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.