Author: christiangrandmabiker

Finally we got a sunny day after more than a week of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain! Riding can sometimes be a challenge when you live in a state that can experience all 4 seasons in the span of just a week or 2. Today was sunny and beautiful and even though the ground was saturated where I get in and out of my building I was not about to let that stop me. It was long past time for another ride.

Most of the time when I ride in December I don’t see many others riding, but that was definitely not the case today. It seemed I saw riders on every road I took just confirming the fact it was a perfect day to ride. This time last week we were experiencing winter at its worst with snow, ice, and freezing rain which caused wide spread power outages. It’s the day we were supposed to go see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra but fortunately they rescheduled to Tuesday and we were still able to go see them.

As I rode along the main roads and side roads today I noticed several very large trees down which I’m sure contributed to the power outages last week. In looking at the trees that came down, most looked very healthy at first glance and I wondered why they were not able to weather the storm. It’s possible some of them were diseased on the inside or maybe their roots just weren’t as firmly planted as they needed to be to hold them up under the circumstances.

The longer I rode I realized we can compare ourselves to those trees. Sin can be an internal “disease” that can cause us to fall. Likewise if we don’t have our roots firmly planted in Christ, we too can find ourselves collapsing under the storms of life. That’s not to say that simply because we are followers of Christ, we won’t have trials and storms that can “knock us down.” What it does mean is that He will help us weather those storms in a way we couldn’t without Him, if we are trusting in Him. I don’t know about you, but I know I cannot do this life on my own. I’m not strong enough on my own, just like those trees that came down last weekend. I depend on Him to get me through and pray that my roots are planted firmly in His word.

I’ve been reading the book of Luke as Christmas approaches and in Luke 8 is the parable of the seeds. Some seeds fell by the wayside, some fell on rocks, others in thorns, and some fell on good ground. Only those that fell on the good ground made it.

Luke 8:11-15
¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

Also in Luke 8 we see Jesus in the boat with His disciples when a storm approached. The storm was rocking the boat and the disciples were afraid and woke Jesus up from a nap. He immediately rebuked the wind and raging water calming the storm. He then asked them, “Where is your faith?”

Where is our faith? My faith is in Him and as Christmas approaches I am in awe of how a tiny baby came to save the world so many years ago. He came as a helpless child born in a manger and that is the only reason for the season. It’s not about gifts or lights or all of the parties and gatherings. It’s simply about celebrating the birth of our Savior.

If I don’t write again before Christmas, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and are able to take a moment to truly focus on this tiny baby in the manger and can trust in Him to help weather life’s storms that are sure to come.

I finally got to ride again!!!! Between the rain and my mom having a health scare it seems like it’s been forever since I rode and today’s ride was just what the Dr. ordered. It’s only been a little less than 2 weeks, but it seemed like so much longer. Apparently I also missed the memo that today was ride on the opposite side of the road Friday. Did any of you see that memo? It seemed every road I took, someone liked my side better. I met cars, trucks, a bus, dump truck, and a tractor trailer truck that all preferred my side, or at least half of my side. Fortunately my momma taught me to share and my bike and I didn’t need the whole lane.🤣

I recently ordered myself some chaps and I wore them for the first time today. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like them or not but they sure did help keep my legs protected from the wind and also the brief showers I experienced. I probably would have headed home sooner had I not been wearing them due to some brief showers. Instead I knew I wouldn’t get soaked so as long as I was able to see through the rain drops on my glasses I was good to go!

Spending time alone riding and enjoying nature was absolutely refreshing and relaxing. I thought about the time spent with mom in the hospital and all of the wonderful nurses, Dr.s, cleaning ladies and nurse assistants that we were blessed to have. We tried to be sure they all knew how much we appreciated their hard work and caring nature, especially those who were working on Thanksgiving day when she had her emergency surgery. Not once while she was in the hospital did we feel like she was “bothering ” them in any way. They continually also asked if there was anything they could do for me. This was a welcome change from years ago when my dad was in the hospital.

