Big Bend 2008 Vacation Day Three

Yesterday evening Leslie and I hiked part of the way down to Mule Ears Peak. Check out the picture and you'll be able to see why it's named so. It's so serene out here. This morning I hiked a trail on the desert floor, and was amazed at the plant life. I'll bet it's a real sight to see when the plants are blooming in the spring.

The big story today is that Leslie went on a 30 mile bike ride down one of the main roads here in the park! Both of us left early this morning, Leslie for her bike ride (read "marathon") and me for my wimpy 3 mile hike in the desert. You have it all here at Big Bend: mountains, desert, and river. This is our third time to come to the region.

It looks like we're in for a lot of rain later today, but that's fine. I heard Austin had some rain today. I hope Wimberley got some too. Tomorrow morning we will begin our trek home. We'll arrive home in time to pick up our kids from church. They've been at Student Life Camp in Shawnee, Oklahoma all week.

Big Bend 2008 Vacation Day Two

This morning Leslie and I went on a 16 mile bike ride along a long stretch of relatively flat road. It's amazing to look out at the vast expanse of desert that makes up a lot of this national park. For the first half of the ride, we had the wind against us, with the mountains in the background. Obviously, the ride back was more pleasant. Last night we hiked some more, bringing the total to 6 miles of hiking on the first day.

Later this evening, we'll go and explore a different section of the park, taking in some new views. We'll do a little more hiking and biking. What else do you do at Big Bend? Besides the bear, we've seen a rattlesnake, some javelina, deer, rabbits, skunks, and some of the biggest insects you can imagine! Are there any entomologists who can identify this creepy insect? I took a picture of this interesting 3.5 - 4 inch bug yesterday afternoon. Actually, I wanted to get in front of it to take the picture, but was afraid it might attack me! Hey, I'm no fool.

The weather has been warm, but pleasant, especially in the mountains of Big Bend where we are staying. During the summer, it's smart to do your outdoor activities in the early morning or evening before dusk. We're doing just that! Hope everyone back home is doing well.

Big Bend Vacation 2008 Day One

It’s Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008. Leslie and I are at Big Bend National Park, and having a wonderful time! Yesterday, at 2:30 a.m. our kids left for Student Life Camp in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I got to pray for everyone on the bus right before they left. Then I went home and went back to sleep. About 10:30 a.m., after packing the van, Leslie and I were off to Big Bend. It took us about 10 hours to arrive here, including the stops along the way.

It’s funny. I thought Leslie might enjoy going to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for something different this year, so I suggested just it as a vacation idea. We never go to the DFW Metroplex for vacation. It’s usually for some conference. But Leslie wanted to go to a quiet spot where we could get some hiking and biking in, and reconnect. We’ve had such a busy summer already, and have been meeting each other coming and going. So I was happy that she wanted to do this. Truth is I’d rather be in Big Bend than Dallas/Fort Worth any day of the week!

It’s in the middle of the afternoon, and we just got back from a 4.5 mile hike on the Window Trail here in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend. Now when you go on a hike in a state or national park, you always hope to see some wildlife. Well, today certainly did not disappoint. On the way down to “the Window” we saw black bear scat right in the middle of the trail; and it was fresh! We just continued on down the trail.

Once we came to the large opening in the rocks called “the Window,” we encountered a group of college-aged students. They were members of the Environmental Corps, which is an extension of Ameri-Corps. They were here to do improvements on some of trails here in the park. Thank God for people like this who take care of these park and wilderness areas.

On the way back to the trailhead, we noticed the Environmental Corps members standing in the trail, looking up in a tree. The leader of their group pointed up to the branches. There was a beautiful black bear with her two cubs! We must have been 25-30 feet away. It was pretty exciting. I’ve included a picture of the momma bear here. I’ll check in either later today or tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Being in The Gospel Accordin' To Texas

Last Saturday evening LeRoy and Maggie Nienow held the awards ceremony for for those who participated in the 2008 production of LeRoy's musical The Gospel Accordin' To Texas, with additional music by John Pound. It was a lot of fun, and a relaxing recap to one of the most challenging things I've ever done. In fact, to borrow a line from the musical, "It was the toughest job I ever loved."

Back in the fall of 2007, when I played the role of the Padre in another musical directed by LeRoy, Man of La Mancha, LeRoy asked me to pray about auditioning for the role of Jesus Davidson in GAT. I said "yes." So after Christmas, I began to memorize the lines, not even knowing if I would get the part, since open auditions were to be held in February 2008.

Toward the end of February, maybe early March, LeRoy informed me that I got the part of Jesus. What a privilege and an honor to play the role of God the Son, as if the gospel story had occurred in Texas, circa the 1950s to the present. As I told the other cast members at the awards ceremony, I would have been happy to play any of the roles in this great musical. I had already heard how God had blessed this production in the past, and eagerly anticipated how He would use this present production.

It was held on weekends during the month of June. The stage was the beautiful outdoor venue known as the Emily Ann Theatre in Wimberley, Texas. We had a total of 12 performances, in addition to the Pastor Preview held a week before opening. Record crowds showed up to see GAT. And according to reports, several people left blessed and encouraged. To which I say "Amen." I truly hope and pray that I was able to act/sing in such a way as to draw attention to the real Jesus Christ and His gospel message.

I may never know how many people were blessed and somehow changed by seeing GAT, but I think it definitely had a positive effect on several of us who were in the production itself. I believe we're all better off for having been a part of this mammoth-sized retelling of the gospel message.

I thank God for the opportunity to play His Son, Jesus, as well as for the blessing of friendship with so many in the cast and crew. I'm also thankful for the encouragement received from others during the many hours of rehearsal. I tried to return the encouragement along the way. I'm especially grateful for an understanding wife, and children, who supported me so much during the rehearsals and shows. About 90 folks from my church and several friends from out of town, we're also able to come.

LeRoy is an outstanding director and actor. So it was a privilege to be directed by him. He says that much of the inspiration for GAT came from his having lived in Wimberley for eight years. After Man of La Mancha and The Gospel Accordin' to Texas, I wonder what he might direct next. Whatever it is, folks around here know that it's going to be top-notch! For an extensive slide show of GAT, click here.