Getting in Shape!...Day 18!

While most of my friends are sound asleep in North America, I am writing!  It is strange that I am already 'in tomorrow' writing from Finland!  Funny concept!   Anyway...

Taking a 'breather' during a five and a half hour trek in the woods...

After arriving here and battling 'jet lag' which is still hanging on but not so much... I took a walk by Lake Näsi which is just North of the town of Tampere in Finland where my daughter Ashleigh and Vesa live.

It is a beautiful area that is rugged and majestic!

I started out walking along the Southern Shore of the lake just North of town and by the time I was finished I had walked almost 10 miles!  It was not an easy path but the view was breathtaking.  It was such a picturesque walk that I took over a hundred photos.

I had been this way on a bike with Vesa the last time we visited here so the terrain was not unfamiliar to me.  But this time going that direction seemed easier as I was on foot and had 'walking sticks' with me.  The walking sticks helped me steady myself as I crossed a 'zillion' roots and rocks that protruded from the trail!  It made the trek very interesting in that I had to be very careful with every step!   I wish I could show you all of photos but that will have to wait until I get back to the States so I can download them into my computer.  But I was able to e-mail myself three photos yesterday and will post them here today.

As I walked along trying to take in all the scenery and watch my step at the same time, I ran across something that I had not noticed when I was in Finland the last time.  Maybe it was because we were on Bikes,  riding through the woods and as such, you watch for different things.   Who knows... but this time as I walked,  I definitely noticed these huge mounds just off the trail.  So when I went over to get a closer look... 

A 5 foot high ant bed in the woods!

I noticed ants everywhere, they were covering the mound and working like crazy moving twigs and small pieces of pine straw and whatever they could pick up; 'up and down' the mound.  It was amazing that not one ant ran into the other or fell off the mound or one just got aggravated with the other and tried to throw them off the mound.  They just worked like they all knew what they were doing!  It was like they all had something to do and they were busy about their business!

Then it hit me!  They were all working for the benefit of the Queen!  From what I could see every ant was doing something for the Queen and the benefit of the colony!  Not a single ant was standing around!  Interesting concept!  Not a single ant was 'doing his own thing!' I think Proverbs talks about 'the ant.'  They were persistent!  They were going out and coming in!  They all seemed to know that it was vital to be doing something!  As they worked and went from here to there, they all seemed to greet each other on the way and then proceed with what they were doing-but they never seem to fight each other, at least from my vantage point!  I did not see any ants breaking off and forming their own colonies, because they were angry that the other ants were not doing it right!  They seemed to have a sense of not only 'survival' but 'direction' and that work was vitally important to who they were and what they were about!  'God's creatures both great and small!'  These creatures seemed to know their purpose and were about the business of their Queen!  I can tell you this... you would never see this 'wizzing' along in a car!

A quiet scene on Näsijärvi..

I am often told that 'culture' dictates what happens in regards to any particular group of people or nation.  I wonder what these ants could tell us about life in regards to 'their culture,' family or ministry?  I just wonder what a 'dumb' ant knows or are ants just too small for us to learn anything from?   After all, because they are really small, they are insignificant...right?  Just a thought!

With my feet on the ground!

Simply Trey

Getting in Shape!...Day 17!

Robie at the Shop!
He is really good natured!  

Well, today... I walked anyway!

Even though I said I would probably not, do it! I did!  But I had a good excuse!

The Van needed to be taken out to Westland Auto Lube at 1112 North Wayne Road, Westland, MI to have the oil changed.  So after checking out the miles on Map My Walk, to the Oil Change shop... I thought to my self..,'why not just drive out there about 6:00 AM and just walk back!  It would all be on Ford Road which has pretty good sidewalks and that is what I did!  I tell you what... you see things when you walk that you miss totally when you are driving!

Robie and Hashim Ziren at the MHSAA State  Wrestling Championships

I will have Becky take me back this afternoon after Robie finishes!  This is a photo of him and his brother Hashim back at the MHSAA State Wrestling Finals his Sr. year at Fordson High School!  He who is one of the top ranking wrestlers in the history of Dearborn Public Schools.  Hashim was also a  One on One Wrestler who competed on a National Level and in College!  Now he is a police officer in Washington DC!  He is an awesome young man!  If any of you are in the Detroit area, Westland Auto Lube is a very good place to get your oil changed!  FYI... (734) 722-4326 ‎(just tooting their horn a bit!)

