Route 66 – The State of New Mexico

Route 66 – The State of New Mexico

Home of the Wild West, Carlsbad Caverns, Ancient Pueblos, The Santa Fe Trail, and the birthplace of the first atomic weapon, the Dawn of the Nuclear Age….you can find it all in scenic New Mexico. You can also find Route 66 cutting across the state for almost 400 miles, with Tucumcari on the east and Gallup on the west. Today’s Interstate 40 has more or less straightened out the path for travelers, making it a much faster and smoother route, but there are still numerous sights to see along the old Mother Road as you travel through this state of breath taking landscape, including mountain peaks, red rock cliffs, and mesas. Ancient Native American Pueblos are still active today because of the spirit of the American Indians who dwell here.

Native to the state are coyotes, road runners, and red-hot peppers. It’s a very common sight to see red and green chili peppers in strings, draping entryways to homes and restaurants. When you don’t know whether to order your chile salsa in green or red, you just say Christmas, and you get some of both. Hot also describes the many festivals across the state, in the form of Hot Air Balloons. Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta occurs for about ten days the early part of October every year. They say it’s an amazing sight to behold as they lift off in their multi-faceted shapes and colors. It’s the predictable wind patterns that make flying possible and popular.

Santa Fe is the capital to the state of New Mexico, but it became a provincial capital in 1610, long before New Mexico became a state. The historic San Miguel Mission Church dates back that far also, and is still in use. In fact, it is considered to be our nation’s oldest active church. The Santa Fe Trail through here was mostly a trade route from 1821-1880 when the railroad came in and took over the transportation business. Route 66 originally went up through Santa Fe and back down through Albuquerque for the first ten years, up until 1937.

New Mexico is just one of those states you have to visit in order to appreciate the history and beauty of the state. Our son and daughter currently live there and have fallen in love with all the state has to offer, from the gorgeous terrain to the friendly people. So if you haven’t made New Mexico a destination, make plans to do so…even if just passing through on America’s Main Street, Route 66!

Places to Visit:

San Jon

• Several abandoned motels on old route through town

Tucumcari

• Blue Swallow Motel (815 E 66), neon sign arching driveway, still open, made from surplus WWII cabins in 1940s
• Downtown – depression era theater and large railroad depot, still running
• Teepee Curios – a gas station in 1940
• La Cita – sombrero-shaped Mexican restaurant, dazzling to the eye
• Tucumcari Mountain Cheese Factory (823 E Main St), hosed in old Coca-Cola Bottling Plant
• Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum (211 E Laughlin St), largest collection of life sized bronze skeletons in the world)
• Tucumcari Historical Museum (416 S Adams) housed in 1903 schoolhouse
• Gas stations decorated with murals, Lowe’s grocery
• Route 66 Sculpture near Convention Center, west side of town

Santa Rosa

• Route 66 Auto Museum (2866 Will Rogers Dr, east of town), yellow car atop a pole

Alameda

• Giant Alert – (4^th and Marble, north of Lomas) 18’ tall “Madonna of the Trail” monument, 1928, dedicated to pioneer mothers

Flying C Ranch

• Ext 234 – food, fuel, lodging, entertainment, called Bowlins Running Indian sign

Clines Corners

• Biggest gift shop in the area

Moriarty

• Whiting Bros gas station still open, yellow and red WB sign, began in 1917
• Pinto Bean Capital – festival every fall

NM Hwy 14

• Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway (side trip from Tijeras), runs northward to Santa Fe

Santa Fe

• New Mexico State Capital (Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta), free
• San Miguel Mission Church (401 Santa Fe Trail), built in 1610, nation’s oldest continuously active church, open daily 9-5, $1; see bell which was cast in Spain in 1356 and brought here in early 1800’s
• El Rey Inn (1862 Cerrillos) 4.5 acre mini-village with southwestern atmosphere
• Loretto Chapel “miraculous staircase”

