Where We Train

In just four weeks, we’re hopping on a plane to Ireland! And let me tell you, saying we’re excited feels like calling a rollercoaster a gentle bump. This might be my last update until we take off, so hold onto your hats! 

People keep asking where I’m walking these days since the Bowie Trail has basically turned into a memory. Kody and I have gathered some snapshots from our daily strolls to share with you all. 

Kody’s blessed to be just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Foss Lake and Foss State Park. She has some amazing photos below.

Foss State Park is like the buffet of trails, serving up over 17 miles for hiking, biking, and even horseback riding. You’ve got the historic Great Western Cattle Trail from the 1880s and the Warrior Trail. They say the campgrounds are all connected by the trails, but that’s like saying my diet is connected to my willpower—totally depends on how well they’re being maintained! 

You can pick your poison here: easy strolls or hardcore hikes. Kody’s tackled the Heart Healthy and Great Western Trails so far, and she’s planning to check out the Foss Lake Trail this week. This is, of course, after she walks to the lake, which you can see from the first photo, is not exactly a quick jaunt. 

• Heart Healthy Trail: A chill 2.1-mile loop that’ll take you about half an hour to an hour. It’s got a nice path and some killer views, but watch out for the fork in the road near the campground—it's like a choose-your-own-adventure book! Almost a third of Oklahoma State Parks have this Heart Healthy Trail, which is basically a nice way of saying, “We promise it’s not gonna kill you.” 

• Foss Lake Trail: An easy 4.9-mile loop with a teeny elevation gain of 121 feet 😀. You’ll be done in about 1.5 to 2 hours—perfect for working off that extra slice of cake! 

• Great Western Trail: A 3.2-mile out-and-back trail that’s mostly easy, but watch out for some overgrown spots—you might need a machete or you'll end up with a very fashionable pair of pants! 

You’ve got forests, open fields, and the stunning 8,800-acre Foss Lake. 

Just across the lake, you’ll find the Washita National Wildlife Refuge, which is like the VIP section for waterfowl in Oklahoma. They’ve got a ton of birds, including some endangered ones like the American bald eagle and the whooping crane. Kody hasn’t spotted a whooping crane or that interior least tern yet, but she's seen plenty of bald eagles, and they never fail to take the breath away. What an incredible photo!

The closest thing I’ve seen to an eagle? A turkey vulture—talk about a letdown! 

I don’t have any animal pics, so you’ll just have to take my word for it—we’ve got turkeys, deer, bunnies, armadillos, and a whole wildlife buffet right on our property. Below are photos from my trail.

You can see from all the ups and downs, how many times I walk around.

My trail’s been coming together over time, thanks to Kim. This guy’s been working like crazy clearing out cedars, briars, rocks, and all sorts of junk from our 16 acres. He’s turning it into a beautiful walking path and keeps it in tip-top shape. Seriously, I’m so blessed to have him around! He’s my hero and the ultimate cheerleader—when he’s not busy suggesting I should be jogging up and down bleachers, that is!

I’ve been loving the spring flowers, both the ones we planted and the wild ones, plus the birdwatching! In the last three months, I’ve had 41 different bird species stop by my feeder. It’s like a feathered version of "Survivor" out here!

Alright, folks, let’s get serious for a hot second—like, “I just spilled hot tea on my lap” serious! When you are walking for hours everyday, you have much time to spend with the Lord. A few weeks ago in Sunday School, while diving into the “Pursuit of Holiness”, I stumbled upon a verse that hit me like a pie in the face. 

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards.” Solomon 2:15. Now, in my head, I thought, “Catch those little foxes (a.k.a. my thoughts) before they sneak out of my mouth and ruin my vineyards (a.k.a. my relationships).” So, I’ve been on a little fox hunt for the past couple of weeks. Feel free to insert your own Holy Spirit wisdom here—what are the little foxes in your life?

Then, in the next lesson, the author drops a bombshell from Psalm 139: “Our thoughts should be holy, since they are known to God even before they are formed in our minds.” Wait, what? I’ve gotta catch those little foxes before they even pop into my head? That’s like trying to catch a sneeze in a windstorm! As Isaiah lamented, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips...” (Isaiah 6:5). But hold up—the story doesn’t stop there! Isaiah also says, “See...your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for" (v.7). How? Because the righteousness of Christ is credited to us! Praise Him, hallelujah!

