A Little Closer To Heaven

After countless hours on trails in the Ozark Mountains, I’m finally ready with my first review.

First up, there’s the Columbia Men’s Omni-Dry Highland shirt. I have worn this shirt out several times. It has gone with me in the scorching heat, cooler weather, and rain anywhere from dayhikes to weeklong backpacking trips. First, the pros: It’s a very comfortable fit for a baselayer. You can wear it out in public without people looking at you like you’re a freak. The Highland Shirt is also very durable. I’ve given it several beatings and have yet to put a hole in it. It also does a pretty good job at keeping nasty body funk smell at bay. That being said…I have a whole lot of beefs with this shirt. First, it’s moisture wicking ability is horrible. It wicks moisture a little bit, but with a name like omni-dry…you’d expect it to wick a lot better. Furthermore, it takes forever to dry. Bottom line: As far as looks go, it’s a great shirt but practically, I’d wait a little longer and purchase a better performing baselayer.

Next up is the Silver Ridge shirt from Columbia. I typically wear this shirt over the omni-dry baselayer. I have taken it canyoneering and on many a hike. It fits well and wicks moisture pretty well. It survived climbing a waterfall and rubbing up against many rough rocks during a canyoneering trip. Therefore, it has proven to be durable. It also dries relatively fast. For the money, this shirt is a bargain. That being said, there’s a whole lot of better shirts out there. Bottom line: Great value, but spend the extra cash on something nicer unless it’s all you can afford (and it was at the time I bought it).

I should have a lot more gear to review here in the very near future seeing as it’s finally fall and time to get back on the trail every chance I get.

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I know that some of you may get really tired of my posts that tie my faith and my love for the outdoors. But my faith is so important to me, and is so much a part of my life that I can’t not put God on my blog. So, here’s to another spiritual insight from the outdoors as I see it.

Now, this will probably make some people who read this blog cringe. I believe that I am not a product of evolution or chance, but of creation and purpose. That being said, if you want to know my beliefs about the origin of the human species they come straight from a literal, not figurative reading of Genesis 1-3. I am about to start a series of sermons in my youth group called, “Who Am I: Finding Your Identity.” I was studying Genesis 1 today and noticed something I have never before seen.

When God creates the Earth, animals, and plants, He uses very impersonal words. He simply speaks them into existence, saying things like, “Let there be…” Which to me shows just how powerful God is. He didn’t need millions upon millions of years. He spoke, and it happened. I guess you could call it the big bang. Anyways, back to the subject, when you come to the creation of humans in Genesis 1, it’s so much more personal. Instead of, “Let there be humans,” God says, “Let us make man.” Wow…God didn’t just speak humanity into existence like he did everything else. He took time to form and make humans with His hand. He spent time on His new creature and crafted him. Then, He personally breathed into man the breath of life.

What does this mean to me? It shows me that God cares a whole lot about me. He created me personally. He took time to craft me with His hands. He made me the way He wanted me. I may be ridiculed for believing this way…but think about the impact of what it means to be created with such care instead of merely evolving over time. If I was created, then I have a purpose. Evolved beings don’t have a purpose. They live. They look out for what’s best for them. They die. End of story. If I am a created being, then there must be a meaning to my life. If I am a created being, that means that there’s something bigger out there who cares for me personally. If I am an evolved being who came into this world by chance, then I’m all alone in this universe and have no reason to live except for my fear of dying. If I am created, and Someone took time to craft me, then what is my purpose? It’s to have a relationship with the one who created me. Who created this universe and this Earth that I enjoy so much. I can live a life of purpose. Wow. Evolved beings have no hope. They have no purpose in life. They have no comfort in dying or comfort to offer those who have lost a loved one.

One of the biggest questions I get asked by atheists and Christians alike is this…Where did I come from and why am I here? I have answers. My answers are based on Scientific evidence, reason, and most importantly, faith. I have something to offer. I offer hope. I offer a relationship with the one who created everything. A relationship with the one who took time to carefully craft you. What answers about purpose does evolution have? What hope does evolution give? What comfort does evolution give? Absolutely none. That is why I cannot believe in evolution. It has no answers for anything I care about. It has no answers for anything that truly matters while we live or after we die.

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Yesterday I found out how truly out of shape I really am. My wife and I started training for our trip to Colorado yesterday. Now, I know some of you may be thinking, “Why so early?” Well, that’s an easy one to answer. We live in the midwest and I don’t know if you’ve been there lately but the highest point in my state is 2700 feet. Need I say more? I realize that training is going to do nothing about altitude sickness, but increasing my VO2 max and stamina will. Therefore, Sara and I have started a training regimen that we hope will do just that for us. We’re gonna need all of the help we can get if we’re gonna climb 4-5 14ers in a week. With some of those 14er’s being up to 18 miles of hiking in a day. So, for those of you curious as to what we are doing this week…here it goes:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays we are running 2 miles. I know this doesn’t sound like that much (and it’s not), but we are trying to get more into a routine than necessarily push ourselves to exhaustion just yet.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we are doing upper body weight training.

Saturdays we are doing some sort of recreation (probably hiking).

Sundays we are taking a rest day.

We will increase everything next week, and keep increasing as the trip gets closer and closer. I’ll keep everyone posted on the results and am willing to take any advice that people want to give me.

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, for all of you who were excited to read about how hanging my canoe and listening to the elk bugle this weekend went…well…none of that happened. I actually have nothing to say about the outdoors today because I didn’t do anything in the outdoors this weekend. So, instead, I’ll tell you about the reason my plans had a drastic change, and then…on to the big news I promised last week.

So, I got up really late on Saturday morning…something I do from time to time. No sooner did I get up when the phone rang. It was a friend of mine who asked me if I would like to go to Fayetteville and watch an Arkansas Razorbacks football game. He informed me that a couple he knew were season ticket holders, they had a free parking pass right next to the stadium, and were seated right on the fifty yard line just 20 rows up. So, of course, I told my wife we’d have to take a rain check and headed toFayetteville a couple of hours later. I’m not much of a football fan, but everyone around here are die-hard Hogs fans. So, needless to say, I am starting to catch on to the hype.

Now…on to the really good part. I’ve got some really exciting news from my life. Just yesterday I was voted on in the church I attend to become the new youth pastor. Remember, in my first post ever, I had said that it was my heart’s desire to be a minister to high school and junior high students and it seems like that desire is being fulfilled much earlier than I anticipated. I am part time right now with the possibility of becoming full-time in 60 to 90 days. So, I am able to keep the job I currently have, while doing what I know God has given me the desire to do. I can only hope that things might work out where I am there full time.

So, how is this going to relate to the outdoors? Easy. I’m already planning an overnight backpacking trip to Hawksbill Crag in Arkansas. Well, sorry if this post has bored those who were anxious to read about my adventures in the outdoors. As for me, it was one of the best weekends I could have had without being in the wilderness.

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