Well, here we are in my dream - in San Diego, California. We traveled three hard days in the van with all our gear, my bikes and repair tools and parts. Most of our nights will spent using the back of the truck as a bed. Not the best place for sound sleep but the price is right. Arrived in San Diego late this afternoon and will stay in a hotel tonight, go to church tomorrow to hear one of my favorite prechers and teachers and be ready to dip my foot in the Pacific Ocean and put in my first morning of riding on Monday.
It is not that great in San Diego tonight getting cloudy over night with patchy drizzle. Tomorrow, it is only supposed to get up to about 60 degrees but sunny. It is ironic that the temperature of my basement is about 60 degrees also. Did you know that the population of San Diego is 1,223,400 people and that it is only 13 feet above sea level. San Diego is filled with many museums, the famous San Diego Zoo, and it is the permanent dockage for the retired Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway. What a beautiful area to start my "trip across our land" (as I have begun to call my trip).
As with so many things that are new there is a certain amount of excitement about what I am about to do. Yes , I have ridden alot but have never tried to do something as major as this. I mean 2200 miles in the next 2+ months. So, at this point I am not nervous, or scared, but excited. Excited to get started, to ride and do something few people would ever do or even want to do (there are some who think I am out of my mind).
I wonder what God was feeling as He  began the creation of our universe, our world, all the plants and animals, and of course the first humans. When it says in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," what do you suppose he was feeling. Do you think he got excited to "begin?" Maybe God had all these thoughts of the how or what he was going to do.  How big was he going to make the elephants or was it a big decision to make them male and female? Could he have done it some other way? I am glad I didn't have to make those decisions. I love the way Paul ends Romans , chapter 12. Verses 33 to 36 says this, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gidt to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To HIM be glory forever. Amen." I am so thankful for that last verse, "For from him and through him and to him are all things." All things are from, through and to HIM. What a beginning God gave his creation. Was He excited to begin creating ? I think so! I  am excited too, to begin. I am excited about Monday.
Check out our website - northernlightministries.org

Following the dream

I have always been a dreamer. I love dreaming about going to different places on earth or doing things very few people have ever done. Even though I am doing this ride across America in the un-comforts of my basement, I still feel like I am accomplishing one of the many dreams I have had. The 2200 mile trip, beginning this next Monday, while being ridden on a bike trainer, will be done just as if I am on the roads of California or Texas or Georgia. I will be sharing about the route as we go through the various areas. If we were actually going to San Diego to begin the ride on Monday, we would have left today to arrive by Saturday night and get everything ready to leave on Monday morning. So the dream begins.
I have another dream that is going with me on this trip. NLM is a ministry to youth and families, taking adventure trips into the Canadian wilderness. We do biking, canoe and wilderness camping, hiking, retreats, and snowshoeing adventures. We have several small cabins we can stay at with groups, but they allow us to only house small groups so we are limited to the number we can take at one time. Recently a fishing lodge has become available and the owner would like to see NLM purchase it. With all the facilities that it has, the updated elctrical system, sewage system, and water filtration system, we could have groups or multiple groups of up to 100 at a time. It would also allow us to expand our minisry in many ways.
Anyone with an interest to help financially can sponser me on my ride for any amount per mile. I would encourage you to  go to our website at northernlightministries.org and get a glimpse of who we are.
I can only imagine what it would be like to riding in a truck right now, heading to California. But there is still much that has to be done before we begin on Monday. I can't help but think about what Paul told the church at Philippi, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." There are several goals that are before me with taking this ride. It is a goal, but Paul lets them know that a goal is what we need to press toward. I have prepared and am ready to press forward to reach these goals. But the eternal goal Paul tells us needs to press on toward is the upward call of Jesus Christ. That is a far more important goal we can all press on for. That is a voice I look forward to hearing.

Am I ready?

In one week I am going to start a journey I have dreamed of taking for more than 20 years. I am going to ride across this great country of ours on a bicycle. At least it is going to feel like it. I have dreamed of riding my bike, having a truck follow me with all the gear and camping equipment we would need. I have dreamed about spending the evening hours sharing with church youth groups at each of our stops to challenge them to get out of their Christian comfort zone and to live radically for the Lord Jesus Christ and to encourage them that no matter what, they can do and accomplish so much more than they could ever imagine in their lives. I have dreamed of dipping my foot in the Pacific Ocean just south of San Diego, California to ride 6 days a week until I reached the Atlantic Ocean in southern Georgia.
I have never had the freedom to take the time away to make such a trek as this, so in one week I am going to star this ride and accomplish my dream by riding my bike, placed on a trainer in my basement. I have prepared for it as I would have if I was actually ridiadyng on the road. I am treating it as if I was starting just south of San Diego and heading out. I have maps on my basement wall, will keep a very accurate account of where I am at on the road, the towns I go through, the struggles of riding daily, and the things I am learning.
The sharing I have dreamed of doing will be done by way of this blog. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to get started. It will be a challenge for me to keep up with the miles I will need to ride and to keep up with this blog at the same time along with other responsibilities I have. (I am not too computer literate).
So, I invite you to come along with me on a ride to accomplish a dream I have wanted to do. Come and enjoy the ride with me.
So am I ready? That is one of the most important questions any of us can ever ask. But then, the next question should be, "For what?" Well, I have been preparing to do this for some time now (Anyone who has ridden many miles on a stationary bike knows it is not easy). But, I think I am ready and look forward to get going next Monday. But there is a much more important reason to ask that question. Am I; are you ready ------------------- for heaven? I have spent time getting ready for this trek on the bike; but what do I have to do to be ready for heaven? Acts 16:31 answers that question simply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved."
Talk to you tomorrow!