The Things We Will Do

Sorry for not posting anything recently. While we were driving our laptop with the wireless modem fell off the table and killed the modem. So we have been offline for a while. There is not a lot of internet in National Parks. I guess you are supposed to be looking at the trees and the rocks... Yosemite and Sequoia are as beautiful as ever.

We just finished a few days in San Francisco and let me tell you it is an amazing place. Yes we did drive down the twisting and turning road that you have seen on tv and the movies (not with the RV but with the car). The real story from our visit to San Francisco was our trip to Alcatraz. We went to get tickets when we arrived and found out that they were sold out 2 weeks in advance. Since we were only going to be there 3 days our hope of going was dashed. But as we were walking down on Fishermen's Wharf we passed a visitor center. As I was talking to the guy he asked what we wanted to see. I said Alcatraz and he said he had 3 tickets that we could have for free IF we went to their 90 minute presentation. The problem was the tickets were not until 3:20 pm the next day and we were supposed to leave that next morning and head to Yosemite. If we stayed for the presentation in the morning and the trip that afternoon, we would have to drive our 31 foot RV towing our 11 foot car across the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour in the morning and we would have to find a place to park it in downtown San Francisco and we would have to drive it out during rush hour at night and we would not get to Yosemite until midnight. Not only that - Tiffany did not want to do it. So there Kathy and I were - trying to decide what to do. The sales guy first said he would pay for our parking. When he found out we driving an RV and pulling a car he said there was a parking lot down the street that would take us for $30.00 and he would cover it. Tiffany was still saying NO NO NO and so the sales guy said he would give her a $25 gift card to Macy's. He also threw in a bus tour of San Francisco. The total value of the deal he was offering was over $300. That was too good to pass up so we said YES. Before I left I walked down to the RV parking place and discovered it was actually $45 for the RV and $28 for the car. I went back to the guy and he said he would cover the $45 and if we unhooked the car we could park it in another garage for free. The next day we drove our 42 foot RV and car rig over the Golden Gate Bridge and around the twisting turns and hills of San Francisco during rush hour and got to the parking place. After unhooking the car - Kathy drove it to the other garage and we headed to the presentation. When we got there they were an hour behind so they gave us $50 to go out to breakfast. Now the deal was well over $350. After breatfast we heard the sales pitch and politely said NO. They were very nice and I felt a little bad, but we didn't think $16,000 one week a year condo was the right deal for us. Because of the lateness of the appointment we missed the bus tour but we did get to the Alcatraz tour (we actually left the tickets in the RV and I had to run a mile to get them before the boat left). It was all worth it - the tour was great. We even survived getting out of San Francisco (Kathy drove in and I drove out).

As I reflected on all that had happened just to get a tour of a prison - I thought about ALL the things that we are willing to do just to get what we want. That made me wonder if I go to half of that length to follow God and serve Him. So often going the second mile or spending time listening to Him through His Word or in prayer seems to take such an effort when in reality the effort we go to for ourselves and our wants is massive compared to the effort we often give to God. The whole experience was a great reminder to make sure I do not get lazy in living and serving the God of all glory and honor. He is worth everything we have to give and more.

Well we are off to see the largest trees in the world. They say they are almost immortal. They certainly are another amazing reminder of the awesomeness of God. Bless you!!!

The Joy of Dung

This morning I took a shower in Lowes parking lot. Well not exactly in the parking lot. I actually took the shower in our RV that was parked in the parking lot. There were people walking by on their way to the store and there I was soaped up and getting refreshed (sorry if I grossed you out with that picture) . Now you may think that is just one more reason that you are glad you are not travcling around the US in an RV, but from my perspective that is life at its best. Being able to relax in the midst of no matter what is going on around you.

The power of perspective is especially evident when it comes to things like dung. Yes that is dung as in that which is referred to by children as number 2. Did you know that you can tell a lot about an animal by their dung. You can often tell what they ate and you can even tell what type of animal they are by simply looking at their dung. The same is actually true of people. When "dung happens" to them you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle it. You can especially tell about their faith in God. When things go wrong do they fall apart, do they get anxious, do they get mad or do they (or do you) trust that God is able to bring good out of ALL things. Just what is your perspective about dung?

