Prison and the working of Jesus

It is way too late and I am actually kind of sick, so I should be sleeping, but I wanted to blog a few thoughts.

This Friday, I went to the Sioux Falls State Penitentiary. There are some amazing things happening there and since I started going, it has been quite a changing experience. There are several guys that I know quite well by this point. One of them, was diagnosed with a heart condition where there is nothing doctors can do and they give him a couple months to live. He has become a leader in this church and continues to teach lessons there, which is awesome, yet he is very alone and yearns for companionship. His story really is amazing from where he was to where he is now and now what he has to face.

Another man, told me that he woke up earlier this week and said "coming to prison has been the best thing that happened to me." I have heard that a lot from several inmates because in that prison is where they found Christ. There are some great stories to here.

Now, there are a lot of problems with the prison system and they definitely don't do what most "conservatives" hope they do which is to deter people from crimes. That's a crock. But, they are places where an amazing missionary opportunity presents itself and a few brave Christians have gone there to start these types of things. Praise Jesus that he can be found behind prison walls!!

Yet, why is it that so many of these men were turned off to the church? Why didn't they find Jesus in our churches or more importantly, why didn't they find Jesus in our Christians? Don't look at that person on the other side of the aisle or in that other church, look at yourself. I have to look myself in the mirror every day and ask, could someone see Jesus in me every moment of every day or do I do things that turn people off towards Jesus.

Babysitting

This week, I am babysitting a dog, much like the one above. Today, I went out to feed him and was greeted at the door by a sniffing nose, longing eyes and a wagging rear end. He sniffed me to make sure I was safe and then wanted to go out to make sure that his territory was still marked. After attempting to mark my Blazer, he made his way to the tree and then back to me seeking attention. The whole time I was there, all the dog wanted was for me to pet him. He snuggled against my leg and shoved his nose into my coat wanting attention. As I stood by the door preparing to leave, he stood a couple feet back, looking at me with those sad brown eyes: no movement from the tail. Nothing like feeling loved.

As I sat petting the dog, I thought about Christmas and said to him, "Jesus came for you too." Does that sound weird? But he did. Sure, Christ came in a special way for humans because we were the ones who launched all of creation into death and decay and because we were also the ones set above creation to serve it and oversee it, but, he still did come for all of it. Often I think of Christ only coming to free me from my bondage to sin, but in reality, he came to free all of creation from it's bondage to decay. Tomorrow is a day of rejoicing for every created thing. All of creation, not just humans, will rejoice at the birth of the King!!

Fishing

Winter, despite the date, has officially set in. Saturday was a beautiful day and I took advantage, going ice fishing for the first time of the year. The motorcycles and swimming suits were put away and the short rods, heaters and augers were cleaned off and prepared. Sitting on the ice reminded me of how relaxing ice fishing is: no hammers, no music, no voices. It was a beautiful day of about 35 degrees and I didn't even use and ice house. A 5 gallon bucket to sit on was just fine and even though I was only out there an hour, I returned relaxed.

This weekend also held a trip with friends to Sioux Falls to see "Quantum of Solice," which, surprising enough, I found a very good movie. There was a lot more going on, like defining Bonds character, than you usualy Bond movie. I enjoyed it.

Saturday night, the weather made a turn for the worse. The wind blew about 30 mph and the temp dropped. Today, we are not working because it is supposed to be a high of -5 degrees with 20-30 mph winds, making the wind chill somewhere between -30 and -40. Not good when you are working outside. So, today, relaxation as well as getting some other things done.

God bless you all!

Tim

Saturday...

Saturday,
There is something beautiful about having a day where I don't have anything I NEED to do. Sure, there are plenty of things to get done and many of them do get done, but there is no schedule. It is something where I am not bound to the clock and where I can get things done in the time that it takes and not have to worry about it. I'm very thankful for Saturdays.

I made my first payments on my college loans. yay.

Tomorrow, I have to lead a lesson for the young people in my church. Hopefully, that goes well. The topic is going to be on getting out of our comfort zones and evangelism and what that means. We'll see what happens.

I was kind of down last night. Today, I was going to start my flying lessons. My words can't describe how excited I was to get started. Finally, after all these years, I am going to start the thing I wanted to do ever since I could remember! But, after work, I checked my email and was notified that today was not going to work... the excitement fell from my limbs. I have to wait another week? (sigh) Ok, I guess.

This week, we have been working about half an hour a way from home. On the way to and from work, we cross over I-90 and one day, I looked down at the cars running back and forth along the veins of the country and the trip was brought back to me. I do miss the feeling of the open road. I miss the wind, the destination and the trip: the smells, sights and sounds. My sight caught the horizon to the east and I thought of Boston and the Atlantic coast and then my gaze followed the asfalt to the west, and visions of the mountains and a sunset over the Pacific Ocean flooded into my memory.

Along with that, I "winterized" the Goldwing this week, at least partially. It hadn't run in almost 2 months, so I wanted to start it, warm the engine up and run some seafoam through it. After some messing around, exchanging batteries and jumpstarting, the engine fired. A cloud of blue smoke rolled out the tail pipes and then she purred like a kitten. Sound has a funny was of bringing back memories. Hearing that engine was like interacting with a friend you hadn't seen in years. The same familiar pur I had heard every day for 3 months and the life of the beast that had carried me around the country, now sprung through my ears once again. My eyes closed and I saw the mountains, winding roads, the ocean and deserts. The same smells, sights and sounds came to my ears as the sight of I-90. Off in the distance, the soft clanging of a buoy bell, bouncing on the ocean, could be heard over the slow crash of the waves...

Somewhat of an update

It has been a long time since I have blogged. Maybe, there's not a lot going on, or maybe I just don't feel like sharing it or maybe, I'm just too lazy to write it all out... choose your verdict or create your own. :)

Currently, I am sitting by our kitchen on the bar stools, waiting for the wax to dry on my Blazer. The day has been spent doing many odd jobs around the house from cleaning to fixing to relaxing to waxing. It has been a nice day of tasks to accomplish.

By the way, for those of you who didn't make it to the presentation, it went pretty good. I got a lot of good feedback from people, so that is good. Afterward, I watched my dad's recording of it, and I was kind of bored watching the first part... what does that mean when I am bored watching my own presentation? Anyway, it went well and people seemed to enjoy it.

Thanksgiving... honestly... right now, I have many thoughts, but I need to get some wax off the Blazer. Stay tuned!

A Presentation

For those of you who are still reading, and who care and who can make it, I will be doing a presentation on my trip at 8:15ish P.M. in 1st CRC, Edgerton, MN. There will be pictures and stories and quite a bit of time for questions. Come and listen and think of questions!

Tim

Sunset, fear and faith

Today, it was cold. We worked in the snow and when we were driving home, the thermometer showed 24 degrees. It was a good day.
One wonderful thing about this time of year, is, as I have mentioned before, the ability to see the sun come up and the sun go down. Today, I was standing on the roof of a house watching the sun make it's last push to the horizon. The flames burned the sky, scorching clouds in reds and oranges. After cleaning up our tools and piling in the pickup, the drive home came. The sun, still in it's course below the horizon, continued to put on a show causing windmills and farmhouses to be silhouetted against it's dying brilliance. As I sat there, with the hum of the tires, the blowing warm air and the sound of country music in the background, I wondered how beauty like this could be orchestrated every day and yet not be the same as previous days. How could people believe it happens by accident? How could a world so steeped in brokenness, pain and destruction continually create breath-taking scenes? In my 3 months on the road this summer, I never stopped contemplating this point. Just in our small section of the world, there is unbelievable beauty, even in snow flakes gathering in the frozen mud of a farmplace.

Fear and Faith. This is another of many questions floating through the matter in my brain. I have heard many opinions about fear and faith and how the two fit together. My own opinions can only be based upon what I read in the Bible and what I have experienced in my own life. Some people will say that if you fear, then you have no faith, or at least, very little. I don't agree.

In the instances where God has asked me to do something, there is usually fear. This usually occurs because God asks me to do things outside my comfort zone and naturally, that produces fear in me. The times I obey, I feel like I was in the right, fear or not. To me, fear is something that makes me rely on God that much more because some of the things he has called me to do, there is no way I could have or would have ever done them. In this way, I know that it is only through God that I did those things. Otherwise, I could have made an argument that it was through MY will or MY power that I did them, but because of my fear, I know it was not I, but HIM.

