Walking in the Footsteps of the Past

Hello Friends, family and Fellow Hikers,


           It has been some time since I have written anything on my blog, Greetings of Love to you ALL.

    My family and I have been walking along the Pony Express,The Oregon Trail, and The California Trail lately as we have been traveling across Nebraska. I have been enjoying the diversity of this state. We have walked through large metro cities, small town villages, along farming fields and also through the vast prairies and with each one comes a new since of life.
     We recently toured a pioneer village of things from yesteryear and also toured Fort Kearney. While walking along the Oregon Trail and all of its vast prairies, one can not stop but to think of life back then.We have seen old windmills, old farms and homesteads where life once was.
We are just a family of three walking this for the Lord and these people were walking for their new lives. We have thorns and splinters to think of and camping spots, yet they had Indians, diseases, weather of all kinds, dust bowls and much more.I thank God that we have one another and we can walk and sing and stop and sit on a rubber mat to escape the thorns somewhat and the elements. The women back then walked miles in all the extremes of the elements and with small children or nursing babies. They had all sorts of life persecutions and we have none of this really. We walk for miles sometimes and only see large expensive harvesters, cattle, grain trucks flying up and down the roads to fast. They had Indian attacks, fires, measles, mumps, flu, not enough food and much more.We can walk and find a place to pitch our nice tent in safety or someone may invite us in for the night or we can get a hotel if one is around; wow, how blessed we are today. Yes, we may go without water for some time but they went without for days sometimes. Yes, we are blessed.
    Walking in the footsteps of the past has made me realize how truly blessed we are. Today people are busy,  busy chasing the dollar and forget about the ones before us who helped make this a civilized place to live and work. We should all stop and take time to remember those who came before us. We should take our children and grandchildren to museums and historicals sights and teach them life, true life. I think of those who walked the Oregon Trail and that led me to think of the Apostles way before them that walked many miles to better peoples lives with the Truth and Love. I just hope that our walk will be one that is full of truth and love for all we have met and all that we will meet.
    So, I encourage you all to get outside and go visit one of many history sites we have here in the states or read a true account of history to someone today. You could just go walking in the footsteps of the past.

Thank you and Lord Bless You,
I Love You ALL,
GentleFir
 

Recycled Christian....

Hello Friends, Family and Fellow Hikers,

           I have been pondering this post for several years off and on. I think I am ready now to try to put it on paper. Please know this is my opinion and my thoughts as one of Backpacking Believers, not from us but from myself.

           We live in a society of recycling, repurposing, greener lives, renewal usage and I see this as a Christians daily walk with God, as well. I try to live a greener life for Creation and for a healthier lifestyle. When we were lost people, before becoming a Christian we were unuseable, not molded, scraps here and there. When we became Christians we began to be molded into something new, something useable, repuposed. Let me explain, if I can.
           Recycled.....to take something and to melt it into a new useable item, transform garbage into new life that is better. Before we have Christ living in our life we are not able to be a witness for Christ. We are filthy, useable stuff. When we become recycled through Christ, He molds us into a new being. We talk different , we change, we become new, we are given a new life and a new purpose. We can use our old life as a stepping stone for our new life though. We are told not to look back at our old self but we are freed from that, but we can use our past mistakes as reminders to help others in their walk. Repurposed....Use our past before Christ as a reminder to not do those things anymore. We can repurpose our life to use those things for new. It is still what you once were but now you are a new person in Christ, molded out of the miry clay into a new life. Recycled and Repurposed!!
           I look at my past life and it saddeneds me, but I know what God has taken me from and changed me to be used of Him. I can use my past mistakes to help others hurting and can show them the new life in Christ. I can use my old life, junk as a stepping block now not a stumbling block. I have been Recycled by Christ, Repurposed, now I am useable for His Glory. We can look at things that were once scap metal junk, or trash bags, or plastic or glass and now they have been recycled into beautiful things, new things they have a new life and new purpose. We should become recycled, repurposed Christians not dwelling on our past but using it as a way to become a witness for God and to help others to see what a blessing it is to be used of God. You may have come from a terrible past but I know what God can do in your life if you allow him to Recycle and Repurpose your life. HE can change you into a new beautiful piece of Life, useable in unimaginable ways. Please consider being Recycled if you haven't been already.
          
