"SHUT"

“These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” (Revelation 3:7-8)

I’ve been riding my bike through the little town of Bulverde, Texas for a few months now. Right on Bulverde Rd. there’s a business that is closed most of the time when I ride by. In fact, I thought it was out of business and permanently shuttered until one time I finally saw an “OPEN” sign on the front door. Every other time I’ve ridden by there’s been a bright yellow sign on the door with big red letters reading “SHUT”. The first time I saw that sign it struck me as rather harsh. Most businesses nowadays have the generic neon “OPEN” sign like you see them selling at Costco. When it’s lit, you know the business is open. When it’s turned off you know the store is closed. The neon light is inviting. Turn the light off and the invitation disappears. But the red letters “SHUT” on a bright yellow sign are stark. The message is strong. It’s almost forbidding. “Stay away! You’re not welcome! No admittance! Keep out!” It made me feel like I wasn’t sure I wanted to patronize that business even when it was “OPEN”.

It’s one thing to see the word “SHUT” on the door of a business. It’s something much worse to see the word “SHUT” on the door to heaven. Jesus told us that he is the One who holds “the key of David,” that is, the key to the Kingdom of Heaven. When those doors are “SHUT”, Jesus says, no one can open them. What is it that bars the door to heaven so strongly that not even the strongest person could possibly pry them open? It’s sin! Every one of us who appears at heaven’s door burdened with sin will see that bright yellow sign with big red letters, “SHUT”. It won’t be a pretty sight. But none of us has to appear at heaven’s door burdened with sin. Jesus has already borne our sin on the cross. He took it away. It’s been blotted out. Removed, as far as the east is from the west. Drowned in the depths of the sea. Paid in full. Sin’s crimson stain has been washed white as snow. We’re free the moment we trust in Jesus. As a result, when we appear at Heaven’s door there will be no “SHUT” sign. Because the door Jesus has opened, no one can shut.

There’s a wonderful song by the group “Newsong” that says it beautifully.

Heaven’s gates were closed
And there seemed to be no hope for fallen man
We were prisoners of our sin
With no way to enter in but God had a plan
The Father knew there had to be a perfect sacrifice
So Jesus came, a cross was raised and when He laid down his life

Wide open, wide open
They nailed his arms wide open
After three days in a cold grave
The power of sin was broken
Now with outstretched arms He welcomes in
Everyone who trusts in him
His nail-scarred hands hold heaven’s gates wide open

Wide open! How much better is that than “SHUT”? So the next time you see the invitingly lit neon “OPEN” sign in the window of a business, smile and think about the wide open gates of heaven that are waiting for you at the end of life’s journey.

Harder than a Century

For the past week my wife and I have been in San Antonio, Texas for the purpose of buying a home. I thought about bringing my bike with me in order to get my first taste of riding in the Texas Hill Country, but I decided I should leave it in Washington and stay focused on the task at hand. It's a good thing too, because I've found the whole process of buying a house a lot harder than riding a century.

First you have to choose a realtor, then you need to decide where you want to look, then what kind of house you're looking for, then you have to locate potential properties from the MLS listings, and then actually go out and look at the properties, because most of the time they don't look anything like they do in the listings. Once you've finally settled on a house, then you have to go through the financing process.

Financing is the worst part of all, because everything you've ever done with money is laid bare for the loan officer (and anyone else who works with him) to see. It reminded me of how I felt as I put on my riding gear after a long, cold wet winter when I didn't ride nearly enough and put on way too many pounds. I felt almost naked in my lycra spandex, with way too much being revealed, even though it was still covered. After three and a half hours in the mortgage office I felt like I did after riding the STP in one day. SPENT!

The amazing thing is that just as God has guided, guarded, strengthened and kept me through many long, hard rides, he has guided and strengthened us through this long process. We hope to close on our new home in a few weeks and be enjoying the new life God has in store for us in Texas. It's exciting. It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible passages, Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust the LORD with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding. Remember the LORD in all you do, and he will give you success."

The Virtual Tour

Once again it is Tour de France time. July has become my favorite month of the year for this reason. It's an amazing race that it difficult beyond comprehension. Over 2000 miles and an unbelievable amount of climbing. The mountains are where the race is won or lost.

This year for the first time there is an online Virtual Tour. Each day of the Tour you ride your bike and record your ride using a GPS. Then you submit your ride to the website. A computer program analyzes your ride and your performance while riding and compares it to that day's course on the Tour. It tells you how long it would have taken for you to ride the same course as the peloton rode.