Did David fear when he saw Goliath? Did Moses fear when he first stood before Pharoah? Did Elijah fear when he challenged the prophets of Baal on Mt. Caramel? Did Peter fear when imprisoned? Did Paul fear when he was being stoned?

I can't say for sure, but I know that they were all human, as we all are. Humans have fear and I believe it is something that drives us and makes us more reliant on God. We cannot deny something that is part of our makup as human beings. I will say this, as Christians, fear cannot be something that rules our lives, but it should be a motivator, a driving force to call on God, because when we do that, miracles happen, God works.

I get a picture of "Batman Begins." In the movie, Bruce Wayne is afraid of bats and there is a scene in the movie where he embraces that fear and chooses to push it on his enemies. He is in the soon to be "bat cave," and scares the bats with a light. The start fluttering and squealing and he falls to the ground in fear. But, he falls on what he has learned about himself and slowly begins to stand up in defiance and in absorbing his own fear. It is something he recognizes, acknowledges, and uses as a driving force to battle evil.

Maybe as James says "I'll show you my faith by what I do," I should say, "I'll show you my faith through my fear." Maybe that doesn't make sense. Heresy? Ah, there need to be a few heretics to liven things up... right?

Dreams

I couldn't find a good picture for this post. I'm sorry.

Every night, I dream. Actually, I can't remember the last night I haven't had a dream. It's kind of weird and I don't really get it, but that's the way it is.

Last night, I had one of those dreams that was so real, I woke up wondering if it actually happened. Now, a full day after having the dream, it's impressions on me have dulled and I don't remember as much, but i remember the basics and some of the thoughts I had.

In this dream, I was partaking in some illegal activity that no one else knew about. I don't know exactly what I was doing. Towards the end of the dream, the cops found out as well as everyone I knew and I was so ashamed of what I had done. They came to a building that I was in and I tried to hide, but eventually had to turn myself over to them. I remember seeing faces and feeling the disappointment of the people around me. It was heart wrenching! Right before I woke up, I sat awaiting the verdict of what was to happen.

Then, I woke up with two thoughts planted in my head. The first thought held the truth of God, my Father, knowing and perceiving every hateful, perverse, non-God honoring thought and action, whether it was private or public. He knows everything that goes on and some day, I will have to stand before his throne and give account for all of those.

The second thought planted was that of the punishment. It was almost a vision of me standing before Christ and him looking into my eyes with an unblinking gaze filled with strain and yet deep affection. No words came, but just a knowledge of what he accomplished.

After waking up and letting these "thoughts" soak in, I fell to my knees in humility of my "badness" and yet in praise of ... well, my King and his gift.

It's my life...

Greetings all!
Winter is here. Last week, the weather was crazy, as many of you know, since you live here. Monday and Tuesday, we were working outside in short sleeve t-shirts. Well, by Thursday night, snow began to fly and Friday was a day of wet sloppy snow causing ice to form on the roads. As of right now, it is in the teens and snow covers the ground. Oh, fall.

This weekend, I went down to Dordt to visit a bunch of people. It was a great time hanging out and talking with people. Pretty much all day Saturday and Sunday were spent walking around and socializing. Sunday, I went to the church I went to my whole time at Dordt and it was awesome to be back there. Honestly, being there really made me miss it a lot. I miss the people, the college atmosphere, the schedule, the ministry... pretty much, the college life in general. It was something I knew I missed a lot, but I kind of forgot about... you know how time dulls your mind to the way things were.

Now that I'm home, that transition is setting in a little more. For most of my memorable life, it has been a cycle of school, summer, school, summer. Now, that cycle is broken and a new phase of the journey kicks in and I'm trying to figure out exactly what that path looks like. How do I continue to minister in Edgerton? How do I fit flying in with my schedule and where exactly will that lead? At this point, many questions continue to fly and I guess, there are answers somewhere down the path.

Decisions...

Decisions, Decisions...
Quite often, it seems like the picture above is so true. I know I almost always feel like I made the wrong decision whether it deals with construction or friends or life in general. Yet, decisions have to be made and the consequences, good or bad, must be lived with.

I have a few decisions to make in the near future. Currently, I am doing carpentry full time and I am hoping to start taking flying lessons in a couple of weeks to a month. The main decisions coming up step from how I want to be, or feel called to be, involved in this community. I have been approached by my high school to apply to coach the freshman basketball team. I think it would be a lot of fun working with high school students and being involved in that way, yet practice would be right in the middle of my afternoon of carpentry. I need work, to pay for my flying lessons. I also want to get involved in my home church and minister there. So, it seems like I need to make a decision about how much I can juggle and still be able to take flying lessons, which is one of my top priorities.

A week from Monday is when I need to let the school know whether I will coach or not. I am torn because I think it would be sweet and a great opportunity to minister, even though I'm not sure how good of a coach I would make. Yet, it is at a really bad time for work and flying lessons, which I was also hoping to do during the week.

That is one of the big decisions in my mind right now: how to manage my time and where do I feel called to minister?

Any suggestions? Thoughts? Observations?

In other news, the insurance company totaled out my motorcycle, but I bought it back and we settled on a price, so I got a good sized check yesterday. Fix up to follow.

Friday, I went to the prison to hang out with the inmates. Man did I miss that. Anyone want to come along in the future?

The weekend held warm temps, motorcycle rides, a little work and some ups and downs, joys and frustrations in church. Again, there is something here that just bugs me, but I can't put my finger on it.

Anyway, I have to pray and get to bed. Work comes tomorrow morning. May God continue to bless you all!

Tim

No I did not take that picture.

The past couple days have been good. This morning, I woke up in the dark, as usual, and got ready for work. Well, it had frozen pretty hard last night and I thought it would be cold outside. It was about 22 degrees or something like that, but once we got to work, it was a beautiful morning with no wind at all. The sun started to rise, lighting the few clouds that were in the sky with a light shade of pink and eventually, the golden orange curl of the sun came over the horizon. That is one nice thing about getting to work before sunrise... every day we are outside (and it is clear) we get to see the sunrise. Just another blessing!

Today, it warmed up to the mid 50s or so. Upon arriving at home, the motorcycle was calling my name, so I decided to answer. I fired one of them up and got down and buzzed around town for a few minutes and then shot north out of town, putting a few miles of road behind me. It brought back the trip and it really hit me how much I miss traveling by motorcycle and seeing country. It guess that could be part of the mourning process of a change in life. Anyway, with winter approaching, I better ride as much as I can because soon, the cycles will have to rest for the winter. Sad day. On the other hand, that also means the ice fishing equipment comes out... yay! Oh, dilemmas!

A welcomed encounter

I am now the happiest I have been in a while. I don't mean that I have been sad or depressed or anything, but that "higher" happiness after a great conversation.

Tonight, I went to the apartements in town and visited an elderly woman that I have known since high school. It was something I meant to do all week, but didn't for various, not so good, reasons. It's amazing how Satan can distract my mind even though I know exactly what God wants me to do.

Anyway, it was an encounter where we talked about family, prosperity, problems, God's leading, creation and a host of other topics. Sitting there, I wondered about her past and what she was like when she was my age. I also wondered, when I am in my upper 70s to 80, if I would have a friend who was in his 20s that would come and talk with me. It is interesting to think about how God has used me to touch her and also her to touch me and we are 50 to 60 years different in age.

So often, we think of God's "mission" work to be spreading the gospel off in a corner of the world with people who aren't as "fortunate" as we are. There are people who are called to that, but for the majority of the Christian population, is it only writing checks and attending church services? I could not have felt more in the will of God than I was tonight.

Who knows? Someone, who won't be born for another 30-40 years, may be used by God to come and visit with me and we can mutually encourage each other. Who knows? Well, only one does...

The Transition

I have now been in Edgerton about 12 days. Since returning home, I relaxed and unpacked and attempted to wrap up my trip, which is an ongoing process. Also, a week of work is in the books and a couple weekends of hanging out with family and friends. It has been very good to be home.

Really, my transition to living back in Edgerton has been pretty easy and I think that is because I was so ready to get home. This week though, I thought about it some more and it is weird to think that this is my life for the next few years. For 17-18 years of my 23 years on earth have been a process of school, Christmas break, school, summer break, over and over again. There was change every few months. Now, I find myself looking at a future of "normal" life and I don't think it has really set in yet.

