What exactly IS the Gospel Pipeline?

From Bob's blog--I thought it worth having over here.

In 2 Peter 3:18, Peter concludes his letter by encouraging us to keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, Aslan, the Great Lion, the King (the Christ figure of the stories) encourages His people to go "Further Up and Further In" to Narnia...the "Promised Land" of His love, grace and salvation. The Gospel Pipeline gives us a picture of how the "flow" Further Up and Further In often occurs in a Christian's life.

What follows is the Gospel Pipeline Overview:
Gospel Pipeline Overview
1. Gospel Conversion
Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5--Supernatural Grace regenerates the heart     Grace for the entire Christian life is defined by grace at the start!
2. Gospel Diversion
Titus 2:12, 14—The “Basics” often divert the emphasis from Christ to behaviors     There is a tendency to “leave” the Gospel of Christ and focus on the efforts of man
3. Gospel Perversion
Titus 3:1-2—focus on behaviors often lead to a performance paradigm    We live as if God's delight in us is merited or maintained by our performance rather than through Christ
4. Gospel Reversion
Titus 3:7—grace leads us to revert back to focus on Union with Christ    We revert to the TRUE Basics of the Christian life-Identity in Christ
5. Gospel Aversion
Titus 3:8—our flesh resists grace on many levels 
We’ve a built-in aversion to looking to Christ alone for spiritual growth
6. Gospel Insertion
Titus 3:8—insistence upon grace leads to an internalization of grace
Grace overcomes our resistance and we eventually adopt a grace paradigm
7. Gospel Immersion
Titus 3:4—soaking in the truth of God’s love leads to the “Hot Tub”     “Getting used” to grace becomes comfortable…sometimes TOO comfortable
8. Gospel Incursion
Titus 2:11-12—grace leads to a hostile invasion against sin by “Waltzing”     We discover grace is not merely unconditional love but transforming power
9. Gospel Emersion
Titus 2:14—A Gospel lifestyle begins to truly emerge from right motives    Grace leads us to make full use of the Gospel Means of Grace
10. Gospel Dispersion
Titus 2:14--The Gospel begins to flow outside ourselves toward others   Grace leads us to mission: we share grace with the Least and the Lost
11. Gospel Assertion
Titus 2:13; 14—grace leads us to assert that the ultimate aim is God’s glory   Grace, ultimately, is not about me or even mission, but the honor of Christ
12. Gospel Recursion
Titus 2:12-13—grace teaches us we never “arrive” in this life.  Grace is how broken people with broken lives live in a broken world

Notes on the Gospel Pipeline: Grace and Gospel Adoption

J. I. Packer on Grace:

Definition:  The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed I defiance of their demerit.  It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and had no reason to expect anything but severity.

Those who suppose that the doctrine of God’s grace tends to encourage moral laxity (‘final salvation is certain anyway, no matter what we do; therefore our conduct doesn’t matter’) are simply showing that, in the most literal sense, they do not know what they are talking about.  For love awakens love in return; and love, once awakened, desires to give pleasure; and the revealed will of God is that those who have received grace should henceforth give themselves to ‘good works’ (Eph 2:10, Titus 2:11 f); and gratitude will move any man who has truly received grace to do as God requires, and daily to cry out thus---

Oh! to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be;

Let that grace now, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee!

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love—

Take my heart, oh, take and seal it,

Seal it from Thy courts above!

QUOTES on Adoption

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18 It is like a fairy story – the reigning monarch adopts waifs and strays to make princes of them – but, praise God, it is not a fairy story: it is hard and solid fact, founded on the bedrock of free and sovereign grace. This, and nothing less than this, is what adoption means. No wonder that John cries, ‘Behold, what manner of love…!’ When once you understand adoption, your heart will cry the same. 
                                                                                                             J.I. Packer, Knowing God

---

As we try to replace old behaviors with new ones, it easy to take our eyes of our status as children of God. In fact, the longer we struggle with a problem, the more likely we are to define ourselves by that problem. We come to believe that our problem is who we are. But while these labels may describe particular ways we struggle as sinners in a fallen world, they are not our identity! If we allow them to define us, we will live trapped within their boundaries. This is no way for a child of God to live!”                                                                                                                     Paul Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

---

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God has his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.

