Day 2 - Feeling Good!

I like to get my hours on the bike done early in the morning but because I had a number of things to get done early I did not get the miles in until early evening. But I felt good, rode 38 miles and did so at an average speed faster than my usual. I averaged 14.9 mph and finished the ride in 2 hours and 2 minutes.
I have been working to memorize Phil. 2: 1-5 this week, but today had a very hard time focusing on memorizing so I focused more on the ride I guess. That helped my speed but was not good for my memorizing. Although I do have verses 1 and 2 down.
The 38 miles I put in puts us right in the middle of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I have never seen the area before but I am sure it is beautiful; most state parks are. Maybe there is someone out there who could send me some pictures of the area.
I had someone mention to me that there may be many people who will read this blog who do not have any idea who I am so I thought I might use this day to tell you a little about myself. I am 59, have been saved for 33 years now. My family and I decided, when I was 38 to go into the ministry and spent 4 years getting a BRE in Bible with a Pastoral emphasis and another 3 years in seminary. Almost from the time I was first saved I have worked with youth and younger kids and have always enjoyed working with them (Even at my age, imagine that). Right now I am pastoring a small church in Ohio (a group of people I have truly grown to love) as well as being the Executive Director of Northern Light Ministries (NLM). We do adventure trips into Canada riding bicycles, doing wilderness camping and canoeing, retreats, and snowshoeing and would like to start doing more hiking adventures too.
We are hoping to buy a fishing lodge this next summer which is another reason for the ride across our land. We are hoping people will get behind this and sponsor me for whatever they would like to donate per mile I ride. Anyone wanting to donate to this can contact us at our website - northernlightministries.org. NLMi is a not for profit 501c 3 organization so any donations are tax deductable.
Today on the ride, I got to thinking about another passage in Philippians, chapter 3 and verses 13 and 14. it and sponserI have done a study on the term "one thing" and this is one of those passages. Paul says, "One thing I do." Paul was a very focused man. He knew God had a direction He wanted Paul to go and Paul would fight to keep going that way. God gave Paul one thing to do and nothing, absolutely nothing was going to keep him from going that way. Tomorrow we will look further at those verses but for today just suffice it to say that a number of people told me they thought I was crazy, riding across our country in the confines of my basement. But this was one of those times when I felt like a Paul. I am so focused on making the 2200 miles and yes, I hope God will teach me many things along the way and many people will get behind it and sponsor me financially on the ride. I believe God put it in my heart to do it and I believe HE will give me the strength to make it.
Thanks to all of you who have begun to send me notes. It is encouraging.