On Saturday Fabian Cancellara won the opening time trial, covering 15 kilometers or about 9 miles in 19 minutes and 32 seconds. On the second day, sprinter Mark Cavendish was the winner, riding 122 miles in four and one half hours. Well, I submitted my rides and got the results. They were stunning, in the worst possible way! It would have taken me 50 minutes to ride the time trial course in Monaco on Saturday. Today's ride would have taken me 10 hours and 12 minutes (that's considering that I would have been able to complete it at all). OUCH! These revelations were humbling to say the least. I can't believe how much fitness I've lost since my Canada to Mexico ride just a year ago. But even in my best shape at the end of that 1300 mile ride, the peloton would have left me in the dust.

Paul writes in Romans 12:3: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." This is even more true spiritually, than it is physically. I need to have a realistic view of myself as a cyclist, otherwise I will get into trouble trying to overextend myself as a rider. This could result in a "bonk" at the least (bonking is running out of "gas" during a ride) or a crash at the worst. If we do not have a realistic view of ourselves spiritually, the results could be much worse. I could overestimate myself and underestimate the Enemy and end up falling into serious sin and spiritual ruin. I could become self-righteous and judgmental as I make false comparisons between myself and other people.

Logging on to the Virtual Tour gave me a good reality check on my cycling abilities. Each of us needs to open God's Word and examine ourselves in the light of God's will so that we will not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

The interesting thing about the Virtual Tour is that you can "win" no matter how slow you are, just by entering. In a similar way, God's grace makes us all winners regardless of how weak or strong we are, because we trust in Jesus and His saving grace. Grace does not apply to the real Tour de France, however. The one who rides the race in the shortest overall time wins. And right now, I'm not ready to pick a winner for 2009. They haven't hit the mountains. But we can all be winners if we put our faith in Jesus!

The ups and downs of cycling and life

Becoming a serious cyclist while living in the Pacific Northwest has taught me a lot of things. Climbing can be very hard, but it's good for you. It makes you strong. Since 2004 when I began to ride seriously I've lived at the top of a 500 foot climb. At the end of every ride I have to make that climb if I want to get home, no matter how many miles or hills I've already ridden. Parts of that climb are a 13% grade, and my heart rate will top 160 as I grind toward the top. On the other hand, the drop down to the valley from 500 feet is thrilling, sometimes topping 45 miles per hour. While the climbs are hard, the descents are dangerous, requiring total concentration and being constantly alert. You have to pay attention to the twists and turns ahead, the pavement in front of you, your bike, the wind, any potential obstacles... a lot can go wrong on a fast descent.

As I've been navigating the route to retirement, I'v experienced a lot of ups and downs as well. Some days I'm excited about reitirng, others leave me wondering what it will be like not to be pastoring on a daily basis. Some days I'm overwhelmed by all the work of moving. Trying to sell a house and buy another in this economy is another roller coaster ride. We've had to spend a significant chunk of our retirement nest egg just getting our house in shape to sell. One day the deal is on, the next day it's up in the air again. Patience and perseverance are just as essential as they are on a long, torturous climb. But, as in most climbs there are those short flat spots where you get to rest for a moment before the road turns up again.

Today was a reminder of why I'm on this road. Elijah graduated from preschool at our Savior this morning. It was a joyful, proud, emotional moment, with my wife, Diana and daughter, Rebekah by my side. My little "Cowboy" sang about his faith and received a blessing for his future. I'm so looking forward to being able to spend more time with my family, as well as with my Texas family, MaryBeth and William and grandson, Seth, once we get down there. Perhaps that's why I'm so impatient and want things to hurry along. Being all together as a family will be such a blessing.

Right now our retirment plans are on hold, while the sale of our house is being negotiated. It seems that our move is farther off than we originally expected, but God knows best and we're trusting (at least trying to) his perfect time and plan.

I've thought about Proverbs 3:5-6 a lot. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Trusting in the Lord with all your heart is sometimes hard. We want to be in control. We want to figure it all out according to our plan and our timetable. However, we need to remember that our Lord knows best and that his ways are better than our ways. Whether the road ahead is an agonizing climb or an exhilarating descent we know we can trust him to see us through.

Whenever I begin a ride I pray: "Lord, I commit this ride to you. I ask you to watch over me, wrap your loving arms around me, let your holy angels be with me that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Give me strength for the climbs, and skill for the descents and bring me safely home to my family." That's a pretty good prayer for navigating the road to retirment too.