                            J.I. Packer, Knowing God

How great is the love 
the Father has lavished on us, 
that we should be called 
children of God! (1 John 3:1)

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. (Romans 8:15-16).

Extra: Average Christian’s  view of God from J I Packer:  “he imagines God as a magnified image of himself, and assumes that God shares his own complacency about himself.

Mustard Seed vs McWorld

"McWorld" has become a kind of code-name for globalisation and the modern consumer culture. The bulk of Sine's book is devoted to an analysis and evaluation of this trend. Whole nations are jockeying for position in the new global economy, with cyber-space locking them into the system. They are not being manipulated by some sinister conspiracy for world domination - in fact, the really scary thing is that no-one is really in control. The all-encompassing vision of a McWorld future is short-sighted and naïve. People will have more things in McWorld, but they will have less happiness. More and more time will have to be invested in economic work, leaving less and less time (not to mention money) for God's work. The gap between rich and poor will continue to widen, but no-one will really be happy.


"...we permit modern culture… to define our notions of the good life and better future. As a consequence our lives are too often driven by the same manic aspirations that propel McWorld. No wonder we are exhausted. Modernity calls the tune and we dance." (p222)

"I am convinced that one of the main reasons why Western Christians aren't terribly effective in evangelism is that we are so much like the culture around us that we have very little to call people to." (p223)

I think Sine makes an excellent point when he talks about "dualistic discipleship" - giving lip-service to the claims of Christ, but still serving the claims of modernity, job, economic security, etc.

http://www.csubculture.com/page20.html

Tom writes in one of his excellent books, "Mustard Seed vs. McWorld":The American church, in its many expressions, seems to quietly accept the modern culture's demands on its members as a given and then content itself with whatever is left.  Virtually all the Christian books I have seen on discipleship - or for that matter, on finances, time management, and career planning - also tend to accept the demands of modern culture as unquestioned givens, and then advise that we simply try to practice our discipleship over the top, as if it all goes together.  And of course, it doesn't...


In spite of all the talk about Christ's lordship, everyone knows that the expectations of modern culture come first.  Everyone knows that getting ahead in the job comes first.  Getting ahead in the suburbs comes first.  Getting the kids off to their activities comes first.  And we tend to make decisions in these areas pretty much like everyone else does, based on our income, our professions, and our social status.


...following Christ is too often trivialized to little more than a devotional lubricant to keep us from stripping our gears as we charge up the mountain, trying to get ahead in our careers, the suburbs, and our kids' activities.  In this dualistic discipleship model, following Christ is for too many of us reduced to a little more than fifteen minutes in the morning and two hours on Sunday.  In this model, we wind up with a highly privatized and spiritualized piety that is often largely disconnected from the rest of our lives. 

Read more:http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=174229258&blogId=282848577#ixzz10fXW9qgJ

Classical christianity

westminster 35 and heidelberg 60

Q. 33. What is justification?

A. Justification is an act of God's free grace,[91] wherein he pardoneth all our sins,[92] and accepteth us as righteous in His sight,[93] only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us,[94] and received by faith alone.[95]

Q. 34. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God's free grace,a whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.[96]

Q. 35. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace,[97] whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God,[98] and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.[99]

Question 60. How are thou righteous before God?

Answer: Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; (a) so that, though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, (b) and am still inclined to all evil; (c) notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, (d) but only of mere grace, (e) grants and imputes to me, (f) the perfect satisfaction, (g) righteousness and holiness of Christ; (h) even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; (i) inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart. (j)

The Old Gospel Pipeline

For reference I wanted to keep a copy of how Bob used to describe the Gospel Pipeline and then compare to what his final outcome this go round.

True Spirituality

From: Robert Flayhart [mailto:bflayhart@ompc.org]
Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 8:28 AM

We had such a great discussion in our mentoring group this morning studying True Spirituality by Francis Schaeffer Chapter 6, and it is so packed with nuggets, I thought I'd summarize in writing what we covered...as much for myself as for y'all!!

1. Because of the Fall we wake up each morning in an ABNORMAL world.
We shouldn't be surprised when we face "thorns and thistles and weeds" in our relationships and tasks.