I Love being a Recycled Christian !

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

God Bless You and I Love You ALL

GentleFir

In HIS Shadows....

 Hello Friends, Family and Fellow Hikers,

      It has been some time since I have written anything . I have been walking across America with my family.
My daughter was bitten from a tick in Ohio and contracted Lyme's Disease from the bite and that is what inspired this blog post. I have a lot of free time to think on God's word and HIS plans for ones life and this is what I have on my heart lately.
      As I have been walking behind Chris and Katlyn since her bite she has been taken a antibiotic that has cause sun sensitivity. She has had to cover herself from the sun. So, she has had to hide from the sun . I have watched as she has walked step by step in the shadow of her Father. This has been the only relief from the burning rays of the sun she could get. I began to think on this a lot. If we walk in the steps and shadows of our Heavenly Father; we too, will not get burnt. She walked daily in her Fathers shadow for shade and protection. God; Our Heavenly FATHER, should be our protection daily in life's attacks. It was like the Mother hen  and her chicks, she protects them under her wings from danger. We  should be like Katlyn and how she used her Earthly Father's shadow for comfort and protection from danger and cover ourselves in the comfort and protection with our Heavenly Father. HIS words tell us HE will direct our paths and steps if we let HIM, HE will be our shield and comfort and much much more. I watched daily until we were blessed with an umbrella how close and comforting it was to see her getting relief just from her Daddies shadow. What a blessing God has given us; if we just look at the simple things in life, like a shadow for shade and relief from the elements and know HE is God.We have found a lot of comfort from a shade tree on our walk or from the shade from the corn fields also, my what little things can be taken for granted until you need them. Let's not take HIS Shadow for granted. HE cares for you and for me, so lets look for HIS shadows of blessings throughout the day and find a moment of rest in them. I have seen the protection that comes from a little shadow instead of burning fire from the heat.

God Bless You and I Love You ALL

GentleFir

Is Jesus Just An App To You??????

Hello Everyone,

I have been working on several blog post lately, but today this subject just took tops for me. We are being hosted and slack packed by a nice christian family. We attended church with them this morning and stayed for a church picnic. While there we got involved in several different biblical discussions, as usual. This one though really inspired me and yet made me very sad about people today. We were discussing Christians or self proclaiming Christians of today and what the word of God says we are to do. We are to live a life for Christ daily, pick up your cross, daily. We are to lead lost ones to Christ, daily. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, daily. We are to be a light in this dark world we live in, daily. We are to be Christians every day , in every way of our lives, and in everything we do and say, daily.
      This is what sparked this blog post today........
Chris and I were talking with Anthony Geizendanner, a Church of Christ preacher today about this very topic. Today, we see Christians seem to insert Jesus into their lives where they see fit. Today; instead of following Jesus daily and His word,  we use what we want and leave the rest for another day. Why is this? We and Anthony, said it is like and app on a phone or tablet....add Christ today as an app and then, nope not today, delete app. Is this being a follower of Christ? Is this picking up your cross, daily? Is this letting others see Christ living in you and through you? The world is so disposable today. We live life as it is, today I want this and tomorrow ....How can we bring the lost in this world to come to know Christ as a Savior, if we treat Him like an app? Hello Christ,  I need you today, download app, oops that is not what I wanted to hear or do....Delete Christ app. This is serious and sad to me, we are on this walk to take the love of Christ to ALL we meet, and we have found churches closed for good and locked doors and so much more. We camped in the back of a church lately in someone's yard and church members thought we were homeless and needed to leave their church. Ya'll I remember when churches were for helping the needy, hungered, sick, homeless......,,is this not what a Christian is supposed to do? We are to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give shelter and much more. As you have done unto the least of these you have done unto me......it seems more and more to me that we have become selfish Christians, a nation of I only, a downloaded app Christianity, not a Christian that says what Else can I do for Christ Kingdom! This is very sad and I often wonder what does Christ think of us? Do you want to be the one that says, Lord did we not cast out devils in your name? Did we not heal the sick and make the blind to see? He said flee from me, I never knew you.........
I do not want to be an app downloaded Christian, do you? I hope this will encourage you to go the extra mile for Christ and to pick up your Christ daily.

