Denver to Ogden

I swear I saw a field just outside of Denver that contained two to three camels. Then me and Jenn ecountered a town (population: 1) or something of a town called Buford. The beginning of that day was a bit lengthy. I entertained Jenn by getting really into the first six or seven songs on Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Then a most surreal "event" occured. I will choose to describe our time at a rest stop in Rock Springs as an event. First, we encountered road construction, so the exit to the rest area was not clearly marked to begin with. As we went through some cones and saw little or no signs of civilization, Jenn asked, "Are we supposed to be driving on this, or are we offroading?" And at that point I thought we were offroading (honestly). Then as we went under some bridges and came to a dirt road intersection, I said some bad words and wondered what kind of "micky mouse operation this was". A guy in another vehicle was laughing at my confusion. When we finally traveled through about a two mile labrynth and found a gas station, we were mesmorized by not only the people, and the clothing and dialect, but also the choice of subject content contained within various conversations. Nobody had sleeves, and one notable discussion included a guy who had come across a small fortune and was fighting off the ladies who had a newfound interest in his recently fattened wallet. Jenn was funny because she made little attempt to hide her laughter at this man and his $80,000 reward, and his heigtened status within the dating community.

When you travel across the country, it's great to stop and observe the diversity. Later that day, we stopped in Ogden and left for Boise, but I still think I need to give a little more time, to try to describe that leg of the tour. Right now, I'm in a Panera Bread in Seattle and I need to move on, but you will hear from me soon. I will keep you posted. Yinz are the best. Blessings from the road.

No Clowns, No Playgrounds, Just Good Food!

So I am on the road. This blog I am posting from my girlfriend, Jenn's computer. I wish I could put into words all that I've seen and experienced thus far. Last Wednesday, we left from Zelienople and made it to St. Louis. I felt so free, that I couldn't stop smiling all day. G.P.S.'s are amazing. I borrowed my dad's. He named it Tanya. Now from St. Louis we left on Thursday morning heading to Denver. The last time I traveled to Denver through Kansas I remember being bored. But this time, I just loved it. Maybe it was the company. Then we saw this Arby's sign that read: No Clowns, No Playgrounds, Just Good Food! The sign seemed angry. We laughed at the no nonsense attitude with which Arby's presented its case.

Anyway, in Denver, we were on this road (Rte. 86) that was a scenic route. I looked at Jenn and said "I will never forget this as long as I live!" I felt like I was on the edge of the universe. We were listening to slow Led Zeppelin tunes like: "That's the Way", "Tangerine", and "Thank You". There is something to be said for the feeling one has when you are half way across the country and light years from the stresses and concerns of every day life/ministry.

The trip from Denver to Boise, and then from Boise to Bend require posts of their own, but what I'd like to say thus far is that this is exactly what I've needed for maybe the better part of a year! Going from one position/church to another with no time to breathe has had me so focused on the task at hand that I feel like I haven't had time to slow down and focus on the giver of life. In my first six days on the road, I have felt the Lord tell me some things. Things that I haven't been breaking my back to hear. Sometimes, when we just slow down for a minute, the answers just seem to appear. At least that's the way it's been for me thus far. Next time we talk I'll tell you about a sunset that I wish I could've shared with the world, and a rest stop in Wyoming that I could not only preach a sermon on, but maybe a series. God speed!