Tag: Travel

Ready for Takeoff

I believe we still see God working in our world today when He provides for our needs, answers our prayers, changes our lives and protects us from harm. The Bible records some specific examples in the book of Ezra in chapters 7-8 and I think we still see Him doing this today.

We had a memorable experience getting off the ground flying from Los Angeles to Maui. Our seats were near one of the bulk heads in the economy section so a flight attendant was sitting in a jump seat facing us. As we settled in for takeoff one of the flight attendants reviewed the safety features of the aircraft. When we turned on to the main runway the pilot announced that we were cleared for takeoff.  

At LAX planes usually take off to the west over the ocean. We could feel the plane picking up speed as it raced down the runway. Suddenly the plane began to shake violently and shudder to a stop near the end of the runway. A few more seconds and we would have been swimming in Santa Monica Bay.

I looked at the flight attendant sitting in the jump seat facing us and could see she was alarmed. I asked her how often this had happened in her career. Her reply was brief – never. In all the years she had flown she had never experienced the plane aborting takeoff as it raced down the runway.

The pilot came on the intercom and explained that the computer sensed that we did not have enough speed to take off and it shut down the engines before it was too late. One of the two engines did not have the required amount of power to get us off the ground. The pilot was reassuring. He told us that we would be towed to a remote part of the airport so they could test the engines. While we sat on the plane they tested one engine and then tested the other. The pilot told us that one of the engines was underperforming and we needed to go back to the gate and wait for another plane to take us to Maui.

The next flight did not have room for all of us so they offered a $1000 voucher for a future flight, a hotel room and meals for people who were willing to wait for a flight the next day. My wife and I volunteered. We believe that God protected us and the other passengers and crew from serious harm or death. We were thankful to be alive and glad to receive the travel vouchers too. It was a takeoff we still remember to this day! Let me encourage you to watch for examples of God working in your life each day. You will be glad you did and He will too.

You can read 365 more stories by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can purchase two books for only $30 plus postage ($5). Order a copy for yourself and one to give to a friend this holiday season. They will be glad you did and you will too! Order your books at markh@efreedb.org.

Charlie

One of the things that made our 50th anniversary in Maui possible was finding lodging for all of our kids and grandkids. We were able to reserve four condos through our timeshare trading partner so each of our adult kids and their spouse and children had their own unit. The condos were at the same location so grandchildren could easily spend time with their cousins. The green lawns and swimming pool were popular gathering places. My wife and I stayed at a guest house nearby.
 
Two of the condos were one-bedroom and two were two-bedroom. The family with the most children and the family with the youngest children got the two-bedroom units. The other two families each got a one bed-room unit with a pullout sofa bed in the living room.
 
These timeshare condos were spacious with a large living and dining area and a spacious patio. Most of the units had beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. The patios were a popular spot for a family breakfast. Everyone seemed happy with their accommodations.
 
However, one unit had some noisy neighbors. I’m not talking about the people living upstairs or next door. I’m talking about a rooster who would wake up every morning around 4:30 AM and announce to the world that it was to time to get going. The rooster and his friends were living in some dense shrubbery just beyond their condo’s patio. He was loud and bold. Every morning he kept waking up our daughter and her husband and their two young children.
 
They called the office and asked if something could be done about this noisy neighbor. The clerk joked that there was a bounty on the rooster’s life but no one on the staff had been able to persuade the rooster to relocate. The “cock-a-doodle-do” went on morning after morning. While the families in the other condos enjoyed a good night’s sleep, the family near the rooster were not so lucky.
 
Our grandchildren decided to give the rooster a name – Charlie. He became part of their family during their week in Maui. It is not uncommon to see roosters and chickens along the side of the roads and in the landscaping all over Hawaii. Several times we saw a chicken carefully escorting her brood of tiny chicks across a parking lot or down a walking path. Chickens and roosters are a common sight in Hawaii but the most memorable on our trip was Charlie.
 
I wonder if there is a Charlie in your life. Is there someone at work or at school who is unaware that their words and actions are irritating you? Is there a Charlie in your church or service club who agitates and frustrates you? Are you married to a Charlie? Or, could it be that you are the Charlie in someone else’s life?
 
