Going South...

I've been thinking a lot about going south... driving to Costa Rica. It's about 4,000 miles and would take about 10 days or so. 2 days to get to the Mexico border, 2 days to get through the rough, desolate part of Mexico, then about 2-3 days, minimum, along the Pacific coast... through Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Zhihuatinejo, and Acapulco. I wouldn't want to rush through these places! Might even want to spend a day or two in each until I get to the Guatemala border. I'd hit the border crossing first thing in the morning, then for the next 3 days, hit a different countries border crosssing first thing in the morning... El Salvador, Nicaragua, then Costa Rica. They say it can take a while to get across each border. I understand there's even a couple water parks along the way, in a couple of these countries! Once in CR, I could relax... take my time arriving in San Jose. But anxious to see a couple friends. There is a great need for volunteer mission work there. MAF, the Naz Seminary and then the SNU Research facility a little south and up in a cloud forest. Wonder if I could get 4-6 weeks off work? This has been on my mind a long time. I thought it might go away in time, but it hasn't. In fact, it's getting stronger in my mind.

There are many of my favorite things to do, in Costa Rica. Hiking, mountain climbing, biking, kayaking, white water rafting, etc. In fact I've heard the largest bike park in the world is near the NE top of the Nicoya Peninsula. And the kayaking is good on the rivers as well as the ocean. I might just stay there!

Help me think realistically. Logically. Sensibly!

Zion National Park

It was a very successful trip to Zion. 38 miles in 3 days. Lots of switchbacks and slot canyons. One day we crossed the same creek 22 times, each way. Angel's Landing was my favorite hike. So much diversity and incredible sites. Observation Point was long and steep, but about half way was the most amazing place. Surreal. It was just this opening in the slot canyon with a creek running through it. A great place to stop off and cool the feet down and have a snack. Day three was all down hill the first half, and then a climb back out to the trailhead. Not my favorite way to hike, but the Kolob Arch was amazing and well worth it all. It's said to be the third largest natural arch "bridge" in the world at 287'. More pics can be seen here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=184907&id=1126171114&l=4464cc463b

Overall, this was a great trip. Very calming and relaxing, though strenuous. You know how good it feels to just totally run yourself down?

On another note... many other fun times coming up during the summer. As I ponder Zion and the other places I'm looking forward to being this summer, I'm reminded of Psalm 24...

¹ The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

² for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

And... Genesis 1, the Creation story. What is your interpretation of the Creation timeline? What does it mean to you... "there was evening, and there was morning the first day...."

Change is in the air...

It seems to be finally warming up some. There is new grass germinating and starting to sprout in my forever dirt "lawn." Even though it has been snowing recently in the mountains, I'm ready for summer. Looking forward to spending a lot of time on the boat, but also doing some new exploring in places I haven't been. But also revisiting places that I have great memories of. Like the Sawtooths, Hells Canyon, McCall and of course Mt. Borah again this summer. But, next week a small group of us are going down to Zion in Southern Utah. Some friends of mine just returned from there and their pictures have snow in them, but I'm guessing by this weekend, it will be mostly gone. It will be fun to explore the Narrows, the Subway, the rim and anything else we have time for. As summer approaches, many new things will make themselves known. Change just seems to be in the air. So, I'll just stay the course and welcome anything that gets in my path!

Mt. Hood

We got back down to Timberline Lodge, Saturday about 3pm. It was not a summit day. High winds, snow, sleet, hail and no visibility kept us in check. The plans were to start out about 2am, crampons, ice axes, helmets, extra layers and food for a couple days, and skis on our backs, but as we sat in the 4Runner at 11pm the night before, feeling it move from the winds and hearing the snow and small chunks of ice blowing sideways against the rig, we rethought our early morning departure. So, as we hunkered into our mummy bags, comforting thoughts of a full night of rest overtook any desire to awake in 3 hours to begin our ascent. Next thing we knew, soft blue light was filtering into the windows, thru a layer of snow and ice. The wind was still blowing. Snow was still falling, so after a leisurely cup of coffee at the lodge, we geared up for an exploratory hike up the hill. 4 long and miserable hours later, we found ourselves at the end of the navigation wands, only two miles up from the trailhead. Very cold, yet sweating, we headed due west, in search of the top of the Palmer lift, where we would change boots and step into our skis. Visibility was still bad. So bad, in fact, that I stepped off a 3' wall of ice. We began our decent, staying next to the lift for a reference point, and not knowing what would come across our path. We were tense and extremely cautious. After about a mile, Susan offered to lead the way. I was keeping my eyes on her, knowing that if she was okay, I would be too. Next thing I knew, she had vanished. Just completely disappeared. Gone. I slowly approached the place where she mysteriously sunk out of site, and there she was in a heap about 6-7' down. She had skied off a cliff! A bit frightened, but not injured, she was able to get up and ski on after a few minutes of regrouping. On down the mountain a bit further, an opening in the soup opened up and as we approached the lodge, it came into view! We skied through a beautiful expansive meadow, in fresh, light snow as we neared Timberline lodge and the guests in the windows enjoying a warm lunch. It was a great site!

