Ramblings of a Christian Grandma Biker

Have you ever heard a song and then just couldn’t get it out of your head? Well today that happened to me and it’s a song I hadn’t sung or even heard for a very long time. I was in a store picking up something for my hubby and I heard it. There was the sweetest little voice around the corner just singing his heart out and he was singing, “Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man?”…admit it you just sang that instead of reading it 🤣. Well needless to say that song has been stuck in my head ever since. There’s just a little something different about riding down the road with that song on your mind.

I got thinking about the cute little fella that was singing and how when we’re young innocent children we just do what feels right and makes us happy and don’t worry what others think about it. We trust those who take care of us and are seemingly carefree. He trusted who he was with in the store to watch over him and protect him and was just enjoying himself. If only we all felt the same way as we get older. (I know there are some children who sadly don’t have that type of upbringing, but that’s a topic for another day maybe.)

Trust is an interesting thing. There are so many different levels of trust, at least for me. If you’ve ever had someone abuse your trust, it can become very difficult for you to trust again. I thought back to the first time I ever rode on the bike with my hubby. At the time, we were just friends and I had no idea what to do as a rider. Being on the back of a motorcycle is very different than a snowmobile which I grew up riding and knew all about leaning on. Believe me, you do NOT lean as a passenger on a bike like you do on a snowmobile. My poor hubby survived while I learned though, thanks to his lifelong experience on bikes and patience with me. As I think back to that very first ride with him, I realize I had put total trust in him at that very moment. My life was literally in his hands. At that point in my life, that was huge because the only men I trusted completely then were my dad and my brother. I soon learned what it was like to put total trust in someone who wanted the best for me, that wasn’t part of my family. Obviously our friendship grew and so did my trust in him and for that I’m forever grateful. I know he’ll always be there when I need him the most. That is priceless.

You can trust some people with little things, and some you trust to do their job, others you trust to handle things for you when you can’t, but you have to have at least 1 person you know you can trust completely no matter what and feel safe with. In this crazy world we now live in, that’s so increasingly important. I’m learning to trust a little more, I just tend to be more guarded which I guess comes with experience and age. There are times when I don’t even trust myself to make the right decisions. I’m learning instead of jumping to decisions, sometimes it’s ok to admit to myself I’m not sure and I need to pray about it first. His decisions are always better than my own as I’ve mentioned before.

Who would have thought hearing the muffin man song would have led us to this? Well I guess that’s why my blog is called ramblings.

On that note, let me ramble about 1 more thing. I also experienced many smells today that reminded me of childhood; mine and my boys. I initially smelled the sweet smell of honeysuckle like I used to smell when taking my boys for a walk or fishing, the unmistakable smell of mothballs (guess someone was trying to keep the snakes away), and before the ride was over I finally smelled the wonderful aroma of dairy cows that I love because it always takes me back to my childhood days in a friend’s barn with my dad.

It’s amazing to me the power that songs and smells can have on our thoughts and feelings. Before I started writing after some of my rides, I never realized any of this. Riding and writing both awaken all of my senses and I would be missing out on so much if I didn’t have these new experiences.

The Lord indeed can get our attention in many ways through even the least expected things. Never underestimate what He can do.

Mother’s Day got me thinking about some comparisons while I rode this weekend. I rode familiar routes so I was able to be more physically and mentally relaxed while riding and spend more time focusing on life than on where I would go while riding.

I got thinking about the garden my hubby and I planted last weekend. It’s the biggest garden we’ve ever planted and the first time we’ve planted it all from seed, except for a half dozen tomato plants. He worked very hard getting the ground all tilled up so the soil was very loose and manageable after my son ran the disc over it initially to get it started as we’ve not planted it in this exact location before. I lost count of how many times hubby tilled it, but he did a great job and it made planting it so easy. He was also able to add an attachment that made rows which also was a huge help.

We planted the seeds, covered them with an appropriate amount of soil, and placed a few tin plates and an empty milk jug on poles in the garden to hopefully scare off birds so they wouldn’t eat the seeds, and then of course watered it.

Every night as soon as the sun was off the garden, I went out and watered it well. Because hubby made the rows the way he did, it was easy to see exactly where the water needed to be for the seeds. I was able to concentrate the water where we wanted and needed it for the seeds and not the whole garden which would have encouraged weeds and grass to also grow and flourish. There’s something exciting and rewarding about seeing those plants come up from just a seed. Once the seeds started to sprout, hubby also applied a repellent to keep our friendly deer and bunnies from eating the newly forming plants.

Raising children is very similar in many ways to planting seeds. They too need the proper nourishment and preparations. Moms need to be able to give them what they need when they’re little in order to help them to grow into healthy productive adults later on. We also attempt to use “repellent”, things we say or do to try to protect our kids from danger or bad influences.

