WE HAVE ARRIVED! .... IN RECORD TIME!!

Our first Adventure Trip of the summer starts on Sunday aaaaaand we are already here 2 days early. It feels good to be ahead of the game and we've been doing a lot of that lately =).

Carson and I woke up at 4am this morning and started trekking 650 miles north with a full trailer in tow. We set aside plenty of time for flat tires and setbacks, but the favor of God was on us the whole way as we completed the bulk of the journey in about 10 hours without incident (Praise the Lord!). We will be in Benton, TN for a week.

Since we were up so early we are just making a couple quick & simple nests to sleep in. We will be spending the day tomorrow setting up our base camp and packing for our daily adventures. Temps are going down into the high 50's tonight!! Perfect camping weather!!!

We can't wait for the youth group from The Seed Church of Savannah, GA (my awesome cousins' church!!) to get here! We've got a God-awesome week planned for them!

Keep us in your prayers!!

REPURPOSING OLD FENCING... ROTC (Renovating On The Cheap)

I've got about 250 feet of yard that doesn't have fencing. The dogs can't run free and I can't secure our trailers & equipment.

This week's renovation project has been to start tackling the house fencing project that I've been looking forward to for the past year. I have 55 sections of "aged" wood fencing and 58 "retired" 4x4's"s. Both the fencing and the 4x4's have rotted ends, but if trimmed down still has a lot of life in them.

So far I've cut 4 inches of rotten wood off the bottom of 26 sections of fencing & 2.5 feet of rotten wood off of about twenty 4x4's.

I plan on pressure washing, staining, and raising the wood fence a few inches off the ground as I install it around the backyard of the house.

I don't think the 4x4's will be tall enough to use for the fence project, but they should come in handy for garden boxes, shed flooring footers, & raised patio deck footers.

It's hard work, but a blast! Who doesn't love playing with power tools, constructing something, being creative, saving money, using your imagination, being outdoors, being physically active, making progress, improving your situation, and earning a great night's sleep =). It's such a blessing!!

So far I've invested about $400 & 30 work hours in this project.

7 WEEKS AWAY! ...MY FAVORITE GTD EVENT!!

OUR 24th ANNUAL SLAMMED ADVENTURE TRIP IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 10-14, 2019 IN LAKEMONT, GA!!!

In celebration of the 24th Anniversary of the trip that started it all >>> SLAMMED <<< we are offering this 5-day adventure trip in July for only $124/person!! (That's $75 off the regular price!)

Pay an extra $100 and raft "The Beast of The Southeast" on one of the best white water sections around >>> 7 hrs on Section 4 of the Chattooga River!

Plan to join us on this God-awesome adventure that slams you with 5 days of non-stop adventure & fun!

Click on this link for all the details

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
Love'n Life Because of Jesus Christ!
Celebrating 23 Years of Ministry =)
Est 1996


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RELEVANT CHURCH FAMILY RETREAT! ...FAMILIES THAT CAMP TOGETHER ....STAY TOGETHER!

I'm not sure how I missed posting this recap, but this was one of our favorite retreats from the spring. It's the annual Relevant Church Family Retreat, and it was so much fun!!

We've loved doing more GTD family retreats over the past few years and watching parents coach their kids to be overcomers as kids inspire their parents to never give up... all in a family-friendly, Christ-centered, God-awesome environment that bonds families together like nothing else can.

Several years ago I read a Christian based book about family development. The author did a survey of 100 families that he knew and considered to be exceptionally healthy families. He wanted to see what traits they had in common... if there was a family formula for success.

He found that they all had ONLY ONE TRAIT IN COMMON. What was the only thing they all had in common? THEY ALL TOOK FAMILY CAMPING TRIPS. There's a lot of insight there.

Camping trips have every ingredient needed to forge strong & healthy relationship bonds in a short amount of time.

And it's not about putting together a camping trip that's free of adversity. Quite the opposite!

It's about how all the adversity inherent to camping actually creates the ultimate team building challenge, that if navigated correctly, can lead to closer bonds, greater communication, overcoming challenges together, increased gratitude for things we often take for granted, concentrating quality time together, laughing at silly mistakes, learning perspective about the difference between real problems versus manufactured "problems", stress relief, breathing fresh air, Vitamin D, exercise, the health that comes from simply being outdoors, taking a break from technology - emails - notifications - constant demands, leaving first-world "problems" at home for a few days, building lifelong memories together, S'MORES, campfires, cool camping equipment, working together, and the list goes on and on.

There's no wonder these families were strong & healthy. CAMPING IS POWERFUL! God uses it in amazing ways!!

If you don't already, do your family a favor and start taking them camping at least once a year =).

Click here to check out all the pictures from the fUntastic family camping retreat we had with Relevant Church

WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING... BUT WE'VE GOT THE DATE!

Next year's LIQUID Paddling Day Trek is scheduled for April 11, 2020 (the day before Easter). And we are heading to... (drum roll, please)...... the east side of TBD!!! That's right we are headed to one of the most popular destinations in the world --> TBD (To Be Determined)!!

We have so many great options to choose from so we will narrow it down this fall and update the website. But at least you have the date nearly a year in advance so you can plan accordingly =)

Feel free to chime in with any paddling destinations you're interested in around the Pinellas County area =)

LIQUID Website Link

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (Est 1996)
Celebrating 23 Years of God-Awesome Adventures!!


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SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS! ....YEARS OF DILIGENCE PAYING OFF!!