We're heading out tomorrow morning. Driving to Portland to gear up, then have dinner with my firstborn and her husband at Portland City Grill, then out thru Zigzag and Rhodedendron to Government Camp. We'll try to get a few hours of shut eye before the 2am departure from the trailhead at Timberline Lodge. Skis and extra layers on our backs, we'll begin the ascent, under a mostly full moon. There will be a dusting of fresh snow on the ground. All I hope to accomplish is the arrival at the Pearly Gates! The one's on the mountain, not the real ones! Not just yet anyway. If we get to the gates, we'll take some pics, then head left. From there, the top is in site! So, I'm heading into this with no strong desire to fight against nature. If it's right, we'll summit, if it's not right we won't. You'll have to check back to find out how we did. We are planning to ski down, but not from the top. Just from the bottom of Hogs Back. If the snow is fresh up there, we will ski from higher up. I'm really looking forward to this! Even though it's yet undetermined, it's fun to think about. The snow conditions have to be just right.

Stay tuned. If I make it back, you'll be the first to know!

Our left coast neighbor...

Anybody want to ski Mt. Hood in June? I'm putting together a little trip that will include a day of skiing the Palmer lift on the south slope, right along side the US Ski Team! We'll lunch in the historic Timberline Lodge. On the way over, we'll see some incredible sites along the Columbia Gorge and hike to the top of Multnomah Falls. The next day we'll scope out the Pearl District as well as a little poking around 23rd in Portland. You can get in on this all inclusive 3 day weekend for only $239 pp. Includes most meals and lodging.

Also, we're still going over to Mt. Hood, April 22 - 24 to climb it. This is not an official tour, so if you're interested in joining this excursion, let me know. You'll need to round up your own crampons, ice ax, trekking poles, headlamp, tracker and energy snacks. We'll drive over to Portland on the 22, get our gear at REI, then drive on up to Timberline to grab a little nap before we start up the mountain at midnight. We'll summit about sunrise and get back to the lodge around noon on the 23. The rest of the day and the next will be unplanned and spontaneous!

Check back for other tours!

Idaho Adventure Guiding!

This is something I've been thinking about for a while... I'll start here and see where it goes!

A little background... I've hiked, backpacked, snow skied, snowmobiled, rafted, kayaked, skydived, and mountain climbed all over Idaho. In fact, done many of these things and more around the world. There's nothing I enjoy more than introducing these things to others! I thrive on watching, participating in and sharing the thrill with others. There's so much to see and do in this state and the surrounding states, that I thought I'd do what I can to help as many people as possible experience these things at the most affordable cost.

I can put together the simplest or the most complex package you might want. It can be as simple as cross country skiing or riding quads to Silver City, for a day, or as complex as a several day trip, with the best lodging and food combined with one or several of these adventures! It's all up to how memorable and unforgettable you want it to be.

Picture this... take a scenic drive from the Treasure Valley up to the Sawtooth area, stopping along the way for breakfast in Banks and a little later... a soak in a natural hot tub carved out of the rocks along a raging, ice cold river near Lowman. On up the road, we turn off the highway about 2o miles short of Stanley, and head up over a narrow, steep dirt road for a few miles before stopping to set up camp along a rippling creek. Wake up the next morning to hot, fresh ground coffee and a full breakfast before heading up, up and up an even narrower scenic road as far as we can drive, before we have to stop and hike the last mile to a series of crystal clear, high mountain lakes to catch a few hungry trout to take back to camp for dinner. The next day, we sleep in, break camp and head back down the mountain, stopping off at Redfish Lake Lodge for lunch, then passing through Sun Valley on our way back to the valley. This long, memorable weekend can be yours for only $99 per person!

