Christmas Reason

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It is that time of year when we think of cool weather, gift giving, family time, and a few days off from the workaday world.  For those of us who live in warmer climates, it could be that we can sneak out for a few miles on the roads or in the woods on our scooters. 

All good, these things. 

There is one more thing about this season, though that is paramount.  The reason for our celebrating in the first place.  It is the birth of Jesus Christ around 2000 years ago.  Christ is God's son and his teachings are fundamental to our lives now, and into eternity. 

It is at this special time of year, that we would do well to hear the Christmas story once again.
The prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of Jesus to earth about seven hundred years beforehand:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and The Government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty GOD, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this. 

A physician named Luke wrote of the birth about thirty years after Jesus' death:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His Name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Around thirty-three years after Jesus' birth, he was killed by crucifixion, laid in a borrowed tomb for three days, then arose from death.  He was seen by multitudes here on earth after that. 

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your living savior, then find a church that preaches from the Bible, and where they believe that it is the inerrant word recorded by writers inspired by God.

They can explain the wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and what it means to you and me. All you have to do to go to heaven after you die is to believe what happened to Him, and to ask Jesus to be your savior.
...

Merry Christmas to all, and happy riding in the new year.	. . .	. .

Turkey Day!

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Turkey Day is upon us, a day to eat turkey and all the fixin's, 

watch the games on TV,

and maybe go out for a ride while everyone else naps after dinner! 

But there is one thing we all ought to do before we carve that turkey -- or that curvey road. 


We ought to thank God for this wonderful country we have been given. 

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Fields of the Wood

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Ever see anything like this?

See: Exodus 20:2-17

Neither had I until this week.  The weather forecast for the week showed rain, rain, rain, except for Monday.  So, I took the day and went to a pretty neat place up near Murphy North Carolina.

That's where I took the photo above.  The gigantic Ten Commandments are on a hillside at a place called Fields of the Wood Bible Park.  All you have to do is go in and look around.  It is free for the asking.  (More about that later.)

The place covers some 210 acres, and includes dozens of concrete markers with information and inspiration from the Bible.  It is almost as though you are walking through that precious book as you explore here.  The place is a ministry of: the Church of God of Prophecy in Cleveland Tennessee. 

I found out about it way back in October of 2011 on the Carolina Rider Forum.  The tall guy who used to post quite a bit there, Stretch, had set it as a tag, but nobody went after it for some reason.  


Well, I finally took the time to go there.  Better late than never, I'd say.

It is 256 miles round trip, without diversions.  With diversions, it can be as long as your hind end can stand your saddle, since there are some nice curvy roads there and about. 

[So.  How do you get there, Bucky?]

I took the most direct route, using Harley-Davidson Ride Planner.  (That's the website that works so much better than Google Maps and the one that downloads your custom route directly to your GPS if you want it to.)  I wrote about how it works back in April or 2015.

Here is the route:

Click here for a Bing interactive map

Major towns and road names starting in Easley, SC, on the right side of the map:

• US-123 S, 34.0 mi
• Clemson, SC
• Seneca, SC
• Westminster, SC
• Brasstown, SC
• US-76 W, 25.6 mi
• Long Creek, SC
• Enter Georgia
• Clayton, GA
• US-23/US-441/US-76, 0.3 mi
• US-76 W, 31.2 mi
• Macedonia, GA
• Hiawassee, GA
• Hwy 17 N/GA-515 E, 1.1 mi
• Enter North Carolina
• Hayesville, NC
• NC-69 N, 3.5 mi
• US-64 W, 13.5 mi
• Murphy, NC
• US-129 S/US-19 S/US-64 W/US-74 W, 8.0 mi
• NC-294 W, 9.9 mi

Arrive at Fields of the Wood, 10000 NC-294, Murphy, NC, 28906


There are some nice sweeping curves on the road between Brasstown and Clayton and between Clayton and Macedonia.  There are also some between Hayesville and Murphy.  The rest of the roads are mostly less challenging.  There were almost no areas of less-than-excellent pavement that I saw, and the traffic was light. 

