The Last Day

Have ever seen the Tour de France on TV? For the person wearing the yellow jersey, meaning he is the leader of the race going into the final day. For that person, that final day is just kind of a leaisure ride compared to the pace he has kept during the rest of the race. They enter Paris to the cheers of many hundreds of people lining the route. Usually they are surrounded by other riders who are a part of his team and have helped them achieve the first place finish. But it really is a great day of celebration for them. Well that was what the ride today was. It was an easy day of just 13.5 miles and on the map ended at the Atlantic Ocean on Jekyll Island, Georgia. I can only imagine what it would have really been like if I was really there. I rode a couple of extra miles today because I would have ridden along the shoreline until I would have gotten to the Jekyll Island State Park. Then, if I was really there I would not have just dipped my foot in the Atlantic but I imagine I would prop my bike up by a tree or post, run across any beach that would be there and dive in, riding clothes and all. At that moment, in my excitement I would just run for the water that I have looked forward to for almost 12 weeks. For me, this was a time to celebrate. In those 12 weeks; minus 1 week for being in the hospital for four days, having a heart cath, having 2 stents put in and not being allowed to ride for a few days; I rode 2,440 miles. I will be figuring my average miles per day and my average speed and will let you know what that was. As I thought about the leader finishing the Tour de France and my finishing this trip and wanting to celebrate because I had reached such a huge personal goal and a dream I had always wanted to do, I could not stop thinking about Jesus. He knew where he was headed, what he had before him, what his future set before him was going to be - it was to hang on a cross. But was it an event to celebrate. That reason why he came to Earth was to die on that cross and he knew it. I think Jesus knew what he had to focus on though. Sure he could have focused on the horrible death he was going to have to suffer. He knew it was coming. But he had it right. Look at Hebrews 12:2,"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." In telling us what we are to focus on (Jesus), God's word tells us what he focused on, "The joy set before him." This is the joy that comes with sitting at the right hand of God. Yes the cross was in front of him but he looked at joy. He looked at the joy that comes with be in the presence of God. Suppose that is a suggestion of what we are to focus on during our lives. Today I accomplished a goal that till now was just a dream. Think about what Jesus had to accomplish before he could celebrate and because of that we too can celebrate throughout our lives. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 74 - Almost there

Well here we are 13 miles from the Atlantic Ocean on the map. I know - I have been riding all of this in my basement but it has really meant a great deal to make this ride. I won't quit riding when I am done. I will still ride 3 or 4 times a week when I am home. But I will not be pressed to go the miles I have on this trip. Today, I rode 42 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes for an average of 20.4 mph.In Georgia today there were still scattered thunderstorms, I think the last of the tropical storm. Those are never good days to ride. One minute you can be riding on dry pavement and the next in the middle of a downpour. It makes for a dangerous ride. I remember one of our trips for NLM we had a day just like that. You can wear rain gear and sweat inside the suit or you can not wear it and be wet from the rain. It is your choice. Either way you are going to end up wet. Today would have been one of those days. This life is made up of choices. It seems so often that the choice is between something good and something bad. Many more times, we have to make a choice between something good and something even better. It can be good to watch a little T.V. but an even better decision is to use the time to read, especially God's Word, or to pray or to call and invite someone to church. It might be a good thing to eat an ice cream cone but a better choice might be yogurt. A good choice might be to sit and veg-out but a little time of exercise might be the better choice. We can choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior and yet so many never make that choice. But after that the real choice is whether we are going to make the wise choice of serving Him yet so many choose the worst option possible for the christian - to just sit and do nothing. A choice yes, a very bad one. Every day on this trip I had to make a number of decisions. The choice to get up and ride, the choice to eat right and to drink right, the choice to not give up, the choice to write the blog. I made them to accomplish a goal. We should make the right choices in the kingdom of heaven to accomplish a goal also - to bring honor and glory to God. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 73 - two days to the Atlantic

Boy, did I feel good today. I rode 46.3 miles in 2 hours and 5 1/2 minutes for an average of 22 mph. Because of the tropical storm going by, on the map I had to ride in another rainy day. But in my basement it was smooth pedaling. Tomorrow I will go over 2400 miles for the trip. Which has a lot to do with one of the things I have learned through this trip. I originally planned this trip to be 2200 miles and it would have been if I would have been sitting on the back of an eagle or crow. You know, "as the crow flies." But roads do not go in straight lines. Several times on the map I had to go well out of my way to keep going east. And roads are not straight. They go every which way. Ya know what. The path the Lord might take you down is rarely straight. And who, but Him knows where He might take you. In Luke 15, He is telling a parable about what has been called the ninety and nine. What does the shepherd do? He looks for the lost sheep until he finds it. When he does it says that he picks the sheep up and lays it on his shoulders and carries it home. It never tells us where he may take the sheep; what route he may take. The only thing we know is that the shepherd is going to be carried home. And like dumb sheep we get tired or uncomfortable riding on those shoulders. We should be satisfied with the ride but maybe it is the green grass that we want to be put down in order to eat the greener grass over there or don't like the direction the shepherd is taking us. That is when we are really demonstrating how dumb sheep really are. See, it takes faith in the shepherd. We are told to trust in Him but also to trust Him. Even when we don't like the way he is carrying us. Yes we need to learn to trust. His way is always what is best for us even when it does not seem so at the time. And yes it might turn a 2200 mile trip into over 2400 miles. I have learned though that it is worth it. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 72 - 1 Last Week

Well, on the map I am only about 110 miles from the Georgia/ Atlantic Ocean shoreline. But this is definitely a terrible time to be coming through Georgia with the tropical storm coming on shore and the heavy rains. Where we are at on the map today was suppose to get 1 to 2 inches of rain through the late morning and afternoon. That is the one type of weather that makes riding no fun. Then if you add to that the strong winds coming into your face, that ride would be no fun. I have done it a number of times but it does not make for a fun ride. Today I rode 41.8 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 20.5 mph. By Thursday I should be dipping my foot into the Atlantic Ocean water, Lord willing. I am looking forward to that. It has been an amazing experience though to do what we did riding across our land. I told you that with this week coming I was going to share some of the things I have learned on this journey. Well, I would ask you to think about what we call, "getting back on the horse." I remember a time when I was out cutting firewood and accidentally ran a chainsaw across my knee. I really did a job on that knee. While it could have been so much worse, the first thing I did when the knee healed was go out and cut firewood. Another time I crashed my bike. I was going down a wet road and a car came left of center and I either had to purposely put my bike down or run into the front of that car. Two days later and a number of repairs to the bike and a couple on me I climbed back on that bike and rode. I had too. There were a number of mornings I really did not want to get on my bike. I was tired, or sore, or just plain did not want to take the time to go the two plus hours I knew it was going to take. But I had to do it. I had too. There was no way I was not going to keep going. There have been times when in the past I would quit or allow something that happened to keep me from getting back on and keep going. So many do that in their Christian lives. Something happens and they just quit and don't keep going. Paul said to Timothy just a short time before he was martyred, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Not everyone can make that statement. So many either give up or just quit. Sure, maybe you have been hurt, or even knocked down. It is at that moment that a choice has to be made. You will either get back up or you will give up. We all have to make a choice at that time. Imagine if Paul would have lived his life in another way, "I quit fighting, I gave up half way through the race, I don't even believe any more." Being a Christian is a life of being firm, steadfast; even immovable, and as it says in 1Corinthians, "always abounding in the work of the Lord." I CHOOSE JESUS. I will fight the good fight. I will finish the race. I will keep the faith. Lord willing!!!!!!!!! Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 70 - The end of another week

Week 11 ended with a real flourish. Today I rode 44.3 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 21.6 mph. Going into this trip I could never have even dreamed about that kind of speed. Lord willing we will be done with our trip by this next Thursday. I am not sure I am looking forward to the trip being done but I am looking forward to the trip being accomplished. I look forward to getting off the bike that final day; on the map being over 2400 miles away from where I started. I am looking forward to the feeling that something was accomplished. Next week I will spend much of the blog sharing many of the things I learned along the way. Today was a beautiful but very hot day as I rode through the towns of Albany, Acree, Gammage, Sylvester, and Poulan and am just west of TyTy. I would ask you to think about Psalm 100 one last time. Verse 5 simply makes 3 statements about God that each of us should be very thankful for. In giving us that information about the Lord the psalmist is giving us 3 more reasons why we should make, serve, come, know, enter, give, and bless. The verse says, "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." If you looked at just the first statement, "For the Lord is good," there would be people who would ask the question, "Prove it!" So the Psalmist does. We should all be thankful that His steadfast love endures forever. But even more, that statement is an unbelievable proof of how good the Lord is. That cannot be said about anyone else. The the psalmist goes on to say, "His faithfulness to all generations." What if God would have only been faithful up to the point of His Son hanging on a cross? He just decided that He was not going to allow His Son to go through that terrible agaony. He could not even think about His Son being separated from Him even just for a short time. There would be no sacrifice for our sin. None could be saved. Oh but wait, He is faithful to all generations. Throughout eternity, He loves. To every generation, He is faithful. That absolutely proves He is good. Have a great Lord's Day. Talk to you on Monday.

