Zusatztext 51113037 Informationen zum Autor Roger W. Thompson Klappentext Get Lost. . . and Find What Really Matters We are made for freedom and adventure, friendship and romance. Yet too much of life is spent unfulfilled at work, restless at home, and bored at church. All the while knowing there is something more. You'll find some of life's best moments waiting for you over a campfire, on a river-even in that coffee shop or brewery you didn't know you'd discover along the way. It's time to begin the search. In the literary spirit of well-worn tales about America's open road, this poetic, honest, often hilarious collection of essays shows how to embark on adventures that kindle spiritual reflection, personal growth, and deeper family connections. From surfing California's coastlines, stargazing southwestern deserts, and fly-fishing in remote mountains of Montana, you'll be inspired to follow the author's footsteps and use the hand-drawn maps from each chapter to plan your own trips. There you will hear God's voice - and it may help you find what you're searching for. "We search mountaintops and valleys, deserts and oceans, hoping sunrises and long views through the canyons will help us discover who we are, or who we still want to be. The language of our hearts reflects that of creation because in both are fingerprints of God." -Roger W. ThompsonIntroduction A Word About Maps I make a lot of wrong turns. They come easily. A slight distraction or curiosity and I'm down a washboard road rattling my van and teeth, making for a distant landmark. The turns come after full consultation of the maps. I'll study the topography for hours, memorizing mountains and watersheds. I'll glance at the roads as well, but I've traveled enough to know roads of men can't always be trusted. It's better to trust in immovable things. We make our homes in this world as best we can. We scratch at the earth to make a living or to make a difference, and always we have a feeling there is something more. Something missing. So we search. We search mountaintops and valleys, deserts and oceans. We hope sunrises and long views through canyons will help us discover who we are or who we still want to be. We also search our own inner landscapes and describe our emotional and spiritual state with topographical language. Love like an ocean. Grief like a desert. Peace like a river. The language of our hearts reflects the language of creation because in both are fingerprints of God. This book is filled with maps of sacred places to help in the search. The details of each map were gathered from personal travels or from those of close friends. They lead to secret shorelines that will deepen our love for our wives and to rivers where we cast a line with fishing buddies who, through wild trout and campfires, will become enduring friends. These maps lead to distant lakes where in safety we can cry out our hopes and shames and hear mountains echo with assurances that we are not alone. Individually these maps propose specific adventures throughout the West. They highlight fishing holes and wilderness and the best breweries to help cap the day. Collectively these roads through the wilderness present the map of a man's heart. While traveling I'll often veer onto a road that wasn't on my route. This is the beginning of adventure. It's how I've discovered tiny towns and sunsets and secret fishing holes and the Philipsburg Brewing Companyin Montana. It's also how I've gotten myself desperately lost. And since it takes an act of Congress to get me to turn around, I keep going over switchbacks and single-lane roads until either the curiosity is cured or I run out of snacks. Before turning back I get out and survey the landscape, looking to mountain peaks or rivers or stars for clues. It's always there, deep in the wilderness, with my...

ldquo;Combining humor, a sense of adventure, and a need to discover who he is, Thompson takes readers on an earnest journey as he recounts a number of trips exploring America’s beauty. He finds insights into life in cherished memories and moments of clarity. Along the way he learns what it is to be a husband, a father, and a friend, often coming to moments of understanding as he appreciates nature.” —Publishers Weekly

"This book is changing my life on a regular basis. It's so profound. I can't put it down!"
—Ryan Dobson, RebelParenting.org

"There is an overall 'welcome to my home' feeling about We Stood Upon Stars that makes this book a good choice for anyone who has or is experiencing stress–basically every living American adult. Those among us who enjoy exploring life, immersing in nature, abandoning the main highway in favor of a backroad and star gazing will find a delightful sense of wonder in We Stood Upon Stars and will grasp Thompson’s point of view fairly quickly." 
—yoursexylibrarian

“Roger’s writing reminds me of Steinbeck’s—it brings light to life in the most beautiful and profound ways. After reading this book I want to love my wife, kids, and life more.  For that, I am deeply grateful for Roger and this book.”
—Britt Merrick, pastor, hunter, surfboard shaper

“A poignant travelogue of generations past and present, searching for God in lost places. After reading the first page of We Stood Upon Stars, it’s obvious Roger’s love for adventure and desire to invite everyone else along! I was swept up in ‘love like an ocean,’ ‘grief like a desert,’ and ‘peace like a river’ that flowed through every chapter. From the waves of Ventura, CA to starlight in the desert, to the taco truck in Marfa, TX, I got lost in the stories of Roger and his family as they learned not only about the beauty of each destination, but the beauty of the journey it takes to get there.”
—Leslie Jordan, All Sons & Daughters

“It’s hard to know if Roger is an author or an artist. He paints these pages with words so vivid and picturesque that you can almost smell the Rocky Mountain air, feel the salty water of the ocean, or experience the tug of a wild trout on the end of a fly line. Roger is writing the powerful story every man, every father, and every adventurer dreams about living, but for Roger it’s not a dream. It’s his life. And like a wise teacher, he’s showing us how it can be our life too.”
—Brian Carpenter, founder of Refuge Foundation, Montana

“Roger Thompson takes us on his dirt roads, into his mountains, and deep into his spirit. Through his humor and humility, he will inspire you.”
—Braden Jones, entrepreneur, world traveler, husband and father, co-founder of Intervals, Petunia Pickle Bottom, Sons of Trade

“There is no better story than one that truly becomes your own. As a guy who finds comfort in security, God is continually drawing me deeper into the unknown…and it’s good for the soul. In this book, Roger invites us on the road less traveled. We Stood Upon Stars is a road map to the journey that every man hopes to experience for himself. Get ready to dive right into the heart of a man.”
—Gary Humble, CEO of Grapevine Craft Brewery and blogger at HumbleTravelers.com

“We all search for something in our lives, though many of us are unable to express that. We Stood Upon Stars does so—prolifically with love, humor, and solace—‘rediscovering a wild that never had been lost.’ Beautifully written, must read.”
—KynsLee Scott, steelhead and trout fly-fishing guide

“What strikes me most isn’t the adventures found within this book, but Roger’s transparent ability to share the condition of our human heart. Roger’s honest reflections undoubtedly beg us to reflect on our own map and trajectory t…