In my years I have witnessed two interesting exceptions to the normal American protocol about personal space. The first is pregnant women; People think nothing about touching a pregnant woman’s “belly” while an uninvited touch of that type is never acceptable for her non-pregnant counterpart. The second has to do (you guessed it) with motorcycles. If you are in a car Gas Stations are like elevators you are aware of other people but you rarely if ever speak to them. It is different on a motorcycle, for some reason people in cars who do not speak to each other are overcome with curiosity and will freely speak to motorcycle riders. Conversation starters include: “I used to ride a…” or “Great weather for a ride” or “Looks like you’re going to get wet” but invariably the short conversation comes around to “Which way are you headed?” Last Sunday the answer to that question was simple, north towards Fairplay but as considered the trip we took something about that question got me thinking about life and my relationship with God.
In my life I am privileged to have fought alongside men to win the battle against addiction and to live free. In the simplest terms any addiction is the result of trying to fill our God hunger with something of this earth that we can control. The Problem with God is that He won’t be controlled and we hate feeling out of control. The irony is that the end result of all addictions is a life out of control. When the consequence of addiction becomes great enough we will seek help and admit our powerlessness. Then comes the heard work of learning a new way to live.
We find ourselves between God, who loves us and is seeking to rescue us and the “dragon” of our addiction, instinctively, (remember these are the same instants that got us in trouble in the first place) we take up a defensive posture never letting the dragon out of our sight. It is a crafty foe and we mustn’t let it get an advantage. Like a basketball player with knees bent and hands out we block the dragon’s path to the goal of ensnaring us again. All the time our back is to God as we face the dragon. If we are truly powerless over the dragon who are we to prevent the dragon from doing anything. Instead we must do the most counterintuitive thing in the world and turn our back on the dragon and look at God instead. Every nerve is on high alert as we are sure that leaving the dragon unattended will be our doom but all the time God seems undisturbed by the situation or our plight. Doesn’t He even care? Why hasn’t He done something?
We in our panic don’t realize we are at the very crossroads of faith. Will we place our faith in ourselves and turn to face the dragon? Or will we keep our eyes on God even if His behavior is not what we expected?
Most of you don’t have anything that would be considered an addiction but the same question applies. When situations come into your life do you naturally find yourself facing God or is your faith placed squarely on your bag of talent and “special” skills?
Which way are you headed?
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Planning the trips for next year
I have been getting some questions that focused on the motorcycle and the trip plans So let me address them now.
First the Bike: I bought a 1983 Yamaha XVZ12TK Venture (This is the bike they put head-to-head with the Honda Goldwing) I found it a better fit for my height and because it is not as well known as the Goldwing it was a much better deal.
As far as the trip goes nothing is planned other than late spring to early fall 2008 window. And unlike the 1978 trip I would like to do ZERO miles on the Interstate Highway System. I am thinking fewer miles and great places like Yellowstone Park, Mount Rushmore and The Grand Canyon please post your comments with suggestions for great locations.
In reality I am planning two types of trip. First is the 30th anniversary of my 1978 trip where the point is to ride to great places and hopefully do it with some friends. That trip will probably go for about a week and have a very loose agenda other than to enjoy the freedom of the open road and share a few stories of the adventures in our lives and how they shaped us as men.
The second type of trip is shorter (two to three days) taking men who enjoy riding on an adventure to get closer the heart of God. This trip was inspired by my brother-in-law Phil Floyd. Phil has a passion and calling in the area of helping men become men. His ministry Caleb’s Heart puts on events for men called WaawG (Weekend Almost Alone with God) where men are stretched beyond comfort and entertainment (Key elements in most men’s retreats) and put alone in the woods to encounter God. I can speak from personal experience being a committed Non-Camper that it was a life changing experience. My hope is to take a few guys on a motorcycle adventure that would cause a similar change where we come back with miles on our bikes and hearts that are more alive because of time with God and other men trying to live lives that honor him.
The details and logistics would depend on the number of riders willing to take the trip. At this point the only criteria are that you must be a man who loves Jesus and riding enough to take in 200 to 400 miles a day. It is possible to rent motorcycles but if you haven’t been riding for a while this trip may not be your cup of tea. The next big decision is to camp or motel at night and if we camp do we go to KOA type places or get farther off the beaten path. Most street bikes are not at home on washed out rutted dirt roads so the KOA approach probably makes more sense but leaves the group in very close proximity to other campers and RVs and if we have a group of ten or more we may encounter the “Hide the women and children” / “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” mentality. I did find a website for motorcycle friendly camp sites and would call ahead with the number of bikes to make reservations.
