Refuse to Do Nothing!

I am Cycling for Kids tomorrow! 

Stop the Cycle of Abuse 2014 will benefit the McLean 

County Child Protection Network 

• Court Appointed Special Advocates have donated 8,962 hours for McCLean County's children living in foster care.
• Their CASA program has trained more than 550 volunteers since 1985.
• Children with a CASA are substantially less likely to spend time in long term foster care
• The CASA program is funded soley through grants,donations and fundraising.
• One hour of counseling costs $42.50.Victims are not charged for this service at the CPN center.
• Nationally, 77,000 CASAs are advocating for 234,000 children living in foster care.
• The median age for reported abuse is 9 years old.
• 363 children were interviewed at the CPN in 2013.

So many of my friends helped me be able to do this. I needed $500 to ride the three days and we made it! We're travelling 180 miles Friday, Saturday and Sunday, about 60 miles a day.  I've never gone more than 40 miles in one day and never two days in a row so this will really push my endurance...but...I'm very excited to be able to take part in this awesome fund raiser!

Please pray for travel safety for us all; beautiful weather; and for me, to be able to ride all three days and still be able to get off my bike each time and walk. As I've gotten older, I've realized I love challenges and seeing how I can stretch myself mentally and physically and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

I've determined to REFUSE TO DO NOTHING!

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Lessons from Camp, #1 Lackadaisical!

On Wednesday at Special Touch camp, Megan and I did something neither of us had ever done before - we went inner-tubing! Our tubes were tied together and my job was to make sure all went well as we traveled downstream.

The first 3/4 of the ride, we were alone. Some of the group was way ahead of us and some way behind. We were in the middle and enjoying it. Megan splashed water on me and her legs pushed us along faster than the quiet stream. It was relaxing. I laid my head back and enjoyed the scenery.

Sometime in there, the path got rocky and the current swifter. I pulled myself up out of the tube so I could use my legs and arms to push us away from big rocks that peeked up out of the water or when we were close to washing up against the sides of the banks where tree limbs wanted to entangle us.

I enjoyed our ride so much that I got...

lack·a·dai·si·cal

ˌlakəˈdāzikəl/ 

adjective

1. lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.

   "a lackadaisical defense left the Spurs adrift in the second half"

   synonyms:

   lethargic, apathetic, listless, sluggish, spiritless, passionless;

We were laughing and teasing each other and I forgot I had to watch out for obstacles in our way. Megan was up higher in a float than I was and she was MY responsibility. Because the beginning was so smooth sailing and so much fun, I let my guard down.  Very quickly I learned to keep my feet up so they wouldn't get scraped on the creek bed. I watched upstream so I would know which route to go when there were two paths.

But even while watching, I still didn't save us from getting scraped up by limbs that reached out and grabbed us. Rocks stayed hidden until I was right on them. Trust me, it wasn't a smooth ride anymore! I seriously was worried to stand up at the end in case I didn't have a bottom left of my swim suit.

When I was worried and working so hard, Meg laughed and splashed. She still enjoyed the ride without fear. That made me feel good. I was creating an experience she would never forget. It also made me think about Jesus and how He took up our sins and died on the cross for us so we could have life after life here on Earth. We can live our lives without fear of what's next. It's covered...and it's wonderful!

I could watch out for Meg fairly well - just one person. At some point, we got ahead of two people. One was a girl in our group, Amanda. She was screaming. I turned around and tried to encourage her to relax and enjoy the ride. While I talked to her, I didn't have my eyes on what was happening in front of us. I quickly found out, I had to not worry about her. I couldn't take care of two guests at that moment. Gayle had Amanda and was doing a great job. I had to keep my focus so Meg and I would stay safe.

It served to remind me how God is so big and how small I am. He watches out for all of us. All the time. His eyes are always on us. He's not inadequate. He is perfect. Unlike me.  All week, my job was to look after three young ladies. I loved on them and watched out for them like they were my own. I couldn't let my guard down.  I learned more lessons from camp I'll be sharing. I had to lean on God to help me make it through. Not only did we make it through, we had a blast!

For all those who gave money or bought supplies to help Megan go to camp, THANK YOU - from Megan, her dad, and myself. Her world got lots bigger and she met others who were just like her. That alone has to be pretty awesome!

Meg's own words for most of the week, "Awesome!"

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Book Review - Bride By Necessity

I volunteered to read Bride by Necessity directly from the author, a woman I have personally met at our Faithwriter Conference - Linda Glaz. With summer here and I'm free from work responsibilities, I jumped at the chance for a free book, as you can imagine!

