Home Archive by category "Hiking"

Category: Hiking

Do You Need a BREAK from Ministry?

So, just HOW excited would you be to get AWAY from your job for a week? You can only IMAGINE… no e-mail, no texts, no meetings, no phone calls, no to-do lists, no boss dropping in with some new task… how excited would you me? Maybe as excited as this guy on Yosemite Summit at the top of Sentinel Dome! Yosemite Summit is a week long sabbatical retreat for men in the heart of Yosemite National Park. This is not camping. This is a week at a relaxing lodge for refreshment, renewal and recharging away from the hustle and bustle of fast-paced ministry life. You can leave your watch behind as there is no schedule other than eat breakfast, hike, chill, and return for home cooked dinner in the evening enjoying fellowship with other men during the day. Explore YosemiteSummit.org to learn more or register here! I’m praying for the guys that will join me on next year’s Summit. Will it be you?

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Yosemite Drawings from 34 Years Ago Discovered!

Recently, I was going through some old personal papers in the garage – much of it was useless and finally was tossed out, but hidden in the ancient folders, binders and loose papers I found an art pad with some drawing in it from when I was fourteen years old… that would be 34 years ago. While I’ve never been much of an artist, I was surprised at how good these were. I obviously must have spent some focused time doodling these. I now commit them to the Internet for Eternity! Here is another: I am so thankful that I dated these, otherwise I’d have no idea when they were drawn. I am so thankful for this incredible place that has become my Sanctuary where I travel every year to spend some focused time walking with God and listening to what He has for me. I’ve always known that Yosemite had a special draw for me… now I know that I did a special drawing while I was there as a young boy falling in love with my Creator and His amazing displays of beauty He collected here.    

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Taking the Path Less Traveled

You’d miss it completely if you weren’t looking for it. Most walked right past it. But we enjoyed a rare treat because we were looking for the path less traveled. I kicked off 2017 with a week of hiking in Yosemite National Park with a good friend. I lead the Yosemite Summit retreat for pastors every May, but we were eager to see this incredible place in winter. God blessed us with both fresh snow and temperatures that made hiking surprisingly easy as we stuffed hats, gloves and jackets into our backpacks… not needed! Ahead of time we did some research on the best spots to see in winter. We discovered a secret spot off the Upper Yosemite Falls trail that afforded an amazing view of the middle falls that otherwise are impossible to see from any other location. It was amazing! We marveled that the slight detour leading to this spot was missed by most, but at the same time enjoyed that the secret was ours alone as other hikers walked on by, just a few feet away and missed it completely. I won’t even name it here, its worthy of secrecy – but if you ask me in…

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The Cure for Smart Phone Addiction

Last Sunday, our pastor continued a series called Satisfied. He shared some amazing statistics about Americans and their cell phones: 66% of Americans feel anxious if they are separated from their device. 58% do not miss one waking hour without checking their smart phone. 59% of Americans check email as soon as comes in. 89% of Americans check their device every single day, even on vacation. 80% of teenagers sleep with their phone! 84% of Americans believe they couldn’t go a day without their phone. The average cell phone user checks their phone 150 times a day! In fact, many people check their cell phone first thing in the morning and as the last thing they do before going to sleep. They go to bed and wake up checking their smart phone. While some people are worse than others, all of us, I believe, probably check their phone more than necessary. There is no doubt that we live in a world where our smart phone is now practically a part of our body. How many times have you been in a room filled with friends or family and everyone is on their device rather than enjoying each other? Well, I…

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Yosemite Summit Report and Video

ALSO available on YosemiteSummit.org Yosemite Summit 2014 Report One of the best decisions I ever made in life was to start Yosemite Summit. I can still remember how nervous I was the first year – it was an incredible step of faith to put money down on a lodge not knowing if any guys would even sign up. I’ve now completed seven Summits. Each year God brings together a completely different group of men – sovereignly gathered by God for a week of unplugging from the busyness of ministry to reconnect with God in an incredible way. What are the benefits of Yosemite Summit that these men benefit from? Let me share a few with you… (click on any image to view larger) They get to spend time strengthening their foundation by spending quality time with the Rock. They gain a new objectivity on their life and walk with God. They learn to see God in nature in new and creative ways. They learn to enjoy the journey over the destination. They gain a heightened perspective on life. (Can you see him there?) They learn that even when you can’t see God at work… He is still there. Sometimes it’s…

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