Cerillos

• stereotypical Old West Town
• Casa Grande Trading Post houses Turquoise Mining Museum and petting zoo

Albuquerque

• Founded in 1706 as a Spanish colonial outpost and farming community
• International Balloon Fiesta – first half of October
• Central Avenue is the historic Route 66ABQ Biopark Aquarium and Botanic Garden (2601 Central Ave NW), 9-5 daily $7/$3 (combine with Zoo $12/$5)
• ABW Biopark Zoo (903 10^th St), 9-5 daily, price as above
• Old Town (.5 mi s of I-40 exit 157A via Rio Grande Blvd) Villa De Albuquerque, founded in 1706, Spanish plaza with over 130 shops, including American Int’l Rattlesnake Museum
• Turquoise Museum (2107 Central Ave NW), enter through mock mine
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (1801 Mountain Rd, NW), includes full scale dinosaur models, Ice Age cave, walk-through volcano, saltwater aquarium
• Giant Alert – “lumberjack” on May Café sign (s of 66 at Louisiana Blvd)
• State Fair Grounds (Central Ave), sight of Int’l Balloon Fiesta in Oct
• Aztec Motel (3821 Central) – 1931, funkydelic exterior and neo sign
• Route 66 Diner (1405 Central NE) – roadside Americana décor
• KiMo Theatre (423 Central), 1927, ‘Pueblo Deco”
• Westward Ho Motel (7500 Central) Saguara Cactus neon sign
• Giant Alert – Giant Roadrunner (between Blake and Ferris Sts south of Valdora St)

Laguna

• Pullout from I-40 south of town, excellent view

Milan

• fill up your tank, lots of 66 remnants of old motels, trading posts west side of old 66

Thoreau

• Continental Divide – divides separating the water drainage to the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico

Gallup

• Panorama of colorful rock cliffs and spires
• Neon mural on Chamber of Commerce Bldg on BL 40

Devotional Blog – February 27 – March 4, 2012

The Word for You Today

1. “Put Your Foot Down!”

· Be strong and of good courage…” (Joshua 10:25)

· Do not live according to your five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching), but live by faith…and victory is yours

2. “You Are a Translator”

• Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. (John 5:19)
• You represent Jesus, who represents His Father…act like it!
• To experience intimacy with the Father:

· Arise in the predawn hours to pray

· Talk with the Father throughout the night when you cannot sleep

· Turn from the demands and expectations of the world around you, and make sure you are on God’s agenda for your life

· Only spending time in God’s presence brings about the intimate relationship with Him that you desire and need to be a powerful witness to others

3. “At Home in God’s Presence”

• Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! (Psalm 90:1)

4. “Mighty Men and Women of God”

• You must have balance…you have the gifts of the Spirit, which give you skills, and fruit of the Spirit, which give you Christ-like qualities. You need a balance of each to get the work accomplished which God has given you to do.
• You must understand the situation and follow God’s leading, receiving His wisdom, not the wisdom of men.

Sparking Gems

1. Ephesians 2:2

· You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

· You once walked around trapped and stuck in a rut, being shaped by the society in which you lived.

· Then Christ redeemed you and you became a child of God, and were set free from the past, and had a purpose to live.

· It is your responsibility now to share the good news with others who are trapped, for the truth can set them free.

2. Galatians 3:13

• But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
• The death of Jesus on the cross bought our redemption and set us free
• “rescued” – redeemed, purchased out of the slave market to be set free, released forever from captivity.
• The death of Christ paid the penalty of our sin, and also set us free from living under the curse of sin.
• The whole purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to go through His gruesome death to set sinners free…what a sacrifice of love!
• Jesus not only bought us, He gave us a place in His family.
• Choose to walk in the knowledge you are set free from sin, and follow the example of Jesus, your Redeemer.

