Grace

by   September 8, 2021 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

  • Grace – an enormous gift and kindness from God.
  • We can not be righteous in our own strength or through the law, it is all by God’s goodness and grace though Christ Jesus.
  • Jesus paid a very dear price for us to be saved and to become righteous – it is a total summation of God’s grace.  Thank You Jesus.

Prayer:  I lift my hands in worship and praise to You today for this wonderful salvation and Your goodness and this gift of eternity and eternal life.  Thank You Lord.  Thank You for Your grace upon my life.  Help me express grace to others and enjoy and walk in the grace that You give and not take it for granted.  I bless Your Holy name.  Amen. 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Day 26

by   September 7, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Finally leaving the Texas hills!


  The day started in Navasota, just a little later than I planned. My red flashing light chose this morning to need new batteries. I had packed up everything, then dug out the batteries and got it going. The fantastic room was wonderful! Just hold that thought for a few minutes.


    I headed east on State Road 90 to Anderson, then turned on State Road 149 for some climbing practice, although I am sure I don’t need any more. During a flatter lull, I stopped at the community of Richards. A local guy named Matt Nichols held the door for me, then asked about my trip. We ended up talking for 10 minutes about the state of world, and clearly were on the same page. Matt said, “But all we can really do is know where we’re going when our life ends.” We laughed about my daughters and their different approaches to my bike rides. Matt owns a ranch and says he loves it in Richards which might have 100 residents. He also said, “When I get on that horse each morning, I don’t know for sure what will happen.” Same for me when I get on the bike.


    I crossed Lake Conroe and entered Sam Houston National Forest. For a while, I was on the Texas Forest Trail with thick woods on both sides of the road. I passed through New Waverly on State Road 1375, then turned on State Road 150 for the rest of the day. Punkin and Evergreen were small crossroads, but Coldspring was a bigger town at a little over 800 residents. Finally, I had a steady headwind for a ride into Shepherd where I am spending the night. Each road through the day got a little flatter,  making me happy.


    I called last night and got an amazing rate for the night at Hometowner Inn and Suites. That quickly, I got the best room for the trip, just one night after it’s predecessor. Tonight, I am writing this while sitting on my own couch in a huge room. I have already thanked the owner for the great deal. Even better,  there is a Subway and a convenience store on the same property. I have already eaten a pint of Blue Bunny Double Strawberry and a foot long Subway Veggie Delight. Another pint of Cherry Vanilla awaits.


  Today’s ride was 78 miles during a mid-90’s day. It was another good one, with just enough to see and the meetings with Matt and the motel owners.


  I have already scoped out tomorrow’s route if all goes well. I plan to head for Kirbyville, one of the last towns in Texas. I’m excited to see that the train tracks will be beside me all day. Also, I need to mention that I have not been harassed by flies in East Texas, but the loose dogs have started chasing the bike. The Adventure Cycling maps said they would.


    More little towns with services are showing up, and that means more people. And there will be lots of water ahead. Matt mentioned too that I will have to know how to get through the bayous, so during that part I will follow the Adventure Cycling maps. I will admit to making my own route several times in the last week. Nearly every map route segment shows me heading east now.


    Thanks again for your support and comments! I am hoping for another good day tomorrow to keep the fun going. Come back tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes!

Resting on Us?

by   September 6, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

The words had been written in my scribbled print on a notepad that I discovered in a drawer. I have no idea how many years ago I had written those words, but it was evident that they were written for such a time as this.

The words? The spirit of the Lord will rest upon me. Isaiah 11:2

As I held it, it felt as if the words on the paper had a life of their own and were speaking directly to me.

The spirit of the Lord is resting on me?

Yes – and on you!

It is a promise from the Lord that we need to embrace.

The wordrest, according to my dictionary, has around 30 definitions.

I liked all 30, but these three stole my heart and captured my mind:

*Rest means to stay. The spirit of the Lord stays with us – no matter what is going on in our lives. No matter what is going on in our hearts. No matter what is going on in our world.  We are children of the King. His spirit will rest on us.

Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet, not one of them will fall to the ground outside of your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  

We can rest in that – always.

*Rest means to support. The spirit of the Lord is supporting us. Most of us go through times in our lives when we are in crisis or just need support. We feel as if we may collapse underneath the load. But there is a promise that the spirit of the Lord will  support us.

Psalm 94:18 says, “My foot slips.The mercy of the Lord holds me up.”

We are held up and supported by the mercy of God resting on us.

It is a promise we can hold onto.

We can rest in that – always.

*Rest means to be silent. The spirit of the Lord brings silence. It is in those sweet moments of being still and knowing that He is God that we are surrounded by silence. As we seek  – and find – quiet times with our Father, we can often hear the voice of God.

Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Being silent before the Lord and listening for His voice exudes awe, respect, reverence, and worship as we see Him for who He is – Our Father who is heaven. Holy is His name.

