valley Lows”.
On The Road II 