"Death crossed my mind...as a very real possibility"

(John 13:17) "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them"

"Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself-begin to have spiritual discernment."
-Oswald Chambers- Utmost for his highest June 8

In light of a recent trip to the Chesapeake Bay and experiencing first hand the raging seas of a storm, as well as the calm waters of a harbor upon being delivered from the storm, this passage hit very close to home. In quiet contemplation I recall how hard I fought to keep the boat headed into the wind when the wind and waves, in combination with one another, tossed the boat up and down with ease. It is with that same tenacity that I fight to keep myself pointed in the direction of my lord and savior Jesus Christ.

No raging sea, nor blinding rain will keep me from thee oh Lord, blow hurricane gusts that toss me about and I will sing for you a love song
Come take me away to your heavenly realm so I can worship at your feet, but here i remain to do your will by the mercy of your storm

Leaving Haven Harbor, August 19th

The red line marks our path of travel

On August 19th Dan Baker-charterer and 1st mate, Asher Bray-Helmsman and maintrimmer, Aaron Bray-maintrimmer and tactition and Aaron Good - Captain, set sail on Selah, a 36' Pearson sailboat that became home for 3 days while navigating the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. We arrived at the quiet haven harbor in Rock Hall MD, on the evening of the 18th. We familiarized ourselves with the boat and settled in for our first night on the boat.

The winds proved to be slow the first half of friday the 19th. We left Haven Harbor around 11 or so in the morning heading south to our evening destination of Saint Michaels. The winds were slow on the northern part of Kent island giving an opportunity to take a dip in the bay.

Shortly after passing through the Kent Narrows we gained some wind speed. The narrows is a small boat highway that connects the North eastern shore of the Chesapeak Bay with Prospect Bay. The winds picked up to about 12 knots and we sailed most of the way to St. Michaels.


Saint Micheals was established in 1677 and is home to great sea food, historic sites, musueams, and entertainment. The morning of the 20th turned out to be slow going. In fact we turned on the ships autopilot and played a few games of cards as we motored toward the southern point of Kent island where we would round the point and head west to Galesville. I took a nap while the boys motored and played cards. Pirates Cove provided us a slip for Selah and a meal for her crew on the night of the 20th. The evening faded into night as we drank wine on the deck of the boat.

The morning air on the 21st was filled with life. We trimmed the sails almost as soon as we pulled away from the dock and sailed North to Annapolis. The winds were with us blowing out of the southeast at about 14 - 20 knots. We arrived at my least favorite place, the Public Docks in Annapolis, also known as ego alley, for the incredibly large and expensive boats that park there. I dislike this dock because landing your vessel perfectly in a slip is near impossible when the winds are coming off the bay, which they were. In addition, everyone person in annapolis has a front row seat at the comedy show, us trying to dock, about to unfold. With a little help from an impromptu dock hand, a guy with some sailing knowledge walking down the street, we landed Selah safely in her slip. The crew and myself wandered to Pussers, a bayside restaurant for some lunch. An hour later we succesfully departed from the dreaded ego alley and headed for ships home, haven Harbor

Before Lunch in Annapolis

The Storm

We passed many small sailing vessels that had been flipped by the increasing wind speed, they received help from harbor patrol and other more maneuverable vessels and due to our tight schedule headed north for Haven Harbor. We sailed with the jib from Annapolis to just north of the bay bridge. The winds began to increase to unmanageable speeds so we dropped sail and motored north toward our doom. The sky was black and you could see the wind and the waves building as we pressed on toward our destination. Annapolis and the bridge behind us still looked inviting compared to the lighting filled sky in front of us. As we entered the storm the waves increased and began tossing our boat up and down. As the headwinds picked up to speeds of 40 knots I fought hard to keep Selah into the wind and head-on to each new wave. Water splashed across the deck of the boat and we all put on life vests and hunkered down. Blasts of wind would come out of the east and south reaching speeds of 50 knots again trying to throw us off coarse. we battled for nearly 45 minutes. Death crossed my mind, in fact it stayed in the forefront as a very real possibility. While I was at the helm fighting the waves I had two images in my head, the first; Arriving in port after the storm had passed and meeting those who hid from its force on the land, sharing stories about the storm with them. The second thought was simply this, we would not arrive in port. Instead I would be with my heavenly father. There was a glimmer of sunshine and the sky to the west looked clear, and then the rain came. It rained hard for about an hour and at times the sky threw hail at us. Lightening flashed all around us like flickering neon signs. We sailed by the compass, GPS, and charts. We rode out the storm for about 2 hours and 45 minutes until the storm broke up and gave us sunshine for the last 40 minutes and arrival at Haven Harbor. The storm had knocked out the power in Haven Harbor and left the majority of the parking lot flooded. Many individuals watched as our weathered crew and boat pulled into our slip. We arrived and we shared stories with those who where glad they were safely on land during the storm. I just smiled and thought to myself. "I was glad I was out there in the storm"

Author and Captain Aaron Good on his forth Chesapeake Bay Sailing Trip

Quiet Reflection!