Linda is, "married with three children and three grandchildren. Her triple-A personality allows her to be an agent with Hartline as well. She loves anything with the written word, and loves stories based on family lore. Rich stories wait to be fictionalized and written, stories handed down through families, no matter legend or exact truth. Linda loves the opportunity to write or find "just the right book" to shake up the industry. She's a charging train: "All aboard!'"

Bride by Necessity is her fifth Love Inspired Heartsong book with the sixth to come out in October.  As she describes herself, she certainly is a charging train. That's the only way I can resolve myself to give the review that I have to give.

This book takes place in England in 1855. It starts with bad news, as many do. Payton Whittard is the female main character. She is suddenly whisked from a very humble, poor beginning to living with a very rich man she always feared.

I wish that's all the description there was to this book. I was able to guess almost everything that was going to happen. Either too much was given away in order to sell the book or it was too contrived to make it move along faster. That wouldn't be Linda's fault. The Heartsong books are short. I enjoyed the characters: Payton is a tom-boy; Jonathan is still trying to recover from a broken heart.  I also liked several of the servants that Linda brought to life.

I got lost in a couple of places but I believe it was because of the pacing. It was way too fast. First they were mad at each other and the next sentence they weren't. It was hard to keep up - like a teenage romance but neither of these were teens. And Payton was hardly an orphan, as the blurb describes her. She was twenty years old - I'm sure an orphan status in the 1800's but it's still hard to imagine for us now.

I so wish Linda had the opportunity to write this book in full. There is so much more she could have done to let us explore the characters and understand the reasons behind their decisions much better. It's not an awful book but it did put me in frustration mode. I truly enjoyed Payton and Jonathan.

So, even though this was a hard review to write, Linda asked for honesty. I would like to know what you think of it.  Buy it!  Read it. It will take you a day or two and will transport you to another time and place. That's not a bad thing, huh?!

Thank you Linda, for letting me read your book. I can't wait to read more!

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Well Done!

I did it! Actually, I've done several things in my 50th year so far:

• I finished another year of school. I used sick days for my grandson Kaden more than I did for myself. No surgeries! Nothing that knocked me down for days on end! All in all, we had a pretty good year.

• I also completed a 5K. I'd been training for it but didn't finish before race day.  I ran it in 39 minutes and came in 2nd in the women's 50 and over bracket. Mind-blowing! 

• Yesterday I rode my bike for 38 miles. Five of those miles were with a student from school and the rest was just me. It was challenging but fun.

Funny thing is, all of these took a long time to get through, but the very hardest parts was towards the end. Isn't that crazy?

CRAZY!

We couldn't wait to get to the end of the school year but then the end brought up all kinds of stress.

I kept up a good, steady pace for the 5K. Until the end. I just couldn't go on. "Where's the finish line?" I asked. They told me it was just up ahead. And then all kinds of crazy thoughts entered my mind, like:

Why am I doing this?
Will I be able to walk tomorrow?
Will I be able to step into the car to get home?
Why am I doing this? (that one deserved to be asked several times!)

The bike ride.  Oh my! Honestly, I didn't mean to ride that far but I got lost. Lost is my usual state but it's especially bad when on a bike. My problem is, I don't like to go back the same way I came. That gets me into a whole kind of bad. But I did it. I did it! All 38 miles. I knew if I couldn't go on or if I couldn't get myself 'unlost', my husband was a phone call away.


Funny thing is, the point I really wanted to give up was when I could see the finish line. I barely moved my legs the last 4 miles. Very sore. Very tired. Very sun burnt. It was a 4 hour ride and the last 20 minutes or so, I was ready to throw in the towel. Catch a ride with a passing farmer.

The end, I had a hard time getting to the end, but...I did it.

In all of these, getting to the end wasn't easy.  I was:

Weary

Beat up

In pain

Emotional

But...

I did it! I made it to the end. I just waved at the farmers as they drove by in their pickup trucks and who could have very easily taken me the rest of the way home. I kept on running when I was encouraged that the finish line was just up ahead. I kept on plugging away at school with every one else even though we were just done. All of us.

In all of these, getting to the end wasn't easy, but once I got there, I was:

Relieved

Exuberant

Exhausted

Sore

Emotional

Happy

So happy...

This is how I want to live my life every day. I want to push past pain barriers. Push past mental barriers. Push past my own self-doubt. Finishing a year of school may not seem like much to some people but this is the first year in a long time that I've not had an extended leave of absence for a surgery or sickness. It's a big thing.

A 5K might not seem a big thing but I've been sick for so long that it is a big thing. For me. It's HUGE!

