The Bike Ride Journey - In Conclusion

  We just got back from Irvine (southern California) tonight from our oldest Granddaughter's graduation.  Pictures posted at the end of the conclusion below. 

    

The Journey - Conclusion

        This has been the story of a bike ride.  But it is more than that.  It is a journey on which God has taken me and through the process of this journey He has taught me many things.  I learned how really weak I am, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  How I am just like the children of Israel, grumbling and complaining, even though the Lord was with me every step of the way.  This experience taught me how important it is to come along side of other Christians in need, and how encouragement from others lifts the soul and allows one to soar as if on eagle’s wings.   I learned that when we pray in the will of God, He will give us what we want and need.  It has taught me, at least for this instance, what the will of God was.  I learned that God is Holy; God is Great and to God Be the Glory.  The glory does not go to me for my longs months of tortuous training and perseverance or even for completing the three-day bike ride.  The glory goes to God because of what He accomplished through me.  I have learned that I must be obedient and be a willing vessel for the Potter to mold and shape, as He will.  I am learning that I must obey and not argue about everything He asks me to do.  I haven’t succeeding completely in the latter, but I am working on it.  I also learned that even though we may feel that we are not suitable or up to the challenge to complete the Lord’s tasks, I know that when God calls us, He equips us.  Even me! Most of all, I have learned that I cannot hide my light (that which God has done in my life) under a bushel (Matthew 5:14-16).   I have to tell the story so that others may see His mighty works.  I have no idea why God chose me to make this bike ride.  I do know that for every rider in the various bike rides during the eighteen months, there was a special story.  The riders represented many states in these United States, and some even rode more than one ride.  Some rode because they thought it would be challenging, or fun, or because they had always wanted to be part of a ride such as this one.  Many rode to raise money for Focus on the Family and God called many specifically and for His purposes.  My story is no more special than the stories of the other riders.  But mine is special to me because it belongs to me and to the Lord and because it was a significant emotional, physical and spiritual event in my life, the likes of which I may never see again. 

            As with all human beings, we tell a story based on our perspective.  Most of us have been with family members who had been in the same room when a certain incident occurred.  Later, when re-telling the story, perhaps everyone but one person remembers it the same way.  But there is usually one who remembers the story differently, based on their personality, the dynamics of the family, their mood at the time or various other (dimensions; aspects) which enter into the equation.  They may have remembered an entirely different story than the rest of the family remembers.   I tell this story as I have remembered and to my best ability I have recorded it, based on my perspective.

        I think that this story is not only one for Christians to read because it shows the power of God in our lives and what can be accomplished by the Holy Spirit guiding us, even when we are braced with our feet pushed out in front of us like a stubborn donkey. But it is also a story for those who do not know Christ because it shows them just what they too can accomplish when they know Jesus and also shows them the thrill and joy of knowing Him.  I waited almost ten years to write this story and did so only because I felt that God wished me to put to paper my experiences with Him.  At this writing, At the outset, I didn’t have any idea whether or not anyone will ever read this story.  It may be just for me.  I dedicate it to the power and glory of my Lord God, my Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who resides in me.  My thanks also go to all those who helped me along the way by riding with me, encouraging me and just being there for support.  The words of the old hymn sums it all up for me.  To God be the glory great things He has done! Amen









Barb, Taylor, Bob
Taylor graduated from high school in Irvine, California

In the photo below, look what Bob and I started - population explosion.
We're missing our son's wife Morena and our youngest daughter's husband Danny.





Barb and two month old Samuel (He's already over 16 pounds in two months.)

Thank you all for following my story.  I appreciate having an outlet to share this with someone. I feel that I don't have anything more to add or share so this will be my last post.

I will continue to follow many of your blogs - keep up the good work.

Barb

 



Tuesday, June 14th

We're here in southern California for our oldest granddaughter Taylor's high school graduation.  I had one more post to complete the bike ride story and cannot get my external hard drive to work on my daughter Leslie 's computer.  The hard drive contains what I had already written up, so I'll have to wait until Friday when I get home. Tomorrow I'll post some of the pictures from today of the family.  We have all our kids and grandkids together - we're only missing Danny, Laurel's husband who had to stay home and couldn't get off work.