It will probably be a couple of months before I'm riding the Texas Hill Country, but by that time Lance Armstrong may be home from another Tour de France. Maybe I'll cross paths with him some morning. It's one of many things I'm looking forward to in Texas.

Wow, how things change.

One year ago I was looking forward to the beginning of my pastoral sabbatical in May of 2008, and preparing for my ride from Canada to Mexico to benefit 4US.org. Now a year later I'm looking forward to retiring from the pastoral ministry and I haven't ridden my bike in a full month.

The past six months have been challenging to say the least. I've finally come to the realization that I'm too burned out to provide the full time pastoral leadership that is required by Our Savior Lutheran Church, Tacoma, WA and have decided to retire from the ministry and move with my family to Texas.

I'm looking forward to a new life with more time for my wife, Diana, and the rest of my family. It'll be great to have both girls (Rebekah and MaryBeth) my son-in-law William and both grandsons all in the same state! Here's me with my new grandson, Seth.

I'm sure God isn't finished with me in ministry yet, I just don't know what he has in store next. I'm excited to find out what it may be. I am also looking forward to riding the Texas Hill Country for the first time, and for many years to come. Maybe I'll even run into Lance Armstrong out there on the road someday.

God's ways are truly amazing. We never know what twists and turns he has planned for our road ahead. If someone would have told me five years ago that I would be retiring at age 60 and moving to San Antonio, Texas I would have said they are crazy. (Of couse, if someone would have told me last July that I'd be as fat and out of shape as I am now, I also would have thought they were nuts!) But one of the things I enjoyed most about my ride last June was to wake up every morning to a new ride in a new place, on a road where you didn't know what was coming next. Well, now I'm there again! I don't know what lies ahead on the road I'm on, but that makes it exciting.

One of my many favorites Scriptures is Proverbs3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths (NLT). I do believe God is directing my path and I can't wait to discover the sights, challengs, opportunities and blessings that he has in store.

I'm planning on blogging a little more once I'm in Texas and riding the Hill Country, so please check back this summer.

Pastor Bob+

Finally Headed Home

It's seems like we've been away from home forever, but now we're finally well on our way. Last night the four of us went out for a celebratory dinner. We went to Chili's and as requested, I had a marguerita for my mother-in-law to celebrate making it to Mexico (at least to the border). We had a fun time, as you can tell.


We left Tom and Janet's house early this morning and after 12 hours on the road we finally stopped in Eugene, Oregon. I thought I'd share a few statistics and reflections on the ride.

First some stats. I had planned to ride 1673 miles. I actually rode 1317, or almost 80% of what I planned to do. What prevented me from riding it all? A ferry reservation the first day, rain and cold weather the third day, backside blues on day ten, our anniversary on day twelve, fires closing the road on day eighteen, yada, yada, yada.... The excuses could go on and on. Most of the time it was a matter of extenuating circumstances, or poor planning making for too much difficult or urban riding on a given day. There was really only one day when my body failed me. That was the day that I bought my touring saddle to fix my backside blues. It was undoubtedly the best investment of the whole trip. I could not have continued without it.

During the course of the ride my feet of vertical gain (meaning the total of all the hills I climbed) was 67,001 feet. The hilliest day was the day I rode from Garberville, CA to Mendocino, CA. That day I climbed 6359 feet, or well over a mile! The flattest day was the day I rode through LA, which was also one of the hardest days because of all the urban riding.

According to my heart rate monitor, I burned a total of 66,142 calories during the course of the ride. That was interesting to me because it almost matched the feet vertical gain. I've often found that to be the case on my rides around home. On average I burned 3150 calories a day.

Over the course of 21 days of actual riding I was on the bike and moving for a total of 94 hours and 43 minutes. That's an average of four and one half hours a day. My longest day was seven and one half hours. That was the day I rode 106 miles from Brookings, OR to Arcata, CA. The average length of my ride each day was 63 miles.

During the course of the trip I rode my Giant only the first two days. For the other 19 I was on my Madone. What a great ride! Some people questioned why I would take such a nice bike on such a punishing ride. My answer was that a bike you can't ride isn't a bike worth owning. Over three weeks I went through one set of tires. I had only one flat (in the hotel room in the morning, making it easy to change). I had a rear derailleur adjustment in Aracata, CA. and I had to have my rear wheel trued in Santa Monica, CA. Otherwise, I had no equipment problems.