This afternoon we pulled into a parking lot in Oregon that was too small for us to turn around in. So we had to take the car off the tow dolly. The only problem was that the strap had come loose on one side and the car had actually gone over the front of the tow dolly and was on the verge of falling off. When tried to get it back on the tow dolly we scratched the door and made our predicament even worse. We ended up having to call a tow truck and Kathy and I were not happy with each other over the situation. As the tension begin to escalate I recognized that I was letting dung have its way in me instead of letting God use the dung for His greater purpose. Once I gained that perspective the whole thing became another part of our adventure and in the end everything worked out.

It is truly amazing what God can do with dung if we will just let Him have it and trust Him with it. That which seems to stink up our lives can actually become a great thing if we will bring it to Him. God actually reminds us of that in the midst of His creation. Did you know for instance that a compost pile of dung in people's gardens actually must be turned over to work best. As it mixes with oxygen in the air, it turns into something which can cause things to grow. Guess what is the optimum number of days you should let compost sit before you turn it and expose it to the air? 7 days. In a very real sense that explains what we have the chance to do every Sunday. On the 7th day we bring our dung before the Lord and expose it to the wind or the Spirit of God. As you do that He can take it and do something good in you that can cause great growth.

Well there is a lot more than can be said about dung. Pioneers used it for fuel. People in Africa use it to build houses and places of worship. I just want to encourage you not to miss out on the benefits of that which seems to be stinking up your life. God is always able to take it and use it for good if you will bring it to Him and trust Him in the midst of it. For there is nothing that He can not redeem if you will keep your life focused on Him.

Tomorrow we head down the coast of Oregon and are looking forward to the new things God has to reveal to us. Bless you!

Travel Sense

Well this is my first posting on my blog. We have been gone from Galloway for over 2 weeks. Kathy and I spent the first week traveling to Montana while Tiffany was on a mission trip in Texas. Our trip out to Montana was incredibly relaxing. We stayed over night in the Grand Tetons and at Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful was faithful but the best geyser was the Beehive. It was amazing to watch the boiling water shoot 200 feet out of the earth and comical to watch the people who had gotten too close run for cover as the wind blew the steam in their direction. God's creation really is awesome and beautiful.

Our time in Montana was wonderful. Every time we are with family, it is a gift from God that I treasure. Christina, Stephanie and Jeremy are all doing very well in their jobs and Tiffany had a fantastic time on her mission trip to Texas. We all went to the lake for a few days and I did my yearly attempt at slalom skiing. Yes I still managed to get up at 52 years of age although I must say I was whipped when I was done. I am still jogging 3-5 miles every other day (Snickers our dog usually gets in a mile or so with me). Last Sunday they had the Missoula marathon and I ended up running part of their route as a part of my run (I did not do it intentionally, it was just that they were running right in front of where we were staying). As I rounded the corner near the end of my run I was joined by the leaders of the marathon. The only difference was they were on mile 16 and I was finishing mile number 3. So there I was getting the praise and applause of the people right alone with the leaders of the race. On the one hand I felt terrible because I knew I did not deserve it but on the other hand I can not fully explain how empowering it was at the end of my run to have that kind of encouragement. It was a good reminder to me not to miss opportunities to encourage those around me.


As I have been getting up between 6 and 6:30 and spending quiet time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, I have been reminded over and over from God's word in Isaiah and Hebrews that trusting God is key to life. This morning I was meditating on Isaiah 30:15 which talks about how our salvation and strength come from repentance and rest and quietness and trust. The people of that day would have none of it. They chose instead to go their own way and wear themselves out. How true of us as well. In the midst of whatever you are facing today I encourage you to not miss what God has for you. Be still and know that He is God. if you will get quiet enough and trust in Him He will prove faithful.


Have a great day!!! The God of the mountains bids you blessing and hope...


Dave Hampson