We can rest in that – always.

Lord, thank You that Your spirit rests on us. That sure does bring comfort. Thank you that Your spirit will stay with us.Thank you, Lord, that because of Your mercy, Your spirit will hold us up and support us, even when we fall.Thank you, Lord, that as Your spirit rests on us, we can be silent and hear your voice. Surround us, Lord. Amen

Day 25

by   September 5, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Another good and important day!


  I got more sleep last night than I usually do at the Budget Motel in Bastrop. Really happy with the room, I was up and out at first light with a plan. I wanted to finish off the current segment, but knew that there would be challenges. Already at 80 degrees for a low, the humidity was high and close to 100 degrees was predicted. I needed close to 90 miles to reach Navasota, the last town on map segment four.


    I took State Road 21 out of Bastrop and battled no bike shoulder and heavy early traffic until the shoulder widened just enough to keep the bike on it. Next came a 45 mile segment on US 290, starting with about 15 miles of brand new pavement. I stopped in Giddings for a couple of breakfast tacos and home made chocolate chip cookies I had a wonderful talk with Toni Cook, who said, “I’ve often wondered if I could even ride a bike to the next town.”


  Then it was on to Carmine, where my credit card got cut off again. Once again, they emailed me and asked if the purchase at the Village Market was legitimate. Of course it was! A super large cold drink and two bakery brownies! I got a picture of the bike right behind a large elephant waiting in the parking lot. So far, I don’t miss many convenience stores with towns still spread out.


    Then, after a short segment on State Road 36, I took the very challenging 24 mile ride on State Road 105 into Navasota. Navasota had big Civil War history and was named the blues capital of Texas.


    I had talked with a young desk clerk at the Navasota Inn a couple of times over the last two days. I’m here and very happy with the room. When I rode in, the clerk had a big smile on her face. She had the air going in my room, and a big easy chair and foot stool waiting for me. Plus she gave me a cold water, a bag of chips and cookies! I was so excited about all of this.


    With map segment four done, I now have about 1,230 miles to go. Of course, that figure won’t be exact by the time I am done, but is very close. I will come close to 2,000 miles completed in the next day or two. Today’s ride was 88 miles and I still have probably two more days left in Texas. I plan to spend tomorrow night in Shepherd, Texas.


    It was hot today, 97 was the highest I heard and my shirt was wet all day. But 97 is still nothing like the 114 of the bad day! A nice side breeze made it seem less hot. It was another good day and I’m excited again about tomorrow.


    Join me back here for Friday’s ride and start to finish off Texas. I’m about to start my second pint of Blue Bell ice cream. See you tomorrow!

Day 24

by   September 4, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

  The most fun day of the whole trip!


  Last night, I really needed to sleep and the girl in the next room had different guys in with a lot of loud talking, plus dog barking in a motel with no pets allowed. I finally got to sleep at close to 2am this morning. The best things about the Hill Country Inn were the  big screen TV and Dairy Queen across the road, and not much else.


    I still left out early this morning in the drizzle headed toward Henly and Dripping Springs. There was lots of doable climbing early, then oddly the road shoulder decreased and the climbing lessened as I neared Austin. Adventure Cycling always wants to avoid any central route through town and had this elaborate round the world plan that I didn’t follow. I went right through town rather easily in a city with 800,000. Drivers were courteous and oddly the city gave me two options. The route was on US 290/71 East and you could do it on the freeway or on a frontage road next to it. I did some of both.


    The routes split and I stayed with US 71 through Montopolis, Garfield and on into Bastrop, my home for the evening. Bastrop has about a half dozen motels and I called them all. Last night they all had high prices, but I checked again when I got near the town and the Google Assistant found the Budget Inn. I called and got a price of $72, tax included while all the others were over $100. The Budget Inn is perfect, with all the comfortable things I need. A great convenience store at a long block away in a historic neighborhood. The motel has great WiFi and ice, two of my big needs and it is very quiet here. I’ll make up that sleep tonight if that holds.


    Now for the highlight of the day. Just before I reached Garfield, I spotted a Sheriff’s Department car and stopped to confirm my directions. I have met some great officers so far, but Senior Deputy Jonathan Barrientes had the best conversation yet. There was no real human contact until that point and we hit it off. I promised to keep him updated, especially because he knew a lot about the areas I have traveled so far. Later in the afternoon, he beeped his siren to me as he also headed home to Bastrop.


    I got to the motel at about 5:30pm, intent on finding food and getting my daily update in. The owner showed me where to find the best convenience store and another resident here struck up a conversation about my trip. Mark is from Fresno, and asked about everything. He mentioned that he didn’t have anything to eat, so while I was gone, I picked him up a few things too. Mark seems a good guy, and at least for this evening isn’t hungry. Also, I keep finding good prices on bananas at the convenience stores. Remember that I am trying to visit them all across America.