In reality, it excites me and scares me at the same time. Discontentment might set in and a search for more adventure might take a hold of me to the point where I want to leave, but really can't. On the other hand, God's work, here, in Edgerton and the surrounding area has been and continues to excite me. There is an amazing opportunity to serve here and I just pray God gives me a clearer picture of what that looks like.

So, I continue to think and feel my way through this transition. My devotions have taken somewhat of a hit since getting home and I have felt somewhat disconnected from God. Hopefully, that gets better soon.

God bless you all!

Tim

A time of thought

I have now slept in the same bed for 3 nights in a row. One more, and that will be the longest I have been in one place since July 1-5. It feels kind of weird to be back.

Actually, my whole life, after reading stories such as the Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings, I always wondered what it would be like for those people to go on such a grand adventure and see amazing things, but then return to where they live and go back to normal life. For example, in C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," the 4 children fight wars, become kings and queens and do all these amazing things, then they are back to ordinary life.

By no means was my adventure quite like theirs. There were no orcs trying to kill me, no ring to destroy, no battles against the white witch... yet, on the other hand... Satan was there, trying to discourage me, Jesus (Aslan) was also there whispering encouragement: part of me was lost, part of me was found anew...

As of now, I am in a transition time that most college graduates have gone through already. I am going to start work on Monday, the college loans come due in about a month and reality is reminding me that this is where I am going to live for at least a couple years. It's exciting and scary at the same time. I haven't lived, year around, in a place since high school, so it will be a new adjustment, but, I think, one that I will welcome.

Although, who knows when the open road will start a' knockin'...

Pictures

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Here are some pictures of Rocky Mountain National Park, the accident and the Black Hills. Enjoy!

Link to Pictures :)

I'm planning on keeping the blog going for whatever thoughts and experiences come to mind, so you can keep reading if you wish. Otherwise, I would like to, again, thank all of you for your prayers throughout the entire trip. I feel like God richly blessed it! It may not have gone as I was originally planning, but many things happened and I met many people!

Some stats will come in a later post. And as for the mileage guesses, I'm still trying to decide what to do with that because, well, the cycle didn't make it the whole way back...

God bless you all!

Tim

Home... good ol' Minnesota!

Home!
After 95 days on the road, driving through all kinds of weather conditions and landscapes, I have arrived back in the corn and bean fields of southwest Minnesota! It is kind of surreal to believe I am back here after all the places I have been in the last 3 months and yet, sitting in my living room and seeing Edgerton, it feels like I have never left.

After the accident on Friday, I had an opportunity to spend time with relatives in Evans, CO which was a great time and for their kindness, I can never thank them enough. On Sunday, my parents came down and picked me and the motorcycle up and from there, we made our way to Rapid City, SD Sunday night. It was so good to see my parents as well! I hadn't seen them in a month and a half and even though we talked every night on the phone, almost, it was good to hug them and see their faces.

Monday was a day where we toured Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, the Needles Highway and Spearfish Canyon. All of which were excellent, even if it was done in the pickup. Then, Tuesday held the drive across South Dakota back home.

I still have much reflecting to do on the trip, but here marks another change in my life where I will actually be in the same place for quite some time and where I must try to discern where God wants me to do his kingdom work here and in what manner to do it. There is so much work to do!

I have been very disappointed the last few days of not being able to ride the motorcycle all the way back, but also thinking about it, God provided blessing upon blessing through the accident and the next few days. I still fight my disappointment, but as someone said to me, it feels better when we can look to God working through what happened and see his hand guiding every step of the way.

Well, I have much work to do to wrap the trip up, settle back in and get all the insurance stuff taken care of. If you are around, stop in. I'm home!
Pictures of Rocky Mountain National Park and the accident will get posted pretty soon, so stay in tune for those!

God bless you all and I can not thank you enough for all your prayers in the past 3 months. I'm convinced that they saved my life and brought the opportunities that they did.

Again, May God bless you all!

Tim

An unexpected end...

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write to you now with a little different spirit and I'm not exactly sure what to say but here it goes...

All your prayers from the beginning of the trip to this point have culminated. I can now say that I have survived a motorcycle accident, and done so with one scratch and a sore neck.

Yeah, you read that right... I had a motorcycle accident, but am in as good of health as I could have expected.

Here's the story... yesterday (Friday), I was coming down from Estes Park, CO after some sweet sightseeing in the mountains. I was following a Honda CR-V and thinking about how sweet Hondas are. Well, there was also a car behind me and we were going around a curve to the right. I looked away for a split second and looked back and the Honda was braking to turn left. No big deal. I stepped on the brakes and started moving right to go around and get out of the way of the cars behind me. As I was moving to the right of the Honda, I got nailed from behind and scraped alongside the passenger side of the Honda before coming to a stop and falling over on the pavement. I was on the cycle the whole time until it stopped, so that was good. The first thing I thought was, "Man! There goes the trip!" And that really frustrated me.

There is so much to write about it that I don't even know what to include. I got up and walked around, pretty mad about the trip being over, but I soon collected myself, got my wallet and license and registration and found my camera under the vehicle that I hit and took some pictures of everything. Within 5 minutes, 4 RNs had stopped. The fire department was first on the scene and they directed traffic. God really brought some awesome people to my aid. There were some people from across the street who had a camper they were trying to sell. They opened it up and let me put all my stuff in it and I parked the bike at their place last night. There were also some awesome people from Greeley, CO that helped me collect everything and they even went back up with me today to get the cycle.

This accident was so covered with the grace of God that I can't even begin to describe. Ask me about it some time. To me, that is all your prayers for me... I am ok...the perfect people were there at the perfect time... I had relatives close by...
One of the state troopers even said that it is unheard of for there to be a 3 vehicle accident, with one of them being a motorcycle and no one to be hurt. "It doesn't happen." he said. That is your prayers working.

As for what I am thinking, well, I can't express how frustrated I am that I won't be able to finish the trip on the Goldwing. Tomorrow was when I was supposed to meet my dad in the Black Hills and ride there for a couple days. Then, we were going to ride back home on Tuesday together. Again, I can't express how excited I was to ride those last 2 hours home where I knew the roads. In that sense, I feel like something was taken from me. But, on the other hand, I met some awesome Christian people up there. The people that hit me weren't Christian. I had a little opportunity to talk to them about that, but not much. Pray for them.

As you can tell, I'm not even formulating thoughts that well. There are just too many details that I want to tell you about, but just can't include everything. Sorry for the stream of consciousness writing.

As for the rest of the trip, my parents are coming out to Evens, CO to pick me up. Instead of meeting my dad in the black hills, he and my mom are coming here with the pickup to get me and the cycle. Then, we still plan on going through the Black Hills and then drive home on Tuesday.

I guess, my "motorcycle" trip is officially over, even thought I am not home. The rest of the journey will be in a pickup. I might blog some more in the next few days and I'm sure I will keep typing every now and then afterwards. Reflection will always be good. After that, who knows? I might keep blogging with thoughts or questions.

Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for all your prayers because they defintely saved me, not only yesterday, but throughout the entire trip. Please thank God for the successful journey, my safety, the safety of the other drivers and thank him for how everything played out. Also, pray for the couple that hit me, as they weren't believers.

I think that's it. Again, sorry for not having any flow to this blog. :)
God bless you all and see you soon!

Tim

Day 89...Approaching the home stretch

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
I have enjoyed a long break here in Denver with some awesome people, but now, I must be heading on. This afternoon, I plan on going to Rocky Mountain National Park and probably camping there two nights and hiking around a bit.

The time is drawing close for the trip to come to an end. I plan on being home about a week from now, which is really weird to think about. I have seen so many things and talked with so many different people, but sitting here and thinking about it, it doesn't feel like I have been away as long as I have. Yet, on the other hand, when I think back to being in New York and out in Acadia National Park in Maine and the struggles I went through at that point, it feels like an eternity ago.

I am super excited to get home and to see many of you again, but there will be part of me that will miss waking up every morning and wondering what adventures are in store for the day. Of course, there are adventures in all places and on every day, but I mean the adventures of getting on the motorcycle and driving some place new and talking with people I have never met and even bringing up religion with them. I will miss those things.

But, before I get to that point, there is still a week left where God may have doors open for me to talk with people. Please pray for those people and pray for me to live every day with my eyes focused on him.

God bless you all!

Tim

Pictures!!