Please post a comment if you are interested in one or both of these trips
I found this quote and it described why I must do this and I hope you will come along for the ride and if not find an adventure that excites your heart.
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
First the Bike: I bought a 1983 Yamaha XVZ12TK Venture (This is the bike they put head-to-head with the Honda Goldwing) I found it a better fit for my height and because it is not as well known as the Goldwing it was a much better deal.
As far as the trip goes nothing is planned other than late spring to early fall 2008 window. And unlike the 1978 trip I would like to do ZERO miles on the Interstate Highway System. I am thinking fewer miles and great places like Yellowstone Park, Mount Rushmore and The Grand Canyon please post your comments with suggestions for great locations.
In reality I am planning two types of trip. First is the 30th anniversary of my 1978 trip where the point is to ride to great places and hopefully do it with some friends. That trip will probably go for about a week and have a very loose agenda other than to enjoy the freedom of the open road and share a few stories of the adventures in our lives and how they shaped us as men.
The second type of trip is shorter (two to three days) taking men who enjoy riding on an adventure to get closer the heart of God. This trip was inspired by my brother-in-law Phil Floyd. Phil has a passion and calling in the area of helping men become men. His ministry Caleb’s Heart puts on events for men called WaawG (Weekend Almost Alone with God) where men are stretched beyond comfort and entertainment (Key elements in most men’s retreats) and put alone in the woods to encounter God. I can speak from personal experience being a committed Non-Camper that it was a life changing experience. My hope is to take a few guys on a motorcycle adventure that would cause a similar change where we come back with miles on our bikes and hearts that are more alive because of time with God and other men trying to live lives that honor him.
The details and logistics would depend on the number of riders willing to take the trip. At this point the only criteria are that you must be a man who loves Jesus and riding enough to take in 200 to 400 miles a day. It is possible to rent motorcycles but if you haven’t been riding for a while this trip may not be your cup of tea. The next big decision is to camp or motel at night and if we camp do we go to KOA type places or get farther off the beaten path. Most street bikes are not at home on washed out rutted dirt roads so the KOA approach probably makes more sense but leaves the group in very close proximity to other campers and RVs and if we have a group of ten or more we may encounter the “Hide the women and children” / “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” mentality. I did find a website for motorcycle friendly camp sites and would call ahead with the number of bikes to make reservations.
Please post a comment if you are interested in one or both of these trips
I found this quote and it described why I must do this and I hope you will come along for the ride and if not find an adventure that excites your heart.
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
--Eleanor Roosevelt
Monday, September 24, 2007
300 miles, Two Bikes, Storm Clouds and no Camera…
Yesterday (Sunday 9/23) my brother-in law and I got on our bikes and had a great day riding in beautiful Colorado. My prior riding experience has mostly been in California and while route 1 along the Pacific coast is spectacular I have to say Colorado in a bike riding paradise. We loosely planned the trip around family with a 1:00pm departure and a general route south from Denver to the Garden of the Gods then west towards the mountains, north to Fairplay and east towards home at or around dark.
The first big decision came the morning for the ride… The weatherman was not on our side as a cold front and thunderstorm had rolled into the area the night before and we were faced with a Go or No Go moment. The combination of not riding for 26 years and the fact that winter will come all too soon mixed with the sense of adventure that requires risk above the assurance of comfort made the decision an easy one… We Ride!
Armed with layers of clothing and a willingness to get wet we topped off our tanks and hit the road starting south on Interstate 25. Our trip had three relatively short stints on the Interstate Highway system, now I am very thankful for the elaborate highway system in the US but I’m a firm believer that it should be left to 18 wheel trucks and cars. It is the perfect method of traveling long distances is the shortest possible time with a gas station and fast food restaurant at almost every exit, what could be more convenient and completely contrary to adventure. I don’t ride to get somewhere (I have a car for that) I ride to feed my soul. Riding is not about the destination it is about the ride, it is about the heart. A few miles later we were into the good stuff, the back roads without guardrails, median dividers or clearly marked exits, where wildlife can run across the road at any time. Remember the point is not to be a danger seeking adrenalin junkie, but it is to get out of you comfort zone and risk living a life that you can’t “manage” that is what it means to live an adventure. Before long we were riding through the Garden of the Gods which is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever ridden and that is when it hit me… I didn’t bring a camera. I guess I have to do the ride again. Then through Manitou Springs which is a cute little “tourist trap” filled with great shops, no parking and the obligatory pedestrians who walk out in front of on coming motorists expecting them to stop, we stopped often and no one was injured in the process.