Day 69 - Another Beautiful Day

Well, today was a beautiful day in southern Georgia, sunny and hot. On the map we went through little towns today like Arlington, Williamsburg, and Leary and am 5 days of riding away from the Atlantic Ocean, Lord willing. It has been a challenging trip but I feel good about what was accomplished. Today I rode 43.5 miles in 2 hours and 6 minutes for an average of 20.6 mph. Each day I feel an exhilerating feeling, just knowing I am now so close to the goal. I would like to make one more appeal for each of you to consider helping us financially. All donations from this trip, 100% goes directly to the purchase of a fishing lodge in Canada in which Northern Light Ministries would use to reach hundreds of youth for Jesus Christ. But we need your help to make this happen. Won't you please help. You can look on our website how you can give. No amount is too large or too small. northernlightministries.org In Psalm 100; verses 1, 2, 3a, and 4 tells each of his children, his sheep what they should be doing in their daily lives. Verses 3 and 5 tell us why his sheep should live that life. A verse that we used earlier in this study was Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." The conclusion for a person who tastes and sees. In Psalm 100:5, the psalmist is definitive, "The Lord is good." There is no question to him. "The Lord is good." For him to be so certain, he had to experience the Lord in a close relationship. That is what we should want. See, the closer the relationship, the more we will come to the same conclusion, "The Lord is good." That is the problem, unsaved people don't have a clue how good God is. But how professed Christians realize how good He is. Why? Because they never get close enough to the Lord, never have a close relationship to Him to really discover how good the Lord is. It is easy to say, "Try Him, you'll like Him." But hey, I like things the way they are. I don't want to make any changes. See, to get closer to the Lord is to let go of the things in this world that you put ahead of the Lord Himself and so never get close enough to the Lord to find out - "The Lord is Good." Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 68 -- Finally in Georgia

Well today was a great day. I went over 2000 miles for the trip and made it to Georgia. Lord willing this same time next week I will be dipping my foot in Atlantic Ocean water and end this trip of a lifetime for me. This next week I would like this blog to discuss what I have learned during this trip. It is much and I have learned so much about myself that I did not realize I would learn. Even at the age of 59 to learn what I have will make me a better man and better yet I believe it will make me a better man of God. I look forward to sharing it starting on Monday. Today I rode 43.1 miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes for an average of 20.6 mph. We ended 10.4 miles into Georgia, just 4 miles to the west of Blakely. The last line of Psalm 100:4 says, Give thanks to Him; bless His name." This verse gives us the last two things we should do because we are His people; the sheep of His pasture. So here it is, along with all the other things verses 1 - 3 tells us we should do. Now the last line of verse 4 gives us the last two things we should do because we are His. First it says we should "Give thanks to Him." Our day, our prayers, our worship, and our times of relationship with the Lord should begin with our thanks to Him, If we geninely thought about all the things He gives us or the things he does for us, we could spend a huge amount of time just giving Him thanks. Then he says we should bless His name. Don't those two things go hand-in-hand. I mean, once we realize how much we have to be thankful for, then the natural response should be to bless His name. I also think these two things should just be what we do every time we come to Him in prayer or in worship. So, here it is, we are to make, serve, come, know, enter, give, and bless. If we live our lives as "His people" doing this list found in Psalm 100, He is pleased with us and He is greatly honored and glorified in our lives. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 67 - Just one more day in Alabama

On the map, I am just 13 miles west of Dothan, Alabama and by the end of the ride tomorrow we will be in Georgia. Wow, it seems like a long time that I have been walking down the steps into my basement, getting on my bike which is on a bike trainer and riding any where from 30 to 45 miles. At an average of 70 revolutions per minute and 3 minute a mile; that is 210 revolutions a mile or 8,400 for a 40 mile day. I don't even want to know how many that is for the entire trip. Today I rode 43.2 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 21.1 mph. I felt a whole lot better today at the end of my ride than I did at the beginning. I definitely feel stronger now than I did 2 1/2 months ago. Thinking again about Psalm 100:4. The psalmist tells us that we are not only suppose to enter his gates with thanksgiving; but we are also suppose to enter his courts with praise. Psalm 96:8 says, "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into his courts." there is no doubt we are to come into His courts. In the temple there was a court area that all Jews were allowed to come into. There was even a gentile court that all non-Jews could enter. But there is definitely a right way to come into the court. In the church today it would equated with the sanctuary. The place where many Christians would say they really come to worship in the church building. These verses give us three ways and attitudes we are to come with. First we are to come acribing to the Lord the glory due Him. I would like to just ask you, "How much glory should we give to the King of kings and the Lord of lords?" Can it even be measured? I do not think so. We are also told we are to bring an offering. That could be financial, or time, or talents, or gifts, or whatever. Romans 12:1 says to "Offer ourselves as a living sacrifice." Lord I want to give myself to you to use as you see fit. But when we enter His courts we bring the offering with us and need to be prepared to give it to Him. Then we are to enter his courts praising Him. We should be praising Him as we enter, while we are there, at the beginning of the service, when we are dropping money in the plate, while the pastor is preaching, when we sing the closing song, and as we walk out to face the world, we are to praise the Lord." PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!! Talk to you tomorrow!

Day 66 - One Beautiful Day

In central Alabama it was a beautiful sun shiny day in the mid to high 80's. In two more days we will be in our last state - Georgia. Today I rode 44 miles in 2 hours and 7 minutes for an average of 20.7 mph. I feel good at that speed. Yesterday I looked at verse 3 of Psalm 100. That verse looks back at verses 1 and 2 and explains why; why we should "Make a joyful noise, serve the lord with gladness, come into his presence, and why we know that the Lord - he is God." Those are things we should do and verse 3 explains why - because He made us, we are His, we are His people, and we are the sheep of His pasture. But verse three also looks forward to verse 4. Because in verse 4, the psalmist gives us three more things we are to do because we belong to Him. First, he says to enter His gates with thanksgiving. So many times I have heard people, and even Christians say, "I don't have anything to be thanksful for." Really? Is the fact that He made us enough to thank Him? Is the fact that we are His enough to thank Him? Is the fact that we are His people and the sheep of His pasture enough of a reason to thank Him. As a Christian, I just gave you four reasons to thank Him and to be thankful. See, those are all descriptions of having a relationship with the Lord that we know is God. Oh how we say we want that relationship. We like the fact that the Lord loves us, and gives us what we need, and that he is with us. But we only focus on that, then we have a very one-sided relationship. He has put His all into it but what do we put into it? While there are yet a couple more things that he wants from us, we have now looked at 5 things that He can expect from us. To just think about the verbs. We are to make, serve, come, know, and enter. All of those things are a part of having a relationship with almighty God. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 65 - A New Week

Well, today we start week 11 of our trip and while I had a few days that I missed because of a heart cath and traveling, I have kept going just about every day except Sundays since March 6. I have averaged riding 2 hours a day during that time and averaged just under 40 miles a day. Today I rode 42.2 miles in 2 hours and 1 minute for an average of 20.8 mph. The ride went well and I felt good on the bike. On the map, I ended the day almost half way across the state of Alabama on my way to the finish of the Atlantic Ocean. I now have my bottle of Atlantic Ocean water and am looking forward to the day I dip my foot into it to end my trip. Psalm 100:3 is an amazing verse. This verse answers the "why" question as to why we should all do verses 1 and 2. It also gives us one more thing that we should do. In the first portion of the verse it says this, "Know that the Lord, He is God!" The word "know" has the idea of experiencing and completely assured of the fact that the Lord is God. If I am not mistaken I think the Lord is the word Jehovah and God is the word Yahweh. But I cannot forget that Jesus is called the Lord. I think sometimes that this is what this verse is saying. Jesus as Lord is God. And we are called on to know that - to experience and to be completely assured that He is God. When we come to that point it becomes so much easier to acknowledge what the rest of verse 3 says, "It is He who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture." Everything that is said puts us in a place of realizing our position compared with the Lord. The Lord is God. Let me say that again. He is God! We are not. The people don't own Him. He is God, He made us and we belong to Him. We are His. We will look more at this tomorrow night. Talk to you then.

Day 63 - One beautiful Day

On the map it was a beautiful in western Alabama. It was sunny and in the mid 80's. Today would have been a day of going through little towns like Grove Hill, Whatley, Gosport, Claiborne, and Perdue Hill. I think I would have enjoyed riding through those towns. Had annother good day on the bike. I rode 43.4 miles in 2 hours and 1 minute for an average of 21.4 mph. I reached milestones this week. First, I rode over 260 miles in one week for the first time. Second, I went over 2,000 miles for the trip. I am at 2,034 miles. Last night we talked a bit about Psalm 100:2 and the last half of that verse, "Come into His presence with singing." we talked a lot about coming into His presence. But he has a very specific way He wants us to come into His presence --- with singing. One of the things that has to be noticed about this is that there is a great amount of joy in our relationship with the Lord. We are to make a joyful noise, verse 1; have a great deal of gladness while we are serving Him; and we should come into His presence with singing. Be joyful, be glad, sing. There is much happiness that comes with a relationship with the Lord. But when we come into His presence, we should come we ought to be singing. For too many it is like pulling teeth getting them to sing. That should be what our coming into His presence begins, consists of and ends with. The singing has to do with the attitude in our hearts that we pour into our singing. The singing doesn't have to e good but the heart that produces it, is the key. I hope each of you have a good Lord's Day. Come into His presence with singing. Talk to you on Monday.