I remember several of them saying they were sorry I was having to spend Thanksgiving there, but honestly under the circumstances I told them I was thankful to be there. Throughout this past week I’ve also been very thankful for my hubby who kept up with the laundry, washed dishes, and made some delicious home cooked meals to lighten the burden and ensure I was eating good, not food on the go. I told him he’s hired! 😘

Although it’s been up and down and challenging at times, I’m glad to report my mom is doing amazingly well for everything she has been through at 81 years young. I’m also happy to report my “dad” had another scan this week to see if his rare cancer had returned and it has not! He doesn’t go back for another 3 months! God never ceases to amaze me. I know they are both living proof that miracles do happen. We may sometimes give up on ourselves but He never gives up on us. Everything happens in His time. I know we won’t have our parents forever, I miss my daddy every day, but I’m blessed and relieved to still have my mom and my mother and father in law here with us.

As Christmas approaches and as we go through these challenges, it becomes more and more evident that the best gift we can give each other is quality time together. My mom was concerned about not being able to give gifts to everyone this year and I’ve told her several times, “The best gift you can give any of us is to just get strong enough to come home,” and believe me she is working hard to do just that. I’m proud of her and admire her determination. My brother and sister in law will be here and I know she wants to be at home before they arrive.

Life can be hard and not go the way we want or expect it to, but God is there through it all. We may not always feel it or see it, but that’s our limited minds, not Him. He is there just waiting for us to call out to Him and to let Him in. I know that I could not have held it together this past week without God and my family and friends. I am truly thankful and blessed.

Romans 8:37-39

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Many people reflect on the past year as a new year approaches. I’ve found myself reflecting quite a bit while I’ve ridden the past few weeks as Thanksgiving here in the U.S. approaches. I’ve been thinking about so many things that have occurred this past year. Now that it’s rained the past several days and I haven’t been able to ride, I’m finding time to put those thoughts here.

I have witnessed friends and family go through some tough situations and come out with a stronger faith than they started with. I am so proud of each and every one of them and thankful to have witnessed and been even a small part of each one. We never know how strong we truly are until we are faced with what seem like impossible challenges. Some challenges can be the same ones we have faced previously and failed, yet finally conquer the next time.

I’ve been blessed with another beautiful granddaughter and I am thankful I was able to introduce her big sister to her within minutes of her birth. Seeing them together these past almost 5 months is priceless and I pray they are always this close. You can see absolute love in their eyes when they look at each other.

We’ve survived 2 hurricanes and some other “storms ” this year and God never failed to keep us safe or provide what we have needed. I recently heard a sermon about dealing with being frustrated and the pastor made a comment that happiness is not determined by our circumstances, but by the condition of our heart. That really spoke to me and is so true. An example I thought about is that I’m happy when I ride. Things that would frustrate me if they happened when I’m in my car, don’t have the same effect on me when I’m on my bike. That’s due to the condition of my heart when it occurs. We have the power to decide if we are going to allow people or things to frustrate us, based on what’s in our heart.

I’ve heard and seen things that are happening in the world that make absolutely no sense to me. This is more evidence of the pastor’s comment I just mentioned. The condition of our hearts is key. We need Jesus in our heart if we are going to survive and be happy. Nothing in this world can fill that place and as long as there is hatred and evil in the hearts of others, this world will not be at peace.

As I look at those who appear to “have everything,” most are not happy. I’m thankful that I have the basics I need and family. I’m thankful that I have a job that is meaningful and people who love me. I’m thankful for the amount of time I’ve been able to spend with my hubby this past year with him not being on 2nd shift and for our recent weekend get away. I’m thankful for my boys that live close by and I get to see regularly along with my daughter in law and granddaughters and my oldest son’s girlfriend. I’m thankful my mom and my mom and dad in law are all still here with us. I’m thankful that I am able to ride and have time alone doing something I love that allows me to reflect like this, away from the everyday routines and demands of life.

Most of all I’m thankful to have a God that loves me unconditionally and sent His son to die for me so I can have eternal life with Him. I cannot imagine going through life without Him.

If you have never seen the short video by Dr. S.M. Lockridge entitled “That’s my King” check it out on YouTube. I could print the words here but it’s much more meaningful if you hear him say it.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalm 118:1

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This word has popped into my mind on many rides recently, today’s ride being the most recent. What some see as a privilege, others see as something they take for granted, like it’s their right because of their heritage or because of who they know.

