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# Living the Adventure

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## Posts

- [Hugs](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6280) - My wife, Nancy, is known for her hugs. We have people in our life who when I run into them while traveling will say to me, “I need a Nancy hug” or “I could use a Nancy hug right now.” These hugs speak powerfully a message of love, compassion, and peace to the recipient of
- [Fellowship More Than Food](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6286) - I grew up in the church and through my travels, I have attended numerous local churches for Sunday morning worship experiences. I commonly hear the following statements: “After worship today, we will have a fellowship time (i.e. coffee, doughnuts, and juice).” After Sunday School today, there will be a fellowship meal (i.e. potluck, lucky pot,
- [June 2026 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6697) - Adventure Journal June 2026Download
- [Favorite Psalm: Psalm 40](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6692) - During my second trip to Haiti in 2010, we worked in Arcahaie, a city that is north of Port au Prince. Part of our responsibility on the trip was to help create the pit where the outhouse or latrine would be placed. Each day a few of us would join the workers who were digging
- [Favorite Psalm: Psalm 1](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6687) - This summer The Guide devotion will focus on the Psalms. Over the next three months different voices will share their favorite Psalm and how it encourages and challenges their life. We pray you will find in these devotions one of your favorite Psalms. The Christian Ashram rhythm of life invites the participant into times of
- [Favorite Psalm: Psalm 91](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6690) - The Palm of His Hand By Brother Kevin Hastings Sudden death, the loss of a job, a health diagnosis, disagreements with co-workers, stress over how ends will meet, or any number of things may come into our life on any given day to throw challenges into our path. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus tells us not
- [The Christ of Every Road: Personal and Universal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6684) - The effects of Pentecost reach beyond the initial experience to a growing trust in the Lord for each day. When Pentecost comes in our lives, we are changed. The way we view the world around us changes. On the first Pentecost, the disciples who once were hidden for fear of the Jews, were now standing
- [The Christ of Every Road: Questions & Answers](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6682) - I was told the story of a college student who was taking a philosophy class in college. The night before the final exam, he decided to spend more time drinking with friends than he did in preparation for the exam. When they sat down to the exam, he was unable to think straight or to
- [The Christ of Every Road: Perspective](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6681) - The world is filled with data. Whether the data is accurate, well-presented, or factual is open for debate. No matter the subject, a person can search a topic or idea and discover videos, articles, podcasts, and blogs. There are numerous presentations written by people who claim expertise or accuracy without any accountability or checking of
- [The Christ of Every Road: Christlike](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6680) - As I walk through life, engaging with people and considering how those people perceive me, I often wonder, “Do they see Jesus in me?” That is, are my actions Christlike. As we continue to study The Christ of Every Road: A Study in Pentecost, Brother E. Stanley Jones sets forth the argument that the Holy
- [April 2026 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6676)
- [March 2026 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6675)
- [February 2026 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6672)
- [The Christ of Every Road—Our Witness](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6671) - The progression from fear to courage is not conceptual and limited to a feeling. As we are empowered to face and defeat the fear in our lives, it exhibits itself in action. We move from a place of hiding and fear to courage and action. As the disciples gathered in the Upper Room after Jesus’
- [The Christ of Every Road—Courage](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6670) - Changes in our lives, new opportunities, and invitations to move outside our comfort zones naturally bring some forms of anxiety and fear. We are people who like comfort and normal for our lives. Even if there is something we can experience that will be overall better for our lives, we tend to remain in comfort.
- [The Christ of Every Road—Behind Closed Doors](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6669) - When there is uncertainty, fear can creep into our minds and hearts creating hesitation and feelings of being overwhelmed. When those parts of life that once made sense become less coherent, we tend to retreat to where life seemed more stable. After Jesus’ resurrection, the Gospel writers tell us about different times Jesus appeared to
- [The Christ of Every Road: Potential and Actual Life](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6668) - The Lenten Adventure invites us into a time of contemplation and confession. We traveled from our recognition of mortality in Ash Wednesday to the cross and resurrection—the celebration of resurrected life! We tend to miss the steps leading us from resurrection to ascension and on into Pentecost. We are content to stay on the mountaintop
- [One Man’s Obedience](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6667) - Holy Week is a journey toward the cross and on to the resurrection. We tend to rush toward Sunday and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. We gloss over the arrest, trial, beating, and crucifixion. We want to only give a glance at the sacrifice because it is too real and too brutal. We shy away
- [Reconciled Harmony](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6666) - The breathtaking beauty of a four-part choir creates amazing harmony inviting the listener to experience the emotion of the musical piece. When the four-parts are not well aligned and a section struggles to find its place in the choral arrangement, there is dissonance and disorder that interrupts the beauty. Our lives are very similar. When
- [Love Poured Into Me](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6665) - In 2018, Dr. Bizal at Deaconess Ear, Nose, and Throat performed surgery on my right ear because of a cholesteatoma diagnosis. The doctor believed this growth had likely been in my ear since early in my life. In my 40s, it decided to become a major issue. The pain and ongoing battle during the spring
- [Character Produces Hope](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6664) - Walking with men and women of deep faith through debilitating disease of their own or a dear family member, I have witnessed the rejoicing in suffering that breeds endurance and character. In the ICU waiting room with the family whose 30-year-old son was slowly slipping through their fingers and entering eternal rest, I watched as
- [Endurance Produces Character](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6663) - The foundation of a strong life is built on our faith and hope in Jesus Christ who walks with us in our suffering. As we have noted previously, we are able to rejoice in our suffering and that our suffering produces endurance in our lives. As we endure the suffering, we are growing in our
- [Suffering Breeds Endurance](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6662) - The 2026 Winter Olympics ended recently. As I watched the different sports, I was constantly in amazement at the artistry, risk, accuracy, and sure grit of each competitor. Whether it was the mesmerizing curling event or the beauty and majesty of figure skating, I wanted to witness the competition and consider the hard work each
- [Rejoice in Suffering](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6661) - Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For if while we were enemies
- [My Offering](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6660) - What will you give up for Lent this year? This question will become common language over the next several days leading up to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The Mardi Gras festivities are in full swing as we witness people ramping up to Fat Tuesday prior to the fast of Lent. The question
- [Preparing for Lent](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6659) - The Christmas celebration occurred a little over one month ago. The memories of families gathered, late-night services to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and the beautiful music of Christmas are still fresh in our minds. Yet, in just over two weeks, we will transition into a season of preparation called Lent, the 40-days leading to Easter. The
- [Intentional Preparation](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6658) - My quiet space and devotion/study area is the recliner at the end of the couch in our living room. Several years ago, our son, Judah, made me a lapboard that perfectly fits a Bible, a devotion book, and a journal. Each morning before my family arises for the day, I grab my coffee and sit
- [January 2026 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6652)
- [Intentional Rhythm](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6651) - Three of my children have returned to school for the second semester. For my two children in college, it means a new schedule with different classes and times when they are supposed to be in class. The university and seminary schedule I followed for eight years introduced a regular rhythm to my day and there
- [Living Intentionally](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6650) - It is estimated that 80% of people who made resolutions two weeks ago have already failed. By the end of the year, only 10% will succeed in reaching their resolution goal. When we look at resolutions, it seems a futile practice with little life-change and many unreached goals. The rate of failure may be tied
- [New Year. New You.](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6649) - Our Christmas decorations in our home each year include a countdown to Christmas wooden block display. Each morning, my daughter gets out of bed and changes the countdown. The display sits below our television, so it is readily seen by everyone. As the countdown moves from 30-days till Christmas until Christmas Eve when you see
- [Advent Lectionary: Plan. Fulfillment. Obedience](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6648) - The year comes to an end today and a new year begins tomorrow. In the past year, we have experienced celebration and we have experienced grief. We have experienced life and we have experienced death. We have experienced dreams come true and the nightmares we want to avoid. Yet, in all the ups and downs
- [Advent Lectionary: The Transformational Name](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6647) - The power and honor to name our children is a gift that comes with great responsibility. The meaning behind the name or the heritage of the name guides our decision-making. When our daughter was born, I knew her middle name would be “Elizabeth” because the tradition in my wife’s family is for a daughter to
- [Advent Lectionary: More Than Ordinary](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6645) - We would line up on the wall of the gymnasium during PE class so the two people chosen captain could choose their teams. The process illuminated the athletic from the not so athletic. After the first two or three times of picking teams, a person could predict the order of being chosen as they stood
- [Advent Lectionary: Hope Overflows](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6643) - The stress of life and the intense schedule we seek to keep in today’s culture can lead to feelings of burnout. “Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from prolonged or excessive stress, often from work but also from caregiving or other life demands, leading to loss of motivation, feelings of hopelessness,
- [Advent Lectionary: Put On Light](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6642) - The city of Utqiagvik, Alaska is experiencing polar night, as the sun will not rise again until late January. Each day will be darkness without the presence of the sun. I have trouble conceiving of this stretch of just over two months where I would not see the light of the sun, even if it
- [Overflowing Heart: Invited](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6641) - “You are invited…” Receiving an invitation to a birthday party, bridal shower, wedding, graduation, baby shower, or retirement is an honor. Just this weekend, my family attended an 86th Birthday party and a wedding. The sense of feeling included and the relationships the invitation celebrates creates an inner beauty of acceptance. Jesus speaks a variety
- [Overflowing Heart: I am Blessed](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6640) - Just a little over 29 years ago, two college kids met at a Wesley Foundation and worked together in leading youth at a local church. With stars in their eyes and a clear calling to expand this relationship to marriage, these two love birds made the decision to marry before their one-year dating anniversary. They
- [Giving Tuesday 2025 Video](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6636)
- [November 2025 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6628) - Adventure Journal November 2025finalDownload
- [Overflowing Heart: My Gift](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6626) - Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For many years, most people who knew me would have noted my tendencies toward ADHD. My constant energy, randomness, and desire to keep moving pointed to the reality of the diagnosis. Once diagnosed, I sought medicinal treatment, and after a few weeks, discovered
- [Overflowing Heart: God Protected Me](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6625) - In the season of Thanksgiving, I am considering two statements: My heart overflows with… I give God thanks for… These two prompts will serve to focus The Guide email throughout the month of November as I share my Overflowing Heart. This first installment contains what to some may be an unsettling experience, but the experience
- [Attribute of a Christian: Generosity](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6624) - The transformation of Christ at work in our lives turns us from a focus on self to our focus on Jesus. We begin to see the world in new ways and what is important to us changes. We no longer seek self; we seek Jesus. The attitude and attributes of a follower of Jesus flow
- [Favorite Worship Songs: There’s Something About That Name](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6615) - In 1984, the movie Ghostbusters stormed the movie theater with a mix of humor and horror as the motley group of men fought to save the city from a ghostly takeover. The theme song became a popular jingle as people found themselves singing: If there’s something strange in your neighborhood Who you gonna call? (Ghostbusters!)