Day 62 - Into Alabama

Well we made it to Alabama today. On the map we ended the day just east of the little town of Coffeeville. There, it was a beautiful day. Had another good day of riding. I went 43.1 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 21.1 mph. One more day of riding will bring me over 2,000 miles for the trip. That is quite a milestone for this ol' boy. Psalm 100:2 ends saying, "Come into his presence with singing." There are two words that are very important in the Christian life. The first word is "come" and the second is "go." Christ said to come to Him. But when they come they have to be willing to do something - they have to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus. They are the ones who have gotten it right. If one truly comes to Jesus, they are willing , able and wanting do the things that are a part of coming. Our coming is all about Him, not about us. For many, coming is what they do. Many have gotten very good at coming. But for too many coming is all they do. We are also to "go." Go and bear fruit and go and make disciples are just a couple of the things we are to do once we have come to Him in the first place. Today, we look at one of the "come" verses that doesn't refer to just a one time "come" referring to salvation but something that should be a part of every Christian's every day life. On a daily basis, we should practice the "come into His presence" that is a part of our lives from the moment we come to know Him. Yes, we should practice our coming into His presence, not just on Sunday, but every day of the week. That is one of the problems. There are many who come into His presence 1 hour on a Sunday morning and feel they have done their duty to their almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent (that is enough omni....s) God. But coming into His presence is something we should do daily. Whether we come before Him first thing in the morning, at the breakfast table, with the whole family after a great dinner or right before you and your spouse lay your head to the pillows each night. We should have a very specific time that we come into His presence every day. With the schedules most of us keep in our lives we have to be very purposeful. It may be a time that is planned that is at a set time each time. With the exception of an extreme emergency, this should be the time you have set apart to come into His presence. Also have a plan for each time you come before Him. It might be to read a portion of His Word and then pray. For others it might be reading a devotional, studying a few verses, and always spend time in prayer. It could be time spent discussing His Word with your spouse or kids and then prayer. But it should be purposeful, planned, and personal. But please, coming into His presence is more than one hour a week. The Lord is a jealous God and He wants us, all of us. So, coming into His presence should be very important to every one of us. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 61 - Another Day Closer

Today felt good. I rode 44.6 miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes for an average of 21.3 mph. I do not know why but it felt good today to be on the bike, to go the speed I went, the thought of being in Alabama in just another day. I still stand an outside chance of finishing my ride by the end of next week. I need some feedback from you though. I am thinking about still using the blog to continue doing a Bible study but I will not do that if no one is reading it. Please give me some imput back. I seem to get sucked into a portion of Scripture and just can't let it go. That is what has happened with Psalm 100. What a beautiful Psalm but one with so much to say that as Christians we need to read, study, memorize, listen to, and live by. Last night I talked about serving the Lord as an act of being thankful to God. But in that same phrase he gives us instruction on the the right way to serve the Lord. He says, "Serve the Lord with gladness." So many of us want to serve the Lord for all the wrong reasons. And it is so easy to serve Him for all the wrong reasons. Too often we make our serving all about us rather than about Him. But saying to serve the Lord with gladness goes beyond serving Him for wrong reasons but explains how we should serve Him. I have gone to churches where greeters at the door looked like they had prunes for breakfast. They maybe doing what they signed on to do but are not happy about it. How many musicians, ushers, Deacons, Sunday School teachers, and helpers and maybe even Pastors look like they are glad to be doing what they are doing. Serve the Lord --- yes, but with gladness? Well maybe not. Jesus says "My burden is light." If that is true, why are we not glad to be doing burdens for the Lord? The Word also says that "i will never leave you or forsake you." The problem is that knowing the Lord is with us is not enough for far too many of us. It comes back again to what we have already said; We want the Lord to be with us but we want Him and..... Are you glad to know He is with you, that He will never leave us or turn His back on us? We should be and when we have Him that should make us glad without anything else being added to that knowledge. Lord I love you and I am so glad, so glad, that you love me. I hope you are too and that in all the ways you serve the Lord you are glad. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 60 - Keep making progress

Well, with today's ride I went over 1900 miles for the trip. I am looking to making the milestone of 2000 miles. Never have I done anything like this and while there have been several bumps along the way, I have tried to faithfully ride to accomplish this ride across our land. I am a little bummed because the ride has not developed the funds I was hoping it would to go toward the purchase of a lodge in order to impact more lives for Christ. But my faith is strong and my legs have gained strength along the way. So I keep growing spiritually and physically. Today I rode 44.2 miles in 2 hours and 1 minute for an average of 21.8 mph. The next thing the Psalmist says in Psalm 100, as another way to be thankful to the Lord, because the Lord is good, is to "Serve the Lord with gladness." The Lord is good. We are to be thankful to Him and in the midst of that, we are to serve Him. I think this is one of the areas in our Christian lives that we fall short with. Too often we serve for us but not serve Him. We do it so that someone will pat us on the back and say "good job." Sometimes we do it for other accolades or so that others will see us. To be honest, we serve Him inwardly asking the question, "What is in this for me?" or "What will I get in return?" When we go into it with that kind of thinking, let's be honest, we are doing for ourselves. Let me give you two verses that will answer the question of who you are doing it for. The first one is 1Cor. 10:31,"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God." Then in Col. 3:17, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus..." That verse fits very well with this subject because it goes on to say, "Giving thanks to God the Father through him." So the Question. Is what I am doing to serve bring honor and glory to God? And am I doing it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Because if it does, I am giving thanks to God through it. I will talk with you tomorrow.

Day 59 - Quite a day

Today's ride went very well. I rode 45.6 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes for an average of 22.2 mph. That is the fastest I have ever gone. It just went very well. Yesterday I rode through Vicksburg, Mississippi on the map and I could not but to think about the famous Civil War Battle that went on there. The city itself was known as the Gibraltar of the Confederacy. But in 1863 after a siege that went on for 47 days Vicksburg surrendered. The North was led by General U.S. Grant who as a result of this victory and a few others in the western campaign was ordered by Lincoln to take over the leadership of the war going on in the eastern arena. Up until then, while the north had won a few battles, the war was actually going well for the South. But I could not but think about the lives lost at Vicksburg. Even in an area that had been well protected by the confederacy was not invincible. Christians sometimes think they are invincible; that they would never fall into a particular sin. They think Satan could never tempt them to do something they would not want to do. They think they are invincible. Yet none of are. We all have it in us to the worst things that we could ever think about. But by the grace of God! It is interesting that the Psalmist in Psalm 100:1 says, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!" Psalm 19 1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." That declaring and proclaiming is a whole lot of noise going on. Jesus told the religious leaders, when people were shouting during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, that "if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." His creation shouts out the glory of God. Even stones could dry out if Christ wanted them to. One of the best ways we can give thanks to the Lord is to use not just our voices but our whole being to worship Him. That is a way we can thank him. But He says, "all the earth." All of His creation shouts His glory. But we aren't always listening. But he says that all the earth is to make a joyful noise. Yet you and I know that while His creation shouts His glory, not all humanity does. Part of humanity refuses to worship God or give Him any honor or glory. So, the way I see it, we as Christians have to make enough noise so the whole earth hears it. We can't be silent. We of all people have to make noise to the honor and glory of God. And when we do, it will go throughout the whole earth. We need to be noisy people. Noisy for God! And if we don't, God may have the stones do it. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 58 - Hopefully I can finish strong

I am trying to be done in the next couple of weeks so am trying to hit it hard. Today I went 2 hours exactly and rode 42.7 miles for an average of 21.3 mph. I went over 1800 miles for the trip and am now well into Mississippi. It is amazing how days can seem to go slowly and yet at the end of a trip like this the trip can seem like it went so fast. I guess that is where I am at. It seems like I have been riding for a long time; it I can"t belive the trip is closing on the finish. In Psalm 100, the Psalm for giving thanks, verse 1 says, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord." It says, "Make." That refers to effort. Some effort has to be put into the joyful noise. You and I have gone into enough services to understand what the Psalmist is saying. We all have seen people who stand there with their arms crossed, or look every place but at the music, or don't pay any attention to what is going on while a person is up front trying to lead or direct music on a Sunday morning. It is like they don't even care or trying to say, "Just try and please me!" Sure they have all sorts of reasons for why they are not singing. Their reasons are more commonly called excuses. I am not saying there are not reasons for not singing but do you know what excuse does not work for God? "I can't sing" or "I do not have a very good voice." Psalm 100:1 does not say you have to be able to sing opera or good enough to make a record or even sing in the church choir or on a worship team. NO, it says, "Make a joyful noise." Remember God doesn't look at the outside, He looks at the heart. Through the heart of one who loves God, noise meant to honor and glorify God is received by a God who is pleased with what He hears. "Thanks Lord, I am giving you might best. That is all I can do." Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 56 - Good Day

My wife and I had to take a trip to Michigan so did not have a chance to ride today but I still wanted to at least write to any followers of my blog since I was not able to yesterday. But I still hope to be done with my ride in a couple of weeks so will have to hit it hard on Monday. Even though we do not know who wrote Psalm 100, it is interesting that the title-line about the Psalm says, "A Psalm for giving thanks." Yet the only time it says anything in Psalm 100 about giving thanks is in verse 4. Once in that verse it says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving." Then it goes on to say, "Give thanks to him, bless his name." Much of the life of a Christian should be spent coming into His presence. One way to do that is to enter his gates. But there is a particular way we are to enter his gates; with a particular attitude. That is one of thanksgiving. Could it be that we should spend more time in church giving thanks. Some might ask, "For what?" If it were not for Him giving us the health, two goos legs, a car that runs, a building to go to, and a salvation that comes with a desire to attend, we would never enter His gates. We of all people, as Christians should come into His gates with such a huge amount of thanksgiving, with a heart of thanksgiving, with a desire to give Him thanks for all that he is and does in and through me. Then it simply says, "Give thanks to Him." "For what?" For absolutely everything. Let me say that again, "For absolutely everything." But it says, "A Psalm for giving thanks." Several of the things mentioned in Psalm 100 describe ways we can give thanks and then reasons for why we should gives thanks with the conclusion in verse 5. That is what I would like to look at in the remaining weeks of my ride across our land. Have a good Lord's Day tomorrow and will talk to you on Monday after a good ride - Lord willing!

