Shameless audacity. So really, how grand is our God? Can He handle our big audacious prayer requests? I’m talking about the ones that move mountains. Can my dear friend’s husbands’ forgetfulness be repaired? How about my adopted daughter’s gut, can that be healed after months of severe damage? Can that job that I’ve been dreaming of for years, finally come to fruition? What about the Prodigal Son who has walked away from you Lord and struggles with drug addiction and mental illness, can you help him? These are huge requests Jesus! Can you truly move mountains to answer these kind of prayers? Or should I just keep them to myself? It is written, God wants us to ask him anything and everything, so He can truly show His glory.
Climbing Mountains for God
So many times I think about the prayers I don’t send up to heaven. I remember an Evangelist who came to our church years ago. She shared a tale of a man who kept to himself. Maybe a hermit or an extreme introvert. Whatever he was or was not, he said he loved the Lord, yet never shared much with him. As time went on, he became severely ill. During his illness, at no time did he ever ask the Lord to heal him, or give him relief from his constant pain. Not ever did he ask Jesus to send him someone to take care of his failing body. As time took its toll, he began to lose consciousness and fell into a vivid dream. He had died and arrived in heaven. As he approached the throne of God, he asked the Lord where were you? God explained that He was always with him, sitting and waiting for a single request, but never heard one. Then the man asked, but what about these presents? Who are all those gifts for? God said in his soft, quiet voice, those gifts were intended for you. If you only knew, the love I have for you. It is more than immeasurable. Suddenly, he woke up and cried to the Lord. Father, I am so sorry. If only I would have asked!
Gifts Aren’t Just for Kids
How many times have we considered keeping our prayers under wrap? What a shame it would be, to be at the feet of Jesus with countless gifts. Oh Lord, I want all that you have planned for me. Every revelation, every miracle, every good gift that you planned for my life. Please let me humble myself so I don’t neglect your best for me.
Pinnacles National Park
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
Write it down. Oh this speaks volumes to my heart. The Lord knows that we are, at times, forgetful. And unfortunately our tendency is to remember bad deeds but have lousy recall when it comes to good things.
Patagonia – God’s Glory
I remember a friend of mine invited me to be in her inner circle of friends. Okay, I’ll bite. What does it entail besides being a good friend? Ends up that she taught me many lessons. One was on her 50th Birthday. She invited this Inner Circle of Friends and had all of us dress in white. When we arrived, she had a professional photographer who took glamour shots of all of us. This is your birthday Nanhee, not mine. But she insisted. Then she had us write ten things down that we hoped to come true in the upcoming ten years. Hmm, and place it inside her time capsule. Sure enough, ten years later I went to her 60th Birthday and she pulled out the Time Capsule with all our prayers, hopes and dreams. I had totally forgot about this. And wow, did the Lord answer my prayers. A total of eight times. 8/10 requests were met, which I had zero independent recollection of. It was such a great lesson on memory recall or lack of it in my case, and God’s promises. Thank you Nanhee for reminding me of all those answered prayers!
My Inner Circle
I hope you have a friend, a prayer journal or someway to remind you of all the past prayers that you prayed so fervently for. It is ever so easy to go on with life and forget to acknowledge how the good Lord hears our daily petitions. Sometimes we receive a definitive yes, others not now, and there are prayers that are plainly not God’s will. The latter is always the hardest, but if we consider all the goodness, grace and gratitude that we accept from Jesus, this may just soften the hard answer of no. Thank you Jesus for your heart, and for the many answered prayers. Even the no’s and the ones I don’t remember.
Muir Hut on PCT
“Write down the revelation and place it on a tablet” Habakkuk 2:2
Don’t pray away. Such an interesting concept. Do we typically ask God, well let’s be real, plead to God to take this pain, this obstacle, this situation away. Rather than consider that God may be teaching us to hold onto hope, faith, acceptance, maybe even build a bit of perseverance, so that when this comes up again, and I’m sure it will, we will be better equipped to walk through it? Maybe He wants us to help someone else navigate an illness or a loss of a child or a messy divorce or who knows what? I can only speculate but golly, there have been too many times I wanted to get out, instead of getting through!