This is just one idea. Many other options and packages can be custom tailored to your time and budget requirements. For example, a guided overnight and a climb up Idaho's highest peak, Mt. Borah including meals can be done for $49 per person. In later posts, I'll put other ideas here, so stay tuned!

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly


This could easily be my lifetime goal. These words have had a special place in my heart since I first heard Santus Real sing them. It just clicks with me... know what I mean? It's so easy to just give it all to God, right? Or is it? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Why is that? What makes us hold on so tight to the things that can and should be given over to God? Why do we hold so tightly? Why do we want to maintain "control"? Human nature, I guess.

So, we just continue to hold on, or give it up, depending on the day. We just keep on keeping on. Little by little. But all the time, believing in God to the best of our ability. Knowing for sure that He's up to something, larger than life, bigger than me, something Heavenly!

Gonna climb this thing!

That's right! Next month is the month I've been waiting for. I'm gearing up now to satisfy a desire of mine for the last 10 years. And my best friend is coming too! To climb Mt. Hood. My only goal is to get up there, maybe even to the top end of Hogsback, or even into the Pearly Gates, but NOT to summit. I know... that sounds lame. But it's not my goal for the simple reason that it will be disappointing to set a goal of summiting and then not be able to for weather reasons. I won't push beyond my limits or drive forward with a storm blowing in. The goal is just to have fun. I've heard too many stories of people pushing on when they shouldn't have.

This is not an overly technical climb, at least on the south side. I wouldn't even attempt the north or west sides. So, in little more than 3 weeks we'll be there, giving it our best shot and having fun! If we actually make it to the top, I'll be thrilled, but like I said, it's not the all important goal of the trip. I'll keep you posted!

Banks

Don't you just love them! Don't you wish you could live your life without them? Especially the HUGE ones. Like Chase. You're just a number, a very long one at that. And the worse off the economy, the more vicious they get. You could be making double or triple payments for years and all of a sudden, if you're a couple weeks late, they come after you like flies on honey. And there's nothing you can do about it. Except, of course, make your payments on time! It kind of discourages you from making bigger than the expected payment. All but the part about shaving a few dollars of interest off. So, we are prisoners. Not of the bank, but of our own need for their money. If we could just learn to live on what we have, we'd be much better off. I mean, you have to be their prisoner to own a home. At least most of us do. But we could drive the auto industry into obsolescence by driving cars we can afford without a loan. And would that be so bad? It might even create a desire for banks, the auto industry and maybe even health care to think about the obsurd prices they are charging. It might just be the best thing that could happen to our economy. What do you think?

A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise


These are powerful words. True words, but humbling too.
I could sing this song daily and it would be new and fresh each day.
Why is it, that we continually fail? Yes, I know the pat answer.
The one we always use. The passe reason we give for screwing up.

But how can we break free of the pattern we find ourselves in?
We give our life to God. We renew the convenant daily. We want
Gods will in our lives. We glory in his grace. We are thankful for His
love for us, yet we fail again.

Consume me from the inside out, Lord. This is my prayer today, and always.

There are moments on our journey following the Lord where God illumines ev’ry step we take. There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us, as we try to understand each move He makes. When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee; Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity. And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan, in the presence of the King, bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall, the cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow. And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel; We are tempted to believe God does not know. When the storms arise, don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.

Joy? Really?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

This is a tough one right now. I mean, deep down, I know it's true. But right now, today, I'm having trouble with it. Oh, I lack wisdom alright. And I ask God for it daily. Sometimes I see those prayers answered. Other days, I don't. And, I don't feel like persevering at the moment. I feel like escaping. But, that never got anyone very far. So, here I sit, sharing my thoughts with the world. Typing them out may just help me convince myself that God really does care about me and want the best for me.