Day 55 - A good day on the Road

Today was a good day of riding. On the map, I ended the day just 25 miles west of the Louisiana/ Mississippi state line. It was a beautiful day in eastern Louisiana being sunny and around 80 degrees. I had several other things I had to do today so had to get my ride in early and tomorrow will be my first day off from riding because of other commitments but will be back on the bike on Saturday. Today I rode 40.2 miles in two hours and 5 minutes for an average of 19.2 mph. Some days you get on the bike and struggle. Other times you hurt a little or not feel real good on the seat. But today, I felt good and could not stop thinking about being on the road on a real trip across the country and how much fun that really would be, rather than using a trainer and keeping track of miles on the map. Lord willing, one day I could do it but if not, I will always have this trip to look back on. To close out the dovotions I have done while on this trip I would like to build on the look at Psalm 34:8. The first half of the that verse says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." I have thought so much about that statement. Many of those thoughts I have shared on this blog. But now I ask you to think about Psalm 100 and verse 5, "For the Lord is good." is how the verse begins. It sounds to be like a conclusion that the writer of the Psalm has come to. The Lord is good. But I think it is a conclusion he comes to as a reason for for doing all the things that he mentions in the first four verses. Why should all the earth make, serve, come, know, enter, give, and bless? "For the Lord is good." Why should we do all of those things? Because His steadfast love endures forever. Why should we want to do all the things those first verses say to do? Because His faithfulness is to all generations. That is why. See Ps. 34:8 says to taste and see that the Lord is good. But in Psalm 100 the Psalmist has come to the conclusion that the Lord is good. And that is the reason we should do all the things listed in verses 1 through 4. Don't you agree? I will not be riding or blogging tomorrow so I will talk to you on Saturday - Lord willing!!!!

Day 54 - Rolling Along

Today was a good day. On the map I am less than 2 full days ride across Louisiana and still headed east. Today I rode for 2 hours and 7 minutes and went 40.2 miles for an average of 18.9 mph. That is a good speed for me and the ride went well. I needed a good ride because I am beginning to think about the end and looking forward to dipping my foot in Atlantic Ocean water but I have to keep getting on the bike seat every day to make. Lord willing it will come in His time. I am still praying for the monies we need to purchase the lodge in Canada to come in. We have a long way to go to reach our goal and am asking you if you would help us reach our goal. You can go to our website at northernlightministries.org to learn more about NLM, see pictures of the lodge and to donate. Please help us if you can.
I have still been thinking about Psalm 34:8. The second half of the verse says, "Blessed is he who takes their refuge in Him." I keep thinking about "refuge." I told you the story of that youth group from Elyria, Ohio who did not allow the rain to dampen their desire to finish the ride. It would have been so easy to use the van as a refuge or a picnic pavillion, or a gas station, or almost any place they could have used to get a break from the rains. A refuge is some place we can go to get away from danger or trouble. In the world today, people go to many things for a refuge. People go to drugs and alchohol as a refuge from hurts, pain, or fears, or problems. We look for refuge from anything that can cause us discomfort. Some people even seek refuge from the world itself by hiding in their homes. But seeking refuge in Him is not hiding from anything but running to the guidance, direction, protection and so much more that comes with knowing the Lord. Imagine the Lord going to bat for you during times of your greatest concerns and fears rather than turning to things which have no eternal value and are strictly of the world. Taking refuge is not the problem. The question is what or who the refuge is.
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 53 - A Lot on my Plate

I had a great many things to do today so I didn't get to ride as long as I had wanted to to. It is not making it easy to get my miles in but I keep on rolling as best I can. If I was actually riding across the country rather than just in my basement on a trainer and marking my miles on a map, I would have been riding across the northcentral part of Louisiana. In that area the weather forecast was for thunderstorms so I will always ride in the rain but not in severe weather like that. So, I probably would not had the chance to ride as much as I would have liked anyway.. Today I did ride 25.6 miles in just 1 hour and 13 minutes for an average of 21 mph.
I remember one bike trip I did with a youth from Elyria, Ohio it began to rain just after we got all the bikes on the road. I was riding in the back of the group and the slower riders. We got as far as 1/2 mile behind many of the riders and as I was riding up toward our first SAG vehicle, many of the kids were crawling into the van. I thought, "Boy, this is it. These kids are never going to want to ride in this rain." And by now it was pouring pretty well. But as I came up behind the van, all of the kids were getting out putting on their rain gear. They even looked at me and said, "We are going to keep going aren't we. I just looked at them, "Well of course we are." And we did. We rode the next 4 hours in the rain before it finally began clear off. I learned a tremendous amount aabout that group that day. I also learned a great deal about the young people of today. Many of them are not quiters even this generation gets acused of being. They were going to keep going. If the leadership of this country and in the churches of today depended on kids like were in this group, we are in good shape. That is why I love working in the ministry of Northern Light Ministries - because we have the privilege and joy of working with so many fine young people and having the chance to impact their lives for Jesus Christ. The youth of today need "older" people who will understand and love and accept them, not because they are perfect but because they are not but so want to please.
See, God is looking for that same thing from each of us as His children, His youth. Sure, there will be days of rain and because of it we cry, whine, complain, and at the worst, give up. What does the second half of Ps. 34:8 say, "Blessed is he who takes refuge in Him (the Lord)." See it does not matter that there are times of rain. That does not change the fact of what this verse says. In the worst of times, we are so blessed, when even the rain comes, that we can take refuge in Him. He is light in the darkness. He is peace in the middle of tumult. He is warm in times of cold. Love in times of hate. He is truth in times of lying, cheating, stealing and out and out immorality. "Blessed is he who takes refuge in Him."  
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 52 - working to get on track

I am hoping to be done in 3 weeks of riding but I will have to keep up a good pace to do it. Today I rode 40.3 miles in exactly 2 hours for an average of 20 mph. It felt good to get it rolling again after having to go a couple of weeks where I was to keep the ride in check a bit. Lord willing, we will really be strong through the end of the ride.
I have enjoyed spending this time on the bike thinking through different portions of Scripture. Psalm 34:8 is one of those verses that really grabs my attention and I think it should grab ahold of every Christian. The Lord wants us to taste that the Lord is good. But that verse makes it clear that He wants us to move beyond just tasting that the Lord is good and see or realize that the Lord is good. That is a step up from just tasting. But there is a third level that that He wants us to experience. For, He goes on to say, "Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" The meaning of the word "refuge" is, "a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble or something providing such shelter." There are people who give the Lord a taste. There are people who even see that the Lord is good. But, the truly blessed person is the person takes refuge in the Lord; the person who is safe and sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. We all have human needs. One of the major ones is to feel safe. When we take refuge in the Lord we do not just feel safe but we are safe. We are sheltered from pursuit, danger, and trouble.I love the promises the Lord gives His children. My favorite is found in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Any one reading this blog shpould be saying amen right now. The Lord is there. He can take us under His wing; lift us and carry us on His shoulders; guide us through the worst of times, and take us home. No being, false god, or power, can make those promises to His and then back them up. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 51 - Lord willing - three weeks to go

Yes, if I can get back to the pace I was going before my heart cath I will be done with my ride in three weeks. I have truly enjoyed the ride and the challenge of it. I have also enjoyed writng the blog about the ride. I just wish I could convey to those who follow the blog, the opportunity NLM has in purchasing this lodge in Canada. It would give us such a chance to impact the lives of so many more youth than we can right now. The facilities in themselves are so far superior and would give us so many opportunities to share the Word of God. But we desperately need the help of God's people to help us make it happen. We ask you to look at our website - northernlightministries.org to see pictures of the lodge we are hoping to buy and you can also help financially through the website. Would you also please tell others about this challenge and see if others could help.
Today I rode 32.7 miles at an average of 20.5 mph. I am starting to build my speed back up again and hoping next week to  put more miles and more speed together.
Thinking about Psalm 34:8 again. The first line says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 100:5 says "For the Lord is good." Psalm 118:1 says, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." For the Christian, that is where it begins. We should realize and know that the Lord is good. If it were not for that we would not have salvation, would not have eternal life, would not have heaven to look forward to, and He gives us so much more. So when we think or talk about the Lord we can start with the fact that the Lord is good. That is why we can be so sure that what Romans 8:28 is true, "All things work together for good." Who does Paul say that about? - To those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. He wants our love and He wants our thanks. How are we doing in givng Him what we should? Taste, see, that the Lord is good. Why? Because He is and I am sure of it.
Have a great Lord's Day. Enjoy your time in God's house. Talk to you on Monday!

