a big detour on the road to redemption...forgiveness

In true forgiveness there is redemption. Jesus said I have forgiven all your sins and in that forgiveness I have redeemed you from death. There is power in forgiveness. There is healing in forgiveness. No matter how deep our perceived individual wounds, none could come close to the wounds Jesus endured to be able to forgive our sins. We like to compare our scars and show proof we were hurt at some point in time. Many believe those scars will never fade and thus serve as a painful reminder of some physical or mental incident we experienced. Many times we come to identify ourselves in relation to these injuries and begin to live our lives as victims. The problem we face with doing this is we never accept any responsibility for the condition of our lives and can always point to a someone or something that has caused us to be where we find ourselves. Jesus was quite clear about the necessity of forgiveness in Matthew 6:14 He said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Ok, so do you need any other reason than that ? Is that being not forgiving worth holding on to in light of what you stand to really lose ???

Potholes in the road to redemption...

Sometimes on the road to redemption there are more questions than answers. Sometimes the prodigal is not welcomed home with open arms. Sometimes too much time has gone by and despite our best efforts we must accept what was lost will stay lost. I don't know why we stubbornly persist in trying to close up gaps that just won't be closed. We have windows of opportunity to tell people we love them. Those windows close and then realize we've missed it. I have missed a few and they always will remind me that just for today my job is to love and to tell someone that they are loved. Whether by word or actions we live in the fullness of the moment when we love like there's no tomorrow. There is no history, there are no expectations. Because, when that window closes there are no tomorrows, only a handful of "I wish I hads". In the bible, Paul talks about agape love. This love is a deliberate love that is chosen based on the one who loves rather than determining the worth of the one who is loved. It is this nothing-in-return love that has the power to transform peoples lives. This is the love Jesus has for a lot of messed up people. I should be so lucky to love like Jesus.

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember
them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses
you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven
through as you gain by riding a bicycle."
- Ernest Hemingway

There is a sense of awe and wonder at the mere concept of riding a bicycle over 3,120 miles in 52 days. Seriously, I can't even think of it in that way right now. It just seems too big, too much. My mind cannot comprehend the distance. I have driven across country and back a few times and that seemed fairly grueling at times ! So, the challenge presents itself and rolls out before me like a red carpet all the way across the US and back home. "this little pig went to see the USA...home again,home again, jiggedy jig"

Itinerary
Schedule subject to change.

Date	City, State	Miles
Prep
6/6	Santa Monica, CA	0
6/7	Santa Monica, CA	0
6/8	Church/Day Off	0
WK 1
6/9	Palmdale, CA	68
6/10	Lucerne Valley, CA	74
6/11	Twenty Nine Palms, CA	66
6/12	Parker, AZ	110
6/13	Aguila, AZ*	84
6/14	Phoenix, AZ	78
6/15	Church/Day Off	0
WK 2
6/16	Payson, AZ	86
6/17	Show Low, AZ	88
6/18	Quemado, NM	95
6/19	Soccoro, NM	105
6/20	Capitan, NM*	93
6/21	Roswell, NM	70
6/22	Church/Day Off
WK 3
6/23	Plains, TX	101
6/24	Post, TX	85
6/25	Old Glory, TX	86
6/26	Graham, TX	94
6/27	Fort Worth, TX	88
6/28	Dallas/Fort Worth	55
6/29	Day Off/Red Oak, TX	0
WK 4
6/30	Day Off/Red Oak, TX*	0
7/1	Mineola, TX	91
7/2	Jefferson, TX	79
7/3	Spring Hill, LA	65
7/4	Camden, AR	65
7/5	Pine Bluff, AR	72
7/6	Day Off/Church	0
WK 5
7/7	Marvell, AR	86
7/8	Memphis,TN	91
7/9	Jackson, TN	81
7/10	Dickson,TN	99
7/11	Nashville, TN*	40
7/12	Nashville, TN	50
7/13	Church/Day Off	0
WK 6
7/14	Carthage, TN	52
7/15	Warburg, TN	95
7/16	Knoxville, TN (Church)	45
7/17	Kingsport, TN	92
7/18	Tazewell, VA	84
7/19	Blacksburg, VA	76
7/20	Church/Day Off	0
WK 7
7/21	Lynchburg, VA	94
7/22	Charlottesville, VA	67
7/23	Warrenton, VA*	70
7/24	Washington D.C.	50
7/25	Day Off	0
7/26	Washington D.C.	50
7/27	Church/Day Off	0
52	TOTALS	3120

Here we go...

"But the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong, and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]. Daniel 11:32 AMP

Well,...God has picked a real big one this time. It's OK though, because I'm up to the task. You see, God has a long history of taking the most ordinary, everyday people and doing extraordinary things through them for His glory. And trust me, I am an ordinary-out-of (physical) shape "50 something" as there can be. BUT,... I have a servants heart as big as Texas. I cannot possibly explain in any rational terms how this bike trip across the US even seems plausible. I do know that the speed in which things are moving is way beyond my abilities. I do know that God blesses those who bless others. I do know that God is a God of provision. We all have have made choices in our lives and traveled many different roads.For many of us, those roads have been hard and full of potholes and detours. Sometimes we have gotten lost on those roads and wondered if we would ever find our way back home again. In our fear and frustration some have cried out to God to provide direction. You see, now days we have many types of GPS systems to help us navigate and keep us from getting lost. But, there is only one GPS system you really need. I call it Gods' GPS. G.P.S.= Gods'-Perfect- Salvation. Or another is Go-Pray-Serve. Whichever name you choose, one thing remains clear and that is we are called to be witnesses to the world and we are to serve others. There is no other choice. I am ready for an exploit for God.