Choices

Choices

People are fearful of a lot of things, but most of all they are fearful of making a bad choice. Choosing, as simple as it sounds, can cause some people to become a nervous wreck and others to shutdown and become unresponsive. Such is the fear of making a wrong choice that many will do whatever they can to avoid making one. But if you want to live a successful life you need to learn how to make clear and concise choices.

Worthy Endeavor

Worthy Endeavor

Worthy Endeavor: Life is meant to live rather than just exist. Mankind needs purpose and aim, but today many suffer without true direction and only exist rather than live. If a person cannot remember what they worked towards in the last six months, they are only existing and not living. This is not to identify a person who doesn’t remember where they worked, but rather, what they were working towards and if it was worth it. Do you remember the last six months? Can you say with certainty that you started or completed something worthy or memorable? Or is it a fog of everything feeling the same day after day?

Notes on Healing: Part One

Notes on Healing: Part One

It IS God’s will to Heal You: Often times, believers will question whether it is truly God’s will to heal. Sometimes Christians will say in times of distress or affliction, “Who knows what the will of God is? Perhaps this sickness is His plan for a greater good?” or they will proclaim without knowledge that, “God’s will is mysterious and indiscernible” or furthermore pray in unbelief saying, “Lord, if it’s Your will, heal me.” Simply stated, those types of comments are unbelief and the opposite of what the Bible says. Healing is part of God’s redemptive plan.

Decisive Aim

Decisive Aim

Life on earth basically comes down to a constant flow of decisions. Whether you realize it or not you’re making decisions every moment. You decide what you will eat, where you will work, what time you will get up, what values you will follow, what you say to others, how you react to others, et cetera. From the smallest decisions like selecting your morning cereal to the largest decision like choosing to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior — Decisions are the fabric of life.

Gaining Wisdom

Gaining Wisdom

Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment. Today, in modern society, when we hear the word “wisdom” or refer to someone as “wise” it is usually in reference to their financial success or social standing. However, this is not wisdom. Those things might be attributed to some who are wise, but financial glories and fame are not the definitions of wisdom.

Moving Forward

Moving Forward

We all want to advance and complete the mission for our lives, but many times people get stuck and fail to move forward. God also wants you to move forward and has good plans for your life (Jer. 29:11). It’s not good for anyone to settle for the “reality of life”, which is a term people use to justify complacency. Yet many do just that, they become complacent and assume they have no control over their future. So how do we avoid this and what steps can we take to move forward?

The Rise and Fall

The Rise and Fall

Kingdoms rise and fall. From Babylon to Rome to the Soviet Union, nothing in this world lasts. Moreover, it’s not just kingdoms that rise and fall but it is businesses, fortunes, famous people and even churches. Every aspect of life is precipitated by a rise and then a fall. Sometimes the rise is spectacular and the fall disastrous, while other times the rise is slow and steady and the decline equally as such. Regardless of the pattern, the truth remains that everything in this world rises and falls at some point and somehow. This might sound grim, but it is the truth of how our world works. Yet, when a person comes to grips with the non-infinite nature of life on earth it puts a focus on the eternal, and when you have a focus on the eternal it sets a pattern for your life that transcends worldly cares.

Small Steps

Small Steps

Getting Better Each Day: Too many times we put too much pressure on ourselves to be or do something exceptional — immediately. Most people tend to over commit and underperform. Often times, strong statements like, “I am going to cut out all sugar from my diet for the next 3 months!” or “I will read my Bible for 2 hours every morning” are the battle cries of people who sincerely want to institute a positive change in their life. However, the likelihood of failure is so high for these extreme endeavors that even if there is some small measure of success it will likely fade away and a person will be right back to square one. But, instead of the all or nothing approach, it would be far more effective to simply start small.

The Now Moment

The Now Moment

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118: 24

 

Past, Present and Future: Time is a tricky thing. Most people are striving for life in the future or remembering the past, but rarely do people appreciate the moment of now. What is now? Now is the moment you are in right now. Reading this newsletter wherever you are, this is now. Chances are that before you were reading these words you were thinking about something you have to do in the days ahead or what happened last week. That is the future and past. But now is where you are at this moment.

Hard Work

Hard Work

The Talk Illusion: Talk doesn’t equal results. Often times, our minds will play a trick on us by giving the illusion that talking or thinking about something means that action has taken place on it. Think about it for a moment, have you ever prepared a to-do list and by the time you are done listing the items you feel wore out, but yet happy, like you have accomplished something.

Perceptions

Perceptions

Perceptions.