Day 50 - Into Louisiana we go

It been a long time coming but on the map, we are finally through Texas and into Louisiana. We end the day straight north of Shreveport. I rode today 31.1 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes for an average of 18.6 mph. In Shreveport it was 89 degrees and sunny. I know there is no real difference between east Texas and west Louisiana but it just feels good to feel like progress is being made. Can't help but think about how we should work hard to make progress in our spiritual lives as well. He does not want us to be a baby for long. We are to grow in the Lord and to grow up to maturity. The amazing thing about it is that it does not matter how young or old you are physically. He wants us to grow and continue to grow spiritually.
That is what makes the verse we started to look at last night so important. Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." So many get a taste of how good the Lord is. But they never progress beyond just a taste. Those people have an idea and not always a good idea of how good the Lord is. But the Lord wants His to move from getting a "taste" to another place of "seeing" that He is good. Another way of putting it, we have to open our eyes up. He wants us to be very aware of how good He is. Look around you and see how loving, caring, gracious, and merciful the Lord is. You can see it in creation as well as in the little fingers of a newborn baby as well as the many ways He shows Himself to us. Scripture tells us He is good, but God does not want to hear it in His Word. He wants us to get a taste and experience how good He is. Then He wants us to open our eyes up to how good He really is.
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 49 - One last night in Texas

Well, on the map, we have one last night in Texas and then will finally be in Louisiana. Today I rode 35.4 miles in 1 hour and 53 minutes for an average of 18.7 mph and end the day at just over 20 miles west of the Loisiana State line. With all that has gone on it seems like for ever since we first entered west Texas on the map.
Yesterday was the last portion of Scripture that I wanted to think about in John 15. So tonight I would like to Look at one verse, Psalm 34 and verse 8, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." The first thing the Psalmist says is to taste --- that the Lord is good. Remember when you were young and you were pursuaded to taste something that you just knew would not "taste" good. You might try and stick your tongue out and get the smallest amount of the mixture on your tongue as you could. That is what so many people try and do with the Lord - get the smallest taste they possibly can on the tip of their heart. The amazing thing is that you do not need a big gulp to find out the Lord is good.
Then, that is where so christians stop and are satisfied with that. They got a little taste of how good the Lord is and do not want to go any further. The thing though is that with a taste a decsion needs to be made. Does He taste good to you or not. Too many taste with a mind that is already made up. I can hear them now, "See, I told you I was not going to like Him. I knew He would not be good to me." So they move away from the table and don't want to ever taste Him again. Some even try to spit the taste out without ever swallowing. Then they can not understand how you can like that stuff that comes with knowing Him (getting a good taste of Him). Far too many then, never even get a taste. Want to know if someone has tasted that the Lord is good; ask them how He tasted.
Talk to you tomorrow!

Day 48 - Hanging in There

Today, I tried to push myself a little more and came out of it not feeling like I had done that well. I did go 33.1 miles in 1 hour and 42 minutes for an average of 19.4 mph. In eastern Texas today it was in the high 80's and very sunny. On the map we are just northeast of Longview and Lord willing will make the state line tomorrow. For the ride I went over 1500 miles and plan on being done by the end of the month.
The last verse in John 15 that I really want to look at is verse 17, "These things I command you, so that you will love one another." It is amazing that in 14:31 Jesus says, "But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." Just as Jesus did as the Father commanded Him we are to do the things that Jesus commanded us to do. Jesus did it so that the world would know that He loved the Father. We are to follow His commandments, "so that you will love one another." In verse 10, Jesus promised us that if we keep His commandments we will abide in His love. In verse 12, He tells us what His commandment is, "that you love one another as I have loved you." Remember He says, "as I have loved you." He also tells us in verse 16 that we are to go, and bear fruit, fruit that will last. So we are to love one another, go, and bear fruit. The result then is that we will love one another.
Check out our website at northernlightministries.org and see pictures of the lodge we are hoping to buy, but we truly need your help. Please consider being a part of our program of 8,000 people donating $100.00 each by June 1st. Please help us with this.
Talk with you tomorrow.

Day 47 - A Little More

Each day I seem to be a little stronger. Today I went 32 miles in 1 hour and 50 minutes for an average of 17.3 mph. I guess it might take me a little longer to get the average speed back up there. I am just thankful to be back on the bike seat. I just keep thinking that with each day the goal becomes more in sight.
In John 15:16, Jesus ends the verse by saying this, "so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you." There are some that believe this is some magic formula for God giving us whatever we need. Then, there are those who say if we just add the words "in Jesus name," to the end of our request, then God is automatically responsible to give us what we want. But all of this is based, not on some magical formula or words spoken, but on us having a bond with our Lord so strongly, that what we are asking for, is what His will is for us. In other words we are praying for what He already has planned for us. See, when He chooses and appoints us to go, to bear fruit and fruit that will last we are following Him and have such a close relationship with Him that when we pray, we are praying for the things we know He wants for us.
In just a small way it is like a spouse who knows us so well that they know what we want or knows what is on our mind. They know because they know us that well. In the same way, God already knows us that well and He wants us to abide in Him, remain in Him, be so close to Him that We know Him that well too. When we are doing what we have been chosen and appointed to do, we are doing the actions that bring us to that point in our relationship with Him. The question is, "Is our relationship with Him that close?" That is a question we all need to answer.
Take a look at our website and look at the pictures of the lodge we are hoping to purchase this year.
northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow. 

Day 46 - Feeling Better

Well, week 8 started with a time of being able to give my ride more than I have been able to for the last week and 1/2. I am starting to feel better and am so thankful to God that I am able to get back on the bike rolling again.  Today, I put in 29.2 miles in 1 hour and 36 minutes averaging 18.2 mph. I hope each day this week to increase my mileage and average speeds so I will be back to where I was two weeks ago. On the map, I will be out of Texas by the end of the week, Lord willing. So there is progress being made.
I continue to think about John 15 and that amazing verse 15. See we have been chosen and appointed to go, but not just go but go and bear fruit. Then Jesus gives us a description of the kind of fruit He wants us to bear. He desires that we bear fruit that will last or "should abide," or remain. What He is really saying is that the fruit we bear should stand the test of time.. It reminds me of the parable of the soils in Matthew 13. There, He describes 4 types of soil that the seed (the Word of God) will land on. Of the four, only one of them produces fruit and yields. The fruit that abides is fruit that yields. All the other soils never sprout, or if they do they never get to the point of producing any fruit with definitely no yielding. In each soil though, it always revolves around what was done with the Word of God. The first soil does not understand it. The second soil receives it with an emotional response. The third soil just hears the Word but the cares of the world choke it out. t is only the fourth that hears the Word, understands it and indeed bears fruit and yields. You and I as Christians are chosen; we are appointed, to go and bear fruit, and your fruit should abide.
Check out our website - northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 44 - Oh well

For any of you that have ever had a heart cath, you know they go in through the groin area. Well, after my heart cath on Monday, that area has been very tender and riding yesterday seemed to put it over the top. So, when I got on the bike this morning, I wasn't sitting too well and so today I had my shortest ride - 8.4 miles. I hope by not pushing it and not riding tomorrow, I will be good to go on Monday. Please pray for me.
I ask you to allow me to make just a couple of comments about John 15:16. He chose us and He appointed us to go. But going is not enough. What we do while we are going is so very important. For He says that while we are going we are to bear fruit. That always leads to many questions. What does it mean to bear fruit? What is the fruit? How do we go about it? Some will say it refers to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Some believe it refers to works. I think it is the fruit of the Spirit in us lived out for Him. Think just of the first one - love. We are to love the Lord with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves and one another as Jesus loved us. So I am suppose to do the things I do for the Lord because I love Him; for others because I love them as I love myself; for one another because I love them as the Lord loves me. I should do works for my Lord and Savior and I should do them in love of him.
So we are to go - yes! We are to go and bear fruit! How are you doing?
Tomorrow is the Lord's Day so I will talk to you on Monday. Have a great day of worship!

Day 43 - On the Road Again

Well, I am back on the road. After spending last Friday till Tuesday in the hospital and having a heart cath and two stents put in and after spending a few days with the doctor not allowing me to ride, I finally got on the bike today. I took it easy going 25.5 miles in 1 hour and 31 minutes for an average of 16.7mph. On the map, I am finally east of Dallas and probably about a 4 or 5 day ride from Louisiana. Looking forward now to finishing the trip and I know the next three states will go quickly compared to crossing Texas. I keep thinking about how riding the distances I have each day makes for a trip across our land a long trip; yet, it is neat to see how putting those miles and days together accomplishes so much. We can live our lives that same way, like a 30 to 40 mile a day pace so to speak and we can accomplish so much.
I have still been thinking about John 15 and the amazing verse 16. Last night we looked at the fact that we did not choose Him but He chose us. But that verse says that He not only chose us but He also appointed us. That is much like the word for ordained. Many are ordained to be ministers for the Lord. Years ago, I was ordained and I was thrilled the Lord appointed me and that the church thought me worthy to ordain me. But in this verse He is not just talking about pastors. No, He is talking to all of His disciples. All of His disciples are appointed/ordained - first He says we are ordained "to go." We can't say, "well,I did not know that I was suppose to go." If you are a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ we have been chosen and ordained to go. But see, that is not the problem. We spend our lives going. We go to school, to work, to the store, to the mall. We go to church and to so many other places. We are constantly are going. In this verse, Jesus does not tell us where we are to go. He just says that He chose you and I and appointed/ordained you and I to go. The question for us is not the going. The question is what are we doing while we are going? We will look more at this tomorrow night, but verse 16 answers that question too. Jesus says we are "to go and BEAR fruit."
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 42 - One More Day

Tomorrow I am back on the bike and prayerfully can finish my ride across the land without any more interruptions. I have been looking forward to it all week long. I am not sure yet whether I will be able go full tilt but at least I am back on the bike. It seems like on the map, I have been in Texas for such a long time.
Still thinking a great deal about John 15 and what I think is one of the most amazing verses in Scripture. The part half of verse 16 says this, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." That makes me think so much about how great our God is and how great His love is. Scripture states that "we like sheep have all gone astray." There are none who go his way. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all deserve death. But Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Yet through all of that John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." Of course we did not choose Him. Each and every one of us were too busy doing our own thing; going our own direction; and busy making something out of ourselves. But He chose us. Would any of us choose a spouse who did everything they could to hurt us? Would you choose a company to work for that constantly turned their back on us? Would we choose a friend who never wanted anything to do with us? Of course not, yet is what God does. He chose us.
The question I hear so often is, "If He does the choosing, then why does he not choose everyone?" But we ask the wrong question. We should ask, "Considering everything already said, why does He choose any of us." We can all be thankful that God is not like us. He is far above our thinking, our caring and our love. We did not choose Him, but He chose us." Praise God!!!!!!!!!!
Talk to you tomorrow!