    In another highlight of the day, the Y Service Club at the South Y donated $50 toward my ice cream fund. I bought two pints of Cherry Vanilla and Strawberry Blue Bell ice cream to get started on their contribution.
    And finally, I got 77 good miles in today on another mostly cloudy day. Very pleasant riding. I’m not sure of my goal for tomorrow yet but will work on it as the ice cream gets eaten. At this point, I will be happy with another productive day!


  Keep the questions and comments coming. I love them all! See you tomorrow!

Faith and Intolerance

by   September 4, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I am a weather fanatic. For the last couple of days I have been watching the model updates on Hurricane Ida. Every model predicts a different scenario of strength, size, impacts, and paths. I am completely fascinated and can spend hours on the internet watching storms. Most of you know that my biggest fascination is with winter storms.

            The amazing thing to me has been how similar the models were running for this storm. Normally, three-to-five-day forecasts change wildly as the storm approaches. This one stayed focused and veered very little off the track. I rarely watch weather on TV any more. There is so much information available to weather nuts like me that I go straight to the sources.

            In following the sources of weather information, I make my own deductions on what I think will happen. If storms, like Hurricane Ida, are not directly impacting my area, I tend to keep my thoughts to myself. If weather, especially winter weather, is coming our way, you can be sure I am not only watching but putting my thoughts out there, too. One friend thinks that my forecasts are more accurate than local weathermen. I think his opinion is a little high of my abilities. But sometimes my “guesses” are just as good as the local weathermen.

            Local government officials warned people to get out of the way of Hurricane Ida. That’s their job. Government officials’ jobs are to keep the public as safe as they can in whatever situation the people they govern are facing. They have to make the wisest and best decisions. My prayer is that God will raise up Daniels and Esthers to give government leaders godly advice. The trouble, we can all see from scripture, is that they don’t always follow godly wisdom.

            You and I are no different than government leaders. We need wisdom from heaven as we make daily choices that affect our families. My father-in-law, who lives near the coast of Virginia said that if a hurricane was less than 100 miles an hour he would stay home. If it reached over 110 miles an hour, he was getting out. He did exactly that for the hurricanes that hit his area. He had lived through some hurricanes as a kid and knew his limits.

            Faith plays a very important part of wisdom in our lives. I have some friends who occasionally enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with their meals. Notice I didn’t say they drink to excess. For them, their faith allows it. I have other friends whose parents were alcoholics and they don’t think you should allow any alcohol in your body, even communion wine. Their personal experiences have affected their faith.

            Is either of my friends wrong? I don’t think so. What I believe could be wrong is if one of my friends became intolerant of the other. If those who didn’t drink condemned those who did, that would be wrong. If those who did drink were insensitive and drank alcohol in front of those who are opposed to alcohol, that would be wrong. We have to allow room for different beliefs and different levels of faith.

            These very same principles apply to what we are facing as a country and the world relating to COVID. We have become very strongly polarized as a nation regarding the vaccinations and masking. We have to stop and ask; what would Jesus do? He would pray and ask His Father what He should do.

            I believe God would tell Jesus to honor and respect people. If He came to my house and we were wearing masks, He would honor us and put one on. If He came to your house and you were comfortable without a mask, He would not stand up in any public forum and condemn you because you had a different viewpoint. Yet this is exactly what we see happening among fellow believers.

            To be honest with you, I don’t believe Jesus would be very proud of people who are behaving intolerantly towards others. I want to encourage you to be careful what you say publicly regarding masking and vaccinations. Jesus is listening. I realize as Christians that we must speak out against sin, but even then we need to extend grace and mercy, because I don’t know about you, but I need plenty of it myself. Let’s speak God’s language towards each other which is always filled with love, acceptance, joy, and peace.   Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Day 23

by   September 3, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

  First Dairy Queen milkshake and bike repair


  Leaving Kerrville, my only thought was to be in Fredericksburg by 10am when Hill Country Bicycles opened. I envisioned a one hour repair and a continuance of the trip east.


  On the way into Fredericksburg, I saw a policeman driving toward me and then putting his turn signal on. I knew then that he was going to stop me and he did. The officer pulled up beside me and asked me to come up to his side window. He asked if I was Taylor, and when I gave my name, he smiled big and said he was looking for him and to have a great day.


    I did make it the bike shop before it opened. Lisa, the owner and only staff member currently, showed up a few minutes late. We quickly had a disagreement about expectations, Lisa assuring me that she would work on the bike but that she would have to handle customers and phones calls too. So I told her what I thought the bike needed and did my best to be patient while customer after customer came and went. Over two hours later, I left with the bike in fantastic shape. I had sat outside most of the time, planning the next few days the best I could.


