Skip to main content

Thoughts From the Travel Journal

Dear Friends,

At present I have ventured to 26 different countries. Prior to one of those trips, I was given a Travel Journal by a friend so I could record significant memories. At the top of each page is a quote having to do with travel and opposite that quote is a Bible verse. Yet, many of the quotes don’t really deal with “travel” per se, but rather, our journey through life. That’s how I would ask you to see the following quotes; thoughts to ponder as we travel the paths of this life. I have selected 15 of them for you. Enjoy.


“God will not send us out on a journey for which He does not equip us… Each of us may be sure that if He sends us on stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes.”
Alexander Maclaren

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
T. S. Eliot

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost



“He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day needs to reorganize his life.”
George M. Adams

“Remember that no matter where you go you take you along with you. Therefore, if you are not happy within yourself at home, going to a far-off place – even if filled with beauty – will momentarily distract, but make you no happier.” Anonymous

“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles.” Doug Larson

“Little acts of kindness in everyday life are like flowers by the wayside to the traveler; they serve to gladden the heart and relieve the tedium of life’s journey.”
Eunice Bathrick

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation. For when you come back to your work, your judgment will be clearer.”
Leonardo Da Vinci

“The really happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.”
Anonymous

“I cannot decide where I need to go until I know where I am.”
Annie Chapman

“A good friend is a connection to life – a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”
Lois Wyse

“Meeting someone for the very first time is like going on a treasure hunt. What wonderful worlds we can find in others.”
Edward E. Ford

“God invites you to a vacation in His splendor. He invites you to feel the touch of His hand. He invites you to feast at His table. He wants to spend time with you.”
Max Lucado

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie down sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water… is not a waste of time.”
Sir John Lubbock

“For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Throughout life some of my most exhilarating and intimate times with God were as I hiked “alone” sure of no one’s company but His. They are burned into my memory. One on the top of a mountain in England’s Lake District, another sleeping under the stars in the Alps of Switzerland, another gazing off the top of Mount Mansfield in Vermont, others hiking up pristine river gorges in the Dominican Republic, and others standing in the middle of fields, on jet-black moonless Autumn nights, staring up at the distant stars and galaxies.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). God’s special revelation in His Word, the Bible, is precious beyond words. But at times we can forget that His general revelation through what He has made is also so very precious. For it too reveals truth to us about our Maker (Romans 1:20, and the Psalms already referenced).

So, whether one travels the world to see the wonders God has made, or stays at home to take a vacation exploring “His splendor” (as Max Lucado puts it) it’s all an invitation to grow in our knowledge of Him – be it through what He has made, or how He guides our paths, or who He brings into our lives, or as we step by faith into uncharted territory and blaze a path for others to follow.

Life is a journey. Blessed are those who are able to trace God’s invisible hand from beginning to end – an end which for those who are in Christ, will be the start of a new beginning.

With Prayers for You as Your Journey Continues, Pastor Jeff

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts From David Wilkerson

Dear Friends, I date myself when I suggest everyone knows David Wilkerson, author of the best-selling international adventure story (a true story) written in 1963 and titled “The Cross and the Switchblade.” It chronicled Wilkerson’s work with gangs in New York City and was later made into a biographical crime movie in 1970. One of his lesser-known books is a devotional book entitled, “I’m Not Mad at God,” published in 1967. I have selected three entries. I made some minor grammatical changes for better understanding. I trust at least one of them might hit home with you. Enjoy. "Stay here and keep watch with me." Matt. 26:38 "The true purpose of prayer is that we enjoy much personal communion with the Lord. The heart is reluctant to dwell in God's presence for long, and so it satisfies itself instead with 'devotions.' This describes a hurried period late at night, or early in the morning, when a quick prayer is offered to God after a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thoughts From Aristides and Diognetus

Dear Friends, I love history. In fact, if God had not called me to be a pastor, I might have ended up teaching history. Therefore, today, I share parts of two historical documents (from the second century) which I ran across while doing research for my sermon this past Sunday. I found each one intriguing and thought I would pass them along to you. They both have to do with the beliefs and lifestyles of early Christians. The 1st is by a man named Aristides the Philosopher, a man who was given the job of looking into the new “cult” called Christianity and reporting back to the Emperor Titus Hadrianus Antoninus with what he discovered (some believing he became a Christian himself by the time he finished it). The 2nd is by a man named Diognetus and is taken from his “Epistle of Diognetus.” I believe you will find them informative and challenging. Enjoy. Aristides reports to the Emperor Hadrianus Antoninus. “As for the Christians, they trace their line from Jesus Christ who is ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Reprint of the First Thought for the Week

Dear Friends, Today (after a 2-3 week break from sending out some thoughts) I am back at it! For those who may not have heard, I just finished 6 months of cancer treatments at the NIH, and after tests on July 24 was told that it has gone into remission. The next day we discovered Nancy’s mom had passed, with her funeral service being held last Monday. It’s been a busy time. So today, still catching up, I thought I would send out the first “Thought for the Week” I ever sent out – way back in February of 2008! Some may remember the story, while others will not. It’s the story behind the writing of the hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” by Thomas Dorsey, published in 1938. I did not reference the book I found it in. Enjoy. The Story Behind the Song, “Precious Lord…” “Back in 1932, I was 32 years old, and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago's south side. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, wh...
Post a Comment
Read more