Year after year after year I've been pounding that rock, chopping that tree, hiking up that mountain... diligently working to "get on top of everything". For 10 years we've been doing the work of 5 full-time staff & 20+ volunteers with only 2 people and a couple occasional volunteers. Its been grueling. But persevering is one of the most rewarding pursuits in life. It makes the accomplishment that much more satisfying. Finally, after 10 years, I'm at the breakthrough! That rock is crumbling. That tree is falling. That summit is before me. In human terms, my 24-hour supply is very close to meeting my 24-hour demand. And more importantly HIS endless supply is overflowing the constant demand. Win & BIGGER WIN. This is such significant progress!! Living in a state of always being behind, always playing catch-up, always needing more time, always needing more help, of only being able to make very little steps of progress is BRUTAL. But it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible with God.

I'm always experimenting with new organizational structures to keep up with the constant demand. My newest approach is taking all my tasks & projects and categorizing them according to importance and due dates. Then I place them inside a storage clipboard pertaining to their due dates (This Day, This Week, This Month, This Quarter, This Year, This Decade, This Lifetime) and write them all down on a checklist on the front of that same clipboard. Every week I review all the tasks and adjust them as needed. And every day I review all the tasks in the This Week & This Day category to keep myself on track. So far it has been a very effective structure to keep all my tasks & projects nearby in one area while keeping the most important priorities front & center so they don't slip out of mind with all the new daily demands & new exciting opportunities that pop-up.

This approach is a mixture of a lot of trial and error through the years as well as reading several articles and a few books (like Getting Things Done by David Allen) that have exposed me to new ideas and better systems to trying to stay organized. One thing is for sure I have huge respect for anyone who attempts to run their own business. It's more than a full-time job; it's a lifestyle. The personal risks and personal sacrifices that business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit founders make in order to supply & serve are astounding. Most crash in burn within a few years. The success rate is very low. And the personal toll can be extremely high (bankruptcy, divorce, broken families, and on and on).

Today I'm praising God for the breakthrough that stands before me... and the significance it means. Thank You Jesus =)


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FEEL THE ZEAL! .....CLIMBING DAY WITH THE ZEAL HS YOUTH GROUP FROM CCF!!

We had a blast today with Jairus Hodges and the ZEAL High School Youth Group from Calvary Chapel Fellowship!

We spent the day climbing, navigating, and zipping at The Tower at Word of Life in Hudson, FL. It was so much fun!!

Aaaaaand we can't wait for our summer Adventure Trips with CCF in TN in July!! We are and they are ZEALous for adventure =)

You can check out all the pics from today's adventure on our online photo album here: https://goingthedistance.smugmug.com/2019/2019-Day-Trip-CCF-Climbing-Tower/

Glorify God. Love Man. Have Fun!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
Love'n Life Because of Jesus Christ!
Est 1996.....
.....Celebrating 23 Years of God-Awesome Ministry!


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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!! ....HOUSE & GTD PROJECTS FOR MAY 2019

Over the past year I've had several people say they want to help me renovate this 1955 Bungalow. (I'm so blessed to know some pretty awesome people!!)

Next week I'm kicking off a month of house projects!! And I'd love your help!

My goal (Lord willing) is to put in 30 hours each week towards the renovations. The plan is to work from 9am - 8pm (with a 1 hr lunch break from 2-3pm) every Tues, Thurs, & Saturday. FREE LUNCH INCLUDED!!

I've got tools, equipment, supplies, food, liquid hydration, and unlimited access to YouTube instructional videos hahaha!

(I can always use more tools & specialized equipment)

Even though I've got some ambitious plans & goals my aim is to keep it fun, joyous, humorous, and lighthearted... just like a GTD event!! FREE LAME JOKES INCLUDED!

Even more than building a house or ministry I'm even more interested in building friendships & lifelong memories!! All the while as God causes the growth & progress =)

Soooooo, if you're interested in helping out (or heckling or laying on a hammock & directing) comment below or message me and I'll get you the address, directions, and current gameplan =)

Just a reminder that these are renovations on a budget so there will be a lot of creative approaches & repurposing of materials. But I love that kind of stuff and I think it's a fun way to renovate =)

MAY PROJECTS: Paint the house, trim the trees, install fencing & gates, prep the GTD trailer for our summer trips, as well as a variety of outdoor & landscaping projects.

IF IT RAINS: I've got plenty of indoor projects to work on too =)

Much love & thanks in advance for your heart & help =)

"Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain."
                            - Psalm 127:1

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BOOK YOUR GTD FALL RETREAT! ....AND MORE!

We love getting ahead of the game! Even though summer break is one month away we are already thinking about this fall, this winter, and next spring.

Our goal is to help Pastors, Youth Pastors, & Group Leaders plan 6 months to a year in advance so they don't have to throw something together at the last minute and miss out on hitting the camp's full potential. We want them to have plenty of time to promote one of their biggest events of the year. God works powerfully through camps and we want their event to maximize participation and bear plenty of fruit.

Click this link to learn more about GTD Camping Retreats

And feel free to pass this along to your Pastor, Youth Pastor, or Group Leader!

GTD also offers Mission Trips, Adventure Trips, & Day Trips =)

PS: This is one of our favorite "old school" retreat promo pictures taken around 2004. Half the picture was from a camping retreat in Ocala National Forest and the other half is from an Island Retreat in Dunedin, FL.

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
Love'n Life Because of Jesus Christ!
Est 1996 >>> Celebrating 23 Years of God-Awesome Adventures!!


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