Plains Ga

I made it to Plains in fine shape. It turned into a longer ride than expected because I made a wrong turn.....about 80 miles. I am staying in a great Inn! The Historic Inn and Antique Shop. This is the land of Jimmy Carter. I am absolutely amazed that a former President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner lives here, yet is still so quiet. If I were a former President, this is exactly where I would want to live.

Today I am heading to Fort Gaines Georgia which is on a lake. I am staying in State Park Lodge and really looking forward to the pretty scenery. I have once again met some amazing people on this trip. If you are not on Facebook, that is too bad. I am posting video of the trip. I have 6 videos posted. Unfortunately I have not been able to get Blogger to accept my videos. So moral of that story.....JOIN FACEBOOK! Trust me, you will enjoy it.

Today at 5:35pm

Message to all those traveling with me on this journey......I am held up in Warm Springs! It has been POURING all day.

As a result, I am changing course to be able to still get to Florida by Saturday. Tomorrow I head to Plains Georgia instead of Americus. Friday I will be heading to Fort Gaines. Saturday I will be making my way into Florida where I will meet Karen and Meredith. Unfortunately, I have no internet access here to post video but I have lots of video to post when I get the chance.

Thanks for following along........

All Who Wander are NOT Lost!

greg

New Adventure

Well here we go again. It has been several months since my last post. I very much appreciate those who followed my last trip across the Ga/NC mountains. What an adventure! It really set my soul on fire for seeing the world on a bike. Many people wrote me wanting that concluding entry for what I learned on my trip. Truth is....it took me a while to process the event.

I must first confess that I was spiritually in a very dry place during that ride. The ride itself was an attempt to "find myself" so to speak. During the Spring of 08 I had been involved deep inside the belly of the church planting a new worship service in downtown Atlanta at Atlanta First Methodist. I felt burned out and overwhelmed with the business of looking for fruit from our labors. Somewhere in doing God's work I had lost God, and felt very much like those around me had as well. I thought perhaps I might rediscover God on that trip.

In many respects I did rediscover God. Certainly I had some hair raising moments where I relied on His provisions. Certainly I saw Him in the faces of some the people I met along the way. Certainly I saw Him in the natural beauty of the mountains. Yet, somehow I came away from the ride really not taking me to the place I wanted to go spiritually. The experience purely from a cycling stand point was amazing. But I sought something much more profound the pedaling.

But things post ride slowly began to turn. I gave up leadership responsibility for the worship service and began to just show up, play drums and worship. I began not to look for God in the attendance but rather in the faces. I began to grow more comfortable just being, instead of doing. I think the mindset from the ride helped me very much in that regard. Each day during the ride I was forced to just exist on the merits of just that day....no more or no less. I began to apply that attitude to my faith, and really my life as whole. I began to grow more surrendered without expectation and satisfied without frustration....but it was a process.

Recently I heard a friend say, "we are called to look at the vine, not the fruit." That statement became the culmination of months of God bringing me out of the desert....a journey that started, not concluded, on my bike trip.

Tuesday I start a new adventure. This time I will ride the bike to Florida. I suspect the trip will in many respects be quite different from the first. First, it will be flat most of the way. Second, I will be covering more distance in less days. But most of all, I am not riding to find my way out of the desert this time. My walk with God is truly back on track. I don't know exactly what God has in store this time around. Last time I went looking for answers, only to find the trip set off more questions. This time I go looking for nothing other than just being in His grip. I am totally surrendered........watch out......that is usually when He reveals himself in the most powerful ways. Stay tuned in.......we'll share it together.

Final Thoughts

I arrived in Waynesville Friday at 3:30pm. The last day's ride was the most beautiful of all. I crossed Cullowee and Balsam mountains, both much larger mountains than in Georgia. It was good to get to the house and see Karen after a week of being on the road alone.

Saturday was a day of celebration for Karen's 40th birthday. She celebrated it by waking up with a backache. Welcome to 40.....all those over 40 know exactly what I mean. But it was still a great day! It didn't take Satan long to try to break up the mood. I'll leave it at that......

So where did the whole week net out? Well there are some things I can share, and some things best left for private discussion. But those that know me well know that I am not afraid to be transparent under the right circumstances. So maybe you will just have to ask in person.

But here is what I can tell you......I am feeling very humbled, fragile and weak. I see clearly how imperfect I am. I see clearly how my energy is no match for the power and energy of God's creation. I see clearly the goodness of people much less "out there" in the limelight than myself. All in all, I finish this ride with a feeling of I did nothing worthy of note, and all that was done was done so because of God's provision. It really was all His glory......not FOR His glory.......His glory.