Let me encourage you to be kind and patient with the Charlies in your life. Some Charlies are not even aware they are bothering you. They may just plunge into a new day unaware that some people like to sleep-in or go at a slower pace. They may not be aware of how much or how loud they talk. There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Love is patient and love is kind” (First Corinthians 13:4). Change comes through kindness not conflict. Be patient and kind to the Charlies in your life. Be willing to change if you are the Charlie in someone else’s life. You will be glad you did and they will too!

Read more encouraging stories in the authors book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can order a copy at markh@efreedb.org. The cost is only $25 and includes postage. You will be glad you did!

A Drive Back in Time

My wife and I have lived in Diamond Bar for over 30 years. Diamond Bar is located 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is on the southern edge of LA County just north of Orange County. It was a cattle ranch for many decades. In the 1960’s Diamond Bar began to emerge as a beautiful suburb of Los Angeles.

There are two ways to get from Diamond Bar to Orange County. The eight-lane 57 Freeway or the two-lane Brea Canyon Road. We prefer the two-lane road that winds through Brea Canyon.  It feels like you go back in time as you drive down this shade covered road.

There is a small marker on the side of the road which records that the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola camped in Brea Canyon on July 31, 1769. That was before the American Revolution began. There are also majestic oil derricks lining the slopes of the canyon. These are remnants of one of the earliest oil fields in California. Oil was discovered in the 1880’s and some wells are still in production today.

I love to imagine what life might have been like when the Spanish explorers came through in the 1760’s. I suspect they interacted with Native Americans living in the area. There are many springs and creeks that would have been attractive to indigenous groups and explorers too.

Life was probably very different a century later when oil was found in Brea Canyon. The town of Brea grew quickly as workers and families flooded into the oil boomtown in the 1880’s. Brea Canyon Road was part of that expansion.

Another century later, in the early 1970’s, the 57 Freeway was extended north from Orange County through the hills of Brea Canyon and Tonner Canyon to the 60 Freeway. The volume of traffic was a stark contrast to the limited number of cars and trucks that still use Brea Canyon Road.   

Today we still prefer the small country road to the major freeway. Let me encourage you to find a quiet alternative to the fast-paced freeway. Take a moment to imagine what life might have been like years ago on that smaller two-lane road. You will be glad you did and I will too!

You can read 365 more stories and articles (one for every day of the year) in the author’s book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can purchase a book for only $20 plus postage ($5). Order your books at markh@efreedb.org.

On The Road Again

We took several long trips when our children were young. The first Road Trip was in 1977. Our son was almost three years old and our daughter was three months old. We drove our two-door Dodge Dart from Tucson to Denver for my grandmother’s 75th birthday. We packed our trunk and roof rack with a tent, lantern, Coleman Stove, sleeping bags, ice chest, suitcases and food. I think we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies. We slept in the tent at a number of camp grounds along the way. It was a great adventure but not easy feeding a three month old daughter in the middle of the night!

In 1982 we drove our Dodge passenger van with four young children from Tucson across the country to Washington, DC. I can still tell you most of the places we stopped along the way. We saw the Alamo, Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell and Mt. Rushmore. We spent one day in DC visiting the White House, the US Capitol and several memorials. We also saw horse and buggies going down the highway in Amish country in Pennsylvania. We spent time with friends in Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota. We arrived in Colorado in time for my grandmother’s 80th birthday.

Our next road trip was from Tucson to North Dakota in 1985, when I was invited to be the speaker at a church camp called Trail Ride. People brought their tents, pop-up trailers and motor homes for this annual gathering. We rode horses and enjoyed camp fires and family games. Our stops included the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Yellow Stone, the Grand Tetons, and Mt. Rushmore again.

Our last major road trip was in 1990. This time we drove from California to the east coast with four growing kids in our new Dodge Van. We visited family and friends along the way and spent an entire week visiting many sites in Washington, DC. We added Iowa, Nebraska and Nevada to our trip home.

I’m not sure that our children enjoyed these Road Trips as much as I did. I loved seeing so many historical sights across our great country. We did spend many days and many miles together.

We knew some friends who took one grandchild at a time on a summer road trip from Texas to Minnesota when they turned twelve. Let me encourage you to make a plan and make a memory with your children or grandchildren on a Road Trip this year. You will be glad you did and they will too.

You can read more stories and articles by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. It contains an encouraging story or article for every day of the year. The cost is only $20 plus postage and handling. Buy a copy for yourself and one for as a gift for a friend. Order your books at markh@efreedb.org. News flash – Our pre-Christmas sale is on now. Buy two books for only $30 plus postage for a limited time.