A Little R&R

Wednesday nights have become a new-found favorite for catching a little R&R - "road and relaxation". That's right, the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club of Western North Carolina offers a variety of different road rides throughout the region - including my little town of Weaverville. 

The Wednesday ride offers a great little trek through Marshall and the surrounding area - including a few miles that run along-side the French Broad - and enjoys a comfortable pace with a great group of people. There are quite a few turns and many variation to this ride so its a good idea to print off a copy of the ride's cue sheet before you hit the ground rollin.

Road riding in general is a great way to keep in shape while enjoying the Blue Ridge. Its also easier on your joints and promotes good cardiac health by challenging your heart rate - and believe me when I say there are plenty of climbs to get your heart rate pumpin. 

I hope to explore some of the other rides on the site before daylight savings time rolls around and we lose many evening rides. Eventually, the days are going to be getting colder too so its best to get out while you can. 

What are some ways you relieve stress? Ever considered road riding?

Thanks for listening,
AJ

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Life Changers

To our blood donors, our life changers, our everyday heros, you make a world of difference! Donating blood is a powerful way to give life to those who are loosing it. After starting my new job with the American Red Cross (ARC) back in April I can honestly say that I've learned a lot - including the power of blood and the importance of our donors. Did you know that ever day almost 40,000 people need blood? Do you understand that blood cannot be made it may only be received through donation? The ARC provides America with over 50% of its blood supply and has been around for over 100 years! That's pretty impressive if you ask me. If you haven't considered donating blood to the ARC in a while I won't hold it against you. To be honest I didn't think about the need for blood until I started working with this great team in the Carolinas. However, now that you and I have heard we have the opportunity and privilege to give blood - to give life.

During the summer months the need for blood increases as many families spend an increased amount of time outdoors enjoying summer activities - accidents are bound to happen. At the same time we tend to loose a lot of our donors in the same way - people get "too busy" to stop by and donate. Thats why the ARC has started a new campaign called Summer of Stories. These are stories shared by many individuals who's lives have been changed by the live saving power of blood and blood donation. So, with that being said, please consider donating blood in the upcoming days - we need you. If you would like to donate you can always come by the office, American Red Cross/Asheville Chapter, 100 Edgewood Road, Asheville NC. You can schedule an appointment here, hope to see you soon!

Thanks for listening,
ADJ

Trekking Mountains

The mountains of Western North Carolina are a beautiful sight and spending time in them extends an even greater pleasure. I was afforded the opportunity to ride my mountain bike this weekend out at Alexander Park, identified by a small trail-head located just off of Old Marshall Highway. Back in 2010 I was a mountain bike instructor at Camp Tekoa in Hendersonville, NC so riding was not a new feat and yet it had been a while since my last biking en-devour. The trails found within the park are a lush green this time a year and, I'll admit, a "little" overgrown.

While the trail begins in wide, open spaces it takes no time at all for things to become narrow and technical - a trait I particularly like when trekking the mountainside. If it weren't for the "face-level" brier bushes and waist high grasses I think the trail would have been a bit more enjoyable. However, I did find that the downhill ride was notably fun, including a few berms and pump tracks. There are a few areas of the trail that encounter slick-rock and even a few overlooks of what I believed to be the French Broad River (I could be wrong!). As I stopped, occasionally catching my breath, I found some much needed peace and quiet - if you don't include the birds and the sounds of rushing water. After a decent downhill that re-connected with the main trail-head I found myself cruising and feeling very comfortable. So comfortable in fact that I failed to notice a steep decline in the trail causing me to lock my brakes and put the tail end of the bike into the air. Be encouraged, however, because I did regain my footing long enough to push myself off the side of the bank into a splendid, magnificent, awe-inspiring ditch of briers.

With adrenaline racing through my veins and my self-esteem still intact  I stood back up and had to laugh! No harm no foul, I re-mounted my bike and continued on down the trail to where I had began. Considering that the trail needs quite a bit of attention in the way of overgrowth I'd give the trail a thumb and a half up. Maybe I can round up a few friends to help me restore the trail to its original condition.... any takers??? All-in-all it was a great day! It felt good to be back on the bike, spending time in God's country, greeting all the woods have to offer. For more information on Alexander Park visit - http://www.buncombecounty.org/Living/Fun/mtb.aspx . 

Thanks for listening,

ADJ

Prayer Walks & Beautiful Sights

Walking is a great way to relieve stress and center your mind. Me, I like to walk early in the morning before I go to work. I call this my "prayer walk" as I often walk and pray at the same time. After trying to pray many times while sitting still, often finding myself distracted, I decided to get out and get some fresh air. Sure enough I was praying with much more focus as the walking fed my need for shifting around and laying my eyes on new things - believe me there are lots of beautiful things to see when walking on God's ground. One example is this little guy (below).

I met this fellow when I reached the climax of my walk - an empty lot located towards the top of Hamburg Mountain in Weaverville, NC. I turned around to walk back down the mountain and there he was nestled beneath some of the surrounding pine trees. You can tell he was a little shy, hiding his head, but beautiful none the less. So, I snapped a picture and began my journey home.

I challenge you to take a walk today. While on your walk take in the beauty that surrounds you. Allow it to take the place of worry in your mind and you might just find yourself breathing a little easier.

Thanks for listening,
ADJ

Well...here it goes.

This is my first attempt at blogging. I will write to capture the beautiful, the difficult, the true, the misunderstood, the awe-inspiring, and the unbelievable facets of life on this gorgeous green earth. God, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit will come up in conversation for these have engaged my life in very real and challenging ways - for my good. I will elaborate on friendships and ideas, on journeys - both physical and emotional - and the calling of the traveler in me. I will write simply and in complexity at times for isn't this the way our minds wonder? "Why blog" I ask myself. The answer, I believe, is this: in writing you discover new and different parts of yourself; you create and recreate ideas; you challenge your thought-life and thus grow into a more mature state. I am not a professional so please be patient. I am not perfect so please be understanding. I am simply Andrew David Jacobs. Thank you +Nick Logel for inspiring me to write. I do not know how long this will last but I hope to make a decent run at it.

Thanks for Listening,
ADJ