And remember that Deal's Gap, and the Tail of the Dragon are only about 58 miles from Murphy on this route. 

[What else can I see there at Fields of the Wood?]

Well, here is the entrance:

And the arch just beyond it: 

The arch and the road beyond it:

These things can also be found:

• ClimbTen Commandments Mountain
• ExperienceThe All Nations Cross, a giant cross with flags of the nations of the earth flying from flagpoles on its perimeter
• MountainPrayer Chapel
• SeeOr Get Baptized In The Baptismal Pool
• SeeGolgotha the rocky place where Jesus was crucified, having the appearance of a skull
• GoInside Jesus' Tomb where He was buried for three days before arising from the dead
• VisitThe Psalms Of Praise
• HikeThe Nature Trails
• ClimbTo The Top and Pray Atop Prayer Mountain where you can read monuments all along it with Bible passages pertinent to many of life's struggles and situations
• DeliciousBurger Mountain Cafe
• HiddenTreasures Gift Shop
• ViewEach Picnic Area
• ViewThe Duck Pond

A satellite view:

At the top of the Ten Commandments mountain, is a 30 foot tall open Bible. 

It is open to the passage in Matthew 22:37-39, where Jesus replied [to an expert of the law who was trying to trick him, asking, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"]: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  A lot of people don't know that there are many more than ten commandments, and these are two of them.

A closer view of the open Bible:  

View from the top of Prayer Mountain, looking through the trees, and across the valley at the Ten Commandments:

It is quite a hike to the top of either Prayer Mountain or the Ten Commandments, but there is a road to get to the top in each case, too.

View from the top of the Ten Commandments, showing Golgotha with the three crosses in the center, the baptismal pool at far left, and Jesus' tomb between the two:

Here is a view from the same vantage point, showing Prayer Mountain just left of center, Psalms of Praise in the center, and a light plane in its shelter at the left: 

The plane was part of a fleet of planes that was used from the 1940s, possibly through the 1960s to distribute Gospel tracts.  It was called the White Angel Fleet, and was based on the airstrip at the site.

Here is an aerial drone tour that takes you through some of the exhibits (without the climbing):



By the way, the free entry -- for the asking -- has some great parallels to the only way you can get to heaven and live forever after you die and leave this earth.  You must believe in your heart of hearts what the following words of the salvation prayer say: 

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

It is important to note that you don't have to work your way to heaven.  All you have to do is sincerely believe the words above -- it is free for the asking!  Once you do that, then you will want to do good works for others as a result. 


As I am winding down my visit, I notice that the Tennessee state line is a little less than four miles away to the west.  I have only ridden in three states so far -- South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia -- so going there would increase my state count by a whopping 33 percent.  I go for it, but I would later regret taking the extra time to dash over there and to try out a few very curvy roads nearby.  

Coming back from Tennessee, it starts sprinkling.  Then it starts to rain.  Then it starts to rain hard.  Then it starts to pour. 

Poor Bucky doesn't have his rainsuit along, either.  There is no choice but to continue. Since I am heading east, I should eventually ride out of it, but it takes an hour and a half to do so.  That's why they call them scattered showers, I believe.  I dry out mostly by the time I pull into my garage.

All together, with my little side excursions, I have ridden 302 miles, my longest single-day ride so far.  Surprisingly, I am not all that tired, even after riding in the rain.  (Maybe the rain invigorated me. Who knows?)  I am a little stiff in the legs the next day, but not bad for an old guy.

I'll tell you about the other curvy roads in a future posting.  Don't miss it. 
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Tears for Our Nation

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This is not about motorcycles. 

It is about sad and serious reality.  

The United States Constitution

The book of Isaiah is a good place to start.

Motorcycles won't matter much without our freedom.  

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Christmas Meaning

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It is that time of year when we think of cool weather, gift giving, family time, and a few days off from the workaday world.  For those of us who live in warmer climates, it could be that we can sneak out for a few miles on the roads or in the woods on our scooters. 

