"PTLA. (Praise the Lord, Anyway.) I read Ps. 84 which has references to Zion in it. I was in a Zion mood! "How lovely are thy dwelling places, My soul longs for the courts of the Lord. My heart & my flesh sing for joy to the living God. You are my King & my God." I packed up and was just finishing making a sign saying ZION PLEASE when a German fellow drove up and picked me up. PTLA, a blessing of God! We drove to the Park - ah, how beautiful!"
". . . southwestern Montana. Dry too! The top of the Big Horns was nice having green grass & evergreens, - good grazing land. The high country was great. Descending, the views of the valley reminded me of Skyline Drive, but the valley surely didn't! Dry & empty - far fewer farms than in my precious Shenandoah."
"I just love Minnesota! It was wonderful to ride through green fields of corn, hay, soybeans, pasture and even wheat and sunflowers left over from S.D. I thought it was very interesting to see corn fields and wheat fields across the road from each other since they require such different amounts of moisture."
" The evening approach to Durango was so enjoyable. Warm sunshine, waving residents, green grass (freshly cut), long shadows. It was easy to have a thankful heart - full of love and joy. Thanks Lord, for this wonderful trip!!"
"I must make special note of the beauty of the gulch. On this late June day, life was full and abundant. The grass was green, the trees were growing, but best of all, the flowers were marvelous! There must have been dozens of different kinds in bloom. The lower elevations had larger varieties, including masses of columbines. The higher elevations were totally covered with gorgeous small alpine specimens. Even the summits were alive with the profusion of color."
"The Lord provided another superlative day for 14er hiking. The weather was great, notwithstanding a "bit" of wind, and the trail was great. The mountain was fun and we had a wonderful time, even enjoying remnants of fall color at the lower elevations."
"After supper Tony, Dave, Craig and I went for a climb to the top of Bald Mountain. The wildflowers were terrific - at least a dozen different kinds of red, blue, yellow, and white. Wow! It was 10,031' up there and rather chilly. At 9"30 I went to bed just as the big thunderstorm was hitting. It sounded great although the tent and bag got wet by morning. I must listen to Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain' when I get home."
"PTL! (Praise the Lord!) I love plays!"
"Perhaps the best part of the evening for me was an opportunity to play their piano. Such a joy to sit down with a bunch of classical books they had. I haven't hardly played since the end of April, and the pleasure it brought was tremendous. I must take opportunity at home and play undisturbed for several hours when I return. Music I miss among other things. I've not been able to listen to any classical music for 2 months now. I can't wait to hear a good symphony or concerto in all it's glory, loud & undisturbed. PTL!"
"What a fabulous day! That's an apt description considering that I generally try to look at the bright side of the day (about 3 o'clock, usually).
"The best part of the day was fellowshipping and sharing with my good friends & brothers in the Lord."
"I enjoy hiking with Mike C. He is a man full of humor, wit, fellowship, and love for the Lord. An all-around great guy!"
"It was so relaxing to have ample time to enjoy camp & fellowship after hiking. Since the train only comes at one time, 4:30 PM, we enjoyed lots of camp fellowship. A slice of heaven, to be sure."
"Well, I'm not about to get too involved, only if God did it."
"Thank God for friendly people! We ran into them today. Thank God also for headwinds 'cause they make us tough."
" Bible study is now optional, only half of us came - the serious ones. Looks like we'll get into the work some now. Can't wait! Hope God really does a job on us! PTL! (Praise the Lord!)"
". . . at the Dahl Fine Arts Center we saw a mural, 360 degrees around, depicting our U.S. history and heard a taped presentation of it. It always makes my heart move to see things like that. I love the USA and all the ways God has blessed it, but we must return to Him if we are to survive and retain our freedoms."
". . . Mt. Rushmore. I loved seeing the monument and reading famous quotes of trust in God on faith in liberty and freedom. Our nation is truly great because of our godly founders & heritage. May God restore us to the faith of our fathers!"
"The Lord's Day! Hallelujah"
"Thank God for my warm sleeping bag! This morning it was nice to be in a church sanctuary for devotions. I really appreciate being able to spend time with Him every morning."
"I love the Lord and want Him first. God will heal & bless, I know."
"God is my strength and my fortress, in Him will I trust. PTL!
"We had a terrific devotional tonight. Doug had us write letters to God. That was a great experience."
" Thank God!"
"Quiet time was super! I had a really quiet, relaxing walk in the park, gazing at the huge mountains looming all around, listening to the birds, cool but warmed by intermittent sunshine, praising God for his beauty and creative might. It was great to be alone with Him in the stillness. Praise God."
"Then my quiet time was neat - a little walk in the fields, seeing the cows, mountains, pretty clouds. My quiet times are really precious. I love to spend time with the Lord."
"The Lord's day! Hallelujah!"
"For quiet time I walked down to the Lake for a few minutes. It was quiet so early on Sunday morning, with birds singing as water lapped the shore. The shore itself was rocky and weedy, covered with cattails. I have such deep appreciation for these opportunities to be alone with the Lord in the quiet of these mornings. PTL!"
"Hallelujah, another day of seeing the Lord provide."
"This was a day for giving thanks! A day of flats (along the river), clouds, tailwinds, rain, friendly people, Calculus, (oh boy!), rook, warm insides, laughter, and drying my jeans with my hair dryer as I write this."
"Another day to praise the Lord with thanksgiving!"
"Drizzle, drizzle, drip, drip, joy is like the rain."
"I had a decent quiet time this morning - something I've been slack on the past few days. I went off to get rejuvenated. . . . I needed to be alone with the Lord again and it was good."
"Jesus is my best friend and I always want it so. It was neat to be honest. Some of the guys are still searching. I pray that I can help show the joy of Christ and the fun of living for Him as I bike along. PTL! (Praise the Lord)"
"Lord, bless my thumb! He did, amen!"
"In Lexington a lady from Sacramento with five girls ages 1 to 12 got on (the bus) We had quite a time chatting along the way. The 8-year-old was so talkative and friendly. She said she loved Jesus and hated Satan. I told her a story about Joseph. Then I also met a fellow from Venezuela who wanted to go to Tech to get his Masters. I shared some food with him and he seemed really impressed."
"I shared how I've had to learn patience & leadership this summer. Also, how I've experienced 'friendship evangelism' with Chip & Ed. I've been able to relate rather well with them, and I hope & pray that my spiritual convictions have rubbed off, at least to some degree."
"I just hope he's seen the Lord on this trip. (bike ride from coast-to-coast) I guess I'll get to talk and share with him on the way home to Pa. I must carry this friendship evangelism to its fitting conclusion."
"I went back and shared some of my faith with a girl from Eastern Shore, Md. - a Quaker. She was really seeking God, PTL! (Praise the Lord!)
"Cindy's roommate came home and had a party, so I pitched tent outside and got about 5 hrs. sleep. Lord bless those kids - I read my Bible in the apt. before going out. Hope they were touched some by His hand."
"I met a girl working there with Christian ministries. We had a nice chat about various things as we walked. Made each step lighter."