Friday Night in Sedona

Penny and I just got back from the Molstead's home. This is a very nice couple who is serving as educational superintendents in Nevada and Utah. Beyond that, they are very gracious hosts. We find ourselves in beautiful Sedona on a Friday night-- Sabbath Eve. If you have never been to Sedona, you probably need to put it on your list of places to visit at least once in your lifetime. It is only a mere 6-7 hours out of Southern California. It's worth it. I discovered a beautiful new side of Arizona. I always knew about the Grand Canyon, but Sedona is another level of beauty. The red rock formations take your breath away. You can probably see them in pictures on the Internet or in some book, but the pictures cannot do justice to the imagery.
We are in Sedona for a Superintendent's retreat. It a chance to re-charge before the beginning of a new school year and to network with people that are engaged in a similar ministry. It has been a very enjoyable time. Penny spent the lion's share of the day shopping. She was not a happy camper, but she spent lots of money to show her disdain-- go figure.
I, on the other hand, spent the same time chasing a small white sphere around a golf course in the city of Cornwell-- with rented clubs! How I came to Sedona without golf clubs knowing that I was going to golf with Superintendents from all over the Pacific Union is hard to fathom. The situation becomes more untenable when you consider that I had even borrowed a set of clubs from my son Ruben to use on this momentous occasion. They remained in the middle of the living room space of our small duplex back on the campus of Thunderbird Academy. This after I went through the proverbial third degree from my son for loading the entire set of clubs, which I understood he was tossing out to the curb in order to justify buying himself another set. But I digress. He clarified that he had intended to only gift me the set of irons, not the woods (which are made of metal, mind you), and certainly not the golf bag and all the accessories therein (a snooty lawyer term). I had intended to bring the entire set back after using it for a day of relaxation in Sedona....but enough of that. He let me take his babies to Arizona, where I placed them in the middle of the living room, so as not to forget them, which I promptly did on Friday when I left Scottsdale.
Golf, as life, can be cruel. But it's the people you spend the time with that make the miseries less intolerable, and often comparatively insignificant. I got a chance to golf with Robert, Ruben, Jr., and Ruben III last week. It was an unforgettable day which reminded me that I am blessed to have the privilege of spending a day with the Escalante boys spanning two generations after me.
Every day is a gift. I am reminded not to focus on the events that may mar an otherwise beautiful gift called life. Life-- it's worth living. Yes, Arizona, like life may appear to be, is largely a large expanse of desert, but there are the Sedonas that remind you that there is beauty to be found most everywhere if you are willing to look for it. Happy Sabbath!