But guess what? I’m still on the hook here! I’m responsible for my thoughts, words, and actions in this pursuit of holiness. I realized it all boils down to the condition of my heart. If my heart is in the right place, my thoughts will follow—like a well-trained puppy, not a hyperactive squirrel!

Anna, our amazing teacher, laid down some golden nuggets for us:

1. Recognize your thoughts (like spotting a raccoon in your trash).

2. Compare them to Scripture—do they line up, or are they just taking a detour?

3. Stop those thoughts from leading to fear, anxiety, or ungodly shenanigans.

4. Replace the negativity—swap “I am worthless” with “I am wonderfully and fearfully made” (thanks, Psalm 139!).

5. Intentionally think about things that are true, right, and honorable. Philippians 4:8 is your friend here!

I love this verse from the Amplified Bible: "Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]."

6. And don’t forget to ask the Holy Spirit for help—because let’s be real, we need all the help we can get and He is ready and willing, we just need to ask.

Finally, let’s not forget 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” We’re talking about divine power that can demolish strongholds! Isn't that amazing? We’re taking every thought captive to obey Christ, ready to tackle any disobedience. So, let’s grab those little foxes and make our vineyards thrive!

More Training

Every day is a training day, but Friday Kody took a long hike in OK and I took one at LBJ National Grasslands. Below is a synopsis of my hike followed by Kody's.

I arrived at LBJ Grasslands at 8:50 this morning to start what was supposed to be a 13-mile hike. Five minutes in, I confidently took a wrong turn and headed up a hill instead of going through the unmarked gate. Nothing like getting lost before you’re even properly started. Fortunately, I figured it out quickly, turned around, and tried again.

I followed the white trail (listed at 12.9 miles). The trail itself was easy to follow, but thanks to the recent storms, parts of it were basically a mud wrestling arena. At one point I went slip-sliding down a short hill, but thanks to my hiking poles—and perhaps a little supernatural help—I managed to stay upright and avoid becoming one with the mud.

It was a peaceful walk, enjoying the birds singing their little concerts while the redbud and dogwood trees decided to show off their spring outfits.

Not long into the hike, I realized a pit stop was going to be necessary. Since I was the only human out there at the time, the bushes and I came to a quiet understanding.

This trail gets a lot of horse traffic, and the hoof prints had turned parts of it into potholes big enough to swallow a small car…or at least a hiking boot. Some sections were a churned-up muddy obstacle course. Others were completely underwater, which meant I spent a fair amount of time wandering off trail trying to find the “less swampy” route.

There were also plenty of downed branches and limbs from last week’s storms. I started moving them off the trail as I went, apparently deciding mid-hike that I was both the hiker and the volunteer trail crew.

About two hours in, I finally saw another living being—a woman on horseback. We chatted for a few minutes before she cantered off, probably wondering why I was out there redecorating the trail with moved branches.

At about mile seven I heard voices before I saw them. A lot of voices. Suddenly I was facing a group of 60–70 people—men, women, kids, babies in slings, grandparents, and one woman who was completely barefoot. I have questions about that life choice, especially given the mud, rocks, and horse potholes. They said they were from Fort Worth meeting up with the Wise County Nature Club. Apparently the entire club showed up.

They were walking two and three wide and seemed blissfully unaware that other humans might want to pass, so once again I stepped off the trail and bushwhacked my way around the crowd like a socially awkward deer.

Nope, not moving that tree.

The trail was well marked, but I still photographed every marker like it was a major achievement: Another mile! Then I came across this red marker… but something was wrong. The usual white marker that’s supposed to sit next to it was nowhere to be seen. I stopped. Looked around. Looked back at the marker. Looked down the trail. And immediately thought, “Well… this is it. This is how people end up on the news.”

You know the story: ‘Hiker confidently follows trail marker… disappears into the wilderness because they refused to turn around.' But then, just around the next bend in the trail, there it was—the familiar white marker sitting exactly where it belonged. Whew! Crisis averted. I was not going to become a cautionary hiking story after all.

Between the mud, the churned-up trail, the crowd, my occasional “Terry Tourist” photo stops, and my side job as trail maintenance, my pace wasn’t exactly record-breaking. I told myself to stop clearing branches and just walk… but somehow I kept moving them anyway.

Just as I casually strolled past this little puddle, a frog popped out and croaked at me like it owned the place—nearly made me jump out of my shoes.

Then I hit the sand. One mile of deep sand that felt like five miles. If you’ve ever tried hiking through sand after already hiking for hours, you know it’s basically nature’s Stairmaster.