We then had a coffee stop in Woodland Park and added a layer of clothes as we encountered more altitude and cloud cover but no rain so far. It was a great “curvy” road that was more fun than the view. We then found a “somewhat” maintained county road to Cripple Creek where I discovered that the Yamaha Venture is much more a “sport” bike it touring clothing than the Goldwing that I almost bought, I think the Official term is Wahoo. It was on this road that we had our first of three close encounters of the Deer kind. Too close means the abrupt and painful end to an otherwise great day, thankfully our buffer zone was measured in feet so no harm no foul. Another county road to Guffey which is a ghost town in the making from what I could see before joining the road north to Fairplay. This is where our good luck with the weather ended and the “getting wet” part of the ride began, fortunately I was distracted by a nearly empty gas tanks and the unsettling absence of any towns or gas stations, I did say I wanted an adventure rather than comfort so trusting God we pushed on through South Park, what a spectacular view that served as a great distraction from the flashing red light on my dash reminding me that I was running on fumes. It was on this road that Phil came up along side and pointed to his gas tank, so much for the idea of siphoning some from him if I ran dry, at least we were both distracted from the rain drops. After what seemed an eternity of the flashing red light, in reality just twenty miles or so the tiny town of Hartsel appeared as we crested a hill, it is a one gas station town but that is all we needed. Topping off and having a good laugh about wanting an adventure the skies stopped sprinkling and started to rain. Being the only gas for miles we encountered lots of motorists who expressed concern for us a wished us well, undaunted we pressed on and after a few miles of rain the skies cleared and we were in dry weather again. When we reached Fairplay and the turn east to get home we encountered a lot of end of weekend heading back to town traffic so the pace was slowed but the views were spectacular including a drop into a valley with and unobstructed view of a rainbow end to end. Again I wish I had a camera with me so I could share the ride. Before long as the light of day waned we dropped into the city and our last stint on the Interstate to get to the warmth of home and the comfort of our own beds. I am blessed to have a loving wife and a comfortable home to return to at the end of a ride and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to leave them on occasion so my heart can be fed by adventure for without it the comfort and safety of my predictable life can and will kill that part of me that must have the risk of adventure to be fully alive.
Riding my not be your thing and that is OK, A friend responded to my riding with an e-mail that said he didn’t ride because it was too dangerous and that he knew too many people who were hurt riding. I understand a respect anyone who makes that decision, but please for the sake of your heart find some type of adventure. The discomfort and occasional surprise will feed your soul, I know it did mine.
The first big decision came the morning for the ride… The weatherman was not on our side as a cold front and thunderstorm had rolled into the area the night before and we were faced with a Go or No Go moment. The combination of not riding for 26 years and the fact that winter will come all too soon mixed with the sense of adventure that requires risk above the assurance of comfort made the decision an easy one… We Ride!
Armed with layers of clothing and a willingness to get wet we topped off our tanks and hit the road starting south on Interstate 25. Our trip had three relatively short stints on the Interstate Highway system, now I am very thankful for the elaborate highway system in the US but I’m a firm believer that it should be left to 18 wheel trucks and cars. It is the perfect method of traveling long distances is the shortest possible time with a gas station and fast food restaurant at almost every exit, what could be more convenient and completely contrary to adventure. I don’t ride to get somewhere (I have a car for that) I ride to feed my soul. Riding is not about the destination it is about the ride, it is about the heart. A few miles later we were into the good stuff, the back roads without guardrails, median dividers or clearly marked exits, where wildlife can run across the road at any time. Remember the point is not to be a danger seeking adrenalin junkie, but it is to get out of you comfort zone and risk living a life that you can’t “manage” that is what it means to live an adventure. Before long we were riding through the Garden of the Gods which is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever ridden and that is when it hit me… I didn’t bring a camera. I guess I have to do the ride again. Then through Manitou Springs which is a cute little “tourist trap” filled with great shops, no parking and the obligatory pedestrians who walk out in front of on coming motorists expecting them to stop, we stopped often and no one was injured in the process.