Lord Bless You and I Love You All,
GentleFir

The Little things in Life.........

Hello Friends, Family, and Fellow Hikers,

        I have been thinking a lot lately about the little things in life. In church today, I commented on some of the little things in life that make a difference. In God's word he looks at the little things in ones life as big things. The widow women, gave all she had, a little...two mites. The woman and Elijah and all she had was a little cornmeal to eat and then die, but she shared and was truly blessed. There are many stories in the bible on the little things that do not seem important to us but to God or to someone else they are huge.
       Through our walk sometimes the little things are what keep us going or encourage us to continue on. We have learned the cold glass of water, the saying hello to someone on the road, brings a smile to someone, the small piece of candy you give to a child in a poverty stricken town. These are the little things that are really big things to others. We all need to look at others and think of what little thing might bless them rather than yourself. If someone offers you water accept it, you may deny them a blessing if you do not. We have accepted questionable cold water and yet saw a bright smiling face on the other side of the cold water handing it to us. We have seen just saying good morning or afternoon to a stranger, bring joy on someone's face. These are the little things in life, do not take the little things for granted. God uses the weak to achieve great things, look at David and Goliath, Mary Magdalene, the Widow Woman, the Good Samaritan and you.
           Through our walk we met Amber under a shade tree and she found us a place to stay. She was the one all of the community children went to for warm food and safety and she offered safety to us. We have been so blessed by the little things in life along our walk. God uses the simple to confound the wise. So, I want to challenge you all to take a look at the little things in life and see what you can do that will make a difference in someone else's life. You will be amazed at all the little things you can do that might make a huge impact on others. God's blessings are always available you may receive them if you give them.
          When I was hungry, you gave me meat.....When I was thirsty, you gave me drink...... When I was needing shelter, you let me in......
            These are the little things in life that change lives.....Yours,Theirs, ours and others......
So,go out and look for the little things in life and make a difference.

Lord Bless You and I love You,
GentleFir

Healthy Environment or Not ???