Narratives: The way each individual perceives the world originates in the narrative they chose to believe. Every person has a highly active mind that feeds on information all the time. The mind then takes that information and creates a narrative that produces emotions. Often times, these narratives skew reality and force many to become fearful or worrisome. One such example would be what we call the negative domino effect.

Unstoppable Action

Unstoppable Action

Unstoppable Action.

Everyone wants to become the best version of themselves. People have a strong desire to live passionately, find their purpose and realize all the wonderful things God has created them for —  so why do so few actually realize this type of life? Well, that’s because most people have forgotten the simple art of taking action.  

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”James 2:26

Finding Your Control

Finding Your Control

Finding Your Control

Usually, the beginning of a new year is a time of reflection and setting of new goals. The new year is an opportunity to correct what went wrong in the past and instill hope for the future. These are needed reflections and good things to contemplate. One of the most important aspects of finding your control in life is to examine what causes your anger, frustration, distress and anxiety. Anger, simply defined, is your reaction to the inability to get what you want. People are constantly angry about trivial things and it destroys their progress in life. For example, you go to the grocery store and there is a long line at the checkout — you get angry. You do a favor for someone and they don’t say thank you — you get angry. Someone makes a snide comment about your clothes — you get angry. Everyone has triggers that stir their anger, but most people have too many of them. Moreover, these anger triggers are rarely examined and tend to affect a person their entire life. Same thing goes for anxiety, fear and every other emotion that holds you back. One way to correct this is to get to the root of the issue by asking yourself why. Why does this make me angry? When you drill down to the root cause, often times, you will discover it really isn’t worth your time and shouldn’t affect your life. Jesus says in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." And Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” These scriptures are telling us to not be surprised that the world will despise and persecute us for being Christians. When you read this, it highlights how immature and ridiculous the everyday temper tantrums people throw over very trivial things. We aren’t facing a stoning on the streets because we profess Christ. Instead, people get angry because someone took their parking spot. People who are quick to anger are very spoiled and foolish in their way of life. Proverbs 29:11 “A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back.”

Fruit of Travel the Road

Fruit of Travel the Road

We would like to share some testimonies about how Travel the Road has made an impact for missions through the television series. These testimonies are an encouragement to us because they show the fruit of the ministry and the impact it is having in the lives of many. We look forward to a new generation who will carry the light, unashamed of the name of Jesus, and reach the entire world with the Gospel.

Buying Time

Buying Time

Buying Time

Time is a currency. Each and every day twenty-four hours is given to everyone in the world. No more and no less. No one can steal it from you, as it is an unstealable commodity. Someone might waste your time, but regardless, each day your bank of time is filled with 24-hours. Time is blind to wealth or power and is given in the same proportion. Time is our most valuable commodity, yet it is disrespected and undervalued in all societies.

Useful Purpose

Useful Purpose

Useful Purpose

Nowadays, there is so much talk about finding your destiny, purpose or calling that it has become an industry. The vague promises of “entering your destiny” and following your dreams is appealing to many because it offers hope for a better future. There is nothing wrong with having hope, but if you really want to fulfill your purpose/calling/destiny you first need to define what that means.

Cycles of Life

Cycles of Life

Cycles of Life

Life is cyclical. We are surrounded by cycles in every aspect of our existence. Even nature shows us these cycles everyday with the rising and setting of the sun; seasons change, fields are planted and harvested, trees live and then die, the tide comes in and goes out, the moon becomes full and then new again, et cetera, et cetera. Cycles are also evident in our society, financial economies, emotions and every point of life. In the Bible we read of cycles in reference to certain years, prophecies, the end of days and ultimately the glorious return of Christ Jesus.

The Cages We Build

The Cages We Build

The Cages We Build

During our most recent time in Africa, we had the opportunity to witness all sorts of wildlife across many different wildernesses and savannas. We have seen giant elephants roam, lions stalk, leopards prowl and all sorts of creatures in their natural state. These animals are free, unfettered and a regal sight to behold. So, recently, when we visited a game lodge for an afternoon in southern Namibia, we had the opportunity to witness these same types of creatures from a different perspective— in captivity.

Journey to the Himba

Journey to the Himba

Travel the Road's journal from our journey to the Himba.

Koakoveld region, Northern Namibia near the border of Angola: At the moments before first light, the rocky landscape of the Koakoveld region shows shades of indigo and purple as it sits in silence. By midday, the brilliant colors of the morning give way to the white, harsh rays of the sun that casts down heat upon the grassland valleys. Round earthen made homes of the Himba dot small patches of territory while cattle and goat herds graze on the dry vegetation. At night, the Milky Way shines so brightly, one can see the shimmering of colored stars across the center mass of the galaxy. There is no cell service, wifi or distractions of the modern world in the Koakoveld, only nature and the comfort of its silence.