I could feel the heightened anticipation of our arrival into Big Sky as we drove along the highway from West Yellowstone which hugs the Gallatin River.  Certain bends in the road would awaken a memory or two shared with dear friends in this beautiful land of Montana.  Finally we made the turn into the entrance…

 

Just beyond the welcome banner there appeared two big horn sheep who were watching and waiting for our arrival!  And beautiful Lone Peak stood majestically against that bright blue sky.

 

I had imagined this moment so many times, yet still it took my breath away.  It always does!  Then a deep peace comes over me.  It’s the same…every time.

 

Our condo is like being in a tree house.  The deck is small and close.  On Sunday I preached again at Soldier’s Chapel.  Worship there is so special with a view of God’s creation out the window above the altar.  I love it there!  Sunday afternoon was spent with children who are experiencing cancer treatments and have been invited to Big Sky for a week of respite.  I think we all felt the healing beauty of God’s world as we played outdoors and decorated ball caps for precious bald heads.  Discouragement seemed to fly away on the laughter shared in a sunlit afternoon.

Words to the song echo in my heart….”His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”  Together our souls are fed.  Thanks God!

nk

My favorite place on the journey to Big Sky, Montana was Mesa Verde, located in the southwest corner of Colorado.  I am not sure just how I got connected with this as a child, but I remember seeing pictures and I was fascinated and quite curious.  I wanted to crawl around and explore!  Finally I had the opportunity to visit there.  Come, enter this place with me…

We were told the journey down into the cliff dwellings would be strenuous, especially in 90 plus degree temperatures.  My adventurous side proclaimed loudly, “You have to do this!”  It was only an hour trip.  How could I not do it?  If you look closely in the photo below, you will see at the very top of the cliff  a group of persons standing.  That is where we began out descent into the Cliff Palace.

Down we trekked by narrow stone steps into the dwelling which 800 years ago was bustling with activity.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we were able to walk amidst the ancient village.  It was so awesome!

At one point we were invited to one by one peek into a narrow doorway, threshold into a room where an entire family would have lived.  The original wooden beams have allowed scientists to discern that construction spanned from AD 1209 through AD 1280.  Average life expectancy for males was 35, and females 25.  Family members were most likely buried in the same room.  Imagine that your roots were present beneath you, the strength of your ancestry!

My heart was drawn toward the circular area called the Kiva…

The Kiva was a gathering place for ceremonial and social times.  There was a place for a firepit, and the Kiva was submersed to protect the fire from the wind.  A chimney-like shaft drew in fresh air.  A small hole in the floor called a sipapu was believed to symbolize the entryway for the saints of their ancestry.  In my heart and mind I related this to our sacrament of Holy Communion where we believe that we experience the communion of the saints.  Although it is mysterious and beyond our full comprehension, we do believe this meal is something we share together both in this world and the next.  As I stood before the Kiva, I felt this.  I encountered a unity with these people of 800 years ago.  It was a powerful moment. I could have crawled into that Kiva with them!

The journey back to the top was a bit more strenuous than the journey down.

For a brief moment in time I felt like I was a part of this ancient community.  I loved it!  I am so grateful.

nk

Our journey to Montana continued to be a great adventure.  There was only one slight mishap.  I had condensed my cosmetics to very small bottles for the trip.   On one particular day, after a long 9 1/2 hour car ride, I was so tired.  I got things a little mixed up as I was getting ready for bed.  The bad news is….I accidently used mouthwash to clean my face. ( I thought I detected a familiar smell! )  The good news is….I did not gargle with face tonic! Whew.

Bill kept mentioning that we would be staying one night at a unique place, yet neither one of us knew anything about it.  When we arrived in Cortez, Colorado ready to visit Mesa Verde the following day, here is where we landed…

It should be a little suspicious when the only available motel for miles still has a vacancy.  Yet, behold!   There to greet us at the park bench was Elvis!

His eyes looked a little glazed over.  He may have been waiting for us quite a while.  I have learned that you never know where Elvis is going to appear.  Just count on the fact that you will be surprised!  I am not sure if he arrived in that little travel trailer  parked beside him, but he invited us to take a look inside.

 

What a delightful little abode of 50’s decor!  My almost 6 foot frame could barely stand up and lay down in that cubby hole.  I especially loved the little sign hanging on the wall.

I just smiled out loud!  I was hoping to get my kicks on this trip!

Upon checking in, we discovered that each room is assigned a different retro year.  We were given the keys to this door…

 

On the wall inside hung the poster of the big movie that year…one of my favorites!  A journey back in time always contains a significant moment or two.  I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the different rooms of the Retro Inn.  What years are represented here?  What would it be like to enter each door?  What was the echo each one contained?  Then I began to focus on 1985.  What happened in my life in 1985?  Could I even remember?

