Monday, December 24, 2007

A White Christmas


After a long drive out to El Paso from Dallas (that involved some sickness and an unplanned overnight stay in Midland) we arrived at Leslie's parents' house on Saturday. We had a wonderful worship service Sunday morning at Christ the King Presbyterian Church and then spent the afternoon hiking and made a quick trip out to White Sands National Monument (Where it was in the 20s!). If you think it looks like snow in the pictures, imagine being there! They plow the roads to keep them serviceable and the sugar-fine, powder-white sand piles up like snow on either side.


We were there for sunset and the moonrise that followed immediately upon its heels. I highly recommend a visit to anyone that gets close to the place. I'm no photographer, but the place was crawling with them and it was easy to see why. If you search for "White Sands National Monument" in Google Earth it will take you right to it. It's amazing in its scope...easily visible from space. But it sits in the middle of nowhere geologically speaking. It really stands out. Anyway...great day with family. I hope your Advent season is going well and your Christmas season is full of the hope that can only be obtained in the person and work of Jesus Christ!

3 comments:

GUNNY said...

Word to that.

I visited White Sands a few times back in the day. We were living in El Paso (dad stationed at Fort Bliss).

I found it a very eerie, yet moving experience. It's so unlike anything I'd ever seen, or seen since.

P.S. That's quite a drive, brother. And it sounds like you got your "entertainment's worth" this time around.

Matthew Bradley said...

Thanks Jay! I hope your continuing vacation is going well...we're praying for your upcoming preaching opportunity. Enjoy it!

Gunny..."quite a drive" is an understatement. I'd drive twice that far with fewer complaints if there were just SOMETHING to look at! Out toward El Paso you start to get into some mountains and it begins to get pretty in a desert sort of way. But for about 6 hours there is nothing but about the ugliest part of God's creation to look at. Glad to have the drive part over with. Although, on the way home, with wife and both boys in the car, we only stopped once! We got gas and ate some packed lunches. That's how I like to travel!

GUNNY said...

I've made that drive and it's a whippin of the highest order.

I've got some fellow Harley riding buddies who *like* to do the "Iron Butt" which is like 1,000 miles in 24 hours and it entails going to El Paso and back.

Let me tell you, if I was foolish enough to ride 1,000 miles on my bike, it would certainly entail some scenery and not that "dry patch" of I-10.

Sounds like the return trip is how it ought to be.

The worst is when you've got a newly potty-trained kiddo who needs to hit every other exit to "try" or "go."

We had a trip to San Antonio that took up 8+ hours. It was the worst.