Hanging in There
Take for instance my illustrious backpacking treks; the ones that always have some sort of pain, suffering and agony attached to them. Seriously, there is not a single trail that I have hiked that didn’t have some component to it that made me second guess my love for long-distance hiking. The Pacific Crest Trail was over five months and the last 200-300 miles was nothing but glorious rain and snow, in mid-September. Then the illustrious Appalachian Trail had much more mud, muck and rocks than I had signed up for! I kid you not, I was asking God why in the world and who was I to testify to? This sucks! Yet when I look back at these arduous months, the endless ribbons of dirt, I can assure you that the Lord was walking me through it daily! I seldom felt lonely or even scared, as most people seem to think a solo hiker would feel. At the end of each journey, I never said, “Lord why did you take me through that?” Rather I thank Him for each skinned knee, twisted ankle, punctured knee, and all the Poison Oak that I found along the way. Well, maybe not in regards to Poison Oak. That stuff is miserable!
Appalachian Trail
In the end, I want to make sure I experience every bit of pain, suffering and discomfort that is needed for me to appreciate what is to come. Think of what you are experiencing right now, at this moment. Is there a purpose for it, is there a chance that instead of fighting it, you can lean into it? As Jesus was questioned in John 9 regarding the blind man, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” Jesus set the record straight by saying what really was in play. “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Isn’t that beautiful! I can only hope that as I am walking in whatever this world throws at me, instead of praying my way out of it, maybe I can redirect my prayers and ask God to walk me through it.
Snowcamping in Yosemite
“The primary purpose of prayer is not to change circumstances; the primary purpose of prayer is to change us!” Mark Batterson author of Draw the Circle
Amazing things. What is the Lord up to? It’s easy to worry or be concerned by the world’s affairs. Wars, famine, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, oh my. I could go on and on. But really, is this something that I have any control over? Thank goodness the resounding answer is no! Yet, so many of us, myself included, consume ourselves with things so out of our control. Why do we feel that we should cloud our minds with such things that only make us anxious? Today, all we truly need to trust, is that the Lord has a plan!
Amazing Things!
Our job is simple and actually quite painless, surrendering all of ourselves to be in God’s will. The word consecrate has many meanings but the one I lean on is letting God do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. It is a complete and utter surrender to Jesus, completely. Not just for one thing or one purpose, but for all things, big or small. So what does that look like, you may ask? Knowing that your perfect and wonderful Creator came to earth, to make all things right. To forgive us, to cancel our debts, to free us from the burden of guilt and shame. To set us apart and to know that we belong to Him!
Northern Lights in Utah
Prayer is the action, the catalyst that allows us to let go. When we share, when we yell or scream, when we cry to the Lord, He is not offended. He is the one we can pour our heart out to, who honestly knows what we are going through, usually way before we even do. There is not an emotion or feeling that Jesus has not felt. He has been rejected, whipped, beaten and nailed to a cross, while his dearest disciple and friend, Peter rejected him. Not once but three times! This is an extreme illustration but when I consider what I have experienced in life, it makes me pause. How can I deny the love that has been given to me, way before I was even born? So surrender, Lord, I can do that!
Rae Lakes Loop Kings Canyon
“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”Joshua 3:5
Established by God. I love this. It reminded me of the story of Job when God started questioning Job, his faithful follower.
Morning Prayers with Zoey
“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb…Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” Job 38:8, 38:13. The Lord continued to provide a commentary of who He is, what He created, and reminds us of where we would be without Him. Lost!
God’s Creation “Arches”
Thank you God that you are in charge and I am not. So many times the plans I’ve made, are redirected by the Lord. I love the one sentence “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” that states “God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time, but it’s up to us to see and seize those opportunities that are all around us all the time.” Countless times, He has brought me to the well, and then I miss the water that is staring me right in the face! Lord, open my eyes so that I can see what you have intended for me to grab hold of. Direct me in the ways that are Christ-like, that place a smile on your face as I walk in your presence.
Mount Katahdin in Maine
When my heart is open, I can hear Jesus prompting me to follow His lead. So I’ll end with this. When the Lord places someone on your heart, do you call them or text? When your neighbor is outside, do you go out and talk with them or walk inside? When someone is having trouble, do you help or assume someone else will? These divine appointments are invitations to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Our job is to do what He would do. He makes the appointments, and then all we need to do is follow through. So what appointment has our sweet Lord placed on your calendar today?
Hiking Eastern Sierras
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NIV
Get Ready! What a first day. I grabbed my coffee and outside I ventured. I have a lovely patio in my front yard that Zoey, my dog, and I have a daily ritual of sitting, reading and listening. There are a few birds I’ve started to recognize. They always arrive in pairs, doves, swallowtails, small black birds and one solo hummingbird which investigates my flowers. It’s their routine.
