GCR Women

I've spent the past few days in Baltimore, Maryland taking part in the Star-Spangled 200th - a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore Harbor and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner.   We've celebrated with tours, food, music and fireworks. As much as we knew, or thought we knew before we arrived, we still learned a lot.  For instance, did you know that the Star-Spangled Banner has four verses?  I may have vaguely realized that there was more than one verse, but I had no idea what the words were to verses two through four. Each is powerful in its own way, with a special message in each.  But verse four is the one that took my breath away.  In case you don't know, here is that magnificent verse: Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace,      may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made      and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we

We just returned from a trip to visit three canyon areas of the American Southwest.  Each was breathtaking in its own particular way.  Looking at each, whether from the canyon's edge or the canyon's floor, we were awestruck at the immensity, variety and beauty of the scenes that stretched out before us.  We speculated at how each was created. We heard what geologists said, but I have trouble with the number of years they claim are involved.  So rather than try to attach an age to the formations, I just marveled at what God had done. Somewhere, at some time, in some way, God caused each hoodoo, each peak, each perilously perched rock to be and look just a certain way.  Over the years, natural forces have indeed played a part in what we see there today but God laid out the ground rules and set it all into motion.  The overall effect of seeing these canyons is awe and for so many people to be visiting them, the reaction is pretty much the same:  "Look!" followed by a