Day 41 - A Day Away

By a day away, I mean a day away from the bike. Just read yesterday's blog to know why today is a day away from the bike. I will have one more tomorrow and then back on the bike seat on Friday, Lord willing. Today, while i have a day away from the bike, I would like to make an appeal to God's people. If you have been following my blog about my ride across our land, you know that one of the reasons I am doing this over 2200 mile ride is to earn funds to purchase a lodge in Canada to take youth groups and inner-city kids to the Canadian wilderness. We have been doing these trips for 10 years and do bicycle trips, wilderness canoeing and camping trips, retreats, and snowshoeing trips. But we have outgrown the small cabins we presently use and God has given the opportunity to buy a fishing lodge with 8 cabins, a house , a large lodge and many other out buildings and all the boats and equipment; all on a 16 acre island. We could impact more than 100 youth a week instead of the 15 to 25 that we presently accomodate. We are asking God's people to sponsor my trip for whatever amount you could for so much a mile that I ride. You can get on our website at northernlightministries.org and learn more abot what we do, see some pictures of a couple of our trips, and donate if God would open up your heart to do so. We ask you to consider partnering with Northern Light Ministries so we can continue to reach more and more youth and adults for Christ.

As I wait these few days to get back on my bike, I continue to think through John 15.  Yesterday, we talked about verse 14. I asked to think about what you consider the Lord to be. Sure we know He is Lord, Savior, the Christ, Master, and other names that could also describe God too because that is who He is, but seldom do we call Him friend. I would rather "do" for a friend that I want to help than to "do" for someone who forces me or guilts me into it. That is what makes verse 15 so important for it says, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." His Father was Father God; so, everything Jesus told His disciples and to us came from God Himself. What an amazing thought. He spent 3 to 3 1/2years with these men and others who followed Him. They sat at His feet learning from Him. They were there when He spoke to the crowds and had confrontations with the jewish religious leaders. Some of them might have heard God the Father proclaim His pleasure with His Son at the baptism of Jesus and on the Mt. of Transfiguration. They heard the Word, the teaching of God Himself at all these times. When you attend church, do you feel that same way; that you are hearing the Word of God. This Sunday, listen closely. If your pastor is teaching the Word of God, you don't want to miss it.
Talk to you tomorrow and please pray for the funds to come in for the Lodge in Canada and if you can help with any amount we ask you to help.

Day 40 - Well, I'm Back

If you have been following my blog, you know that my last posting was last Thursday. Last Friday morning I rode 37.8 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 18.5 mph. That brought me on the map, just through Dallas, Texas and just over 1,400 miles for the trip. After I rode that day, I took care of some errands and driving home from one of them, I began to have some chest discomfort that kept getting stronger. I ended up going to the ER and ended up being admitted in the hospital where they could make sure I was okay, to wait for a heart cath on Monday. On Monday, I had that heart cath and had a long run in my heart that was 80% blocked and took 2 long stents to open it up. It is now Tuesday of the following week and the doctor has said I can begin to ride on Friday. My original plan was to be into Louisiana by now and much closer to my goal of the Atlantic Ocean. That is what I call a setback. But, you know what, life has setbacks. Things don't always go smoothly. Even the most Godly man or woman goes through trials or tribulations. That is not as if it is unfair; it is just life. We all have them. No one is unique in that way. We all have times when we have to get back up on the bike seat and keep pedaling. This is one of those times in my life. I want to finish the ride strong. I just am thankful, because this heart thing could have been so much worse. And yet here I am, and ready to climb on the bike seat again this Friday.
None of this has kept me from thinking about John 15. Verse14 says, "You are my friends, if you do what I command you." There is a question we all must ask ourselves, "How do I look at the Lord?" Matthew 25: 14 - 30 presents the parable of the talents. Three people are discussed. Two of them give their best with what God has given them. One of them does not. It is interesting that the one who did not use his one talent but buried it in the ground says this about the Master, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man..." How do you look at the Lord? There are many in the world who see Him as harsh or unloving or uncaring. The question is, "How could a good God or loving God allow that bad thing to happen. He must not be loving or caring or good." Yet Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." He is good, but some only get a taste; some get to the point where they actually see it. The verse finishes with saying, "Blessed in the man who takes refuge in Him." See, that is what a relationship with the Lord is all about." I seem to be in great shape for a man my age. Yet I have what my heart doctor calls agressive heart disease. But He has given me and done so much for me. The Lord is not a hard master. Even more He is my friend. I want to do what he commands, not because I am afraid of Him; but because we are friends. Are you a friend of Jesus?
Please check out our website - northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow!

Day 39 - "Slow up some"

That is what my heart doctor told me yesterday, "Slow up some. Until we do your heart cath next week, just take it a little slower." Okay, so I did "a little." The last two weeks I have been averaging 20+ mph and 40 miles a day. Today I went 36.2 miles in 2 miles and 2 minutes for an average of 17.7 mph. So for those who would say something, I slowed my pace and my distance. Please pray that I don't have any problems between now and my heart cath next week. I am hoping that the Lord will give me some good days riding before then. Today's ride took me to Arlington Texas not far from Cowboy's Stadium. I won't be getting much closer than I am now, so I will not be seeing it and Lord willing I will be on the east side of Dallas tomorrow at this same time. It is a challenge to follow the map around some of these larger cities but have been able to keep my miles very exact.
Thought more about John 15 today and especially verse 13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Of course the prime example of this is Jesus, who gave His life for many. His was the greatest demonstration of love anyone could ever give.  What is amazing about this statement is that this kind of love is a choice. Love is a choice. It is a choice to demonstrate love that way. And, it is a choice a person makes to lay down their life for someone else. No one forced Jesus to die for you or me. He did it of His own accord. It was a choice He made because of His love for His friends - those who have put their faith in Him.
I will talk to you tomorrow.

Day 38 - What a difference a day makes

Yesterday, when I sat down to write this blog, I titled it "Praise the Lord, still going strong." As I sit down tonight, I still praise the Lord, but I am not sure I am so sure about still going strong. This is the 18th of April and it in between two anniversaries for me. 34 years ago,  April 17th, I accepted the Lord as my Savior and my life has never been the same and I praise the Lord. One year ago April 19th, many who read this blog may not know, I had a heart attack. I was actually at a board meeting for our ministry, Northern Light Ministries and it hit. I thought it could not happen to me. I mean I exercise, ride bikes and do many things to stay in shape for that ministry; but it did. It is interesting, that my heart doctor told me that 30% of the people who enter a hospital with a heart attack like I had never leave the hospital alive and 60% never live a year afterward. Well today I had a three month visit with him today after I rode early this morning and rode 33.9 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes and averaged 21.3 mph. Never done that before! Well at my visit today I found out I have to go back in next week for my fourth heart cath in the year since my heart attack. He also put the clamps on my pushing too hard on my rides. Doesn't he realize I have to get across our land. But for now I will not push as hard and will have to extend my trip another week. I will behave myself to a point but I will keep riding. Please be patient with me. I will also have a put the ride on hold for a few days after the cath. I will keep blogging though. I obviously have some things to learn through this too. One thing you must know; I will still praise the Lord for this too and look for what I am to learn. Today's ride left me about 20 miles west of Fort Worth and still looking forward to making it to the Dallas area.
I have still been thinking much about John 15 and verse 12 is one of those verses that should reach out and grab ahold of each and every one of His children. Verse 12 says this, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." He just said, "if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." First He tells us what the command is, "to love one another." In Matt. 22, He tells us to love out neighbor as we love ourselves." My neighbor is anyone out there; the person I work beside or the person who owns the house across the street. I am suppose to love that person in the same way I love myself. Okay, I can do that. But verse 12 is different, we are to love one another. One another is our family in Christ. Those others who should be closest to us - other Christians. But those people, we are to love not like I love myself, but the way Christ loves. His love is pure, whole, and complete and that is how how I am supposed to love other disciples in Christ. Can we ever reach that level of love perfectly? - NO! But I can work, I can strive, I can put forth all the effort I can to "love one another" in that way. Jesus stresses this idea to His closest followers in the last few hours He would have a chance to teach them what was most important to Him before He went to the cross and demonstrate what that kind of love was all about. We can all learn from His example.
Please check out our website and pray about whether you will help us make our goal to purchase a lodge in Canada.
northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 37 - Praise the Lord - still going strong

In Texas, where we are at is a sunny day with high around 78 and much wind than the last couple of days. The day would be a great day for riding and I felt good on the bike. I rode 41.5 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes at an average of 20.1 mph. I am just 3 miles short of 1300 miles for the trip. It is amazing what being over the half way mark does mentally. I've made it this far; and now have the shorter half of the trip left. I am comvinced that I can do it, that I will make it. Sure the knee hurts a little. The back half of of my body still hurts ocassionally and I have had a couple of days I would have rather not gotten on the bike, but I have fought through each of these things and am still going strong. That is something I have really come to know about myself, I am a fighter. I am a fighter against those inner-demons that try to defeat us or knock us back. I am a fighter against those people who are so negative and try and convince it can't be done. And, I know that I am a fighter when it comes to seeing people come to Christ. This trip has just reinforced that in my thinking, in my attitude, and in my life. I thank each of you that pray for me, for our ministry, and for this trip I am on.
Again today, I was thinking about John 15. Verse 11 says this, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." The "these things" refers to what Jesus has said in chapter 15 up to now. He has said much about abiding in Him; about bearing fruit; and he has given the warning of verse 6 and the promise of verse 7. He gave His disciples and us all that teaching so that His joy can be in us. See, when we put into practice all that He taught us in this portion of Scripture, we can have unbelievable joy. It will be the joy that can only come with knowing Christ as Savior and being in sweet fellowship with Him. And, when His joy is in us, the opportunity is there for our joy to be full. It isn't by accident that joy is one fruit of the Spirit and a fruit we are to bear. Talk to you more tomorrow. Visit our website at northernlightministries.org.

