SimplyLife

Lots of animals rely on camouflage for survival. One familiar resident in our yard is the horned lizard. They can be difficult to spot since their skin color is almost exactly the same shade as the dirt. They are perfectly colored for their environment. Predators such as falcons, roadrunners, and snakes must have sharp eyes to spot them before they dart away. People are much the same way.  We work to be unique, but we really want to fit in, not make waves, or stand out. It's about survival, just like the lizard. We don't want to become someone's prey--to be ridiculed, shunned, or passed over for promotion.  The immutable and eternal truth of God's Word is in direct opposition to popular culture's views on morality or right and wrong.  Jesus doesn't lead us to an easy road, where we can become invisible, go along with the crowd, or retreat from the action. We are to be visible--identifiable in the crowd.  "You are the light of the world—like a city o

As I've written before, Cochise County doesn't have a long history of law and order. From the early days of the Apache wars to wild times in Tombstone, there's a healthy supply of interesting tales.  Cattle rustling was one enterprise that the Indians, Mexicans and Americans seemed to enjoy.  The terrain is well-suited because of the multitude of canyons, arroyos, and undefined borders which benefited rustlers.  Black Jack (Photo: Wikipedia) Curly Bill's gang (of the OK Corral shoot out fame) headed an active bunch of rustlers whose most famous exploit was killing a group of Mexican smugglers in Skeleton Canyon. After that awful deed, they proceeded to steal 300 head of cattle in Mexico and jubilantly returned to the Tombstone area with their catch. The Mexican vacqueros pursued the bovine bandits back into the U.S. and recovered the cattle and managed to rustle 200 more head on the way back across the Mexican border.  This only escalated

The high desert spring is in overdrive. Because of some significant winter rains, our area is unusually lush. The roses are especially nice, the first blooms just emerging. I was counting the buds on the bushes along with the red yuccas, excited about the potential of so many blooms all at once. The buds are tightly wrapped cones of color, expanding each day toward the burst of full flower. Montezuma Rose Photo: L. Wallace The roses, iris, yucca, prickly pear, salvias, etc., etc. give everything they have to bloom. It's their crowning achievement and singular task that accomplishes a dual purpose. They produce the beautiful flowers that feed the bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, plus reproduce despite windy, dry weather and pests. And so it should be for us, using the gracious gifts God has given us to build up the body of Christ--the church--our brothers and sisters. These gifts disciple believers and bring others to Jesus. In the church, we need to be