Come back tomorrow.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT TEN

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT TEN

         God uses us as we are, meets as where we are at the moment. We are God’s creation and he made each of us in his likeness but with individual strengths, talents, personalities.  At one time in my life I decided I wanted to be like a woman I knew – soft-spoken, quiet, gentle and kind.  I told myself I could change and be that way.  I got in trouble in school my throughout my entire school years for talking.  The only thing that saved me was that I was a good student.  I decided I would speak slowly and quietly and try not to talk often.   Yes I can learn to be quieter and listen more to others rather than talk all the time.  I can learn to be gentler and kinder, but I’ll never be soft-spoken and quiet.  God didn’t make me that way.  I tried, Lord knows.  But I tried on my own.  An example of different personalities that the Lord used was Peter and John.  Peter was impulsive and quick to speak, often without thinking first.  John was more thoughtful and saw deeper into Jesus’ ministry.   I am impulsive and  more of a Martha, the busy one who was upset with her sister Mary because Martha had to fix the meal for Jesus and the disciples by her self.  Mary wasn’t helping.  She was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to Him.   So, unless  our Lord decides to zap me and make me different, and I I don’t believe he’s going to do that I’ll probably be more like Martha.  But I can also learn to be more like Mary and sit more at Jesus feet than just be doing and doing and doing. We can all change and become more Christ-like.  When Jesus walked on this earth as a man, the people could follow Him and listen to Him, but when He died He was resurrected and went to heaven to be with His Father.  So that He would not leave us here on earth to be alone and fend for ourselves, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide, our comforter and our teacher.  It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that we can really change.

        This bike ride was only a small fragment of my journey – a part intended by God to “grow me up”!  I’m still not there yet nor will be in this life but at least I’m finally out of the “high chair” and running along side of Him who sustains me.

         Monday will be the last posting of the bike ride journey.  On Tuesday, I will tell the story of how God healed the hearing of a small child that I am acquainted with and how he impressed upon me the need to learn sign language and teach Bible Study to the deaf.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT NINE

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT NINE

        I look back at my college years when I had to be my own boss and in control of my life,  at least I thought so at the time because I hadn’t accepted Jesus as my own.  God was still in control even though I thought I was.   The hard part of thinking I was in control was that I was a young girl, only 17 when I went to the University. I had lived a very sheltered life.  The temptations were huge and difficult to maneuver.  I cherish that God has been giving me his grace, mercy and kindness through the years, even when I wasn’t receptive or know that He was there.  He was there all the time.  It wasn’t until 1979 when I went on a church retreat  to the mountains with some ladies in Hughson that I realized that these ladies had something that I didn’t have and I knew I wanted what they had.  That ingredient in their lives that was missing in mine was Jesus Christ.  Sure, I knew about Him.  I knew and believed that He died on the cross to save me.  I had even been baptized as a child, but I was missing one important part of the equation.  That was asking forgiveness of my sins, turning away from those sins (repenting) and asking Jesus to be Lord of my life so that we could have a personal relationship.  A real relationship – up close and so very personal.  At the time, April of 1979,  I did ask Jesus to become my personal Savior and help me to live my life for Him.    After many times of really following him for a time, then putting him on the back burner, getting enthused again and trying so hard to follow, I have finally reached a time in my life of peace and comfort with Him.  It was there all along for me to reach out and take.  I just kept letting “me” get in the way.   I am now in the best time of life.  I’m 66 and who knows when the end of my life will be.  My husband and I are facing some difficult times ahead because of health issues, but I know we’ll lean on the Lord and he’ll bring us through the other side.  Could I have learned all the lessons I did if God had not directed me to train and take part of the bike ride?  I believe the answer is “yes”.  God would have used another way to get my attention.

    

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT EIGHT

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT EIGHT

     Another thing I learned during the biking experience is that God is in control.  Most of us believe that we are in control of our lives.  We’ve been taught such things as, “Pull yourself up by the bootstraps,” and other such helpful clichés.   I remember that in one Bible Study I did years ago, the author wrote about this subject.  She asked us to picture her sitting in the back seat of the car with a child’s steering wheel toy attached in front of her to the back of the passenger front seat.  As the car twisted and turned on a curvy road, she turned the wheel frantically, but the car seemed to go in the opposite direction.  She became nervous and upset because the steering wheel was not responding to her.  Then she looked up and saw that Jesus Christ was actually behind the wheel of the car and he was setting the course.

        Looking back now on the eighteen months of training and the three-day ride, I realize that I really had no control.  Sure, I forced myself to get on that bike each day and I’m the one who pedaled, but when one knows the whole story, one realizes that the Lord arranged everything – every lesson; every encouragement; every help. 

