Hi Friends and walk family, Judi and I are back in Spokane after almost 8 weeks on the road. Since I tend to be a home body by nature this time out was not only physically challenging, but emotionally as well. The physical challenges were mostly due to the elevation changes going over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and then across two mountain ranges in Death Valley. Whats interesting to me is how little I remember about this area from when I went through it 18 years ago. I am walking on part of the same route I did on my fifth walk back in 1996. I pulled up some of my previous writings and was surprised at how little of an impact traversing those mountain ranges had on me back then. Well, that wasnt the case this time across. Both the ascent and descent have their challenges. Although going up the 7 and 8 percent grades for 10 miles or so was exhausting, the long descents caused lingering joint pain in my hips and knees. I just walked a few less miles the following days and fortunately they gradually improved. This year I didnt walk as far as I had originally hoped. We got a late start in the spring and then we had some pressing family matters that came up in the summer that took us off the road for a few months. I ended up walking about 700 miles this year which was about half of my projected goal. I stopped walking in Stove Pipe Wells in Death Valley, then Judi and I decided it was time to head back to Spokane. Even with all the interruptions, delays and complications I have managed to walk a total of almost 1700 miles since the walk began last year. The good news is that God didnt tell me I was on a time schedule. I feel if I am diligent to walk and put my feet on the soil of this land as He provides and directs us we will see the promises of healing and restoration come to our nation. It has been exciting to hear other voices from across the country declaring Gods heart and passion for America. Sometimes we forget that God is a nation builder. We are the only nation in history that was established under God, with liberty and justice for all. We have an awesome heritage and I hope we never take it for granted. I had a really cool experience when I was walking out of Owens Valley heading up into the mountains towards Death Valley. As I always do I try to take in as much of my surroundings as possible. Not only is this important for surviving the many miles of road traffic, but also to experience the marvelous creation God has given us. Even the desolation of the desert has its unique beauty. During one of my walking legs I happened to notice an unusual pattern in one of the millions of rocks I had seen along the way. There were five symmetrical holes in the rock that looked completely out of place. I walked over about five feet to the bank of the ravine to inspect the rock further, I leaned over and picked it up. As I was picking it up I turn the rock over to look at the underside and to my complete amazement it was a huge clam shell. I have walked literally thousands of miles through the desert over the course of my seven walks and I have never found anything like this. Geologists tell us that a gazillion years ago water cover most of the desert regions. They have uncovered fossils of many different animals which at one time ran rampant through the tropical forests that once populated the land. So naturally the first thing I wanted to know when I got home was how much it was worth. So I looked on eBay and discovered it could be worth as little as $3.20 or as much as $1675.00. Well, I guess I’ll never know because I plan to keep it. I recently got into a discussion about submission. It is one of those timeless subjects that will never go away. The question came up as to what degree a wife should submit to her husband and if the husband is the head of the home why won’t my wife do what I say? Many men refer to the scripture about wives being in submission to their husbands as the definitive arrangement for marriages (Eph. 5:22). The problem is that the word “Submission” used here does not mean women are to blindly obey or that the husband is in absolute control. The word “hupotassō,” in the Greek more accurately means to “influence” or “be under the influence of…” it implies a posture of openness not one of dominance. Peter also uses this term in his writings when he states that, “Likewise, younger ones should submit yourselves unto the older ones. Yes, and all of you should be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1Pet. 5:5) Learning how to be influenced by one another is one of the true marks of maturity. But more than that it is the catalyst of Christian community. The height of arrogance is for someone to think they are always right or that they know the whole truth. In reality we are seldom completely right or conversely completely wrong. We know what we know but we only know it from our perspective. This limited reference point doesn’t allow us the capacity to see the bigger picture. It is possible to know the truth as it relates to your experience, but you can never know the truth as it relates to everyone else. You and your brain just arent big enough! During my more radical days in Pro-life I had to go to court to defend myself against what I felt were spurious charges. When I was called to the stand to testify the judge asked me to place my hand on the Bible. Then he said, “Do you promise to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?” I looked at him in bewilderment and said, “Your honor, I don’t know the whole truth, I don’t even know half the truth!” He was caught off guard at first, but having heard about me and my pro-life activism in the past he decided this was not a battle he wanted to pursue. So he capitulated and said, “Well, Rev. Stone, could you possibly recite the facts as best as you are able to recall them?” After a moment’s thought I said, “Yes, your honor that I can do!” And that is about the best any of us can do. Thank you all for your prayers and support this past year. You have helped make the impossible… possible. We couldn’t have done it without you. A prayer walk around America isn’t something many people understand, but you do, and for that you have our eternal gratitude. Just a reminder if you can help support the walk and haven’t done so, please visit our website: circlethenation. If this is your first time giving, go to the “My Online Donation” box and click on “view donor portal.” Then you can fill in the appropriate information to make your contribution. If you want to send a check mail them to: Circle the Nation, c/o New Hope Christian Center, 402 18th St., La Grande, OR 97850 All our Love, Your walking prayer warriors, Norm & Judi Stone
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 04:52:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015