These trees were massive… the photo just said, “best I can do is medium.”

Near the end of the trail I came across three horseback riders with two pack horses parked squarely in the middle of the trail. They didn’t seem inclined to move for a weary hiker, so I carefully squeezed around while one rider calmly reassured a skittish horse. As soon as I passed them, they started moving again, which meant I suddenly developed a burst of speed because the last thing I needed was horses gaining on me from behind.

Almost five hours after starting what should have been a 3½-4 hour hike, I finally spotted my car. Yes, that's it on the other side of the fence, in the middle of the photo. Victory! Except… there was a forest service employee circling it and taking a photo of my license plate. She asked if I had proof of payment to park there. I proudly showed my National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass hanging from the mirror… which apparently only gets you half-price parking. So I paid the $5 fee to park next to a picnic table in an otherwise empty park. I briefly considered mentioning the trail maintenance service I had just provided free of charge, but decided to let it go.

On the drive home, the day continued its theme of “slow and steady.” When I reached the railroad crossing in Alvord, the gates dropped and the longest train in Texas crawled by. After it finally passed, I crossed the tracks, made my way to Highway 287, turned onto FM 1749… and promptly waited on the same train again.

Apparently today’s theme was simple: slow hiking, slow trails, slow horses, and very slow trains.

But hey… at least I didn’t fall in the mud.

Kody's hike and comments:

There is quite a bit of detail in the photos, but you will need to zoom in.

It was a beautiful day Friday and I was happy to set out on my long walk. My path took me down 2-1/2 miles of dirt road and 2-1/2 miles of a ranch two-track complete with wash-outs and cow patties. But I love that ranch road, just cows, an occasional coyote or deer and magnificent views. I walk to the boundary of that ranch and back again, 10 miles plus my mile and a half Maisie (my doggy) walk that I do everyday yielded a respectable 11-1/2 miles.

Training, why do we do it? It’s hard, exhausting, frustrating, causes pain in places we’ve never had pain before; why do we continue? It’s difficult yes, but it will help us persevere on the journeys ahead. We test our equipment and make adjustments before we ever get to the trail. The training exposes areas of weakness that need shoring up before we ever get to the real trails. We do all this so that when we get there, we are as prepared as we can possibly be. We arise every day, put miles on our feet and legs, test our bodies and pray. Help us be ready, Jesus. Guide us, strengthen us, protect us. Why do we do it? We do it because we expect to witness the magnificent scenery and the King’s glory in other lands. We can’t see it yet, but we can see it from afar in our dreams and in our plans.

It reminds me of our spiritual journey. We are on a journey to our eternal home with Jesus and we are preparing for it now. We can only see it from afar, but the hope of it energizes our steps and encourages our confidence that by His power, we will complete the trail and arrive victoriously at our destination.

Kody always has such inspiring things to say and such a beautiful way with words. It feels like the Lord continually keeps us on the same page. I've been thinking about using my 'moniker', (sojourner),  as a theme for this blog, and it's amazing how her comments connect with that. It confirms for me that I'll be focusing on that as we go along.

In just six weeks, we will be departing from Texas and Oklahoma to begin our hiking journey through Ireland. As the date draws closer, we would greatly appreciate your continued prayers and support. This adventure is something we have been preparing for physically, mentally, and spiritually, and we know how important it is to rely on God every step of the way.

Please pray for our physical strength and endurance as we continue our training in the coming weeks and during the hike itself. We are walking many miles each day while carrying daypacks filled with essentials—about two liters of water, rain gear, a first aid kit, snacks, and other supplies needed for the journey. It’s amazing how heavy that pack can feel after 10 or 12 miles on the trail. Pray especially for protection over our knees, feet, neck, and shoulders so that we remain healthy, injury-free, and able to complete the miles set before us.

Even more importantly, we ask for your prayers for the people we will encounter along the way. Our greatest desire is that God would go before us and prepare hearts to receive His light and truth. Pray that the conversations we have—whether brief or long—would be guided by Him and that our words and actions would reflect Christ clearly.

Please also pray that we remain sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. When opportunities arise to speak, encourage, or share our faith, pray that we would recognize those moments and have the courage and wisdom to respond faithfully. We want to walk each day with intention, humility, and obedience, remembering the words of Scripture:

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.” — Ephesians 5:15–16

Thank you for standing with us in prayer as we prepare for this journey. Your encouragement and support mean so much to us, and we are grateful to know that others are lifting us up as we go.