MAILING OUT OUR 2017 DONATION RECEIPTS!!

Thank you so much to all of our donors and supporters from 2017!! Your impact is still being felt and propelling us into 2018! God bless YOU =)

TOP 18 PICTURES FROM OUR ADVENTURES IN A "GATOR HOLE" IN THE EVERGLADES!

Wow, now this was thrilling! What a great group of brave & fun (and maybe even slightly crazy) adventurers!! This place was so beautiful!

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What are Gator Holes?

Gator Holes are basically deeper depressions or "holes" located throughout the Everglades that retain water during the dry season. It doesn't mean that alligators are present in the holes, but rather that it's a place that would provide alligators the resources they need, especially during the dry season. We always approach with caution and look for any evidence of alligator presence before proceeding. Surprisingly, with more than 200 miles hiked in the swamps of the Everglades over the past 19 years, I've never encountered or even seen an alligator other than in the canals during the drive along I-75 (It's actually a little disappointing!). They stay in the canals along the interstate year-round because the canals don't go through dry seasons. The gators have learned that if they just stay put in the canals then they no longer need to migrate throughout the swampland during dry seasons.

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SWAMP THING 2018

SWAMP THING PICS UPLOADED!

Nearly 400 pictures and videos uploaded from our annual SWAMP THING Backpacking Trip to the GTD Online Photo Album!

Click here to check out this unique adventure!

More pictures coming soon =)

Here's a glimpse at how challenging the swamp hike is.

The underwater trail is muddy, slippery, uneven, and full of tripping hazards (such as cypress knobs, broken-off water logged tree branches, limestone potholes, and more). Once the mud is stirred up it's impossible to see beneath the water's surface so each step is a blind step of unknown adventures! The cypress trees thrive in this environment and oftentimes are the only thing that prevents a hiker from falling every few steps. It's easy to feel like you are a human pinball or attempting to learn a funky new swamp dance as you shift to the left then slide to the right only to see time and time again your natural reactions quickly moving your legs, feet, and arms to keep you staying upright. It's absolutely amazing that many hikers never completely fall and most don't fall more than 2 or 3 times during the entire 7 mile roundtrip journey. Swamp hiking is very slow. We average about 1 mph compared to 2-3 miles per hour on a typical hiking trail. Swamp hiking is also very physically and psychologically demanding because your feet sink into the mud and it taxes your hip flexors, leg muscles, stabilizers, ligaments, and tendons. This can easily result in fatigue, frustration, and the temptation to give up. But these are also the reasons why the hike is so rewarding and satisfying. It's a 2 day lesson and test on overcoming. There's no better reward than experiencing the exhilaration of overcoming... of beating a challenge from a worthy opponent. And that's what the swamp is - a hauntingly beautiful worthy opponent that's always trying to knock you down. These kind of adventures give immense value to your life as you learn to overcome difficult circumstances, adversity, trials, strongholds, and even spiritual warfare. These types of adventure equip you with the tools needed to become a victor instead of seeing yourself as a victim. And it helps to have optimistic, fun-loving, "challenge-accepted" type of people to share your journey with. From my experience, the type of people willing to go on a swamp hike are a very rare breed... I'd guess it's less than 1% of the American population. But I love hiking with that 1% who often meet difficulties with laughter. This was a great group of swamp hikers!!

We hiked 7 miles roundtrip on the southern most portion of the Florida Trail. The Florida Trail stretches 1300 miles from the southern swamps to the northwestern panhandle of Florida. The Everglades portion that we hiked in is considered the most difficult section, but I would wish this adventure upon everyone!

SWAMP THING 2018

IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS A LIFELONG MEMORY WAS BUILT!

Some adventures are like a high speed video recorder... so many classic moments happen in such a concentrated amount of time that when it's replayed in the normal speed of the brain's memory it feels like slow motion. A month or year's worth of highlights happens in under 2 days and it feels like we spent weeks together.

We were blessed to do this crazy adventure with 10 off the charts fun-loving outdoor enthusiasts that helped make this year's SWAMP THING an unforgettable God-awesome journey into God's amazing creation!!

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy." - Psalm 96:11-12

Stay tuned for some incredible pics from our romp in the swamp.

Good morning from the swamps of The Everglades =)

Rise and shine! Good morning from the swamps of The Everglades =). Perfect temps last night after a physically "robust" hike and enjoyable campfire... I slept like a baby. We have a great group of 10 adventurers! These people are so much fun!