So, what to do? Really. I don't know. Trials are real. Trials are present. Trials are many, at times. And even though I don't feel like persevering, I know that running from it won't help. So, once again, I ask God for wisdom. I never get emails from God. I never get a TM from Him either. Sometimes I think I know what He's saying. Most of the time I don't. But I do trust Him. And I have faith in Him. Even though I face trials.

Thoughts?

God is good....

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

These are words I count on. The best words of encouragement that can be found. When you ask God for forgiveness, he grants it. No questions asked. No rememberance of the past! You've got to love that! That is what I call grace and mercy. It is our promise from God, just for seeking Him. We will continue to mess up. We will fail. We will disobey, but God will continue to pour out His grace and mercy on us. That doesn't mean we go looking for trouble, just knowing He will forgive us. We have to make a valiant effort. We have to try our best. We have to talk to Him daily, if nothing but to ask His help. He will come through! He will protect us if we ask Him to.

I don't believe God punishes us. I don't think He just hangs out, waiting for us to screw up so He can show us His power. Or take something away. Or set us back. On the contrary, He is there waiting for us to simply ask Him for forgiveness, just to help us move on. To try to do better next time. To be an encouragement to someone else.

This is my goal this week.

Time seems to fly by, yet stand still...

It's Friday again. Unlike last Friday, where at this point in the day, I had no real plans for the weekend, this one seems to be full already. Yes, already. I don't seem to plan very far ahead these days.

My BMW is in the Nampa Christian auction this weekend. And Larry Gebert has been at the school this morning, doing his weather updates, featuring the car. Great exposure! It should sell this weekend. And, hopefully get a little extra coin in the NCS account.

In our spare time this weekend, we'll move a few more things over to the new cottage. We did most of the large, heavy items one evening last week, so it should be easy. Then the organizing begins. And maybe even sleeping there soon! It's been a very long process and it still seems surreal.

Today was the day to show my banker that I have enough money for closing, a week from today. This is where time has been standing still. This week has crawled by and next week probably will too. I guess I should be taking advantage of that and doing some positive, productive things. Had a couple minor set backs, but it's resolved. It's amazing to me that, even though it seemed impossible, that funds came in from unexpected places to the exact dollar amount I needed. Even right down to my tax refund. It just all came together, perfectly.

I took Launa skiing this week. We had a great time! It was fun spending time together in a different setting than usual. She's doing very good. She starts her new job at Lowes today. There all day today and tomorrow for training, then will probably get a schedule to start her cashier job next week. She's very excited about it. I'm proud of her. I told her on the chairlift the other night that she should look at this as a stepping stone for a career, rather than just a "get by" job. If she proves herself as a valuable employee as a checker, she can work her way up within the company and could possibly, eventually become a design assistant, a department manager, or even a buyer for them. I'm praying for her!

No Greater Love is coming together nicely. I'm excited about being involved this year. Ticket sales start Monday, the set starts going up Monday. Practices are increasing in length and frequency. It's an amazing event, and just to be one small part is inspiring.

I seem to be rambling, and promised myself I wouldn't. I strive for this muse to be inspiring. To have some sort of message. To challenge and motivate. But this one may not do any of those things. So, such as it is, maybe there's a small take away for you. Please let me know either way.

Rewarding weekend

I went into this weekend with no big expectations. Friday was just another Friday until I got an invitation to go skiing. That was great. The company was great. The weather was great. The snow conditions weren't so great, but that wasn't the main motivation for going. It was for the company. The fresh air. The brisk, refreshing setting. Saturday was a day of just chilling. Laying low. No motivation to get anything accomplished. I started out with great plans. I set out to put speakers in the ceiling of the new cottage. I knew "about" where the wires were, although now hidden by sheetrock, texture and paint. After all, I pulled the wire and thought I knew where they were. I got one speaker installed, and started cutting the round hole in the sheetrock for the second one and lost my ambition to continue. No particular reason. Just needed to veg.

Today was a great day. Church was unbelievable! I walked in a few minutes late to some amazing worship music. Looked across the stage, not recognizing anyone until I saw who was leading... then I remembered talking with Mike Ax a couple times about Robin's band and it all clicked. They were worshiping God, uninhibited. And it just all came together. It was truly wonderful!

