'Lost' @ Valley Forge - Day 72 Training

Starting in center city Philadelphia about 1:30, 6 of us rode the Schuykill River Trail to Valley Forge, hoping to ride the whole way to my brothers' house in Coatsville, PA. I left home without a paper map. That is not usual for me, but I have this 'smart' phone that I had the maps on. Well I have some learning to do when it comes to technology. I think I will always have a paper backup. I was getting 'panicy' when my phone (and maps) were running out of battery and less then 14%. I could exactly figure out where we were at in Valley Forge. Could not find road signs. I got my directions mixed up. The zooming in and out on my 'smart' phone was messing up how far things were a part. Distances were messing with my sense of direction. I am not sure what all was going on but I had some tired boys and I didn't want to ride too far out of the way, because when you are on a bike it is not just easy to back track. Well we did make it thru the Forge and didn't go out of the way too much. But we did have some tired guys and then we had some hills. We ended up not following the rest of the Google maps because we could not find the rest of the bike trail. We stop at Dunkin Donuts, everyone picked their favorite two donuts and we downed a dozen in minutes. Three were picked up there @ the DD shop and the Trek-A-Cross riders, Keith, Luke and I rode the last 20 miles. 52 miles in total for this training day. Feeling good. Top picture has David and Luke Brubaker. Luke my nephew will be riding with us on the Trek-A-Cross.

Day 78 training

A little windy coming home. We were blown to Gap PA. Now we have to work to fight the wind. Good training. Pic. Taking a rest Kitchen Kettle Square. Thanks Verdant View farms for some burgers & ice cream to 'power' us thru.

81 Days til the Trek-a-Cross begins

The mailing went out on Monday and was received by many today, day 81. God is the one who supplies all our needs. We are trusting God to provide for all the needs for this mission/service project. We want to let people know so they can be a part as God leads them to give. It is great to rest in His arms. Check out the pages on the side to learn more about the journey we have been on.

God is God and we are not! See Previous Blog

Here is a creative story of how 'God is God and we are not!'

Me: God, can I ask You a question?
God: Sure
Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: I promise
Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
God: Huummm
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one
of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that
Me (humbled): OH
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):Okay
God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm Sorry God
God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things, the Good & the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.
God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children...

Wow! What a good Morning with the Church Family!

Day 84 - 84 days until we start on an adventure of a lifetime. This 70 day adventure has been overwhelming me some lately. All I could do to make this great, and all I want this to be for God. Wow that sounds out of perspective and was not keeping me in the place of Shalom. This morning I was reminded on the one hand that our struggle in life is about our inner nature with it's quest for autonomy and self-sufficiency. We want life to be about us. This time was ended in Sunday School with the thought that we are to submit to God and remember that 'God is God, and we are (I am) not!' Because God has worked in my life through the years I do not want the stuff I do to be about me. I want it to be about my life in God and not about me becoming god in my life. I want this adventure to be about God and I ask Him to keep it that way. But we battle in this life. After leaving Sunday School to go into a wonderful time of worship with the Church Family and dig into Leviticus once again. We take a close look at the voluntary 'Fellowship Offerings' in chapter 7. We examined the characteristics of a 'Beautiful Life'. (side frustrating note: I went to look at my notes from the message on my calendar description for today and they were gone. Some how I am deleting my notes and not sure how to always work this 'smartphone' :) (So from the uncompleted bulletin insert and my memory.) The beautiful life is full of #1. Spontaneous gratitude, #2. Uncompromising purity and #3.Lavish generosity. How do we live this kind of life? Focus on the God who is God and on His salvation Through His son Jesus Christ and the beautiful life will come gushing forth with Fellowship Offerings. I have committed my life to this and once again commit these next 84 days, the next 70 and beyond. Our Lord reigns and is good! Let us watch Him.

Didn't make the 65 miles, Instead 71 YEA!

I couldn't stop riding the rail trail I just had to go the whole way to Lebanon. I had never ridden the portion from Cornwall to Lebanon so I just had to do that. So in one ride I was able to do the entire Etown to Lebanon rail trail. Coming home was a challenge on route 72. I actually don't feel to bad. I think I really needed to do this many miles to give me some confidence that I can maybe actually do this Trek-a-Cross America at my age. It was a good reality check. We still some training to do. A goal I had for myself was to ride 3600 miles the year before we left. So June 1, 2012 I started. I needed to average about 10 miles a day. At day 282 I have 2874 miles, it is the first time I am ahead of my needed miles. It has been a challenge over the winter to keep up with the riding in the cold. Today was a God given warm day. Thank you Heavenly Father!!

Check out some of the other pages about the Trek-a-Cross, they have been updated.

Day. 92 another training day

Didn't know if I was crazy but it's such a beautiful day. I rode to Elizabethtown the rail trail and am eating lunch at Colebrook Road just West mount Gretna. 32 miles in and hoping to get about 65 today.

The Unsnow snow day -- 95 and counting down

Well some people got the snow and it wasn't us in Lancaster County. Nice restful day get somethings done. Check out the new pages added related to the Trek-a-Cross. Will be updating them as the days go by.
New favorite song, God of the Universe
So wanting Jesus to shine His life through me!!
Lyrics didn't seem to copy into blog so click on song title for a link to the lyric version.

98 Days

Now that Facebook friends have been informed about this blog we can all get excited in what God is doing this summer with Trek-a-Cross America. God is always at work and we are excited with all His work.    Trek-a-Cross is not the only thing He is doing this summer but we can be in this part of God's work and we are glad for all who can join with us. As I was leading our Churches youth group tonite since our Youth Pastor went on a mission, the Truth lesson was a rap up of 4 weeks on Missions. Tonite's was what we can do if we do not GO. We can Pray, Give or Encourage. We appreciate all who God will have pray, give and encourage as we Go on His Trek-a-Cross America. As the days count down more pages will develop so you can better be a part. 

July 23, 2008 Yellowstone National Park

I think the last time I counted down like this was when I secretly read Psalms chapters counting down until I asked Karen to marry me 150 days later. We got engaged on Dec. 17, 1982. We will get to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary some where across America on July 23rd. Our 25th was celebrated on our way back from our serving at Frontier Camp in 2008 as we went through Yellowstone National Park.

As you are able follow Trek-a-Cross but most of all follow your adventure with God!!

Training day, ride to the snow geese @ Middle Creek

Wow! The wind is Crazy again, like last Sunday. I made it here to Middle Creek, 21 miles. Little  cold but feeling great. This blog is really about how to blog on the road. Practice for this summer.

100 days and counting

Today March 1st marks the 100th day until we start our adventure Trek-A-Cross America. We are so excited to walk in this adventure with our God. We want to be used by Him to get His Truth out. We appreciate your prayers in there is much to plan, much to anticipate and many unknowns. Sort of like life, a microcosm of life with God. Yea!!