I have mentioned this before, but back in the early 70's Arthur Blessitt came through Birmingham pulling the cross that he still shoulders and preached there at a local Baptist Church.  I was saved at one of his meeting!  Then just this last Sunday night I preached on "Jesus loves you..." which is a very short sentence that has struck my interest again because of a local Radio Show host wrote on my Face Book "Jesus loves you...Trey!"  When I read that it nailed me!  I did a double take when I saw the phrase and it hit me like a ton of bricks!  Not just the sentence but the reality of it!  I have been a Christian since 1971 and we used to say to that each other all the time but it had been years since someone had directed that to me like that!

Arthur Blessitt sticker from the 1970'

So Sunday I decided to preach... "Jesus loves me...!"  It was simple but powerful!  Then after the message John Koski went and got a Bible he had from the early 80's and pulled out this sticker.  It was the exact stickers that we used to give away.  It was something I had not seen since the mid 70's!

From Robie's T-shirt to Arthur Blessitt's stickers, this message of God being proactive in reaching out to us is something that is overwhelming to me!  I am just humbled by His actions!

I want to be like Moses in front of the burning bush...

"With my feet on the ground!"

Simply Trey

p.s. I walked back from Westland and racked up more than 13 miles and felt good at the end!
To date, I have a cumulative total for the past 17 days of walking, 174 miles...
                   I MUST BE GETTING IN SHAPE!

Getting in Shape!...Day 16!

Today, I woke up late!  Gran' ma and Gran' pa Severance had spent the night with us after going to Church with us yesterday!  

Paul and Bekka were getting ready to drive to Springfield, MO to visit with Luke and Grace before they will be moving North.

Yesterday at church was an awesome time together with the folks who came to worship Jesus!  I preached on a very simple subject ..."Jesus loves you!"  Man... was it simple but boy was it powerful!

So after everyone left the house the morning, Becky reminded me that I needed to walk again, so I got my stuff together and did a brisk 8 mile circle in Dearborn.  It brought my total distance walked for 'Trey's Trek'  up to 160 miles.  Like I have said before... I want to walk 300 miles 'in practice' before we actually walk the 300 miles beginning on September 5th.  To date,  there are 5 weeks left for me to be able  stretch this mileage goal... on out.  I have still to break my record of 18 miles by pushing it out to 20... but maybe next week!

Tomorrow I will probably not walk at all, seeing that Becky and I are getting ready to go be with Ashleigh and Vesa for the birth of their first child and our first grand child!  For me this is the blessing of the Thousand!

With my feet on the Ground!

Simply Trey

Getting in Shape!...Day 15!

This is a short video clip of me talking about "Trey's Trek" that will begin on September 5th, (Labor Day), 2011 from Dearborn, Michigan to Mackinaw, Michigan to help us secure resources for the construction of  our new facility for Dearborn Assembly of God.

Today I woke Paul up about 5:45 AM because he said that he wanted to go walk with me this morning. He arrived home last night from Field Training at Camp Buckner near West Point where he has been living for the last month.  Today, I am still looking forward to breaking my previous record of walking18 miles at one time and thus push on toward 20!

So this morning Becky took us over to the University of Michigan Dearborn by the Interpretive Center and let us off to start our trek there instead of beginning at our house.  I wanted to see how far I could go up Hines Drive today to see what the trail was like up past the 18 mile mark that I previously walked.  I wanted to do this for the expressed reason of being able to get acquainted with the trail before we actually walked it together as a group on September 5th when we do the first leg of "Trey's Trek!"

So we started off quickly and briskly and before I knew it I blew out a shoe!  It was smoking and everything.  I even had to pull out the fire extinguisher to put the 'thang' out!  The new Asphalt track on Hines Drive gets really hot and it just mangled my shoe!!! LOL

I thought that the photo of the shoe was funny!  That is not really my new ASICS shoe and there really was no fire but it was a funny thought! 

Blown Trekking Shoe!



