by Jennifer Barker

If you’ve walked into a Christian bookstore lately, you’ve probably noticed the myriad number of devotionals to choose from. If you want a devotional book that will be thought-provoking and challenging, but is easy to read, then Eric Kampmann’s Trail Thoughts will help you in this endeavor. He gives you a good piece of meat to chew on for the day and rarely leaves you with the feeling that you haven’t learned anything.

When Eric Kampmann was a young man, he embarked on his journey in the professional world. In this journey he worked toward one goal: reaching the top of the ladder. Then one day his life completely changed in what he defines as his “Jonah moment.” A moment when the bottom fell out of his plans, his dreams, his life. The moment when he turned his life over to God instead of chasing his own ideas and dreams. He has authored three books (Trail Thoughts being the third one) and is also a teacher, speaker, hiker, entrepreneur, husband, and a father of four.

Eric Kampmann is an avid hiker and has section hiked 1500 miles of The Appalachian Trail. It is through these experiences that he brings to the readers the beauty of nature and what can be learned from his hikes in those breathtaking mountains. Like someone leading us down a winding trail, the author, in Trail Thoughts, takes us on January first to the very beginning of time. He then leads us every day through Scripture to the last day of the year with Jesus describing Himself as the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end of time as we know it. Mr. Kampmann has a way of not only describing different passages of Scripture, but he also links those passages with different ones. For instance, he connects the Psalms to other stories or passages in the Bible (i.e. Joseph, Job, John the Baptist, etc.) It’s a beautiful way of weaving together verses that share a common interest.
Take the time to enjoy this wonderful book and you will discover that it was time well spent.

Reviewer, Jennifer Barker writes from North Carolina.

Check out Jennifer’s review at: http://www.bestbooksreviewed.com/content/view/68/1/

Review by Sabrina Sumsion on August 15, 2008:  www.sabrinareviews.com 

Many people can pinpoint an experience in their lives that changed them forever. Some call them “defining moments.” Others refer to significant “turning points.” But Eric Kampmann calls it his “Jonah Moment.” For Kampmann, it was after emerging from a personal crisis with a new perspective that he committed himself to encountering the words of the Bible on a daily basis in order to gain an understanding of God’s Word. In part, Trail Thoughts was inspired by Kampmann’s love of hiking the 2,185 miles of arduous, beautiful paths that comprise the Appalachian Trail. His time on the trail has taught him that we need to step out of our normal routines in order to experience firsthand the mystery and majesty of God’s universe. He wrote this reader-friendly devotional to help others who are on their own journeys, whether they have just begun the trip or they are seasoned travelers. It is designed as an accessible entryway into the beauty and profound truth of the biblical narrative and its relevance to everyday experience. Each day includes a wisdom passage from the Old Testament along with a short reflection to help readers in their own explorations of faith. Sure to become an oft-read, dog-eared favorite, Trail Thoughts is aptly dedicated to stargazers and trail-thinkers everywhere.

Do you get caught up in life? Do you forget there is more to life than the day-to-day grind? I do. I am so worried about paying the next bill, what the next raise will look like, who hit whom first and many other distracting details I forget to step back and look at the big picture. I am also one of those Christians who really means to read the scriptures every day but only remembers when my head hits the pillow. 

Trail Thoughts is elegant in its simplicity. It isn’t long lectures telling you how things should be but rather an open door waiting for you to walk through and discover God’s desires for you. Trail Thoughts is the perfect gift for yourself or anyone who needs five minutes to re-center everyday. (In other words, practically everyone on this earth!)

I think I have found a solution to my problem. Trail Thoughts is a beautiful compilation of scriptures and companion explanation to be read one at a time. There is a scripture for everyday of the year. If you’re curious like me, yes, February 29th is included with a heading “Leap Year”. I will keep this book on my night stand and get my daily scripture everyday from now on!