3. James 4:4

• You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
• “friend” – close friends, fondness, deep affection, a relationship that carries responsibilities
• To be a friend of the world means there is a fondness for it, a sense of obligation to it…the deep affection for God has been transferred back to things of the world – backsliding.
• “enemy” – an opponent, one you hate
• When a believer transfers his allegiance from God back to things of the world, God feels rejected and betrayed, much as a spouse feels when his mate has an affair.
• You cannot love God and the world because God is holy and will not be corrupted with worldly affections.
• Because Jesus has saved me, delivered me, and changed me, I no longer desire to flirt with the world—I only want to serve Jesus.

4. Ephesians 6:10

• A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
• “be strong” – the supernatural power is found only in the Lord, in an intimate relationship with Him
• We are to be “in Jesus”…habitually in His presence, a spiritual residence.
• We are “in” Jesus and so is His power – so we are constantly living with this power of the Holy Spirit, and we can be constantly filled with this power
• By faith we must open our hearts to God’s power and allow it to be released within us

5. 2 Corinthians 2:11

• …so that satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
• “outsmart” – to trick, use sneaky ways
• satan wants to control us and destroy us, so he sets traps for us
• “schemes” – devices, plotting, demonic attacks
• Allow the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you so you are aware when you are under satanic attack and will call upon God to deliver you, to defeat the enemy

6. I Corinthians 1:5-6

• Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true.
• “enrich” – to have an abundance of resources
• “by” Him – we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, with all the promises of God, when we accept Jesus into our hearts -- the Kingdom of God belongs to us!
• We are continually blessed by God as we remain in Him…spiritual blessings, wealth, the kind of riches that lasts, the kind of riches that will benefit others
• God has given us knowledge, wisdom, discernment, and continues to increase them as we walk with Him.
• We have the riches of Heaven awaiting us.
• We are enriched with God’s presence in our lives.
• Allow the Spiritual gifts and fruits to work through you for the benefit of God’s kingdom.

7. Hebrews 6:12

· Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.

· "spiritually dull” – sluggish, no drive or passion, lost zeal, lost enthusiasm, stuck in neutral and going no where

· Seek to renew your passion and keep the fire burning.

Route 66 - The State of Texas

Route 66 – The State of Texas

As everyone knows, things are bigger in Texas. Texas itself is the largest state of the 48 connected states. Its land covers more territory than the combination of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and all of New England. Yet, despite it’s size, and its reputation of having the largest of whatever, when it comes to Route 66, it’s second in line to Kansas (which had 13 miles of Route 66). Going west from Texola, Oklahoma, across the Panhandle to Glenrio, Texas, the Mother Road only covers about 178 miles. Those miles are rough miles in many places. Texas has a lot of Route 66 that are dirt roads, not recommended for travel, especially in the rainy season.

The Texas terrain across the Panhandle is mostly flat land and agricultural. To break up the monotony there are plenty of grain elevators, water towers, windmills, and the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. A game for the travelers going along for the ride…divide the teams between the south and the north of the highway, and see who can count the most windmills.

Here are a few things Texas is noted for:

• Armadillos, scorpions, spiders, and rattle snakes. (Oh, yes! Let’s hurry up and get on down there and stay a while!!)
• It is the state of the nation that produces the most oil. Oil was discovered in 1901 near Beaumont, Texas.
• Texas has a highly Hispanic culture, in that about one fourth of the population in the state is Hispanic.
• The pickup truck is the vehicle of choice by a majority of Texans.
• Galveston, Texas, had the deadliest tornado in the history of the United States. In 1900 over 6,000 people lost their lives in the wicked storm.
• Houston is the home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which opened in 1962. Houston is also known for the largest bankruptcy in the history of our nation, that of Enron in 2001.
• Two presidents are connected with Texas. George W. Bush, the former governor of Texas, was elected for two terms, 2001-2009. President John F. Kennedy, one of our nation’s most popular presidents, met his untimely death by an assassin in 1963, a year before he completed his first term.
• Amarillo, Texas, is the Helium Capital of the World, about 90% of the world’s supply is produced here.