Appalachian Mountains
Today when I began my Forty Day Challenge, I had no idea how God would show up. But did He ever! The premise of today’s reading was “get ready.” As I read the story of a Christian Camp Counselor turned Political Leader, I was taken back by the sheer fact of his namesake, Lankford. My Dad’s last name is Lankford and he also was born in Oklahoma. No, that’s not a coincidence Lord. The story continues as God kept placing on his heart to “get ready”. Get ready for what? And then the Lord followed it by announcing “this is it”. What? You want me to run for office? Before long, James Lankford ran for Congressman and eventually, State Senator of Oklahoma. To this day, he meets with his constituents, and other leaders and is frequently found in the hallways, leading prayer.
Senator James Lankford & Family
So what does this have to do with me? Well the more I poured into Day One, I kept hearing the word “NEIGHBORS”. What Lord do you want me to do with the neighbors? Surely not lead a Bible Study? Well, maybe you can start with a BBQ. When I finished reading, I check my calendar on my phone and start typing BBQ and before I could write anything else, it self-populates “for neighbors”. And that’s how God takes over. You are something more than spirit-like. Yes, He surely is. To be exact, he is the Holy Spirit and He knows how to use I-phones!
Me (far left) with my Peeps Woman of Faith – Mt. Whitney
“If you pray to God regularly, irregular things will happen on a regular basic.” Mark Batterson
I have been asked, do you blog when you’re not hiking ? A resounding NO is what comes to mind, but the Lord says, why not? And there lies the problem. Do I listen to my brain, or do I listen to Jesus? That shouldn’t be a hard decision yet I tend to have reservations. What do I share? Is there anything that is worth writing? If I listen to the lies of the enemy, I have nothing worthy to put down. But why would I let Satan rule me. As scripture tells us, “But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind of things of God, but on things of man.” Matthew 16:23 and so I will write.
Climbing Mt Shasta 2014
I am embarking on Forty Days of Prayer with the guidance of a book called “Draw the Circle” by Mark Batterson. A dear friend of mine, Kim Rackham from Foresthill – a small town in NorCal, encouraged me to start this journey with a community of faith-filled women. And so I am answering the call to prayer. Pray for my relationship with the Lord to grow deeper, to pray for my family and friends, to pray for our Nation. And to pray for God’s presence to be so real, that it is tangible. As the author Mark Batterson states, “the true purpose of prayer is to get into God’s presence so He can outline His agenda for us.” When we pray fervently, the Lord will open our heart and mind to see what He placed deeply in our hearts.
Eastern Sierra
Beginning Sunday, October 13th, I will begin my intentional prayer with Jehovah God Almighty. Each morning will be dedicated to hearing the Lords agenda for the day. Everyday is anew; a new sunrise, an afternoon breeze, a glorious evening sunset. Daily prayer is the true route that the Holy Spirit taps into us and reaches us at level in which He has the one and only access key. What an intimate time that is shared when we dedicate our time to our Heavenly Father in prayer. So in the posts that follow, I may not be hiking a trail, but I will be following my Lord to highest of mountain tops, and possible the lowly valley floors below. Wherever we go, it will surely be an incredible journey.
Circle ⭕️ of Faithful Prayer Warriors
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
Guess what? The sun came out! All thanks to the Lord for the warmth of a sunny day. We can all use it. The morale is a bit low with four days of no sunshine. I’m not sure how people live in a place that is constantly wet? I’ll take my scorching heat and fires of California, because you know what? Come September through June, it’s pretty darn perfect.
That’s a Blue Sky 😊
Today will be my final push. It has been quite the journey on this trail. Three years to complete, with over two thousand miles, bumps and bruises, scraps and punctures, poison ivy, a bad spider bite and one twisted ankle. But my biggest fear of all was the itsy bitsy, teeny tiny little tic. Had two on me but never had one embed its nasty needle-sized head in my skin. Thank goodness as that can be a lifelong battle of Lyme Disease and who knows, what else! So, I’m headed out to finish the toughest trek of my hiking career to date and put it to bed, once and for all.
Berry Forging 101
There’s a few big climbs today, with the Bigelows and another, The Horn. Gets somewhat confusing as most of the peaks have a second peak that they just call Horn. Tidbit of info:
Bigelow Mountain Range
The Bigelow Range, also known as Bigelow Mountain, consists of Maine’s most rugged inter-connected peaks. The mountain is named for Colonel Timothy Bigelow, who rose to prominence as one of four division commanders in the Continental Army detachment under Benedict Arnold. In October 1775, en route to the failed invasion of Canada, Colonel Bigelow summited the mountain with a small expedition for the purpose of “military observation.” The entire range resides within the protective boundary of the Bigelow Preserve, some 36,000 acres of wilderness.