Do you get caught up in life? Do you forget there is more to life than the day-to-day grind? I do. I am so worried about paying the next bill, what the next raise will look like, who hit whom first and many other distracting details I forget to step back and look at the big picture. I am also one of those Christians who really means to read the scriptures every day but only remembers when my head hits the pillow.I think I have found a solution to my problem. Trail Thoughts is a beautiful compilation of scriptures and companion explanation to be read one at a time. There is a scripture for everyday of the year. If you’re curious like me, yes, February 29th is included with a heading “Leap Year”. I will keep this book on my night stand and get my daily scripture everyday from now on!

Trail Thoughts is elegant in its simplicity. It isn’t long lectures telling you how things should be but rather an open door waiting for you to walk through and discover God’s desires for you. Trail Thoughts is the perfect gift for yourself or anyone who needs five minutes to recenter everyday. (In other words, practically everyone on this earth!)

Posted by Sabrina’s Thoughts 7/25/08

By Simon Barrett
 
Eric Kampmann completely surprised me with Trail Thoughts. He is a very quiet and contemplative man, someone who has a deep rooted religion, and someone that finds great strength in writings from the Bible. As he explains in the foreword, life in Manhattan can sometimes be not quite as exotic as the location itself. Eric was down for the count in his young life, but he found strength and purpose through the Bible.

The Bible is to some a little hard to read, much of the original material was handed down as oral history, and much of it has gone through translations, and modifications, the language as a result is archaic and sometimes confusing.

Trail Thoughts takes a fresh look at some of the passages and their relevance to life today. One passage per day for the entire year. This is a very personal book, and one that I think will get a wide audience. This is the perfect book for the “I have not read a book since grade school” crowd. All you have to do is commit to reading one page a day.

One of the gripes that I usually have about this type of book is that the comments are just as incomprehensible as the original verse. Eric Kampmann does not do that, he puts his half page commentary in easy to understand terms. In fact he even makes reference to contemporary fiction, with J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings being his favorite.

The Bible is without question one of the most important books ever printed, so important, that many scholars have invested their whole lives in unraveling the mysteries contained within it. Some look endlessly to find the historical links with other documents, some look for the wisdom found within  the pages, yet others speculate more on the more cultural and alas more ephemeral message perceived.

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Read entire review at:  http://www.bloggernews.net/114921

Click here to view the brief review from KUSI NEWS Good Morning SanDiego.

“As the book description notes Trail Thoughts was inspired by Eric Kampmanns love of hiking the 2174 miles of arduous, beautiful paths that comprise the Appalachian Trail. What makes this book special is a few things. Like the size, the Biblical verses and commentaries he shares, and the maturity of the book.

“Over the years I have gotten devotionals and to be honest most were fluffy and pretty, lacking maturity and depth. And I rarely read a books Preface because most are babbling and nothing more. This books Preface was simple and direct and helped me understand the author and how he like many of us at some time will feel the Lords pull but head off in the other direction because to out human emotions or eyes the opposite path seems more fun.

“While the path the Lord has for us seems harder. Then when we stand still and pay attention, we realize there is a reason there is a mountain top and why the trail we must hike may not be easy or even pleasant from a human point of view. But then we reach the mountain top and not only savour the 360* view, but actually appreciate the lessons we have learned during the trek.”

This is why this devotional is unique and special.  “MotherLodeBeth” (Sierras of California)

To view this review on Amazon, click here.

“First of all I must say the front cover of this book can be very misleading. If you’re after a trail/travel book then I must warn you this is not that type of book at all. This is a religious journey book of thoughts and words from God written with the author’s own deep insight into the Scriptures. 

“Eric likens it to going on a spiritual journey instead of an ordinary hike. He hopes everyone will experience the life changing power of God’s word. I don’t think you need to be a committed Christian to enjoy this book - it gives you lots to think about.

“Trying to climb in pursuit of success and power the author soon realized that it was a struggle for survival and that the day of reckoning was bound to come sooner or later. He realized that he had been like Jonah in the Bible and avoided God’s calling. At that time he didn’t feel that God is always reaching out even though in his crisis he cried out to him and he certainly couldn’t believe that God had actually intervened and answered his prayer.