Personally I feel privileged to have a hubby who supports my solo rides. He knows how much it helps me to clear my head and to relax and refocus. Of course it also means he will be privileged to get at least an hour of peace and quiet because I rarely ride for less than an hour. 🤣

Yesterday’s ride was spectacular. I left planning I’d go one way but as is often the case I changed my mind once I started out. That’s why I love having a tracker on my phone I can turn on so my hubby can see where I’m at if he chooses to, if he ever gets worried when I’m not back yet, or if something unfortunate were to happen and I couldn’t call him to let him know. I think it’s more peace of mind for me knowing he has that access than it is for him, but I’m glad it’s there. It allows me the freedom of riding wherever I want to once I leave home and not feeling locked in to a specific ride ahead of time. Part of the beauty of riding is the spontaneity and the feeling of no responsibility to anyone during that time; I feel like that too is a privilege.

In my last blog I mentioned the Fall leaves and how most of them were pretty dull. Riding this weekend I saw some trees and bushes with so much more color. I saw vibrant yellows, bold reds, and some striking oranges. Mix all of those in with the lush evergreens and it makes for some amazing beauty. God’s artwork never ceases to amaze me!

While riding this weekend I also saw some fluorescent orange hats on some men who were parked off the road a ways in a wooded area. I knew right away they were getting ready to head out into the woods deer hunting. That stirred up memories of my childhood once again. I can remember those cold Fall mornings in N.H. getting ready to go hunting with my dad and others. I can remember listening on the way to the hunting spot to what I now call “old time” country music; Willie Nelson, Grandpa Jones, Mac Davis, Charlie Rich, Johnny Cash, and so many others. I’ve recently been listening to some of those old songs on Sirius radio and they too bring back memories. I can remember when no matter how rough a week may have been, my mom and dad often went dancing on Saturday night. They loved to square dance and just dance together to have that time with each other at the end of the week. I loved to watch them dance when we got to go along.

I also now feel privileged to be able to write this blog to share my ramblings with others. I know that freedom of speech is not allowed everywhere and I don’t ever want to take that privilege for granted. I recently looked at some statistics from my site and was in disbelief at how many people from other countries have seen this. I never in my wildest dreams thought it would go outside the U.S. but it has. The last time I looked it had been viewed in 22 countries this year, that boggles my mind. Whoever has said and believes that 1 person can’t make a difference, needs to think again. I’m not saying I’ve made a difference in 22 countries, but having received some comments and notes from some of you I know that it’s affected at least a few people. I also know it has affected me, just by being able to write it down. I’m the type of person who remembers things better once I’ve written them out. I used to study for tests by writing things down, rather than just reading it.

Having said all of that I simply encourage each and every one of you to take a few minutes to stop and really think about what privileges you may have that you may take for granted every day. Life is short and we need to make every day count.

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

I was determined to get a ride in yesterday before today’s 100% chance of rain forecast and I’m so glad I did! Usually I love to ride in the Fall to see the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, as well as the pansies, mums, and the roses that are still in bloom. This Fall has been very different as far as the weather. It seems like we went from summer to winter temperatures over night, not to mention having 2 hurricanes go through.

The view was not the typical Fall view I had hoped for. The leaves this year don’t seem as vibrant with their colors as I recall them being most years. It was of course still a good ride, they all are 😀, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for in that sense.

I noticed how dull the leaves looked on most of the trees, but then every once in a while there would be a lone tree with bright beautiful leaves. What was the difference in that particular tree that it was so beautiful among the others? How was it so vibrant and noticeable while the others were not? Was it the variety or something else that made it different? The storms I’m sure may have had an affect on the colors due to the rain, wind, and/or the changing temperatures. So many factors probably have to be just right for the colors to be vibrant, the trees after all don’t have a choice what they will look like.

People on the other hand do have a choice. The storms in our lives have an affect on us as well, but we can ultimately choose to be “dull” or vibrant. We can allow the storms to beat us down and leave us feeling gloomy, or we can fight back and choose to be lively and spirited in spite of them. We do not have to allow ourselves to ever feel defeated. We can be more like the pansies with their happy little faces shining forward.

Think about that for a minute. When I was growing up being called a pansy was a negative comment and I’ve even heard comments from some about certain bikes being “for pansies “. Looking at that beautiful cheery little flower makes me think of only positive things, it’s all about perspective and choices and going forward if by chance I’m ever referred to as a pansy I’ll take that as a compliment!

On those rides and days when things may not seem spectacular, look a little further, a little deeper inside, and just maybe you’ll see something you missed.

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

These 3 words kept popping in my mind today while I was riding.