- [Attitudes of the Kingdom: Perseverance](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6622) - I have a book on my shelf entitled Start. The extension of the title includes three statements: Punch Fear in the Face. Escape Average. Do Work that Matters. To create, accomplish, and complete, a person must start. The issue for too many people is their start does not come to conclusion because the work becomes
- [Attitudes of the Kingdom: Gratitude](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6621) - “I wish…” was a common statement in my childhood and adolescence. The words that followed this short statement were often my desire for something else—a different situation, a toy, an experience, etc. My parents, upon hearing me say, “I wish…” would say, “Don’t wish your life away.” It was not that my parents were against
- [Attitudes of the Kingdom: Self-Control](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6620) - My college roommate posted a saying in our apartment that stated, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the present.” Each day when I would walk past this sign, I would consider the words in my mind, but sadly, I fear, I would not always
- [Favorite Worship Songs: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6619) - There is so much to look at when I travel. Whether I am riding in the car or traveling on train, my eyes are constantly taking in the new terrain in hopes of not missing anything. The reality is I miss a lot because I cannot always see everything. Also, there are times when something
- [Favorite Worship Songs: Great are You Lord](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6614) - As a baby, I was diagnosed with asthma. Over the years, there have been times when I battled to find my breath when having an asthma attack. One of the worst attacks I ever had was a time in high school where my ability to walk from the couch to the bathroom was challenging because
- [Favorite Worship Songs: Hosanna](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6613) - My wife and I sang to our children as part of our nighttime ritual. It was interesting to see which songs encouraged them to relax and fall into a sleepy state. There were some songs that stirred them and there were some they would cry when we sang them. There was one song, though, that
- [Worship: Pray for All People](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6597) - The search for peace and quiet in a loud and busy world causes people to look in many places in hopes of finding a semblance of what they desire. The constant noise from outside and from within makes escape seem impossible to achieve. The audible noise seems easier to shut off with a switch or
- [ Favorite Hymns: Because He Lives](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6603) - (Last month we focused on Worship in our Guide devotions. Over the next two months, I want to share some of my favorite hymns (August) and my favorite contemporary songs (September) as our weekly focus for The Guide.) Paul writes in Ephesians 5:18b-19, “Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms,
- [ Favorite Hymn: And Can It Be That I Should Gain](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6608) - It was an exciting day in May 1998, as I gathered with family for my brother’s graduation from Asbury Theological Seminary. As we opened the service, the congregation, students, and platform dignitaries rose to sing a powerful Charles Wesley hymn, And Can It Be That I Should Gain. In all my years of being in
- [Favorite Hymn: It is Well with My Soul](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6609) - For several years, I was required to complete an annual self-assessment for my denominational leaders. The first question was often, “How is it with your soul?” My response was always, “It is well with my soul.” The 19th Century song, It is Well With My Soul, has become one of my favorite, or maybe my
- [Favorite Worship Song: Whisper a Prayer](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6610) - As a preacher’s kid, I literally grew up in the church. We would attend Sunday morning worship and Sunday evening worship. For the most part, our Sunday morning worship songs would come from the hymnal, while the Sunday evening songs would incorporate another smaller songbook that included choruses and newer songs that were not in
- [Worship: Broken and Contrite Heart](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6604) - Our experience of worship is often measured in how it makes us feel, whether songs we enjoy are sung, or the preacher’s message gives us a sense of being heard, understood, and maybe even validated. Few, if any people, enter worship in hopes of being challenged, convicted, or even called to confess. Yet, we know
- [Favorite Hymns: O Come, All Ye Faithful](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6602) - The Christmas celebration invites us to proclaim the promised Messiah and the amazing beauty of Jesus’ birth. Each year as we begin our preparation in Advent, I enjoy the songs we sing that are limited to a certain season. Though, I must admit I sing these songs “out of season,” because there is something special
- [July/August 2025 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6605) - Adventure Journal July August 2025Download
- [Worship: With Raised Hands](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6594) - Our hands are powerful. They can bring comfort to a wounded person, while they can also be tools of anger, evil, and violence. Our hands serve a purpose to construct havens of rest, and to provide the surgical work to bring healing in people’s lives. Our hands are also important in our worship, as we
- [Worship: In the Spirit and In Truth](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6588) - In my travels, I have the blessing of joining many congregations in their Sunday morning worship experiences. I have participated in traditional, liturgical worship experiences; contemporary worship experiences with talented worship teams; and a blend of both guitars and drums with organ and piano. No matter the “type” of worship experience, I have sensed the
- [My Testimony—God’s Voice in Music](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6576) - Music has always been a major part of my adventure with Jesus. From Sunday morning worship to Sunday night sing-spirations to concerts of all different kinds, I have experienced everything from traditional hymns to metal band Christian music. The words of many of these songs are ingrained inside me and I am amazed at how
- [My Testimony: Bearing Another’s Burdens](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6584) - My family and I are visiting Wichita, Kansas where our son, Elijah lives. For a few weeks prior to our departure, our van kept acting up with an intermittent shudder. I had some processes I could undertake to stop the shudder, but the shudder was becoming more frequent and more violent. I spoke to one
- [My Testimony: Words at Just the Right Time](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6583) - In September 2024, I traveled to Malawi, Africa to grow our ministry partnership with Jesus Power Ministries and Bishop John Chirwa. In my first trip in 2023, I was introduced to a few villages, and the amazing ministry God is doing through Jesus Power Ministries in all parts of Malawi. On this second trip, we
- [My Testimony: God’s Puzzle](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6581) - In 1996, when God called me into ministry, I was relatively certain my calling was not to local church ministry. Yet, as the grandson of a pastor; the son of a pastor; and the brother of a pastor, I was only familiar with local church ministry. After several times of prayer and counseling with retired
- [My Testimony: God’s Timing](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6580) - Life comes at us so quickly, it could be easy for us to miss how God’s timing is at work. On Sunday, my family went for a walk to the local ice cream shop. It was a beautiful evening. The ice cream shop was packed with people we know, and the fellowship was amazing. As
- [Plan For The Community](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6572) - Last week we investigated the first part of Jeremiah 29:11 where the “you” is plural, speaking to a community for whom God has a plan. God is one who works in the life of a community, while working in the life of the individual. When we limit our faith understanding and expression to an individual,
- [Faithful to Hear](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6574) - Did you hear me? This was a question asked repeatedly in our house when all the boys were living at home. My wife or I would instruct the boys to do something and the action we desired was not done. When we would ask them if they heard us, most of the time the answer
- [Seek Me](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6579) - When complacency and apathy enter people’s spiritual life, they move from participants to spectators. They become consumers instead of engaged shared producers in the ongoing growth of the community. A sense of entitlement enters the relational dynamic where the guiding question is, “What have you done for me lately?” In our last devotion we discussed
- [Expectations: Thomas](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6571) - In a recent conversation with family, we were talking about the phenomenon of FOMO—"The Fear of Missing Out.” People who suffer from FOMO, tend to be scattered and want to be everywhere at one time for fear they will miss something. I must admit I have a tendency toward FOMO in my life because I
- [Plans for You](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6569) - My wife and I have two children graduating this year: one from university (Micah) and one from high school (Isaiah). These milestones cause me to become introspective and sentimental as I remember when they were born. I took them in my arms, introduced myself, and prayed, “Lord, thank you for this gift. I give them
- [Lent: I AM the Resurrection and the Life](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6558) - As I drive in the Midwest of the United States to events during the Spring months of the year, I witness the evidence of the changing seasons. I see the foliage return to the trees and the beautiful spring flowers busting forth from the ground adding color to the expansive green. The dullness of the
- [Lent: I AM the True Vine](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6564) - Our Lenten Adventure is coming to its conclusion with the culmination of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We know the story and we expect the beauty of the Easter morning celebration with the promise of resurrection and the newness of life. Yet, we are invited during Holy Week to consider what we have learned in our
- [Lent: I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6562) - Our Lenten Adventure is beginning to make its turn toward Holy Week and the remembrance of Jesus’ days from Triumphal Entry to Crucifixion. The road is becoming more difficult, and the evidence of faithfulness and trust are becoming more apparent as the disciples will be challenged to stay the course and continue the ministry for
- [Expectations: Mary Magdalene](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6566) - In life, I often establish expectations for certain experiences. Those expectations are built on previous experience or on some hope or dream I have for the situation or experience. This means sometimes when those expectations are not met, it brings a level of disappointment and deep emotion. I once heard a person define expectation as
- [April 2025 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6560) - Adventure Journal April 2025Download
- [March 2025 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6552) - Adventure Journal March 2025Download
- [Lent: I AM the Good Shepherd](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6551) - Artists have portrayed the beauty and grander of the shepherd for generations. Often the image of a man with a shepherd’s robe, shepherds hook, and sheep surrounding him has guided our understanding of the important role of the shepherd. When we read Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd…” we find solace, peace, and confidence
- [ Lent: I AM the Gate](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6549) - A gate serves to allow people to move from one parcel of land to another. A gate is the entrance to security and clear boundaries; a portal from safety into the unknown and insecure. A gate serves to allow passage through the boundary. In early sheep farming, the sheep were protected each night in the pens.