       God saw me through the process but it was a process.  I had to go through it, as miserable as it was during parts of it. I had to go through the valley to get to the mountain top experience.  It was a hot, dry valley and road the up the mountain was horrendous.  But there was joy and blessing all along the way.  All I had to do was take my eyes from myself and turn my focus to Jesus.  Do I hope that God will again tell me to ride in a 220 mile bike ride?  The answer is unequivocally NO!  Would I do it again if He asked me to do it? Unequivocally YES!  Would my attitude be better the next time around?  I would certainly hope so.  I would hope and pray that I would pray and hope for a change in attitude and that I would make myself more aware of His blessings each and every day.  I have learned that the words in Scripture that say, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) are not just empty words to be said as a “mantra”.  In the past there were times when I faced what I thought was impossible and I repeated this Scripture over and over thinking that the mere repetition would give me the strength.  But first I have to believe those words before they will come true.  I now believe with all my heart because I learned firsthand that an aging, overweight woman who had no physical training since high school and who had bad knees could accomplish the seemingly impossible.  I did accomplish the bike ride but not in my own strength – in the strength of Him who gives me that strength to accomplish His will in my life. You too can accomplish anything through the power of the Holy Spirit who works in you for the Lord Jesus Christ to those who love and obey Him.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT SEVEN

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT SEVEN

Focus

        One thing that God taught me through the journey of the bike ride was “focus”.  In life, I tend to start many projects then get side-tracked, leaving project unfinished until a later time.  It is interesting that the name of the organization which had sponsored the bike ride is Focus on the Family or often times, just called Focus. I have heard many pastors, over the years preach on the Scripture about Jesus walking on the water.  Below is the Scripture regarding that episode.

Matthew 14 22-32

 ²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
 ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
 ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
   ²⁹ “Come,” he said.
   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
 ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
 ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
        The problem that Peter had was that he lost his focus.  He took his eyes off Jesus and onto himself and his fears. At the outset of the bike ride training, I saw the impossible.   In order for me to complete that task, it was essential that I took my eyes off myself and focused on the Lord.  I didn’t always do that as shown by my crying, complaining and whining.  But through it all, I could only be successful on a particular day when I stopped thinking about myself and placed my trust and my obedience in the Lord.  When my fears or pain in my knees caused me to believe that I would never finish the ride, I began to falter.  Each and every time I got to that point, the Lord would bring someone or something into my life which would change my perspective and bring me back to focus on the task at hand.  Dead birds was one thing he used to get me to focus on what was important – on His love for me and that He was with me at all times. 
         On the first day of the ride when I began to cry because of the excruciating pain in my knees and total discouragement that I would never make it to San Francisco, He brought an angel in the form of Terri to raise up the seat of my bike so that I could finish the ride.  As I type this, it just occurred to me that I had no more trouble with my knees the rest of the ride.  How strange that I am just realizing it now after almost ten years.  That shows me that I am still learning from that experience. 

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT SIX

God was teaching me to trust him.       

        Through Scriptures which I studied after the bike ride, my spirits have been mercifully lifted. I have tended to dwell on the fact that I possessed a negative and whining attitude through the entire bike ride experience from beginning to end.   I have always realized that, yes, I obeyed God in accomplishing the day to day training and the bike ride itself.  God used his power to see that I was protected, that I progressed physically, that I had Lisa as a partner on the ride and that everything I needed was provided.  But, I accomplished the ride with a lousy attitude.  I complained and grumbled; I cried and carried on like a baby and a spoiled brat.  Did  my “stinkin’ thinking” negate my obedience? That thought has plagued me ever since that weekend in 2002 when I completed the bike ride.  The thought I now have is that even as I write this, God is still using that ride to teach me lessons; to show me things that I didn’t see before. This ride was not about the actual ride but it was a vehicle toward a greater purpose in my life.

       In 2 kings 5:1, 9-14 and in the book of Jonah, God shows us how He still worked in the lives of Naaman and Jonah even though their attitudes were deplorable. They did, however, after disobeying and expressing rotten attitudes, reverse their actions and obey God.  Because of their obedience, God worked a miracle in Naaman’s case, and saved the people of Nineveh because Jonah finally obeyed God and preached repentance to the people.  The king and the people repented thus savings themselves from destruction.  These lessons have helped me to understand that even though I did not have the right attitude, God could still use me to accomplish his goal in spite of me.   I do believe that if I would have had a right attitude from the start, I would have received blessing beyond measure and beyond which I can even imagine.