We then had a coffee stop in Woodland Park and added a layer of clothes as we encountered more altitude and cloud cover but no rain so far. It was a great “curvy” road that was more fun than the view. We then found a “somewhat” maintained county road to Cripple Creek where I discovered that the Yamaha Venture is much more a “sport” bike it touring clothing than the Goldwing that I almost bought, I think the Official term is Wahoo. It was on this road that we had our first of three close encounters of the Deer kind. Too close means the abrupt and painful end to an otherwise great day, thankfully our buffer zone was measured in feet so no harm no foul. Another county road to Guffey which is a ghost town in the making from what I could see before joining the road north to Fairplay. This is where our good luck with the weather ended and the “getting wet” part of the ride began, fortunately I was distracted by a nearly empty gas tanks and the unsettling absence of any towns or gas stations, I did say I wanted an adventure rather than comfort so trusting God we pushed on through South Park, what a spectacular view that served as a great distraction from the flashing red light on my dash reminding me that I was running on fumes. It was on this road that Phil came up along side and pointed to his gas tank, so much for the idea of siphoning some from him if I ran dry, at least we were both distracted from the rain drops. After what seemed an eternity of the flashing red light, in reality just twenty miles or so the tiny town of Hartsel appeared as we crested a hill, it is a one gas station town but that is all we needed. Topping off and having a good laugh about wanting an adventure the skies stopped sprinkling and started to rain. Being the only gas for miles we encountered lots of motorists who expressed concern for us a wished us well, undaunted we pressed on and after a few miles of rain the skies cleared and we were in dry weather again. When we reached Fairplay and the turn east to get home we encountered a lot of end of weekend heading back to town traffic so the pace was slowed but the views were spectacular including a drop into a valley with and unobstructed view of a rainbow end to end. Again I wish I had a camera with me so I could share the ride. Before long as the light of day waned we dropped into the city and our last stint on the Interstate to get to the warmth of home and the comfort of our own beds. I am blessed to have a loving wife and a comfortable home to return to at the end of a ride and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to leave them on occasion so my heart can be fed by adventure for without it the comfort and safety of my predictable life can and will kill that part of me that must have the risk of adventure to be fully alive.
Riding my not be your thing and that is OK, A friend responded to my riding with an e-mail that said he didn’t ride because it was too dangerous and that he knew too many people who were hurt riding. I understand a respect anyone who makes that decision, but please for the sake of your heart find some type of adventure. The discomfort and occasional surprise will feed your soul, I know it did mine.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Grand Adventure and you are invited
Greetings all,
As some of you may know in the summer of 1978 I embarked on a four month motorcycle trip from California to Pennsylvania to Florida and back to California. During that trip I placed the front wheel on my bike on the beach of the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. It was a great adventure including beautiful scenery, great times and the only three day in my life that I spent with me father. As with many things we can become separated from simple pleasures like motorcycles by the demands of life or in my case an extended trip to the Indian Ocean with the Navy. When I returned being a husband, dad and bill payer made riding something that had to be sacrificed along with another piece of my heart that needs adventure. Over the past few years I have come to value my heart and the adventure that it needs to survive, so I few weeks ago after 26 years of being a non rider I participated in a training class and got my motor cycle license. Next year is the 30th anniversary of that trip and I intend to repeat it. I will most likely not cover the same route given that my starting point is now Denver, CO not Hermosa Beach, CA. But an extended trip is going to happen and that is where you come in…
First and most importantly I urge you to consider your heart, not your “risk factors” or “Cholesterol Count” but the part of you that needs adventure. If you have no idea what I am talking about read Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. As men we are created in God’s image – to reflect specific aspects of his character and nature just a women reflect different and equally important aspects of God. Men and Woman are different and in those differences we as men have hearts that need an Adventure to Live, a Battle to Fight and a Beauty to Rescue.
I would love it you were all able to join me on this trip but I know that is not possible. What I do want to invite you into is an adventure, any adventure just become an active participant is a story larger than what in comfortable. Adventure by its very nature is unpredictable and dangerous and that is the point, not that we seek injury but accept that the life we were intended to live is too large for us to manage. It is OK to get messy; it is good for the soul to live so large that if God doesn’t come through you can’t simply fall back on your well worn skills a talents. I know it is frightening, for years I convinced myself that to ride was “too dangerous” while it is true that riding involves higher risk than driving a car it was that fear and the corresponding need to manage everything and never need to take a leap of faith that was truly killing my heart.
