My So Called Life: Freedom Weekend

Another 4th here and gone, but not without a little delight in the mix.

FRIDAY:

I never get to see firework shows. I always have these grand plans to see them and it never pans out. A flat tire leaving Lubbock made us miss the show in San Marcos. Had to work at the river another time. And the list goes on. I'm lucky if I get to hold a few sparklers. Last Friday night I was driving back from Dallas late and I happen to see big burst of fireworks lighting up the sky as I kicked it down the highway. One after the other. As I pulled towards my exit about 20 cars lined the shoulder of the highway with their emergency lights flashing. I zipped in right between them, parked, laid back my seat, and watched the show over the lake. Pop pop pops blasted in the blackness above. The finale. ah. It was a little hug from God that night. An unplanned firework show in person...away from all the crowds...reflected in the lake water...in the quietness of the spontaneous moment...minus the gusts from the 70mph cars swaying Dottie (my suv).

SATURDAY:
Off to Glen Rose with Kylee. We picked the location last minute from a suggestion my brother had given me. We were headed to Dinosaur Valley to go hiking for the day. About an hour + 1/2 outside of Dallas. Bananas, camera, map, bible, Gatorade and water lined our backpacks. Arriving we stopped at a gas station...which inside was actually a bakery where they made cakes and pastries. Small towns. I chuckled. Making wedding cakes inside a gas station...why not? You can get $20 bucks of unleaded gas and a birthday cake...sweet deal.

Off to Dino Valley. We get a map and park. It mists a little on us, but feels good from the humidity that was seeping into our day. We set out and walk down a trail that leads to a river. Surely we don't cross the river to get to the trails? Yep. A nice man whom has been hiking these parts before and his dog Shamrock told us the way. We took off our shoes, held hands to keep from falling from the rocky and slippery terrain, and made it victoriously across the river.

Pick a trail, any trail, red, blue, orange, white. the paths were marked by colors...usually painted on a tree or a prominent rock all along the way. We started off with white which took us up into the hills and by a couple steep drop offs. I get dizzy at even being close to an open edge so we veered off to another direction (Thanks Kylee for understanding and coaching me on.) It was peaceful and nice to be active. The rains came in sporadic spouts and it was lovely. Just enough to keep us cool and refreshed. Crazy flying insects, cobwebbs, cacti, fireants, sweat and mudd. Gotta love nature.

We got confused with our map and at that moment our previous friend appeared and pointed us to the right trail. We walked down a rocky path with stones. I said to Kylee, "this makes me think of the Matthew parable about a seed falling on a rocky path." We thought about the other seeds being thrown on the path where the birds ate it quickly, onto the thorns and thistles where it gets chocked out, and onto the good soil where it produces good crop....the one on the rocky path is on little soil and gets scorched by the sun. We couldn't remember all of it, so I busted out my bible and we read it as we walked down the rocky pathway. Hiking through live examples of God's word.

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. this is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word but worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on the good soil is the man who hears the worked and understands it. He produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty , or thirty times what is sown."
~Matthew 13:19-23

We made our way back to the river, took our shoes off again, crossed it holding hands, and got back in the car. We went to the sight of the park where there were dinosaur tracks. Not too impressed with what we saw...but we had to check it out since were were in Dinosaur Land. Afterwards we headed to the historic Glen Rose square and got a coffee from the Jitter Coffee House and inside I found a vintage lamp for sale. It was huge...green glass bottom, and a shade that was half the size of me...and cheap! I'm redecorating my room and I had found a gem. The owner said she got it at an estate sale in Plano, Tx. Did not expect to come home with a lamp and a sunburn. "I love Lamp." Leaving the square we listened to my GPS Carla to direct us. Recaclulating. Recaculating. Echoed in the background as I contiuosly took my own scenic path and ignored Carla's voice. She led us to Grace Street. I of course without missing a beat, put the car in park, jumped out of the drivers seat and took a snapshot. This is God's roadmap. STOP and take the narrow street of GRACE in life through Christ...a little reminder. We ended up back at that cake shop gas station and I got a caramel Blondie coconut pastry, $1.50. YUM. Back on the road....Dallas bound.