2. The victory over sin has already been decisively achieved, though we don't see the full extent of the results yet. We are to live to bring the reality of the victory and the power of the Kingdom into our day TODAY! Eternal life is not some far off place of another time, it begins at our conversion is to reform and redeem all of the spheres of influence we walk in.

3. The Christian life is not only true but supernatural. We touch the supernatural and are transformed by the supernatural as we live by faith. Christ is formed in us the same way the Physical Christ was formed in the Virgin Mary...as we believe the Word, the Promise, of God. Luke 1:38: Be it done TO me according to Your word. When we face sin we are to feel as helpless as Mary in conceiving her Child on her own...she could not do it...it was a HUMAN IMPOSSIBILITY...but what is impossible with man is possible with God. He calls into being that which was not, like He did at creation, by the Word of His Power...that is HOW the Christian life works! He calls into being spiritual fruit and supernatural change that we can not bring about by all our efforts and strategies.

4. A critical element to faith is latching hold continually to the promise of JUSTIFICATION. We are to live moment-by-moment in the reality of our justified standing: God, sitting behind the Legal Bench, is both Judge, Jury and Prosecutor. We ARE ALL guilty, both through Adam's sin and our own sins. We have no defense of our own. We are hopeless. Christ enters the courtroom as our Defense Attorney and pleads His own obedient life and death as our Proxy and Substitute. God then bangs the gavel and DECLARES us not guilty. But more than that, The Father does what no earthly judge can ever do: He not only declares us NOT GUILTY, He declares us PERFECT, SPOTLESS, BLAMELESS and HOLY in His sight. We are declared as PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS as Jesus Himself. Christ's perfect RECORD of obedience legally becomes OUR VERY OWN record before God! See the Heidelburg Catechism Question 60.

5. A second critical element for faith to cling to is the promise of ADOPTION. Christ is uniquely The Son of God. He is the Second Person of the Trinity...He is God Himself. Yet, through union with Christ by Spirit baptism by grace through faith, EVERY believer becomes a child of God, an adopted son or daughter...with ALL the same rights, privilege, standing before the Father AS CHRIST HIMSELF. Because of union with Christ, the baptismal pronouncement over Christ, "This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased," becomes the Father's declaration over every believer in Christ!!

6. As we BELIEVE in Christ and the Gospel Promises of JUSTIFICATION and ADOPTION, we are transformed supernaturally by the Spirit of God. It is by GRACE experienced through FAITH in the Gospel Promises that the Holy Spirit transforms our lives. When we believe God's promise of our justification and adoption when we FEEL we LEAST DESERVE to believe it, that is precisely when the power of the Spirit most fully falls upon our lives. Again, keep in mind Luke 1:38--"Be it done TO me according to Your Word."

7. A third critical element for faith to cling to is the promise of REGENERATION. We are born again by God's Spirit. According to the Old Testament promise in Ezekiel 36:25-29, God will cleanse us from all our idols, He will sprinkle clean water on us (symbolized by New Testament
baptism) He will give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us. He will removed from us the heart of stone (symbolized by Old Testament circumcision) and give us a soft heart toward Him. He will put His Spirit within us and CAUSE us to walk in His commands!! That is regeneration....the supernatural removal of the Old Man in Adam and making us new creations, new creatures in Christ. With new natures, new hearts and a New Spirit, we are now ABLE to say no to sin and yes to righteousness...as we walk by faith in the Gospel Promises. We are now responsible...response-able.

8. Sanctification occurs much the same way conversion happens...by grace through faith. Even our Doctrinal Standards teach this: See the Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 35, Larger Catechism 75. The Holy Spirit applies the benefits of the life and death of Christ to our hearts in ever increasing fashion resulting in the supernatural transformation of our lives. One difference between justification and sanctification is that sanctification occurs in varying degrees while there are no degrees to justification...we are fully justified from the moment we believe, but we are progressively sanctified each day as we walk in repentance and faith.