Hello Friends, Family and Fellow Hikers,

         It has been a while since I last wrote anything. I have had alot of stories on my mind for blogging but being out on the trail it is hard to compose them all. This post though is one I have been thinking on  since the first week out on the trail. It is about health.
         We as a society seem to always be focused on Healthy Living....but what is truly Healthy Living? Is our green life style in today's society healthy? Is the latest green flooring and counter tops healthy? The foods that are marketed to us in pretty wrappers that say " Organic", Healthy? I would have to say NO, to all of the above. I would like to have considered myself to be a healthier, health conscience person but after leaving our Natural Farm and walking on the trail, I have decided I was not " Healthy".
         You see, This is what I mean and this is being frank and may disgust you but it is the honest truth and from actual self walking research. Our family have been walking now for over a month and have walked 600 miles in from snow and ice to now sunny, humid weather. I have been observing my families health while on this trail. The things our bodies have gone through is amazing. You can not buy this kind of Natural Detox in a bottle, nor can you get a fancy prescription for it either. This kind of detox takes alot of sweat and miles. I must say it truly has been a neat yet gross thing to watch.
          I am a cancer survivor and have been through chemo and radiation and have a compromised lymph system. My husband has psoriatic arthritis and takes a biologic and our daughter has asthma, as well as myself. I have always used natural cleaners in our home and thought this was healthy. Well, it is better on you but you are still toxic and do not know it. We were very toxic at home and did not know it. Since the first week on our walk, we began to notice things, smells, colors, vision differences...... the list grows longer.
           Our first day on the trail we hiked 18.5 miles and we average 18+ now a day and our longest day has been 28 miles for a day. We walked at home 10 miles or so a day and this detoxing stuff never happened. I have come to realize that we were recontaminating ourselves in our home. This is what I mean, I began to sweat and my sweat started changing colors. My undershirts began to stain black, yes, black. This I feel was detoxing mold from our bodies. Our bodily fluids were orange for a while,urine of course. Then as time went on it began to improve. Our vision became clearer and sharper. Our hearing enhanced, my husband whom has had several operation on his ears began to hear things in God's creation like a dog panting from a far distance. This has been amazing!
           We noticed after a hotel stay or two, we would have blurred vision or like a film on our eyes and we would sweat, smelly sweat, not normal sweat and we would have lingering headaches and swollen feet. This has been an experiment and now I am writing about it. Our bodies have gone through a cycle of getting rid of all kinds of toxic waste we never knew we had and now we are feeling better. We are becoming I think how God meant for us to be. HE gave us dominion over the animals.....How can we be over them if we can not hear them? Smell them coming? See them??
Now when we are walking on a trail we smell flowers before we are near them. We smell water before we see it and we can smell animals whether reptile or mammal and tell the difference between them. We have always heard that the military feeds their people what the enemy eats so they would not be recognized and that was always foreign to me but not anymore. Humans have a smell and it is not really a bad odor but a natural smell of salty sweat but in the beginning it was an awful smell. You can not imagine what you smell like right now. We are living outside in God's creation and walking everyday in HIS creation and we are becoming HIS creation again.
        I feel like we need to eat from the gardens again and eat local not foreign foods and eat seasonal foods and work and exercise hard daily and we may become HEALTHIER, maybe not 100% but better. We are not at 100% yet either but, we are getting healthier I can not imagine what we will be like in 4000 more miles. I hope this does not gross you out but will make you think more about your living environment and question it. Is it truly a Healthy environment or not, probably not. A friend of ours wrote a book called The Land that Calls Me Home...by: Hughey Reynolds and it is about natural farms and God and I highly support this book for all who is interested in Healthy. I really think God wanted us to eat from the fruits and veggies and meats that are local and fresh not imported. I want to eat more from this season and then whatever is fresh next season and so on and see how Healthy we become. I pray you will be encouraged to do something about your own health and see what happens to your life. Get out in God's creation and explore a truly healthy way of living physically and spiritually and enjoy living.

God Bless You and I love you ALL,

GentleFir

Calling on God in the Mountains and the Valleys........

Hello Friends, Family and Fellow Hikers,

       I have been thinking alot lately on what my new post would be on and this is what I have been dealing with lately. We have been hiking in West Virginia for a while now and the mountains have been a daily ordeal in my life. Every day has been a physical challenge for me and yet it has been spiritually encouraging. I know this may sound contradictory but it is the truth. I have had to physically push myself to the limits to get up and over these mountains each day and then decend down into the valleys and back up and over again and again. I have found though with each daily physical challenge that has been before me, I have prayed for strength and will power and comfort of God. I have sang praises in the storms, I have just quoted scripture that has had to do with the mountain or valley before me and HE has met my need. Every day has been a new day, my beautiful surroundings, my physical struggles, my spiritual walk, my song on my heart and much more. This walk of love has not only blessed others we have met but has blessed myself more. What I mean is my walk with God has been truly blessed, I have not had a day that I have not had to totally rely on God for help to complete the task before me, the mountains and the valleys. I have found that the mountains are hard to push up and the valleys are just as hard sometimes harder on the knee pain. Yet, God has given me the strength that I have needed just when needed. He has never let me down. So, if you are on a mountain in WV or somewhere else praise God for all of your pains and joys. If you are in the valleys of dispair, praise God for He cares and will give you the strenghth physical as well as spiritual that you need. I have grown alot spiritual and have alot more growing to do but in all of the physical pain it has been more than worth it spiritually. I pray that whom ever reads this will think about talking to God and truly seeking Him in every situation in your life for I know HE hears and cares for you. So, praise HIM on the mountains and in the valleys always and He will carry you up and over each one. I hope you will continue to pray for strength and protection over myself and my family as we Walk in Love across our Nation.



