Monday, April 9 - Once settled into our campsite, we loaded into the car with Duane & Louise and headed up into The WEAVER Mountains. How neat is that to be in our “namesake” mountains.
Our first stop was Frog Rock. This one weighs probably 60 tons and stands (or squats) more than 16 feet tall. This rook was painted green like a frog. I guess one shouldn't be painting the mountain boulders, but it was pretty neat!
Our next stop was at the top of the mountain in Yarnell, AZ. The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains. This was a very moving experience, especially having just completed the Easter weekend. It is the fourteen stages of the cross situated in a shaded grotto of oak trees and huge granite boulders.
A visit to the Shrine starts at the foot of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Happy Homes.
A beautiful rustic path beckons you to walk with Jesus through His last days on earth.
Beautiful white stone statues depict Christ at the Last Supper, His footsteps along the Way of the Cross, and his condemnation to death to His placement in the tomb. At each station, you gain a better understanding of the great sacrifice He made for all mankind.
The pilgrimage begins at the table of His Last Supper, where He spent His last joyful moments. 
A plaque on each of the crosses describes the event that occurred.
The setting for each cross in a beautiful setting. At each of the crosses, there is a seat among the stones for prayer.
Our first glimpse into what was ahead.
His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Crucifixion. The rock appears to have blood on it.
What a beautiful, break-taking setting.
Jesus taken from the cross. 
He is Risen…He is Risen indeed!
The bronze sculpture above is the risen Christ. Background…the tomb.
View from the top.
The Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
The Shrine is free (donations are encouraged). It is located in Yarnell, AZ, just a half mile off Highway 89 and is open during daylight hours. The Shrine has never been financially supported by any Christian Denomination and relies on the generosity of its visitors and volunteer for maintenance and growth.
This is one of the emotional-draining sites we have visited. We went from sadness of the arrest to rejoicing at the Risen Savior, a beautiful reminder that our Lord did, indeed, rise from the dead and lives on in each of us forever. DO NOT miss this aspiring experience.
After stopping at the pull-outs going down the mountain for pictures, we returned to the North Ranch, our park for the week.
Paul, Louise, Duane.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
Wow! Another gem to add to our bucket list. Honestly, you find the neatest places on your travels!
ReplyDeleteLoved the frog...ribbet!
I have not heard of this before and it has definitely been added to our wish list. The Atonement and Resurrection is the most important story ever told because of the hope and happiness it gives all of us. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteI hope John and I will be able to visit there next winter! Thanks so much for the information.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of that place either. We'll have to add it to our bucket list.
ReplyDeleteWe saw that huge frog and took pictures.
ReplyDeleteNow I am disappointed. Did not see the Shrine nor even heard about it.
A beautiful shrine ... all the more so for those of the faith. The setting - at one with nature - allows one to be further inspired.
ReplyDeletehello,,,sorry we are running like we are,,,seem to meet ourselves coming and going...Home late from town this afternoon and had guns to clean and a toilet stool to fix.... We shoot at the Wickenburg Gun Club in the morning until noon, should be home after that,,,,, course its always happy hour every night from 4 until 5,,,,,always... Hope to see ya,,,,,,,,Your seeing sights around here that we have never seen!!! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteQuite the impressive looking shrine alright. I'd never heard of it either. Thanks for lettings us all know about it.
ReplyDeleteAh yes! We toured that shrine last year, would like to visit it again, and your post-Easter experience must have been especially moving. While in Yarnell, did you get back to that delightful bakery?
ReplyDeleteI thank you so much for posting this! I was just now doing some Google searching, hoping to find a good photograph of 'The Risen Christ' statue at The Shrine Of Saint Joseph in Yarnell, and your picture here is EXACTLY what I was hoping to find!
ReplyDeleteI have copied the URL to this page to send to a friend of mine. I've been telling her about some spiritual experiences I've had, one which pertained to the 'The Risen Christ' statue. I was hoping to be able to send her to a site with a really good photo of it, and your site HERE is where I will be sending her. So, thanks again very much.
Oddly, I wasn't able to find a picture of that statue at the official 'Shrine Of Saint Joseph' website. But you came through for me beautifully!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I will be heading that way in the next few weeks... I will need to make a note of this and visit it...
ReplyDelete~shoes~