The Real Journey Begins…

After that Sunday in January I changed my daily routine completely. I got up at 5 am, poured a cup of coffee, grabbed my bible and read. When I had finished reading I went to God in prayer. I knew that I had to stay in God’s Word and I had to talk with him on a daily basis. I had heard these things over and over all my life but I had finally made a decision to do what I had too, to walk in God’s light.

"...I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

The first weekend in February I attended a Men’s Retreat at Ross Point Camp in Post Falls Idaho. I had been asked to attend for years but had always declined with some lame excuse. This time I decided it was time to go and see what it was all about. Ten men from our Church attended the retreat. We all rode up to Ross Point together in the Church van. We arrived about 5 pm and had just enough time to check into our rooms and cabins before dinner. After dinner we had a men’s praise service and our first session with our guest speaker, Mark Schmutz from Northlake Baptist Church in Longview.

Mark was the speaker for all three of the sessions Friday evening and Saturday. He spoke on issues relevant to men and Christianity. It was refreshing to hear someone speak directly to men about the battles they face with sins such as lust, pornography and idolatry. He spoke effectively, keeping all of us focused on his messages.

Each service started with praise led by a small group of guitars in accompaniment to I-Worship DVDs. It was uplifting, and for me, a spirit filled encountered. Saturday afternoon during the praise I was filled with the Holy Spirits presence. After turning my life over to God less than three weeks before it was just what I needed to charge my spirit for what lie ahead. A reminder that I belong to Him and am no longer a slave to my desires as long as I continue to seek God will, share the love of Jesus and follow the Holy Spirit.

We also had some free time where we played volley ball, card games and just chatted with other men from around the Northwest. I was pegged as ‘the Biker’ Friday evening when one of the guys from Church said I rode a Harley.

It was a great weekend and I don’t plan to miss another one. It will be what I look forward to the first weekend of February every year. It was a real blessing but just one of many more to come….

“You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him.” Romans 8:9

Lost Again…

As Christmas approached I became more and more unsettled. I wanted to just jump on the Harley and head somewhere, anywhere. I decided Christmas was not the right time to leave, maybe after Christmas I would take off. Christmas came and went. I kept having feelings of being trapped and would be better off somewhere else, alone, by myself. No one to answer to. No one to tell me I could or couldn’t ride. No one to tell me what I could and couldn’t do.

Luckily I kept dragging my feet, looking for the opportune time to make my escape. As the New Year started I had quit going to Church on Sunday mornings. We had a break from Alpha but I did attend the CMA First Tuesday for January. By Sunday, the Fifteenth of January, I was really struggling. I didn’t attend Church that Sunday and my wife got really upset with me. It was the make it or break it point for me. I argued with her about Church and could have just walked out that day. Instead I listened to her and she explained that with what I had been learning in Alpha and my decision to join CMA that Satan was trying to pull me away from everything that I was learning. I knew she was right, Satan has done it time and time again but I still didn’t want admit it.

I finally got mad, got up and went in the bedroom. I laid face down on the bed and began to pray. As I prayed I cried. I knew that Satan was at the point of tearing apart our marriage of 32 years. I cried out to God and asked him to help me. I told him I was tired of the battle with Satan and was ready to turn my will over to him. I told him to use me as he wanted; I was his and would from this point on do what he asked me to do.

I had always known through all the years that I bounced back and forth, in and out of Church, all I needed to do was surrender my will and God would change me. However, I was always afraid to make that commitment. I thought if I surrendered myself totally to his will I would lose MY freedom. I thought that he might send me off to South America as a missionary or chose me for some other task I didn’t really want to do. I was at a point however, especially with what I had been learning and studying in Alpha, that I knew I had two choices. Keep living that way I had been, in turmoil and confusion, or let God have complete control and pull me from the grasp that Satan had on me. So on the fifteenth of January, 2006 I gave my life over to Jesus, surrendered all, and finally felt the burden lifted from me that had hindered all I had tried to do for forty years. I immediately felt the Holy Spirit in me and knew that I had made the right choice. Man, what a relief….