- [Mission Statement: Specificity](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6538) - When I attended Community College, I worked for Wal-Mart in Olney, Illinois. I started as a Stockman who was responsible for cleaning, cart retrieval, and carry outs. I was not assigned to one certain area of the store, but I moved throughout the store during my shift. If a customer asked about the location of
- [Mission Statement: Guide](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6541) - When I made my first trip to the Sat Tal Estate in May 2015, I wanted to experience the fullness of the beauty and grandeur of the chapel, dining hall, and Panna Lake Chapel. On our first night at the estate, it was announced we would do our evening vesper service at the Panna Lake
- [Lent: I AM the Light of the World](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6545) - Recently, the Albion Fire Department was dispatched to a garage fire. When we arrived on scene, the chief and I donned our SCBA tanks and masks to make entry into the garage that was smoking but no fire was visible from outside. The garage door and walk doors were all closed and we made entry
- [Lent: I AM the Bread of Life](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6544) - In the village of Yvon in Haiti, there is a bakery near where we lodge and base our operations. When we discovered this bakery and found out when there was freshly baked bread each day, we made it a regular stop to purchase these small loaves of fresh bread. We could buy a dozen loaves
- [Mission Statement: Mission Experiences](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6543) - Living the Adventure Ministries guides the way to a growing relationship with Jesus through mission experiences. Jesus invited his disciples to travel with him and to live in community together. During their shared times of walking, sitting at meals, and engaging in ministry, they were able to learn from Jesus. There is so much we
- [Mission Statement: Growing](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6542) - Living the Adventure Ministries guides the way to a growing relationship with Jesus through mission experiences. Over the years, I have walked with parents whose children were deemed as “failing to thrive.” They were not gaining any weight or hitting important benchmarks as they moved through the maturation process. The doctors would spend time with
- [Word of the Year: Transformation](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6533) - “New Year; New You” is a common advertising and motivating quote used to encourage people to make changes to become healthier. The image of the calendar changing from one year to the other seems to motivate something inside of us to make changes we know we should have previously made, but for some reason we
- [Words for the Year: Finish](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6536) - A few years after we moved to Albion, we were able to purchase the home we were renting. The home needed updates, major fixes, and a vision for a new look. My mother-in-law helped us create a plan and the day after we signed the mortgage paperwork and deed, we tore off the roofing material,
- [Precipice Between Years](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6519) - On a recent trip to Michigan, I traveled with family to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. The steep dunes created a newfound challenge as we embarked on the hike. The intensity of the first ascent made my heart beat much faster and my breathing to become more labored. I had not looked at the trail
- [Words for the Year: Less](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6528) - “Save it for a rainy day.” “You never know when you might need it.” “I hate to get rid of it.” What is the “It” in each of these statements? It is the excess I have in my life. The coffee can of nuts, bolts, and screws I might need one day. The extra pairs
- [Advent: Salvation](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6518) - A beloved movie for many people during the Christmas season is Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The movie features a lot of memorable lines and scenes which are repeated throughout many Christmas celebrations. In one scene, Clark Griswold (Chase’s character) receives a one-year membership to the “Jelly of the Month Club.” As Clark looks
- [Advent: Mercy](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6517) - “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,” was part of my early childhood memories in our home where we had a fireplace. In the days leading up to Christmas morning, my parents would use the stockings as a reminder to me to be well-behaved. They would say, “If you do not act right,
- [December 2024 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6514) - Adventure Journal December 2024Download
- [May/April 2024 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6468)
- [March 2024 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6440)
- [February 2024 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6435)
- [January 2024 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6415)
- [Advent: Light](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6513) - In April of this year, people gathered in places where the solar eclipse would have the longest period of darkness. The community where I live was one of those places where we would experience over four minutes of totality as the moon covered the sun. People came from places around the nation to participate in
- [Advent: Humility](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6512) - “for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant” Luke 1:48 Pride and individualism seek to place oneself above anyone or anything else as the only purveyor of truth in a person’s life. When we witness the power of individualism in our culture, it moves us away from a team mentality or
- [Thankful for God's Timing](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6511) - Our son, Micah, was recently traveling to his girlfriend’s college to visit. As he was talking to me on his Bluetooth device, I heard a loud noise and he let out a gasp. I said, “What was that?” He responded, “That was a large pothole.” We continued to talk until he said, “Dad, I’m going
- [Thankful for Simple Things](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6510) - The early morning hours are quiet in my house. As my family continues to sleep, I enjoy getting up to read, pray, journal, and consider the opportunities in front of me for the day. Our couch faces east toward a window in our kitchen. When I first sit down on the couch in these early
- [Thankful For Music](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6509) - Rich Mullins, a contemporary Christian recording artist, wrote a Christmas song whose lyrics are, “You gotta get up; you gotta get up; you gotta get up…it’s Christmas morning.” Over the years this song has become a mantra in my mind on difficult mornings. The song springs into my head as I try to encourage myself
- [Thankful for Family](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6506) - My wife’s family gathered this weekend for the funeral of my wife’s sister-in-law. It was the first time my wife’s family had this many family members together in one place in seven years. As each person arrived, the room lit up with greetings, hugs, and laughter. We all recognized the weight of the moment; while
- [Our Vision: Adventure](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6505) - Several years ago, I was introduced to the Don Everts book, Jesus with Dirty Feet. This unique book seeks to speak to an audience of people who are curious and skeptical of Christianity. In the first chapter summary, Everts writes, “When you see ‘Christianity,’ read, ‘The Never-Ending Adventures and Journeys of the Jesus Followers’” (Page
- [Our Vision: Mission](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6504) - At the beginning of our Christian Ashram experiences, we share in a time of the Open Heart where we answer three questions: (1.) Why have I come? (2.) What do I want? (3.) What do I need? As we are invited to share the answers to these questions, I am always amazed at how many
- [Our Vision: Discipleship](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6503) - The young man made the decision to follow Jesus on the beach on a beautiful spring night. He looked at the leaders of the group and said, “I know I needed to do what I just did. But I have a question, ‘What did I just do?’” I loved his question on the beach in
- [Our Vision: Prayer](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6502) - "Sweet hour of prayer; sweet hour of prayer. That calls me from a world of care. And bids me at my father’s throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By Thy return, sweet hour of prayer."
- [Our Vision: Worshiping](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6501) - As I entered the chapel at the Bible College, the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable in the room. The praise team was leading the congregation in worship and people were engaged in an experience of the presence of God. As I stood to speak, I was overwhelmed with the Spirit’s presence and stood
- [Our Vision: Communicating](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6499) - On my phone there are twelve different applications for my communicating with people around the world. Most of the applications are for written communication, though five of them have features that allow for a phone call to be made through the application. Each of the applications seek to provide a platform for aiding in our
- [ Our Vision: Partnering](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6498) - Throughout my educational career, I will confess group projects were the bane of my existence. I would rather do all the work than to be required to spend time creating a plan, assigning parts of the plan to each member, and then putting our plan into action. It seemed easier and less cumbersome in my
- [Our Vision: Awakening](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6497) - When Nancy and I had our children, we made a conscious decision that we would make as much noise as we wanted while they were napping and sleeping. We wanted them to be resilient to be able to sleep in all conditions. Our plan worked well and throughout their childhoods, our children have been very
- [Our Vision: Listening](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6496) - “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” (James 1:19) A wise woman taught me a mantra for my life. She said, “God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you speak.” The mantra is easily
- [Back to School—Accountability](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6494) - I need you. You need me. We need each other. This statement regularly resonates in my heart as I consider the invitation to grow in my relationship with Jesus. Last week, we focused on fellowship that goes beyond a gathering to eat, to a deeper place of transformation. Part of the sharing in fellowship is
- [Back to School—Fellowship](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6493) - The Sunday bulletin included an announcement, “Join us for a time of fellowship after worship today.” The congregation moved from the worship space/sanctuary to the fellowship hall for coffee, donuts, oatmeal, and juice. The fellowship hall went from a quiet space to a dull roar of laughter, conversation, and people moving around. There was a
- [Back to School—Prayer](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6492) - Every four years when I have opportunity to watch the Summer Olympics, I am reminded of my competing in Track and Field as a 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100-meter, Long Jump, and Triple Jump competitor. I was competitive in our conference in these events and enjoyed competing with other young men who had become friends over the
- [Back to School: The Bible](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6489) - On my shelf at home, I have one of the first Bible’s I ever received. It measures 3 inches by 4.5 inches and is the New Testament. On the front of the Bible is a picture of Jesus teaching on the seashore with a boat behind him. My Granny and Paw-Paw (maternal grandparents) gave it
- [Home Base](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6487) - A favorite game throughout my life has been some form of tag or hide-and-seek. In this style of game there is a “home-base” where a person cannot be tagged or frozen. It can also be the goal for proving your ability to hide well and move from place to place without being caught by the
- [Turbulence](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6484) - On a recent flight from Phoenix to St. Louis, the plane hit significant turbulence on our ascent to our cruising altitude. There were several storms in the area which caused the National Weather Service to issue a Dust Storm Warning for the Phoenix area prior to our departure. The crew shared we would experience significant
- [Angels Unaware](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6485) - The evening was late; the road and travels had been long. I was ready to reach my destination for a night’s rest in the hotel near the airport. When I drove into the parking lot, I was relieved I had made it. All I needed to do was gather my luggage from the trunk of
- [Limiting God's Will](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6482) - “Will you take an old lady with you to Haiti?” This question was asked of me at an event several years ago after I shared about Living the Adventure Ministries’ mission ministry in Haiti. She felt the Lord calling her to travel to Haiti. She was in her early 70s and in good health. She
- [Wise Counselors](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6481) - When I sensed God calling me to full-time ministry, the Lord used part of 1 Samuel 3:10 as the key verse: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” As I knelt at the altar of Epworth Camp, there were three men who surrounded me to pray for me. One of the retired pastors prayed, “Lord, I
- [Missing Jesus On the Road](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6480) - The month of July has extensive travel plans for ministry and family. During the month of July, I will be in Guyana, Iowa, Arizona, Missouri, Kansas, DC, Pennsylvania, and New York. I look forward to each of these trips and seeing how God will meet me “on the road” and will use me to proclaim
- [TripTik](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6479) - Prior to our ability to access and use GPS on our phones and other electronic devices, we would sit down with a map to mark out the path for upcoming trips. When we were a member of AAA, we would order a TripTik, which served as a travel plan including possible services, tourist sites, and
- [Out Of Our Comfort](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6478) - “Where are we going?” “What are we going to do?” “When are we going to stop?” These are all questions my children have asked me when we have been preparing to travel or we are on the road to a destination. Each of these questions has validity and when not answered to their sufficiency, the
- [Beatitudes Peacemakers 2024](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6471) - At the end of a youth worship experience, I spoke the benediction over the youth in the room and stated, “Go in peace, not in pieces.” I may have heard another pastor speak this benediction in a previous worship experience, and it has always lingered in my mind. We desire peace for our own lives,
- [Beatitudes—Merciful](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6465) - Elisabeth Elliot wrote Through Gates of Splendor in 1957 recounting the experience of five missionaries who lost their lives at the hand of men from a tribe in eastern Ecuador. After the five men were killed, Elisabeth, along with her daughter Valerie and one of the other widows, Rachel Saint, began working to share the gospel with
- [Beatitudes—Pure Heart](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6463) - Gaining access to someone who is famous can be a lot of work. Whether it is purchasing a backstage pass for a famous singer or going through the process of background checks and applications to visit a world-leader, work must be done. If the access is granted, we spend time in preparations to assure we
- [Beatitudes—Meek](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6461) - Be louder. Say more. Push against. Don’t give up. Make a scene. Get people’s attention. All these short and direct statements speak to our present cultural condition as we battle one another politically, theologically, and relationally. It seems the person who makes the most noise is the best leader and will garner the greatest following.
