July 5 - Heading to Yellowstone

July 4th ended with a symhonic concert and fireworks at the local fairgrounds, about a 5 minute drive from my mother's house.  The second outdoor concert and fireworks I've enjoyed this year - first when with Amy in Biloxi, and now here in Bozeman with Lynne and my mother.  Bozeman is a city with 45,000 inhabitants, and the fairgrounds and surrounding city blocks were filled with celebrants!  An amazing feeling to experience a huge crowd stand and sing along to "God Bless America" under the darkening expanse of Big Sky country.  We also witnessed first hand both the freedom and the rudeness of people - free to express themselves by talking and laughing loudly throughout the concert, much to the chagrin of those around them.  Even continuing their loud chatter when the symphony played two songs of tribute to our military.  Those around us showed great restraint in avoiding what could have been a nasty confrontation, though some heated looks conveyed at times the displeasure of such rudeness.  Another lesson on wondering how my actions and my words affect those around me; I hope in a much more positive light than last night's experience.  Though even their rudeness couldn't overshadow the splendor of the night - for God has blessed us with beauty, freedom and grace!

My readings yesterday and today were about delegation, family, and liesure - appropriate topics for me to study.  Fit right in with today's Discovery reading.  My prayers continue to be about following God's lead in what I and we do, which comes as a result of the careful study of the Word and much time in prayer.

Though we went to sleep with fireworks bursting in the neighborhoods around us (it's legal to shoot off fireworks for July 3, 4 & 5 in Bozeman) and though we awoke to God's firewords of thunder and rain, our moods cannot be dampened as we head to our week in Yellowstone today.  Whether it's getting a break from sleeping on air mattresses the past week or the expectations of God's wonder in creation, we excitedly look forward to the coming week of gazing, reading, meditating, hiking and enjoying.

More blessed thanks to our congregation for the priviledge of this sabbatical time.