Now, for those of you are are bored to death by statistics, here are some general insights.
- Our God is an awesome creator. The marvels of his creation are awe inspiring. I saw plants and animals I had never seen before (like a live rattlesnake in Camp Pendlleton).
- The Pacific Ocean is always changing. It's size and power are overwhelming. It was my almost constant companion on this trip and the sound, smell and sights will stay with me forever.
- The mind and will are stronger than the body. You can make your body do things it could not ordinarily do when you want to badly enough.
- God is a gracious protector, always watching out for us, especially when we commit our ways to him in prayer. He kept me safe on the bike without incident for three weeks.
- Life is an adventure. Whether you're riding your bike from Canada to Mexico, or living your routine, look for the adventure every day. It will make life a lot more exciting.
- No one is an island. We all need each other. I could not have done this ride without Diana and Tom, the support of my family and friends, and the people of OSLC. Don't try to live life alone.
- Beer, ice cream and big juicy hamburgers taste a lot better when you've been on your bike all day.
- Don't spend too much energy shifting gears. When the hill gets steep stand on the pedals and push harder.
- Hard things and big things capture people's hearts and give them a vision of great things. That's why this ride enabled me to raise over $9,000 for Rid4US and CareNet. Thankyou to everyone who caught the vision and helped the cause. You are awesome.

I'll quit for now, but I may write again when I get home so check back soon. Rebekah and Elijah, we'll see you tomorrow! Yea! My love to everyone in Christ Jesus our Lord.

To God Be the Glory!

Today's post is a day late, since travel back to Tom and Janet's precluded doing my blog yesterday. So I'm writing this for June 30th.

This morning felt kind of bittersweet. I have to admit that I'm glad the ride will be over today. I'm tired, and the routine of getting up and getting ready for a long ride day after day is wearing on me. At the same time, I'm sad that the adventure is ending.

Tom and I left Oceanside very early, since we knew we had a long drive home after I finished my ride. The streets were empty as I rode down to the Pacific Coast Highway. The road today was great for riding. Mainly flat, with a nice shoulder or bike lane most of the time. Since it was Monday morning there weren't as many tourists so the traffic was relatively light. I was really in a mindset to accomplish my mission and finish the journey, so as Scripture says about Jesus and Jerusalem when he was going there to die for our sins, "I had my face set like flint for the Mexican border." I only stopped briefly for a couple of times along the route.

When I got to the Torrey Pines State Reserve north of San Diego the scenery really was beautiful. There was about a 430 foot climb, then a fun descent on the other side. La Jolla was beautiful, as was Mission Bay Park. It was amazing to see all the yachts as I rode around San Diego Harbor. Finally, I had the privilege of skirting another important military installation, the San Diego Naval Base.

In the meantime, Tom had missed the turn for Torrey Pines Drive and ended up on I-5. In his efforts to get back to me he spent a couple of hours wandering around San Diego, being misdirected by our GPS. After some time, we reconnected just south of the naval base, and rode on toward the border.

About two miles from the border I already felt like I was in Mexico. The people were almost exclusively Hispanic, and the signs and chatter were all in Spanish. I had given Tom my camera to snap a picture of me at the border, but there was no place to park, unless you wanted to pay $8 so you could walk into Tiajuana. So Tom gave me my camera and I asked a gentleman to snap a picture of me. It's really quite a contrast from the picture at the Candian border. Here are both of them.


What did you notice? Not only a different border. A different bike (I started out on my Giant with fenders because of the rain). Slightly different attire (about five layers up north, jersey and shorts down south.) Bright sunshine versus Washington overcast. Maybe even a pound or two lighter (but that's all; too much good food along the way).



I know that I could not have accomplished this goal without my faith and God's help. It was by his grace that I was kept safe the entire ride. It was by his strength that I overcame pain and fatigue to ride on. It was by his love that people were motivated to Illuminate Hope for mothers with crisis pregnancies by making pledges to my ride. I am so thankful to God that this goal has been achieved. Praise the Lord!

Thank you to everyone who rememberd Diana and Me (and Tom and Janet) in your prayers. Thank you to all of you who commented on my blog and offererd encouragement. Thank you to all of our family for their thoughts and prayers.

Two more days and we will be home, Elijah! Yea! Please pray for safe driving back to Washington. My love to all of you, in Christ Jesus our Lord.