Lord Bless You All and I love You,

GentleFir
Backpacking Believers

Who is your Neighbor ???? Do you Love them ????

Greetings in Jesus Name to All who read this,


     I have a lot on my mind these days about neighbors and loving them as thyself. Since being out on the trail, we have met a lot of people from many different backgrounds, cultures, social standings and beliefs. What has my interests and focus though, has been the common ground of LOVE. The glue or ties that bind people together.
    We have been shown unconditional love on the trail. We have had people open their homes, loan us cars, open their hearts, feed us when we were hungry, give us something to drink, a place to lay our heads........! We are walking across America to show this kind of Love to ALL we meet and the Lord is blessing us with the same kind of LOVE in return. There are several messages in God's word,  that relate to what we have been shown on the trail.
     God's word says, you reap what you sow......
     Love thy Neighbor as thyself.......
     Love your enemies.......
     Love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, mind and soul.......
   
     So, we started this mission to take the LOVE of Jesus to every elevation across our Nation, and this is what we felt was needed in our Nation, The Love of Jesus! You see, without true love, unconditional love, how can the hurting be found? If one is not shown the LOVE of Jesus, how can he know the  true way? We have been walking now for over 300 miles and have talked to hundreds of people from all walks of life and all kinds of countries and they have all asked us questions about what we are doing. We have been able to share the Love of Jesus with many non-believers, as well as people with different faiths. This has all been through Love. Jesus walked with and ate with and prayed with the lost, broken hearted, and so many more.... So why can't we??
    We have experienced on our short mission thus far, the  True Love of Jesus! If you show unconditional CHRIST kind of LOVE, you will receive it in return. How many of you today,  would just open your home to a complete stranger, or give them your nicest car to drive, or have them sit down and share a meal with?
     This is what it means to truly LOVE thy neighbor as thyself. The material things in this world like cars, homes, china and much more,  are just that NOTHING. We are to show the LOVE of Jesus and nothing else should matter to us in this world but to do just that. ALL these others things will pass away but Jesus will remain forever in some ones life. Eternity matters!  We, You, and I can make a difference in some ones life by living Jesus and showing HIS true LOVE to everyone we meet daily.
We; as people, are the ones who complicate God's word and HIS plan. We; as people, want to add to or take away,  to rate , or to judge another by doctrines or by beliefs,  but this should not be this way. We should only want to take the LOVE of Jesus to everyone in this world. This is our mission on this walk is to show LOVE of Jesus and not divisions.
      We have been truly blessed thus far and it has changed our family tremendously and we can not wait to be back on the trail to see what God has in store for us up ahead. The walking at times has been difficult and painful but the blessings have surpassed any pain we have endured. Our Lord, Jesus Christ,  endured much more pain than any one of us in this world could ever know and HE did it in LOVE! So, I ask you to go out and show some one unconditional LOVE today and see how it changes people and yourself and your relationships with Jesus and others.
       Please continue to keep us surrounded in your prayers. We will be hiking again in the morning, Lord Willing. It may be a while before we can post again.


Many Blessings and Love of Jesus to ALL of YOU,


GentleFir
Backpacking Believers
     
    

Trying to find Beauty in a Port O John OutHouse in the wilderness..........

Hello Friends,

   It has been a while since posting.....We have been out on the trail.