- [Beatitudes—Hunger and Thirst](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6459) - A newborn child is unable to communicate with words and cannot obtain that which they deeply desire. They communicate through tears, coos, and screams when they need a diaper change, want extra cuddles, or are hungry/thirsty. In the early days of a baby’s life, the parents seek to understand the child’s needs and over time,
- [Beatitudes — Poverty](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6454) - Brother E. Stanley Jones shares his transformation story in his spiritual autobiography, A Song of Ascents. In the midst of emotional exhaustion, or what we may today call “burn out”, he went to Central Methodist Church in Lucknow, India for evangelistic services. He writes, “I was at the back of the church kneeling in prayer, not
- [Beatitudes—Those Who Mourn](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6456) - When I was an Associate Pastor, a young man in his 30s died after battling cancer. The Senior Pastor invited me to participate in the Celebration of Life and Funeral Service for the young man. In the pastor’s message at the funeral he stated, “We grieve today for our loss, while also grieving today for
- [Lent 2024 Love Your Neighbor](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6452) - We are amid election season in the United States. The vitriol, hatred, and division are at an all-time high as the candidates seek to win the election for their party and for their own aspirations. The vitriol, hatred, and division penetrate the church and the Christian community too often during election season, pitting brothers and
- [Lent 2024 "Self Love"](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6443) - Lent is a time focused on fasting or “giving something up” for a season to focus on our relationship with Jesus. The emphasis placed on personal discipleship and growing in our relationship with Jesus, invites us to take stock or inventory of those objects and practices that may, at times, draw us away from our
- [The Hall Closet](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6433) - Robert Boyd Munger wrote the booklet, My Heart, Christ’s Home, in 1954. I was immediately drawn to this booklet when I was first introduced to it when I was on staff of Campus Life and Youth for Christ in Lexington, Kentucky in the early 2000s. In the opening section of the booklet, Munger writes, “After Christ entered
- [Minimal And Essential](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6431) - The minimalist life is “living with things you really need. It means removing anything that distracts us from living with intentionality and freedom” (www.becomingminimalist.com). It is a lifestyle that seems to me to be easily spoken and written, but difficult to execute. The minimalist lifestyle calls for a measure of fasting and heart change to
- [Where Have You Been?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6428) - “Where have you been? Everyone has been looking for you!” I have heard these very words on more than one occasion in my life. At times I would get caught up in looking at toys in the department store or being engrossed in a sporting event. The issue of “Where have you been?” has been
- [Consistency](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6425) - In response to last week’s devotion about Self-Care, a friend wrote: “I think you will see great growth in all those areas when they are given the intentional moments they deserve! And the consistency! I think it’s easy to give to those things sporadically but being consistent with it is where the challenge is. I
- [Word for the Year 2024: Rhythm](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6423) - One of the blessings of traveling in ministry is experiencing the variety of daily schedules set forth at different camps, conferences, retreats, and Christian Ashrams. The shared schedule brings a rhythm I long for in my daily life at home. These schedules incorporate my whole person: physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual. The whole group
- [Word for the Year 2024: Self-Care](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6419) - There is a story of two loggers who had a competition to see who could cut the most wood in a day. One logger (John) worked feverishly throughout the day, while the other logger (Bill) was found to stop his work about once per hour. John thought this was because Bill was getting tired, so
- [Words for the Year: Risk](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6411) - Throughout Advent until Epiphany, I read a devotional entitled, Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas. In the introduction the author writes, “If the essence of Advent is expectancy, it is also readiness for action: watchfulness for every opening, and willingness to risk everything for freedom and a new beginning”(xvi, emphasis mine). The idea of
- [Word of the Year 2024](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6408) - In the village of Sobier in Haiti, a person can stand at the edge of the village and look down on the greenish-blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. The beauty of the refreshing waters invites us to make the trek from the village down to the water. It is about a 1,000-foot elevation change. This
- [Christ Candle](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6403) - Written By Matt Henson Read Luke 2:1-20 For many years in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s, my dad sang in a Gospel Group with a gifted pianist and song writer named Juanita Atkinson. She wrote a song that spoke to the ongoing battle between the materialism of the holiday and the real
- [Love…](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6401) - Written by Brian Shimer Pray together — Lord Jesus, born at Christmas we offer today’s devotional time to you. Come join our family circle. Meet us in our thoughts, prayers, discussions. And help us draw closer to you in order for us to become more and more like you. Indeed, may our living lives look like
- [Great Joy Devotional](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6399) - written by Brother Wade Paschal. READ Luke 2:9-11 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (ESV). We received an Amazon brochure
- [December 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6395)
- [Peace Advent Devotion](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6393) - Light the First and Second Advent candle Read John 14:25-27, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with
- [In This Will I Hope](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6390) - Lamentations 3:21-25 Advent Devotion Stephen Rankin Light the first Advent candle as you read Lamentations 3:21-25 The Christian faith is full of paradox. We gain life by losing it. We live by dying. We receive through giving. This passage from Lamentations shows the same paradox. The writer’s circumstances are extremely difficult. Jerusalem lies in ruins.
- [Song in My Heart](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6386) - I enjoy reading and hearing the stories behind the hymns and songs in the church’s hymnal and the songs newly written and shared on the radio. Whether it is the story of Horatio Spafford who wrote It is Well with My Soul or Anne Wilson’s song My Jesus, the depth of emotion and need for trusting God amid
- [November 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6383) - Adventure-Journal-November-2023Download
- [Where am I going?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6049) - As I write this blog, I am in Guyana, South America with two of my sons (Micah and Judah). We have been here six nights and are preparing to fly back to the United States tomorrow (Friday). It has been a good trip and we look forward to sharing our experience with you. Genesis 12:1
- [Take a Rest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6162) - In Alice in Wonderland, the White Rabbit is seen running frantically proclaiming, “I’m late. I’mlate. For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late. I’m late. I’m late!” Thefrantic schedules and the flood of information we receive creates an unrest in our lives as weseek to keep the proverbial plates spinning,
- [I want to Hear Your Voice](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6198) - It was 2005, a very active hurricane season for the continental United States. I had traveledwith four youth and one other adult to Reynosa, Mexico to assist in ongoing ministry in thecolonias and churches in the area. As we crossed the border into Mexico, we were aware of agrowing hurricane entering the Gulf of Mexico
- [Trust and Obey](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6196) - Several years ago, I read Bob Roberts, Jr.’s book Transformation where he writes, “For somestrange reason today, instead of being a power source, prayer is the excuse for not doinganything, always ‘waiting on God’ to do something, but it never happens. ‘Wait’ always wantsmore information…” (Page 131).In a similar vein, Martin Luther King, Jr. in
- [Weeping](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6231) - We are in the midst of Holy Week. This week we will move through Jesus’ final days leading up to the cross. We know the crescendo to the story will come on Sunday, but we need not rush to the crescendo. We need to allow ourselves to feel the emotions of defeat, uncertainty, and death.
- [Sharing](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6235) - Robert Fulghum in his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten writes, “ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday
- [Spring has Sprung](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6233) - Take a look around—things are changing—Spring has sprung where I live and the cold days seem to be behind us. The tulips and daffodils around our house are bursting forth with bright colors. The buds on the trees, though blown about in the strong winds, are bringing forth the leaves that will provide the much-needed
- [Praying for Mission Calling](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6237) - “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
- [Potter and Clay](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6239) - The first song I sang in front of the church was with my brother, Jeremy. The song, written by Joel Hemphill, will be forever ingrained in my mind and my heart. “He’s still working on me. To make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and
- [Mind Audit Transformation](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6241) - A few years ago, I made the decision to monitor and journal the number of calories I was eating each day. It was an arduous task and was eye-opening as I was traveling and trying to find something to eat. I stopped at one restaurant that was affordable and the food was really good. As
- [Joy of the Lord](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6243) - “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where?” This song brings back so many memories of camp, Vacation Bible School, and Sunday School. The excitement and volume with which we would sing these words proclaimed our understanding of God’s joy being alive in our hearts. That the joy was “down in
- [Individualism Moving to Interdependence](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6245) - Maturation from newborn to adult moves through several stages where an individual is learning new concepts and coming to a better understanding of their identity and place in this world. For the past several weeks, graduation festivities have been at the forefront of my family’s life as we celebrate a high school and community college
- [Fear of Failure](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6247) - Atychiphobia—"the fear of failure” is a real struggle for many people. In a time in history and a culture that seems less willing to allow people to fail, there is an expectation that everyone will say the right thing, do the right thing, and be successful in all endeavors. This brings about a battle for
- [A Gardener for Jesus](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6249) - When I attended community college, I was the student worker for the life-science professor. Part of my responsibility was to oversee the greenhouse in preparation for our annual spring plant sale. The professor gave me his expectations of what I was responsible to do each week. Mostly it was to make sure the plants were
- [We Define Maturity](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6267) - We would define a mature person as one who is able to function happily, usefully, and at her maximum capacity in a given situation. This definition needs correction at the place of “maximum capacity,” for it is possible to lay hold of capacities not your own, and to make them your own, through grace. But
- [Fellowship: Accountability and Criticism](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6289) - Coach Herb was my Grade School/Junior High coach. He taught me many life lessons during my formative years. One of the lessons was the importance of accountability and mentorship. Herb was a playful, fun coach, who had high expectations for each player. He expected a player to prepare well, give their best, and to put
- [July 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6315)
- [August 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6333)
- [May/June 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6274)
- [Celebration Banquet--Date and Location Change](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5849) - The Celebration Banquet will look a little different this year. We have decided to move to a new location because of the pandemic. We have also moved the date to Saturday, August 29 at 6pm. The Celebration Banquet will be held in New Haven, Illinois at Higher Ground, a picturesque location that often hosts weddings.
