https://cowellma.com/2015/05/07/a-new-season-and-new-experiences/2015-05-09T18:01:58+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2015/02/11/life-in-the-new-year/2015-02-12T20:19:11+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2015/01/01/ready-to-become-a-yav/2015-01-10T08:22:30+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/12/29/new-life/https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141211_145840.jpgIMG_20141211_145840This shot was taken at the naturalization ceremony I attended, just after the ceremony concluded. The man in the foreground (with the manila and white envelopes under his arm) is a new U.S. citizen, while in the background other new citizens are in line to have their photos taken with the judge. On the far left, way in the back, between the U.S. and Texas flags, is the judge (in black) posing with a new citizen.https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141212_181016.jpgIMG_20141212_181016Here is a scene from one of our stops on the posada. Our pastor (wearing the sombrero) leads the members of the house in singing the part of the innkeeper. In the foreground, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, the Three Kings, guitar players, and the rest of us in the peanut gallery plead for a room at the inn.https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141212_105440.jpgIMG_20141212_105440During the tamalada, Mexican women are seen preparing tamales. The tamales are the yellow-white items that look similar to burritos, while nearby vats contain different ingredients.https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141214_192731.jpgIMG_20141214_192731This is along San Antonio’s River Walk. Candles in bags light our way, while lights strung overhead in the trees create an enchanted forest scene. A brightly lit tour boat can be seen cruising down the river.2014-12-29T23:53:44+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/12/11/giving-thanks-for-life/https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141108_103816.jpgIMG_20141108_103816We gave thanks for each other and the beauty of God's creation while camping at Guadalupe River State Park, north of San Antonio. We also gave thanks that the raccoons that raided our food the previous night failed to pry open our guitar case--one of them nearly succeeded in that venture! Perhaps it wanted to learn to play the instrument, or possibly snack on it instead.https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_20141030_222343.jpgIMG_20141030_222343We saw this statue of the Spanish explorer Ponce de León, or possibly a conquistador, on our ghost tour of San Antonio. Commissioned by Saint Augustine, Florida, to celebrate the birth of de León, the city’s founder, the city rejected it upon learning the purportedly life-size statue was about 6’6” tall—de León was only 4’9”! San Antonio subsequently bought it, placed it in front of the city’s historic Spanish governor’s palace, and declared it was a statue of one of the conquistadors who colonized the region that became Texas.2014-12-12T01:34:08+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/11/02/finding-god-in-daily-life/https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/img_20141018_105105.jpgIMG_20141018_1051052014-11-02T23:27:02+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/10/03/dont-fear-the-snake/https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/imagejpeg_0.jpgimagejpeg_0https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/imagejpeg_1.jpgimagejpeg_12014-10-04T02:51:21+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/09/29/landing/2014-10-01T05:22:26+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/2014/08/27/living-well/2014-08-30T19:12:18+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.com/about-me/https://cowellma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mac-12-9-2013.jpgMatt Cowell2014-08-13T03:24:14+00:00weekly0.6https://cowellma.com/how-to-support-me/2014-08-12T23:17:19+00:00weekly0.6https://cowellma.com/2014/08/12/casting-off/2014-08-14T14:02:31+00:00monthlyhttps://cowellma.comdaily1.02015-05-09T18:01:58+00:00