Daisy Patches
The mud, roots and rocks are much the same over this entire length of mountain ranges. But there were a few slivers of views that surpassed my past few days. I started with some cloud cover but every now and then, the sun would part the clouds and there were some incredible views.
Atop Bigelow West Peak
While on my stroll today, I met a sweet gal, Grits. She’s from Canada and truly a backpacker through and through. We talked about all trails west of here, the Arizona Trail AZT, Colorado Trail CT (my favorite in US), Wonderland Trail WT, of course the Pacific Creat Trail PCT and the elusive Continental Divide Trail CDT. Grits wanted to hike the CT this year but life got in the way but plans to head south in October and hike the AZT. I love talking trails to anyone who wants to hear me. It is truly my passion and desire, maybe excluding the AT. But today, I could’ve been persuaded. This is truly a day that I will remember forever.
Me with Grits
After all my complaining, moaning and groaning, I was able to finish what I started back in 2022. Gosh that seems like a long time ago but in theory, it was only 28 months ago. And here I am finishing up what I started as a thru-hike. In this spectacle of walking to and fro, there are always going to be obstacles, injuries, family crisis’ and you name it, things that preclude us from doing it the way we had intended. As a wise friend told me, we make plans and God laughs! I think there was a reason for this extended time of true refinement. Some things just take a bit longer to savor and my sweet Jesus wanted George to finish this hike with me! He has definitely been there in spirit from day one, mailing boxes, sending me equipment when I broke something, driving across country only to take me to the airport. This man has been my lifeline! But to actually commit to accompanying me to the end, was more than a gift! This puts the icing on the proverbial cake.
Overlooking Rangely Lake After My Much Needed Shower
As I reflect upon this path, all I can say is thank you Jehovah for being my protector, my encourager, my strength and my reason for pushing forward when it seemed impossible. When I was tired, disappointed, frustrated, or sitting in an Urgent Care Facility, I never felt so overcome with grief or sorrow that I couldn’t walk, just another mile or two thousand more! My heart was overflowing with Gods’ love and grace. So at the conclusion of all things AT, I can say, may our paths never cross again! I know, that’s harsh but my eyes are fixed on another trail, much closer to home. Until then, blessings and prayers to you all and may you always follow your dreams!
The End…
Goodbye Appalachian Trail
Final Epilogue: When I started this jaunt, a follower of my blog suggested that I read Psalms 91. Let alone did I read it, I had bookmarks laminated with this scripture that I passed out on the trail. Sometimes I would leave them at Hostels, or in the Shelters along the way, some were intentionally placed in others hikers hands or slid into their packs. It was one way that I was able to share God’s love with others on the trail. So to conclude, it is only appropriate to finish this chapter with my personal favorite scripture.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalms 91:1-16
Oh, this rain is really getting to me. Let’s be real, a sprinkle or two is bearable. But constant pitter-patter on my tent all night long, isn’t going to motivate me up and out of my cocoon! From the looks of the shelter and the others, no one was moving really fast today.
Morning Stroll
After packing, I needed to refill on water. The boys sent me down the hillside for the best water on the AT. They were not mistaken. And right now, I really needed something to be excited about. I started up the rocky climb to Spaulding Mountain. It’s not an understatement that this terrain looks pretty much the same. Rocky, muddy and lots of green moss and pines. Oh, and every mushroom under the sun. When I made it to the ridge there was a sign Spaulding Mountain 150 yards up the granite rock staircase. I may have bit, but being it was drizzling, there was little to no chance of any significant view.
Mushrooms on Dense Moss
I ran into some young bucks headed Sobo and we talked for a bit, admiring about the only view I’ve seen this past week. We marveled at how fast the weather changes around here from downright miserable to a glimmer of hope. It lasted long enough for me to take a picture, and just like that, the rain returned!
About as Good as it Gets
I bundled up, back in my rain jacket and headed down the trail. I was skipping through the mud puddles when I ran into a gaggle of women. Nine of them, to be exact. All from Maine. They were out on a day hike in this weather. Truly Mainers! They are definitely a different breed! We talked for a bit and they moussed up the trail to their exit strategy, Sugarloaf Mountain and back to their condo! Condo, seriously? Why aren’t I hiking with them?