- [You Are Amazing! Thank You!](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5993) - We were blessed with each person who made a financial contribution to Living the Adventure Ministries in 2020. Our honorarium income from my traveling to lead events was significantly less. Your generosity provided the financial resources Living the Adventure Ministries needed to continue our work, though most of our events were virtual. If you made
- [Fellowship Priorities](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6299) - When Nancy and I first married, the parsonage where we lived had the church office in the back of the house. My desk, computer, books, and files were all in the room. The room had its own entrance, which served as the main entrance for Nancy and me to enter the house. Every time we
- [Work and Rest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6304) - My family is on vacation this week in Michigan. Nancy’s dad owned a house in the little village of Lexington for many years and upon his death, this home became the possession of Nancy and her siblings. Lexington sits on Lake Huron and served for many years as an escape for people from the cities
- [Very Good](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6307) - “The work is never done,” is a deadly statement for our generation. There always seems to be something we need to accomplish or a task that is looming around the corner taking needed emotional energy from our present moment. Deadlines have served as the motivators I need to get tasks done and give me a
- [Rest in Intimacy](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6311) - I served in a church where a father came to me at the beginning of my tenure and said, “My children will not be at the Sunday night youth meeting. Sunday is our family day to come to morning worship and then spend the day together as a family. They will be at Wednesday night
- [Rhythm of Rest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6322) - When we were in Guyana last year, most of the churches we visited had a djembe. A djembe is a goblet-shaped hand drum that originated in West Africa. Judah was playing around with one of them and we asked if he could play during one of the singing times. The pastor approved him playing, and
- [Peace in the Storm](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6324) - The storms that have ravaged the United States over the past several weeks have brought destruction to homes, schools, and land. The barrage of wind, rain, and hail reminds me of times in my life when the storms continue to come, bringing frustration, distraction, and damage to my life. I feel the winds blowing and
- [Unity Peace](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6319) - A great feature of the Christian Ashram ministry is our desire to remove barriers that would keep us from fully experiencing fellowship with God, fellowship with others, and fellowship within ourselves. There are certain titles we use to establish barriers of US and THEM in our lives. This bleeds over into the barriers we see
- [Create Margin](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6326) - When writing a letter, I like to keep the content of the letter to one page on the front of the paper. I will often begin writing the letter with standard margins: one inch left, right, top, and bottom. This standard approach to term papers and letters is regularly sufficient to encapsulate the fullness of
- [Obedient Response](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6328) - Every day as I prepare to leave the house, I place on my left hip a small black box: a pager. The pager is a direct connect to the 9-1-1 dispatch center in our county. If there is a fire or first responder call in the Albion City or Rural Fire District, my pager will
- [Obedience without Hesitation](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6330) - There is a “bigger is better” complex created within the church where we believe obedience to the calling we deem larger is to be celebrated with greater fanfare than the smaller obedience of our lives. We begin to classify these levels of obedience as examples of oceans being crossed or life risks being taken. Yet,
- [What Time is It?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6337) - From the late 1940s until early 1960 there was a TV show called “Howdy Doody.” I was introduced to this marionette and show when a 40th Anniversary special was presented in the late 1980s. I remember the commercials announcing the special using the well-known jingle, “Say kids, what time is it?” and the response back from
- [Step Into the Water](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6341) - In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jones is seeking the Holy Grail. As he discovers the cave where the Grail is located, there are a variety of puzzles he must undertake to successfully get to the room where the Grail resides. One of the puzzles he must solve requires him to step out
- [January 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6166)
- [Feb./Mar. 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6220)
- [April 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6223)
- [Plant for Harvest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6354) - Over the past few years, my daughter, Sarafina has talked about wanting to plant a garden at our house. Through an initiative of our local Farm Bureau and 4-H, she received some seeds to plant and one of the 4-H leaders came to help her. As Sarafina and Debbie planted the seeds, Fina started dreaming
- [Don’t Grow Weary](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6358) - Last week I shared about Sarafina’s flowerpot garden. It was a labor of love for her but also for our family because we had to remember to regularly water the plants and pay attention to their needs. So, when the tomato plant started to grow taller, we put the wire cage around it to help
- [Patience for the Harvest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6360) - Sarafina planted the seed. We watered and fed them. We provided boundaries and support for most of the plants…sorry watermelons and pumpkins! Then there came the day where we could see the fruit being borne. The small green tomato, the small green pepper, and the blossom of the squash. What we were waiting for had finally happened.
- [Sept/Oct 2023 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6362)
- [Participate in the Harvest](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6366) - The farmers in our community are fast approaching the end of harvest season. The combines and semis have been running through the fields and down the roads, bringing the harvest into the storehouse. The data is being compiled giving a clear report of the growing season’s success. The harvest report is a tangible way for
- [Thankful for the Rock](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6370) - We recently visited Chaney’s Dairy Barn near Bowling Green, Kentucky. On a tour of the farm, there was an old cistern with a fence built around it to keep people from falling into the cistern hole. The cistern had filled up with silt and eroded dirt over time, so the depth was unable to be
- [December 2022 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6145)
- [Celebration Banquet & Mission Fair](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6032) - The annual Living the Adventure Ministries Celebration Banquet is Saturday, August 28 in Albion, Illinois. We will be under a tent near the North Parking Lot of the Albion First United Methodist Church (127 E Main Street). Everyone is invited to attend an afternoon and evening packed with ministry opportunities, great food, learning experiences, and
- [Haiti Trip Postponed](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6029) - As I write this article, I am to be in Sobier, Haiti on my 22nd Trip and my first time in three-years to take a team to Sobier. We were forced to postpone the June 22-30 trip because the gangs in Haiti have overtaken the National Route we travel when going from the Guest House
- [Haiti Metalwork](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5929) - For several years, we have partnered with artisans and ministries in Haiti to sell metal artwork, coffee, and jewelry to support Haitian artisans and our continued mission work. We have a wide variety of great and unique gift items that would make wonderful gifts. If you live near Albion, Illinois, you can come by my
- [On The Road Again](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6019) - Travel is slowly reopening, as ministry opportunities become available. In the past two months, I have traveled to Florida, Haiti, Maryland, and New Jersey. In each of these opportunities, I was able to witness the power of the Holy Spirit at work in people’s lives. At Edgewater United Methodist Church, we witnessed a young lady
- [Save the Date](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6021) - On Saturday, August 28, we will have our annual Living the Adventure Ministries Celebration Banquet in Albion, Illinois. We are looking for a full day of activities and ways for you to learn more about our ministry and become involved in some of our ongoing mission work in Haiti and around the world. The meal
- [Three Words--Innovate](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6009) - I am working with a camp and a church on vision and mission as we look toward the future. The pandemic restrictions have provided an opportunity for organizations, ministries, and churches to step back and look at what is most important. The quick stop to in-person ministries and worship experiences created a necessity for innovation
- [Spring Gifts](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6011) - During the Holiday Season last year, I introduced you to several Haitian artisan created items we sell. I also introduced you to Singing Rooster Coffee. We continue to sell these items throughout the year. As we are in the midst of Spring, consider purchasing a metal art garden stake. We have beautiful designs of butterflies,
- [Prayers For Haiti](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6013) - Our trip to Haiti last month went very well. We look forward to sharing more articles with you in our May edition of the Adventure Journal. We are working on getting our summer trip together as we plan to return to Sobier on June 21-29. One of the main purposes for our trip will be
- [Book Review](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6003) - The famous hymn proclaims, “I surrender all. All to Jesus, I surrender.” I love this song as a testimony to Jesus’ invitation for us to “deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him.” The role of surrender has been misunderstood throughout the history of the Church creating views of surrender having to do more
- [3 Words--Fitness](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=6001) - In the last issue of the Adventure Journal, I mentioned my Three Words for 2021: Fitness, Innovate, and Story. In my explanation of Fitness, I mentioned a vision of fitness going beyond physical fitness alone to all areas of life: spiritual, physical, relational, mental, financial, and emotional fitness. I have written journal entries and notes
- [Haiti Trip Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5995) - “Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14) After consultation with the Living the Adventure Ministries Board of Directors and much prayer, we decided to postpone the Haiti Trip till March 15-23, 2021. The CDCs new rules concerning travel and a lack of clarity
- [Ten Brave Christians](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5990) - When I was in grade school, I remember my dad inviting members of our local church to participate in an experiment originally called The John Wesley Great Experiment. I read the original book several years ago and considered inviting a group of people to join me, but never got it off the ground. A couple
- [Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5986) - My heart continues to be drawn to my brothers and sisters in Haiti. It has been nearly a year since I was able to be with them. When I was last there, I was introduced to a new community, Laclotte, and was able to see a sewing vocational center being birthed. As we look into
- [Enough or Excel?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5983) - I have a stack of magazines and books featuring paths and plans to better health. These books and magazines discuss ways to become stronger, build running endurance, and flatten your stomach. I recently purchased a weight bench and some weights at an auction to add to my fitness bands, ankle weights, fitness ball, and medicine
- [Amazon Smile](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5981) - As you prepare to do more shopping during the holiday season, consider using Amazon Smile for any purchases you make on Amazon. Living the Adventure Ministries is registered with Amazon Smile as an organization you can support through Amazon Smile. Go to smile.amazon.com and select Living the Adventure Ministries as your organization you are supporting.