Greetings all!
I am still in Denver, CO and will still be here for a couple days. It has been awesome spending time with friends and actually relaxing! Yesterday, church began the day and then there was a sweet fishing excursion into the mountains where we caught a few trout and took in some beautiful scenery!

Well, here are a bunch of pictures. I quickly went through my pictures and selected a few of them. This is only a sample of what there is... enjoy!

Pictures 1

Pictures 2

Pictures 3

Pictures 4

A big day

Greetings all!
Maybe I should give a prize to the person who guesses closest for the mileage I have when I get back home. I might do that... stay posted. (I see there is already one guess).

Today was quite a day. I woke up to frost once again and as I sat crunching on my Cocoa Roos and watching the sunrise over the mountains and seeing the trees ablaze with fall colors, my mind wandered and I began to reflect on God's promises of causing the seasons to come and go. It truly is a miracle, in this world of decay and pain that the sun never fails to rise and the trees never fail to change colors and spring never fails to sprout new life. Just a few thoughts.

Once my Cocoa Roos were down and the tent packed up, I drove over the pass and to the base of Grays Peak in Colorado. This was a mountain a group of us attempted to summit 2 years ago, but were turned back by a snowstorm. No sooner had I begun, then two men said I will never make it to the top because of snow and ice. Well, I decided to get as high as I could, enjoy the view and head down. I ascended higher and higher and met a few more people who had turned around, but once I got up to the mountain, I saw many people up there in the snow and again, I decided to see how high I could get. When all was said and done, I arrived at the summit in my nearly smooth sneakers, the same ones that carried me to the belly of the Grand Canyon and up to Mt. Rainier, and the view was awesome! Miles and miles of God's good creation were laid before my feet with rain and snow showers mixed in the scenery.

The night before, I had read Psalm 8 and sitting there, the words of vs. 3-4 stood out. Again, I read those verses and looked at that view and felt completely miniscule. But, then, I read vs. 5-8 and felt a great importance. As I sat, with Bible in hand, and reflected on that, a man noticed the Bible and asked me what scripture stood out in that place. So, I told him what I was thinking and he agreed wholeheartedly. It was a short but very sweet encounter atop my first ever 14ner.

I have many more thoughts and reflections, but I am tired. Now, I am in Denver area with some awesome people. This will be the first time I have stayed in one place two nights in a row since I was in Modesto, CA: over 2 weeks ago. So, it is a welcomed stop.

There is no good way to end this, so may God continue to bless you all as I have seen him do!

Tim

The furthest point...

As I write to you now, I am taking a break in Rifle, Colorado. This marks the second time I have been in Colorado on this trip and I am very excited because this time means I am heading home.

The past couple days have been interesting. Yesterday, I left my campsite on the shores of the great salt lake and headed for Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, I found my way to the Mormon Temple Square and took a tour of their facilities. It was interesting to see their tabernacle, visitor's center and where they worship. The grounds were also very beautiful being covered with flowers and fountains. Mixed in were also statues of Joseph Smith. I was kind of disappointed because I thought there would be more talk on the beliefs of Mormons, but it was more of showing off the buildings. Although, there were plenty of "missionaries" to talk with. The whole time I was there, I couldn't think of a good question to ask them about their beliefs, which is kind of my curse, but once I started heading down the highway, then I thought of questions. One of my tour guides asked if I wanted a book of Mormon and I thought about it and said, "sure," thinking it would be interesting to read and then she wanted to know where I lived so they could send over some elders with the book to talk with me. "Well, maybe I get one later." It could be interesting, though, in the future to host a couple Mormon elders. Leaving there and after my conversation with the man the other night left me wanting to learn more about Christianity and its history and then also to learn about these other religions.

I made my way through the mountains to the southwestern part of Utah and down to Arches National Park. That is a beautiful part of the country! It resembled what you see in westerns and, I am told, many were filmed in the area. So, I toured Arches this morning and now am making my way across Colorado. Tomorrow, I hope to be in Denver and will be there with friends for several days. That will be a welcomed break because I have now slept in a new place every night for a little over 2 weeks. A break will be nice.

My estimate of 15,000 miles has been shot because I passed that point today. So, who knows what the total will end up being. Any guesses?

Well, I better hit the road again. There are a few more miles to cover before I stop for the not. Hopefully, it doesn't rain because my plastic bags, housing my sleeping bag, tent and sleeping pad have huge holes in them from the stinking ravens. Not so waterproof.
Anyway, God bless you all and have a great weekend!

Tim

Day 82... Heading South

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
It has been an interesting few days since I last blogged. Since that time, I have been through Yellowstone National Park and saw some amazing things from waterfalls and canyons to Elk and Bison to Geysers and mountains and lakes. It was an awesome stay and of course, one with many pictures. Last night, I camped next to the Grand Tetons and this morning drove along side of them taking pictures in the morning light. It is crazy how much the landscape changes in this section of the country and how diverse Yellowstone is. Truly a beautiful place!

Now, the weather has been somewhat disagree-able. The first day in Yellowstone, I think the high was somewhere between 37 and 44 and it was windy, cloudy and I even drove through a few snowflakes. Crazy! The past two nights of camping, one in Yellowstone and the other by the Tetons, it has dropped below freezing. I was forced to dip into the bottom of the saddlebag where my thick pants and coat were for some proper sleeping attire. This morning, when I stuck my head out of the cacoon of my sleeping bag, the thermometer said 22 degrees, but I think it was lying to me because right after that, when I started moving and stuff, it jumped up to 30. So, either way, it was between 22 and 30 in the tent. Hopefully, it warms up a little.

Have any of you heard of Bahi? Yesteray, I was having supper and a man drove up in a van and set up camp across from me. He came over and we talked for a while and he seemed nice enough. Well, I decided that I needed to talk with him more, so I prayed that God would grant me success in gathering enough firewood for a couple hour fire and after much cracking and smacking and chopping, I had a good size stack of wood. An invitation was extended and he came over. I was set on bringing up religion at some point in the evening, but as usual, God led him to that topic. He said that he was a part of a religion called Bahi and they basically believe in the validity of all religions, except that they claim to have a religion higher up on the totem pole, so to speak. He acknowledged Moses and Jesus and Buddah and Mohammad and Joseph Smith as all men sent by God to speak to the church in certain contexts. I could describe their beliefs further, but I want to read more about it myself.

Basically, we sat there talking about varying beliefs and he kept trying to make it sound like it fit with Christianity and the Lord would just give me parables of Jesus and teachings of the prophets and Jesus to shoot that down. Basically, I tried to tell him the gospel in comparison to what he was saying to me. It was a great discussion and he was a super nice guy, but as with other things, I can't see the impact that our conversation had on him. He didn't back down at all and I just pray that the Holy Spirit moves in his heart.

This morning, he invited me over for some oak meal, so that was good as well. It was nice to get something hot in me and have a little more time to talk with him. Over the past few days, there have been several encounters with people, not on the religious level, but where I had nice conversations with them and these three instances, God used to show me, again, the goals I had when I left. So, please pray that God continues to challenge me and also pray for the man I met last night.

I hope to be home in about 2 weeks and I can't wait to see and talk with you all once again! God bless you!

Tim

By the way, I am in Jackson, WY and heading for Salt Lake City, then Arches National Park and then Denver.

An update

Greetings all!
Well, I'm not sure what to write. Many miles have been put in since I last blogged and a few pictures have been taken.
For a brief senopsis (however you spell that), I made it to Glacier which was a very beautiful stay. I hiked about 11 miles up to one of the many lakes within the park which offered some spectacular views. Although my time in Glacier was sweet, it didn't quite live up to expectations because the Going to the Sun road was closed, due to construction. I could have driven more of it from the east side, but that would have meant many more miles. Oh well, just another reason to go back. :)

In Glacier last night, I talked with some fellow Minnesotians! It was a great time and it was good to be in the presence of people that understood waving to everyone in town, and driving down gravel roads and knowing the frustrations of being a Vikings fan. It was also great to meet people who liked the Twins and were so friendly. I think that is just a Minnesota trait, but who knows.

Sunday, I made my way South, driving through strong winds, cold weather and some rain and I eventually made it to Belgrade. Actually, I first drove through Manhattan and Church Hill, MT to check out the areas and then made for Belgrade. Long story short, I ended up in a hotel for the first time since Acadia, Maine (besides Oklahoma City with my parents). On Sunday night, I made it to a CRC in Church Hill where I was warmly greeted by some new faces and some that I recognized. It felt like being home, in a place where people know you and it was a great feeling. Thank you so much for all your kindness and for eating some tacos with me!