There’s a lot to see and do in the state of Texas, and the Panhandle is just one small portion of the Lone Star State. I’ve added a list of places to checkout as we roll through this territory. New Mexico lies just ahead, current home of our oldest son and his wife. At least we’ll have some guides in that part of country!!

Places to Visit:

Shamrock

• U Drop Inn (Route 66 and 83), center of town Art Deco masterpiece, dating from 1936, lots of neon tubing, spectacular at night
• Water tower, the tallest in the state of this type

McLean

• Phillips 66 Station, classic tiny cottage-style, has been restored (First and Gray)
• Giant Alert – Route 66 Exhibit has a giant cobra and a bug bull, gift shop
• Trivia question: What is Devil’s Rope (see the Devil’s Rope Museum – Route 66 and Kingsley St)? And what are the 2 huge balls on display on the museum made from? T-F, 10-4, donations, 806-779-2225

Alanreed

• Eastbound I-40 – “Donley County Texas Route 66 Safety Rest Area” – Art Deco style and neon signs, exhibits, travel info, TORNADO SHELTER, playground, Route 66 History Walk – sidewalks are mini highways leading past brass historic info plaques (double back at Exit 128 if going west)

Groom

• Leaning Water Tower, first Groom exit off I-40, built that way on purpose to generate discussion
• Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the largest in the western hemisphere, 190’ tall (19 stories), built in 1995, south of I-40 at exit 112 on Hwy 295, has complex with “Stations of the Cross”; cross can be seen up to 20 miles away; 24 hours, donations
• Lots of gas stations, cafes and motels from the roadside past

Conway

• Bug Ranch, a spoof of the famous Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, consists of VW Beetles buried nose-first in the earth, (exit 96 of I-40)

Amarillo

• Cadillac Ranch, built in 1974, in field along side of I-40, where Route 66 used to be (between exits 60-62)
• Big Texan Steak Ranch, along I-40 (north side west of Lakeside exit), serves 72 ounce steak free if you can eat it in an hour, live rattlesnakes in display case
• American Quarter Horse Assn Heritage Center and Museum, world’s largest horse breed registry, here since the 1940’s
• Madame Queen, “Texas Type” Baldwin locomotive, dating from 1930 (E. Second and S. Lincoln near downtown)
• Historic Route 66 One Mile shopping along SW 6^th Ave west of downtown

Canyon

• South of Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon, bright red cliffs cut by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River, 12 miles e on SR217, $5
• West of town, Tex Randall…giant cowboy statue built in 1959, 47’ high and seven tons in weight

Vega

• Midpoint of Route 66, according to some, to others it is Adrian, further west
• 1920’s Magnolia Gas Station near courthouse, W Main at 12th

Adrian

• Midpoint of Route 66, according to some, Midpoint Café, has slogan “When you are here, you are halfway there”, has gift shop and good food and great hospitality

February 20-26, 2012 Devotional Highlights

“The Word for You Today”

1. “Handling Criticism Constructively”

• A wise person stays calm when insulted. (Prov. 12:16)
• An angry response triggers emotional reactions, so try to listen for something you might need to learn
• Humiliating words should be rejected, but humbling words have a godly purpose, so look for the nugget of truth, and grow wiser
• If your conscience is clear, leave the criticism with God
• If your faith is the reason you are criticized, then be glad, for God is pleased with you
• If you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. (Prov 15:32)
• Before you criticize, check your motive…is it to honestly help the other, or to look good and have all the answers, satisfying your own ego
• Do not criticize if you are being judgmental or blaming someone
• Provide a remedy, offer a solution, and then let God nurture it
• Only speak the truth in a loving manner

2. “Keep Running”

• Let us run…the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)
• Jesus endured temptation (40 days of it), accusation, rejection, and shame (on the cross) all for our benefit, so that we too could live in heaven some day
• He finished the race because of the joy set before Him, and we can too…just keep running, and never give up

3. “Be Careful What You Advise!”

