The theme for the Grandparent/Grandchild Day that we did yesterday was all about "keeping it between the lines". As is our tradition, (and not just because our theme was "keeping it between the lines"), when we first got into the automobile, we gripped our steering wheels (real or imaginary) with both hands, and voiced this prayer: "Lord, please STEER us in YOUR path (based on Psalm 25:4), and put a HEDGE of protection around us (based on Job 1:10). Then we headed for Terra Studio, http://www.terrastudios.com/, which was a few miles east of Fayetteville. It was there that we found the bark-covered trail, through an enchanted forest, that led us to our first labyrinth. I explained in the earlier blog called "Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm", how a labyrinth is different from a maze. The labyrinth at Terra uses upright flagstones, firmly planted into the ground, to mark the curving lines of their labyrinth. We were fortunate to have a Channel 5 TV news reporter, and a Terra Studios associate, come by while we were walking through the labyrinth. With their help, I have the photos shown in this collage.
The next labyrinth is shown in the second photo collage, and it is located in the Fellowship Hall area of St. Paul's Episcopal Church (http://www.stpaulsfay.com/). The lady who oversees the use of the labyrinth there is Mary Miller and she was kind enough to take the lower left photo of all three of us, before we started . We learned from Mary that there is no right or wrong way to get through a labyrinth, and she gave us a print out on how to make the most effective use of a labyrinth for prayer and meditation purposes. She also told us about the prayer labyrinth at Washington Regional Medical Center. I was glad she did because the WRMC labyrinth had not been listed in the national register for such devices, http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/ The outdoor labyrinth at Washington Regional Medical Center (http://www.wregional.com/.) is located in a beautiful area of their campus near the bike path, pond, and footbridge. This third photo collage shows us in one of their numerous park benches surrounding the area, as well as photos of Jacob and Kaitlyn walking the outside edges of the labyrinth, plus a shot of them in the center, after they had completed the many "crooks and turns" surrounding the center.
The fourth photo collage of this post shows our last stop on the tour, and it was at Fast Lane in Lowell, Arkansas (http://www.fastlanebowl.com/). We had a great time bowling, and Kaitlyn even landed a strike! I was glad Kaitlyn noticed that some of the bowling lines had little "guard rails" on either side of the wooden lane that the ball rolls on. After she checked with the employee there, she found out that children under age 10 could request that the "guard rails" be raised when it was their turn to bowl. This was done, so that anytime it was Jacob's turn to bowl, the guard rails would automatically come up. His score definitely went up after the addition of the guard rails. It was a good visual aid for me about the importance of guard rails or "boundaries" for youngsters, to keep them on the right path, while they are acquiring the wisdom and experience to continue on with their life. In this collage, both Kaitlyn and Jacob are shown as they make their bowling balls hurl toward the pins, and the photo of "grandma" bowling is intentionally blurred, as the side being photographed during bowling is not a pretty sight in my case! Although it is not pictured here, being with the grandkids at Fast Lane, enabled me to participate in my first-ever game of lazer tag. That was great fun, as was trying to stay in the proper lane, and at the proper speed, when we rode around on the indoor go-cart track. All in all, it was a most enjoyable day of trying to "stay between the lines" with two totally awesome grandkids, named Kaitlyn and Jacob, who are definitely headed down the right path in their young life. Miles of smiles! Tricia
EDITOR'S NOTE: Since I published this article, I read more about labyrinths in a publication called Christian Retreats, where this verse from Psalm 16:11 in The Message paraphrase was quoted, which says, "Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way." The article also listed another website with the address of www.labyrinthlocator.com that gives additional resources for persons interested in labyrinths.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Since I published this article, I read more about labyrinths in a publication called Christian Retreats, where this verse from Psalm 16:11 in The Message paraphrase was quoted, which says, "Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way." The article also listed another website with the address of www.labyrinthlocator.com that gives additional resources for persons interested in labyrinths.
