The Only Road North - Erik Mirandette

I read a book last summer (2009) that I had semi-forgotten about. I recently ran across it again in a bookstore and just wanted to post a little review so that people could decide for themselves whether they wanted to read it or not.

The Only Road North chronicles a journey from Cape Town to Cairo with Erik Mirandette at the helm along with two friends and his brother. Erik was finishing up two years with a humanitarian organization in Morocco but wanted to pursue a dream of his to ride across the African continent on dirt bike. 9000 miles of dust and dirt, poverty and dreams, beauty and danger, and ultimately, living life to it's fullest. He knew this trek would be tough and full of surprises, but he knew that he wanted to live it and experience it with close friends and family.

I highly recommend this book. It is a great story of Erik's journey that brings with it lots of emotion, from sadness to gratefulness to awe. His story embodies the type of adventure that we all dream about, but seldom seek out. It reads quick and easy and for me, it was one of those books that you don't realize you've just read for four hours straight, because you can't put the book down. It's best to do so, because there are so many nuggets for living life more fully in this book. The book brings the African continent to life in a way that normally can only be experience and through this book we get to ride that dirt bike down the dusty, almost non-existent trails of Africa and through the bullet-filled streets of Tanzania. The author makes sure to highlight the "God moments" that kept them safe, or delayed them just enough to keep them from harm in the upcoming town.

Overall, this adventure-in-book-form, was a great investment of time. Although it was a break from reality, it was just as much a peak into a much bigger world where God still loves, protects, teaches and comforts. It was a refreshingly honest look at living life to the fullest and the dangers that brings, while reveling in the awe of Creation.

Eating Triscuits in the Rain!

One of my favorite things to do when I was a child, maybe 7 or 8 years old, was to pull my dad's recliner out onto the covered porch while it was raining. I would sit in his recliner, eat triscuits and just watch the rain fall, taking in the smell and the feel and the sounds that rain brought with it.

I'm sitting on my patio again this morning in my patio chair instead of my dad's recliner. I have no triscuits, and my porch railing is blocking my view of the rain and the drops hitting the ground. I am enclosed on three sides so that limits the smell and the feel of the humid, wet air on my skin. I can however hear the wind and see it blow flags straight and cause the flag ropes to rattle against the flag poles. The overbearing sound I hear this morning though is of Dallas traffic. It's still somewhat peaceful between sounds of diesel trucks and speeding cars and honking horns. That time in between each passing vehicle.

My experience this morning, sitting outside on the patio with everything going on around me leads me to reflect on my life with Christ in a new way. You see, here lately, I feel like my life has been nothing but traffic, non-stop Dallas highway traffic. It has been by my own choosing, of course, so don't feel sorry for me, however, I am realizing that even in the situations I am in, I still have another choice besides running to a more peaceful place...I can choose to be at peace even in the chaotic traffic. I can choose to see and hear and feel God's presence around me. Right now, even though there is a lot of traffic, there may be 2 seconds in between vehicles, or like just a moment ago, there may be 20 or 30 seconds between vehicles. Either way, it's the time between the traffic that makes it easier to hear the rain and the wind. I think that's a lot like what it is with God. We have so much crap in our head and in our lives that we don't have that margin between vehicles. The margin is that time in-between one to-do, or thought, or task, or phone call, or email, or facebook, or distraction. Margin is the time in between your mind being busy and being able to focus on the blessings and will of God. Now, if you are in practice I believe you can have enough spiritual margin in your life so that you reflect constantly on God, even in the midst of all the traffic, but for those of us that are out of practice, experiencing God outside of the margin is not very easy. Heck, truth be told, experiencing God within the margin even feels taxing and even non-existent some time.

I best commune with God when I am purposeful with my time about getting together with him. Whether it be during lunch, or my drive home, or on my patio. Why don't I do it more often? Why don't I do it daily? I don't know...I suppose I let the traffic of life distract me. I suppose the real reason I don't do it more often is because I don't really want to do what I'm afraid God is going to tell me to do. Not fearful necessarily, but being lazy. Being obedient takes energy. It takes movement and focus and determination and drive. It takes courage!

I suppose by choosing not to listen, I'm also choosing not to be courageous. You know, I'm reading some stuff and listening to some things that are making me realize my life is not very engaging, but it's mostly because I am choosing not to engage it. I am choosing to get lost in reality in front of the TV, or in front of a movie. It's easier to hope for a change and daydream about change, than it is to enact change. My headline actually says it here on my blog: What the world needs is people who believe so much in another world that they cannot help but begin enacting it now. I want to be that person. I dream of being that person. I hope to become that person. Therefore, I must be courageous and actually take steps to bring that to reality. I'm still looking for me inciting incident though, and I'm not sure there HAS to be one of those, but I think it helps...well, I know it helps in my situation, but I also know that it shouldn't be required for change to take place. Change should take place because God directs it, and I desire to please my Father. So, Lord, I am choosing today, right now, to be obedient!

Does anyone else experience it?

I mean, the feeling that you have gotten off of the path, somehow. It seems like I experience that feeling quite often. At least every couple of years. Possibly more. Do you experience that feeling? Sometimes I feel like I someone has distracted me JUST long enough to get me to miss that small fork in the road I was suppose to take. I just kept trucking right on passed it.

I'm tired of doubting my path with God/to God/etc. I just want to stay on purpose! Of course, I have to find it again before I can concentrate on that.

Mourning a Friend!

This is Bo Teske! He was in his early 30's and passed away early yesterday morning from kidney failure due to drinking. His mother died the same way about 12 years ago. He knew what he was doing, whether he realized it at the time or not is a different story.

He was a great person, and would do anything for you! I have only known him about 10 years, and we didn't really even get together very often. He and Rebecca have been friends for a long time. That's how I know him, through her. Bo is no longer with us! We had a chance to get together with him a few weeks ago, and because of me working at night and Becca being so busy with school we didn't it. It was a regretful mistake.

I don't know whether Bo knew Christ or not before he died, I do know that he had spiritual thoughts and he and Rebecca had a few talks, but he was withholding his feelings. That is in God's hands, he draws people unto himself! I hope and pray, that Bo's heart was open and received Christ's payment for our sins, I hope to see him again someday.

Bo was a great guy, and a dear friend to many and will be missed like crazy.

For those friends of mine that are lonely, hurting, and covering up your feelings with drinking, or drugging, or other things..... I want to be here for you. I can't promise you I have any answers, and I can't promise you that I can help, but I will promise you that I will be real with you about my struggles and I'll be an ear you can talk to, without judgement or condemnation. I won't preach at you, I can't promise that I won't speak of Christ and what he has done for me.

Please don't drink your life away, please don't give up.... you are loved more than you know, all of you. My number is 405-923-1418 if you need to talk, anytime, day or night.

One latté or two pair of shoes?

Here is a challenge for all of my friends out there. Most of you know, I'm a shoe-lover, so what better way to help someone than by buying them shoes. No, I'm not talking about people who don't need them, I'm talking about for people who may have NEVER even owned a pair before.



Anne Jackson, through her blog, made me aware of a huge need and huge blessing that God wants His people to be a part of, check out more of her blog here.

Don't forget to click on the banner or the title of this website to go donate. We are doing 4 pair, how 'bout you?