It was a good day to walk!  Paul and I talked about the Field Training and how Jesus kept him from stepping on a rattle snake!  Cool story! 

Although I wanted to reach the 20 mile mark today, we only went 16! 

When I woke Paul this morning, his eyes were almost swollen shut!  It looked like he had been in a fight!  So after Becky dropped us off to begin the walk she called the Doctor to get Paul in to see him.  He had something all over him and we wanted to find out what it was.  Well about 2 hours before I actually stopped for the day, Becky called and said that Paul had to be at the Doctor at 11:45 so she came and picked him and took him to the Doctor back in Dearborn and I continued on toward Northville!  So when they came back to pick me up after seeing the Doctor, I was not as far as I wanted to be but we needed to go home because Becky had an appointment and thus I would have no ride back!  I can tell at that point, walking back home was out of the question for me today! I ain't no sissy but my feet were ready to give out!  The 20 mile goal will have to wait!  But I will get 'cha' sooner or later!

So todate, "Map My Walk" says that I have racked up 152 miles in getting ready for "Trey's Trek"!  This coming Monday there will be roughly 5 weeks out from the September 5th start date and the  perparation that is needed in getting in shape are coming along just fine! 

I may be old but I remember working out in the hot sun for my Daddy in Alabama,  practicing football in August and wrestling in what felt like a sauna!  It is all a  part of my character and quiting is 'anathama!'  "Big Jim" said so!  He would rip my lips off if I quit now! 

I hope that those who are planning on walking with me, are themselves walking to get in shape to be able to walk at least as far as the leg(s) they are planning on walking with me.  They will need the confidence of knowing  that they can, for sure make at least that length of the leg they are going to walk with me and survive!  The Lord bless your steps!

With my feet on the ground "smoking!"

Simply Trey

Getting in Shape!...Day 14!

This morning I awoke at 5:00AM.  Had a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal.  Took care of business... loaded up my back pack with two Camelbak water bladders.  I repaired the small boots on my walking
sticks with new bike inner tubes and some duct tape and headed out!

This morning I headed up Hines Drive again (that is such a nice walk!) and covered 10 miles today!  It was very hot again but I was feeling strong with relatively few pains that morning!

But Becky this morning took me to the Office and I began my practice trekking from there!  I would like to share some photos with you of some of leg #1 for Trey's Trek that will begin on September 5th 2011... at our office on Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI

Oh, before I do that... Let me show you something that is amazing!  My friend Chris gave this to me!  It is like a small deodorant stick but it has an ingredient that you apply to places on your feet where blisters can occur or are occurring.  It is good stuff!  It really works!  It is called "Friction Block!" Check it out!



OK, Now for the photos of the trail that go to Hines Drive that begins on the property of University of Michigan Dearborn and Henry Ford Estate...

Trail near Henry Ford's House

Trail behind U of M Dearborn

Trail leading around the Garden at U of M Dearborn

Trail as it enters the woods going to the River Rouge Bridge

Trail going over the River Rouge Bridge

Trail leading to Hines Park Drive Past the Rouge River Bridge

This is where you come out of the woods  and the trail joins the Hines Park Drive!  

It is amazing to me that this park splits the whole Metro area of Detroit in two!  When you are here you do not know that there are thousands of houses to your right or to your left!  It is a piece of peace in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Detroit Metro/City life!  I really enjoy it!  Thie park is over 20 miles in length!  Thank you Wayne County Parks for maintaining such a great piece of property for us who live here to enjoy!

Getting in Shape!...Day 13!

Today I felt that I was still recovering from the day before!  These last few days in Michigan as far as the weather is concerned has been very hot with the heat index rising past 100.  


So I just decided to make a quick brisk walk from my house to the office which is 3.6 mile.  


I started out from our house at 6:30AM and reached the Office on Michigan Ave at 7:30AM sharp!  It was already warm outside but not as hot as it would get during the day!  


So for me today it was a like a 'walking sprint' to the office!  


Still trekking, with my feet on the ground!


Simply Trey

Getting in Shape!...Day 12!

Today's Walk was on Monday the 18th.