- [Seeing More Clearly](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5978) - Nancy and I have passed poor eyesight to most of our children. Between astigmatisms and myopia, three of our boys have glasses/contacts and the optometrist is already noticing issues with Sarafina’s eyesight that makes it seem quite possible that she will need corrective lenses in the future. Though our eyesight may be naturally fuzzy, with
- [Giving Tuesday](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5973) - For 13-years, Living the Adventure Ministries has been inviting people on the greatest adventure: a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. We have witnessed people’s lives forever changed as they experience the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit. We have witnessed communities transformed through our work in Haiti, as we have holistically engaged individuals and communities
- [Seeing Clearly](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5969) - In the season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of how truly blessed I am. God has blessed me with a wonderful life: a beautiful wife, five great children, my parents and siblings living nearby, and you as my Living the Adventure Ministries family. Each person in my life plays an important role in my continued
- [Family Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5971) - Micah has received acceptance letters from several colleges and universities. We are proud of his accomplishments. Please pray for him as he makes his decision about which school to attend. Micah and Judah were selected to participate in the IMEA District Choir. Though there will not be an in-person concert, they will still be able
- [Change Is A Main Ingredient](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5933) - In about seven weeks, we will say goodbye to 2020 and usher in 2021. It has been quite a year and to be truthful, it seems some of 2020 is going to bleed over into 2021. I continue to stay optimistic about the end of the pandemic and look forward to the opportunity to interact
- [Amazon Smile](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5931) - As you prepare to do more shopping during the holiday season, consider using Amazon Smile for any purchases you make on Amazon. Living the Adventure Ministries is registered with Amazon Smile as an organization you can support through Amazon Smile. Go to smile.amazon.com and select Living the Adventure Ministries as your organization you are supporting.
- [Christ Of The American Road](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5925) - In 1944, E. Stanley Jones wrote the book The Christ of the American Road to speak to our need to understand the role Christ needs to play in our national conversations. Recently, the E. Stanley Jones Foundation reprinted this book. Its timely word to our present situation is as necessary as when it was written
- [Family Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5922) - Nancy’s birthday was October 14. She was able to celebrate her special day with her Kindergarten Class and then with an ice cream cake at home. Matt and Nancy were able to travel to Michigan October 9-12 to check on her dad’s house and to attend her cousin’s memorial visitation. We were blessed to reconnect
- [Who's In Your Cloud?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5914) - As an athlete in childhood and adolescence, I remember the excitement when the crowd would cheer for the team when we took the field or came out on the court. In the small towns where I grew up, the football and basketball games in the evenings drew great crowds as the games were a common
- [Haiti Planning Continues](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5916) - A good friend from Indiana who lives in Haiti and has stayed throughout the pandemic thus far is going to return home for a few weeks in November. In a recent conversation with him, I feel confident we can continue working on plans for a team to travel to Haiti in January. We continue to
- [Memorials](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5910) - Memorial gifts were given in memory of Carl Jenks (Nancy’s father) by: John and Mary Jo Barnard Albion Grade School Flower Fund If you would like to make a contribution in memory or honor of someone, please notate it on your check or with a note with your contribution.
- [Amazon Smile](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5907) - As you shop online through Amazon be reminded that Living the Adventure Ministries is registered with Amazon Smile as an organization you can support when you make purchases on Amazon. Go to smile.amazon.com and select Living the Adventure Ministries as your organization you are supporting. Each time you shop on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com to
- [Broad Brush](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5904) - As a homeowner, I have painted several rooms as part of the upkeep and renovation of our home. When the time comes to paint, I want the job of painting the room with the roller or broad brush because the intricacies of “cutting in” near the ceiling or near the trim is more of an
- [Importance Of A Greeting](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5895) - I was recently honored to speak at the Celebration of Life for a great woman of God. Joyce was an encourager, cheerleader, and prayer warrior. At the Celebration of Life Service, more than one person mentioned Joyce’s morning Facebook posts where she would simply write, “Good morning it is Monday (or another day of the
- [Outdoor Revival Was Awesome](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5897) - I had a great time at the Carlyle First United Methodist Church on September 13-15. We were blessed with three great nights of weather as the revival services were held in the parking lot. I had the opportunity to lead revival services last year in Carlyle, so returning to this congregation provided a great opportunity
- [Celebration Banquet Report](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5893) - WOW!!! What a beautiful night we experienced for the Celebration Banquet on Saturday, August 29. The Higher Ground venue provided a beautiful backdrop overlooking the hills of Southern Illinois while giving us the freedom to social distance. The nearly 70 people who attended spoke of the fabulous evening filled with fellowship, worship, and great food.
- [Haiti Trips 2020](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5899) - When will the pandemic be over? When can we travel again? When will borders open around the world to receive people from other countries? These questions serve as daily reminders to me of the struggles of planning mission trips in the midst of a pandemic. My heart broke to not be able to travel to
- [What Did You Learn Today?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5889) - School is back in session in many areas. It looks different depending on where a person lives as there are in-person learning at a school building, homeschooling, and remote learning with a teacher using technology to teach students in a variety of locations. As our children return to school (Elijah-College Senior; Micah-HS Senior; Judah-HS Sophomore;
- [Get On The Calendar](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5885) - I am excited that some of our scheduled fall events will go forward with adaptations. I am working with local pastors and local congregations to create renewal and revival events using outdoor locations and socially distanced indoor opportunities. As we continue to move forward into the Spring, we want to partner with local churches and
- [Christian History Magazine](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5882) - The Christian History Magazine Issue #136 focuses on the life and ministry of E. Stanley Jones. I am honored to have co-authored one of the articles in this issue. You can view the magazine by going to christianhistoryinstitute.org and clicking on the “E. Stanley Jones” edition. I was honored to work with one of my
- [Shock And Sadness](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5879) - We arrived home from our trip to New Jersey on Sunday, August 9. On Monday, August 10, as we were attending to several doctor’s appointments, Nancy received a call from one of her brothers. Her dad (Carl), who we had just seen, had passed away earlier that day. We believe he had a heart attack
- [Northeastern Adventure](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5876) - In August 2016, I had the amazing honor to serve as the evangelist for the second week of the annual Malaga Camp in Newfield, New Jersey. The camp is a town within itself with named streets, houses and cottages lining these streets, an outdoor pool, an ice cream parlor, a dining hall, and at the
- [Online Ashrams](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5864) - The busiest time in the life of the United Christian Ashram Ministry is the end of June through Mid-August, as a majority of the Christian Ashrams in North America meet during this time. I was scheduled to serve as the evangelist for the Kansas and the Texas Christian Ashrams this summer. Because of the Coronavirus
- [Thank You](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5868) - There are not enough words in my vocabulary to express the depth of my gratitude to each person who continues to invest in Living the Adventure Ministries. Thank you for your financial gifts during the pandemic. We are blessed with how God continues to lead and with people like you are obedient to God’s call
- [Family Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5866) - Early July is a time of celebration in our family. Micah turned 18 on July 6. He is entering his Senior Year in High School and has been working at the school as summer help with the custodians. On July 9, Sarafina turned five. She was excited to have a party with a few of
- [Upcoming Events](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5862) - My family will be traveling to New Jersey at the end of July to spend a couple days with Nancy’s dad. Then we will head to Malaga Camp in Newfield, New Jersey. I will preach August 2-7. Please pray for us as we travel and please pray for me as I preach. We have revivals
- [You Are Invited](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5859) - YOU ARE INVITED!!! On Saturday, August 29, the annual Living the Adventure Ministries Celebration Banquet will be at Higher Ground in New Haven, Illinois. This picturesque location provides us the opportunity to allow for indoor and outdoor dining during this time of social distancing and limitations on in-building attendance. The evening will begin with our
- [Set Apart](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5857) - To be Set Apart has always seemed a removal from the culture where we live to a point where we cannot engage the culture, non-believers, and nominal believers well. The tendency I have seen with being set apart is too often defined as “holier than thou” or “out of touch with reality.” As we embarked
- [Haiti Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5851) - Haiti continues to weigh heavy on my heart. I will miss traveling to Sobier, Haiti this year. The Haitian border has been closed since March 19. The Prime Minister recently called for the airport to begin receiving flights. A reopening date has not been established as of the writing of the Adventure Journal. The Coronavirus
- [Grow You Up](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5847) - My family and I broke away from Illinois to head to Florida where some of Nancy’s extended family has a condo in Clearwater Beach. We enjoyed the condo last year and before the Coronavirus pandemic, we had planned to travel to Florida again this year. As we looked at the data and considered the risk,
- [Silence](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5842) - Part of my “stay at home” discipline has been to read more books in a variety of topic areas. I have already finished five books covering topics like: Prayer, our relationship with God, proclamation evangelism, and leadership. I am presently working on a Donald Miller book entitled, Building a Story Brand. In Building a Story
- [Hear Matt Online](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5840) - Matt has been blessed with the opportunity to preach for two pastors during the month of May. You can hear his sermons by either going to the Living the Adventure Ministries Facebook Page or the ministry’s YouTube Channel (livingtheadventure12). If you have not previously liked the ministry Facebook Page, take a moment to like it
