Thinking about God while keeping my feet (& wheels) on the ground!
Georgia Bound!
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Got up this morning and walked around down by the marsh. Needless to say it was beautiful. After I broke camp, I loaded up. Not liking the look of the hazy sky, I put the rain covers on the bags. Wet luggage is something that I learned how to deal with the hard way in 2017. I took off for Georgia headed to Kingsland which is south of Savannah.
I road to Mt. Pleasant and decided to have breakfast. I met up with Jim Brown who recently moved to Mt. Pleasant from Greeneville, TN and was a member of St. James. We chatted over breakfast and enjoyed some coffee. It was great to see him again.
When I got to West Ashley, I stopped for gas and it started to spit rain. (Glad I covered the luggage!) I donned my rain suit and off I went. The whole ride was periods of wet, dry, rain, wet, rain, dry, rain (you get the picture).
I was able to connect with another friend from my past, Amy Cadawader and her family. Amy and I have known each other for at least 53 years. From elementary school on. We’ve kept up over the years. The last time I saw Amy and her family was 2015 on a vacation to Florida when I came through Kingsland. They picked me up for dinner after I had a chance to dry off, have a much needed shower, and change. Seafood! Yummy, coastal, Georgia, seafood!
I’ve said before that this sabbatical is about re-connections and relationships. It’s not just about reminiscing about the past. I am intentionally connecting with folks, who through the years have supported me, prayed for me, cried with me, laughed with me, helped me, as well as people who I’ve influenced, prayed with, cried with, laughed with, etc.
As followers of Jesus, we are “communal,” which means our relationships with one another matter to the point that our faith depends on it. I’ve heard it said that people are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Many start out as reasons for a season, but often end up lifetime connections. I cherish these connections in my life. They give me great joy.
This past few Sundays, we’ve heard the bulk of the farewell discourse in the Gospel according to John. (Chapters 14-17) Jesus prays… “As you Father, are in me and I am in you, may they (speaking about his disciples / followers) also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” As believers, we are part of one another in Christ, part of the movement or faith community we call the church. We are part that is left in the world to prepare the world for reconciliation, when all creation will be made anew.
Challenge to St. James: Think about creative ways to build long lasting relationships. If we are truly part of one another in Christ, it should be pretty easy to find a starting point. I’ve seen several new faces on Sunday morning. Please make sure that we take the time to get to know them and they get to know us.
Challenge to Self: Continue to reconnect throughout the sabbatical and throughout your life. The people you are connecting with are made in the image of God and you are part of them and they are part of you and you both are part of God in Christ.
Today I road from Monterey to Bakersfield, CA to the home of Jerry and Ruth Greer. Jerry and I worked together at NPTU Charleston. He was actually my supervisor in Radiological Controls Operations. The Greers and I have stayed in touch over the years, and they offered me a place to stay. I had to ride inland from Monterey because of the fires and slides. The PCH was closed at Big Sur. It was great to be with Jerry & Ruth and catch up with them. Jerry retired from NPTU in 2007 and moved to Utah then to Bakersfield. He and Ruth grew up in Bakersfield. The Ride today went from 52° and hazy/overcast on the coast to 98° inland. Started off in my leather jacket, ended up in my riding shirt. Today I was thinking about the past and how our experiences shape who we are. Jerry & Ruth knew me in my 20s, at a very different time in my life. They attended our wedding (Kelly & I). Jerry and I had our troubles and differences of opinion, but he always encouraged me to be the be...
Today was WARM!!! It got up to 122° at the “heat of the day.” I stayed on 66 through the long stretch of the desert until I ran out of road! 😳 Rt. 66 was CLOSED at Kell Baker Rd. East to Essex for bridge repairs. I had to take Kell Baker Rd. North to I-40 and back to Rt. 66. Just added frustration to a very hot day. The day stayed tolerable with my “cooling vest” and lots of water. As plain as the desert is, it has its own beauty. There were no meetups today. Yesterday’s abundance made up for it. However, tomorrow I plan to see portions of my family who live in Las Vegas, NV. Therefore, I rode off of Rt. 66 up to Laughlin, NV and stayed overnight, preparing to ride to Vegas in the morning. I stayed at the Tropicana Laughlin (yes, a casino) that offered a very reasonable rate for a very nice room. The thing that had me “stunned” today was the road closure that I didn’t expect. Life sometimes throws us “road blocks” for one reason or another. Today’s reason was so that they could make r...