Day 36 - Week 6 begins

Week 6 begins riding through a couple of small towns; Albany and Breckenridge Texas. we are still about 80 miles west of Fort Worth and looking to be well east of Dallas by weeks end.I started the week out with a 41.9 mile day which I rode in 2 hours and 2 minutes at an average of 20.5 mph. In the area of Texas I am in it was a nice day with a fairly strong wind from behind me and high around 78. People that have been talking to me about my across the land ride have been telling me that once I hit Louisiana, it will be down hill from there. They do not seem to remember that there are no downhills when you are riding a bike on a trainer.
I still have been giving a lot of thought to John 15. Jesus ends verse 9 by telling us to abide in His love. Then He starts verse 10 by telling us how we do that, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." See those two things cannot be divided from each other. We so much want to abide in His love but we do not always want to keep His commandments. But these two things fit hand and glove; they go together. The  amazing thing about it is that Jesus Himself was our example of what this first statement truly means. He goes on in that verse, "Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." I challenge each of you to study the gospels from this standpoint. Study the times when Jesus did exactly what the Father had commanded Him to do. It is easy to do because He followed the Father's commands perfectly. He perfectly carried out the Father's will and His commandments. The more we can do that, the closer we walk with our Lord, the more we follow His commands, the more  we abide in His love. I will talk to you tomorrow. Check out our website: northernlightministries.org

Day 34 - The end of a good week

Well, today ended my fifth week of riding. I end 5 weeks over 1200 miles from where I began by dipping my foot in Pacific Ocean water and heading out on my map from San Diego, California. Of course I have done this entire ride on my bike in my basement, but I felt like I was riding the roads I describe from my maps. This week puts me over 1200 miles into the trip; about 100+ miles still to the west of Dallas. Today was a very windy day on the road with twenty to thirty mile and hour winds pushing me up the road. Praise the Lord they were not in my face. I went 40.2 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes for an average of 19.5 mph. It is amazing but today was the first day all week that I did not average 20+mph. I am hoping I can come close to the Texas/Louisiana line by this time next week.
One thing I have learned on this trip is how much is accomplished a little at a time. I have ridden 35 to 45 miles each day of riding and because of it have put in over 1200 miles. In 4 or 5 more weeks I plan on being to the Atlantic Ocean in southern Georgia. How? - By riding that 40 miles a day. I have some things in my life I want to accomplish in the next year. I am trying to adopt that same type of thinking to get them done.
Again I was thinking through John 15 today. In verse 9, Jesus gives his disciples (us) another thing we must abide in - the love of the Lord. He says in that verse, "As the Father has loved me, so have I lived you. Abide in my love." Think of all the peolple that have loved you. Have any of them loved you perfectly? That question you do not have to think about. They may deeply love you but their love is not perfect. The Father loves Jesus perfectly and you know what; Jesus has loved each of us perfectly. Jesus loves us with the same perfect love the Father loves Him with. There are no mistakes in His love for us. Think about that. No matter what we go through, in the good and bad times He loves us no less. His love is perfect. No one and no-thing can take us out of His perfect love for us. Yet He says and tells us to abide in My love. See, we cannot even remove ourselves from His love but we can live, act, or even think like we have. We could learn so much about how to love by just focusing on the life of Jesus and to look at all the situations He was in with His disciples and yet loved them perfectly.
Check out our website at northernlightministries.org and see what is up.
Have a great Lord's Day tomorrow and I will talk to you again on Monday.   

Day 33 - just that much closer to Dallas

Today was going to be a busy day so I did not have time to ride as far as I would have liked but I got in 32.2 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes for an average of 20.2mph. Tomorrow, Lord willing I will go over 1200 miles for the trip. I have been asked why I keep mentioning getting to Dallas. Well, I have a great deal of relatives there. My dear Aunt Peg, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Ruth and many cousins all live in that general vicinity. It would be good to see them and I am sure they would offer Lyle and me a place to lay my head for a night. It was a partly cloudy day today in west Texas with a high in the low 80's. Just right for today's ride.
I continue to think through John 15. After the warning of verse 6 and the promise of verse 7, Jesus makes this statement in verse 8, "By this is my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." One of the greatest things we can do on this Earth is to honor, exalt; to glorify our Lord and Savior and His Father. Think of what 1Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. And one of the best ways we can do that is by bearing much fruit. We already discussed bearing fruit and bearing more fruit and bearing much fruit but isn't it amazing that Jesus says that the Father is glorified by bearing much fruit. Not by bearing fruit or even more fruit, but by bearing much fruit.
There is a second benefit He let's us know about there. You prove yourself to be a disciple. The question is, "doesn't He already know?" Of course He does. He knows His sheep better than anything else. So, it isn't for Him to know who His disciples are; it is for each of us. See, that is one of those assurance verses. To bear much fruit is what disciples do. Disciples bear fruit. They desire to bear more and then even much fruit. Disciples strive to do that in their lives. In other disciples themselves with bearing fruit or more fruit. Their desire is to bear much fruit. So they prove to themselves of of being a true disciple. They prove and can assure to themselves they are disciples. That isn't referring to perfection, or doing just external works without the internal fruit that comes from knowing Him. You know, things like love, joy, and peace.
Look at our website and learn more about Northern Light Ministries at northernlightministries.org and please pray about how you help with our purchase of a lodge in Canada so we could impact many more lives for Christ. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 32 - What a day!

What a day this has been. After riding 2 hours and 3 minutes, going 41.5 miles and averaging 20.1 mph this morning in Texas, I spent 7 hours in the emergency room, in Ohio, with my little wife as she was having severe pain in her abdomen. We did not get home until 9:30, but praise the Lord, she will be fine in a few days. Made for a long day after 40+ miles of riding.
Riding this morning, I thought a lot about what the promise of verse 7 says, "ask whatever you wish you wish, and it will done for you." What is amazing is what is said in the last half. It indicates an action that is taken by God on a Christian's behalf. So, there is a proper order that is indicated. First, we must abide in Him. We cannot live our lives apart from the vine - the Lord. John puts it this way in 1John 1:6, "If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."See, abiding in Him means to have fellowship with Him; to walk in the light; and to practice the truth. If you or I am not doing that we are walking in darkness Secondly, Christ's word must abide in us. In other words we cannot live apart from The Word of God. We must read it, study it, memorize it, and hold fast to it. Third, we must ask. How is your prayer life? Is it more than thanking Him for our food? Do we pray only when we must? Fourth, comes the promise of God of how He will respond to us when we are doing the first three. He will take action; something will be done and God will do it. This isn't a reward system on God's part. It is promise that He will take action on our behalf. See, it is really a matter of faith on our part. If we knew God would, if I abided in Him, abided in His Word, ask Him, do what I want from Him; would we not do it. Only if we believe. That is the real issue; most of us do not believe it so we are often unwilling to do what He tells us to do. Think on these things.
If you check out our website, we are beginning to put pictures of the lodge we are hoping to purchase for our ministry Northern Light Ministries. The website is northernlightministries.org. We will be putting more pictures on the site. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 31 - On the way to Dallas

Another day of riding, but it was a great day. I rode 41.7 miles in 2 hours and 2 minutes for an average of 20.4 mph. That is the third day in a row of over 20 mph. I just can't believe it myself. Any one who really knows me knows that I should not be averaging those kinds of speeds but God is good. I have to admit it is God who keeps the legs going. I have hopes of being in Dallas by the middle of next week and maybe even to the state line by the end of the week.
As I have been riding I have spent a great deal of my time the last couple of weeks reading and have read some great books. That is one nice thing about riding across our land on a bike trainer in my basement. You still have to do all the pedaling without the worry of any traffic or having to watch for potholes or little critters crossing the road. This trip really has been a challenge for me but has challenged me far more than just physically. I have had to face some of my own shortcomings. But all of this has been good.
I also thought a great deal about John 15 again today. After the warning of verse 6, Jesus follows that with a promise in verse 7, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." It interests me that He begins with the word "if." That means it is our choice. It is our choice of whether we are going to abide in Him. He does not force Himself on us or make us do things like a robot. His desire, His want for our lives is to live for Him; to give it for Him. As the atheletes would say, "To leave it all out on the field for our Lord and Savior." Nor only does He want us to abide in Him but He also wants His words to abide in us. He wants the things He says in His Word to become our rule of faith and practice. That when we have a decision to make, we turn to His Word for direction and guidance. But all of this begins with "if you." I ask you to think about what the promise is Jesus makes to us, "if." Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 30 - First full day in Texas