Tomorrow, Monday, I am heading for Yellowstone and should be there a couple days and then, we shall see where the route takes me.

I'm sorry that this is a more informational blog and not so much what I'm thinking, but I had a few long conversations on the phone tonight about feelings and thoughts and it is late, so basically, I don't feel like sharing anymore. Maybe in the future. Until then, God bless you all!

Tim

P.S. I tried to upload some pictures, but this computer is not having it. Maybe soon, or maybe not until I get home...sorry.

Day 77

Another Weekend approaching!
Since the weekend is coming, I thought I should update the blog again since I probably won't be able to in the next couple days.

Currently, I am in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho and heading for Glacier National Park. Today will probably mark the furthest north I will have been on the trip. I haven't really looked at a map, but it seems like it should. The plan is, to get to Glacier, camp tonight and then hike around there tomorrow and camp again that night and then start heading south towards Yellowstone. It should be a good time and I have heard great things about the park, so I am really excited!

Yesterday, I made it all the way to Spokane, WA and it amazed me how the landscape changed. From Oak Harbor, I headed into the mountains and on the West side, they were green and very lush, but as I kept going through them, the trees eventually gave way to smaller shrubs and then scrub brush and soon, I found myself in a desert like setting, similar to New Mexico and Arizona. I was really surprised! Then, going further, the landscape changed again to miles upon miles of harvested wheat fields. It was quite a change.

Really, I don't have a lot to write right now, but I felt I should blog before the weekend. The plan from here, which still could be changed, is to head south to Yellowstone and then through the Tetons to Salt Lake City and then continue south to come into Colorado from the West. From there, head east through the mountains to Denver and then up north again to Rocky Mountain National Park and to the Black Hills and then back across South Dakota, home. I figure, it should take about 3 weeks or a little less. That is what I am figuring anyway.

Well, for not having a lot to say, I have said a lot. Enjoy your weekend!

Thank you so much for all your prayers, for I know that this trip would not have gone this well without all your prayers! God bless you all!

Tim

A new direction...East

Hello,
It seems like my blogging has been rather spiratic lately, so I am sorry for that, unless you like not having it every day, in which case, "you're welcome."
The last few days have been a little different and went different than planned. Before leaving Everett, WA, I changed the oil in the Goldwing, so that should be good until I get back home. Then, I kept looking for a place to take it and no one would. Frustration set in, but eventually, I did find a place and headed out.

I ended up calling a relative to see if I could visit with him for a while and that worked out, so I drove over to Oak Harbor, WA. As it turned out, he invited me to stay the night. Now, I really wanted to get into the Cascade Mountains and was really antsy to start heading east and hopefully meet some people in the campground, but then God planted a few thoughts. Here is this elderly man, who lives by himself now and probably wants some company. Also, it would be good for me, so I decided to stay and we had a great time.

While at his place, I reflected a little bit on age and the hardships of life. Remembering things from my past and now seeing this man and knowing his wife had Alzimers, pain just kind of came up in my mind. There have been books upon books written on pain and everyone experiences it in their own ways and yet, it is amazing how God works through pain. But still, every time I feel it or see it in other people, I just want to scream "Come Lord Jesus!" And, I believe that is what our yearning should be. Yet, on the flip side, Jesus us not to sit and wait for his coming but to get out and reclaim his creation. He says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." How are the workers few if this country says it is 85% Christian? It's because there are so few people who are truly affected by the love of Christ and it so overflows in them that they want to spread it to others. We have many Christians in name, but very few in "being Christ."

Another thing I think about a lot is that sometimes, we get these notions that sharing the love of Christ and being "harvestors" means going overseas or on long trips to find people who aren't Christians and converting them. Being Christ and being harvestors means being the people of God, right where we are at any given time, to any given person in any given place. It could be a smile, eye contact and a "Thank you" to the cashier at the store or it could be tying a little kids shoe. The love of Christ does not have a minimum requirement. It encompasses all good deeds done in the spirit of love. This is something God has been convicting me of pretty hard on this trip. He may not lead me to bring someone to Christ every day or every week or even every month, but every single day, I can practice being Christ to every single person that I meet.

Anyway, again, those are just a few of the thoughts running around my head. If it doesn't make a lot of sense, please don't hold it against me, because, as I've said before, I just get to a library, sit down and spill out what comes.

By the way, I am now in Twisp (?) Washington and heading east. I hope to be close to Spokane by tonight and get to Glacier National Park tomorrow. Whoot!

Have a great end of the week and God bless you all!

Tim

Day 74... A hike, Rhythm and a few thoughts

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
I update you now from Everett, WA where I am staying with some awesome people! Above, is an updated map of my journey and where I have been. Sorry about the sloppy-ness. I am tired and didn't want to spend so much time doing it. Maybe, a new map will be found: one that is better.

Well, I did make it to Mt. St. Helens yesterday, which was kind of strange to behold. Basically, it looked like a mountain...that had the top blown off. I tried to imagine what it looked like, but no pictures came to mind besides the ones I had seen on the History Channel.

From Mt. St. Helens, I made my way to Mt. Rainer. Again, an awesome sight to behold! Up to this point, I had seen that mountain on my flight simulator and on postcards, but never up close. It is pretty sweet...and the weather was clear as well, which, I am told, is quite rare. So, the campsite was chosen and I settled in for the night.

This morning, I wanted to do some hiking, so after seeing some waterfalls, I drove closer to the mountain. From there, I hiked for several miles and had some awesome views of the mountain. Part of me, wanted to continue on and conquer the mountain, which I would guess is a human characteristic, but I knew that I didn't have the time or the gear and so after a great hike, I turned around and headed down.

On the way down, my keys were jangling in my pocket with every step and soon, I started snapping my fingers with the rhythm and to this beat, "Jesus Loves Me" was hummed/whistled/sang (not all at the same time). It was so random, but made the hike down so much better.

Thinking about that, going down, really, that is all that matters. I remember talking in Theology classes and Shim making some comment about it... Jesus Loves Me. There it is... that is the entire point of Christianity. We can fight and bicker and hit people over the head with the plank sticking out of our own eyes, but we sure don't remember the point, Jesus Loves Me. Why are we so quick to forget that point when others do things that annoy us or do things to hurt us? When all the dust from Synod settles and the desks get put back in order after a heated debate in theology class, maybe we should all hold hands and sing...

Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong.
They are weak but He is strong!

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so!

Much, Much, Much

Greetings All!
It is now Monday, which means the Librarys are open once again, but I have a very limited time. So, a quick catch up of the last few days. Basically, I camped at Redwood National Park in the big trees, then drove up to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and camped there and then yesterday, I drove back to the coast and camped right on the ocean. Now, I am heading north towards Mt. St. Helens and hopefully, Mt. Rainer later today.

It has been cold. Two nights ago, it dropped to 35 degrees. Last night, it dropped to about 40 degrees. So, thanks to God for warm clothes and sleeping bag!

Full service stations, like the ones in Oregon are awkward on a motorcycle, because basically, all they do is, after I slide the card through, they take the nozzle off the pump and hand it to me. Really, kind of awkward. Just saying.

The ocean was awesome and I actually got to see it under the sunshine. Last night, I watched the sunset over the water, which was quite an experience. It was also cold!

As of right now, I am doing pretty good. Some good devotions times have taken place and I have many miles to cover. Many, many thoughts have passed through my head, but I am almost out of time.

Hopefully, I can blog more later. God bless you all!

Tim

By the way, I am now over 12,300 miles for the trip.

Day 70... (untitled)

Greetings All!
The last few days have been very interesting. I made my way out of the central valley towards San Francisco and after crossing the Bay Bridge and navigating downtown San Francisco, I made my way to the Golden Gate Bridge where I was able to stop and take a few pictures from several different locations. It was slightly foggy and the top of the bridge was in the clouds, so it was kind of cool. While I was there, I kept thinking about Full House and also the movie, "The Rock" when I looked across at Alcatraz Island.

From the bridge, I followed highway 1 up the California coast. Actually, I was not impressed at first because it was really bumpy, but it got better and the scenery was awesome!

