It’s weird setting out on a trip, unsure of where you’ll go, how long you’ll stay, and when you’ll return. This is our third such excursion across the U.S. Each day begins with an early morning walk with our dogs. I take one early for about two miles, and Sara joins me for the next three. Some of that got interrupted when our big dog tore her ACL, but she’s back at it for the second part of the walk now.
This is my favorite time of day: getting up for sunrise (and sometimes well before it) and watching the earth come alive, first as the sky brightens with rich colors and then as the light spreads across the landscape.
I welcome Jesus into my day, reflecting on the day past and the new one coming. My best thoughts often come when I’m relaxing with him and holding some question or concern in his presence. A lot of what fills my blogs, podcasts, and chapters of my new book come from these early morning walks. I also daydream a bit and listen to podcasts about Jesus, news, culture, or even golf.
Here are some of the scenes we enjoyed on this trip:
West Texas
Perdido Bay
York, SC
Roanoke, VA
Charlottesville, VA
Richmond, VA
Sykesville, MD
York, PA
Lexington, KY
Louisville, KY
Downtown Independence, MO
Denver, CO (Washington, Park)
Green River, UT
Not all our morning walks are this lovely; we often walk around our RV park to get our miles in. Tomorrow, we will arrive home and walk again under Mt Boney, which presides over our Newbury Park, CA neighborhood.
We as South Africans, especially Afrikaans speaking South Africans are constantly reminded by our parents and other same minded SA’cans, that we have the most beautiful country in the world. Which I always thought was arrogant of us, specially those who have never traveled to other countries. I traveled a lot in my life and knew it wasn’t true.
I central Europe has always been my favorite part of the world. I never was interested in the USA. I was a Flight Steward in my young days, and that why and how I could see the world. I went to New York which in did not like at the time.
But in the last few years three of my friends moved to the USA. They regularly send me photos of their travels, and I absolutely marvel at the beauty of your country and the vastness of it is mind-boggling.
So thank you for sharing. I use LIVE LOVED FREE FULL as my devotional and from now on I will in my minds eye be more gratefull for the birthplace of probably some of what you wrote in it. I also re read He Loves Me occasionally. Stil love it.
Thank you for sharing your trip and your books. It has enriched my life tremendously.
I wrote to you many years ago, telling you about the book God led me to write about my life. I asked you if a title of a book has copy rights. And you assured me it has not. My book “He Loves me, He Loves me Not’ was on hold because of some unforseen trauma in my life. But God came through for me and I am busy now writing on it. The way the world goes now with all the same sex / transgender issues, I raalise God is in this postponing of writing the book. Because the essence of my book is about a unwanted same-sex lifestyle. How it affected my life and how it is possible to live a life free from it. In my life it is not wanting to be transformed to a heterosexual man, but to be transformed by God to live a Holy life.
God used your books and podcasts to help me being transformed in His image and how to live in Him with a new and real identity as He lives His live through me. The big exchange!
May God bless youn and Sarah and continue to use you in His kingdom.
Daniël du Plessis
Thanks, Daniel for your kind words and for sharing a bit of your journey. I’m glad some of my things have been such an encouragement to you and pray that Father will continue to lead you into greater love, life, and freedom. His amazing ability to rewire our hearts always astounds me. With love and blessings, Wayne