“However on Ash Wednesday 1991 he and his family were on a Caribbean island and he discovered a lectionary hidden in a Book of Common Prayer. It was as if he heard a voice telling him that here was the map he needed for the way ahead - so on that day he decided to follow that Biblical map every day of the year no matter what he was doing or where he was. It would be a slow journey but each day he would walk on God’s pathway.

“For his first day, Listen is the heading. He questions, how did we come to be? Are we on the right path? He tells us that the Bible will provide all the answers if we are prepared to listen.

“Each day Eric takes a quotation from a book in the Bible and analyses it. He likens the Bible to a book on history except that God is central. 

“Eric tells us that although we are taught that life begins at birth and ends at death the Bible tells us another story. We were created by God before we were born and he had a purpose for us but we can choose to disregard that purpose if we so choose . We are free to live without God in making that choice but it will have profound implications.

“In March one of the headings is A Heavy Burden and it talks about sin. Everyone sins at some time but many of us deceive ourselves by claiming we have not sinned and so consequently the symptoms cannot be treated. This is taken from Mark 2-5 about the paralytic man being lowered through the roof and Jesus saying “your sins are forgiven”. The man gets up and walks. 

“There is something for everyone in this journey of faith. Each day there is a text and words from the Bible to study and help you along the way. It is a book to dip into at any time to gain hope, faith, courage and assurance. Maybe read a passage just to calm you down during a hectic and daunting time in your life. Thought provoking yet comforting.” Jessica Roberts

To view this review on Bookpleasures, click here.

“With the advent of the 24 hour-seven day a week economy it is more important than ever that each of us take at least a few moments each day to reflect on our lives and to evaluate what is important to us. For some folks this means daily prayer, reading scriptures or perhaps setting aside a period of time for silent reflection. No matter what your own approach might be Eric Kampmann’s ‘Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith’ would certainly be a great way to add depth and perspective to your spiritual life.

“The reflections in ‘Trail Thoughts’ are thoughtfully conceived and beautifully written. Being a Roman Catholic I find that I do not spend nearly enough time studying and reflecting on the Bible. Like the great majority of people I sometimes forget just how powerful the influence of Satan is on our society. At the same time, it is easy to overlook the beauty and wonder of God’s handiwork all around us. “Trail Thoughts” will help you to put all of this into some kind of perspective. 

“For each and every day of the year ‘Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith’ offers the reader a short passage from scripture followed by Eric Kampmann’s insightful commentary that will greatly enhance your ability to apply the Word of God to your own life. I found that spending just a few minutes each day with ‘Trail Thoughts’ is time very well spent. Highly recommended!”  By Paul Tognetti    aspiring reviewer specializing…(Cranston, RI USA) 

To view this review on Amazon, click here. 

“I wanted to recommend a new daily devotional that I’m enjoying. It is called Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith, and it’s written by Eric Kampmann, who runs our distribution partner Midpoint. Unlike most devotionals, this one isn’t sappy or cheesy. It’s thought-provoking and makes no effort to wrap up the Bible into a small package with a cute little bow. Instead, Kampmann focuses on the big picture of Scripture while challenging readers to examine their place in God’s world. He chooses a very apropos verse for the introduction: This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16)

“That’s what Trail Thoughts is all about — finding that ancient path as revealed by God. If you prefer some happy fluff to end your day or want straightforward ‘how to’ advice, this book probably isn’t for you. But if you’re looking to be challenged and exposed to a wide array of topics with a biblical perspective, you will enjoy it.” By Eric M. Jackson.

To view this review on Conservative Publisher, click here.

Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith (Beaufort Books), selected for February by independent booksellers as a Book Sense Notable, is a quiet title with a reflective subject. click here to read the rest of this article - you will need to scroll down a little to the Author Profile section to see this article.