SWAMP THING 2018 (Day 1)

Wow, what an arduously awesome day of 1 MPH adventure! Making lifelong memories one swampy step at a time =).

The Richest Man In Babylon

Finally finished reading "The Resolution For Men" (great book!) and now I'm on to a short read called "The Richest Man In Babylon" written nearly 100 years ago. Jim Rohn calls it one of the most important books ever written about understanding personal economics and the fundamental laws of thriving financially. (I'm guessing I won't be reading anything about bitcoin LOL!)

January's focus = The DISCIPLINES of thriving in physical health & fitness

February's focus = The DISCIPLINES of thriving in financial freedom & good stewardship

All the knowledge, understanding, wisdom, passion, great intentions, and physical capabilities in the world is utterly useless without the discipline to apply it.

There is no thriving without striving.

"Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth." - Proverbs 10:4

STRiVE to THRiVE!

SWAMP THING 2018 (3 days to go!)

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
    I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
       - Robert Frost (The Road Not Taken)

SWAMP THING 2018 (3 days to go!)

Live the adventure!!









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COUNTDOWN... 5 DAYS TO GO TILL SWAMP THING!!

Yip! Yip!

Are we a little bit crazy??? ABSOLUTELY!
.....Is there any other way to adventurously live life?!?!

Interested in adding a little swamp water to your life??? Click here for details.

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry

FULLY LIVIN' BECAUSE WE'RE FORGIVEN!



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30 degrees in the suncoast of FL =)

We love the cold!! Have a doggone great rest of the day =)

DON'T GIVE UP! PRESS ON!!

Every worthwhile goal is not a sprint, it's a marathon! And during every marathon you're going to hit your wall... hit those moments when the emotional motivation is gone, the mundane process has set in, and the finish line seems way too far away. In that moment everything inside of you is attempting to persuade you to give up and throw the towel in. BUT DON'T GIVE UP!!! You're simply hitting your wall that's trying to keep you from great great GREAT things. In that moment make whatever adjustment you need to make in order to keep pressing on... walk out the next mile, listen to a 15 minute motivational speech on YouTube, listen to your favorite songs that activate your inner drive, read inspirational quotes, get a friend to partner up with you for a few days... make whatever small adjustment(s) you need to make that keeps you pressing on. BUT DON'T GIVE UP!! You may feel like you're standing on the verge of a breakdown, but in reality you're standing on the verge of a BREAKTHROUGH! Every goal setter and dream pursuer hits a wall. If you give up in that moment then you will never achieve the goal or dream you're striving after. But, if instead of giving up, you make a few adjustments and keep pressing on you will experience a breakthrough that will cause amazing character growth that will propel you through this wall, and prepare you for your next wall, and that will grow you more to propel you through the wall after that, and so on, and so on until you not only achieve your goals and dreams, but more importantly, the process of breaking through wall after wall will actually build an UNCONQUERABLE CHARACTER that is conditioned to achieve your next goal and achieve your next dream, and then the next goal & next dream, and then the next goal & next dream. In fact, your ENTIRE LIFE lies on the other side of the wall standing right in front of you. DON'T GIVE UP! PRESS ON!!

And maybe without even noticing, in each decision to press on, you didn't even realize that you were learning the life-changing and life-producing God-created quality of self discipline... and your life will never be lukewarm or mediocre again.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

STRiVE to THRiVE!

UPDATE: $78,498 RAISED!! ...ONLY $21.5k LEFT TO GO!! ...2018 THEME: "PIVOTAL"

UPDATE: $78,498 RAISED!!
.......ONLY $21.5k LEFT TO GO!!

(100k Goal Deadline: Jan 31st)

2018 THEME: "PIVOTAL" / "PIVOT-ALL"

We continue to be blown away by our supporters!! Even over the holidays our ministry family continued to give. We are jaw dropped! Thank you so much generous friends!!!

With 18 full days remaining, our 100k fundraising goal is within reach!

We are only 1.5k away from 80k, then 10k away from 90k, then 10k from hitting our God-sized goal of 100k!! That's absolutely AMAZING!!

