Nomadic Cyclist: Thinking About Joining

OK, for one, it has been entirely too long since I have posted.  Sorry about that.

However, I must say that I have been doing quite a lot of research into the USA Nomadic Cyclist lifestyle.  It seems really appealing to me as one who needs to limit herself on what she needs for life.  I am thinking about going on a year tour after I get done with college (frankly, no more then 4 years) of bicycling around the USA and using some skills that I have with a bit if ingenuity, make money along the way to support myself money-wise.  I realize that I first need a job during college, which I hope will not require too much travel for (and local too).  I also realize that the hardest part will be getting everything I need and just leaving.  If everything goes as planned, and if Jesus tarries, then I should be able to get everything I need by the time the four years end to start my one year tour of the USA, then ask God where does he want me to settle, if He wants me to go on tour at all. Its food for thought...

Pros to Nomadic Cyclist Lifestyle:
 - Study Time:  This is a good time to study up and pray up on my Bible.

- Cheaper in the Long-run (or should it be cycle?):  Without a house payment, car insurance, credit cards,and other bills that come with it, you have yourself some extra cash that could be put toward other things, like savings!

- Buying only what you Need:  This can teach me how to use what I have, and not carry anything that I either cannot sell well, or truly do not need to survive.  Keeps me from spending unnecessarily.  I could solve it by collecting the things I like and mailing them to my "address" when the box is full enough, but it would be best to not have any glass stuff....

- EXERCISE!!!:  Lord knows that this near 250 Ib girl needs to get out there and exercise!  I like to bike, so why not do it for a long-term trip?  Bike the pounds off.


-Organization:  I suck at being organized, so I figured that the best way to be is having as few possessions as possible.  Minimalist thinking.


 - People-Skill Level 2/10:  My people-skills suck, and I know it.  Knowing how little I do, this will help me to open up to people (even if I don't like them) and get over my dislike for the masses (hopefully) and have a compassionate heart for the homeless (those who don't have the supplies/money to live nomadicly and self-supporting).

 - Wild Eating:  Having an affinity for bows, arrows, traps and slingshots, this is where I could practice on the road hunting skills.  Stay in a hunting place for a week, and stock up on the wild-meat jerky.
Plus I could sell the skins/bones/meat whenever.  (this gives me an idea for deer sausage.....hmmm...)

 - Good Businesswoman:  If I decide to to sell things right then and there, then I must learn how to bargain.  This will teach me so.

 - Live (Legally) Anywhere!:  Self-explanatory.



Cons to Nomadic Cyclist Lifestyle:
 - Jehovah's World:  When you have lived indoors for pretty much all of your life,  its hard to see beyond those four walls you keep yourself in.  Everything is controlled, and if your family brings in enough income, can have enough to live a comfortable life without ever going outside for more then a few hours to mow the lawn or take care of the garden (if that).  So the world that the Good Lord Jehovah made for human-kind can be brutal, and the elements that make it so will be hard enough as it is to live CONSISTENTLY outdoors.  This is not including the animals I will encounter. That will be one challenge that I hope to overcome.

 - Keeping myself Prioritized:  Having lived in a pretty easy life, priorities have not been my biggest thing.  Making a plan and keeping to it long-term to see is not what I am best at.  This will allow me to do so in time.


 - Keeping in Contact with Family/Friends:  That will be the biggest trouble for me, simply because I really do not care to carry any electronics unless I absolutely have to.  On the other hand, it might not be so bad to have a few things, as snail-mail could be too slow.

 - Physically/Mentally Draining:  I will probably want to go back after a few days, but if I put my stubbornness to good use, then I should persevere. 


 - Food/Money Shortage:  If I am not absolutely stingy on what I buy, then I will not be a good or happy camper.  Have to plan ahead for every possible thing that could happen.  If food gets in low supply, then have to go hunt/fish/buy the food.  BTW, have to find a solar/wind power refrigerator...there is that money thing again....


Honestly, I think that I can do it if I put my mind to it.  Plus I am thinking about asking a friend to join me in this journey across the USA.  She has been wanting to get out of where she is for soooo long, and this will be the perfect way for her to get out.  But I have to tell my ultimatum though: she has to go to college to learn something(s) that can be done on the road traveling.  I will tell her tomorrow when I go down to her place.