9. Sanctification occurs as we believe the Gospel (Galatians 3:1-5, Colossians 2:6, John 6:29, Isaiah 30:15, etc). Sanctification occurs as we learn to WALTZ--the spiritual "3-step" dance with Christ of "Repent! Believe! Fight!" There are ups and downs, ebbs and flows to the spiritual life. Growth begins with repentance: acknowledging our sin and helplessness before God. We can no more change ourselves by sheer effort and discipline than we could save ourselves by sheer effort and discipline. But we must not stop at repentance or we will wallow in despair. Repentance must lead to fresh faith. We are to BELIEVE the Gospel Promises afresh that our standing before God never changes because of our sin. Through union with Christ we are unchangeably justified before God and eternally adopted sons and daughters. We can do nothing to cause God to love us more than He already does in Christ; and we can do nothing that would ever cause God to love us any less than He loves Christ Himself (John 17:23!!).
It is AS we BELIEVE these promises that the Power of the Spirit is unleashed in our lives (Galatians 3:5). This is what it means to ABIDE in Christ--we abide by faith...grace apprehended by faith strengthens our union with the Branch, Christ, so that His life-giving "sap" courses through our lives with transforming power. We are to BELIEVE that just as there is a "converting" power to the blood of Christ that saves us from hell, so there is a transforming power of the blood that delivers us progressively from the power of sin. As the old hymn, Rock of Ages, reminds us: the blood of Christ provides the DOUBLE CURE: it cleanses us from both sin's guilt AND power! Then, equipped with fresh faith and reminded of reality of our regeneration, we are to FIGHT the good fight and WAR against the world the flesh and the devil. We are to renounce the flesh and present our lives to righteousness. Then, if/when we fail, we continue waltzing!

10. We Do NOT arrive this side of eternity. There is NO ARRIVALISM, NO TRIUMPHALISM. Waltzing doesn't FIX us! Waltzing is how broken, limping sinners saved by grace are progressively becoming whole and healthy...but we are not completely healed until the Return of Christ. Grace enables us, empowers us and motivates us to persevere in faith so that grace by the Power of the Holy Spirit will continually transform us.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in BELIEVING, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may about in hope!"
Romans 15:13

Bob Flayhart
Senior Pastor
Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church

AT 6-10

From: Hugh Davis [mailto:hughdavis@charter.net]

Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 8:38 PM

Subject: AT 6-10

June 10, 09

Greetings from the AT:

I have been away from the Internet for a while now. Staying tonight in an ATC hostel 20 miles south of Harpers Ferry.

Sunday 5-24. Left the B&B in Montebello Va, reluctantly, to hike a mile and a half up hill to reacquire the AT. Had eaten a large breakfast and had great energy to reach the trail and then on up hill to the top of Priest Mt. 13.2 miles, 825 miles from Springer Mt. Stopped at Harpers Creek Shelter.

Monday 5-25 12.2 miles 837.7 from Springer Next day was miserable.

Day was hot and muggy with threats of rain all day. When the AT was built it ran along the top of most of the ridges. Then a few years later the Blue Ridge Parkway was constructed and bumped the AT off the ridge tops. Today was an excellent example of the relocation. The trail ran down hill from the parkway about a 100 feet on very steep ground with major rocks and boulders for about 5 miles. I had planned to go about 6 miles but the quality of the trail was so poor I was moving slowly. Was quickly getting dark and I was running out of water.

Found a creek to resupply water, but no flat place to put my tent.

Finally found an overlook that had a spot for a tent. Camped there, whiled it stormed and rained all night. Hung my food in the bear bag out over the cliff. Would take a talented bear to get to it. Cedar Cliff for the night.

Tues 5-26. 9.8 miles 847.5 from Springer. Stopped at the Paul Wolfe shelter, very nice and large.

Was about 5 miles from Waynesboro, so not to many people spending the night. I walked in a deluge most of the day. All the paths were creeks, all the creeks were rivers, all the rivers were swollen and overflowing. The access to Paul Wolfe required a stream crossing. The stream was overflowing so I balanced on a tree that had fallen across the stream to make the crossing. Exciting, if I had fallen in it would have been a wild ride with no one knowing I was gone. Everything I had was wet. Learned the value of Ziplock bags. Took my phone apart and took it to bed with me. In the morning with a fresh battery it worked well.

Wed. 5-27 Walked the final 5 miles to Waynesboro, 853. 5 miles from springer. They have a visitors center for Shenandoah Nat. Park.