Today I write in a state of bokenness for I see just how weak I truly am.......... Which is exactly what I needed to reset my heart to a place of service, simplicity and humility.......a place of clear understanding and appeciation of the Grace, Mercy and Love that God offers each of us..

Thanks for being a part of this adventure. It is my prayer that God uses these words and experiences to in some small way touch your life.

May God bless your life richly,
greg
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Miracle on the Mountain

Today was the day that I drew closest to God. I left Hiawassee at 9:15 and pedaled back into town to grab breakfast. At 10:00 I headed towards Franklin, NC. For next 4 hours I watched my 2 water bottles dwindle down to nothing as a climbed an 11 mile climb after moving into NC......no drinkable water in sight.

A little education here.....hydration is your life in endurance activity......you run out of water.......you shut down.....that simple.

At the crest of the climb I later discovered is called by the locals "Chunky Gal", a local told me I still had another mountain to go over before I would find water. That is when I began to pray in earnest.

Several miles later as I was asking God for his provision I found this on the side of the road.......see the picture. I picked it and put it in my bag knowing I would survive the second climb.

Although I did not have to use God's gift, I clearly see He was sending me a message of His provision for my needs. Within 2 miles of thie gift, I crested the second long climb, enjoyed 5 mile descent right into the drive of a Fire Station that allowed me to top my water supply for the rest of the journey.

Today, I feel like the Israelites as the mana fell from Heaven. I hope I do better than they did of staying faithful and grateful.

Today I am leaving Franklin for Waynesville.....in essence heading for home......2 big mountains to climb. I will not make the same mistake today. I know these roads and hills well. Yesterday was a miracle on the mountain.
g
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Alert!!!!

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OH No!

I just typed in 5 paragraphs and accidently deleted it!!!!!!

It was really profound......talked about how much we stress ourselves trying measure up to standards we put on ourselves, or allow others to impose upon us.

And it talked about how God wants to accept that we are good enough despite our imperctions.......

And it talked about the wonderful people I met at dinner.......

It would have been great, but to retype it all would be to illustrate the very issue I just described.....in my desire to write something profound to meet my own expectations, I would add stress by having to retype the whole thing. SO........I'm going to bed.

Pictures are from an overlook in Helen and Noi......the entertaining fellow that made dinner!

g
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Margaret and Heather

As promised, here is a picture of Margaret, my dinner date and host last night. Heather works the front desk and is on the right. More about the epic ride today later tonight.........
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My dinner date

The ride today was hot! At mile 45 I came into the big climbs leading into Dahlonega. It hit right in the heat of the day and I truly did look like a mentally unstable turtle. My highlight was seeing the expression on 2 teenagers faces as I passed them while they were walking their bikes up the climb!! I must have made one feel bad cuz he got on his bike and started pedaling. LOL

When I arrived at Puravida, I learned that I had a dinner date, Margaret Nemac. She is the lovely 60 year old inn keeper who came to make me a pasta dinner so I wouldn't go hungry. I am pretty sure she did that just for me since I am the only one staying on this 72 acre retreat. We enjoyed a quiet dinner together while she explained about the different birds flying around the garden. We then enjoyed cake on the porch and watched an amazing sunset over the mountains.

Margaret illustrates a great God point in her servant's heart tonight.........what makes a random act of kindness special is not the size of the task. It is the size of the suprising randomness.

Off to bed. Tomorrow will be a full day of big climbs. Thank you for support and prayers.
g
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Bigger than Life

Ever noticed how God is bigger than life? You think you have the perfect plan and then under stress from it not working out right, He blows you away? Sure we all have had the experience of things working out far better than anticipated.

Let's get real.....do we really want to give God the credit?

When we acknowlege our desire to live a Godly life, we implicitedly acknowledge there is always hope for a better outcome than anticipated. Yet we are still suprised when it happens.

Such are my current circumstances on this trip. I hoped it would be good. Because of some unforeseen opportunities it has been better than ever expected. More on the specifics tonight.....

I'm in the mountains now. Here is picture of me going up hill..........
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Brutal

Today was a hard day! First we dropped Meredith off at camp for 2 weeks. I know......I can hear you out there saying you better get used to it. I will never get used to missing her when she is gone. And if you are honest, you miss your kids too! LOL I am attaching a picture at Winshape I shot before leaving Rome.

Because I did not leave Rome until 3pm, I had to pedal like mad to get to Jasper before nightfall. Truly my arrival before dark was a God thing and answer to all of you out there praying for me. I arrived at 8:20pm! Tomorrow should be an easier day.

