A Year And A Day After I left Home

It's been a year and a day after I left home in Illinois. And, I haven't regretted my decision to do so one bit!

Last night I attended my second meeting with the Celebrate Recovery group at First Baptist Idaho Springs, CO. Wow! What a great group of fallen but forgiven believers who like all of us are wounded by the vagaries of life.

In attendance were, Joel, Megan, Bill, Dan, Debbie, myself, Henry, Mona, Andrea and Vernon.

We discussed our unhealthy attachments- some to our pasts, alcohol, nicotine, other drugs, internet/social media and the like.

These saints are so inspirational and encouraging. They have the courage to confess their expectations, attachments and addictions in a public forum. What power there is in a group setting like this!

I attended the breakfast club again this morning at the Sunshine Cafe with Bruce Bell, Cheryl Holcomb, Russ Van Dyke, Jerry Hanke and Jack Morgan. Jack is the former mayor of Idaho Springs so we discussed politics for a good part of the morning.

One item on the agenda was the upcoming closure of the Henderson Mine which comprises 68% of the tax base of Clear Creek County. So, there is a lot of consternation concerning how this tax revenue will be recouped.

Tonight, I will be attending Wednesday night services at First Baptist. Tomorrow I will attend the core group of the Clear Creek Neighborhood Church as an ad hoc member.

Friday I'm planning on spending the day panning for gold on Clear Creek with Joe Eaton.

Then on Saturday, Lord willing I will be hiking the 12 mile round trip to Spring Gulch and back. I'm searching for a rancher named Bill, last name unknown who raises burros and draft animals. I'm looking at using a pack mule to carry all my gear and foodstuffs up the ridges and down the valleys of Clear Creek County. This county is 400 sq miles of forests which covers 86% of the land  and towering canyons and low valleys. This is some of the most harsh and punishing landscape in all of America.

Some of the outlying areas I'm planning on visiting is York Gulch, Spring Gulch, Barbour Forks, Devils Canyon, St Mary's Glacier, Alice, Empire, Dumont-Downieville-Lawson and Georgetown.

I'm waiting for Bonnie Coffey's arrival in the next 2 weeks to help me out. Then, in late May we are heading out mule or no mule. We will likely cover southern Clear Creek County first then northern Clear Creek County. This will take up the next 4 months before winter hits again.

We are planning on visiting with people who inhabit these isolated pockets and letting them know that the churches of Clear Creek County care for them and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God as well.

We also will be looking to organize cell groups or house churches out there.

Well, gotta go and look over some reading material Pastor Bill Robertson gave me yesterday regarding Calvinism versus Arminianism.

God bless y'all and talk to you later!

BR Schoenbein
April 29, 2015- Wednesday