Rag-a-muffin

Lately I have been finding myself stumbling. Stumbling over what doesn't even exist. Future things that I think will happen. Things like failure. Things like the unfaithfulness of Gods promises that will never exist.

I leave in a week and honestly right now my mind set it wishing that it were to do something easy like get on a bike with a group of people and cycle my heart out for others. Countless hours on a bike with a bible and journal and faces God has placed there to encourage and be encouraged. With destinations that help me to blend into the back ground so that I am not the one being focused on.

If I'm honest I would give almost anything currently to ride my bike clear across the country than to sit and climb out of the messes of myself in Laramie Wyoming. The last thing I ever want to do is focus on my flaws and my weaknesses mixed with struggle and dark corners that so desperately need light shed upon them with in the jagged corners of my heart.

 Wilderness Ministry Professionals. How could I ever be this if there are some many parts of me that are completely broken, torn and drowning? It is just that. God calls those who are exactly like me... Or like you. "Rag-a-muffins" We are broken misfits who half the time don't even feel called or welcomed to the land of misfit toys. We are burn't. We are frayed and we are self draining.

This post is not something that I look for affirmation. compliments and encouragement are not things that will repair or make everything easier. God has not called of this life to be easy. He has called of it to be worth it.
I am not trying to look to who I will be after these experiences. I am not trying to look to the deep tissue body mesage that I'm fixing to get after my body has tolled itself from this summer's up coming events. I am looking for God. I am looking to try and clear the fog from my eyes and actually look to Him for every minute of suffering. For every layer that is stripped away and every inch of me that is exposed to the elements of sin, darkness and struggle. To let God repair me so that He can use me as a vessel to help heal others.

I leave in 1 week. There is much to do. The crucial thing that is often missing from moments of preparation is trust. My God you are with me. Always.

With in all of this, as I take each shaky step continually feeling like led because of fear, I am reminded that I can not move forward in anyway until I do this course. I can not move forward in my own faith and as a leader with out proper instruction on how to lead better. The only way to lead better is to be humbled and gain better perspective of everything around us. Those layers being continually stripped and shed.

It is this. I don't want to be forcefully stripped. As God blesses me with more days in this life I don't want to hold onto these layers. I'd much rather shed them freely. Letting these things fall off of me seeing and feeling the comfort of God freeing me from that sin and destruction. Freeing me from blinders and allowing that focus and true purpose of the seasons He plants me in. Not only to grow and be strengthened by others roots around me that are rooted so deeply in Him but also so that my roots can be planted firmly so that I can also be that secondary strong hold to someone who is seeking their strength from The Lord as well.

I ask that you be praying for my team and I as we embark on the 1st of June to become better leaders in the back country. Teaching each other the best ways to plan, encourage and live in a meaningful community while trying to accomplish teachings and learning on a biblical standpoint. With in these teachings there will be heavy back packs, high altitude, rock faces and tired feet. Elements and things with in us that will be stripped off and thrown to the wind.

Pray that God would equip our Leaders on this course to empower encourage and be bold in what God has called of them to do. Pray for our safety and pray for our discovery process.

I thank you again for your support whether it be financially or spiritually. This step clearly can not be skipped. It is more of a foot bridge than it is a stepping stone. God has made it very clear that Wyoming must happen before anything else can move forward. So I hope to be able to update you again soon in what God has been revealing and stripping from us on this team in the back country mountains of Laramie, Wyoming.

Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries.
srom.org

Letters welcome:
617 Plaza Ct.
Laramie, WY 
82070











Keep Adventuring

Worth it.

Have you ever put everything together to prepare for something so big and you can see it crashing before your eyes as it continues to unfold in the ways that you don't want? Imagine you're preparations for a musical recital of piano playing and you break your finger. Or a dance recital and you get into a ski accident and you tear up your ACL. Or how about training for a marathon and the week before the race you get a terrible respiratory thing-a-ma-jig that pins you to the floor with tissues stuffed up your nose while you pray God would just rip it out of your body.

That 3rd one is a little picture into what my last week has been like. I have spent these last 4 months training and tip-toeing around sickness of 6 other house mates and trying to find rest between runs so that I could have the privilege of running for those who can't be free. I had been slowly raising funds over the last few months to send a long to the Across America team riding this Summer Specifically for injustices in South East Asia. No, no I wont be riding my bike across the states again this Summer, BUT, there is an incredible team who will be and this cause means so much to me that I wanted to continue to reach out and educate others while taking the opportunity to connect with other runners in a race to tell them about the gospel and encourage those who were struggling.

