Glorieta 08, Day 2

I’m pooped. And I need a walker.

Jeremy and I hiked six miles yesterday after lunch to see a ghost town. It wasn’t much more than a clearing back up in the mountains. It was stunningly beautiful. Blue spruce trees really have a blue tint to them. We also saw the remnants of an old hotel. The basement walls were visible and showed stone masonry. In the crosscut timbers, you could also see the large, square nails that were used.

I enjoyed the hike while I was on it, but last night, I stiff-legged everywhere. I was fine most of today as well, but in the worship service tonight, my legs apparently died. When I got up to leave, they ignored my commands, and I had to drag them along underneath me like dead wood. I will whip them for their disobedience and hope they behave better tomorrow.

Under gorgeous skies and crisp mountain air today, I got to eat lunch with Tracy, Jeremy and David James – the Collegiate Ministry Team leader for Arkansas. We had a great visit and dined out at an authentic Mexican food (or New Mexican) restaurant in Pecos. I tried to order enchiladas without green or red chile sauce on them, and the matronly waitress said I couldn’t. We were all a little surprised at her directness, but she politely explained that they wouldn’t serve their enchiladas in a way that might lead me to conclude they were tasteless. So I ordered a hamburger.

Before you ridicule for the hamburger, she did bring us samples of the chile sauce – both red and green. They were hotter than Arkansas is right now. Imagine the hellish heat of a piece of asphalt that’s been scorched by the sun all day long concentrated onto the surface of your tongue. You’d order a hamburger too.

I taught a seminar this evening on Blogging for Impact: The Power of Social Webbing for Witness and Leadership. I am scheduled to teach it again on Wednesday. There was a great turnout for it, and I think it went well. They asked some excellent questions. One surprise: in the room, there was only one person who Twitters besides me and Jeremy. They all were intrigued by the opportunity Twitter provides for ministry updating and networking.

Yesterday, Tracy and Jonathan barely made it to the worship session. They spent a long day fighting lost luggage issues and medicine prescriptions which required a trip to Santa Fe. After the worship time, the four of us gathered on the balcony of New Mexico Hall for a time of intimate prayer. It’s powerful to pour out your heart to the Father with folks who are doing the same.

Nuff said for now…