Have any of you ever had to reboot or refresh your computer or cell phone in order to get it to work properly or complete its updates? Have you ever delayed doing it for fear of losing something if it didn’t work correctly?

Today before riding I had to refresh my thoughts about riding gear due to the fact we finally got some cooler Fall weather. I knew I was going to need to wear my leather jacket and full finger gloves in order to be warm enough. This was a very welcome change but I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive about the jacket. I bought it last year and it was a little tighter than I like when I got it, but I bought it from someone across the country and therefore was not able to try it on prior to purchasing. As I got ready today I was pleasantly surprised when it actually fit better than when I purchased it. Sometimes we dread the “what ifs” and may miss out on something good because of it. What if I had been so hesitant about the jacket than I didn’t even try it on? (I probably would have been discouraged and cold.)

Sometimes like our technological items, we need to refresh, reboot, and/or restore our thinking and/or our actions. As I was riding today and earlier this week I found myself thinking about last weekend. My hubby and I used to “get away” pretty regularly but in the past few years that’s changed due to various reasons. This past weekend we did get away, however, for the first time in over a year and it was for longer than our usual 1 or 2 nights we used to do, it was for 3 nights. We stayed in a very remote location in a cabin that was so quiet, peaceful, cooler and totally refreshing. We didn’t do a bunch of activities like some do when they take a vacation, we just enjoyed time away and alone trying to just relax. It was a time to refresh. The area we were in was not heavily populated, had many dirt roads, beautiful sunsets, and things just seemed more laid back. It took us some time to unwind from the usual pace and thoughts of life and by the time we needed to leave to head home, we really just wanted to stay longer. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible, but it didn’t stop us from taking our time heading home by taking back roads and continuing to enjoy the wonderful country mountain scenery and each other’s company.

Too often I find, at least for myself, that I get into the daily routines of life and don’t take enough time to restore and reboot myself. I get in my rides which definitely help, but sometimes it needs to be more. The weekend away was something we both needed.

Why do we often think that we can just go and go and never need to stop and rest? Many times when people do withdraw and take time for themselves and to be alone, others say they are anti-social or selfish or any number of other adjectives. If Jesus who never sinned needed to take time to be alone to rest, to pray, to make decisions, to deal with grief and life’s demands, then why shouldn’t we?!

Luke 5:16

So He Himself often withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

Mark 1:35

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Matthew 14:23

After He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by himself to pray. And when evening had come, He was alone there.

This was one of the beautiful sunsets we enjoyed on our getaway. God’s artwork is the best. It’s easy to see why Jesus often went up on a mountain to pray.

The past few rides have been very relaxing. The weather was a bit cooler and I actually wore long sleeves on one ride which was a welcome change. I love when Fall starts to show hints it’s coming, although it’s not quite as cool as it should be yet.

There was a recent sad story in the news around here that probably many of you also heard about. A little 6 year old boy with autism was missing and several days later he was found in a creek. I’ve thought about that often since it happened, both when I’m riding and when I’m not.

It really hit me hard. I don’t know if it’s because I work with individuals who also have autism, or because I have small grandchildren now, or maybe because I too had boys. All I know is life isn’t fair sometimes and it made me hug my granddaughters a little bit tighter. No parent should have to bury their child, but unfortunately it happens. In this case we don’t yet have all the answers, maybe we never will. The fact remains that they will miss him every day of their lives, but at least he’s in a better place, in the arms of Jesus.

I’ve thought quite a bit on these last rides about how quickly people started to jump to their own conclusions about what happened before little Maddox was even found. Why do some people always think the worst in situations like this and why do they feel the need to share it with the world on social media and other venues? Does it help anyone really? No. Were they there? No. Have they ever had a child get away from them or have any experience with a child with autism? I bet the answer is no for most here as well.

I don’t know what happened myself, but I do know what it’s like to lose sight of your child and the panic that immediately sets in. On my first ride after they found this little boy, I couldn’t help but think back on the time I felt that panic.

My oldest son was about 2. A friend of mine and I had headed from where I live now to where we used to live. She was going to see friends and family and didn’t want to travel the 1,000 miles alone so my son and I went along and I went to visit my family as well. We stopped about halfway there so we could get a hotel for the night and let my son get out to run around and play after all of the day’s riding. He has always been a great traveler but at that young age he needed to get rid of some energy and we were tired of sitting too.