I would like a few things from each of you:
Prayer. Not for a safe trip but that I would be courageous and do the right thing.
Ideas for the trip. Last time I spent most of my miles on the interstate, this time I would like to hit the back roads. Experiencing a thunder storm in the Blue Ridge Mountains in more important than covering 600 miles a day.
Join me on the trip. If riding is your thing (or this has inspired you) please consider coming on the trip. The dates and itinerary are not set see item 2 and I would welcome the company.
Send Money. No I am not kidding, just as with missionaries some go and other send. For some of you the thought of this type of trip is outrageous for others it sounds great but more than you can afford. Any gifts will be used to offset the expenses of the trip for those who can not afford it but would like to come. At the end of the trip the remaining money will be donated to a ministry that is dedicated to rising up men and is in the process of getting a 503.C religious non profit status. Because it is not possible to know what percentage of the money will go to the ministry or if they will have the non profit status established in time any donations should not be considered tax deductible.
Find you own adventure. Like the old Milk advertising campaign “It Does a Body Good” Adventure Does a Heart Good. So just do it and when you do please write me to let me know how it was.
Thanks for reading my rants I look forward to hearing from you all. Feel free to forward this to anyone you thing might be interested.
Blessing to you and your Families,
As some of you may know in the summer of 1978 I embarked on a four month motorcycle trip from California to Pennsylvania to Florida and back to California. During that trip I placed the front wheel on my bike on the beach of the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. It was a great adventure including beautiful scenery, great times and the only three day in my life that I spent with me father. As with many things we can become separated from simple pleasures like motorcycles by the demands of life or in my case an extended trip to the Indian Ocean with the Navy. When I returned being a husband, dad and bill payer made riding something that had to be sacrificed along with another piece of my heart that needs adventure. Over the past few years I have come to value my heart and the adventure that it needs to survive, so I few weeks ago after 26 years of being a non rider I participated in a training class and got my motor cycle license. Next year is the 30th anniversary of that trip and I intend to repeat it. I will most likely not cover the same route given that my starting point is now Denver, CO not Hermosa Beach, CA. But an extended trip is going to happen and that is where you come in…
First and most importantly I urge you to consider your heart, not your “risk factors” or “Cholesterol Count” but the part of you that needs adventure. If you have no idea what I am talking about read Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. As men we are created in God’s image – to reflect specific aspects of his character and nature just a women reflect different and equally important aspects of God. Men and Woman are different and in those differences we as men have hearts that need an Adventure to Live, a Battle to Fight and a Beauty to Rescue.
I would love it you were all able to join me on this trip but I know that is not possible. What I do want to invite you into is an adventure, any adventure just become an active participant is a story larger than what in comfortable. Adventure by its very nature is unpredictable and dangerous and that is the point, not that we seek injury but accept that the life we were intended to live is too large for us to manage. It is OK to get messy; it is good for the soul to live so large that if God doesn’t come through you can’t simply fall back on your well worn skills a talents. I know it is frightening, for years I convinced myself that to ride was “too dangerous” while it is true that riding involves higher risk than driving a car it was that fear and the corresponding need to manage everything and never need to take a leap of faith that was truly killing my heart.
I would like a few things from each of you:
Prayer. Not for a safe trip but that I would be courageous and do the right thing.
Ideas for the trip. Last time I spent most of my miles on the interstate, this time I would like to hit the back roads. Experiencing a thunder storm in the Blue Ridge Mountains in more important than covering 600 miles a day.
Join me on the trip. If riding is your thing (or this has inspired you) please consider coming on the trip. The dates and itinerary are not set see item 2 and I would welcome the company.
Send Money. No I am not kidding, just as with missionaries some go and other send. For some of you the thought of this type of trip is outrageous for others it sounds great but more than you can afford. Any gifts will be used to offset the expenses of the trip for those who can not afford it but would like to come. At the end of the trip the remaining money will be donated to a ministry that is dedicated to rising up men and is in the process of getting a 503.C religious non profit status. Because it is not possible to know what percentage of the money will go to the ministry or if they will have the non profit status established in time any donations should not be considered tax deductible.
Find you own adventure. Like the old Milk advertising campaign “It Does a Body Good” Adventure Does a Heart Good. So just do it and when you do please write me to let me know how it was.
Thanks for reading my rants I look forward to hearing from you all. Feel free to forward this to anyone you thing might be interested.
Blessing to you and your Families,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