- [Family Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5831) - Micah and Judah participated in the Solo and Ensemble Contest on March 7. They did very well with all firsts and one second in their variety of pieces. Elijah has been elected as the Interfraternity Council Executive Vice President at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Judah turned 15 on March 4. He has his driver’s permit,
- [Gathered Together](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5829) - The grass is getting green. The trees and flowers are budding and the drab colors of winter are giving way to the bold colors of the new life of spring. As I watch out my window during this pandemic stay at home order, I long for the days of geing out of the house and
- [Thank You](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5827) - I am thankful for my parents, Brad and Donna Henson, who are great supporters of Living the Adventure Ministries. I want to thank them for driving the January 2020 Haiti Team to Nashville and picking us up and for taking care of our children in February when Nancy and I traveled to California for the
- [Haiti--I Go Before You](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5825) - What seemed a great plan for the future became a great response to an immediate need. In last month’s Adventure Journal, you read about the Haiti Team purchasing five treadle sewing machines to start a vocational school in Yvon, Haiti. In our mind, we would collaborate with the local leaders, the Methodist Church of Haiti,
- [My Journal by Jordan Smithson](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5819) - Hi, My name is Jordan, I am 26 years old. I recently returned from a mission trip to Yvon, Haiti. This was my first time out of the country on a mission trip. The experience was definitely more than I can put to words. We flew into Port-au-prince where we were transported to the Methodist
- [A Journey of Blessings and Adventure by Eileen Enlow](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5817) - As I ponder my recent trip to Haiti, it is hard to put into words that which would make you feel the exhilaration that I experienced. I was in Haiti two years ago so the sites, smells, and chaos were not so new to me. As I looked at our “youngster” in the group I
- [He Knows Our Needs by Carol Kessler](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5815) - It was another great trip to Yvon, Haiti, with what seemed to be even more accomplished. Or maybe I just needed to get my feet planted the first year (2019) and be more in the know this year. You never know what will call you into action to the needs of the people, but we
- [Worship: A Universal Language by Tammy Ward](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5809) - I am so thankful to God for inspiring Matt and the Living the Adventure Ministries partners. It is so wonderful to see what God has been doing through this ministry and other church groups over the years. I am blessed to see what can be done when God’s people work together as one. Bucket water
- [Haiti--My Report](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5807) - I have been taking teams to Haiti since 2010. In 2013, we made a commitment to the community of Yvon. After our first experience with this community, I felt God calling us to invest in this village. I have now taken eight teams to Yvon and feel like I have become a member of their
- [Heading to Zimbabwe--Postponed](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5805) - I was supposed to be heading to Zimbabwe at the end of March to reconnect with a pastor who I worked with in 2014. I was also going to be meeting with leaders at Africa University to plan a Christian Ashram in 2021. I was excited that I would also get to speak and teach
- [Summer 2020 Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5801) - Our most recent Haiti Trip was a wonderful experience in Yvon. We led conferences for men, women, and youth. At the end of these events, the attendees were given rice/beans or another gin. We saw great progress on the school expansion and worked to create a sewing center for training and regular use. We also
- [Concerts of Prayer and Worship](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5798) - A God-given vision and dream will bear fruit when we are obedient to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership. I am enlivened and encouraged with the Concert of Prayer and Worship experience in Albion and Carmi. I know people truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in each of the services. I look forward to
- [Altar or Alter?](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5795) - I must admit that I tend to discover typographical errors in church bulletins, church outdoor signs and on websites. I will admit these errors are also found here in the Adventure Journal and in my own personal writings and sermons. Sometimes I will be reading over my sermon or in the midst of sharing it
- [Sign Up for Mission Glow 5K Run/Walk](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5774) - Click on the Link to see more information about the 5K Run Walk and to Register Mission Glow 5K App
- [Mission Glow 5K Run/Walk](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5762) - On Friday, September 28, 2018, Living the Adventure Ministries will be hosting a 5K Run/Walk in Norris City, Illinois. This race will begin at 6:45pm. The proceeds from the race will be used to support our ongoing ministry in Haiti. The cost for the Run/Walk is $20/person if registered by September 21; after September 21
- [Help Us Make a Difference](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5760) - I want to make a difference. I am not sure how much more succinct and boldly I can make that statement. I want to make a difference in the world and I know that I have in my heart the answer to the world’s darkness and death…I have Jesus. Yet, there are too many days
- [If I Don't Have You by Heather Trent](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5754) - I DON’T WANT THE WORLD, IF I DON’T HAVE YOU. I DON’T WANT IT ALL, IF IT MEANS I LOSE YOU. I’VE TASTED AND I’VE SEEN ENOUGH TO KNOW IT’S YOU I NEED. I DON’T WANT THE WORLD, IF I DON’T HAVE YOU.” ~Love & the Outcome God put this song on my heart several
- [Difficult and Blessed by Alisha Black](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5750) - It is always hard to put into words my experience with the people of Haiti. It is as if as soon as the plane lands there is a familiarity as well as a feeling of being completely overwhelmed. So many people, some with smiles and some with an overwhelming presence of weariness or sadness or
- [Storms are Brewing](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5747) - When a storm is rising, the winds often begin to blow stronger and from varied directions. There is a feel in the air that the environment is changing and the possibility of needed rain is coming. The storm may bring lightning and thunder, which for some is scary while for others it is a heavenly
- [India Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5745) - My third trip to India is fast approaching. I will be traveling to India on September 24 and returning on October 10. This trip will be ministry focused as I work with Rev. Dr. Tom Albin on a Christian Ashram at Leonard Theological College and the Sat Tal Christian Ashram. I will have my first
- [It Seems Better by Micah Henson](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5742) - This year was my second time to Haiti, and the people, buildings and absolute difference from America still amazes and overwhelms me. Last year and this year I saw many differences. The kids we teach and play with, changed. The adults we work and talk with, changed. The atmosphere the people of Sobier live in,
- [Winter Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5740) - Each time I come back from Haiti, I begin to get excited for the next team I will lead. The date for the Winter Haiti Trip is tentatively set as January 14-22, 2019. We hope to finalize the date very soon. The cost for the trip will be $2300/person and covers transportation, flight, food, lodging,
- [Celebration Banquet](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5738) - We were pleased to have about 80 people join us for our Celebration Banquet this year. The evening was once again filled with wonderful food and fellowship. We are grateful for each person who attended and participated in the Banquet. We will be announcing the 2019 date in future Adventure Journals!
- [Amazon Smile](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5734) - Living the Adventure Ministries is registered with Amazon Smile as an organization you can support when you make purchases on Amazon. Go to smile.amazon.com and select Living the Adventure Ministries as your organization you are supporting. Each time you shop on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com to shop. We receive a percentage of your purchases in
- [Ten Years](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5732) - Ten years ago, my family and I loaded up the truck and moved from Troy to Waterloo where I would be appointed part time as the pastor of Real Life United Methodist Church and part time as the Lead Evangelist and Executive Director of Living the Adventure Ministries. It was an exciting time and a
- [Hold Me](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5730) - Our family has been intentionally taking a walk each night for health and wellness issues and to encourage our children to stay active. Sarafina enjoys these walks and she calls them “Short Walk,” which consists of walking in our neighborhood or “Big Walk,” which covers about three miles and includes an ice cream stop at
- [Haiti Ministry](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5728) - As you receive this Adventure Journal, a team of nine people is traveling to Haiti to be in ministry with the people of the village of Sobier. This will be Matt’s seventeenth trip to Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake. The team will be distributing water filtration buckets, working on the security wall around the
- [Comfort Zones by Elizabeth Hall](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5726) - This trip was a great experience for me. I went into the trip only knowing two people on the trip which definitely put me outside of my comfort zone. I’ve learned through experiences like this that being outside of my comfort zone helps me grow. I made some new friendships while I was in Puerto
- [God's Timing by Jess Hall](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5724) - Monday morning we began to work on our first project. We were pressure washing the roof of a house that we would then seal with paint later in the week. Our group quickly fell into a pattern, and we had the whole roof done by noon. We were all excited and ready to continue working.
- [How You Can Help](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5722) - As we come to the end of the first half of 2018, I am grateful for the contributors who have supported this ministry thus far this year. As we enter the summer months, we have a great need for continued support as I travel to Haiti with a team and travel to India. These trips
- [Celebration Banquet](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5720) - We would love to see you on August 18, 2018 at 6pm at the West Salem Trinity United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois (4212 Broadway Ave.). We will celebrate the past year’s ministry opportunities and Matt will share with you about how the Holy Spirit has been at work in people’s lives. The Celebration
- [Prayer Ministry](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5718) - We have a group of people who receive a prayer email from us each week. Included in this prayer email are prayer requests that have been shared with us along with prayer requests for the ministry. If you would like to receive the weekly prayer email and join in prayer for Living the Adventure Ministries
- [Great Month](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5705) - The month of April has been a wonderful month of renewal, revival, healing, and wholeness in several locations. I have been amazed to hear the testimonies from people who have told me that the message was spot on to where the Holy Spirit has been speaking into his/her life. In the month of April I
- [Timing is Everything](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5701) - It seems as though this year, Spring has been delayed and winter continues to persist. Just when it seems Spring has finally arrived for good, the temperature drops and the long pants and long sleeves come out of the closet again. The delay has been a popular talking point eliciting a variety of emotional responses.