As we unloaded the car, he ran in and out of the room in nothing but a diaper and was quite happy. Being pregnant, I of course needed to use the rest room. I left the door open so he could still see me if needed and asked my friend to keep an eye on him. When I came out, I didnt see him. I asked her where he was and she didn’t know, she assumed he’d come to see me. Looking back, having no children of her own she didn’t realize how closely you must watch a child that age and also how quickly they can disappear. Panic and fear were immediate for me. We were just off the exit from a busy highway. He was in nothing but a diaper and at this point had no real fear of dangers. Granted it was over 20 years ago so the world wasn’t quite as crazy as it is now, but this momma was hormonal and in momma bear mode. Nobody better mess with my boy. After what seemed like an eternity but was only minutes, a man brought him around the corner to me. He had heard me calling for my son and led him to me. This motel had little hallways between every few rooms and apparently as I went down one, he went down another and I just missed him. My son in all honesty was having fun and probably saw it as a game but that was definitely not how I saw it. Once he was back in my arms my emotions were mixed. Part of me wanted to hold him tight and never let him go and part of me wanted to give him a serious scolding and a smack on the butt for taking off. I can tell you from that day forward, I never fully entrusted someone else to watch my children at that young age except a few people I knew would watch them like me. I was probably over protective in many instances but I figured better safe than sorry. I also made sure I reminded them often about not getting out of my sight and about strangers. It used to bother me occasionally when someone would tell me my sons were “momma’s boys ” but I got over it. I have 2 boys that may still be described that way from time to time but that’s ok, I’m proud of them and they’ve turned into fine young men. They both have wonderful young ladies that love them just the way they are. 😃

How many times have you been in situations and heard someone say, “If that was me I would have…”? The truth is until you are in any given situation you don’t truly know what you would do. Hypothetical situations are not the same as reality. We don’t know what we’ll do in most circumstances until we are face to face with reality.

We are often too quick to judge and too slow to just stop and think before we speak or write what pops in our minds. I’m guilty of it and I’m sure if you’re honest you can think of times when you were as well. It’s a part of who we are in this often much too negative and crazy world we live in. The media thrives on it and we fall victim to it.

This also reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. The Shepard left the sheep in the open field and went to look for the one that was lost. We need to look for and help those who are lost. Maybe they are physically lost or maybe they are spiritually lost. We are supposed to help others, not condemn or judge them. We need to lift each other up with our prayers and our support in whatever place they’re at. We need to meet people where they’re at and go alongside them to comfort them, to lead them, to physically, mentally, and spiritually feed them, and just to let them know they’re not alone. We don’t need to wait until there is a crisis like a missing boy to come together in our communities and help one another.

Be the light in this sometimes dark world.

Matthew 5:16

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

We must show works and faith.

James 2:26

“For as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Its not just enough to believe, we must show our faith and belief through the things we do and say.

One of my favorite hymns is Amazing Grace-

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.”

God’s love, grace, and mercy never cease to amaze me. I cannot do it alone, I need Him every minute of every day.

I’ve finally been able to get out and ride a couple of times since Hurricane Florence came crawling through our beautiful state which means, you guessed it, I’m about to ramble.

Every time I ride I do a few things to prepare for the ride. I check the tires, check my mileage so I know how long I can ride before I need to stop for gas, make sure my windshield is not covered with those lovely dead bugs making my sight limited, make sure my gps location is sharing with my hubby, and then of course I prepare my mind with a prayer before leaving. I planned to ride on Friday before the hurricane hit, but when I told my hubby my plans he told me it was taking a chance because the winds were already picking up. He then said I “really shouldn’t be on the bike.” Initially I was bummed because I really wanted to get in a ride before the storm, but then after thinking about it I instead felt very blessed. I am blessed to have a hubby who loves me enough to tell me something even when he knows I don’t want to hear it, because he knows it’s in my best interest. I agreed to stay off the bike that day.

Florence wreaked havoc from the coast to the mountains and beyond. As I rode today and Tuesday I was thinking back at things that occurred prior to, during, and after her visit. We were warned that this storm would mean possible record making rains that would most definitely cause flooding as well as strong winds that could cause downed trees and power outages. Living in the country, that means if we lose power we also have no water. I decided we needed to be prepared ahead of time in order to have peace if the predictions held true. Rather than trying to rush to the store at the last minute for things I went early in the week and got some simple things we could cook on the grill or eat without heating, got extra propane for the grill, and some other basic necessities. I also filled up some gallon jugs with water to drink, filled a 55 gallon barrel with water for flushing toilets, and filled a plastic storage tub with water to wash up with if needed. My dogs got extra cedar shavings too so their houses might be a little bit drier if the wind blew rain in, which it did.

