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Today we climbed to the highest elevation point on our journey. Another great moment to celebrate.

In Sobrado we were able to see the Santa Maria Monastery, a declared world heritage site by UNESCO . On the way, we also walked through the beauty of the Galician Atlantic Forest, with wetlands full of flora and fauna. From mountain top to valley all was grand.

Waking up to the small surprises of each day has been one of the greatest blessings of this adventure. What will we see? Where will we stop? Who will we meet? What will we learn? All of it an adventure.

On our monastery tour these thoughts brought life to my soul:

"The only way to bear witness is...
to be what we are in the midst of banal, everyday realities."
Blessed Christian de Chergé

Fr Michael said if contemplative Religious are to play a prophetic role in the postmodern world, “the first requirement is that we are what we say we are”.

To be what we are called to be involves more than extricating ourselves from the constricting coils of capitalism, consumerism and exploitation. We certainly need to shake off these constraints. But there is more. We need to allow the grace of our gifts to flourish and bear fruit in our individual and corporate lives. To be what we are meant to be.

In Christ community we are called to Balance prayer, work, and reflection with inner silence, solitude, and contemplation. Maintain an attitude open to listening and dialogue. Live with a spirit of love toward those around us and serve as a reflection of balance, compassion, and grace in all our relationships. Be witnesses of faithfulness to our commitment. Foster active ecumenical and interfaith engagement. Be present to the needs of our brothers and sisters,individually and as a group. Practice mercy and compassion with all we encounter. Live together as one family in God in the world. Actively expressing a sense of community in all aspects of our lives. Fostering a relationship of service with the community and world. Offering hospitality and service to one another, both as partners in our local communities and individually. Serving the Church and the People of God.

Yes - to be Jesus people - a people of the way.

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! What a glorious day!

We left with the early morning sunrise today. An all night concert in the field next to our hostel made for a short evening. Within a few steps we crossed a milestone on the Camino.

Today over our high mileage trek we reached the lush evergreen forests of the Camino. What glorious mountains they are! This day reminded me of our wonderful years in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I spent a lot of time hiking those mountains and the trails and the views and scents brought all those memorable hikes back into my mind. There is nothing better than the whisper of the wind and the fresh evergreen scent surrounding you as you walk. As we journeyed onward Psalm 121 led the way.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

We woke up today with the reality that we are quickly closing in on Santiago. With that reality, we take every step even more prayerfully and intentionally.

The Camino blesses pilgrims with the ability for each to go their own pace – their own route – their own distance – in their own way. It has been nice seeing some familiar faces along the way. However, each day you also realize that even though our paths crossed we may not see each other ever again. Hellos and Buen Camino and Blessings and Goodbyes hit different when holding that thought at the front of your mind. This is also true of our daily lives. We never take for granted the simple blessings that are before us, especially when those blessings are from the hearts and minds of the people we meet.

On the Camino today we experienced many new folks as folks join the Camino trail closer to Santiago. It was neat to see folks from around the world walking together. Merritt enjoyed passing folks today as he likes our quickened pace as it taps into his competitive spirit.

During our Cortado and Iced Tea break, we read the words of the final chapter of the Book of James.

James 5:

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴ Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵ You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.^[a] 6 You have condemned and murderedthe innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oilin the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

We began the morning in the foggy mist of the high mountains. Our walk then took us into the highlands and pasture lands as we made our way into Vilalba.

The horses – the horses. Creatures of graceful beauty. On this journey it seems that every farmer has horses. You want to see a grand array of horses – come walk northern Spain. As a young boy on a farm I too got to enjoy having horses. We participated in 4-H and took part in State Fair competitions in South Dakota. Another good memory of this life.

As we walked we immersed in the words of James 4:

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^[c]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Up up up was the theme of the day. As we move inland the long mountain climbs get more intense. Of the 17 trail miles over 14 miles were with elevation gain. We had the trail to ourselves on this day. Solitude and mountain vistas and inspiration and gentle encouragement coaxed us forward. My eyes welled up with tears many times. Gratitude – so much gratitude. Tonight we are also thankful for a grocery store that is 50 steps away from our albergue – snacks and cold beverages for dinner.