I began to hopscotch around until I landed on 1985 and discovered the gold mine.  In  1985 I was a young Mom, working on the staff of a new fast growing church.  In June of that year I took a trip to the Holy Land and stood before the place of centuries of prayer called the Wailing Wall.  I had written on a piece of paper my prayer that God would use my life.  I rolled the paper up tightly and tucked it into the crevice of those ancient stones, hoping that this great God of all time would hear.

Then in October of 1985 I led a mission team to Haiti where we worked at a small school made of concrete blocks.  While sitting on the dirt floor I looked around and realized that each person on our team was using their talent, the gift God had given them…designing the furniture, teaching songs to the children, sewing buttons on clothes, etc.  “Wait a minute, God.  What is my gift?”   He showed me that I was the one who got them all here.  My job was done.  This huge joy entered my heart immediately!  I just wanted to come back, bring 12 more people and do it all over again!  Soon I began to understand that this was my call to ministry.

This was what happened in 1985.  This year was perhaps the most significant year of my life! At Retro Inn, this was the moment in time I was to enter once again.  I lay there, in the middle of the night, in wonder of it all.

nk

 

From the deep cobalt blue sky to the sunlit sienna architecture, the town of Santa Fe, New Mexico is quite colorful.  Come with me into a glimpse of this wonderful place…

 

Old Town dances with design around every corner and courtyard, on sidewalks, streets, and plazas.  It is all a feast for the eyes and imagination.  Two experiences stand out in my mind of this day in Santa Fe.  The first took place inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

The baptismal font is located in the center of the cathedral floor along with a pool so that a person from infancy to adulthood may be baptized by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.  All these forms of baptism are present in the writings of the New Testament.

 

I watched persons entering the cathedral come to the baptismal font and touch the water.  They would place the droplets upon their forehead, make the sign of the cross, or splash slightly with their hands, experiencing the holiness of the water and the moment.  One young man totally wrapped his arms around the large bowl, embracing the grace of God with a full bodied expression of awe as he lifted his face toward Heaven.  That moment is forever embedded in my memory.  If you look closely you can see the water bubbling up in the center of the font.  Recalling the words of Jesus, “I am the living water”, the reality of the ever present Spirit of God is very much alive, always.  Clearly this young man knew!

I saw in my mind a baptism there, with all the people of faith circled around.  A child of any age is present to receive the gift of God’s grace.  The church family is asked, “Will you surround this child with a community of love, that they may be nurtured in their faith and grow in the way that leads to life?”  Echoing within the walls, one voice of unity proclaims, “WE WILL”!  Love is poured out.

Later we found a very old restaurant called The Shed.  Many locals gather here as well as new folks.  We sat down for dinner, seated close to the bar in a very crowded room.  I looked up and looming large above us all was the Christ!  His arms reached out with redeeming love to embrace everyone.

Wow!  One would expect this massive work of art to be above an altar in a huge cathedral.  But here is the Christ right over the bar where all kinds of folks belly up.  I smiled.  Well, this would be Jesus.  And this is Santa Fe!

Just beyond the crucifix another piece of art on the wall caught my eye.  This dolled-up Angel chorus proclaims loudly their “Alleluias”.  Yes!  This too is Santa Fe, colorful community!

nk

My journey has begun once again to Big Sky, Montana for the summer of 2017.  First stop is San Angelo, located in West Texas, the place I call the home of my upbringing.  My roots are deeply planted in this soil.  When my feet step upon this land, there is always a connection in my heart and soul.  A part of me will always belong here.

I am staying with my friend Barbara whom I have known for over 50 years.  We share a love for art and writing, for the beauty of God’s creation, and an unending search for the deeper places of faith.  This photo is taken in back of her home which overlooks the city of San Angelo.  From my bedroom window I can look out at night and find the city lights of home calling to me.  They hold a huge part of my life in their memory.

I love Barbara’s paintings!  With her permission I share with you this watercolor, one of my favorites.

This trip I am struck with the realization that San Angelo is romantic in its own playful, almost whimsical sort of way.  It is the land of horned toads.  We used to play with these little animals when we were kids.  They originally got their name, I suppose, from their spiking thorned bodies, like a gelled short haircut.

At some poignant moment in time, the horned toad realized a new name, “Horny Toad”, and it stuck!  What a wonderful awakening that was.  We must not let this creature become extinct!

Then, there’s mistletoe.  Far from the magical existence of a single twig tied in a ribbon on Christmas Eve, in West Texas mistletoe grows in massive abundance on mesquite trees everywhere .  Wow!  Lots of kisses available most any time!  You can see large clumps of this plant hanging from the branches of this mesquite tree.

There simply exists a more down home “amore” among the tumblin’ tumbleweeds, prickly cactus, and sticker burrs.  Ah, such is West Texas!  I love this place.

nk