Stopped there where they have a list of Trail Angels who they call to shuttle us in to town. Guy named Dubose picked me up and took me the the Quality Inn. Showered and then took all the wet stuff to the nearby laundromat. Then to the post office to get my Bounce Box of misc. stuff, prescription meds extra food, etc. Went to the shopping center across the street for Pizza and supplies at the local CVS. Expensive day

Thurs 5 – 28 Back to the post office to mail my bounce box to Harpers Ferry. Then called Dubose to take me back up to the trail. Stopped at the local outfitter for some permethrin impregnated gaiters to wear.

Was shifting from high top boots to low cut trail shoes and needed a little more protection from splashes, mud, rocks and ticks. Walked to

Calf Mt. Shelter, only 6.9 miles 859.4 from springer. Started back

walking at noon. Rained on and off all afternoon. I was very discouraged. While I was eating sardines and Ramen noodles Di and the family were having steak. Didn't seem like I was having as much fun as I was supposed to. Called Di to relate my woes and she said “so sad to bad,” this was my idea and I was stuck with it at least till my grandsons have walked with me. Surprisingly she cheered me up and off I went picking up speed as I went. Continue to run into interesting hikers. Zoltar, is a Hungarian from Romania. Eats nothing but Candy bars. Thinks the stove is to heavy.

Friday 5 -29 13.5 miles, 872.4 from springer. Walked to the Black Rock Hut, Miserable place. Down in a hollow. Had been raining all day so was really muggy. Shelter was packed, 25 + in the area, shelter and tents. Everything was wet and dripping.

Sat. 5-30, 7.4 miles, 879.8 miles from Springer. Hiked to Loft Mt.

Campground. Logan was supposed to meet me today, but he got in so late from Birmingham that we decided to wait till Sunday so he could find me in the daylight. I was in an official campground in Shenandoah National park, SNP. Got half off since I am so old. Cheers for us old folks.

Shared a camp table with a couple from Birmingham, Knox and Sam. Went

to the ranger lecture that night on what is special about SNP. Camden

is 8 today, gave him a call.

Sunday 5-31, 5.8 miles, 885.6 miles Walked to Pinefield Hut.

Logan arrived at 9:30. Was driven up from Biloxi, by Katie a friend of Jenny's that was moving to the Charlottesville area. She agreed to mail a box of extra things home to Di for us. Walked a short day to see how Logan could handle hiking. He did fine. Met Aussie, a W. Va hillbilly, Laid off steel worker who writes country songs. Nice kid.

Monday 6-1, 8.2 miles, 893.8 miles from Springer.

Walked to High Top Hut. Was packed out with weekend and short term hikers. 9 from a local James Madison College on a mini term break.

Logan went with them to the top of the local mountain to see the sunset.

Pretty impressive view.

Tues 6-2, 12.4 miles, 906.2 miles from Springer. Walked to Bear Fence Mt. Hut. Passed the 900 mile mark that day. This was the first day that I was able to walk the hills without stopping. Did fairly well.

Hopefully will get my trail legs soon. Stopped at the Pocosin Locked Cabin. No water, no electricity, outdoor privy. Have to have a connection with the PATC to use it. Owned and operated by the Potomac

Appalachian Trail Club. Looked straight out of the 20's. Met Rock

Lobster, girl from Germany and Walk About from Czech Republic, They were returning to Europe via the AT from 10 years in New Zealand.

Interesting couple. Also Traveling Light, Pudgie Pie, and Sled dog.

Wed. 6-3 8 miles, 914.2 miles from Springer.

Walked to Big Meadow Campground. Was a nice fairly easy day till the last mile which seemed to be straight up hill. Logan was hiking with a different group so checked in to the campground. He showed up later.

We had not done a good job on coordinating our activities. Showered and washed clothes. Smell better. Walked to the Camp store about a mile away to get supplies for the next few days and for lunch., then back up to the campsite. When we arrived at the campsite the rangers came and got us to see some bears. While waiting for Logan, a doe and two fawns had walked through the campground. The rangers said the the doe had bedded the fawns down. They stay put where mom puts them. Momma bear and two cubs came upon one of the fawns killed her and ate her. This was about a 100 yards from our campsite and less from the lodge. Storm was coming in so went to the lodge for supper. Good food, mediocre wait staff. The storm hit with fury, Hail and heavy wind. Back to the camp after the storm and the tent was still standing. Cheers. Went back to the laundry the next morning to dry sleeping bags and gear that had gotten wet during the storm.