Riding my bike for 38 miles, even on accident, riding places I've never ridden before - pushing past fears of getting lost - that's big. Big for me. And I just rode. I didn't care. I knew God was taking care of me and my husband would bail me out if need be. I'm jumping past so many barriers in my 50th year of life. I'm wondering how many more I can add.

The only thing that truly matters is pushing past that finish line and hearing God say, 

"Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21)

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My Father's Daughter

I was able to attend the Sacred Rhythms Retreat at Little Galilee and It was AWESOME!

The book and video we used is by Ruth Haley Barton and subtitled: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. The whole weekend was just - wow!

One of the points we read/discussed was honoring the body. How can I glorify God in my body?  In order to do that, we have to learn how to listen to our bodies and begin to treat our bodies like the temple of God, which they are. How can we bring others to Him if we're limping around not enjoying life? It's time for us to eat our veggies, ya'll.  Put away the potato chips and maybe bake some kale? 

Eating better has helped me lose weight;
and losing weight has helped me get up and get active;
and getting active has helped me get in tune with my body.

As many of you know, I was sick for a long time. As I've been able to get active and stretch myself, I've found out that this is how God speaks to me. I never thought I would enjoy riding my bike for 30 plus miles or enjoy doing yoga or cardio with a 29 year-old friend.  Never in a million years! 

At the end of the retreat, while every one else was enjoying the fireplace and talking, I put on a few layers of clothes and went outside in our late-in-the-year-snow and plopped down in front of the big picture window and made a snow angel.

After a bit, I stopped trying to entertain the spectators and was caught up in just laying there, quiet...
listening to my breath...
and the longer I lay, I felt more vulnerable spread eagle, but felt safe at the same time...
I also realized I wasn't all that cold on the ground - the building kept the wind from hitting me,
Abba Daddy was protecting me...
and then I looked up at the sky - my God-given blue eyes connected to the clear blue sky.

For a few minutes or five or ten, I don't really know how long it was, I experienced the God who brought this late in the year snow.  Such a big big sky, and me, so little on a huge expanse of earth. 

Who am I that God should love me so very much

 to meet with me for that little bit of time inside a snow angel?

I ventured outside where no one else dared and He, Abba Daddy, met with me. A couple of years ago, that wouldn't have happened. I would have stayed inside, warm. Now, I love stretching myself to do new things. Experience new adventures. It's one way God speaks to me and it's okay. We learned different ways we can experience God. I don't have to sit with my Bible and continually feel bad because I seem to be learning impaired. We all listen and learn in different ways. There is a time and place for studying God's Word, of course, but the more I spend with Abba - the more I want to spend with Him in every way imaginable, and that includes getting into His Word, memorizing scripture, listening to Him speak to me through His creation - you see?

He's waking me up. My eyes were wide-open looking up into that great expanse of sky - into the Heavens and that experience is still very real to me even now. God connected with me. We were in rhythm.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts." - (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

But the more we attempt to spend time with God, our ways will hopefully align with God's ways a little bit better. Our thoughts will mesh with His and hopefully we will have many more meetings. That's my wish; my yearning...many many more.

If I hadn't gone outside to do something so silly like make a snow angel, would I have had my personal God-encounter? Would He have met me in a different way?  I don't know. I wonder how many other encounters with God I've missed because I wasn't in tune with Him.  

He wanted to meet me; 

to talk to me; 

to look into my eyes. 

So that's what this retreat was all about.  Learning how to find our own rhythm that works for us to come close to God.  I guess mine is listening to God in a snow angel, huh? or hiking 10 miles with Becky Glenn or training for 5k race with Kara Klepp so I can be more like my earthly Daddy. The more physical I get, the more God speaks to me. And now I'm eager for lots more encounters in my days. I highly recommend everyone to be a part of these retreats. God individualizes it...one-on-one encounters with Him! So cool! I love being My Father's Daughter!

(I'm sharing this at my church this morning. Using our IPad so I needed to update it. I'm nervous. Oyyyy.... I hope I don't trip over words or just plain trip.  Haha! But God will be with me in this too. Thank You, Abba!)

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Snow Angel

I was at a Sacred Rhythms Retreat this weekend at Little Galilee.  It was

The book and video we used is by Ruth Haley Barton and subtitled: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. The whole weekend was just - wow! It's still hard for me to put into words and I keep saying that and yet...here I am wanting to write about it.

One of the points we read/discussed was honoring the body. How can I glorify God in my body?  In order to do that, we must learn how to listen to our bodies and begin to treat our bodies like the temple of God, which they are. How can we bring others to Him if we're limping around not enjoying life? It's time for us to eat our veggies, ya'll.  Put away the potato chips and maybe bake some kale? The author didn't say this - I'm ad-libbing. But honestly, this is what's helped me feel so much better.  Eating fruits and vegetables - making cauliflower pizza instead of the 'cardboard' stuff, as my husband says.