• He who heeds counsel is wise. (Prov 12:15)

4. “Your Bible – Read It Every Day”

• The Word of the Lord stands forever. (I Peter 1:25)
• The Bible is the key to your heart and happiness
• Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Mt 24:35)
• The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. (Is 40:8)

Sparkling Gems

John 16:8

• And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
• Sin hardens the heart, deadens the spirit, and kills the feeling
• The Holy Spirit exposes sin, showing evident of what is wrong, and brings about conviction of the sinner’s guilt and need for God
• We in ourselves cannot convince anyone of their sin, their need for God…only the Holy Spirit can do that
• Pray that the Holy Spirit goes before you to expose the truth to the sinner before you try to witness
• I want to please God and I want His Holy Spirit’s presence to live inside me, for I want always to be sensitive to His leading

2 Corinthians 10:4

• We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
• “weapons” – strategically planned, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit to defeat the devil
• “worldly weapons” – carnal, natural, of the flesh/human effort…not of God
• The divinely inspired strategy only comes as you spend time seeking God through prayer and His Word
• Sometimes God’s strategies seem strange, but they win every time
• God’s ways are higher than ours, and He knows what we do not know, so we must trust Him and obey/follow His leading through the Holy Spirit

Hebrews 4:12

• For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
• The Word of God penetrates deeply
• When we speak forth what God has said to us, it becomes a “two-edged sword”…out of two mouths: God’s and ours
• Meditate on the Word and when you most need that weapon, the Holy Spirit will remind you of the powerful, penetrating Word of God

2 Corinthians 13:14

• May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
• “fellowship” – partnership
• Daily communicate with the Holy One and He will be your partner, your Source of power and wisdom

Hebrews 12:1

• Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
• “strip off” – push far from us…wrong attitudes and actions must be removed from our lives by the decision to change
• “weight” – something that hinders us from running the race as we should
• We must choose to remove those things from our lives that hold us back from totally pleasing God
• If you don’t get rid of habits and attitudes that hinder your daily walk, eventually you will be out of the race of faith…you will lose
• Allow nothing in your life that hinders your ability to please God by knowing and doing His will

I Corinthians 6:19-20

• Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
• “temple” – a highly decorated shrine
• When we become a Christian, our heart becomes a dwelling place, a temple, for God to dwell in through His Holy Spirit…we become a magnificent dwelling place where God is honored
• We become adorned with the fruit of the Spirit as God graciously remakes us from the inside out
• Inwardly we are a beautiful magnificent temple where God chooses to live, so outwardly we must portray that beauty to others
• My heart is God’s home where His presence dwells daily…not a hotel where He visits now and then
• I must honor God’s presence in me by doing the things that bring Him pleasure and joy

Ephesians 6:18

• Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
• You cannot be effective in your Christina walk without prayer
• Victory will always be yours if you will make prayer a priority
• Prayer, time spent with God, will refresh your spirit and give you wisdom to know God’s desires

Route 66 - The State of Oklahoma

Route 66 – The State of Oklahoma

When you are thinking “Cowboys and Indians”, the state of Oklahoma should come to your mind. Beginning in 1830 many Indian tribes were forced to leave their land in the southeastern United States and march westward to a newly created Indian Territory, later to become Oklahoma. The route was named The Trail of Tears, stemming from the government induced relocation which was responsible for the death of approximately one fourth of the natives as they fought hunger, weather elements, and weariness on their route. Today there are over 32 tribes across the state, one of the largest Indian populations in the United States. The Chisholm Trail, running through Oklahoma, is the route the cowboys drove their herds of cattle from Texas to Kansas to be shipped east on railroad cars. Cowboys and Indians crisscrossed this state and left their mark. This truly is the Great American West.