This morning at 5:30 one team of people left our home and traveled back to Alabama.  It was to be an 11 hour trip for them. They blessed our socks off with their attitudes and actions in working on our church! They came on the heels of another team of folks from Burlington, NC who was with us for a whole week!  Thanks Ya'll for your sacrifice and especially to you Pastor Rob!   Ya'll  please come back!

So after they left, I readied my self to push farther up the road than I did before.  I was thinking "peace to you..". and greeting folks who were walking at 6:00 in the morning...! There are some Regulars that I meet who make walking an exercise that they do consistently!

I was asking the LORD Jesus to Strengthen my legs and feet.  The 18 mile mark that I was able to reach last week was still lingering on in my mind!  I am not sure if it's my age or just not ever doing this much walking before.  But  this day was hot!!!  I had put on a t-shirt and a hooded sweat shirt and doubled my water capacity by adding another Camelbak water bladder to the back pack that I carrying.  I was carry about 15 pounds of water!  I was not aware of it but by the end of this day I would consume over 4 liters of water!  After getting home, I weighed myself again and to my amazement I weighed the same thing after 6.5 hours of walking as I did when I woke up this morning!  I was as wet as if I had jumped into the Rouge River that runs through Hines Park.

It was hot!  95 degrees hot.  For Michigan that is rough heat! It felt alike a sauna outside!  The heat index was up over 100.  In some ways it reminds me of the 'scorcher hot days' in South Alabama, especially on the practice field down at Auburn as we would go out and practice football! But in reality,  I love Michigan Summers.  This kind of weather does not last long here and is tolerable!  My system is made for the cooler climates!  After almost a quarter century of living here that is a fact!

This morning I would pass Mc Donalds on Ford Road just East of Fordson High School.  Nature seemed to be calling again so I stopped there for a bit.  Then I got on my way again... the same thing happened just about the time I got to WalMart a mile down the road!  It was like I was being potty trained!  But I dare not... not pay attention!  I took care of business and headed out again!  Then about half mile up the road on Hines Drive, nature was yelling at me again!  'What in the world!!!  I couldn't figure it out!  So we took care of business again!  Then it was like putting my steps it into overdrive!  I took off!  But I was not moving as swift as I had felt  I was or should have been!  But plotted along with a resolve that I was going to reach 20 miles today...!

I was noticing that from the shadows that were being cast on the ground from the rising sun against the trees that were behind me that my shadow looked like my Daddy walking! Yep, Sonny Hancock!  That shadow walked just like him!  Wow!  What a lesson in life!  Being like my Daddy!  There is a lesson in that somewhere, in fact everywhere!  We will come back to this one later!

Today because of the heat, the shade alone brought great relief!  Then there were the breezes that would blow from time to time. Now just being under a shade for a brief period of time while walking brought great encouragement and relief from the scorching Sun but when the wind would blow as well and I was under the shade... man, was that ever encouraging, invigorating, rejuvenating, relaxing, refreshing...etc!!!  Then I got to thinking about it... There is a lesson there to!  "In the shadow of the All Mighty..!."  "In the wind of His Spirit!"
"Like a mighty wind...!"

Then there was this special treat just for me.  I heard the hum of four very distinct motors coming from behind me and to the right.  Not just regular reciprocating engines but radial engines that put out a unique sound!  I looked up in the air as the sound got stronger, you could actually feel the percussion of the blades beating the air.  I noticed the outline of a B-17 Flying Fortress!  It's vertical stabilizer (tail) was painted bright red!   It was an awesome sight at about 3,000 AGL (off the deck!)!  I really like air planes and that one was something special!  Maybe one day I will get to fly one of those things!

This day I was planning on pushing past the 18 mile mark in my practice walk but the heat was draining me today!  I only reached to 17 miles and asked Becky to come and pick me up!  It was a beautiful site seeing here pull up!  When I got into the car it felt like an ice box inside!   I could feel my feet sizzling from walking on that 8' wide asphalt track that runs the length of Hines Park!  I sat down in that right front seat of our Taurus and thought.... 'Thank you Jesus! ...Becky, you brought me some Gator Aide and a couple of energy bars!  I think she likes me, she sure is "purdy!"  Oh My!!!'

With my feet on the ground!

Simply Trey