From Maine to Hawaii: A 7-Day Journey of Hope on the Bible App

When John Christopher Frame visited Yellowstone National Park with his parents, evidence of the devastating 1988 forest fires was still visible.

They saw burned trees and areas that had been damaged only three years earlier. But they also saw new growth.

Plants were returning. The forest was renewing itself.

That memory eventually became one of the devotions in From Sea to Shining Sea: Hope for Your Journey, Frame’s new 7-day devotional plan on the YouVersion Bible App. The seven days move from Maine to Hawaii, combining travel experiences, Scripture, reflective questions, and prayer points around one central theme: hope.

The Yellowstone story is an image of renewal and hope.

“Even after so much destruction, we could see new life growing,” Frame says. “I hope people can think about areas in their own lives where they need renewal and remember that renewal is possible.”

Seven Days Across America

The Bible App plan includes seven devotions adapted from the book From Sea to Shining Sea: 50 Daily Devotions from Traveling to Every State in America, which Frame wrote with his parents, Gene and Marsha Frame.

Gene and Marsha, now married nearly 60 years, traveled to all 50 states over the course of their life together. Their trips and memories became the foundation for the book, which includes one devotion for each state.

The Bible App plan features seven of these brief devotions. Readers encounter places including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.

“My hope is that the stories stay with people and give them something meaningful to reflect on—that the devotions may help them find more hope in their own lives and, through reflection and prayer, grow closer to God,” Frame says.

Beginning the Journey in Maine

The first devotion in the 7-day devotional plan is based on a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, where the family watched the sunset from Cadillac Mountain.

Dark-gray clouds filled the sky, but rays of yellow and orange broke through as the sun went down—a scene that becomes a way to think about praise and hope. While a sunset marks the end of a day, it also points toward what comes next—sunrise. One day closes, and another begins.

The devotion reminds readers that with every ending and every new beginning, they can hope and trust that God’s presence will be with them.

A Vermont Covered Bridge That Survived a Flood

One of Frame’s favorite devotions comes from Vermont.

During a trip to Vermont, his father’s interest in covered bridges led them to visit several of them. One was the Hammond Covered Bridge, built in 1842.

This bridge has a surprising history.

During a major flood, the bridge was lifted from its location and carried more than a mile downstream, eventually settling in a field.

Remarkably, the bridge remained intact. It was later moved back to its original location, where it still stands today.

The story provides an image for the difficulties people experience—the “rains and floods” that can leave someone feeling washed away by life’s burdens.

The devotion points readers toward the strength and hope they can find in Christ. Just as the bridge endured the flood without breaking apart, people can look to Christ for strength during difficult experiences and trust Him to lead them through the storm.

Read or Listen on the Bible App

John Christopher Frame also narrated all seven devotions. Readers can read them in the Bible App, listen to Frame’s narration, or do both.

“I love reading aloud,” he says. “Audio can make a devotion feel more personal and bring it to life in a different way.”

“The stories give people something they can picture,” Frame says. “Then the reflective questions and prayer points give them space to think about how that can relate to their own lives.”

From Sea to Shining Sea: Hope for Your Journey is available free on the YouVersion Bible App.

Start the 7-day devotional journey: You can click here to begin the devotional plan or scan the QR code below to open the plan on the Bible App.

You can connect with John Christopher Frame via his website and explore From Sea to Shining Sea: Hope for Your Journey on the Bible App.