God has given me a body to sacrifice physically and the devil has tried to destroy me on more than 1 occasions with my physical health to try and prevent ministry opportunities. However My God (The only TRUE God) is omni powerful and omni present and he provides when we least expect it.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".- Philippians 4:13

So I woke up Monday morning of last week with a tickle in my throat and instantly went into recoup mode trying to prevent any way that I could. By Tuesday, I was in full on survival mode. I took off work because I had barely slept from the pressure in my sinuses. Denying anything and everything I blamed it on my allergies and tried to alternatively take a more natural approach. But that created a rather terrible chain reaction of even worse symptoms pulling me into a full fledged head cold. RATS!

With in my denials, i admitted to my boss that I was rather struck down by admitting I was sick. He responded, "ya think?!" He then went on to encourage me with these words. "Listen, you're going to run this race. You might walk a bit but God will bring you through it. He's called you to do so. Just remember that either way when you cross that finish line you're going to feel absolutely terrible."...Thanks.

But it's true. One way or another I knew I wouldn't be feeling physically great so the best thing I could do was wait until the very last moment and pray for Gods guidance to lead me on this course in Humboldt.

My other boss suggested I eat a ton of Garlic... So I ate and entire fist of Garlic with in a 2 day period. I was thankful I couldn't smell or taste because I'm sure besides the coughing and hacking, I was also the one who detered mosquitos from our camp site and where ever we hiked in the park.

However the Garlic helped. SO! if you feel a cold or a sore throat coming on eat garlic cloves diced on some toast with butter. it will clear it or at least suppress it for now.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".- Philippians 4:13

The entire weekend leading up to it I wasn't in the mindset to race. I didn't think I would actually do it. God had other plans. He woke me up cleared my nose for the second time in race history for me and moved my legs forward. Before I knew it I was 13 miles in and praying that this strength would continue to pull me a long. By mile 19 my I.T. bands were screaming and i wasn't surrounded by many but there my encouragement team stood, cheering me on and telling me to keep going. As I ran I met those along the way who it was their first time for a full 26.2 mile stretch as well. We would chat and encourage.

I met a girl named Brooke, she was from Atlanta (Hotlanta). She had seen this place on a road trip to Oregon with her friend and needed to come back to run it because of how beautiful it was. We ran together for 4 miles as we tried to distract each other with questions about life, God and life styles. High fiving massive redwoods in the midst helped us keep our pace. I parted ways with her and took the last 2 miles alone. It all went so fast yet so slowly. and even in the midst of that, I was already looking to my next opportunity to run for others.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".- Philippians 4:13

I came up that hill/bridge with my venture jersey and Philippians 4:13 written on the back on my calves. While I had "Dave" on one knee and "Moms" on another. Kicked it into gear and crossed that finish line feeling such joy and I couldn't be happier. Regardless of the repercussions from illness in the days to follow. Standing with in His creation after the race in Eel River thigh deep in ice cold water as I waddled in. I was a lone... I was standing there in His magnificent presence. We stand there every moment of every day. Every moment of every day we are standing in His glorious presence. This experience stripped me again of walls, stepping out of boxes of what I thought I could do but in truth it's what God could do in me.

It's been 3 days and I could barely walk for 2 of them but now my legs are fine and my lungs and nose are trying to recover. Coughing fits and exhaustion. Was running while sick the wisest choice? Probably not. But was it possible and worth it? Absolutely. Because of it I was able to raise hundreds of dollars for South East Asia. Because I ran, God was able to encourage through me via scripture and through life story telling. And through his faithfulness I can say that though this body is temporary, it is very much a vessel that is being used continually.

Though we get older and our bodies continue to decay, God still brings forth opportunities to use them with righteousness and thanksgiving. Can I just tell you that there were a lot of people who were retired and much older than me that were apart of the "100 club"? Yes that's 100 marathons! And there was an older gentleman who upon finishing his race on Sunday completed his 409th marathon! What the heck! To some it might be absolutely insane. To me, however, it is absolutely inspiring.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

May it inspire you to move forward and do something that you never thought you would be able to do or even possibly think of before now. Adventure brings opportunity and opportunity is lost with out stepping out of comfort into adventure.

Keep Adventuring.

Financial needs:

Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries:
 $400 for WMPC course via SROM in Wyoming beginning June 1st, 2014 Donate here Invoice #INV-259

LOVE DOES:
6 people to contribute $100 each=$600
12 people $50= $600
Donate here for my tour for those in Uganda