- [Haiti Trip-Next Step & Prayer Partners](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5699) - When we first traveled to Sobier, Haiti in 2014, we recognized there were many needs in the community. A new medical clinic was just beginning to be built and our team was beginning a relationship with a community of people that would continue for five years. In the past five years, we have seen the
- [Puerto Rico Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5697) - In about one week a team of five people will travel to Puerto Rico to participate in the ongoing recovery effort begun after Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017. The loss of life and the damage to property was catastrophic. Today, there is still about 10% of the island without electricity. We have
- [India Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5695) - I am working on a trip to India this fall (September 24-October 9). This trip will feature opportunities to work with the Christian Ashram ministry at Leonard Theological College and at Sat Tal Christian Ashram. There will also be time spent working with a ministry in New Delhi. The cost for this trip will be
- [Continuing Ministry and Expanding Ministry](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5693) - As we come to the end of the first third of 2018, I am grateful for the contributors who have supported this ministry thus far this year. As we enter the late spring and early summer months, we have a great need for continued support as I travel to Puerto Rico with a team and
- [Prayer Team and Prayer Requests](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5691) - We have a group of people who receive a prayer email from us each week. Included in this prayer email are prayer requests that have been shared with us along with prayer requests for the ministry. If you would like to receive the weekly prayer email and join in prayer for Living the Adventure Ministries
- [Generous Mission Gift](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5689) - Living the Adventure Ministries is grateful to Kinmundy United Methodist Church for a generous donation toward the Puerto Rico Trip and the next Haiti Trip. Because of this donation, our rental van in Puerto Rico and our translator’s salary is covered. Also, we will be able to distribute more water filtration systems in Sobier, Haiti
- [Amazon Smile](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5676) - Living the Adventure Ministries is registered with Amazon Smile as an organization you can support when you make purchases on Amazon. Go to smile.amazon.com and select Living the Adventure Ministries as your organization you are supporting. Each time you shop on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com to shop. We receive a percentage of your purchases in
- [Video Devotions](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5674) - In the past, I have prepared a 40-day prayer guide for churches who are preparing for revival services. As I continue to seek ways to more deeply engage people in preparation for revival, my brother, Jeremy, and I recorded 21-daily devotions based on the book of Colossians. These devotions are hosted on the Living the
- [Prayer Team and Prayer Requests](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5672) - We have a group of people who receive a prayer email from us each week. Included in this prayer email are prayer requests that have been shared with us along with prayer requests for the ministry. If you would like to receive the weekly prayer email and join in prayer for Living the Adventure Ministries
- [Financial News--March 2018](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5670) - I give God praise for the many people who financially support Living the Adventure Ministries. Your support is truly an answer to prayer, and because of you, I am able to travel around the world to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and encourage brothers and sisters in the faith. If you have given
- [India Trip--Fall 2018](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5668) - I am working on a trip to India this fall (September 24-October 9). This trip will feature opportunities to work with the Christian Ashram ministry at Leonard Theological College and at Sat Tal Christian Ashram. There will also be time spent working with a ministry in New Delhi. The cost for this trip will be
- [Puerto Rico Trip--New Information](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5666) - I continue to work on the plans for a mission trip to Puerto Rico on May 12-19. I need a minimum of seven people to travel with me to make this trip a reality. I am limited to ten people on the trip. I have tentative commitments from four people and have four others who
- [Summer Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5664) - Our next trip to Haiti will be June 25-July 3. We have a great team formed including nine women and four men. Eight of the team members have traveled to Sobier previously and the other five are new to our international missions ministry. Please join with me in praying for the members of this team
- [Willing to Respond](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5661) - I will celebrate my five-year anniversary with the Albion Fire Department in April. It is hard to believe it has been five years of learning and responding. I enjoy the brotherhood with the other men on the department and I have gained some great relationships through these five years. I was recently reflecting on the
- [Your Support is Needed](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5658) - Thank you to each person who is regularly praying for Living the Adventure Ministries. As I travel more and witness the transformation that is coming in this ministry, I am grateful for your prayers. I know the Lord will use this ministry as I make myself available to the power of the Holy Spirit. Your
- [A New and Renewed Vision by Matt Henson](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5656) - As I prepared for my sixteenth trip to Haiti, I felt a tide was changing in Living the Adventure Ministries’ work in Haiti. Up until 2017, we had been mostly focused on building buildings and building relationships. In the summer of 2013, we made our first trip to Yvon. I quickly fell in love with
- [Out of the Rocking Chair by Harriett Norem](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5653) - There are no words to describe the joy in my heart due to going on the most unusual trip with Matt and his crew to Haiti, of all things. After all, this 76 year-old should be home in her rocking chair. I can’t say enough about the team. After I tripped and fell over some
- [Blessings in Going by Gina Ellis](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5649) - This was my third trip to Haiti. Each time the experience is richer and deepens my faith! This year I was able to help with the water bucket filtration systems and VBS. We were also able to take walks through the community. This was probably my favorite part! I dearly loved getting to know the
- [One by Cassandra Upchurch](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5645) - For this year's trip to Haiti, I had healing on my heart. I wanted to see the people of Yvon miraculously healed and touched by the Lord. When we went on our walks to visit the people door to door, every house I was asked to pray at (before we knew their needs) asked for
- [Seeing Suffering and Responding in Relationship by Bumper Quick (aka Bella's Dad)](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5641) - This was my seventh trip to Haiti, fourth to Yvon, and perhaps the most joyful trip I’ve made yet. It was a joy to take another daughter with me, although I tend to worry more when one of my children go with me. My joy was to help her experience the suffering of others and
- [Seeing Differently by Isabella "Bella" Quick](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5638) - I am thirteen years old and this was my first mission trip ever. After going to Haiti I feel more aware. I feel this because I’ve seen my dad go for six or seven years and I’ve seen all the pictures and I thought, “There’s a country that needs help, a country full of poverty.”
- [Witnessing Hope by Eileen Enlow](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5633) - Writing this article brings so many wow moments to mind. It is hard to pinpoint just one moment that expresses the ‘high’ of my experience. I give thanks to my Lord and Savior for stirring my soul to desire this mission opportunity and then allowing it to become a reality. I really didn’t have a
- [Family Update](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5630) - Isaiah earned his Arrow of Light and will crossover from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts this month. This means we will have three boys in Boy Scouts in Albion beginning February 23. Isaiah celebrated his 11th birthday on February 14 and Judah will celebrate his 13th birthday on March 4. This means we will have
- [India Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5627) - I am planning another trip to India September 24-October 9/10. This trip will work with the Christian Ashram movement in India at two different locations: Leonard Theological College and Sat Tal Christian Ashram. I plan to spend time in Delhi working with some of the ministries I was introduced to in my September/October trip in
- [Mark Your Calendars](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5625) - Our next Celebration Banquet will be Saturday, August 18, 2018. Make plans now to attend for a great night of fellowship, food, and learning about Living the Adventure Ministries.
- [Summer Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5623) - I look forward to leading my seventeenth trip to Haiti on June 25-July 3. We have a full team traveling with us and look forward to working in Sobier once again. We do not have a clear direction on what project we will be working on, but we are planning to work with the children
- [Puerto Rico Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5620) - I have been prayerfully considering a mission trip to Puerto Rico later this Spring. As I have looked over my schedule and talked with some folks, I am tentatively working on a trip to Puerto Rico sometime in mid-May (7-8 days). I need to find 7-10 people who are willing to participate in this trip.
- [Singing Rooster Coffee For Sale](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5591) - Prices Do Not Include Shipping. If interested in any of these products, contact me (matt@livingtheadventure.net or 618-830-6670) Dark Roast/French Ground--$12.00 Vienna Ground--$10.00 Vienna Decaf Whole Bean--$10.00 Vienna Decaf Ground--$10 Vienna Decaf K-Cups (10)--$10
- [Singing Rooster Coffee](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5587) - We have some bags of Singing Rooster Coffee still available for sale. This coffee is grown in Haiti and roasted in Minnesota. The coffee is very smooth and silky. I use this coffee myself at my office. If you would be interested in buying some coffee, please contact me (matt@livingtheadventure.net or 618-830-6670). The list of
- [Give Up And Take Up](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5585) - I was recently thinking about Ash Wednesday and the reflection that occurs during the Lenten Journey and I was reminded of how many people “give up” something for Lent. The act of “giving up” something for Lent has become a cultural trend as much as a spiritual discipline. Historically, many of the popular items to
- [Prayer Team and Prayer Requests](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5582) - We have a group of people who receive a prayer email from us each week. Included in this prayer email are prayer requests that have been shared with us along with prayer requests for the ministry. If you would like to receive the weekly prayer email and join in prayer for Living the Adventure Ministries
- [Financial News](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5580) - I want to thank everyone who made financial contributions to Living the Adventure Ministries in 2017. We truly appreciate each person who gives and each person who prays for us. If you made a financial contribution in 2017, you will soon be receiving a letter from Living the Adventure notating the amount you gave. These
- [Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5578) - Our most recent Haiti Trip was amazing with many opportunities to come alongside the people of Yvon. I look forward to sharing the stories from the most recent trip in the February edition of the Adventure Journal. You will get to hear from our team members and hear about some new ministry opportunities. Thank you
- [3 Words](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5576) - In the December Adventure Journal, I invited you to share with me any new disciplines or resolutions you would be undertaking in the New Year. I had a few responses to my invitation and I have been praying for you as you embark on these new disciplines. I also said I would give you a
- [Eight Years Ago](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5566) - Eight years ago today (1-12-18), a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the country of Haiti. My heart broke as I saw the pictures and heard the stories coming out of Haiti on the day of and following the earthquake. In May of 2010, I made my first trip to Haiti and the pictures on a screen
- [Christmas Ornaments](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5536) - We have partnered with the Apparent Project to sell metal Christmas ornaments. If you would like to support the Apparent Project in Haiti, while supporting people who are traveling to Haiti, contact me about these ornaments (matt@livingtheadventure.net or 618-830-6670). The cost is $8/ornament or 2/$12. There will be a fee for shipping if these ornaments
- [India Travelogue](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5490) - (This Blog was written toward the end of my stay in India. I returned on Monday, October 16, 2017) Three weeks ago, I entered the country of India to meet up with a group that had already gathered the day before in Delhi. This group did not know all the adventures and experiences they would
- [Living on Airplane Mode](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5480) - Normally when I travel to Haiti and India, I do not pay the additional cellular charges incurred if I use my phone internationally. In Haiti, I use the translator’s phone to make any necessary calls and it is cheaper for me to call home using the Haitian phone than it is to use my Verizon
- [March/April 2017 Adventure Journal](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5370) - Living the Adventure Ministries seeks to work for the transformation of the world through the awakening of the Church, evangelistic preaching, and Christian people putting their faith into action through mission experiences around the world. in this issue Family Update Holy Spirit Move India Trip Summer Haiti Trip Words and Deeds More Than I Went
- [Haiti Trip](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5362) - As you receive this Adventure Journal, we have a team preparing to travel to Haiti on January 24-February 2. We will be going to Yvon, Haiti, where we will continue work on a church building, participate in Hurricane Matthew recovery, distribute water filtration buckets, and participate and lead in spiritual development. Please pray for team
- [India Trip Details](https://livingtheadventure.net/?p=5360) - As I prepared for my May 2015 India Trip, I had to apply for a Visa for entry into the country. I procrastinated my application, only to realize I needed to get it done quickly as my winter trip to Haiti was fast approaching and I would need my Passport for entry into Haiti. I

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