Getaways

The lazy, hazy days of summer are gone and we're into our structured September. Though there's something sad about saying goodbye to summer, it's good to get back into harness. School does that to families.

Now might be the time to plan a mental/spiritual health day for yourself--a day where you restore your energies and focus on the priorities in your life. A day where you seek God's direction or wisdom.

In Phoenix, there are two very nice retreat centers which offer beautiful natural settings for just such a day:

• Franciscan Renewal Center
• Canaan in the Desert

Now that the weather promises to cool a bit (in Arizona), we finally can engage in some outdoor activities. Arizona friends: consider taking a half a day to visit one of these centers. If you're not in Phoenix, find a beautiful park in your area.

Once a year I walk through the prayer garden at Canaan in the Desert and feel a sense of renewal as I'm led through the events of Jesus' death and resurrection. It's a moving yet uplifting experience.

Closer to home, is the prayer hill at Christ's Church of the Valley--my home church. It's an easy walk up a trail that is marked with stations of the Lord's Prayer. Atop the hill is a cross and an opened tomb.

A word of caution:  Arizona is home to lots of creepy crawlies, some deadly. Stay on the trails or in the open--keep your eyes open when praying!


(From the devotional, Live Your Highlights.)