The storm came through very slowly and it dumped plenty of rain that did cause flooding and washed out roads. The wind blew pretty consistently with a few strong gusts that made the entire house feel like it was shaking and it did cause power outages, though we never lost power. No matter how bad it seemed to get I had an inner peace. The wind howled and the rain poured out of the sky, but there was peace.

I thought back to my faithful little hummingbird that’s been here all summer. On Friday even as the winds were picking up, there it was trying to get some nectar. I noticed it going from hole to hole, rather than sitting and drinking like it normally does. After it flew away I went to check the feeder and the ants had found it. I quickly cleaned it out and got fresh nectar made in case it was able to return again before the winds got too bad. I contemplated taking it down at night due to the winds but decided to leave it out just in case this determined little beauty returned. As soon as the rain and winds calmed down, it was right back at the feeder! A dove was back happily splashing in the bird bath as well.

Thinking about this as I rode made me also think of the scripture Matthew 6:26 ” Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Surely if God can protect and provide for something as small and fragile as a humming bird during a hurricane, he can protect and provide for me. This is where my peace comes from. I know I am in His hands and He will take care of me if I do my part as well. I am as prepared as a person can be for death, and I do not fear it. I still want to see my beautiful grand daughters growing up and have many more things I’d like to share with my hubby and the rest of my family, but when He decides it’s my time, it’s my time and I’m ok with that. It’s all about being prepared in order to have peace.

Until that day comes, I just want to live my life well!

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Switchfoot has a song called, Live it Well. The chorus says:

Life is short I want to live it well

One life, one story to tell

Life is short I want to live it well

And you’re the one I’m living for

Awaken, oh my soul!

Every breath that you take is a miracle

Life is short I want to live it well.

The last verse then says:

I got one life and one love

I got one voice

But maybe that’s enough

‘Cause with one heartbeat

And two hands to give

I got one shot

One life to live

Every breath you take is a miracle

Life is short I want to live it well.

So prepare yourselves, have peace, and live!

Communication is a key component to our lives and there are so many ways we communicate, sometimes when we may not even realize we are. In a class I teach at work we discuss a study that claims that only 7% of human communication is verbal, or the spoken word. Think about that for a minute. That means 93% of our communication is nonverbal; our facial expressions, our posture, our body language, our tones, and our other actions.

As I thought about that today while riding I realized that I have most definitely gotten myself in more trouble with my tone, facial expressions, and body language than I have with the actual words I’ve spoken. It’s not something I’m proud of and I am trying to work on, but I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

Our state of mind when we hear something and when we read something has an affect on how we interpret what we hear or read. I can think of so many times when I have been a part of miscommunication due to the way I interpreted what I heard or read because of my own state of mind, not that of the person communicating to me. Have you ever read a text or email and later discovered that what you “heard” was not at all what was meant? Have you ever sent a text or email and the receiver has interpreted it in a way other than how you intended it?

Even when we are driving we are communicating by the way we drive; the speed, our attention to the road, whether or not we wave, and using our blinkers (turn signals). That last one, blinkers, is something I notice more and more that drivers are not using when they should be which definitely miscommunicates their intentions. When I’m on the bike I always do the “biker wave” to other bikes I meet, most wave back but some don’t. That is communicating as well. Maybe they aren’t comfortable waving, maybe they just choose not to.

I also noticed that the leaves are slowly starting to fall from the trees. Several farmers are now beginning to harvest their corn which means watching the road for pieces of dry corn cob now in addition to grass clippings and leaves. Additionally it means the deer will be more active as they seek corn that may have been left behind in the fields. These are all nature’s way of communicating that Summer is coming to an end and Fall is on it’s way. I personally look forward to the cooler temperatures and the beautiful Fall colors on the trees that come along with this season.

