Alaska
May 31, 2016

This week our family traveled across Alaska in an RV.

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We watched moose, grizzlies, and caribou.

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We camped. We played lots of games. We bonded. We laughed a ton.

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We worshiped God together as we appreciated the spectacular beauty of His creation.

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My daughter, Olivia, and I went on a hike one day. We decided we were the first father-daughter in history to sit at this particular spot. We commemorated it with this picture. 🙂

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As we travel, we make friends. We invite people to experience Jesus.

Not religion, mind you.

Freedom. Joy. Hope. Love. The Jesus Way of Life.

We “road school” our four kids. While sticking to a core curriculum, we experience different cultures and take side trips while I work in different places. Our kids are having quite the education! We’ve been in four countries together. They should be able to say they’ve been in all 50 States by the end of July.

Really, we’re all being “road schooled”.

Taught by Jesus the Great Teacher.

We grow together. We overcome challenges. There’s something about the unknown variables of traveling that force you to face your fears, respond to uncertainties, and trust God through it all.

I’ve faced a lot of them. I’m still overcoming a few.

I’ve seen miracles.

I’ve seen provision that can only be described as supernatural.

I’ve stayed up late with my wife and children woken by gun shots in the street, telling our kids to stay away from the windows in crime-ridden urban settings. It’s a very small taste of what life is like for many people daily across the world.

We’ve stayed in palatial houses on the beach.

I know what it’s like to fail.  To hope for great fruit, and fall short of what I hoped. I know what it’s like to be harassed by anxiety and fears.

I’ve met Jesus in those places and kept going.

I know what it’s like to be amazed by the Spirit of God empowering and intervening in my life in ways that defy imagination.

I’m learning firsthand what the apostle Paul wrote about in his letter to his friends in Philippi:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

The secret is Jesus. And trusting Him.

Some of the greatest moments are just SLOWING DOWN and appreciating the beauty and wonder of life. Valuing the journey over the destination – such a treasure oft forgotten in Western culture, oft forgotten in my life. Playing games with our kids and watching them bond in deeper ways. Realizing God is present in the small things and the “big” things.

After Alaska, we’ll visit friends in Portland and Seattle. Then it’s through Montana and the Dakotas, training in Kansas City, then a tour through the New England States.

Have the courage to slow down. To gaze in wonder at the beauty of nature with fresh eyes. To see the gem of relationships around you. To breathe deeply. To truly LIVE. You only have one life on this planet! Whether you stay close to home or travel far, keep living the adventure of knowing and trusting Jesus!

Erik

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