In The Wilderness Where We Belong

“The glory of God is a man fully alive.” John Eldredge

Give men a task, a goal, real friendship, “God” and things happen.  We talked about life, health, sports, cars, wives, kids, and what matters most, in no particular order. What emerged from the day was what one man calls “church outside of Sunday.”  31 men gathered for the latest edition of “On The Trail With Pastor Ray” last weekend when we conquered the 8 mile Ridgeline Trail of the Crowder’s Mountain State Park.  We were welcomed by Forest Pointe attender and Park Ranger, Aubrey Hurley, who put us on the trail to success.  When you put men in the wilderness, special things happen. Man was made in the wild and brought into the Garden Of Eden. So, we’re most happy conquering a goal shoulder to shoulder in the wild where risk is involved.

Among the things we discover:

1. You can get diverted along the way.  We didn’t intend to cross over into SC, but we did, and one of the pictures you see is a group of men straddling the NC/SC line. These men can cover two states at once.
2. You never go alone.  One of the photos you see is two men, Ben Sellers who is healing from hip surgery, and Tommy Bond, crossing the line in triumph after having gone the entire 8 miles.
3. The man with raised arms and a stick to beat off the lions and bears, is Ronnie Hallman, who conquered the trail with that ever-present smile intact.

What’s next for men? The Wilderness Advance (No Retreats) from May 14-16. Fishing, Hiking, Running, Gaming, and all things manly.  Begins Friday (14th) at supper and ends Sunday Morning (16th) at breakfast- 36 hours of “MAN TIME”. Men can hang out, explore, fish, and just chill in the wilderness. The food will be great and the cost is only $20.  Call 704-825-1709 or email [email protected] or  [email protected] for details.

WORD TO THE WOMEN> During May, details will be given about exciting WOMEN’S EVENTS. Stay Tuned!