Eating better has helped me lose weight;
and losing weight has helped me get up and get active;
and getting active has helped me get in tune with my body.

I was sick for so long, and being active and stretching myself is how God speaks to me. I never thought I would enjoy riding my bike for 30 plus miles or enjoy doing yoga or cardio with a 29 year-old friend who pushes me.

Never in a million years! 

At the end of the retreat, while every one else was enjoying the fireplace and talking, I put on a few layers of clothes and went outside in our late-in-the-year-snow and plopped down in front of the big picture window and made a snow angel.

After a bit, I stopped trying to entertain the spectators and was caught up in just laying there, quiet...
listening to my breath...
and the longer I lay, I felt more vulnerable spread eagle, but felt safe at the same time...
I also realized I wasn't all that cold on the ground - the building kept the wind from hitting me,
Abba Daddy was protecting me...
and then I looked up at the sky - my God-given blue eyes connected to the clear blue sky.

For a few minutes or five or ten, I don't really know how long it was, I experienced the God who brought this late in the year snow.  Such a big big sky, and me, so little on a huge expanse of earth.

Who am I that God should love me so very much

 to meet with me for that little bit of time inside a snow angel?

I ventured outside where no one else dared and He, Abba Daddy, met with me. A couple of years ago, that wouldn't have happened. I would have stayed inside, warm. Now, I love stretching myself to do new things. Experience new adventures. It's one way God speaks to me and it's okay. I don't have to sit with my Bible and continually feel bad because I seem to be learning impaired. We all listen and learn in different ways. There is a time and place for studying God's Word, of course, but the more I spend with Abba - the more I want to spend with Him in every way imaginable, and that includes getting into His Word - you see? And I've had times in my life where I've done that. Right now it's a dry spell.

He's waking me up. My eyes were wide-open looking up into that great expanse of sky - into the Heavens and that experience is still very real to me even now. God just now plopped this verse into my mind and I Googled to find where it was found in the Bible.  I'm not as learning-impaired as I make myself out to be, I suppose.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts." - (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

But the more we attempt to spend time with God, our ways will hopefully align with God's ways a little bit better. Our thoughts will mesh with His and hopefully we will have many more meetings. That's my wish; my yearning...many many more.

Snow angels actually are my WA friend's thing.  It's her birthday today (Sunday) and I just had to make her a snow angel, but God had a different plan.

He wanted to meet me; 

to talk to me; 

to look into my eyes. 

If I hadn't gone outside to do something so silly like make a snow angel, would I have had my personal God-encounter? Would He have met me in a different way?  I don't know. I wonder how many other encounters with God I've missed because I wasn't in tune with Him.  

So that's what this retreat was all about.  Learning how to find our own rhythm that works for us to come close to God.  I guess mine is listening to God in a snow angel, huh? And now I'm eager for lots more encounters in my days.

"The Christian practice of honoring the body is born of the confidence that our bodies are made in the image of God's own goodness. As the place where the divine presence dwells, our bodies are worthy of care and blessing...It is through our bodies that we participate in God's activity in the world." -- Stephanie Paulsell

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Peter Stone's, Forager

Ethan Jones, the eighteen-year-old narrator, immediately introduces us into his working world of Melbourne - a post-apocalyptic city infested by the Skel, a nomadic tribe of savages. Ethan and his crew are foragers, hence the title of this dystopian novel written by an Australian author, Peter Stone.

The reader is constantly being hit by questions. When one is answered, another one is brought up. It truly is well-written. We are introduced to a future society and outlandish government control. I believe the novel is on the level of Ender's Game or Divergent.

Ethan develops a new relationship with his father.  He 'wakes' up to a whole new life. He learns to stand up for himself and his crew.  By the end of the novel, he gains so much more than what he had, or what he thought he had than at the beginning.

I dare you to get hold of this book and read it but...beware!  There are many twists and turns.  You might want your Dramamine!  I can't wait to get hold of the second book in this trilogy because there are some unanswered questions.


"Peter Stone graduated from Melbourne School of Ministries Bible College in 1988. His wife is from Japan and they have two wonderful children. He has worked in the same games company for over twenty years, but still does not comprehend why they expect him to work all day instead of playing games. Since his late teens, he has dealt with major depressive disorder, otosclerosis (going deaf) and epilepsy, but has a grateful and thankful heart, because he believes all things are in the Lord Jesus' capable hands." "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

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