An item for the commentary page concerning the difference between happiness and peace. Motorcycling, long road trips, and exploring the Rocky Mountains provide a lot of happiness, enjoyment, and time and place for reflection. But many others and myself have discovered that true peace only comes through Jesus Christ. He frees us from the past, provides help and meaning for today, and gives us everlasting life. How do we get that? In the Bible (John 1:12) it says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

For more details, please check the Campus Crusade for Christ Four Spiritual Laws booklet. For additional information and help, check: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Focus on the Family, and Promise Keepers.

Chances are if you landed on this page it's because you ride a sport touring or dual sport motorcycle like I do, and may be wondering what the CMA logo is doing here. Maybe you have stereotyped CMA members as only riding Harleys or Gold Wings and wearing leathers or denim jackets with a huge CMA logo on the back. I used to think that way too, but after joining CMA, I found that there are also many CMA members that ride sport-touring bikes and sport bikes too. But here's an interesting fact: whether you ride a Ducati, a Concours, a BMW, or a Harley, CMA's message is the same. Whether you are one of the roughest bikers or one of "the nicest people on a Honda", the message is the same one given to the Roman centurion in the Bible. You can click on these back covers of "Heartbeat" to read that message.

"How many movies have you seen lately that profoundly affected you? How many movies do you know of that have the potential to alter the course of a viewer's life? The 'Jesus' film is such a movie. God has repeatedly used this straightforward presentation of the life of Christ to literally change lives. With the script taken straight from the Gospel of Luke, 'Jesus' is recognized as the most accurate depiction of the life of Christ ever put on film." If you want to know more about Jesus Christ, I'd really recommend ordering the "Jesus" film from The Jesus Film Project.

For a number of years my wife and I have become more and more involved with Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child. As their web site states: "Operation Christmas Child sends a message of hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and Christian literature. This program provides an opportunity for individuals of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on missions project that reaches out to suffering children while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus Christ, God's greatest gift." Since 1993, OCC has collected more than 61 million shoe boxes worldwide and has distributed them to children in over 100 countries around the world. A special way guys can help in this project is to fill a shoe box for the 10-14 year old boys. While working in the Denver Processing Center I learned that fewer boxes are given for the older boys than for any of the other five groups of boys and girls. The older boys sometimes end up receiving boxes intended for 5-9 year old girls because there just aren't enough big boys shoeboxes to go around. For more information about OCC, check Samaritans Purse.

Early in 2004 almost everyone in our church met weekly for 7 weeks in homes around the area to discuss what we had been reading each day in Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life". As the book jacket says, "This book will help you understand why you are alive and God's amazing plan for you - both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God's purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most important, prepare you for eternity." I could ramble on about all the good things that came out of the 40 days, but in summary I can say that many lives were changed in very positive ways as we applied what we were learning. The book can be found in book stores and directly from www.purposedrivenlife.com.

Is your marraige perfect? Mine isn't, but my wife and I are committed to making it last and to making it better. In December 2004 we read "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, discussed it together, and are still taking action on what we both learned. For me that means I need to give my wife a gift once in a while to remind her of my love for her. Going to the store and buying stuff isn't easy for me, but it sure brings a smile to her face when I bring her some flowers or something. That is definitely worth it. For more information about the book check www.fivelovelanguages.com.

If you want to read a book that will challenge you in your faith and in Christian living, here are three of my favorites. Each is very well written and is the kind of book you don't want to put down until the end. "A Table in the Presence", written by chaplain Lt Carey Cash (Thomas Nelson, 2003), is a dramatic account of how the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, experienced God's presence amidst the chaos of the war in Iraq. Examples range from RPGs miraculously passing through Humvees to communion being served on the tailgates of Humvees. "On Eagles Wings", written by Geoff Gorsuch (NavPress, 1989), is about the spiritual odyssey of a young Air Force OV-10 Bronco pilot in Vietnam. Captain Gorsuch earned the Silver Star and other awards on the field of battle, but the real story is how he came to really know God. This is one of the few books I have read multiple times because of how it challenges me in my faith and living. "Dave Dravecky, Comeback" is Dravecky's story of coming back from bone cancer to again pitch in the major leagues. A truly inspiring story of faith and perseverance. Sometimes we think life is tough and we're tempted to give up on God. But these men in really tough situations on the battlefields of Iraq, Vietnam, and cancer grew closer to God and became much stronger in their faith. Each has a valuable lesson for us. (If you can't find these books in a local book store, check www.amazon.com.)

I know the content on this page isn't about riding motorcycles, driving Xterras, or exploring Colorado, but it's value is so high that I felt like it was just the right thing to do to put it here on the commentary page. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments.
-- Randy Bishop, Littleton Colorado

The opinions expressed on this page are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any of the various groups to which I belong.