Our theme for 2018 is: "PIVOTAL" (or PIVOT-ALL). This is the year we begin to pivot to bigger and better things while maintaining all the God-awesome aspects of GTD that have been developed over the past 22 years. This is the year we begin to pivot our focus to deeper education, equipping, and training in areas of discipleship, leadership development, and character development. IN ADDITION, this is the year when we begin to pivot in prayer for a "Joshua" to start phasing in as my apprentice to one day lead the next generation of adventurers. I've still got A LOT left in the tank, but we will eventually need a younger person to effectively connect with the next few generations while I pivot to training, teaching, writing, speaking, and ministry planting. God's vision for us is BIG, and it requires us to be able to pivot at pivotal times. We are drafting a 3, 5, and 10 year plan to make a greater impact in the upcoming generations. Now is the time to begin to pivot our dreams & imagination to what could be possible 10 years from now if we are willing to pivot today.

Laurie and I look forward to sharing much more with you about this year's vision & theme as we return to our Facebook Live videos next week.

STAY TUNED & KEEP SEEKING HIM FIRST!!

(To invest and GTD and help propel us to our 100k goal by Jan 31st click on this link. God bless you!!)


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OUR MOST UNPOPULAR EVENT OF THE YEAR IS 2 WEEKS AWAY!

Whether it's fear, discomfort, or an overly active imagination the sentiment is almost universal when it comes to our annual SWAMP THING Everglades Backpacking Trip: "I'll go on any other GTD event, but there ain't no way I'm EVER going on that swamp hike!" That's the 98%.

But there's another 2% out there who relish the challenge to go where others refuse to go and do what others refuse to do.

They're a rare breed made up of men, women, and even kids who are motivated by the challenge.

The very reasons that others state why they won't go are the very same reasons why the adventurer is compelled to go.

It's not because they're crazy or have some kind of superpower. They simply refuse to be mastered by intimidation.

They want to take on their fears, their discomforts, and their imaginations so that they can live boldly, fiercely, and fully. And they want a picture too ;)

So, to the 2% out there, come join us on one of the most unique weekend adventures to one of the rarest terrains in the world!

SWAMP THING 2018
Everglades Backpacking Trip
Jan 27-28, 2018 (Sat-Sun)
$59/person (practically free!)
Naples, FL

CLICK HERE for Registration & Details

GOOD morning =)

Nothing keeps us closer to our Best Friend, transforms our lives beyond measure, and ushers us into greater depths of freedom than consistent daily time with God. God can do more in our lives in 5 minutes than we could accomplish in a lifetime. It's that powerful!

Daily time with God doesn't just happen. It doesn't always come natural. Like so many healthy things in life we often don't feel like exerting the effort to follow through even though we know it's the best decision we could make. And add to that the fact that we have an advisory dedicated to intruding on our quality time with God. But none of those are legitimate reasons to skip out on time with God. They're excuses not reasons. That's why God invented self discipline. That's why He made self control part of the fruit of the Spirit. I know it doesn't sound "exciting", but it leads to exciting abundance. He gave us this mighty tool of self discipline so that we don't have to be a slave to our unreliable emotions and erratic wants. Self discipline moves us to where we need to go even when we don't feel like it, and it rescues us from wrong paths we find ourselves wanting to go down.

Healthy self discipline isn't overly rigid or scheduling every second of our day. It's simply a developable character quality that positions ourselves for great success. It's not grueling will power; it's the simple act of making good choices... It's not the engine; it's the steering wheel. Those disciplined choices steer your life to great great GREAT things.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." - Psalm 34:8

STRiVE to THRiVE!

GTD TURNS 22 YEARS OLD!

GTD TURNS 22 YEARS OLD!
   ...HAPPY NEW YEAR & HAPPY BIRTHDAY GTD!!

January 1st not only represented a new year on the calendar, it also marked another wonderful milestone for us... 22 years of God-awesome outdoor outreach for Going The Distance Adventure Ministry!!

Over 10,000 lives impacted since 1996!

Thank you adventure participants! Thank you generous donors! Thank you selfless volunteers! Thank you awesome staffers (past & present)! Thank you amazing supporters! Thank You Jesus!!

Lord willing, we still have so much more ahead!!!

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'” - James 4:13-15

GTD - CELEBRATING 22 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!


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BACK TO THE GRIND =)

After 3 weeks of hibernating I'm back full force to the daily grind! The "ceasing from striving" sabbatical was nice, but oh how I missed my daily disciplines!! I'm fueled up and ready to go for 2018. So many battles to fight, obstacles to overcome, victories to take hold of... life is war, and I've got a spiritual enemy that roams around like a roaring lion looking for an opportunity to kill, steal, destroy, & devour the unprepared. But I've got a King who offers every spiritual resource for strategic victories. I like my odds ;)

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." - Ephesians 6:10-11

STRIVE to THRiVE!