Last night, I found a campground and ended up picking a campsite next to some guys. I stopped and talked with them for a little while and then went to find try get a phone call out. Upon returning, I built a fire, but was soon convicted to go and talk with those guys. So, I went back over there and we talked about many different things for a quite a while. I had set a goal of asking someone what they thought about religion before the week was up, so I was trying to think about how to do it with these two men. Well, then they asked what I majored in, in college. Bingo. I said, "Theology," and after that, we talked for quite a while about the church and the problems with it and about different religions. It was a great conversation! The one guy was Baptist, then had left for a while and lately he has been exploring all kinds of faiths, but still leans towards Christianity. It was a great night of sitting around the fire, having a beer, and talking theology. I thank God for that time!

Right now, I am in Eureka, CA and making my way towards Redwood National Park. Today has been an interesting day of driving. When I left, it was about 57 degrees, so I had several layers and big thick gloves on. Then, the road bent away from the coast and it warmed up to about 80 to 85, so I was stripping layers off quickly. As I drove, the road started working its way back to the coast, so again, the temperature dropped and I was forced to stop along side the road and cover up. What a crazy day!

Actually friends, today I am the most depressed I have been in a long time and I am not exactly sure why. Whether there is something oppressive about the areas I have been going through or what, I don't know. But, while riding today, I definitely considered turning east and heading home. I'm not sure if I have had a day like this on the entire trip, where I am just down and want to go home. Prayers about that would be great. Honestly, I am having a hard time describing to you how I feel and "depressed" is the closest I can come. Who knows?

Well, if I hold to the plan, I should be in Redwood National Park today and go to Crater Lake, OR tomorrow and then keep heading for Washington. Please continue to pray for safety (and no rain!).

Thank you so much for your prayers in this journey!

Tim

Hiking, friendly faces and the road to the ocean...

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Two days ago, when I last updated, I was heading for Yosemite National Park. Well, I made it there safely and took in the sights there. The first day, I made my way to Yosemite Vally, which is the famous part of the part that everyone streams to. And boy where there people there. In the valley, there were cars and people everywhere. That night, there wasn't a campsite to be had, so I had to drive 16 miles west to get a campsite.

Sorry, I think today is one of those days where I just sit down and type random bits of information. I'll try again.

Coming down into the park, there is awesome scenery with glass smooth, gray cliffs rising thousands of feet above you on either side. Between these cliffs, a river runs lazily through a valley covered with trees and meadows. Now, normally, there are waterfalls coming into the valley, but Bridalveil Falls had about a whopping 2 gallons going over it per second and Yosemite Falls had absolutly nothing. That's what I get for being here in early September.

After a quick tour of the valley, I made my way to the campground and after some struggles and some tests on my patience by God, I found my way there. That night, as I was journalling in my tent, I heard some familiar music, so I went exploring to find where it was coming from. There was a group sitting around a campfire singing worship songs, so I asked if I could join and they said "sure." They were a Korean Group for Campus Crusade For Christ from San Diego and I ended up being with them for about an hour and a half singing, sharing stories and praying. One thing that I found interesting was our prayer time. We were told to pray for the people on our right and left, but we did so outloud, all at the same time. To those listening, it was a jumbled mess of words, but it was a neat experience. Those of you in Korea, can maybe know what I'm talking about. Needless to say, it was a blessed time to spend with Christians around the fire in worship.

The next morning, I got up to go and hike. I had decided to hike the Yosemite Falls trail, even though, there were no falls. It was a hike that was, when all was said and done, about 11.2 miles and took 6.5 hours. I'm not sure what to try and describe to you, whether to focus on the physical aspects of the hike or what I was thinking. Maybe, both will have to wait until I am back or am feeling more creative in my writing. Either way, I made the climb, up through the rocks and trees, across the "river" that did not flow over the falls, to a point a couple thousand feet above the valley... a place of amazing beauty and solitude. At this point, I was again humbled on how I can be so prideful at times in things I have done and yet, there is a God who laid the foundations of these granite cliffs, who formed the valley, who planted every tree and helped it grow. Who am I to claim any glory in anything I do? It was an amazing place to sit and overlook God's creation!

From that point, I worked my way down and felt very happy... like after a long conversation with a great friend. The road down continued that conversation as I just talked with Jesus through the trees, over the rocks and across the sand. People I met, I attempted to treat as I thought Christ would. It was truly an extremely challening hike as well as an awesome, prayer filled time.

Oh, there are so many more things I could say about my thoughts, but again, time and space limit. Right now, I am in Modesto, CA and tomorrow, will head to San Francisco and then up the coast. We shall see who God has in store for me to meet and what sights to behold. He is so good!

God bless you all and I am still looking forward until we can meet again!

Tim

Day 66...Big Trees, Waterfalls and the road goes on...

Greetings All!
After a great week with friends, I am now on the road again. From Friday until Sunday, I spent my time in Visalia, CA with some friends in which we hung out and talked, saw a couple movies, went to church, enjoyed good company and saw some amazing trees and an awesome sunset. Hopefully, pictures will follow soon!

Yesterday, I drove up into the mountains to Sequoia National Park and saw some huge trees. Actually, the largest tree in the world was on the agenda. This tree was not the tallest or the widest, but it had the largest volume of wood of any tree in the world. The General Sherman stood 283 feet tall and was 103 feet in circumference at the base. Absolutely huge!

The roads were a blast to drive on as they wound their way through awesome forests and up and down the mountains. Great fun was had while cutting right and left. After going through Sequoia, I went into King's Canyon National Park. Now this canyon was much bigger and more beautiful than I thought it was going to be. The road wound its way down several thousand feet to the river at the bottom and past several waterfalls. After setting up my tent, I enjoyed supper on the rivers edge. Running water is still one of the most relaxing sounds in the world. I also hiked to a waterfall that turned out to be in one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. At the end of the path, it opened up to the falls which cascaded out of a gap in the rock into a clear, brilliant blue pool. Surrounding this pool were smooth rocks shaped like a bowl. From the pool, the water cascaded down through the rocks and into the river. I climbed up to a shelf and sat, watching the waterfall and the waves slowly spread across the pool. Then, looking to the right, I could see the canyon walls, steep cliffs rising up, stained red by the setting sun. In this place, I could be at peace. Songs of praise slowly rose in my throat...

God of wonders beyond our galaxy,
You are Holy! Holy!
The universe declares your majesty!
You are Holy! Holy!

Lord of all creation
of water earth and sky.
The heavens are your Tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high!

Right now, I am in Oakhurst, CA preparing to go into Yosemite National Park. There, I will camp for a few days and then head west to the coast. Yay for the Pacific Ocean!

This week, an idea was presented to my mind. Sitting in chapel at Providence Christian College in Ontario, CA, a group was doing a presentation on their trip to the Dominican Republic. During that trip, they estimated how many hours they were up during the day and then tithed their time to spend with God. I thought that was a good idea, so I am giving it a try. Throughout the day, I had a set amount of time I have commited to prayer, Bible reading, worship and talking with people about Christ. I'm giving it a try to see how it goes and what happens. We shall see.

But, once again, there are too many things to write about and I have already gone too long, but hopefully you enjoy reading some.
God bless you all!

Tim

Day 64... Moving North

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
It has now been a couple days since I blogged, which I'm sure some of you are thankful for! :) Right now, I am in Visalia, CA hanging out with some friends. My time in Ontario, CA was awesome! We had great conversation, good times playing volleyball and tennis, watching a little tv here and there and getting some reading done. I loved it, but being on a college campus really made me miss being at Dordt. sigh.

Yesterday was a good ride with many different points to it. To start off, it was beautiful weather leaving Ontario to drive up and through the mountains. Again, I got into the desert landscape, but being in mountains, the temp wasn't so bad. I spent the first half hour or better in prayer, recapping what has happened in the last week and what I need to do better and what I have done well. It was a great time of prayer! From there, it just overflowed into worship where I would sing any song that came to mind and just belt it out as I was travelling down the road. It made miles pass quickly and was also the best worship I had in many, many days.

I made it to the Tehachapi Loop, which most of you don't have a clue about. It is a railroad loop where many trains have to pass through every day and it is cool because it is this huge loop where a train is literally driving overtop of itself either going up the mountain or going down. Most of you wouldn't care at all, but for the few railfans, they might be interested.

From there, I drove down out of the mountains to the central valley and it was hot! I got down there and it was now late afternoon, yet it was hotter than when I left L.A. at 12:30. But, there is nothing to do except keep driving. While driving down the interstate, I saw a sign along side the highway that said 101 degrees and this was at 6:10 p.m.! Here in Visalia, it was 107 yesterday. It is just plain hot, which I hear, is quite the opposite from back home.