Mark 1:15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (NIV)

New Directions…

October brought a slow down in riding as the weather was starting to get cool. I was in the second month of Alpha at Church and enjoying all the new knowledge and insight into God’s Word. Just the tip of the iceberg I would later find out, but not until I was ready.

In October I attended my first CMA meeting with a couple of others from church. We sat and chatted and learned a little more about CMA. This was going to be great. I was sure my wife wouldn’t object to me riding and hanging around a bunch of Christians. Seemed too good, what I was looking for and something I was sure my wife wouldn’t object to.

At that first meeting I picked up an application, filled it out and sent it in. The next week-end a couple of us from Church went on a benefit ride that CMA putting on. It was a little cool, but a great ride.

Through November and into December I continued on with Alpha at Church. Made some new friends in our Alpha group, however none of them rode. I also attended the CMA First Tuesday meetings in both November and December. These meetings were a time of fellowship and eating ice cream, seeing as they were held at Dairy Queen the first Tuesday of each month. It was really good to be back in fellowship with other Christians and back in God’s Word learning again. Then something started happening in my life. All of a sudden in mid December I started struggling with everything I was doing, both at Church and with CMA. By the time Christmas arrived as was really depressed. This wasn’t that Holiday depression some complain about. I was really struggling with where I was in life. I was ready to………

Searching...

On the third weekend of August my wife and I rode the Sporty 150 miles to Rosalia for the 100 Years of Motorcycles rally. It was more of a bike show than a rally. Cost 19.95 per person per day. They had bands playing all day Saturday and Saturday evening. Didn’t pay much attention to them but had a good time wondering around and looking at bikes built by some of the biggest names in custom cycles and choppers. Indian Larry, Chica, Mondo and Denver Choppers, Hank Young, Eric Gorges and many more. Some very cool iron! It was about 330 miles round trip. To date, the longest ride my wife and I had taken.

The next month or so we made several more rides with those from our church. We had a lot of fun and it was great to have some people to share the rides with. After a few rides we started talking about forming a Christian Motorcycle club. Sounded like a good idea to us. We hadn’t heard or seen any in our area it could be a good way to get some other Christians involved in riding with us. It was pretty much just idle talk as stopped at different places to eat. Then one of the women we were riding with found out about the Christian Motorcycle Association online. She also found out they had a chapter in our area. She said she would contact them and see what they were about.

It was about this same time our church started the Alpha program. I had started attending and even though I thought I knew quite a bit about God’s word I was finding out that I really didn’t know as much as I thought I knew. Slowly, through Alpha, the rides with the Church group and my attending Church every Sunday so I didn’t miss a ride, God was silently working to change my heart. Life was good….

Luke 15:2-7

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

One Sunday Morning...

It was the second weekend in August, 2005. My wife and I got up Sunday morning and she decided to go to church. As I had done so many times in the past I told her I wasn’t going. I probably used some lame excuse as I had always done. I was at a point in my life where God was not much a part of it and I was in control. I really didn’t care about anything except what I wanted to do.

She got ready and left for church. I don’t remember what I did but it probably had something to do with the Sporty. I spent a lot of time in my shop tinkering with saddle bag mounts, highway pegs and such. I was home when she got back and she told me I should have also gone. She then explained that several at church had gotten motorcycles and were riding together after church on Sundays. Even Pastor had gotten a bike. Needless to say I was back in Church the following Sunday.

That next Sunday after church several of us went on a ride. We left about 4pm and rode down through Oregon on Butter Creek Rd. It was a hot day, over 100 degrees when we left. We stopped at the top of Franklin Hill, elevation 3450 feet. What a view! You could see for miles. It really lets you experience God’s awesomeness when you view his creation from such a vantage point. We proceeded on down and into Pilot Rock for fuel. Then it was on to Pendleton where we stopped for dinner. By now it was dark and we headed back towards home over highway 37. It was still hot but down in the gullies it was pretty cool. It was 0ne of those nights when you didn’t know if you should put on the jacket or not. Once we hit Umatilla OR it warmed right back up. We finally got back home about 10:30 pm. It was a great ride but most all it was fun riding with the group from church. God was using this as a way to get me back into the fold. Little did I know what else God had in store…..

“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” Psalms 119:176 (NIV)