Well, thirty days into my trek across our land. In many ways this trip has been all and more than I ever thought it might be. In just this first month I think I have learned a lot about my self. Lord willing, I will make it and make my goal. But my goal wasn't just to ride across our land or to raise funds to purchase a lodge in Canada to help improve our ministry, Northern Light Ministries. Let me encourage you to check out our ministry at northernlightministries.org and please consider donating to our goal to purchase the lodge. We need much help and maybe God could use you in this way.
Today, I road 41.4 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes for an average of 20.1 mph. On my map, we find ourselves just west of Lamesa, Texas. Today started out with rain but by mid-morning the Sun came out and was beautiful the rest of the day with a high around 85. Maybe, because I am starting the fifth week of riding or that I am beginning to see the destination down the road, or that I am reaching the half way mark of the trip soon but I feel very contemplative about what we are doing. Some times I think, "What in the world am I doing?" Other times I just think, "I am doing okay. I will make this." Most of the time I just keep thinking about how much I am learning about myself. As we reach closer to the end of the trip I plan on sharing with you more and more about what I have learned.
My thinking in John 15 took me to verse 6 today and gives mankind a very solomn warning, "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." There are many portions of Scripture that discuss this kind of thing; enough to know that this refers to an eternity in hell. You have to see what he does not say. He does not say that if a person is not saved, he is thrown away.  No, He says, "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away."  Do you know why? Well the truth is that a true Christian, not just one who gives it lip service but a person who is genuinely saved will abide in Him. But then people say, "Well I sin, so I must not be abiding then." The answer to that is what a Christian does with that sin. If you ignore it, or deny it, or try to hide it, or run from it; then, yes you are not abiding. But, if you do what He tells us to do when we sin. 1John 1:9, "If you CONFESS your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness." That is abiding, and that is what He wants from each of us in our lives. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 29 - Into Texas we go!

Well, we are in Texas at last and still well over 300 miles west of Dallas. It was a cloudy day but high in the mid 80's. I felt stronger on the bike today than any other day of riding so far. This was one of those days when I wish I would have had more time to ride. But I went 42.5 miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes at an average of 20.3 mph and felt good. That leaves us just 3 and 1/2 miles west of Seminole, a little town of about 6,500 people right on Rte. 180. While on the bike today, I finished a biography about Araham Lincoln. While all the talk is about the fact that 100 years ago, April 15, the Titanic went down killing over 1500 people. 48 years before that, April 15, Lincoln was assassinated. Thinking about all the loss of life and the dreadfulness of the two events in history made me think even more about what John says in John 15:5, "For apart from me you can do nothing." In that one statement, John demonstrates two truths. We must stay close to our Lord. He uses the word "abide" often in this passage. Without Him, close to us in our lives we will not be able to accomplish anything. I am dependent on God for my next breath, my next step, my table being filled with food and my marriage staying intact. I need Him in my life. Not only that though, the verse also demonstrates the sovereignty, the power, the omnipotence, the omnipresence, the omniscience of God. On the one hand we are totally dependent on Him. But God is all He is, not because of our dependence, but because He is God. Because of who He is, we are dependent on Him. Proverbs 3:5and 6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Talk to you tomorrow. 

Day 27 - End of week 4

Well, the end of week 4 and the legs are staying strong. Had another good day of riding today riding 41.1 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes for an average of 18.9 mph. That gave me a 245.4 mile week and a totao of 974.3 miles for the whole trip. Monday I will go over a 1000 miles and be into Texas. It was a cloudy day, but got up to the low to mid 80's here in southern New Mexico. This week I did a lot of reading from a biography of Abraham Lincoln. He was an amazing man. It is very easy to read when you are riding a bike that is on a trainer.
With yesterday being Good Friday and tomorrow the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and today being the end of 4 weeks of riding a bicycle and reading a book about a man like Abraham Lincoln, I thought much today about the word "commitment." Thinking about Honest Abe, he was so commited to the the unity of the union and was willing to give anything necessary to see that happen. And it cost a great deal. When I think about the Lord, I think about how much He demonstrated His commitment to His Father, his duty, and to the people in our world and especially to those who would put their trust in Him for their salvation. The word commitment really hit me this week. I have to admit, there were a couple of days when I did not want to get up and climb up on that bike. I had body parts that hurt, was feeling a bit weary a couple of those days, and I could have very easily just not gotten on the bike. But I did get up; I did eat a good breakfast and I did get up on that bike. A person can walk any where by just taking one step at a time. That is the best way to accomplish any task worth doing. A fortune can be amassed by saving a little at a time. Many huge projects are finished one minute or one hour at a time. Many small steps lead to a mile. Then they add up to many miles. It takes commitment and I am learning that doing this trip across our land.
Imagine being Jesus, knowing exactly why you had been sent to earth. You know exactly what was going to happen all the way up to how you were going to die. Yet Jesus was totally commited to the task. Nothing and no one, even Satan could keep Him from doing what He had come to do. He was a man commited to His Father, His task, and to those He loved. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." And He was commited to it. Thanks Lord for Friday, but thanks even more for Sunday. For He is the first fruits for all to come who put their faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Have a great Lord's Day and a great Easter. Talk to you on Monday.

Day 26 - God's creation is so magnificent

Yesterday, I would have ridden past the scenic Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Today, I would have ridden past the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. That is one place Lyle and I would have had to stop and see. That has always been on my "Bucket List." Even the description of it in my tour book that I use is amazing the enormousy (Is that a word?) of the caverns is amazing. It is also amazing how they describe it was all formed. I choose to give God all the credit for it. Today was another good ride. I think I am finding a comfortable speed that I am not pushing to hard. Yet one that gets me there. I rode 41.5 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes for a speed of 18.5 mph. The Carlsbad Caverns not only would have been neat to see, but the day was another beautiful day. By the time we stop tomorrow, I will be about 25 miles short of 1000 miles for the trip and just a short ride from re-entering Texas for the jaunt to the Dallas area. I have looked forward to that because I have a great deal of extended family in thait area ano that you will bear mored it would mean sleeping on a real bed for a night or two instead of in the van or tent. It will also mean I am a little beyond half way to the goal. I wish I could say that same thing in the fund raising department. I could really use your help to sponsor me for so much a mile that I ride. Check out our website for more information on me and our ministry and the opportunity we have.
I have enjoyed our study in John 15. Jesus makes a great statement to close verse 5, "Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. That is where the Lord wants us all to get - bearing much fruit. He has already said that a branch that bears fruit, so proving to be a genuine follower, He prunes so that it will bear more fruit. If you are bearing fruit for the Lord in your life, be ready for there may come a little nipping here or there, or even a lopping off of something. Why? So that you can bear "more fruit." Many of us may be in the midst of that time in our life where we can say, "Hey I am growing in the Lord. I am trying so very hard to produce fruit. But I am closer now to the Lord than I have ever been. Well, enjoy your time of bearing more fruit than what you once did - that is great. But wait - the Lord has even more for you to do or to work on in your life, because He wants you to bear "much fruit." If you thought you felt good about bearing more fruit, think about bearing even more fruit to the point of bearing "much fruit." Wow! That is one of those walk on water kind of experiences. But, that doesn't just happen. No it comes with going down only one path. The path is abiding with Jesus and He with us. You know, abiding, staying, remaining, living, staying true, in your life for the Lord. It means "just doing it," or "to keep on keeping on." The thing is that the Lord not only wants that for us, but we should want to accomplish that for Him and know we do that through Him. But that means in the good and the bad. That means at the start of the ride or when we are almost done and we hurt, are hot and sweaty, we abide with Him and He with us. That also means that it is not one sided - The Lord always giving to us and we just take and take and take. Just some thoughts from the seat of my bike. Talk to you tomorrow. 

Day 25 - Back into New Mexico

The route I have been following; route 180/62 heads back into New Mexico before it goes back into Texas and heads towards Dallas. With the storms they had yesterday; I heard 12 tornadoes hit that area; I am not sure what I might see riding through that area. Even as I type this blog; if I was really there; maybe it would be good if I held up the ride for a few days and volunteered some time to the clean-up of the debris left from the storm. Of course, I have to ask myself the question, do I really care enough to postpone what I am doing to help others? I may have to think more about that in the next several days of riding. Today's ride went well. I rode 40.6 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes for an average of 18.6mph. I felt good as I rode though. One person who has talked to me about my ride and the blog said that I need to ocassionally let people know my total miles. To date, I have ridden just under 900 miles of the approximately 2200 for the entire trip. I am right on schedule for the time period I had set for the trip. It was nice in western Texas again today - a great day for riding.
Thinking about John 15 again, I was thinking about verse 5. He starts out saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches." Two things are interesting about this. First, this is the first time that He actually calls us the branches. Up till now He has been talking about branches, but He does not call us branches until verse 5. Second, we now see the characters in this world of ours. Verse one He said that He was the vine. God the Father is the vinedresser or the gardener. And we are the branches. Those are the three things needed to bear fruit. The vine could bear fruit by itself but the vinedresser cares for the vine to help it to do all it is meant to do. But the vine and the vinedresser do not want to do it all. He wants to use the branches to be an active part in the fruit bearing. At the same time, we should never think we, as branches, can do it apart from the vine and vine dresser. And He wants each of us to know that for He goes on to say, "Whoever abides in me and I in Him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." It is an awesome thought to think that the only way I can bear fruit is by abiding in Him. How am I doing - how are you doing when it comes to abiding, abiding in Him? Talk to you tomorrow, Lord willing.