From here, I plan on working my way up the valley and hitting Yosemite and then cutting across to San Francisco and then up the west coast. The weather should start getting cooler as I head north and towards the coast, so we shall see. Just as long as the temps and snow hold out until I am heading the last stretch towards home.

I wish that I could record my thoughts as I ride, because I mull over so many things that I would like to get your thoughts about, but now I can't remember. Whatever. Feel free to make comments about anything I say or send me an email or something. As of now, the trip is going very well, I am trying to get more focused on my goals once again and yet I do yearn for those last 2 days of riding towards home!

God bless you all!

Tim

The furthest point

Brothers and Sisters!
I am now in Ontario, California and this marks the furthest point I will be from home for the rest of the trip. I am pretty excited about that and now beginning to work my way back home. Obviously, it will still be quite some time before I am back, say, a little over a month, but it is still really good to be headed in that general direction. I keep thinking about how awesome it will be to get back on familiar roads and how I am going to savor those last few miles into the wonderful town of Edgerton. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely enjoyed driving and seeing the country and I have had an awesome week of talking with people and seeing amazing things, but there is still part of me that yearns to be in a place where "everyone knows your name," to steal a line from "Cheers."

Well, to sum up what has happened and what is going to happen, I have been in Ridgecrest, CA for a few days spending some time with some awesome people! We talked, laughed, played games, went for fried late at night, kicked balls into the air and just had a good time. Thank you so much!

Yesterday, I drove down to the suberbs of L.A. and met up with a great friend from the wonderful years on Res. Life at Dordt. Being here, on a college campus, has made me realize actually, how much I miss Dordt, the people, the apartment, the ministry and the whole atmosphere. So, if you are there and reading this, really absorb it and enjoy it, because it is an amazing place!

From here, I will begin my journey north, through the central valley to see Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite and also some more sweet people. Who knows who God will have me meet up there.

Reflecting on the last few weeks, God has really been pushing me in many ways. He has shown me how Satan has been getting to me to discourage me on this trip. He has been showing me how I haven't been spending enough time with him and how I'm not taking full advantage of random meetings with people. So, once again, I find myself attempting to do things out of my comfort zone and attempting to challenge myself in growth towards Christ and also towards other people. Please pray for this growth!

I got a new tire put on the motorcycle, so that should get me back home. It also got a bath, so once again, it is shiny. Well, that's about it. Until we meet again.

May the Lord bless you!

Tim

Pictures!

Here are a select few pictures of the Trip to this point! Enjoy!

Pictures 1

Pictures 2

Pictures 3

Pictures 4

Desert Wind

Dear Friends!
I have made it to Ridgecrest, CA! Since the last time I blogged, I left the Grand Canyon, drove the rest of the way across Arizona, visited the Hoover Dam, camped just east of Las Vegas, on lake Mead, went to church in Vegas (yeah, there are churches there), and then drove through the Mojave Desert yesterday to get to Ridgecrest!

Once again, there are too many stories to tell. I had a reflection from the hike that I might share with you later. Yesterday, I talked with a guy in a Burger King who was riding motorcycle. It was a great conversation and he was a super friendly guy, but the part I wanted to write about was how his friend broke down. Yesterday, I saw many people beside the road and heard about more people breaking down, and that is something that hasn't happened to me yet and I have decided that is because or your prayers. How else is it, that I can drive 10,300 miles and not have any problems, besides one battery? So, thank you so much! That is your prayer work happening! Of course, now that I have said all that, the bike will break down within a few more days of travel. :)

Yesterday was the most technical, tiring day of driving I had had yet. This was so because of the wind. Honestly, it felt like I was back home in Minnesota. The wind had to be pushing 30-40 mph. I drove right into it the whole day, which made for bad mileage, but then I turned north and had to ride perpendicular to it. Driving at a 45 degree angle isn't so fun. As semis would approach, I would hunker down like a cat awaiting a blow after pooping on the floor, because that's what the wind would do: give you a good blow. Anyone who rides motorcycle knows what I am talking about. It was definitely intersting driving, but once again, the Lord guided me safely through.

Here, I will get a new rear tire put on, as this one has lasted about 10,500 miles, which is really good for a cycle tire. Then, I continue on and will soon be heading back north.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and may the Lord bless you all!

Tim

A Grand Tour

Good day!
Today...ah, where do I start? Not knowing what time it is for the last 24 hours? The beautiful canyon next to me? The soreness in my shoulders after a 12 mile hike? The crazy songs and thoughts that ran through my head as I hiked? There is just too much to tell!

Well, I guess the time issue is ... strange. I got to the Grand Canyon yesterday and went to call home. My Cell Phone had switched to Pacific time, but I was pretty sure I was still in Mountain time. It didn't phase me, so I just went about my business. But, this morning, I was planning a long hike and wanted to be going down the canyon as the sun was rising. Well, a flyer said the sun would rise at 6 a.m., so I thought I would be smart and wake up at 5, Mountain Time. The alarm went off and I thought, "Boy, it's aweful dark for only being an hour from sunrise." The stars were bright and the night was cool, so I slept a little more. When my clock got to about 6 Mountain Time I headed out and was going down the trail at about 6:50, Mountain Time. Well, the sun came up at about 7, Mountain Time, but the flyer said it was going to rise at 6 and supposedly, all those times were in Mountain Time. To this point, I still don't know what time it is. This computer says 2:55, but I don't know which time zone...ah! So confusing!

Anyway, I ended up hiking about 6 miles down into the canyon, which dropped, vertically, about 3,000 feet. From that spot, I was not to the bottom, but I had some awesome views of the Colorado River. At that time, I think it was about 9 (?), it was about 92 degrees in the shade. So, I started hiking back up. On the way up, I had many random songs running through my head, and most of them were from Dordt Choir this past year... Pai Duli (ya, that's right, Pai Duli), Bright Morning Stars... it was so random! But, I also did a lot of thinking and reflection on the way up, but there is not enought space to get into that. If only I could record my thoughts and just post those. It would be way more interesting.

Basically, God is good and his creation is awesome! I'm tired and sore and covered in dust, but it was a great day of talking with random people, hearing exclamations in all kinds of languages and reflection on God and his creation. It was good.

God bless you all!

Tim

Day 55... to the big scratch!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
To fill you in a little bit about what happened in the last 24 hours, I ended up finding an outlet and got a hold of some awesome people who put me up for the night. It was great to talk with them and enjoy the evening. Thank you so much!

Right now, I am in a public library in Flagstaff, AZ and after this, I plan on making the trek up to the Grand Canyon. I plan on being there all day tomorrow and then leaving the next day, but I don't know when I will be able to update the blog again, so I thought I should fill you in. After that, I'm not quite sure... the Hoover Dam is on the agenda, but from there, I'm not sure. Ridgecrest, CA is the destination, but I'm not sure on the route yet.

After I blogged yesterday, it was an interesting ride. I drove to the Four Corners to touch 4 states at the same time and then I headed south through the red, very arid soil of Arizona. Mesas and blood red cliffs rose up all around as I cut my way through the dust. Thunderheads and rain showers also surrounded me. Truly, it was a great sight to see!

Also on this ride, I went through several phases. One, I got kind of down and out, for whatever reason, but I started listening to Chris Tomlin and just belted the songs out as I rode and that really cheered me up. But, after that, I started to get down on myself and also I realized various ways Satan was getting to me. Even now, I am having a hard time writing exactly what I felt, but I realized how Satan was using my bad decisions to frustrate me. I was becoming bitter towards myself and the world around me.

Also, yesterday, at a gas station, a guy came up to me and started talking and he wanted some money. I told him I didn't have anything to give him and I was in a hurry, so I was slightly annoyed and wanted to get going. Man am I ashamed of that. As I was riding down the road, it just hit me. That morning, I had done devotions reflecting on how love isn't rude and I had listened to Hebrews, James and 1 Peter where we are told to entertain strangers and called to an action of loving. I had just blown that guy off, when it was a perfect opportunity to minister to someone. But no. I was too caught up on my schedule...

So, it was a challenging afternoon of riding where I had to face many things in myself of how Satan was getting to me throughout the trip in ways I didn't see. Please pray that I can break through and keep fighting against Satan and his demons.