Nicknamed The Sooner State, Oklahoma boasts of 400 miles of Route 66, from the small town of Quapaw on the northeast corner of the state to the ghost town of Texola, on the southwest corner. This is where the southwesterly direction of Route 66 ends, and as it enters Texas the route goes west until it reaches the coast of California. From Chicago to Los Angeles, the route also became known as The Mother Road, and Main Street of America, passing through the heart of our great nation. This state can boast of having more authentic Route 66 stretches than any of the other seven states who host this historical stretch of road.

Cyrus Avery, a former highway commissioner for the state of Oklahoma, was the one chosen by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads to develop and connect roads from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean in one continuous route. November 11, 1926 this roadway was given an official national designation of “Route 66”. Cyrus was an Oklahoma boy who made sure this historic road came down and across his state, hoping the many travelers would benefit his home territory. The route was officially completed and named in 1926, but it wasn’t until 1937 that the portion which crossed through Oklahoma was all paved in Portland Concrete. It was the main thoroughfare until 1953 when the Turner turnpike, the express route between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, was completed and became the first major highway to bypass the Mother Road, Route 66.

The 1930’s were dust bowl years of depression and dry, barren land when many from Oklahoma left the area to head to California’s fertile valleys to look for a better life. It was this hardship that inspired John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath. There is a web site that carries news about Route 66 (http://route66news.com/), and it mentions a video worth watching…a commentary on Steinbeck and his novel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xDL5T8IuMvw&noredirect=1

The two largest cities in Oklahoma are Oklahoma City (OKC) and Tulsa. OKC is where the first automatic parking meter was put to use, 1935, and in 1937 the shopping cart was invented. In 1906 on the southwestern corner of OKC the village of Bethany was established by members of the Church of the Nazarene. Today Bethany’s Nazarene college is called Southern Nazarene University. Tulsa, the second largest city, was once known as the Oil Capital of the world.

Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907, and Oklahoma City became the capital in 1910. The capital building was different from other capitals because it did not have a dome. One was finally constructed in 2002. In 1928 oil was struck, and the grounds of the state capitol had 24 pumping oil wells. It was in this capital city that tragedy struck in 1995. The Federal Building was taken down by a bombing, and 168 people lost their lives that day. Today a beautiful National Memorial is in it’s place, with 168 chairs designed to reflect in a nearby pool, representing each of those lives lost. It’s an awesome memorial. When they were trying to decide what to build, a little boy suggested chairs be placed on the grounds so that when he missed his mommy, who died in the bombing, he could climb up into the chair, and pretend he was climbing into her lap. His suggestion is the one that was chosen.

Famous people who were born in Oklahoma include Cyrus Avery (“founder” of Route 66), Mickey Mantle (baseball giant), Garth Brooks and Roger Miller (country music stars), and Will Rogers (humorist), to name a few. There are many interesting places to visit as one crosses the state, and your emotions will be touched by the nostalgia, the history, the adventure, and the tragedies this state represents.

Note: On the news web site http://route66news.com/ it tells about a new musical group, called “Pipes and Sticks”, which is just starting up. This group of Scottish-style musicians is planning performances in major cities along Route 66, with a documentary being made. For more information, visit this web site:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1600594186/pipes-and-sticks-on-route-66?ref=live

Route 66 - The State of Missouri (and 13 miles of Kansas)

Route 66 – The State of Missouri

(and 13 miles of Kansas)

The Show Me State of Missouri is where the Western Expansion began. Trails like the Oregon Trail, the Overland California Trail and the Santa Fe Trail all began on the river banks of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Lewis and Clark started on their exploration of the western territory in 1804 from St. Charles, just northwest of St. Louis, and ended at the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. St. Charles was the first Capitol of Missouri, but the governmental offices were moved to Jefferson City in 1826.

