My first true vision of God was driving through the southwestern deserts of North America. I have created a slideshow of my favorite photographs. The music I chose to go with this slideshow comes from Ray Lynch's album, "Deep Breakfast". The hauntingly beautiful strains of his instrumental, "Your Feeling Shoulders", lends even greater depth, width and feeling to these deeply spiritual vistas. From the massive shoulders of God's majestic mountains to the peace and serenity of His low deserts, Mr. Lynch's music weaves a beautiful, soulful tapestry of sound throughout the images.
Paradise in our own back yard. With every turn in the road my heart stopped in awe of the beauty that lay before me--all around me--and as far as the eyes could see.
- The Sonoran Desert in south and southwestern Arizona had amazing wonders to visit, such as the Saguaro National Park with its grandiose saguaro cacti, and the rare organ pipe cactus in Organ Pipe National Monument. Equally as compelling was the golden beauty of the Superstition Wilderness with miles and miles of breathtakingly scenic trails to hike--located in the Tonto National Forest in the Superstition Mountains. Also dotted throughout the desert are the old missions, some in varying degrees of ruin, but many still standing and even in use by the local peoples. We visited San Xavier Mission, with its magnificent Baroque interior and beautiful year-round desert gardens. - Moving on towards California is the Mohave Desert where we visited the Joshua Tree National Park with unforgettable sights to see, such as the joshua tree, which is the largest of the yuccas and grows only in the Mojave Desert. It is thought that the Mormon pioneers named this plant the Joshua tree because it reminded them of the Old Testament prophet, Joshua, with his arms outstretched to the heavens in prayer and praise (I can see that). There are also welcoming oases of fan palms within the park, as well as the Cholla Cactus Gardens (the flowers of the Cholla cactus are sometimes called "jumping cholla" because the flowers detach easily from their stems and appear to jump on you when you brush up against them (that was interesting). Also, atop Keys View are panoramic vistas of the southern end of the San Andreas fault, and is a vision I shall never forget. We ended at California's well-known Imperial San Dunes, the largest mass of sand dunes in California, and watched the off-road vehicles zoom (and sometimes fall) up and down the dunes.
- Looking at the solid strength of those mountains and the spiritual serenity of the desert brings to mind one of my favorite Pslams:
"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings." Psalm 61:1-4.
Amen.
Photography: Sherree Wells, Asheville, NC
Music: "Your Feeling Shoulders" by Ray Lynch from the album Deep Breakfast
Ray Lynch Productions/BMI
Direct Links for "Your Feeling Shoulders":
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/deep-breakfast/id3242445
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Feeling-Shoulders-Ray-Lynch/dp/B000QQ2JEI
http://www.raylynch.com/albums/deep1.html
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