Cool story.....the place where I am staying is owned by Pam Martin of WSB fame, and her husband Larry Butler, an attorney no less. Cool way to end a day of hard riding.

I close with this thought......I challenge each of you in your own lives to embrace a BHAG......Big Hairy Audacious Goal. You may just find God is their waiting to meet you.

Goodnight from Jasper.

g
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I'm Off!

From Rome:

Well so much for first day jitters. That's a thing of the past. The day started with a poor weather forecast.....storms rolling in from the west. Karen and I waited for an hour, and after prayerful consideration, the decision was made to go for it. So we loaded up the bike and headed for Smyrna, where the silver comet trail begins.

The Silver Comet trail is an amazing project which has converted old railroad tracks into bike trails. The scenery is quite lovely for the entire stretch between Smyrna and Rockmart, 38 miles one way.

I teamed up with a lovely couple, Rich and Martha, until mile 15. They were kind enough to let me ride with them. It certainly made that section go a lot faster. I have attached their picture on the trail.

Rich told me about a great stop in Rockmart called "Frankie's.". He didn't miss the mark. The food was AWESOME, but the best part was getting to know Frankie. Frankie moved to Rockmart after her husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Total life change.......She now runs this Italian Restaurant in quiet little town catering to cyclist coming off the trail......talk about a niche! Getting know her was the highlight of the day.

In her story is a God moment. God challenges us to do things outside of comfort zone. But sometimes it takes a real shake up for us to muster the courage. It is because when are comfortable, we care too much about the outcome. When we are broken, the world opens with possibilties that look better than where we are.

What if we lived everyday as if God offers unfathomable possibilties in our lives? Maybe the room of unfulfilled dreams might be a little less crowded......

Until tomorrow from Jasper.

Love to all,
g
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Stuff

In case you are wondering, and you are probably not, a self supported tour requires you to carry a lot of stuff. The picture posted is just food, hydration, supplements and bike tools and spare parts that will fill one front bag. Tomorrow I will begin to pack the other bags.

My fitness tonight left me confident. I am certainly not back to my glory days but I managed to hold on in a very serious group ride.

The weather has mercifully cooled off. Praise God! God has already begun to really speak to me in this quest and I have not even hit the road yet. I mentioned in my last the subject of "details.". My mind races so much it is scary to think of how much of God I miss. I bet that applies to you too. I hear Him saying slow down........your life is not a race for quanity; it is a collection of quality. That's a new thought for me..........
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It's Hot!

I pulled out yesterday at 4:00pm to ride til dark. I under estimated the heat. I realized how important it is going to be to hit the road early in the am on my trip. Heat is like sin.....It sucks the life out of you over time. The new bike goes much slower than my road bike, especially loaded down. But I enjoyed the more leisurely pace. I noticed details that I normally miss. More on that to follow......without giving anything away......I believe that is the theme of what God is calling me to discover. The picture is from a field I passed 25 miles south of home. A cute rabbit cause me to stop. You might say I was chasing a rabbit trail! LOL
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Meredith's "Kit"

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Trying out the Blackberry

From the blackberry!
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2 Weeks Out

Well, the bike is in. The panniers are on the bike, and the last tune up rides are on the schedule. There is much to do in the next weeks to get ready for this ride. When you are traveling alone, planning is essential. There is no sag van or group to carry all the stuff. Things like safety, repairs, first aid, nutrition, and weather all factor into the load. Planning is especially important when you realize that all but 4o mile will be traveled over mountainous terrain, which makes weight a serious consideration.



People keeping asking why I am I doing this ride alone. Truth is, I will not be alone. This ride is indeed a pilgrimage of sort.....a fast if you will. Since the dawn of man, man has chosen to challenge himself to draw closer to God.

I will begin to post more frequently in days to come with pictures, now that I have figured out my new Blackberry. This weekend however will be filled with a different flavor as Meredith takes center stage for a weekend of dance recitals. Talk about tiring......this kid between rehearsals and performances will be dancing almost all day for the next 4 days!

Rain

Nothing is more unpleasant on a bike than a driving rain storm on the road. Water squishes between your toes while your feet feel like they just gained 20lbs each. The wind in your face turns cold and you actually hope for a hill to go slow and generate heat to renew your spirit to ride. So was the ride today. We like to call these rides "character builders", and every cyclist needs a few to toughen up the soul.

Todays ride was a 60 miler approaching race pace for 70% of the ride. It brought back memories of long training rides watching every heart rate and monitoring every piece of availabl e information to measure fitness. I don't miss it quite honestly. But I did enjoy the satisfaction of a good effort. It is funny how in our drive to one up ourselves, we begin to squeeze out the enjoyment of the activity. I could easily see today's ride going in that direction. The next ride I need to go a little faster for a little farther....and so on. Then one day you wake up and realize you really don't enjoy the activity any longer.