I hummed a worship song along the way that has been on my heart in recent days: Your Name is Holy

There’s never been anyone like You God
No one above You
No one beside You
There’s never been anyone like You God
You are the highest
You are the greatest
There’s never been anyone like You God

Yeshua
Jehovah
Hallelujah
Glory in the highest
Yahweh
Your name is holy, holy, holy
God for us
God with us
King Jesus
Lord Almighty
Yahweh
Your name is holy, holy, holy

We praise Your name forevermore
All tongues and all nations
Let all generations
Sing praise to name of the Lord our God

Yeshua
Jehovah
Hallelujah
Glory in the highest
Yahweh
Your name is holy, holy, holy
God for us
God with us
King Jesus
Lord Almighty
Yahweh
Your name is holy, holy, holy
Your name is holy

Sing praise to the Great I Am
We join all heaven singing
Worthy is the Lamb
Forever and ever, amen

Your name, Your name is holy
Your name is holy, holy, holy

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jonathan Smith / Brian Johnson / Phil Wickham / Sean Curran

Your Name Is Holy lyrics © Capitol Cmg Paragon, Sixsteps Songs, Be Essential Songs, Bethel Music Publishing, Sounds Of Jericho, Brian And Jenn Publishing

A beautiful rural path guided us over the mountains today as we made our way to Lourenza. A conversation with fellow pilgrims from Madrid on the way brought warmth and blessings to our hearts. A rural cafe at just the right time brought the needed refreshments and the gentle kindness of the staff brought us contentment. As we descended into our alberque we settled into the comfort of a gentle and simple place to rest.

James Chapter 3 guided our thoughts on this day:

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire,a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

May we be filled with the wisdom that comes from heaven.

340 miles completed as of today. 130 to go to our final point in Santiago. We have entered our final region of Spain called Galicia.

As we wandered through Ribadeo, we gave thanks for the coastal mountain path that we have been on. The cooler ocean breezes and amazing sites at every turn have brought countless smiles to our faces.

Now we begin the turn south and move inland. The temps are going to climb and make for some challenging days. We have lots of ups and downs yet to go so our legs will be tested. We are sore and a little weary but still nimble. We had the best dinner at a family owned Indian restaurant that had unique spices and flavors to this region. Every item selected from local gardeners. The cuisine offered throughout our trip has been really special.

As we journeyed throughout today we reflected on James 2.

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our gloriousLord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.² Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?⁷ Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a] you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”^[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”^[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judgedby the law that gives freedom, ¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[d]? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[e] and he was called God’s friend.²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

We made it to the white building village in the green coast. Climbing up to the chapel and light house was the pinnacle of a great day. We meandered the side streets and even made it to the Museo Del Calamar Gigante – the largest squid museum in the world. Being Kraken fans we had to take the opportunity for this photo stop. We also hit the supermarket to buy some local treats as we keep burning calories and eating our way across the country.

Today my mind meandered through a challenge I often face. At this point in life, I still feel the need to push myself pretty hard. This can be physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. Over the past week I have felt that if we finished our day at 15 miles or even 41 miles, that perhaps we could even have gone further on that day. Why stop when you can keep going?

I love that sense of pushing hard and at times I wish I could let that go and take it a bit easier. I want to make the biggest impact on each day and I want to enjoy it more. I want to take on big challenges and align that work with what most needs doing. Am I doing enough? Am I making enough of a difference and providing enough for my family, my church, my community, the world? This has been something that I have wrestled with my entire life. I am the same in work and play. It makes me who I am and at times may diminish my own humanity? I’ll keep wrestling with this as I am still in the messy middle of these life questions. While doing so, I desire to hold fast to what is good, what is well pleasing to Jesus and the gift of this life that I have been given.

As we walked into our dinner stop, this image was hanging above the kitchen window. Seems to tie (haha) right into my meandering thoughts of recent days).

Our pilgrim journey continued to El Pito today. On this high mileage day we spent time reflecting on:

James Chapter 1:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a]whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

⁹ Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trialbecause, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Today we enjoyed the day in Gijon. With 5,000 years of history walking through its streets feels like traveling back in time. It is a day to rest and refresh and play.

We feasted on cachopo – a most famous Spanish meal of two beef filets surrounded by Serrano ham and cheese – breaded and then fried – the taste buds rejoice!

We played in the sun on the Bay of Biscay on a jet ski.

Enjoyed a weekend festival with street actors and other odd ball stuff.

Watched a military aircraft display on the beach that blew our ears away while surfers danced with the waves.

Tasted cider and frixuelos.

Cleaned up laundry and prepared for the next 12 days of forward movement.

People watched and art finds.

A Saturday of simple enjoyment.