Short of the Summit :: Long on Loyalty. Determinence

A few days ago we shot the Summit on White Mountain. It is the third highest peak in the Lower 48 States. Standing at more than 14,000 feet, White Mountain can be dark. Black under ominous clouds in a moment, bright sun can emerge and raise the air by many degrees in minutes.

Sean, Chris, and I started our trek toward the mountain and up the mountain before 5am. Only days before, a storm quickly formed on the mountain and layered two feet of snow in some places on the ground.. With winds gusting and having to start two miles lower down the closed road (adding four miles to our trek) we headed out.

After a great start and a brisk pace we ascended from approx 10,700 to 13,000 for our first glimpse of the top of America. Though still three miles from the peak and still 1200 feet below, Sean saw his future.



With snow nearly at our knees, we realized too much snow had fallen and a summit experience was impossible on this day.

Chris is techy. He loves gadgets. He tracked our journey on a GPS satellite. The day after the hike we discovered that we went further and ascended more vertical feet than planned.

Being above 13,000 feet felt good. It burnt my lungs. I liked it.

Other than Sean packing a buffet to the point of descent below of the summit, it was a great exercise. Short, of the summit…yes. Long on loyalty and determinence.



HEAR THE PODCAST RECORDED AT THE SUMMIT :: SHORT OF THE SUMMIT

Why Do People Hate People?

Many have emailed and asked about the sign that my friend Gough posted in my comments. They have asked everything from, "Is this true...if so awesome!" to "Who is this guy?" to "Is that made in Photoshop?"



Let me begin.
1. Yes the picture is real and yes this is 'Bob'. Bob is a protester who, along with a few others, decided to show up and protest CCC's 'Celebrate Sacramento' event on Sunday

2. While they protested, over 5000 people came to our campus and saw true expressions of REAL and AUTHENTIC hope.

3. GOUGH is my small group leader who snapped it leaving the event.

4. The protesters congregate North of Sacramento in the foothills above Coloma. The town nearest to their house church is called Georgetown.

5. In my opinion they thrive on attention to feed their mind's belief.

Get this, their church is called....drum roll please....

"Church of the Divide"

Regardless, I am committed to loving them, even if I don't agree with them. Sometimes the scripture that says, "That which you do to the least of them, you have done unto me" is not always the easiest. Especially when they pose under signs that have scripture on them.

There are two Triad Podcast that I will direct you to that deal with this and my progression of trying to do the right thing.

This is what got the thing rolling:

Embarrassed By Hate
http://media.ccconline.cc/outreach/parade.mp3

This is when they showed up

Episode 90: Flying High with Pain of Protest
http://media.ccconline.cc/outreach/protest.mp3

You can go to www.jasonharper.cc to hear Episode 90. The other one is archived at www.harpercast.blogspot.com

For further entertainment, you can view and comment on the video they posted about me on Youtube.com

It is a hilarious of spliced clips in non-sequential order. Nothing like cut and splice to make a point...

CLICK HERE: Church of the DIVIDE'S Creative Edits

If you watch the video, please comment to communicate that you are not with them...

Much hope,

Jharp

Whats True?

I think. I live. I'm pierced. I'm inked.
Yet in the church, perhaps… it's time to rethink

Exclusive truth, yes…Inclusive tone, they say "no."
Buried with so many believers, why do I as "broken" feel alone.

I push for tolerance. They say "acceptance is compromise"
Beneath the surface is blind, to be untrue as me, that's the worst lie.

We rebrand, they call it "Rebel"
I am not forsale, but disillusioned as hell.

Navigate, only through this Word, a spiral up in control.
The King holds my soul, the ends of this earth I will go

He loves, He leads,
He Lifts, He sees
He heals. He frees.
The inside of me, why cant you see.

Belong. Then believe…
Become, that is me…

Individuated through blood, I am made free.
I can't do, I will. I am. I must just Be.

Think.

Stuck In A Moment

So. Yon from Downunder, just posted this piece. Wow. It's a keeper.

Traveling to the next level of living, ever feel stagnant? Have you ever felt life your life mover just stopped. I have.

Maybe that's why I try to excercise. Maybe that is why I try to surround myself with more sets of eyes. I need people who can see that I am not gaining on the summit. Sometimes it feels like I am no longer going up.

And then, rather than taking a few steps to get going, I just sit there and wait on someone else to come and get me going. What seems logical, is missed on my extremely narrow line of site.



Stuck on the way up? Get moving. Stuck in a moment? Forget it.

Thanks Yon. Today, you moved me up a notch.

Jharp