All good, these things. 

There is one more thing about this season, though that is paramount.  The reason for our celebrating in the first place.  It is the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago.  Christ is God's son and his teachings are fundamental to our lives now, and into eternity. 

It is at this special time of year, that we would do well to hear the Christmas story once again.

The prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of Jesus to earth about seven hundred years beforehand:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and The Government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty GOD, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this. 

The prophet Micah wrote, between 735 and 700 B.C., about where Jesus would be born, in Bethlehem:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Luke wrote of the birth about thirty years after Jesus' death:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His Name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Around thirty-three years after Jesus' birth, he was killed by crucifixion, laid in a borrowed tomb for three days, then arose from death.  He was seen by multitudes here on earth after that. 

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your living savior, then find a church that preaches from the Bible, and where they believe that it is the inerrant word recorded by writers inspired by God.

They can explain the wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and what it means to you and me. All you have to do to go to heaven after you die is to believe what happened to Him, and to ask Jesus to be your savior. 

Merry Christmas to all, and happy riding in the new year.

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Rocket Pack Jack

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Last week, I had a chance to help out on something a little out of the ordinary.  It was only the second time I have done this in my life, though I probably should have been doing it more often. 

This time I got to be Rocket Pack Jack. 

[You got to be what, Bucky?]

Rocket Pack Jack. 

Don’t know who that is? 

Well, let me tell you. 

He looks like this:

A little bit of an unusual motorcycle outfit.  Right? 

Probably.  But it is a little more. 

Now, how about this guy? 

Same thing, maybe.

Let's see who these people are.


Every summer, our church holds Bible School for a week, and there is a theme each year to get the kids – ages 0 through 99 – engaged. 

Now, Rocket Pack Jack is a superhero character who stars in a save-the-day video, and in some of the materials used during the week.  Here's the video cover:

Well, I thought the character's getup looked enough like a motorcycle suit that I played Rocket Pack Jack one evening.  Incognito, of course.  Nobody would suspect that ol' Bucky's alter ego was really Jack.  

Right?

That night, I arrived on the bike, parked it square in front of the church on the sidewalk, and high-fived and shook hands with most of the kids and adults as they were coming and going. 

The kids, especially, thought that was great.  They readily engaged with Jack. Some of the adults, not so much.  They weren't really sure who I was supposed to be, but went along anyway. 

By the way, the theme this year was called Agency 3D.

It is a sort of investigator thing where the kids search for clues like a detective would do.  This time, though, it was to prove that Jesus was a real human being, that he died, and was resurrected again for our salvation: That he was the real deal. 

Here’s the way it unfolded during the week:

    Day 1 - Is Jesus really God's Son?
    Day 2 - Was Jesus more than just a good man?
    Day 3 - Was Jesus' death real?
    Day 4 - Is Jesus alive?
    Day 5 - What do I do with the evidence about Jesus?


Let’s go back to the 3Ds.  They stand for Discover, Decide, and Defend. 

In other words you Discover that he was a real guy – actually God’s son sent to earth to redeem sinners.  You also discover that he was unfairly tried and brutally killed, but arose from the dead again.  That last part is the important one.  No other god has ever done that. 

By so doing, he has taken the punishment that we would otherwise be subject to. 

Taking the punishment we deserve happens if you believe that he is who he is, that what happened really happened, and that the only way to get to heaven is to believe all this and accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. 

Look here:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.  (John 3:16)

That sounds good, doesn't it? 

In our Bible School, all the evidence was presented.  Then you were invited to Decide whether to accept the evidence.  If you do, you are in. In heaven, you can be a perfect motorcycle rider – or perfect at anything else you want to. 

Wow! 

If not, well, that’s when only burning fires await you for all eternity after you leave your scooter behind on this earth. 

Not good. 


Once you have decided – and provided you have made the right decision; to believe that Jesus is your Savior – then it is your task to introduce that faith to others.  You Defend it, in other words. 

See how it works?  Discover, Decide, and Defend. 