After worship, Pastor got up to begin his message and he started by inviting Munroe up to the front to talk about his past week in New Orleans. He was there, during Mardi Gras, not partying, but witnessing! Sharing God with those there only for the wildest, craziest party they could find. Munroe, in his boldness, and with some fear, was outside his comfort zone, but obediently sharing God's goodness with the most unsuspecting people. Well into his description of the past week in New Orleans, he stopped and asked those of us in Early Church the same question he asked those at Mardi Gras.... "if you were to die this minute, would you go to heaven?" Many raised their hands. Some didn't and he acknowledged those. He then asked who wouldn't go to Heaven and one raised his hand. Munroe didn't move on. He didn't ignore that hand or pass it off. He pushed on! He left the mic and walked back to the man. He led the man in the Prayer! He was saved right there, in church! Of all places! Way to go, Munroe! What a loud and clear message I got. This morning was truly Early Church!

The day continued on with a little skiing. On the way to Bogus, I was telling Susan and Micah about the service this morning and couldn't get through it without tearing up.

I had no great expectations for great skiing, but found some 6" uncut powder on the back side and we wore ourselves out. We ended the afternoon with the traditional face run, and then a nice long soak in the hot tub back in the valley.

Tomorrow is a new day. The beginning of another week. It will be a good one. I'll head into it with a positive attitude.

It's Friday! (so what does that really mean?)

It's the last work day of the week. A normal two day weekend is before us. That doesn't really excite me much. No big plans, nothing out of the ordinary... except church on Sunday. That's a good thing. I really enjoy the worship and our pastor. Kent is a normal, down to earth guy. He's truly seeking God's will. He is humble. He doesn't need to impress anybody. I like that. I want to be more like him. I try. Most of the time, I just prefer to blend into the woodwork. Or so it seems. I'm not an out front kind of guy. Or at least I don't think I am. Maybe I'm fooling myself. Thoughts?

I do seem to like nice things, but I keep telling myself I don't have to own them. I think I just resigned myself a few years ago to believe I never will own nice things, so why bother thinking about them.

Life is so fragile. You know, we need to be right with God, at all times. (that came out of a text I just got)

So, the BMW and the boat are for sale. I think I finally came to the point of deciding I just don't need them. Or God is telling me I don't need them. I think hanging out on the boat and wakeboarding are two of my all time favorite things to do. But, for some reason, I may have to let it go. I don't understand all the ramifications, but I do understand that I'm not the only one in financial trouble these days. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Honestly, I think simplifying is a good thing. I'm even considering not having cable TV.

I'm realizing that the things I enjoy most are being outside, in a dramatic, beautiful setting. Maybe a kayak on a high mountain lake or even a class III run is just as fun as a wakeboard boat on a busy, crowded, choppy lake.... hmmm.... and backpacking in the wilderness is, by far, more fun than walking thru a mall or even the greenbelt. Is it age? I don't know. I don't think so, because I seem to be the oldest one out there. Well... besides Susan. She's 4 months older than me! :)

So, here we are, headed into another weekend. Not sure what this one holds. But I will do my best to make the most of it. Hope you, whoever you are, will do the same!

A new day...

Yes, indeed! It's a new day, but same ole story. I actually listed the BMW on craigslist last night. And two hits already. Not serious yet, but it's out there. It was fun to have while it lasted, but it's not really me, you know. I test drove a 1963 Ford Falcon Future yesterday! Very cool car! Probably won't get it though. What, with this crazy real estate market, I'm in the same boat as everyone else. Just trying to sit tight and be patient.

There's a first time for everything, under heaven...

I've joined the masses! I've succumbed to the world of free press. I've jumped on board of a fading technology and begun to blog. I don't know how long it will last, or how much I will find to talk about, but here goes!

I'm pondering much these days. There's a lot going on and decisions to make. Big ones. Life altering. Not sure what the future holds, or even tomorrow, but with God's help, this too shall pass.

I have thought, on and off over the last few years, that I could live a simple life. Free of material possessions. Free of the stresses of TV, news, technology, and stuff. I'm now being put to the test. I can get along just fine without cable. Even internet at the house. But I'm being forced to decide if I should sell the BMW. Sell the boat. Is it possible? Really? My first reaction is, yes! Of course! But then reality hits and I wonder.

Tune in tomorrow or the next day. Check back to see what rash decision I've made. Or if I'm still pondering. I will keep you posted!