So, hold me accountable. This training is not about getting to the Masters National Championships. It is about getting back to healthy level of fitness to enjoy what God has in store for me ride in June, and hopefully many more rides to follow. But today, I could feel that same old competitive spirit beginning to swell.

The Traveler's Gift

I spent the weekend in the mountains visiting with my Mom and Dad. My wife Karen bought me a book tape to enjoy on my trip. The book is entitled "The Traveler's Gift", by Andy Andrews. I must confess my envy in wishing I had written such wonderful book. The book investigates the 7 decisions that every successful person make, but does so in the context of a well conceived plot. Honestly, this is a book I need to read every six months.

The weekend was a memory maker. First, I really enjoyed spending some quality time with my parents in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Saturday I got in an epic ride which included an 11 mile climb to the top of Waterrock Knob......I'm still gasping for air. And finally, we capped off a great day at the Balsam Mountain Inn enjoying wonderful dinner and soaking in the fresh Spring mountain air. As if that wasn't enough, the Balsmam Mountain Inn was hosting one of its famous Songwriters in the Round evenings, from which the whole concept of Psalmwriters was born. www. psalmwriters.org.

I often tell Meredith that great men and women see the significance of moments while they occur. I'll leave history to judge my greatness, but this weekend was one clearly recognizable as a memory maker that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Indeed, this traveler was given a gift of a different sort, one of quality parent time with elder ailing parents....a gift of no less significance than that discussed by Mr. Andrews. But like the central charactor, my eyes were opened to so much for which I should be grateful.

That Doesn't Go There!

I thought you might want to know more about my last 2 days of training rides....you know the mph, the distance, the heart rates and zones......yeah right. I know what you really want to know........What do you do when you breath in a bug at 20 mph? The answer is cough and hack until it either finishes its journey down, or you are lucky enough to get it up and swallow it. The fact is, sometimes things get stuck where they don't belong, and can cause major havoc until you get rid of it.

I have found sin in my life to fit this pattern. It seems that I can't get comfortable with it, until I get rid of it. Oh yeah, I can bury it or perhaps cough it up and swallow it, but there is something very unsettling about knowing it is still there. The only thing that will really make me feel better, like that bug, is to be absolved of and from it.

As I rounded the last turn before my subdivision tonight I had just such an experience. I am sure all the motorist thought, look at that pathetic guy coughing up his lungs and trying to ride that bike. They probably thought I was a smoker out to get a little exerice. Somewhere a mile or so down the road I got it out, and life on the road got back to normal.

Do you have things in the middle of your life that just don't belong there? Take it from me, you won't get comfortable until you get rid of it.

Training Update

Recently I have been riding my mountain bike on the road to prepare for my trip. My touring set up is much like a mountain bike configuration. Plus, mountain bikes are heavier. Today, I got out the road bike just to change things up. Wow, I should have trained on my mountain bike when I was racing. It was like pedaling a feather!

I actually put down about 28 miles at race pace, which doesn't sound like much, but it is not bad for my current fitness. I didn't wear a heart rate monitor but I could tell I was on the edge of my anaerobic threshhold for the entire ride. Now, that information won't mean much to anyone other than obsessive compulsive cyclists. But the point is that I felt I huge since of affirmation that I can actually pull this tour off, bad neck and all.

I am on a big kick right now with God. I just want to do stuff in my ministry life where I see him already working. Truth is, however, this ride is a bit selfish. There was no great prayer vigil that went into doing this ride. I have found great reasons to do it, like supporting the Atlanta Dream Center. But it started as a simple idea to test myself. Frankly, I have had my doubts. This ride involves alot of weight over a lot of mountains. But today, I felt God's affirmation that He wants me to do it, and that through His strength I can do it.

That has me fired up and motivated.

I Have a Dream

I dream of people of all races living in the equality and freedoms envisioned by our Founding Fathers. But, from where did these most radical thinking men come up with such "enlightened" ideas? Indeed, notions of liberty and freedoms were not at all a new idea. They came from another radical that lived over 2000 years ago. His ideas were so radical that it cost him his life. Many of our Founding Fathers paid a similar price. Do such men walk the earth today?