Remember, none of us is promised another minute of life on this earth.  You could pass on into eternity before you finish reading this.  The next turn in the road could be your last. 

If you have not yet discovered and decided, what are you waiting on? 

…and, what does it hurt to do it?  Why not?  Sort of like insurance – fire insurance, in fact. 


Oh, wait a sec.  I have to go get my rocket pack back on.  Now! 

See you next time, 

Jack      
...er, Bucky



More Info:

■ "Salvation and forgiveness of sins is....about receiving Christ as Savior and recognizing that He has done all of the work for us. God [actually] requires [just] one step of us—receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and fully trusting in Him alone as the way of salvation. That is what distinguishes the Christian faith from all other world religions, each of which has a list of steps that must be followed in order for salvation to be received. The Christian faith recognizes that God has already completed the steps and simply calls on us to receive Him in faith." 
from gotquestions.org

■ Agency D3 Videos: Intro, More Than Just a Good Man, We Stand, God's Son, He is King, He is Alive. 

■ Verse for the week – "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"  (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

■ Rocket Pack Jack and Agency 3D are Lifeway Christian Resources trademarked names. 

My alter ego with the "real" Rocket Pack Jack
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He is Not Here

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Today we celebrate the most important event in the history of the world.

Must be pretty important, yes? 

Well, it is.  Today, Jesus Christ, the son of God, came alive and rose from a tomb where he had been buried after having been brutally killed three days before. 

The reason for this is that he took on our sins -- took the blame for things he did not do, so that we wouldn't have to take that blame.

What is sin?  It is something that was introduced way back when Adam and Eve, the first human beings, disobeyed the only rule God had given them: Don't eat the fruit from one, single tree.  They did anyway, and we have been disobedient ever since.  It is built into all of us now. 

So, what does the word sin mean?  It is to "go beyond a set boundary or limit."  We stretch the rules, in other words.  (Maybe exceed the speed limit a little in those twisties!)  We have all done it.  It is so tempting. 

See what I mean -- it is built in.  Nobody has to teach us how to be bad -- we already know how to do that! 

Another meaning of the word sin is to "miss the mark."  We seem to never quite measure up to what we ought to be, despite our best human efforts. 

There are three things you have to do to get in on this forgiveness of the things you do but you shouldn't.  Importantly, these things are also the only way to get into heaven, where you will live forever:

• You must turn away from the bad things you do.  The word for that is REPENT [have a change of mind; to go in another direction]
• The next thing is that you must BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ--his death, his burial, and his resurrection from the dead.
• Last, you must OBEY the word of God found in the Bible.  This is different from just trying to be good enough, which we cannot do ('cause being bad is built in, remember).   

Then, as we strive to be good, God helps to do that.  Wow!  We get help on top of it. 


Today, most people scoff at all this, but it is true, so we'd better believe it.  Anyway, why take a chance?   Why not do it and be sure?


Find a good Bible-believing church.  That is vital.  If they don't take their teachings right out of the Bible, and believe every word of it, it isn't good enough. 

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Christmas Blessings

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It is that time of year when we think of cool weather, gift giving, family time, and a few days off from the workaday world.  For those of us who live in warmer climates, it could be that we can sneak out for a few miles on the roads or in the woods on our scooters. 

All good, these things. 

There is one more thing about this season, though that is paramount.  The reason for our celebrating in the first place.  It is the birth of Jesus Christ around 2000 years ago.  Christ is God's son and his teachings are fundamental to our lives now, and into eternity. 

It is at this special time of year, that we would do well to hear the Christmas story once again.

The prophet Isaiah wrote about the coming of Jesus to earth about seven hundred years beforehand:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and The Government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty GOD, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this. 

Luke wrote of the birth about thirty years after Jesus' death:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His Name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Around thirty-three years after Jesus' birth, he was killed by crucifixion, laid in a borrowed tomb for three days, then arose from death.  He was seen by multitudes here on earth after that. 

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your living savior, then find a church that preaches from the Bible, and where they believe that it is the inerrant word recorded by writers inspired by God.