Even though Route 66 originally came across the Mississippi River in the center of St. Louis, the later route across the river was by the way of the Chain of Rocks Bridge just south of the I-270 bypass route of today. This was to avoid the congestion and the crime of the big city. The Chain of Rocks Bridge opened in 1929 and closed in the late 1960’s. Today it is billed as the “world’s largest bicycle and pedestrian bridge”.

When Route 66 began bypassing the city, it came down Highway 67, Lindbergh Blvd. and the earliest route turned southwest on Watson Road, combining with I-44 today. A later route brought Highway 67 down to Manchester Road and then west. The two routes met and merged in Gray Summit. The historical Mother Road ran 300 miles southwest through the state of Missouri before entering Kansas.

Some history on the area…St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 introduced the ice cream cone. When vendors ran out of bowls in which to serve the ice cream, they started using folded waffles. Because the weather was so stifling, hot tea wasn’t selling, so a vendor starting serving it over ice, and ice tea was born. And the hamburger, which was first served in New Haven, Connecticut, was first mass produced at the 1904 Fair.

The World’s Fair was held on 1,300 acres in Forest Park, then the largest city park in the United States. At one time the giant turtles were part of the park before highway 60/64 sliced through the southern edge of Forest Park. A song was written for the fair, “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis”, but the musical wasn’t produced until 1944, starring Judy Garland. The Spirit of St. Louis was the name of the airplane which Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. A replica of the plane was made by the same company who built the original one, and it was flown by Jimmy Stewart in the movie named after the plane. In 1907 the first gasoline station chain, American Gasoline Company, was started in St. Louis.

There are five blocks of Delmar that has close to 100 names in the sidewalk of famous people from that area: Harry Truman, President, Betty Gribble-pin-up gal, Vincent Price-actor, Chuck Berry-rock n’ roller, Duke Ellington-jazz great, George Washington Carver-a former slave who revolutionalized agriculture, Yogi Berra-baseball giant, to name a few. Also T.S. Elliott, whose writings inspired the musical “Cats”. And don’t forget Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain, who gave us the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the tallest monument in the US, symbolizes the Gateway to the West. It was completed in 1965. The Old Courthouse, nearby, was built in 1839, and was the site of the Dred Scott Case. Mr. Scott is buried in St. Louis at the Calvary Cemetery. A Route 66 icon still going strong today is Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.

One of the well known places to visit is Meramec Caverns. This because famous for three reasons: 1) It was billed as Jesse James’ hideout; 2) It’s logo was painted on over 350 barns across the Midwest; and 3) every visiting vehicle left with a “bumper sticker” on their rear bumper…a new advertising gimmick created by the Dill family, the owners of Meramec Caverns. Missouri is home to more than 5,400 registered caverns.

The Ozark region of Missouri was known as moonshine territory. It’s where the notorious families of the Hatfields and McCoys lived and feuded.

The stretch of Route 66 from Rolla to Springfield was the same road that the exiled Cherokee Indians had to march, being forced out of their homes in Georgia by US troops in 1838. They were sent to Oklahoma. Many died along the way, and the route became known as “The Trail of Tears”.

Springfield is the home of the first drive through hamburger stand, Red Giant’s Hamburg, no longer there; and the original Steak and Shake restaurant, which is still in business. It was started in 1960. Bass Pro Shops Outside World originated from this capital city.

When Route 66 exits Missouri through Joplin, it goes into Kansas and travels for 13 miles prior to entering Oklahoma. Kansas is known as the Sunflower State, and it’s state song is “Home on the Range”. It is considered the central state of the 48 states, the crossroads of historical trails. The Oregon Trail went through Topeka; the Overland California Trail; The Santa Fe Trail; The Chisholm Trail, on which cattle and cowboys travelled from Texas to Abilene; and the Pony Express route which took mail from Missouri to California. This corner of Kansas is mining territory. Leaving Kansas, the Mother Road is now ready to enter into the Great American West as it moves into Oklahoma.