Local Mainers
Today was a pretty tough day. God and I had many conversations about this trail. I’m not one to quit, it’s just not in my vocabulary, but I’m about done with this weather and all these rocks. It’s one thing when you are climbing over a few to get around a headland or a bunch of trees, but this constantly watching your every step and wondering if your knees are going to perform or buckle underneath you, is really taking a toll on me. What I’m trying to say is, if any of you are my friends and I ever mention to you that I want to hike the AT again, don’t let me! It is cruel and unusual punishment! And by no means is it fun. Fun is hiking the west coast trails where there is sunshine and groomed ribbons of dirt, where birds sing and the stars shine. I haven’t seen a single star while I’ve been here. I didn’t even see the Super Blue Moon because, you guessed it, it was raining! I’m sorry but this has just been a very trying day and I’m rethinking this commitment of mine.
Crocker Cirque
My dearest friend Sally recommended a book “The Giver of Stars.” One thing it kept repeating was “there’s always a way out.” I’m imagining a way that is kinder and gentler, a flatter and more forgiving route. If I find that, I’ll let you know. But for now, I’ll keep hiking and keep praying, and trusting that the Lord will not forsake me or ever leave me. We are truly in this together! And then I made it to this stunning meadow- Crocker Cirque. Not too shabby for a nights rest.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”” Deuteronomy 31:8
It rained off and on all night. Packing up added extra weight as most of my gear is so wet. There’s nothing much worse than putting on wet pants, wet shirt and wet socks! Yuck. But on the bright side, the sun is suppose to show up sometime today.
Moose & Deer Lake
After getting a bit turned around, the nice boys at the shelter pointed me northbound. And off I went, up to Poplar Ridge. It was a few good boulders to get me to the top, but no view as the clouds still haven’t lifted. I looked around anyhow, then went on my way. Today’s excitement is the upcoming river crossing. Hikers have stated that it’s about thigh high and flowing fairly well. I’m hoping to find another hiker to navigate it with. Probably one of the biggest issues on this trail is getting knocked off your feet when crossing a river. Last year, there was a hiker about my age who went missing and they found him a week later, about a mile down river.
Big Beautiful Non-Edible Mushroom
A hiker cruised past me as I was within 1/2 mile from the water crossing. He was my guardian angel sent from God above. He might not have known that but I was praying for a big strong man or woman, to be with me as I crossed. Prayer answered. As I made it down, he was across and gave me the lay of the land. I walked up river, and without a second thought, made it across without much ado. Wet, but safe. Thank you Angel.
Orbiton River
Once across, I sat and had a hot lunch and coffee. I left this morning without much to eat and planned to enjoy my lunch along the river. No sun to speak of, just a light drizzle. But the sun will come out, I kept telling myself. After my Asian Chicken and Rice with hot coffee, I was ready to start the climb out of the canyon. It would be my big climb of the day, up to Poplar Ridge.
Just to Confer- AT Marker
Today I had to get real about my mileage. After talking with a few of the hikers, mostly thru-hikers, no one is tackling much more than ten or so miles. Mostly due to the big climbs and the non-cooperating weather. The rocks are so slippery and the route is your typical AT fare. Lots of boulders, rocks and mud. Just like last year. I’m not sure why I thought this section would be any different?
Still has Lots of Boulders
But when I reached Poplar Ridge, there was this bright yellow light in the sky called sun! Oh, I am so happy to see you again. I stopped and admired it for a bit of time, which allowed Red Squirrel and Not so Fast to catch up. Not so Fast celebrated his birthday yesterday climbing over The Horn and Saddleback in the rain. I just had my birthday the day prior so we congratulated one another for spending our birthdays doing something literally unheard of for a good time!
Poplar Ridge
Luckily I made it to camp while the sun was still shining and scurried around to find a level piece of ground to place my tent. This is home for the night. Once all set-up, I hunkered down and called it another successful day on the trail. Still no falls, just a few intended butt slides down the boulders. And that’s a wrap!
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
I love when I meet Godly people on the trail. It reminds me of His purpose for me. The intention He has when I stepped into his Creation, to reveal in how beautiful, how difficult, and how glorious it can be. This is tough stuff out here, and honestly I’ll be glad to say adios to this trail. But it has definitely placed me where He wants me to be, so that I totally and completely put my trust in Him.
kellyhikes4god 