The title of my post says it all. Trying to find BEAUTY in a PORT O JOHN in the wilderness. Before coming to the trail the thought of using a port o john was not very inviting. I would not use on of these disgusting, vile, stinky things. I also had almost a PHOBIA of getting in one and having it dump over with me in it and having yuck and the blue stuff all over me. I know this is hilarious, even to me, but still true.
        Since being on the C & O National Canal my view of the  stinky, vile port o john has changed. I have found humility in a port o john now. I know that too sounds strange. We have only had these disgusting things to get dressed in and to find some way of looking presentable on the trail now for nearly 60 + miles. Most of you know that our hair is very long and we wear long skirts and we are female..... we like to look pretty. It is hard let me tell you to look pretty or to feel pretty in a Port O John in the wilderness. You get dressed in a HURRY, you get out as QUICKLY as possible and you pray you do NOT smell like that yucky blue stuff. This is hilarious, I know but still true life for us ladies these days. Now,  when we are tired and have been walking 5 to 10 miles on the trail in the wide open and we see the white roof shining in the HOT sun, we see relief. How ironic;  we now find relief,  when we see  one of these  once disgusting, vile, stinky green buildings. You see there is not a town or public clean nice smelling restroom out here on the canal. This is it and they too, are far and few between. It is like a dream when you find a handicapped size one or a newly cleaned one to use. My what we take for granted some times.
       This has been truly a humbling experience in deed. We have been told by people we met that they can not believe,  we have been sleeping in tents and in the rain and dirt, so I guess we have been able to find...... BEAUTY in a PORT O JOHN in the wilderness.
 I hope that God continues to use the VILE things we once did not like to change us and to mold us into better Christians and better people,  while we out here on this journey.
I hope you enjoyed this hilarious but truly humbling experience of our walk.

May God use you today to be a light.

GentleFir
 

Humbling Oneself

      Hello Friends, Family and Fellow Hikers,


               I thought I would write about my humbling experiences this week while hiking. On Saturday,  we hiked 22 miles on dangerous roads and it became mentally and physically exhausting on us. When it came time to stop, we sat on the side of the road waiting for our ride to pick us up,  a lot happened that made me think. As we sat there on the road cold and tired, reality sat in that we were actually homeless now...voluntarily homeless..... but still homeless. While this thought crossed our minds and we began to talk about it, a family came up with a pan of food and some juice and bread and offered it to us to eat. This was very humbling. We were not needy nor were we starving or begging but yet, we were homeless and cold. It was very nice to be on the receiving side to see what it is really like to others who are homeless and hungry. We graciously took the juice and bread but not the food. What a blessing those nice people were to be thinking of trying to meet others needs.
              Than today another humbling experience happened to me in D.C. at the American History Museum. We were all hiking around the sites being tourist and all of the sudden I found myself in the midst of a large group of mentally and physically handicapped adults. While I was trapped in the middle of them I began saying The Lord loves you and hello and how are you......? Then at once this very tall mentally challenged man just bear hugs me smiling very big and would not let me go and I began to cry. I wanted to help them to know Jesus but yet He showed me the Love of Jesus in his hug. From then, I tried to talk to another lady and she could not speak or hear me, form her challenge. This nearly broke my heart to see about 75 of them smiling and laughing and touring D.C. with a child like enjoyment and not a care in this world. It made me realize that life is fragile and short and we should look at everything with a child like faith or heart as these adults did today. I was hurting from my hiking pains and limping around today and here I find myself stuck in the midst of loving people with disabilities much greater than mine. God reveals Himself in many ways if we just take time to look for HIM. That hug spoke loudly the love of Jesus to me today and humbled my heart completely.
              Sometimes it takes the simple things to confound the wise. I was trying to show love and found myself receiving it instead. God is amazing.
I hope this will inspire you to look into the little things in life and you may be surprised. God Bless You all.


Love in CHRIST,


GentleFir
Backpacking Believers
              

The Enviromentalist and Coastal Ecology side of Me.....