Pray that Jehovah lets me go!  Pray that He makes the way for the trip to be successful!

Cool Quote

I just thought that this was interesting from Bleach:

Kimpachi:  .....And anyone who truly loves power, loves to measure that power in battle.
    It’s a simple fact!  The question is, do we fight in order to gain more power or do
    we gain more power in order to fight - I haven’t figured it out yet.


Food for thought....

Looking up things...

For a character that I am writing about has a weapon that is a whip in each hand, so I thought that I would look up the biblical meaning of whip.  Here are the verses that I found on www.biblos.com  in order of books  :
Note: scourge, flogged, and flail are also the same thing as whipping.

Deuteronomy 22:18  ESV
   Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him, 

Joshua 23:13 NIV
   then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.

Judges 8:7  ESV
   So Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”

Job 5:21 , 9:23  KJV
   (5:21) Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
   (9:23) If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

Proverbs 26:3  NIV
   A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

Isaiah 10:26 , 28:15 , 28:18 , 50:6   ESV
   (10:26) And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a whip, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. And his staff will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt.
   (28:15) Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
   (28:18) Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it.
   (50:6)  I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.  (NIV)

Nahum 3:2  (KJV)
   The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

Matthew 10:17 , 20:19 , 23:34 , 27:26   (NIV)
   (10:17) "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 
   (20:19)  ....and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" 
   (23:34)  Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
   (27:26)  Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Mark 10:34 ,  13:9  , 15:15   NIV
   (10:34)  who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." 
   (13:9)  "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
   (15:15)  Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Luke 18:33  KJV
   And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

John 2:15, 19:1   NIV
   (2:15)  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
   (19:1)  Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

Acts 22:25  NIV
     As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

1 Corinthians 4:21  NIV
   What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

One thing that I noticed is that whenever the whip is mentioned, it always has to deal with punishment.  Most of the time, it births from anger, either righteous or unrighteous.  Judgement is also carried out whenever the whip is mentioned or used.  I also see that it can mean a test, as hinted at in Joshua 23:13, but that I would have to find more information on.

If you do have more info on this matter, let me know in the comments below.

Bleach and Bible

I have said before that I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and that I am a Christian by practice.  But recently I have been watching Bleach, and I find parallels between the Bible and Bleach.
One that I find interesting is that they use named swords called zanpakuto.  Each zanpakuto can be talked to and have their own "soul" that can be manifested into a physical form in the real world.  This I find interesting.  The Word is often referred to as The Sword of The Spirit for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12).  The more Word you know, the bigger your sword.  My teacher who told me this gave me this analogy:
   Imagine a butter knife and a cleaver.  Both represent the amount of Word that you know.  Say you have all of your armor on, but what is the thing about it?  It is all defensive.  The Word is your only offensive weapon against Satan.  Now, if your going to go into battle and your sword is like the butter knife, how long do you think you will last?  Yeah sure you have the Shield of Faith, but how are you going to fight back with a butter knife?  So, if you go into battle with a sword like a cleaver, then you can cut down the enemy no problem.
Also knowing the names of Jehovah when you pray is helpful as well so you can ask specific questions and let Him know what you want.  If you pray the Word, Jehovah cannot help but listen to you.
   Now, with a zanpakuto, part of aforementioned analogy applies as well.  If you do not know the name of your sword, then your power is diminished as stated in episode 39. Also working together with your zanpakto is just as important.  Knowing the names of your attacks that you learned from your sword is important as well, as Ichigo's Zangetsu pointed out in episode 55.  It rings like The Word to me, however, I highly doubt that the writer did not intend for this.

   Another thing that is more obvious is the reference to a heaven, hell, and a King.  This is pretty self-explanatory, but a lot of religions mention this.  However, you never see the King and his higher court (my words,  not authors).  That is something that no other religion has.  In Christianity, no one can see the Father, but we can see Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I must testify that I have seen the Holy Spirit in different forms, and I have also seen demons in their various forms.  However, the gift to discern these things not everyone has.  That is a prophetic gift.
I'm sorry, I digressed.
I will have to continue in the next post.  If there are any points that you would like for me to discuss, let me know in the comments below.