Nevada Beginnings

Owl Hug

Have you ever thought of some great ideas, things you believed you might be able to help teach others, and then you get slammed with actually walking those very things out in tough situations? As we started our big trip today I told Jodi that I was thinking about writing a blog post on obstacles or opportunities – how we all have the ability to look at the events in our life with an optimistic eye – no stinking thinking. I had a great example from my amazing encounter with a great horned owl while lead climbing with my friend Jim, just the day before. While leading, a two and half foot great horned owl came out of no where and completely engulfed me in it’s wings and sliced my ear open. Jim and I both thought it was an amazing experience and enjoyed seeing such a beautiful bird. We were intentional in our thoughts about how it was an opportunity to interact with nature. We could have chosen a different direction and regarded it as an obstacle, thinking that we had been attacked by a huge owl. So, I thought it would be fun to write all about how we have the choice to be intentional when handling what happens to us in life.

Well my owl encounter was fun, but it did not impact me where I tend to feel the most pain – my time and my wallet. So, God setup a different way for me to see just how intentional I am when it comes to the opportunities in my life.

We are on the first day of our trip to finish out the continental United States. We made it to Las Vegas with no problems and setup camp outside Red Rock Canyon Natural Preserve. After I had completely setup camp and we were cooking our food, the winds started picking up. They continued to grow in strength to around 20-30knots. Other campers came by to let us know the winds would be hitting 78knots later in the night. It was lot of effort to setup camp, so I was unmoved. Then our fiberglass tent poles started shattering as the wind flattened the tent. The kids were having a delightful time at this point being smashed against the floor of the tent, and I was getting tense, knowing the work involved in leaving. As the wind continued and Jodi patiently waited for the Lord to work on me to see the “light,” I eventually came around. We packed everything up and began looking for a hotel in Las Vegas. It took several attempts to find an overpriced hotel as big venues are in town and hotels are at a premium. This whole time my thinking was pretty stinking. God continues to remind me how much I have to grow and how I am only strong in Him. It is a great lesson and one that I need to be reminded often – though I hope not too often on this trip!

My Big Helper

Wind Blown