Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
-Psalms 51:1-4 NLT
Picture Credit: Mike Putnam
Posted in Daily Scriptures | Tags: beauty, faith, God, Jesus Christ, life, love, mountains, nature, Oregon, personal, photography, salvation, travel
“Raindrops blossom brilliantly in the rainbow, and change to flowers in the sod, but snow comes in full flower direct from the dark, frozen sky.”
-John Muir
Posted in Nature Writer Quotes | Tags: art, backpacking, beauty, books, conservation, earth, enviroment, health, hiking, John Muir, literature, local, nature, personal, photography, rain, rainbow, spirituality, travel, winter
In the end, it doesn’t matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished-a life without heart is not worth living. For out of this wellspring of our soul flow all true caring and all meaningful work, all real worship and all sacrifice. Our faith, hope, and love issue from this fount, as well. Because it is in our heart that we first hear the voice of God and it is in the heart that we come to know him and learn to live in his love.
So you can see that to lose heart is to lose everything. And a “loss of heart” best describes most men and women in our day. It isn’t just the addictions and affairs and depression and heartaches, though, God knows, there are enough of these to cause even the best of us to lose heart. But there is the busyness, the drivenness, the fact that most of us are living merely to survive. Beneath it we feel restless, weary, and vulnerable.
Indeed, the many forces driving modern life have not only assaulted the life of our heart, they have also dismantled the heart’s habitat-that geography of mystery and transcendence we knew so well as children.
All of us have had that experience at one time or another, whether it be as we walked away from our teachers, our parents, a church service, or sexual intimacy; the sense that something important, perhaps the only thing important, had been explained away or tarnished and lost to us forever. Sometimes little by little, sometimes in large chunks, life has appropriated the terrain meant to sustain and nourish the wilder life of the heart, forcing it to retreat as an endangered species into smaller, more secluded, and often darker geographies for its survival. As this has happened, something has been lost, something vital.
-John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance, 3-5
Posted in Ransomed Heart | Tags: faith, God, Jesus Christ, love, mountains, Mt. Rainier, National Park, nature, personal, photography, salvation, survival, travel, Washington
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
-Matthew 7:13-14 NLT
Posted in Daily Scriptures | Tags: Arches, faith, God, hiking, Jesus Christ, life, local, love, National Park, nature, personal, photography, salvation, utah
Avoid Jet Lag
>> Prep your sleep
Get eight to nine hours of shut-eye each night for a week before your departure date. If possible, adjust your sleep schedule pretrip by going to bed and waking up several hours earlier than normal if you’re flying east, or several hours later if you’re flying west.
>> Time it right
Choose flights with afternoon arrivals. Stay awake until it’s your normal bedtime in the local time zone (where you’re headed), and set an alarm so that you wake at a reasonable morning hour; limit sleeping time to eight hours.
>> Drink up
You lose 250 ml of water per day through normal breathing and even more when the air is dry (most overseas flights dehumidify cabin air). Slow dehydration by breathing through your nose and drinking lots of water. Aim to consume two liters on flights longer than five hours, always accept the flight attendants’ refill offers, and avoid alcohol.
>> Work out
Avoid heavy sweat sessions immediately before your trip. But upon arrival, take a brisk run, bike ride, or hike. The boost in circulation and the sun exposure will energize you, and the workout will help you feel more tired when your appointed bedtime arrives.
Courtesy of Backpacker magazine
Picture Credit: Jack Brauer
Posted in Weekly Survival Skill | Tags: backpacking, colorado, health, hiking, life, literature, mountains, nature, photography, survival, travel, winter
| 1⁄2 | c | instant rice |
| 1⁄4 | c | cooked and dehydrated kidney beans |
| 1⁄4 | c | freeze dried okra |
| 2 | T | cheddar cheese powder |
| 1 | T | dry milk |
| 1 | pkt | tabasco sauce |
| 1 | T | olive oil (1 packet) |
| 1 | c | water |
Ingredients used:
Freeze dried okra: http://packitgourmet.com/Okra-p435.html
Mild cheddar cheese powder: http://www.frontiercoop.com/products.php?ct=dfmbc&cn=Cheese+Powder
Cooked and dehydrated beans: http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/Dehydrated-Beans_c_2.html
Tabasco sauce in handy packets: http://www.minimus.biz/Tabasco-Brand-Pepper-Sauce-packet-F03-3700100-110…
For a spicier dish use 2 to 3 packets of Tabasco sauce.
