Desert Road

I love roads. Road trips, runways, brick paths, sandy dunes. Those chosen paths. Sometimes roads are filled with joy and sometimes with sadness. Roads and all of the analogies that involve them fascinate me, they are the inspiration for my blog. The Bible is filled about the roads that people took. The path that led Moses to the burning bush, the garden of Gethsemane, the road to Golgotha, the path were Jesus (then resurrected) spoke with the travelers....
They can lead to wonderful places, if the right one is chosen. Unfortunately sometimes the right roads are the hardest roads. Jesus reminded us that narrow is the road that leads to life (Matt 7).

A road I have become familiar with lately is the desert road. And I am grateful for it. In the desert I have met with Jesus, and my husband, in beautiful and vulnerable ways. there has been tears. there has been pain. but beauty.

the beauty surprised me. I forgot that in seemingly barren places, a beautiful character exists.

When I first moved to Arizona from New Zealand I went into shock with all of the brown.
Brown dirt, brown plants, brown rocks, brown houses. I was used to the ocean, mountains and rolling green hills.
And then, I was mesmerized. The rock formations and the endless desert were fascinating. They invited and challenged. They inspired.







I think in some way my time in Arizona prepared me for our time in the Midwest. During the times of solitude, quiet and loneliness I was able to find inspiration, creativity and peace. I didn't fear the expanse like I used to.

Recently I read this blessing from a book about desert women in the Bible, and it spoke to me.

"May you know the presence
of those who have passed
through the desert before you.
May they point the way
toward freedom
and sustain you
with their stories.
In the wilderness
may there be wellsprings.
May there be wings."

{On this desert road I have found wellsprings}


My husband
My family
Henri Nouewen
Quiet times at Starbucks (ironic, I know)
walks in the park
learning to play tennis
decorating my home
making a home
skype dates with kiwis
pillow talk
deeper understanding
new dreams
completion of dreams
new friends


{I have found wings}

My job as an RN
completeing my education
being a wife, companion and lover
volunteering at the clinic



{Just like a flower can bloom in the desert, among thorns. so can I}



This is a memory of my most favorite dates with Noah, in 2009 when we first got together. We had a magical day in the desert, picking wild apples in the rain, hiking among ancient Indian ruins, eating gormuet pizza, enjoying a picnic with all my favorites amongst the beautiful red rocks, and enjoying discovering all of the new things about eachother. I will treasure it always.