        Therefore, what have I learned here?  Next time God asks me to do a task for Him and if I find that my attitude is wrong – first I must go to Him and thank Him that He would use me and that He would change my heart.  Like the song says, “Change my heart O Lord, Make it ever true, Change my heart O Lord, Let me be like you.  I did sing that song over and over while out riding my bike but I did not pray that prayer at the outset.  It is my desire that I remember this lesson and that I pray first, next time.  I did ask Ann Rodriguez, the sweet woman from my church to pray for a change in my attitude while I was training in Hawaii and God did change it temporarily.  It shows me that I need to be in continual prayer for something, not just to pray it once and believe that the situation will be covered forever.  I need to take that problem to God on a daily basis as each situation occurs. I also now realize how important it is to be grateful for every little thing that God does for each and every one of us each day.  I need to be watchful so that I will see these things and listen for His still, quiet voice.

            I have learned that Abraham did not just begin with a great relationship with God or a perfect, obedient life.  He struggled along the way.  He was told twice by God to leave his family and go to a place that God would tell him.  The second time he obeyed partly, but he still took his nephew Lot with him which was not part of God’s plan. It wasn’t until after he finally separated himself from his nephew that God revealed His plan to Abram.  Even after this, Abram’s trust in the Lord’s providence was not total.  He left Canaan (without permission from the Lord) because he feared the famine that was in the land.  He lied about his wife because he didn’t trust the Lord to protect him from Pharaoh and his people.  But God was with him every step of the way.  When Pharaoh took Sarai, Abram’s wife as his own because Abram lied and told the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister (a half-lie because she was his half-sister, but the intent was still a lie), God kept her from the bed of Pharaoh.  God kept her safe in spite of human efforts since it was God’s plan that Sarai produce the heir from whom would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

   

       The great part of the story is that God was with Abram, (whose name God later changed to Abraham meaning father of many nations) and even though Abram/Abraham didn’t always obey right away, God did not chastise him for not obeying fully but worked with Abraham and brought him along on his journey toward their relationship until he was finally called, “A friend of God.” God was teaching Abraham to trust Him throughout all the trials he endured.  God was and is teaching me to trust Him even when what is before me seems impossible. But with God nothing is impossible.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN - INSTALLMENT FIVE

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT FIVE

Why ticker tape and what is ticker tape, anyway?

        Before the advent of the Internet, stock quotes were printed by telegraph machines on continuous paper ribbon known as ticker tape. In 1886, New Yorkers became the first to use the tape as confetti during an impromptu celebration of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, inventing what would come to be known as a "ticker-tape parade." Since then, ticker-tape parades have been used to greet dignitaries, honor war heroes, and sports teams.

I would not have been aware of ticker tape, except for seeing old World War II movies when I was in high school.  I used to babysit a lot and late at night I would watch those old movies.  Ticker tape was well-known in my mother’s era, not mine. 

        The second time the Lord used ticker tape to get my attention  was in Hawaii when I saw that fluffy dead bird;  it really did get my attention.  When I saw that bird I was crying and complaining because it was too hot; the bike ride training was too hard; and I just didn’t want to continue.  I felt all alone, even though my son was riding a few yards behind me.  When I saw that dead bird, the vision of ticker tape with verses of Scripture flooded my mind.  The verse from Matthew 10:29-31 reads as follows:  ^29” Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” This is what was written on the ticker tape.  It showed me during that difficult time I was having on the bike that day that God loves the birds but he loves me even more and is with me. I saw that bird each day for five days.  The ticker tape only came once, but each day as I passed that bird, I would stop my whining and complaining and say, “Hi dead bird.  Yes, I know God loves me and is with me.” 

 Why did the Lord use ticker tape with me?  To this day, I have absolutely no idea.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE.  SEE YOU BACK ON MONDAY.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT FOUR

Does it really annoy you when people bring out their photos of their kids or grandkids to show them off?  Well, sorry, but I just have to share this photo of little Samuel - eight weeks old,  already. I can't help grinning from ear to ear every time I see this picture.  Each time I talk to my daughter Laurel on the phone, I tell her, "Tell Samuel his Papa and his Grandma love Him."  "Tell him that Jesus loves Him too."

