On the Road to Discovery

On the Road to Discovery

(My husband, Eric, and I standing in front of an oasis.)

At the end of June when my husband, Eric, daughter, Catherine, and I were on our westward drive to California, we veered off the main road to see the Joshua Trees at the Joshua Tree National Park. We arrived at the southern end of the park near dusk but were determined to see the unusual trees. After traveling several miles of windy roads over very parched land, we came to some interesting sites including a desert oasis and a grove of cacti. After many more miles of wandering in the wilderness, though, we never located even one Joshua tree.

JoshuaTree

It wasn’t until late that night, while my husband was driving and we were searching for a motel to stay in for the night, I read on the map about the town called Joshua Tree near the northwestern park of the national park. As I read more, I discovered the Joshua trees are only located in the northern part of the park. There are actually two desert climates which exist in the park. We had spent hours of our time that day searching for the trees not realizing at the time we had been looking in the wrong location.

Before going to sleep that night, I thought about how many people are searching for things which will bring them pleasure, fulfillment, and security. They may spend a lifetime looking only to realize at the end they had been looking in the wrong places.

I’m thankful, when we start to go down the wrong path of life, God gives us an opportunity to make a U-turn. He loves us so much, He has prepared the true roadmap to our happiness. When we read and trust His spoken and written words, and follow His directions, we discover amazing truths and experience the adventure of life as it is meant to be.

Happy discovering!

Fun Facts about Joshua Trees

Fun Facts about Joshua Trees

(This is my daughter, Catherine, who traveled with us to see the Joshua Trees at the national park.)

Boys and Girls,

In my last blog post, I challenged you to discover the name of the place in the photo I posted. (Click here to read the last blog post). It’s okay if you didn’t get a chance to discover the answer.

I took the photo at the end of June when I traveled through several western states on a journey to the coast of California. The tree in the photo is a Joshua tree.

See if you can find on a map of the United States what the name of the place is. A good reference book to use is an atlas. If you don’t know what an atlas is, ask someone.

Hint: The place in the picture was taken in a national park. Which national park has the right climate for Joshua trees to grow?

Fun Facts about Joshua Trees

  • The Joshua Tree isn’t actually a tree – it’s a species of Yucca
  • It grows in the Mojave Desert area
  • The National Park where you can find Joshua Trees is divided into 2 types of deserts
  • The Joshua Tree cannot be found in the Colorado Desert part of the park

Did you know on August 25, 2016, it’s the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service?

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