They can explain the wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ and what it means to you and me. All you have to do to go to heaven after you die is to believe what happened to Him, and to ask Jesus to be your savior. 

Merry Christmas to all, and happy riding in the new year.

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Here is a bit of inspiration for you, by a group of ordinary people.

Rally to Ridgecrest, 2013 -- Days 3 and 4

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Sunday.

The day begins with devotions and breakfast -- again a great start. 

Today, we are going to ride to the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery over in Black Mountain to pay respects to the dead soldiers who lie there, and to their comrades in arms who have been and are still at work defending our country.

There is light drizzle, but everyone lines up at the exit of the conference center to begin the short ride there.  

That white trailer has a peculiar emblem on it.  Hotpoint -- like the refrigerator. It certainly looks the part. 

The riders make their way to the cemetery, park along its roads, and quietly walk up to the building where a few words of dedication will be spoken. 

Photo by Rally to Ridgecrest

A bagpiper plays.  A commemorative wreath is there. 

Photo by Rally to Ridgecrest

The dead lie silently in their simply-marked graves. 

Photo by Rally to Ridgecrest

Flags have been set in place on each one. 

Photo by Rally to Ridgecrest

We hear the speaker's words, then fan out to the graves.  I am touched by the solemnity of the place, and well up with the thoughts of the sacrifices these people made for my freedom.

We head back to the Conference Center as a group for another singing and message. 

I have plans to ride solo today.  My route is back up NC-80, then onto the Parkway, to and beyond Little Switzerland, then return by way of NC-226 -- a route that is twisty in several places:  

View Larger Map of Planned Sunday Day Ride to Little Switzerland

It is only around seventy-five miles, but the rain is gone, it has turned into a beautiful day, and I am eager to set out.

When I reach NC-80, I retrace my path, now toward the north instead of the south as it was on Friday.  I am not going for a speed record, but I ride along at a good clip.  The twists become tighter nearer the Parkway, and I cruise past Blind Kenny again, and they snap a few more pictures, this being one of them.

Still a pretty good lean angle, body upright, looking through the curve.

I reach the Parkway in another couple of minutes and head north.  I am enjoying the road a lot, and there is little traffic, despite it being a holiday weekend.  When I reach NC-226A, I am tempted to take it instead of 226.  It is far more twisty, though and I want to have a little less technical ride today.  So I continue on -- but I don't turn south on 226 as planned.  Instead, I continue on the Parkway until I reach the town of Linville Falls,

View Larger Map of Actual Sunday Ride Route

That adds around twenty miles to the trip, but I just don't want to leave the Parkway.

On the way toward Linville Falls, at milepost 329, I stop at Altapass and the overlook with a sign describing the Clinchfield Railroad Loops -- another series of railroad loops to allow it to gain altitude like the Old Fort Loops.

That is the explanatory sign for an engineering feat.  This series of loops, begun in 1905, and completed in 1908, is now part of the CSX system.  There are eighteen tunnels in this 13-mile trackage section, needed to overcome the elevation change of the Blue Ridge Escarpment.  The distance is only about four miles as the crow flies.  The ridge was a formidable barrier here just as it was near Ridgecrest and Saluda.  Mostly Russian, German, and Italian immigrants provided the labor for this project. 

Here is a map of the railroad route: 

You can't see much of the route from the overlook, but the Frograil railfan website has a good description of it. (Search for "Clinchfield Loops Overview.")  That site does not have many pictures, but is intended to document the best places to view the track and the trains running on it.  You can experience a simulated a trip up the loops in this video.

There is an apple orchard here also, called the Orchard at Altapass, of all things.

There is a gravel road, Peppers Creek, that leads to one of the loops, called Camp 2, at Pushpin B below:

View Larger Map of the Clinchfield Loop on Peppers Creek Road

The orchard is at the left in the map above. (Interestingly, as I was preparing this posting, I explored the map near Altapass and there is a Wal-Mart only 2-1/2 miles from the orchard!  ...and I thought I was in the middle of nowhere.) 