Yesterday was wonderful. I got to spend the morning with my good friends Beth & Anthony Tripp in Boulder City, NV (just a short jump from Vegas). We spent the morning catching up over coffee and then set out to see Boulder City. They took me to the park to see the Big Horn Sheep that come down to graze in the green grass. Then we drove by the pirate house and the local Episcopal Church and the National Cemetery. It was wonderful to spend time with them. Beth and I have been friends since High School. We met (along with Susan Bastin who I caught up with in McKinney, TX) at a Campground in Northern California in 1983. The last time we connected was 2017 when I came through on my Sabbatical. This time we were able to spend more time before I left to pick up Rt. 66 in Kingman, AZ and ride to Williams, AZ. The ride to Williams, AZ was cooler than crossing the Mojave, but I still rode part of the hot desert. My cousins were telling me about the Grand Canyon Railway that goes from Wi...
Yesterday (7/5) I rode from Santa Rosa to Monterey, CA. I decided to spend the weekend in Monterey and prepare for the trek up Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago, IL. It was a beautiful ride to Monterey with plenty of California beach scapes and the Golden Gate Bridge in all its glory and ominous cloud cover. It’s a bit chilly here in Monterey, with the high of just 62° and the low of 53°. Today I worshipped at St. Mary’s by the Sea in Pacific Grove. What a delightful place with a beautiful worship space. I was greeted warmly by members and made to feel at home. They extended true hospitality and invited me to participate in the ground breaking for the new labyrinth garden and cookout afterward. The service was a Rite III (Enriching Our Worship), but was very well done. The sermon was excellent. The Rev. Kristine Johnson is a fine preacher and it was great to hear a sermon that dealt with current events in the Gospel light. The location of the church is literally “by the sea.” ...
I’m not sure the complete reason for the infatuation I feel for the Historic Route 66. When I traveled 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica in 2017, I spoke a bit about the “sacredness” of the road… about how traveling the road connected me to something from the past and something other than myself. I prayed the Litany of Supplication at the 3rd Corner of these contiguous United States, asking God to guide us to peace and reconciliation. One of the main treats of today was meeting up with my classmates and friends, Pete Ince and Bobak Montemedi. It was very cool to get together with them at Ye Olde King’s Head, a restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd. just up from the West End of 66. Pete, Bob, and I graduated from Frederick Military Academy together 40 years ago. With this as the year of our 40th, and them not able to make the reunion in August, I felt it was a real honor to see them. We enjoyed stories of yesteryear and bringing each other up to date with what’s going on in our lives. Like...
The ONLY reason that I would ever go to Las Vegas is because I knew someone there or I was going to a concert or a show. It’s not that it’s a bad place, it’s just me. As extroverted as I am, Vegas does nothing for me. Some folks like it. For some it’s a destination vacation. Whatever. The reason that I am going to Vegas is to see some other parts of my family. I have 2 cousins there. They are related through my maternal grandmother. Val and April are sisters. Their mom, Joan, lives with April. Dale is Val’s husband. Not bad for a bunch of Furman blood. (Furman is my Grandmother’s maiden name). My grandmother’s father (My great grandfather) and Val & April’s grandmother (my great great Aunt Louise) were 1/2 siblings. My Aunt Louise lived in the same neighborhood as I did growing up and I was responsible for cutting her grass. Our family was close. I knew Val & April growing up, but didn’t know them well as they grew up in Santa Monica, CA. They came east to visit on occasio...
I am on the Pacific coast with a light house too! Tonight was a chilly camping night at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. I set up camp and made dinner and read for a few hours. My personal connection today was Miranda Everitt, Kelly’s cousin. Miranda is Kelly’s father’s brother’s son’s daughter (so really, Kelly’s first cousin - once removed). I’d never met Miranda, but her mom (Kris) knew I was going to be coming through and connected us. Miranda is an avid outdoors person and has hiked many trails around the world. I met her for coffee/breakfast before heading toward the coast. The ride today was spectacular. It got cooler and cooler as I headed toward the ocean. Portland was toasty at about 80° but it soon cooled off to about 60° by the time I got to Tillamook, OR. I stopped, and for the first time put on my chaps because my legs were freezing! The cool damp air coming off the water and the fog in places made it feel like 48°. When Jesus sent out the apostles, in Chapter 9 of Luke...
Comments
Post a Comment