My mom recently had a problem with her Facebook account. This for her is a line of communication. She has trouble hearing on the phone often and this is a way she and I can communicate, by sending private messages back and forth. We can have the communication without the phone issues. We have an ongoing joke about using the phone, she says I talk too fast and I tell her she listens too slow. She also uses it to post “good morning” and “have a good night” posts and Bible verses that she finds on other sites. If she doesn’t send them out, there are a few of her friends who truly miss them and always want to know if she’s ok. Needless to say I added a message on her page that she was having computer issues so those ladies wouldn’t worry, until we got her back up and running again.

My conversations with God are communication but I don’t hear him in an audible voice. It’s an internal communication through my mind and heart. He speaks to us through His word; the Bible, through prayers, and in other ways. We only have to believe and to truly listen. Reading scripture is like reading emails and texts in the sense that I can read the same scriptures multiple times and get something different out of them each time. This is because of my mood, what I’m going through, and what season of life I’m in when I read them.

Reading them while I was in the midst of raising 3 boys was different than reading them now that they’re all grown. The circumstances of life have an affect on our perception of things. Scriptures can also be misinterpreted due to taking them out of context, ignoring other verses that come before or after that explain how they were intended based on the whole picture. This has caused many to misquote God and to lead others astray for their own benefit.

Each of us must read the scriptures for ourselves and only we can make the decisions for our own life. Other people can communicate their thoughts to us, but ultimately the decisions are our own. I can communicate my thoughts to you through my ramblings, but how you perceive them is up to you alone. I simply am sharing my thoughts and have no power or intentions to change anyone but myself. We are all in this world for a reason and it’s up to us to see figure out that reason for ourselves. For me, I just try to be better today than I was yesterday. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail, but I’ll keep trying until the day He calls me home.

Karen Peck and New River have a song called, I choose Christ and the chorus is as follows:

“I choose Christ when everything around me says give up, I choose faith, I choose to trust to believe He is good. He’ll come through like He said He would every time, oh I choose Christ.”

Rejection: the state of being rejected

Respect: admire, think highly of

Many times when I ride a word will pop in my head and it becomes the title of my next blog. I’ve ridden several times since I last wrote. Sometimes when I get back its obvious what I’m being guided to ramble about, other times I’m unsure if I’m supposed to ramble at all or just reflect personally. This has been the case recently. These two words have been flying around in my mind and I wasn’t convinced until today that I was to share some thoughts on them.

Have you ever felt rejected? I’m sure most of us have felt that way at least once in our lives. I know personally when I’ve felt that way I’ve sometimes taken it very personally and it’s most likely one of the reasons why I tend to not get really close to too many people. Some people handle it better than others like anything else, and for some people it may really not bother them a whole lot at all. They just take it in stride and move on.

I will say that as I’ve gotten older I take this and many other things more in stride now. As I’ve been riding and reflecting on these words, it made me think about specific rejections we can experience. If we take the time to stop and analyze them, we might realize that when we thought WE were being rejected, it may have just been our idea or thoughts that were being rejected, not us personally. It may have even been that it wasn’t truly a complete rejection, but maybe the thought or idea just needed some fine tuning.

Have you ever been the one who did the rejecting? Were you rejecting the person or the idea? This is where respect comes in to play. If we don’t treat someone with respect as we reject a thought or an idea, it will come across more like we are rejecting the person. Don’t get me wrong, there are times I know when I’ve rejected a person, for good reason. There are also times when I’m sure I have come across harsher than I intended in rejecting an idea, and may have caused someone to feel as I was rejecting them instead.

We can reject a thought yet still show respect to the person. I guess sometimes, if it’s a subject that’s very near and dear to you, your passion for it can overshadow the need to also respect each other’s differences if we’re not careful. I know I’ve been guilty of this on occasion. I have had a passion all of my life for helping those considered as less fortunate, or troubled, or in need of some extra help. If there is any way I can make life easier or more meaningful to someone, I’m determined to do my best to help them. Sometimes this can be misunderstood or misinterpreted by some, but as long as we are doing it with the right heart and mindset I believe that’s ok.

Matthew 25:40 NIV

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, not just when it’s easy or convenient, but all of the time.

If you’ve read much of the Bible, you know He committed not even one sin, yet he was rejected and disrespected repeatedly.

Did this stop Him from loving anyone? No

Did it make Him give up on anyone? No

He never gives up on us, we give up on Him, on ourselves, and on each other.

He died on the cross for us, there is no greater love than that, and he did it even though He was rejected and disrespected.