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT FOUR

So what’s with the ticker tape?

         When I saw that fluffy dead bird in Hawaii, just when I was so miserable and thought I couldn’t possibly continue riding in the heat and up the hills, God showed me that first dead bird. Then I saw ticker tape passing through my head.  Twice in my life the Lord has caused a vision of  ticker tape passing  through my head.  The first time it happened was years ago when the Lord was impressing on me that I needed to write a letter to the wife of Bob’s boss.  She had lung cancer and was very ill.  She didn’t know the Lord and He impressed upon my heart that I was to write her a letter and explain the way she could have salvation and eternal life with Him.  I didn’t want to write that letter.  My husband Bob was not a Christian at the time and I knew he would be very angry if I sent his boss’s wife such a letter.  He would have said to me, “Who are you to inflict your religious beliefs on someone else?”  I really  didn’t want to write that letter and I had no idea what I would write in such a letter. 

         Looking back now, I see that the Lord was determined that I do just that, even though I was like a donkey with my front feet braced in front of me.  The interesting thing was that it was the middle of winter and for some reason which I can’t remember, we had to go to the cabin at Lake Tahoe to repair something or some such thing.  Bob’s boss had retired and he and his wife were living at Lake Tahoe.  That Sunday night, on our way home from the cabin, we stopped to have a short visit with them.  We arrived home in Hughson and were in bed by eleven pm. As I lay in bed thinking about all that I had to do the next morning, getting the kids up and ready for school and other errands that I had to do, the strangest thing happened.  All of a sudden, even though it was dark in the room and I had my eyes closed, I saw ticker tape passing through my head, going from one side and out the other.  On the ticker tape many verses from Scripture were written.  I felt that the Lord was impressing upon me that I needed to get up and write a letter to this woman whom we had just left a few hours before. 

         I got up from bed and went to my desk in the living room.  The scripture was just flooding my brain and the weird thing was that I didn’t know those verses by heart so it was strange that they were there.  The verses came coming so fast and I was afraid I would forget them, so I didn’t even take the time to grab a piece of paper, but wrote them on the desk blotter.  After a time, they stopped coming.  I knew in my heart that I was supposed to write that letter and I really didn’t want to.  By this time it was late and I had to get up early so I made the Lord a one-side deal.  It was one-side because I made the deal but He certainly didn’t come into the room and shake my hand and say, “Sounds good to me, Barb.”  I remember saying quietly to the ceiling of the living room, “How about this Lord – it’s late and I promise I’ll write the letter this week.  Right now I need to get my sleep.”

            I’m ashamed to admit that three weeks later, I still hadn’t written the letter.  Looking back now, I realize that the Lord was determined that I do just that.  How did He get my attention?  We received a call from the neighbor at Lake Tahoe that a pipe had broken and water was spurting out from the pipe and freezing.  She was afraid we’d suffer some water damage.  It was a Saturday morning so we hurried back to Tahoe.   By Sunday, the repairs were completed and we decided to stop and see Bob’s former boss and his wife on our way out of town.  After the visit, we drove home, arriving late.   We arrived home in Hughson and were in bed by eleven pm. As I lay in bed thinking about all that I had to do the next morning, getting the kids up and ready for school and other errands that I had to do, here came the ticker tape again with the verses of Scripture.  Everything happened exactly the same as it had three weeks ago, including the visit with the man and his wife, arriving home late, lying in bed thinking about what I had to do the next day and the ticker tape going through my head.  If was as if, to get my attention, the Lord repeated everything exactly, sort of like “same time-same station”.  Well, it did get my attention.  I got up from bed, went back to the desk and prayed for the Lord to help me write the letter.  That letter was instrumental in the woman realizing the need for a Savior and she ultimately accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when she died she knew she would be seeing the Lord and would have eternal life.   God used the ticker tape to get my attention and cause me to obey Him!

Fuller back and front yards

You shouldn't have encouraged me.   I took pictures this morning and can't figure out which ones to not include, so you'll get more than you bargained for.  Since I have so many pictures, I'll dispense with my ramblings.  But stay tuned on Thursday when I talk about why God would give me ticker tape.

First, for dear Carole, here is the fairy or toad house I mentioned.  We went to my brother-in-laws family reunion last summer while we were in Minnesota and saw this at a park.  I want it!  I intend to build it but findig the time may be a problem.  I have a better idea, Carole, how about you building two of them and sending me one.  I just thought it was really cute and has a real tile roof.  Not sure how they did that - I'll have to research it.  Isn't this darling?