The distance from the Parkway to the railroad is only about a mile, downgrade, with some washboard, and loose gravel.  The road skirts the tracks south of where they pass under the Parkway, though the underbrush conceals them from view. 

I am surprised when I reach the grade crossing.  It has electric signal lights.  I stop for a few minutes, hoping for a train to come along, but, alas, one does not.  I head back up the hill, under the Parkway, and onto it. 

After I gas up at Linville Falls, I reluctantly turn around and head toward 226, turn south, and hit some curves coming down from the Parkway.  After a few miles, the road calms down, and I cruise along in the beautiful afternoon sun. 

That evening, I go to supper and to another worship service.

I take a few minutes to survey the crowd.  Many are dressed in jeans and tee shirts, and about half have leather colors vests on.  Those vests have a variety of patches and pins on them, denoting their beliefs, and some of their activities.  Here are a few:

Afterward, I attend another seminar, this one lead by Ed Obaugh, the same guy who taught Protect Yourself in Court a couple of days ago.  This one is entitled How to Share Jesus Without Fear.  Again Ed speaks from the heart and gives ideas on how to approach others in all kinds of unusual situations about their salvation through Jesus Christ.  A key point is that you don't convict a person to believe.  Rather, the Holy Spirit prepares, and you are His voice and face.  Awesome responsibility, not to be shirked. 

I spend some time in the hamburger shop, talking with other bikers.  There are fewer people here tonight because many have already departed for home, but I plan to stay another night so I will be fresh for the ride home tomorrow.

Another couple, Johnny and Lisa, will be riding in the same direction toward home on their Harleys, so they ask to come along with me.  No problem. 

I pack up my saddle and tail bags as best I can.  I have purchased a few books from the LifeWay store, so I have a bit of a challenge to get everything in, and get the zippers closed.  I prepare my paper map for the trip home tomorrow, and zip it into the top of my tank bag where I can refer to it.  The GPS is programmed to that route as well, so I should be able to follow its lead and get there just fine. 

I hit the sack giving thanks for a safe, inspirational, and enjoyable day. 

Mileage on Sunday = 153


Monday

Today, it is breakfast, loading the bike, and a last trip to the office to check out.  Johnny and Lisa are doing the same, and I move my bike to where theirs are parked.  We start out on the superslab.  I have to remember as the leader of the group not to accelerate to cruising speed too soon, as that would require them to exceed the speed limit to catch up.  Once they are close behind, I crank it up to the speed limit. 

The route I have picked is a way to get home quickly, but with a short interlude on the Parkway to give us one last period of enjoying its beauty.  Here it is:

View Larger Map of the Trip Home

It starts out on I-40/US-70, then switches to the Parkway, then to I-26, US-25, SC-11, to Easley, and home   I reach there at about 10:30 in the morning, quite a bit earlier than I expected. 


Mileage on Monday = 97
Total mileage for the trip = 588.

It has been a great long weekend, but I am ready to be home, get reacquainted with my wife, and sleep in my own bed again. 


After I returned home, I hung up my riding suit, rested for a little while, had a lunch prepared by my sweet wife, then cleaned up the bike.  There was a considerable amount of road dirt and splatted bugs to remove.  It came out pretty well, I think, no worse for wear. 

Hope you have enjoyed the trip this year.  Next year, ride along with me to the Rally to Ridgecrest.

Links to other websites:
A Weekend in the Loops of Western North Carolina
The Clinchfield Loops from the Bridghunter website
The Clinchfield Loops from the American-Rail website 
Videos of trains at Altapass, Clicnchfield Loops


Links to related postings:

Rally to Ridgecrest, 2013 -- Day 1
Rally to Ridgecrest, 2013 -- Day 2
Rally to Ridgecrest, 2013 -- Days 3 and 4

Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part I
Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part II

Rally to Ridgecrest Facebook Page

Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part II, The Ride Up
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part III, Saturday
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part IV, Sunday and the Ride Home.

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