           Let me start by saying, I grew up on the coast myself and have always loved the sea and coastal waterways my whole life. It has been a very long time since I have been able to enjoy the ocean waves and the smell and sounds of the ocean. While we have been walking along the coastal shores I have been excited and yet discouraged. The state of Delaware is beautiful and clean and the ocean and waterways seem to have protections set up for them. We saw the highest Dune there and places set aside and blocked off for migratory birds to nest on the shores. This was very encouraging to me. The dunes were protected from human destruction but you could still enjoy their beauty. They had nature centers and conservation and education centers set up near the beach for you to learn more about the coastal waterways and what lives there on the land and in the water. I really loved that KatyDid could go to these centers to learn more about the ocean life and of the horse shoe crab and the birds and how they work together. We could walk on the beaches and find seashells and horse shoe crab sheds and much more. This was the pleasant side of things.
            While we were in Maryland things have been different. We have seen Osprey and Eagles and more shore birds , which has been great but the waterways,  have not been the best.
All along the coastal trails there has been trash and lots of it. ALL of the coastal waterways and trails and roads have been filthy. I have been surprised to say the least. The inlets and coast have been covered in plastic bottles, bags, glass bottles, tires and just trashy. The coastal birds and wildlife that lives in the waters here must have a hard life. We saw a Oil holding tank facility on the water , right on the main coastal way. Grounded Haug told me not to spew like the oil, when I saw it. I am not an activist or anything but it has been filthy.
A place with so many Bald Eagles and shore life and yet the water ways are contaminated. There has to be a way to report it or fix it. We did call on one river, it was full of dead deer people had thrown out and a horse as well. Just the plastic and glass bottles alone could be recycled and put that money into the clean up of the rivers and coastal ways.
              I have taught KatyDid to cut the soda six pack rings so they do not kill an animal or birds.  She has been doing this along our walks, as we find them. The plastic rings are terrible on marine life and shore birds. You would think in this day of GREEN.... it would not be this way. There has to be a solution. We have not finished Maryland yet and I am sure we will see a whole lot more trash in the rivers, streams, coastal marshes and bays to come but it has really saddened my heart to think of all of that in the waters. It is not healthy for the wildlife, marine life or the human lives to be drinking , swimming, fishing or much more in these waterways that we have seen thus far. I hope this will change in the near future. We will have to see and pray that it will.
              I pray that this Spring and Summer you will stop and think before you throw a piece of trash, plastic , glass or anything else in the water you will be in enjoying. We are to be caretakers of this world we live in not destroyers. We need to try to be good stewards of  what God has given us. I hope and pray this will make someone want to go out and clean up a waterway somewhere, where you live. There are a lot of good volunteer places to do something like this to give a little bit back. I pray you enjoy the water and all that it has to offer.
Thank you

Many Blessings,

Gentle Fir
          

Birds, Eagles, Osprey and more......

          Hello Everyone,


      I thought I would post about all of the beautiful things we have seen on our trip across America, so far. We started in Delaware on the ocean where it just so happens to be part of the major flight highway for migratory birds. Here is a list:

7 Mature Bald Eagles                                  Cormorants
10 Osprey                                                  Flickas
Terns                                                         Downy Wood Peckers
Red Tailed hawks                                        Warblers                                     
Chickadees                                                 Ibis
Ravens                                                      Great Blue Herons
Piliated Wood Peckers                                  Snowy Egrets
Doves                                                         Turkey Vulture
Red Winged Black Birds                                Black Vultures
Nuthatch                                                     Wild Turkey
Golden Finch                                                Northern Blue Bird
Indigo Bunting                                              Other Hawks
Loons                                                           Falcons
Wrens

Many More this is just the beginning.......

We have seen lots of big deer, squirrels of all kinds, ground hogs, river otters and beavers.

We also counted 35 Case Moth Cocoons today.

God has been so good to us on our journey so far; I can not wait to see what else in HIS creation,  HE has for us to see.

I will continue to add more to our list as we continue across America.

Lord Bless,
GentleFir

Tumbled Seaglass

     Today as we were walking on the ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park in Deleware, I found several nice smooth stones and one beautiful piece of seaglass. I quickly picked it up and put it in my pocket. I am going to carry it along with a round smooth stone I also found in the ocean waves all the way across our nation to California.
     As I was looking at the seaglass and talking to Grounded Haug I thought about God. The seaglass was once a broken sharp object that could cause pain. The seaglass then as it was tumbling in the ocean waves being tossed about it started to change, it began to be molded into something new and different. To me this is how ones life is before coming to know God. We are sharp and our lifes are painful and could be hurtful. Then as God becomes part of us we begin to be tumbled in the waters of the word and the sharp edges begin to become smooth and beautiful.The seaglass I found was smooth without any roughness about it, it was just a beautiful piece of tumbled glass. We as christians need to become as this piece of seaglass, tumbled about in the word of God, and let Him smooth out our rough, sharp edges and be smooth beautiful christians. The troubled waves that come against you let them mold you into something beautiful like the seaglass.