Our back and front yards at home.

 My herb garden.

 It looks bare right now because the petunias were just planted and the dahlias are only about 6" tall. They's get 8" tall before the summer is over and the flowers literally are the size of a dinner plate.

Our own little grotto.  The statue belonged to my mother-in-law.

This bare wall under the hanging plants and the bare side of the garage will sport dinner plate dahlias in a couple of months.  (see last photo).

Our street has tall trees and is very shady.  People say it looks like a Normal Rockwell painting.



Dinner plate dahlias soon to be in bloom with many colors.  This is just one example.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT TWO

My dear husband Bob has been working hard in our yard and it looks so beautiful.  Tomorrow, I'll take pictures of the yard and post it on the next post.  I can't take them now as it is the middle of the night. 

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT TWO

         Exactly six months after the bike ride, a young woman invited me into her home and asked me, in the course of the conversation, how it was that I had come to have the strong faith that I now possessed.  How did I get that faith?  At first, I had to stop and think about it for a minute or so.  No one had ever asked me that and I had never consciously really thought about it.   What I remember telling her is that each time I have been through a trial or difficult time, and each time I have seen God at work in my life or the lives of others, I have grown closer to Him and my faith has increased.  In a Bible Study by Linda Dillow called the The Blessing Book, the author suggested that we write down all the blessings that God has given us and the times He has intervened in our lives.  In my computer I have a list of things and I add to the list as time goes by.  We have to remember that God is the same yesterday today, and tomorrow.  He doesn’t change.  If He has helped us in the past, He will continue to help us and grow us up.  Scripture: " because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:5-6

    

       There is a rock, a river rock, which I keep on my desk.  On the rock is taped a piece of paper with a Scripture verse written on it from 1 Samuel 7:12.  It reads, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.  He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us’.’’  This rock is to remind me always what the Lord has done in my life.  The writing of The Journey helps to remind me just how far the Lord has lead me in my life.  It shows me how far I have come spiritually and how far I have yet to travel.  It makes me appreciate each and every intervention by the Lord on my behalf in accomplishing His will for my life.  It shows me my weaknesses and my strengths, but most of all it shows me how much God loves me and how much God loves each and every one of us.  I believe that everyone can have these experiences such as I have had, if we focus on Him and if we truly watch, wait and listen for His leading.  Of course none of us have exactly the same experiences.  God know just what each of us needs and He is there with His perfect timing. He knew that it was time for me to get out of the high chair and learn to run, (or ride, as it were).  

 

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT ONE

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT ONE

         After all the drudgery of the training, the excitement of the bike ride and the trip and participation in Colorado, how does one get back to daily life?  Back to housework, taking care of a family, running a drapery shop and normal everyday events?  A song entered my mind as I typed this – How are you going to keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree ? It was a World War I song about the troops returning home after seeing Paris and all the sights and sounds of a far-away land.  The excitement they had witnessed and participated in would make returning to a farm boring and uneventful to many of the returning soldiers.  So it could be after the excitement of the bike ride and trip to Colorado.

            I have thought often of the many things that God did for me so that I would complete the bike ride.  A Bible Study leader said in her lecture that God does not speak to us in an audible voice any more.  I believe that He did speak to me in that manner that one time.  Why?  I think that if he had not done so and spoken in the tone of voice that He did, I would not have responded to His call to sign up, train and participate in the bike ride. 

        Why choose such an unlikely person as myself to ride in the ride?  If He had chosen someone who had ridden many bike rides, owned many state-of-the-art bicycles and was fit, would His power and His miracles have been noticed?  I do not believe so.  Through my weakness as a person and my weakness of body, i.e. untrained and undisciplined,  the Lord was able to bring others alongside of me for assistance, encouragement, and training to complete the bike ride.  His supernatural power in giving me just what I needed, when I needed it showed me and others that it was not me, but the Lord working in me, that completed the training and bike ride.  For instance, how did I get up some of those hills especially ones where I began to ride again in the middle of the hill.  That is impossible for me.   How was it that in eighteen months of training, riding in the country where there were stickers, puncture vine, glass, nails and many other things that could puncture my tires and give me a flat tire, and yet I never experienced a flat tire.  A scary thought is that many times I was so far from civilization while riding that there were no cell towers around and I had absolutely no way to contact anyone if I had, had a flat tire.  Also, it was dangerous for a lone woman to be so far away from help.  I could have been accosted by someone. Cars never slowed down to go around me on a country road; they just swerved enough to avoid hitting me.  Rocks flew up and hit my helmet but never my skin, face or eyes.  Why was that?   Not only was I not injured, had a flat tire or anything bad happen, but I never thought about the possibility of it.  That, in itself was a source of peace instead of worry about what could possibly happen.  The Lord kept my mind from having those fears, otherwise, I might not have ridden out alone.  Scripture - That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10 