Peace comes from the Lord. Its quiet in Boswell, well, as quiet as it can be on a monday night at 11:40pm. Its cool outside but comfortable. Feels more like late september than August. The constant drone of the television across the alley at the sports bar creeps through the sleepy streets of this quiet little town. The crickets constantly play their stringed instruments. And in the midst of that gentle noise is peace. But peace does not rest on the shoulders of the town, or the porch I am currently sitting on, or even me. It comes from a deep satisfaction in my creator. It comes from knowing Him personally. I'm 26 years old but the Lord has placed a steadiness in me that makes me feel 70, perhaps. I guess I won't know for sure until I'm 70, but the Lord has removed anxiety, stress, and given me a hope and satisfaction like non other I've experienced. Not in the things of this world, but in the Holy Spirit. See, i have had to trust the Lord with my whole heart these past 4 weeks. I can truly say I gave it up to him entirely. I know I did because when it happened I no longer worried about impressing others with fancy words, or trying to meet the needs and standards of others. My words had purpose and were directed by his Word. I fixed my eyes on my lord and savior, Jesus, and purposed to be like Him. And put him at the direct center of my life. I am sharing this not to brag or boast in anything I did, but to honor the one who made my life possible. I also make this known so those whom I love and care for can keep me accountable to these words. See, it's happened before, I get excited about what the lord is doing and am on a spiritual high for a while and then come down and lose sight of how great God really is. But something is different this time and I want to make sure I don't lose sight of that. Its different because God is continually working on my heart. He has been trimming the branches out of my life that don't produce fruit which allows more of the sun, the Son, to get through. The peace I am experiencing comes with a disclaimer. It doesn't mean i won't face trials and tribulation. It does mean He will always have my best interest in mind. It does mean that my relationship with the one who gave me life and the One who saved my life deserve my full attention, and love. It doesn't mean I have done anything to deserve it. Thank you Lord! Peace comes from You!

Doot! Doot! doot! Looking Out My Backdoor...

"Just got home from illinois, lock the front door oh boy, got to sit down take a rest on the porch..." Creedence Clearwater Revival knew something about traveling, the wilderness and the benefit or resting in your own home. What they did not experience were gas prices reaching astronomical levels. So what wisdom can we gain from these talented musicians? "...imagination sets in, perrtty soon I'm singing, Doot Doot doot looking out my backdoor!"
While we all wish we could be journeying to new places, jumping from mountain top to mountain top, and juxtaposing ourselves in new cultures the reality is that sometimes we find ourselves sitting on our own couch dreaming of whats on the other side of the world. John Fogerty's lyrics are a sharp reminder that with some imagination we can turn our backyard into another world. In fact many times we only need to pick up a map or gazetteer to realize that exploring a new place or culture may mean driving only 40 minutes away and in some cases less.

The Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania which is relatively close to the border or West Virginia and Maryland. Just a stones throw from my back porch is the heart of appalachia. While many of the moonshining myths that go along with the word appalachia may or may not be true, poverty, farming, and mining are very prevalent. If you want to experience a new culture travel the back roads of southwest Pennsylvania to get a glimpse of a seemingly different world.

A great many individuals farm, mine and work hard to make a living in this area and many of those folks are dear friends. These friendships provide access to another culture that from an outside perspective can be misunderstood. Aside from the cultural differences the landscapes alone in my backyard are absolutely beautiful. There are streams, natural water-slides, waterfalls, hiking trails, and unexplored tracts of wilderness. Ohiopyle state park, which is located just east of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania is home to fantastic white water rafting, kayaking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Artist and architects can find just as much enjoyment as an adventurer by exploring Frank Lloyd Wrights, Falling Water. There is an endless amount of exploring to be done just out my backdoor and as I slip into wonderment, I can only imagine what is just over that hill looking out your back door.

If you are like me and you find yourself lacking resources but are desperate for a trip, let your imagination go wild and travel somewhere new, right in your backyard, "...giants doing cartwheels, statues wearing high heals, look at all the healthy creatures dancing on the lawn..." who knows what you might see! "Doot! Doot! doot! looking out 'Your' backdoor"

Best,
Aaron

The Author in Franklin WV

Unknown kayaker on the lower youghiogheny

Below Cucumber falls, Ohiopyle

Sandy Run Explorer Hike!

I have been exploring this area, which is between Somerset and Ohiopyle, for about a month now. This was the second time I hiked in this area but the first time I made the descent to Sandy Creek. To see the specifics of my trip check it out HERE! This was a beautiful hike along Sandy Run and Laurel Hill Creek. I started on Doc Ferguson Road and hiked for a mile or so along a logging road. There is a sign that documents the area as the Barren Tract, which is state game lands. Activities in this area include and are not limited to Mtn. Biking, off roading, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and more. I provided pictures at transition points along the journey. A lot of what I traveled on is not a marked trail. I ventured off the logging road where the road opens up and seems to wrap back around the mountain. (see photos) Sandy Run is in the valley below. Take caution while descending cross country. There are a lot of loose rocks. I joined up with another trail about a third of the way down the hill. I hiked south on that trail for a few hundred yards and decided to continue cross country down the hill further in hopes of reaching Sandy Run. I explored a large expanse of tire size boulders before reaching Sandy Run. It was very beautiful. I decided to cross Sandy Run by dropping trousers and forgoing boots upon finding it because I thought there may be a trail on the other side. I was indeed wrong and about 200 yards down stream I had to cross back. I crossed about three times over the course of the trip. This is not required but it made the trip more adventurous. We have had a lot or rain recently, otherwise there would have been some places shallow enough to cross in my boots. Near where Sandy Run meets Laurel Hill Creek their is a jeep trail which runs parallel to Laurel Hill Creek. After some exploring I ended up following the jeep trail until I was near Doc Ferguson road and where I parked. I ended up following a creek which led me to the white bridge (see picture) that is located on Doc Ferguson Road. Overall an adventurous trip with lots of views and no people.

I suggest either taking a good detailed topo map, compass, and/or a GPS device. I used gaia gps for my iPhone and it worked very well. You can improvise your own version of this trip simply by following the natural lay of the land. This hike has difficult sections due to the exploratory nature of the hike and requires some intermediate level orienteering and land navigation skills. It also helps to familiarize yourself with the topography before you start your trip. Otherwise have tons of fun and feel free to contact me for questions.