Over Mountains, Through Canyons...

With his permission, I'm publishing a composition assignment written by Screwloose. Of course, I had to twist his arm to write it but I'm happy with the finished product. :-) I offer it because I'm proud of him ( ;-)) but also because I hope it brings encouragemnt to those who are looking forward to their homeschooled kids' jr. high and high school years.

Screwloose is nearly 16 (!) and is in the 10th grade. He's taking advanced composition through The Potter's School this year.

BTW, the paper has since been graded and only got an 82%

Over Mountains, Through Canyons
In the beginning, God created the universe to reflect His majesty and Man to enjoy this magnificent macrocosm. I thank God with my entire being for His incredible gift to me of the privilege to worship His greatness, adoring Him through His works of creation. Throughout my life, He has given me munificent opportunities to observe various pieces of His world from an always different perspective as I mature. Among these occasions I can name visits to Lake Tahoe, vacations to Oregon, excursions to Sedona, Arizona, and countless drives through diverse wildernesses. This summer, God blessed me yet again with a journey across the American West.

Bryce Canyon awaited my family and me after a long drive over the barren Mojave Desert, past the fabulous Las Vegas, rising to the elevation of southwestern Utah, and through the illustrious Zion National Park in its grandeur. Lead into the park by a thin road, we observed a radiantly blue sky, crimson cliffs, and the verdure of an evergreen forest in early summer. Upon entrance, we parked at Sunrise Point at 8,073 feet to survey the grandiose canyon with Boat Mesa, Sinking Ship, and the myriad of hoodoos jutting from the canyon floor. Nightfall arrived a few hours later with a much different perspective from Sunset Point. In the early morning, we made an early hike back to Sunset Point to watch the scintillating sun patiently ascend to its place in the sky, illuminating the canyon in countless variations.

Departing from our overnight stay in Bryce Canyon, my family and I set off in our minivan northeast across the badlands of southeastern Utah, between the colossal snowy granite mountains of western Colorado, and past railroad tracks following the gorgeous Colorado River through splendidly beautiful forested hills. Vail, Colorado provided us with a comfortable home for the 4 days before our drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. We entered the park from the southern end and drove along the main road which led us north into the highest area, then east through the bulk of the park and out the east exit. Our first stop, or the first with a sign, gave us a perspective, looking west, on a group of mountains aligned north-to-south all named after clouds. After stopping at this turnoff, we drove further north past the main east turns to the highest point on the road at 12,090 feet elevation.

I felt acclimatized, energized, and touched by the majesty of God through His creation. Recollecting my treasured memories of the odyssey, I imagined the trials faced by the fortitudinous men and women who, without modern technology, endured the struggles of the rugged, wild, daunting American West. Yet what intrigued me most was the escapade on which those trailblazers had the privilege to embark, along with the chronicles they could give of their challenges and success. God carried out his plan of opening the West to Americans from the East through those heroes. Perhaps He envisages an important frontier in my future.



Yes, Son, I do think that God has something special planned for your future!

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