Author: Jon Albert

God has graciously given me the privilege of guiding people into the wilderness for the past 23 years.  By His grace, I have been witness to incredible beauty and splendor.  The simple life of the wilderness is pure and natural.  It is unencumbered by the artificial complexities of life.  "Wants" and "needs" are much more clearly defined and understood.  Being responsible for myself and others in the far reaches of the wilderness has taught me many significant life principles.  Perhaps none are more weighty than this one: The humble

The weather is always a significant player when adventuring in the great outdoors.  It is a rare moment indeed when the weather provides the "perfect" ingredients for comfort.  Most often, it is a bit too cold, too hot, too wet, or too dry.  Regardless, the weather is always a piece of the story we tell about our junket in the wild.  This is certainly true of the most recent river trip through western Grand Canyon. Our gang of excited River Rats climbed aboard the helicopter at the Bar 10 Ranch and

Dr. Danny Faulkner, of Answers in Genesis, wrote an article on January 1, 2014 discussing just a few of the wonders of the "just right" nature of the earth.  Dr. Faulkner succinctly explains 3 important facts. 1. The earth is just the right distance from the sun (the habitable zone). The earth is perfectly positioned to be neither too hot nor too cold.  We will neither burn nor freeze.  Of course, we may need to do some convincing of that for people living in Phoenix, AZ and Siberia. 2. The Earth is

Lower Garnet Camp I just completed the first river trip of the 2015 season.  This was a magnificent 9-day expedition covering 187 miles of Grand Canyon.  My good friend, Dr. Andrew Snelling, was my partner in serving 17 people from around the United States. The morning of day 5 was greeted with great anticipation.  We were about to drop into the upper granite gorge and run some of the largest whitewater in North America. The first technical class 10 rapid (Hance rapid) was rumbling just around the corner from camp.

What will we (what will I) give to the next generation? We (the Alberts) love track.  Miranda, Monte, and Melodie have been participating in track meets for 8 years.  As a result, Kathleen and I have spent countless hours watching and enjoying the athletes compete.  Some of the most thrilling events are the relays.  Specifically, we really get excited about the 4X1 relay.  This event has 4 different athletes sprinting 100 meters each and handing a baton from one to the other along the way.  Of course, being fast is critical

The late country star, Roger Miller sang a song titled, "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd".  The song is a silly, yet poignant proclamation that happiness is a choice.  A portion of the lyrics are: "You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to." It goes on to express all these crazy things that you can't do (like drive around with a tiger in your

Dr. Andrew Snelling and I host and lead a 9-day river trip beginning April 24th.  We have the privilege of sharing an adventure with 17 people from around the world and encouraging them in their confidence in God's character and His word.  This trip marks the beginning of the Canyon Ministries river season. So we have 10 days left to prepare.  You are a vital piece to that preparation.  Will you please commit 10 minutes a day for the next 10 days to pray for the impact of Canyon

Desert View The promises of God are certain because the character of God is certain.  The depth of our hope is anchored in the depth of God's power, sovereignty and work on our behalf.  Our enemy prowls around searching to devour our hope by undermining God's word and weaving threads of doubt.  When hope is weakened, anxiety and desperation take its place. But when hope is strong, the believer stands firm and clings to the anchor of God's immutable character and power. The Apostle Paul clung tightly to the anchor

Confidence in today is largely based upon experiences and lessons from the past. "I can answer this question because I have seen it before." "I can bake this cake because I have done it before." "I can climb this tree because I have climbed trees like it before." "My daddy can catch me when I jump because he always does." Peter appeals to this truth in his second letter when encouraging the believers about God's ability to save and preserve.  The people to whom he was writing were facing tremendous persecution (the colosseum, lit on

On this day in history, March 27, 1775, Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Continental Congress.  Jefferson would go on to write the Declaration of Independence, adopted and signed on July 4, 1776.  This document remains as the foundation of our United States of America.  When was the last time you read the declaration?  Have you ever read the declaration? Click here to read it.  As you read it, you will notice a couple of foundational truths upon which the Declaration solidly stands. "the separate and equal Station to