Yes, they do....men such as Paul Palmer at the Atlanta Dream Center http://www.atldreamcenter.com/, and the many young people he mentors. They inspire me to live boldly for a radical dream, birthed by a radical man, and fostered by radical humble servants throughout the generations. Interestly enough, Paul established his church right in the heart of the 4th Ward in Atlanta.....a place festering in crime, drugs and poverty.... a place where most people in Atlanta painstakingly avoid.....a place which birthed another radical who gave his life in the name of radical humility. Martin Luther King.

I am blessed to be sponsored by Paul and the Atlanta Dream Center. In early May I will establish a way you can give to the Dream Center through sponsorship of this ride. All the proceeds will go directly to the Dream Center. I have a dream.........and you have a part to play.

So You Want to be a Rock Star.......

See, the title does matter....... That's why you are reading this right now. And truth is, the previous title of this blog poorly defined its purpose. That's why I changed it.

For all of us cycling nuts out here, we instantly feel the pain, sacrifice and joy that come from 3 words.....2 Man break. When we see a break form, we gleefully cheer with great optimism. We urge with all our passion for the break to succeed. We mourn as the break falls apart 100 yards from the finish. And when it succeeds, we rejoice wistfully thinking of our own glory in such a moment. Any cyclist knows, when riders breakaway from the pack, they must work well together to have any chance of sustaining their lead to the finish line.

Similarly, God challenges us to break away from the pack of humanity, and even religousity, to a life devoted to Him. Yet, such a bold move is not for the weak or timid. If you are going to make the jump, you better have a good partner. And your partner better be God. For there is no way you way you will sustain your effort alone.

God and I are on a breakaway. We have been on one now for several years. We have been partners in living a life on the road less traveled. But for too long, I have put my nose in the wind to show my strength. Like Lance, God has quietly waited for me to fatigue to show me who is boss. God is calling me to the mountains to restore His authority in my life, and resurrect a proper working relationship between 2 riders, one stronger and one weaker, engaged in the epic struggle we call life.

This ride is about experiencing God in a unique form of suffering. Some people fast. I ride bikes over mountains passes carrying all my stuff. In the end, this is a personal journey, and I share it in hopes that others might join in the struggle, and rejoice in victory that is sure to come in a "2 Man Break" with God. .....Perhaps, someone might be inspired in the victory.

This is a quest for victory......Settling for nothing less than complete surrender, the winning position in God's eternal game of life.

Friends

Is there anything better? Today I reunited with some old friends and made a new one. It dawned on me last night that perhaps I am not the first to set out on the bike looking for a mountain top with God. Perhaps I might find someone of similar interest. After a 30 second search on Facebook, I found a new friend, Rich Wagner. Not just an ordinary friend, but a well published author with Zondervan, who is about to embark on a cross country bike tour with his family to promote his new book, The Expeditionary Man. It was love at first sight. I hope you will take time to check out Rich and this amazing quest at http://whythebike.com.

Later in the day, I stopped in at Bicycles Unlimited http://bicyclesunl.com/, and amazing bike shop for whom I raced for a number of years. After I career ending injury, I lost track of my old friends, shop owners Mark and Holly Anderson. You can imagine my joy to see them both looking not a day older, sporting a huge smile as I walked in the door. Mark was quick to show me a new Giant bicycle (TRAN Sport LX) that he had been dying to order for just the right adventurous person, and offered to sponsor me. Wow....what a blessing! The offer is making me seriously reconsider the Koga Miyata World Traveler which I had planned to ride.

Training began today with conviction as I put down a 25 mile ride on my mountain bike.....knobby tires and all. The roadies looked at me as if they saw a clown on tricycle. I think they could tell however that I was a man to be reckoned with, so they let me pass without too much ridicule. In a strange way, I found the whole experience quite remarkable. It felt strange to be going so slow. Yet, perhaps I was experiencing the bike as it was intended to be enjoyed. Culture tells us speed is better. God tells us patience affords us opportunity to savor his majesty. I savored the sunset today in the slowness of my pace. I savored the beautiful spring day at 13mph. I savored the fragrant gardenia's as I past by an old farm house. I savored old and new friendships as I pedaled.

I think I am going to like this new adventure of mine.........

In the Beginning

Have you ever wondered what it is like to have a "mountain top" experience actually on a mountain top. I have. This is the story a 6 day bicycle trip starting June 15 over the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina, investigating God's presence in the places and with people we often overlook. I wonder, will I find that people cling to religion out of bitterness, fear or frustration (as Obama speculated), or is there something much deeper. Each Day I will post an audio and written devotional revealing what I find. I go into this adventure with no preconceived ideas of a conclusion, but I confess to hoping to find God in a real and authentic way. The destination is not as important as the journey.

I hope you will enjoy this investigative effort to discover the real meaning of God in the lives of ordinary Americans.