Well done, little one. Well done...

Life. So much life has happened.

5 Grand kids and 2 on the way. We will have 6 boys and 2 little girls by May of 2020. That alone is wonderfully awesome. Little miracles. 

And I got my first teaching job. A self-contained elementary life skills class. I have two wonderfully awesome paraprofessionals who get me. We work well together. I can't wait to see how we grow and actually run a successful classroom. So far, it's been full of bumps and bruises and tears (mostly mine) and laughter and so much joy and a big learning curve. For me, not the kids. I have much to learn. So much room to grow.

Our last picture together, just the day before Friday.

Teaching isn't easy. I'm responsible for these little people who are trying to find their own place in the world. Where will they fit in? What awesome ways will they contribute to society? My goal is to show them how loved and important they are. That what they do and what they say and think really matters. I'm trying to show them they can do so much more than they ever thought or imagined. We've been working on independence and thinking for themselves. There are more ways to get things done than how I might tell them and believe me - these kiddos will find a way and most usually it's just as good or better than my idea. They also have ideas that don't quite work out but we learn and grow from them. And trust me, I have more flopped ideas than they ever will. They still love me. They show me grace every single day. Every hug. Every smile. Every hand hold. Grace. 

Much joy and happiness...

As the new quarter begins, the real work must begin. We've had time to get to know each other. I've had time to see what they can do. We've gotten in a little groove. We're ready. And then the day after Halloween comes...

The day after Halloween. Bright and early on the way to school. With a phone call from my Beloved Principal. We lost one of our own. A sweet, very much loved eight-year-old from our very small class.  We had 8. Now there are 7. Just like that. Sucker-punched. There. Are. Seven.

Honestly, I'm still numb. I'm more worried about Laynie's former teacher. She's known her for so long. How does Ginger feel? How is she doing? How is Laynie's aide? How will Courtney process this? Our kids. I'm worried about our kids. On Friday, they asked all day long where Laynie was. They loved her. They helped take care of her. She was their very dear friend. I've been worried about their parents as they share the news with their sons and daughters. And Laynie's family. How are they doing? How do they pick up and go on? 

Fly Laynie, fly!

I'm a private mourner. Give me a bathroom stall, an empty room, a car ride home, and I might be able to process all this. Give me a blank document and I will write. I have to write. And pray. And the tears will start to flow. My heart beats to Laynie's favorite songs. The smiles come through tears as I post pictures. Hope blossoms knowing Laynie flew straight to Heaven. She's dancing. She's singing. She's running. She's sitting on Jesus' lap. She didn't have to take her back brace with her. No stinking stander. No feeding tubes. Now she can eat and drink anything she wants. No more crying. I know she's talking everyone's ear off up there. 

She left an imprint on my life. I will never forget Laynie or the things she taught me. Everyone has a purpose in this world. Laynie's was to bring joy and happiness to all she came in contact with. Well done, little one. Well done... 

Hugs and kisses, my Laynie-Loo.

Read more...

1010!

This game. Ugh. 

"1010! is an addicting brain teaser with simple yet challenging games designed to train your brain. Challenge your puzzle game skills with this exciting skill game ..." 

It's very addictive. I want to stop playing and yet I can't. It's supposed to help my brain. I need brain help. I am my father's daughter and that scares me. My dad - he's battling so much. Dementia is taking over his life. 



Alzheimer's is a "progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility."

1. He's only 74 years old. A super intelligent man who has always been there for his family and now he can't remember his family some days. 

It's so hard on my mom and sister who are both living this with him. I'm so far removed from it and yet... I'm as close as a phone call. An hour-and-a-half drive. But I get to hang up the phone. Go home. Forget for hours or minutes at a time. 

While I am taking college classes, trying to keep my mind sharp - my dad's mind is losing his past. And I don't know what to do about it. Prayers feel like they're falling on empty ears. 

I miss my daddy.  So... when someone is having trouble praying, her friends take over, right? 

Life is hard. So hard. 

So... I play a dumb game on my phone. I never win. I don't even know if it can be won. Maybe I need to quit playing. It's beginning to sound lots like life. 

Read more...

Extant

So... it's been a very long time. I'm talking - a LOOOONG time! And this is one of my changes for this year - to blog. I think I figured out my word for the year - Be Present. When I looked up synonyms, I found the word - extant - "Still existing. Not destroyed." It reminded me of the times I've been kicked around. Tested. Failed. Got up. Quit. Tried again.  Some linguist friend should put it into a good life sentence for me.

So... Word of the Year - check

And my 2019 Life Goals - no resolutions.

Love God Big! - in Word more/pray more. Get involved with a small group at church. I took part in Rooted this fall. It was amazing!

Celebrate Me! - healthwise/hobbies/read/write. I also will be starting my next Special Ed Endorsement class in January. I'm hoping to get my own classroom next fall.

Love My Family & Friends Well!
I have a new granddaughter, Emma Dean Hubrich. She's the sweetest.

I have two new daughter's-in-law this year: Kylie and Olesia. Jordan and Kristen moved to Clinton into a big, old house. Kaden is going to pre-school. He's 5 now. Karsen and Kalen have a birthday coming up - they are almost 4 and 2. I'll put their pictures up another time. 

Love My Home! I need to purge. Organize. 

Love My CASA Kids! I have two kids I need to figure out how to spend more time with. I'm hoping I get cases in Clinton soon. That will be much easier to get involved in their lives better. 

Looks like a short list but it's involved and well thought out because of  the Cultivate What Matters worksheets/journal that was gifted to me. 

So blog post - check. I miss writing. I must write again. And now it's time to organize a room. Attempt anyway. I feel the need to breathe. Happy New Year, everyone! I'm sure it will be another wild ride. 

Read more...

2014 Highlights

2014 was a pretty 

good year. 

January - March, 2014

I learned to spend extended time with God. 

It's still a work in progress. Sad to say, but true.

Silence & Solitude Crew

    Kaden worked hard 

       to gain weight.       

Kaden worked hard to gain weight.

Silly boy & Gramma!

Kaden perfected his selfies:)

We bowled to raise money for Special Touch. Oh! That reminds me! I have to get on top of that for this year's Bowl-a-thon. Yikes!

And last on my list through March is spring break and seeing my bestie, Mari. 

Traveled to WA on spring break.

This is a highlight of my life from January through March of 2014. There is still so much more to come - I ran a couple of 5K's, I hiked; rode in a MAJOR bike ride for charity; rode lots more long bike rides for myself... Just lots - a pretty good year. And with that... I'm tired for now. First day of school tomorrow - unless it's cancelled because of snow. A girl can always hope, right? But not really. I'm ready to start the new semester - the new year. Get things going in the right direction. 

And with that... maybe this will be my life's verse for the year. Perhaps. 

"The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

Maybe this dusty blog will get resurrected in 2015? 

Just maybe. Happy 2015 to you! 

Read more...

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!

Read more...

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!"

Read more...

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!

Read more...

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)

Read more...

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!)

Read more...

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

Read more...

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

Read more...