Many Blessings,

GentleFir

Spending Quietness with GOD....

  “ The silence of the forest,

the peace of the early morning

wind moving through the branches

of the trees, the solitude and

isolation of the house of GOD:

These are good because it is

in silence, and not in commotion,

in solitude, and not in crowds, that

GOD best likes to reveal himself

intimately to man.”

This poem has a lot of powerful meanings.....It is when we

take time out of our busy days and busy weeks and find a quiet place

to talk to and pray to GOD that he is ready and willing to hear us. I have always found rest for my soul in His creation wahile walking or sitting and talking and praying to Him. When we make time for GOD, He is always there waiting for us to come unto HIM. We have the greatest listener,

the best problem solver, the most loving and compassionate being there has ever been or ever will be, that is Our Heavenly Father. So take taime out of your busy commotion of this world we live in and make special time to talk to GOD. He says to : Cast all our cares on HIM, for HE cares for you,1 Peter 5:7

Also HE says in Mathew 11:28-30, Come unto me,all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my

yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

WOW, what more can we ask for than this.If you are struggling in life or in your heart Please come unto GOD and let HIM help you and heal you. This is the way to a better life. HE is complete forgiveness and complete Love, so come unto HIM and walk with HIM in a newness of Life.

Many Prayers and Blessings to All,

Gentle Fir

Inspirational Poem and Thoughts........

 “If you'll go with me to the mountains,

And sleep on the leaf carpeted floors,

And enjoy the bigness of nature,

And the beauty of all the out-of-doors.

You will find your troubles all fading,

And find the Creator was not man.

That made lovely mountains and forests,

Which only a supreme power can.

When we trust in the power above,

And with the realm of nature hold fast,

We will have a jewel of great price,

To brighten our lives till the last.

For the love of nature is healing,

If we will only give it a try.

And our reward will be forthcoming,

If we deeper than what meets the eye.”

Written By

Trail Name; Grandma 1955 AT thru-hiker

When I read this poem written from this Thru-Hiker, I loved it. This poem speaks volumes of how I feel when I am in Gods creation. The wilderness does speak and express a greater power that created us and all that is in the world,the seen and the unseen. The love of  creation is healing to me and brings a peace that only God can provide. If you are hurting or stressed with life and all of its struggles try taking a walk in Gods quietness, His creation and breathe in the fresh air and smell the trees and feel the breeze and relax. He is the divine physician and he is there for us. I hope you enjoyed this poem and it touched or sparked something within you.

May God be with you and keep you.

Happy Hiking,

Gentle Fir

The Trees of the Fields........

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 55:11-12

     I have always enjoyed God's Creation since I was old enough to speak. I grew up on a large wildlife plantation surrounded by 19,000 acres of wilderness. I can see God in everything from the trees blowing in the wind to the soft sounds of a babbling brook to a birds beautiful song. I have chosen the trail name of Gentle Fir because this is a combination of a pet name my dear husband has given me and the Fir tree is a symbol in Gods word. I could be called a tree hugger but I would like to be seen as a creation lover and a lover of the Creator.
    
     The bible to me is much easier to understand, if you take the time to stop and enjoy HIS creation. God uses his creation throughout his word to help us. In this passage I love how it says the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. I feel that the birds sing praises to God, as we should lift up our voices , to Praise Him as well. He tells us not to worry about food or drink or raiment because even nature is taken care of. This is very powerful to me.
So I encourage everyone to take time to take a walk in Gods Creation and learn of the Creator. Stop and listen to the forest and what they may have to say.



Happy Hiking,

Gentle Fir

God Bless You