Thurs 6-4, 8.1 miles 924.3 miles from Springer.

Walked to Skyland Lodge. Had not expected to stay, but accompanied a friend that was leaving the trail to drink coffee from him while he waited for someone to pick him up. Logan's knee was acting up. He had injured it earlier in school and was wearing a brace so we got a room for the night. Ate supper in the lounge and watched c loggers perform.

Spent lots on the room, but much cheaper supper.

Friday 6-5 10.7 miles, 933.8 miles from Springer.

Walked to Pass Mt. Shelter. We ate breakfast in the room before checking out of the lodge. Used the in room coffee maker to heat water

for our oatmeal. Walked in the rain most of the day. Had used lots of

plastic bags so stayed a little dryer this time. We didn't stop for lunch so ran out of energy in the afternoon. Big mistake. Doing better climbing hill, Trail Legs, maybe, or just easy hills, who knows.

Sat. 6-6, 13.5 miles, 946.1 from Springer

Walked to Gravel Springs Hut. Longest day yet for Logan. Day started cloudy, but got warm and sunny as we progressed. Logan slipped and fell several times on wet rocks, Injured his Left foot, to go along with his Right Knee. We stopped at Elk Wallow Wayside for hamburgers and then walked on. Saw lot more bears, and cubs that afternoon. Met a ridge runner, John, 60 year old back from the Peace Corp. They work for the ATC.

Sun 6-7 10.7 miles 956.6 miles from Springer

Walked to Tom Floyd Wayside. First shelter outside of the SNP. Logan's knee brace quit. It is the kind with metal on both side of the knee that have hinges held together with neoprene. One side got so stiff it wouldn't bend. Mailed it back to Sean for repairs. Rock Lobster loaned him an elastic knee brace that he has been wearing since. Works pretty good.

Mon. 6-8, 13.7 miles, 970.3 miles

Walked to Manassas Gap Shelter. Miserable day.. Hot and muggy, Humidity 100%. Walked in to Linton to resupply, dropped off Logan's brace at the post office. Then walked toward an Apple Restaurant, Decided it was to far so turned around and got a ride back from a PATC volunteer. Ended up taking us to the local bait shop/filling station/ grocery to resupply. Manassas is a snake shelter. While we were eating supper an 8 foot long black snake wandered through the eating area, them climbed up to the top log in the back wall of the shelter. Not having shelter mice was a treat, though being observed as we slept by an 8 foot snake was a new experience. We shared the shelter with a family of 4.

The two kids didn't seem to worried about the snake.

Tues 6-9 13.5 miles, 983.2 miles from Springer

Walked to Rod Hollow Shelter. Afternoon thunder storm soaked us. Full shelter of 20 year olds. Little noisy. Thanks for ear plugs. We are getting tired. To many long days. Muscles sore, feet blistered, skin looking like prunes from the water.

Wed. 6-10 9.9 miles, 993.1 miles from Springer.

Will go over 1000 miles tomorrow. Walked to Bears Den Hostel, owned and operated by the Appalachian Trail conference. Tough 10 miles. We are in the Roller Coaster area of north Virginia. 10 climbs in the last

13.5 miles of the state. Did 8 of the hills today, have two more tomorrow. They really wore me out. Lots of moaning, groaning and complaining, will take a 10 mile day tomorrow also. Heavy downpour again this afternoon, but after we arrived at the shelter. Cheers.

Shower, Clothes wash, bed, pizza, pint of ben and jerry's ice cream and soda for $25 each. Good deal we thought. A group of trail angels cooked pot roast for us for supper, free. Will cook out pizza in the morning and take it to eat on the trail tomorrow. Plan to be in Harpers Ferry on Friday. Will take a zero day on Sat and start out again on Sunday. Give our tired muscles a break.

All the news for now. Remember: Some days it rains, some days it pours, some day it is sunny, but walk is what the AT hiker does. Can't get there by sitting here.

In his Care, Grandpa Hugh.