    The chain wasn’t stretched, but she found the hub was loose and fixed that. It shifted better than it had in a long time. The metal had been in the tire but was now gone. The tube in the tire had a small hole and she replaced it with a new one. Plus she put a new covering over the top of the spokes on the inside of the rim, stating that it was wearing and would soon cause trouble. We had an enjoyable conversation at the end, during which she told me that she had completed a 3 year trip around the world on a bike.


    After fueling up, I was over 2 1/2 hours past the point I arrived. I got on US 290 right away as after some up and down to get out of town, the riding was much more enjoyable. After Fredericksburg, which has a dramatic German heritage, I rode through Blumenthal, Stonewall, Hye and then into Johnson City. It reminded me of a segment of Route 66, with lots going on. There were miles of wineries, lots of unusual older vehicles and even a big castle on a bluff. One of the tall men from Route 66, labeled as “Howard Huge” was even on hand. The riding was so much fun!


  Johnson City is the home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, former US President. I stopped at a state park that centers around his ranch and toured the visitor center. There is another National Historic Park here in Johnson City. Lady Bird, his wife, had a park in Fredericksburg.


    So, other than the long wait for the repair, it was a fun day, although short on miles at 55. I am at the Hill Country Inn, right beside one of the first Dairy Queen’s I have seen. My first pineapple milkshake was great! And a great convenience store is next door. The low budget motel room has a cheap price but the biggest screen TV I have ever had in a room, perfect for watching the Yanks/ Red Sox as I write this.


  Tomorrow, I hope to get through Austin and maybe as far as Bastrop, which would leave me less than 100 miles from the end of this map section. If the bike keeps running well and I make the right choices, I will stay pretty close to the planned time frame.


  Thanks again to the Post and all the readers and sponsors for making this trip happen! I completed what I think is the last big climb this morning and we should be dropping below 1400 feet from now on. The bike is good and I feel strong, so send prayers for safe riding.


    See you tomorrow!

Day 22

by   September 2, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

  A day of uncertainty


  I loved the room last night in Leakey. All went really well until I got up this morning and checked the back tire. Flat again! I could have stayed there this morning and put my last tube in it, or reinflate it and deal with it on the road. I chose the latter!


    Out with the first light, my goal was to get a jump on the climbing today. I rode north on US 83 and had only one severe climb, then turned on US 39 toward Hunt. Lots of rollers, up and down, trying to manage the gears and grab momentum on the downhill enough to help get up the other side. Supposedly, this is the Texas Hill Country. That is the sign for the series of roads and the area I am in now. Glad it is no longer Texas Mountain Country.


    The climbing was horrendous when I got to to the start of the Guadalupe River. I found out later that early settlers in the area had the road cross the river about a dozen times to slow down the river in high water situations. Over and over I raced down the hill and struggled up the other side. Finally, I reached a high end resort area with lots of inns, lodges and homes along the river. The road became much calmer as it stayed on one side of the river and a canopy of trees made the riding much nicer.


    I added air to the tire about 2pm, just after the small settlement of Hunt. No population given, but The Store had a cafe, convenience items, gas, winery and a meat market, plus a bank. I got a huge brownie and ice there to fuel my ride into Ingram and on into Kerrville.


    I had been watching a huge storm building off to the north, and the bottom fell out just as I entered the Kerrville city limits. Still nearly six miles from my motel for the night, the Lone Star Inn, I waited for 30 minutes under a BBQ joint’s cooking area. Still raining, but tolerable, I hit the road and found the motel. I am on the Kerrville/ Fredericksburg Road or US 16 after 65 challenging miles today.


    The significance of being on the way to Fredericksburg and the tire issue, hopefully will play out into a happy ending tomorrow. I must have a piece of metal in the tire that I can’t find and there is supposedly an open bike shop in Fredericksburg. No one answered the phone today, or for the one in Kernersville. Bike shops usually open later, so if I can get the same result out of the back tire tomorrow and the shop is open, I will get it fixed. If not, I will ride back to Kerrville. Other things that need attention on the bike are a chain that I think has been stretched with all the climbing, a water bottle holder that vibrated off with all the rocky roads and a couple other possibilities. Fredericksburg is about 23 miles east by car. Worst case scenario is that I end up back here tomorrow night, just to get the bike fixed. Usually about halfway is time to get the bike some professional attention.


    It has been pouring again since I got in the room. I did get some bananas and my ice cream plus microwave pizza to refuel after another day of Texas hills.


    Austin, Texas is coming up quickly as I continue to head east. It was a beautiful day today, again not too hot.
    Join me tomorrow for the continuing saga of the tire. My elevation diagram says only one more mountain taller than 2,000 feet and it just happens to be tomorrow.


      David Post has joined the journey as a sponsor again. Two more anonymous ones have also joined. Thanks to them and all the other sponsors who are making this adventure happen! Time to get to the ice cream! See you tomorrow!

1 2 3 4 5