Dry weight is around 4 1/2 ounces.
At home:
Pack the dry ingredients in a sandwich or quart freezer bag. Tuck the Tabasco and olive oil packets with it.
In camp:
FBC method:
Add the oil and near boiling water to the bag. Stir well, seal tightly and put in a FBC cozy for 15 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco sauce.
Insulated mug method:
Add the dry ingredients, oil and boiling water to your insulated mug. Stir well, cover tightly and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco sauce.
One pot method:
Bring the water and oil to a boil, add in the dry ingredients. Take off the stove, cover tightly and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco sauce. In cool temperatures use a pot cozy.
Courtesy of trailcooking.com
Posted in Backpacking Recipes | Tags: backpacking, cheese, food, health, hiking, local, personal, recipes, survival
“The view is endlessly fulfilling. It is like the answer to a lifetime of questions and vague cravings.”
-Don DeLillo
Posted in Nature Writer Quotes | Tags: Arches, beauty, books, conservation, earth, enviroment, life, literature, local, National Park, nature, personal, photography, spirituality, travel, utah
We exercise because we want to grow stronger; we take vitamins in the hope of being healthy; we attend language classes expecting to learn a new language. We travel for adventure; we work in the hope of prospering; we love partly in the hope of being loved. So why Christianity? What is the effect Christianity is intended to have upon a person who becomes a Christian, seeks to live as a Christian?
The way you answer that question is mighty important. Your beliefs about this will shape your convictions about nearly everything else. It will shape your understanding of the purpose of the Gospel; it will shape your understanding of what you believe God is up to in a person’s life. The way you answer this one question will shape your thoughts about church and community, service and justice, prayer and worship. It is currently shaping the way you interpret your experiences and your beliefs about your relationship with God.
What is Christianity supposed to do to a person?
-John Eldredge, The Utter Relief of Holiness, 15-16
Picture Credit: Mark A. Costa
Posted in Ransomed Heart | Tags: Christianity, faith, God, Jesus Christ, life, love, nature, New York, personal, photography, salvation, survival, travel
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
-2 Peter 2:11-12 NLT
Posted in Daily Scriptures | Tags: faith, God, Jesus Christ, life, local, love, mountains, National Park, nature, Olympic, personal, photography, salvation, survival, travel, Washington
| 1 | large egg | |
| 1⁄2 | c | chunky style natural peant butter |
| 1⁄3 | c | brown sugar, packed |
| 1⁄4 | c | honey or agave nectar |
| 5 | T | canola oil or vegetable oil |
| 2 1⁄4 | c | old fashioned oats |
| 1⁄2 | t | ground cinnamon |
| 1⁄4 | c | sliced toasted almonds |
| 1⁄2 | c | mini chocolate chips |
To make vegan substitute:
1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg. Replace the honey with agave nectar (or preferred sweetener of choice) and use organic brown sugar. And use a vegan friendly chocolate chip.
We used Adam’s natural peanut butter, any natural style nut butter may be used. Same with the almonds, it is interchangeable.
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl beat the egg with a hand mixer until combined, add in the peanut butter, brown sugar, honey and oil, beat until smooth.
Add in the oats, cinnamon and almonds, stir in by hand, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide equally between the muffin cups, then press down firmly with your fingers.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool for an hour, then work a butter knife around each one and gently pop out (taken out while warm increases the chance of crumbling).
Store tightly wrapped.
Courtesy of trailcooking.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: backpacking, food, granola, health, hiking, peanut butter, recipes, survival, vegan
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