Tag Archives: Alabama

Why combine Bible study with outdoor adventures?

Seeing the forest from a new perspective along the Pinhoti Trail.

Seeing the forest from a new perspective along the Pinhoti Trail.

Why outdoor adventures? It’s a question I get quite often about Reboot. Some people think it’s a novelty, but I believe it’s a very effective way to reach people and help them grow as Christians as well as have some fun.

Here are six reasons why I strongly believe spending time on a short adventure in God’s creation can be significant to your spiritual growth. We incorporate all of these concepts into each of our Reboot trips.

1. Change of place = change of perspective

The wilderness provides a chance for a mountaintop perspective. We often get so wrapped-up and focused on the routine of our day-to-day lives down in the valley that it’s easy to lose that big-picture perspective. Getting away from the busyness of our day-to-day lives for a short backpacking or camping trip or even just an afternoon of hiking can give us time to pause, reflect and focus on God’s voice and what He is calling us to do.

Also, the views from the top of a mountain or a spectacular sunset on the river are the type of very humbling reminders of our Creator that are easy to miss when we are stuck inside our homes or workplaces during our day-to-day lives.

 2. A break from technology

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed at the amount of connectivity at our fingertips. I love social media and how it allows us to connect with our friends, family and co-workers but sometimes it is just too much and can even add clutter to our days. Out in the woods, there is no Wi-Fi. It gives us a chance to unplug and recharge. Plus, it is a lot easier to focus on the word of God and hear His voice in the wilderness away from the constant noise and distractions.

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Moonrise at the beach

English: Moon

All of the talk about the recent supermoon reminded me of my own encounter with the moon about a month ago. The encounter was a reminder that the astounding is all around us, but I’m often too busy to notice. Fortunately on that night at the beach, I took the time to stop and be amazed by God’s glory.

In late May my wife Amy, young son Benjamin and I traveled to the Alabama Gulf coast to spend almost a week with her family at a beach house along Alabama Highway 180 close to Fort Morgan. It’s become a very welcome yearly tradition to enjoy the beach with Amy’s parents, her older brother and younger sister and their families.

As we get ready for the vacation each year, it always seems like a bit of a challenge to wrap up everything at home, pack and actually get to the beach house. This year we traveled down there on a Sunday. I spent the week prior to the trip trying to wrap up several projects at work. On Friday Amy and I traveled to Atlanta for an overnight trip to see her brother receive his master’s degree. Then we returned home Saturday to pack for the beach. I played drums in Frazer’s Wesley Hall that Sunday morning and promptly returned home to pack our vehicle to the gills with our luggage and beach gear. Then, we drove three-plus hours to get there.

Needless to say, I was a little spent by the time we got to the beach house in the early evening. After dinner and Benjamin and my nephews went to sleep that night, I stepped out alone onto the beach house’s front deck to just be still and enjoy a little down time after a busy week. Much to my surprise, I ended up having an intense worship experience  thanks to an incredible moonrise, an iPod and a pair of headphones.

The house is right across from the gulf along a road dotted with several other beach houses. While there are plenty of people around, it’s about 15 miles from Gulf Shores so it is, thankfully, much quieter than at a big condo.

As I soaked in the breezy, cooler-than-usual late May evening, I put on All Sons and Daughters incredible live album. Listening to the music, I enjoy the chance to be outside and notice the clouds dotting the otherwise clear night sky. Looking eastward, I notice that the clouds near a taller beach house are tinted an amazing silvery orange. The sky around the nearby beach house grows a little brighter minute-by-minute, promising a stunning moonrise.

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An unexpected adventure: Reboot’s May 2013 Cheaha Wilderness trip (part 1)

This is the first of a two-part series about encountering many surprises during our May 2013 backpacking trip, including 7 inches of rain. Click here for part 2.

Part 1: Friday, May 18

The basic idea behind Reboot Wilderness Adventures is to help people reconnect with God while studying His word and exploring His creation in the Alabama wilderness. It’s designed to be a short overnight backpacking/camping adventure where we are just enough removed from civilization that we experience a real sense of wilderness but close enough to assistance if any emergencies arise. While I usually plan the route, take precautions and plan what themes and Bible passages I feel like God is calling me to share, I always leave room for and expect that we will encounter God’s presence on the trail during our trips.

The view from our planned campsite along the Pinhoti on a much sunnier day.

The view from our planned campsite along the Pinhoti on a much sunnier day.

On our May 17-18 overnight backpacking trip to the Cheaha Wilderness in east Alabama, we expected to hike the 7.5 mile Cave Creek Loop and spend a night on the trail. But God gave much more of an adventure than we ever thought possible. It was an adventure full of lightning, storms, soaked gear and washed out roads and trails. About 7 inches of rain later, we loved every minute of it.

The Reboot ministry is very new. We are still spreading the word about our men’s trips around Frazer and around Montgomery. While many expressed interest, May seemed to be a busy month. Two men joined me on the first trip, my old friends Jeff Thomas and Josh Razavi. This is a key fact and something that God in his wisdom and much greater ways had obviously planned.

Jeff and I have been backpacking in Cheaha several times, but this was the first time for Josh. The three of us were roommates for a couple of years in college.

Earlier this year, Josh committed his life to Christ after straying from his faith for several years. We reconnected soon after, and I remain in awe of how strong his faith is even after the deaths of his mother and stepfather within weeks of each other earlier this spring. Jeff and I were excited to hang out with Josh and hear about how God is working in his life.

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