Take a Hike...

Hocking Hills hosted their annual Winter Hike this past Saturday the 19th. The weather forecast called for temps in the mid 20s – and for snow flurries and showers. Despite the cold temps, there was an estimated 5,000 hikers that took part in the hike, and I’m proud to say that our group of Innermission students as well as a few from Sunshine made up 18 of those 5,000 hikers.

The Winter Hike is always a great time, and the scenery is spectacular -- it's like a small part of God's amazing art gallery. We have participated in the hike for several years now, and always look forward to it with great anticipation.

Here are a few pics from the hike this year...

Click on any pic to enlarge it.

God is amazing, and it's always a blessing to see his handiwork. Not only in the things he created, but especially in people, his most magnificient creation of all.

BTW -- Please remember to pray for the 7 members of Sunshine who are on day 4 of their week long mission trip in Haiti.

Haiti Mission Trip

In approximately 17 hours and 15 minutes 7 members of Sunshine - Brandy Gampp, Scott Gampp, Aaron Kallner, Matthew Gampp, Mike Dixon, Jason Coriell and Karen Griffith – will be departing from Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. They will be embarking – with many prayers and much love – on a mission trip for 1 week to Haiti to work together with "Hope for Haiti’s Children." We appreciate their hearts and honor them for their desire to serve the Lord by ministering to the needs of the people of Haiti.

Please remember to pray for the team and their families – that all will go well and that God will use them for his purpose and will.

The following is an excerpt from a prayer of Saint Patrick taken from “My Sacrifice His Fire,” by Anne Ortlund.


I establish myself today in:
The power of God to guide me,
The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to hear me,
The word of God to speak to me,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to lie before me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The hosts of God to defend me,
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length,
Christ in Height, Christ in the heart
of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who
speaks to me,
Christ in the ear of every man who
hears me.
Confident in Christ.

Serve well in His strength guys, we’re praying for you, and we love you.

Adventure Kingdom – Adventure for His Kingdom…

Kendall and I went to Adventure Kingdom for a while Thursday evening.. She loves to play in their Jungle Gym and I get a kick out of watching her have fun.

I thought there would be a huge crowd to deal with, but to my surprise the place was basically empty, except for a dad who had brought his three sons for an evening of fun and games. Other than that we had the joint all to ourselves.

You know the scene… parents pass one another, smile and nod, while chasing their child from one place to next. From time to time your kids are actually at the same place at the same time and you make small talk...

“How are you? It looks like your sons are a lot of fun.” I remarked.

He replied, “Thanks, your little girl is pretty.” To his sons, “Guys be a little careful around her,” Then turning to me, “You know how boys can be.”

Anyway, after a few of these 20 second visits I introduced myself, “I’m Jamie Riley,” to which he replied “I’m Steve (last name omitted),” and then he added “Things have been pretty hard lately, my wife just served me with divorce papers and I didn’t see it coming…”

I have to admit -- I didn’t see this coming at all either. I want to be available for God, and he gives me wonderful opportunities. But for some reason I thought the only thing God was using me for at this time was to love his little girl/my daughter Kendall, by allowing her to do one of her favorite winter things…play at Adventure Kingdom. But by this time I’m fully aware that he has more than one thing in mind for me.

I told Steve I was very sorry for what he was going through, and asked if there was anything I could do. He simply said “Please pray.” I said I would and told him I would ask some of my friends to pray as well. After offering to listen anytime, I gave him my cell number, and told him about Sunshine, a place where God is working in the lives of his people, and that he would be very welcome with us.

We shared a little more about our lives and as we left I assured him that I and others would be praying for him and his family. So please remember Steve, his wife, and their three sons as you spend time with God, I trust he will do something great for them.