Weekly Devotional Blog – February 13-19, 2012

The Word for You Today

1. "A Heavenly Perspective"

• Great is your reward in heaven. (Luke 6:23)
• God is recording every deed you do for Him
• He not only rewards you in this life, but the greater rewards are waiting for you in heaven
• Everything...your money, your talents, your time...matters into eternity
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2. “What You Truly Stand For”

• Above all else, guard your heart. (Pr 4:23)
• Integrity is the key to earn the respect of others and the position of leadership
• One word, one decision, one action can in a moment’s time destroy what has take years to build…protect your integrity!
• Integrity doesn’t seek recognition and financial gain, but it shows what you truly stand for

3. “By My God I Can”

• By my God I can leap over a wall. (2 Sam 22:30)
• God takes us through storms to develop our faith
• In the midst of our storms, we just need to keep our focus on Jesus, for He will see us safely through

Sparkling Gems

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

• “We now have” – it is ours to keep, it is our possession
• “great treasure” – riches beyond our imagination is placed within us
• Our human body, our earthly body, is where the Holy Spirit resides; our body was chosen by God to place His greatest treasure – the Holy Spirit
• We are the temple of God, and in us He places His Spirit, His character, His fruits, His gifts, His power, and His grace
• We can change our world when we recognize that all we need is within us, give to us, placed there by God…we just need to allow Him to work and speak through us

James 4:5

What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?

• “envy” – extreme desire to have something for our own self
• The Holy Spirit loves us so much, He wants more and more of us…He wants to fill us, consume us
• The Holy Spirit wants all of us…He wants to change us, transform us to be like Jesus
• The Holy Spirit wants to empower us to follow after God’s will for our lives
• We must surrender to the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit so we might feel His presence in our lives

2 Corinthians 10:3

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.

• “human” – our lives are basically lived and carried out in the fleshly/earthly realm – the physical realm
• Spiritual battles cannot be fought or conquered through our physical abilities; we must have spiritual weapons, supernatural assistance of God’s Holy Spirit
• Though we have limitations in the flesh, we can be giants in the spiritual realm, clothed in the complete armor of God…and we are victors every time in that realm
• We need to keep our bodies in good physical shape, but our key focus needs to be strengthened in our spirit to overcome satan’s attacks

I Thessalonians 5:19

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

• “stifle” – quench, put out, suppress, extinguish, dry up
• If we ignore the leading of the Spirit too long, eventually we won’t be able to hear Him
• You hinder God’s plan for you when you don’t allow Him to use you
• Instead of dousing the flames of the Spirit with water to quiet Him, respond in obedience so that He might burn brighter through your life
• We must trust the Holy Spirit, for He will never harm us nor let us down
• When you are free to follow the Holy Spirit, you will be used to set others free
• Choose to obey, step out in faith, watch His power work through you

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

• “Surrounded by a huge crowd” – like the grandstands in a stadium, we are surrounded by Heaven’s Saints, cheering us on…we can make it!!
• Those bleachers are full of people who have gone on before us and defeated the foe…they won, and we can also if we allow our faith to be strengthened by their examples

I Corinthians 1:27

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

• The church is often viewed by the world as foolish, weak, irrelevant because satan has chosen means to present the church in that light. In reality, satan knows the power and authority the church possesses, and he is afraid of it…so he tries to make fun of the church
• “shame” – confound, confuse, frustrate
• “powerful” – people with political power
• You are called by God and filled with His Spirit to be used by Him for His glory

Hebrews 11:6

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

• Our success depends on our determination to achieve a goal, no matter what it takes
• We must have an attitude of deep commitment to our goal
• “sincerely seek” – to be diligent, to be passionate and zealous, determined in our search
• You must give your full attention to God’s leading in your life, immersing yourself in prayer and meditation
• Be constant in your commitment
• Increase your faith, lean on God’s divine assistance