Once again, I apologize for the length and for not writing so coherently. I only have a very limited time to get everything done, so it is type as fast as I can and move on. God's blessings to you all!

Tim

To the Desert!

Yo! (just thought I would try a different greeting)
I am now in Cortez, CO ready to start traveling across the hot, stinking desert of Arizona. (well, at least as ready as I'll ever be.) After blogging in Ridgeway yesterday, I made my way down through Telluride and to Mesa Verde National Park. There, I camped for the night. It was pretty crazy, and I guess this is what the weather is like in the desert, but when I showed up, it was about 90-95 degrees, yet as evening came, it kept getting colder and colder and when I woke up this morning, it was again 57 degrees. A little brisk.

Mesa Verde was awesome! I had been there before, about 10 years ago and this time was also special. This park is up on a huge Mesa that stands far above the desert floor and in the canyons, ancient Indians made homes out of the rock on top of the Mesa, but also in the walls. These cliff dwellings are what most people come to see and it is truly spectacular! So, I toured a few of those places and drove through the park enjoying the scenery. But, again, it is time to move on.

Honestly, I don't know where I will end up tonight. I haven't been able to get a hold of the friends I was going to visit and if I don't do that soon, I'm going to cut across country and be at the Grand Canyon, tonight. See, my cell phone died completely, so I can't call, unless I find an outlet somewhere. Unless I find an outlet to call and get a hold of them, I will probably be at the Grand Canyon tonight.

How do I begin to talk about the struggles in my head? When you are traveling alone, there is so much time to think and I come to so many realizations about myself and life in general. I fight with myself and with Satan. Honestly, at the end of yesterday, again, I was ready to turn around and go home. The thread of my adventure string is getting pretty thin and I keep questioning what I am doing. Yet, then I think about the people I have met and about the cool stuff to see and about how this is my last opportunity to do a trip like this. So, I continue to battle, even more than I can write, inside my own head and with Satan. Please pray for this battle. The plan is, since I'm this far, to continue for sure to California to visit friends there and then, we will see.

But, I have written to long... I'm going to try find an outlet.
God bless you all!

Tim

no words to describe

Hello All!
The last two days have been amazing driving! As of right now, I am in Ridgeway, Colorado, after a morning of driving one of the most beautiful roads in the country! The picture above is of Ouray, Colorado, probably one of my favorite towns!

This morning, I woke up after a cold, windy night. My tent was set up down in a valley between the mountains and the wind was howling through there at about 30 mph. It would pick up and then slow down and pick up again. Once I woke up this morning, the thermometer said it was 57 degrees, just a little chilly. So, after a hot shower, devotions, some breakfast and a conversation with an older gentleman while watching the Durango-Silverton Train rumble past, I took off up into the mountains. Now, there is just no was of describing the scenery along the Million Dollar Highway, as those of you who have been there know. Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to post some more pictures, even though they do not do justice.

Basically, this road is cut straight into the side of the mountains and in many places, it is staight up on one side and staight down on the other. Mountain peaks rise above 13,000 feet all around and I was just trying to look and stay on the road at the same time. It is the type of country where I am truly humbled before God. Who am I to brag about anything when I serve a God who set all these mountains in place and formed the beautiful river valleys? Who am I to be proud when the almighty has created such huge structures, where there are no words to describe and jaws just drop? God is so good and so huge and mighty, yet he loves each and every one of us even more than we could possibly imagine! That is something even more unfathomable to me than the size of those mountains!

Today has been a day of being lost in wonder of God the creator and lost in his artwork. There have been a few very good conversations with people along the road sharing the same awe and wonder. As of right now, I am just trying to soak in the wonder of God and hopefully continue to share it with the people that I meet.

From here, I head south through Telluride to Mesa Verde National Park and then, in a couple days, hopefully the Grand Canyon!

As I sat down for breakfast, devotions and prayer, I had "Praise To The Lord" running through my head. That, I have claimed, is the theme song for the past couple days.

Well, time to ride. God bless you all!

Tim

Day 52- Colorado!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
After a very tough day and after a day of beautiful driving, I find myself in Durango, CO. The weekend with my parents was awesome, and like I figured, all I wanted to do on my drive Sunday was turn around and go home.

Yet, I kept going. Today, I drove up through Santa Fe, through the ruged beauty (there is no other way to describe it), to the mountains and into Colorado. The Northwest corner of New Mexico was very beautiful as rock spires rose out of the rocky soil, colored with layers and layers of red rocks, tan rock and white rock. It was truly spectacular! The plan now is to drive through the mountains a little bit and then head back south and make my way over to the Grand Canyon, eventually. So, some beautiful driving to happen in the future.

As I said, yesterday was very tough. I think I drove about 460 miles, which was my biggest day by far and during that drive, I just wanted to go home. Maybe part of it was because Oklahoma, Texas and the eastern part of New Mexico don't have much for scenery. No, I just missed watching the olympics with my parents and I thought about talking about it the next day with the guys at work. I miss the people of home: my friends and I miss the activities.

C.S. Lewis wrote about contentment and the need for adventure in one of his Screwtape Letters. Screwtape said that humans are designed to have both in them. We are creatures who like things the same every day and yet have a need for change. That is one reason God created seasons. In the chapter, Screwtape was discussing on how to take this and use it against humans. As I thought about it, I considered it in my own life and I seem to be stuck in the middle. Some people can live in one place their whole life and work well for the kingdom where as others need to move every couple months. They yearn for adventure. Myself, I am stuck in the middle. When I am at home for a while, in the routine of life, I get antsy and need to do something. Yet, when I do something adventurous, like this trip, I feel the need to be back home and have structure. That has been one of my main thought processes over the last few days. Kind of frustrating. Maybe, someday, I'll find my place, or when I get home, I will discover the right things to do in that place, at least for a while... until the next adventure comes along.

God bless you all!

Tim

Day 51, time to embark once again

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
This is an updated map of where I have been, up to where I am right now. It is late, so I will be brief, but wanted to keep you up to date.

It has been an awesome weekend with my parents in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Actually, I know it will be very hard to leave tomorrow, so prayers about the next few days and me pressing on will be good. In this time, we visited the Oklahoma Memorial site for the bombing of 1995 and we visited a firefighters museum/memorial, a train museum/park and we hung out and had a great time. It truly was blessed!

The plan is, from here, to head west down I-40 to Santa Fe, NM and then start angling my way up to Durango, CO to ride a few sweet roads there through the mountains and then come back down into Arizona and move towards the Grand Canyon. So, I'm planning on putting in a few big days to get through New Mexico.

The motorcycle is running great thus far. The Lord has definitely answered prayers on that account. Thank you so much for all your comments on my blog and in my emails! I greatly appreciate the comments, even if I forget to or don't comment back! It is so awesome to know how many people are supporting me on this trip! I just pray that the Lord will help me to continue to be "faithful", as some of you commented on my last post. :)

I love you all and look forward to more adventures as the west half of the country excursion begins tomorrow. God bless you all!

Tim

In Oklahoma City!!

Good Evening All!
The past couple days have been days of reflecting on Edgerton. I met up with a good friend from there, drove on I-35 for a while and even Highway 75: yep, the same one that goes 7 miles from Edgerton. To top it all off, I met up with my parents here, which has been great! We have enjoyed our time together so far. I'm looking forward to the next couple of days with them before moving on. It will be a nice break.

As for the activities of the last couple days, well, many of them involved rain and/sprinkling fluid from the sky. The night of hanging out with the Harley gang, it rained hard, but I stayed mostly dry in the the tent. As I emerged from my sopping home the next morning, a heavy mist covered the entire area. Some hiking did happen, but it was wet. Honestly, Hot Springs National Park wasn't what I was expecting. There were some nice hiking trails and I enjoyed it, but I was expecting something like Yellowstone. Well, not so much. This park is based around bath houses and how people used to travel from long distances to have water treatments with the unusually pure hot water. Overall, it was cool and a neat stop. The above picture is of one of the four springs still open for the public to see. All the others are covered up and sent to the bath houses.

From Hot Springs, I made my way up to Little Rock, AR where I visited a good friend from Edgerton. We hung out, talked, caught up, went out to eat and just enjoyed the evening. Thanks a lot for a great afternoon/evening!

But, I am tired. Today, I put on about 355 miles to get from Little Rock to Oklahoma City and now a couple days off from riding before heading into Texas and New Mexico.

Enjoy your Friday and Weekend! God bless you all!

Tim