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE - SEE YOU TUESDAY, AFTR MEMORIAL DAY. I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT A HOLIDAY FOR YOU, CAROLE, BUT I'M TAKING A BREAK TO GIVE MYSELF TIME TO TYPE UP MORE THOUGHTS.

 

After the bike ride – Installment Ten

After the bike ride – Installment Ten

    When I  arrived home in Hughson, there was a letter waiting for me from Dr. Dobson.  Remember, I had handed him a hand written note describing some of the high points of the ride in Northern California.   I will type the letter here for you to read.  It was dated July 31, 2002, two days after we left Colorado.

Dear Mrs. Fuller:

Warm greetings to you! John Fuller has passed along the letter and stories that you handed to him after our special broadcast taping on July7 26th.  It was great to have you with us for our 25th anniversary celebration - I hope you enjoyed your time in Colorado Springs!

I appreciate the time you took to share about your participation in the Northern California leg of the National Bike Ride for the Family.  The Bike Ride has been an exciting endeavor for all of us here at
Focus - and the enthusiastic involvement of people like you has formed the core of the entire event.  I'm pleased to know that the experience was a positive and enriching one for you.  The Ride team tells me that you pitched in on Saturday the 27th to help at one of the rest stops for the Silver Century Ride; I trust you were able to make it back to our campus for the finish line event.  Seeing more than 250 cyclists riding up the Focus driveway through that roaring crowd was an experience I'll not soon forget!

Thanks again for you supportive interest in Focus's ministry and for "everything" you do for us.  Come see us again!  God's richest blessing to you and your family.

Sincerely,

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
President

P.S.  Shirley and I are especially gratified by your comments about Ryan - we're very proud of him.


Tomorrow, I will begin to put down in words what this entire journey meant.  Was it just a single bike ride to finish and forget?  Or was there more to it than that?

After the bike ride – Installment Nine

After the bike ride – Installment Nine

        First thing Monday morning, Terri and I left the green of Colorado and drove into the brown of Wyoming.  Sorry to anyone from Wyoming if that's not true, but that is exactly what I recollect.  It seemed to take forever to cross Wyoming and it was HOT!  How did we know it was hot?  Terri's car air conditioner which had been repaired before we left California, quit working in Wyoming.  Once again, Terri assumed the role of MacGyver as she pulled over along side the road, lifted the hood and tinkered a bit.  After returning to the driver's seat, she informed that we'd better roll down the windows because we now had no air conditioning.  The tedium of the ride was broken now and then by the sound of her mobile phone making a noise every time it came back into service when we were in range of a cell tower.   It's funny the things one remembers, really important ones like that.

        The one thing I do remember about the trip is that we crossed the Continental Divide.  The Continental Divide, also called the Great Divide, is a natural boundary line separating waters that flow into the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico from those that flow into the Pacific Ocean. It runs north-south from Alaska to northwestern South America. In the conterminous United States, it follows the crest of the Rocky Mountains.

There really was not much to see when we got to the Divide, just dirt and rocks and it was too hot and dry to stay there long.  We drove across Wyoming, into Utah, across Nevada and spent the night at the cabin at Lake Tahoe which was a welcom sight after all that dessert.

The driveway into our cabin at Lake Tahoe.

 

Two views from the cabin when we arrived.

Terri spent the night then left in the morning.  I stayed with my daughter Heather and her two children for a couple of days then rode back to Hughson with her.

This is the end of the bike ride journal as far as activity.  Tomorrow I will begin to write what I think the whole journey was about and what I learned.  For those of you who have been following along, I would appreciate it if you would jump in and add your views of what you see as the lessons learned or maybe even the lesson I should have learned,  over the eighteen months.  Just comment in the comment box.  I'd love to hear what you think.