Bikeride Across America: Arizona City, AZ

Arizona City, AZ. ( 32.755N latitude, -111.67W longitude) click pic for more info from podunk.com

64 more miles down the road on our Bike Ride Across America and we roll into the quiet and HOT! little town of Arizona City, AZ.

My bike riding partner husband and I are on mile 2,005! of “BAA” (Bikeride Across America, or BAA for short, pronounced,  ba-a, like a sheep, ’cause that’s what we are — wooly little bikeriders bringing glory to our shepherd, Jesus Christ!)

NOTE: If you’ve been checking in on my blog lately, you know this is a virtual bike ride.  We ride the miles around our midwestern town and record our progress on a map of the United States as if we were riding from Florda to California along highway 10.

We have 355 miles to go and are hoping to take a real trip (not virtual) out to San Diego in the fall to dip our front tires into the Pacific Ocean at Mission Beach.

One of the advantages of a virtual ride is we get to miss out on all the horrible heat down south.  It got up to 102 degrees today in Arizona, for instance, but we rode in a comfortable 70 degrees up here in the north, with cool breezes.

It was still hard work, 64 miles is 64 miles, after all, but SOOOOO much more do-able with a steady breeze and cozy temps.

Well, sometimes life forces us to ride in the heat whether we want to or not, so I found some verses that can fan our faith with a steady breeze of hope when we’re riding out a hot spot.

I found them using the longitude and latitude of Arizona City, AZ (see caption above)

They are Psalm 32:7 and Psalm 111:6-7:

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” ~~ Psalm 32:7

“He has shown his people the power of his works… The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.” ~~ Psalm 111:6-7.

Let’s Pray: Oh, Father, thank you that I’m never riding alone.  You promised to be with me till the very end (Matthew 28:20).

Thank you for being my “hiding place” (Psalm 32) and  surrounding me with songs of deliverance.  Increase my faith so I can hear the music!

No matter how uncomfortably hot my life may get, I can trust that your faithful and just hand is he one that turned up the heat. (Psalm 111)

You are trustworthy!  I will put my hope in You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Are you suffering in the heat all alone?  Click the pic below to meet the only One who can stand in the flames with you and bring you through unscorched:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace

source for photo above, click HERE

Special Thanks to CLIP ART, ETC. for the lovely letters “Y” and “H” above.

Tulsa, OK!

click pic to learn more about Tulsa, OK

“And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.” ~~ Luke 12:55

From a high of 70 in Door County 2 days ago (see previous post) to a high of 102 in the shade today.  We’re in Tulsa, OK…

"OooooooOk-lahoma! where the winds come sweepin' down the plain....Oklahoma! O.K.!" (click pic for source)

Only it’s NOT ok, because it’s sooooooo HOT!

Someone said this is the 2nd hottest summer on record around here.  Whew!  Lucky us.

Why are we even here in Oklahoma?  Wel, my husband and I are helping our son settle in at the University of Oklahoma.

Tulsa, OK. click pic for source

and we feel a little like Shadrach, Meshach, and Obednego down here in the fiery furnace.  Ouch! Thank you, Lord, for air conditioning!

Well, speaking of heat, here’s some “hot” verses from the Bible.  Hope you’re reading them in cooler temps than Tulsa…

“An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” ~~Proverbs 29:2

“A hot tempered man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.” ~~Proverbs 15:18

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered.” ~~Proverbs 22:24

And here’s a “cool” video of Louis Armstrong singing, “Shadrach, Meshach and Obednego”.

Cream ‘O Wheat Faith

My thoughts this morning at the stove, “The Cream of Wheat might not like the heat, but without heat, I get no breakfast treat.”  (It rhymes. 🙂 )

And sometimes, when God’s cooking up something special for us, he has to apply some heat.

“…because the Lord disciplines those he loves… Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  Hebrews 12:6a, 10-11

Are you feeling some heat?  You might not like it,but remember– you’re never alone in the flames:

“God doesn’t always give us answers, but He always gives us Himself.” ~~ Chip Ingram

“…and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.”  He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Click here to read the rest of the story in Daniel 3)

An old, old devotional, Streams in the Desert, is recommended reading in the heat.  This excerpt was especially encouraging to me when I was in my own furnace once.  Read it  here . ( If you can’t now, bookmark it for later.  It’s really good.)

And, speaking of recommended reading, the link on the right, “I’m Suffering!” is chocked FULL of encouraging words and articles.  Great for bookmarking, as well.

Let’s pray:

“Oh, Father, thank you for loving me.  You know what’s best for me and I know I can trust you during the hard times.  Every cook knows without heat, the bread don’t rise, and You’re the best cook of all, so help me to trust that you’re cooking up something really good in/with my life when I feel the flames.

Give me patience in the oven.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Finally 🙂 Here’s Louis Armstrong singing “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego”  Enjoy!!!