All of the seeds in the garden get the same treatment, yet some seeds mature while others don’t. The same can be true with children. Moms can give all of their children the same nourishment, the same love, the same rules, and yet they don’t all turn out the same. Some constantly want to go against the rules while others just want to follow the rules and please others.

Siblings often all have the same opportunities, yet more often than not they all go separate and very different paths. I can definitely see this in my own family with myself and my siblings as well as with my boys. No two of us are alike. We can be as different as night and day.

As I rode I realized the same is true of bike riders. Some of us ride alone, others ride in groups, and some ride only on the back of someone else’s bike. I personally enjoy riding alone or with my hubby. We ended the weekend with a ride together and that was an awesome way to end the weekend for me. This is something he introduced me to by riding on the back of his bike initially, and then teaching me how to ride my own. It’s something we share between us that’s very special to me. I guess that makes a marriage like a garden too. We need to “water ” the positives and repel the negatives.

In all areas of life we need to focus on the good things and nurture them so they grow and pay less attention to the negatives. The world unfortunately would have us believe just the opposite.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” Robert Lewis Stevenson

Whatever you feed will grow; faith or fear, worry or confidence, doubt or belief. Ultimately it’s our choice what grows.

When faced with temptations or trials it’s not always easy to see the positives, but usually if we look hard enough we can find them.

Why does it often seem so much easier to see the bad vs. the good?

That’s food for thought this week I guess – feel free to share if you have thoughts on that.

Today’s ride was interesting to say the least. It definitely felt like Murphy’s Law was alive and well.

If you’ve read many of my past “ramblings” you know that unless I’m headed to work or to visit our parents, I never plan out my ride. I recently thought about a new route I wanted to try out and today was the day I decided to do it. I initially wanted to do it the first time with my hubby instead of alone, but after the way the ride went it’s probably a good thing I was alone which you’ll understand shortly. I had looked over the map on my phone and checked landmarks so I knew what to watch for to get the right roads. You can’t glance at that while on the bike like you can in a car 😀.

Everything started out great. The weather was beautifully sunny and warm and the winds were very light. As I looked at the beautiful sky and saw all of the amazing flowers in bloom in their many different colors, everything seemed so vibrant and alive.

The weather for some reason brought back memories of doing things with my dad, who will have been gone 5 years tomorrow. I was a daddy’s girl and used to love to go hunting with him as well as many other things. I remember the first time I saw the ocean and it was as a teenager along with my mom and dad. Mom doesn’t swim so she watched from the beach as daddy and I played and swam. If any of you are familiar with Maine, you know that even in the summer, the ocean water isn’t very warm. That didn’t stop my dad from getting in the water with me though. That trip was also when he insisted I order “something different” when we went out to eat. We didn’t go out to eat often but I had a habit of always ordering the same thing and he was determined this time I was going to try something new. I decided I’d “fix him” and ordered lobster, much more expensive than my usual ham slice. Well I have loved the ocean and all seafood ever since.

I also remember him letting me climb up on his shoulders and he would “throw me” off into the water, the ocean and also our pond at home. Such fun memories with my daddy and it just took pretty weather and a bike ride for them to all come flooding back.

Maybe it was also because my hubby and I were able to take “mom and dad” out for lunch today to celebrate his birthday. Last year at this time we didn’t know if he would still be with us for Christmas, let alone another birthday. Thank you Lord for allowing him to still be here to celebrate! Any of you not familiar with my past posts, he has a rare form of cancer that he’s been battling for over a year now. God is good –

Well back to the ride and Murphy’s Law. Although the ride started out pretty typical and good for just reminiscing, that all changed. As I approached a busy intersection I naturally slowed down because these are areas that often are not friendly to bikers. Looking ahead I saw a tractor trailer truck pulling out into the highway going the same direction as me. There was another couple vehicles between me and it and I kept a safe distance. It soon became apparent this truck was either fully loaded, or had a very cautious slow driver behind the wheel. Once another vehicle ahead of me turned off I could see that this tractor trailer truck was actually a student driver truck, someone was just learning to drive. That made me think of a fellow lady biker that read my last post and sent me a note thanking me for this blog and asked me if I had any pointers because she so far is afraid to go above 50 and is afraid she’s a “hazard” on the road. Well if you’re reading this now Kelli, have no fear. They can get around you and pass a whole lot easier than someone learning to drive a tractor trailer truck!

As I approached the country road I was wanting to turn on I thought well at least that big truck won’t be going that way. WRONG

Apparently the instructor must have thought this country road with its curves and intersections would be a good training road. Just my luck. I kept at least a tractor trailer length between us most of the way to the end of the road but it still managed to somehow “throw ” a stone which proceeded to hit me on the front of my leg on the bone just in front of my knee. Yep that smarted just a bit.

We finally made it to the end of that road and I prayed they weren’t again turning the way I wanted to go. Fortunately they were not! So now I figure it’s smooth sailing for the rest of my ride.

I started to see landmarks I recognized from the map I’d looked at ahead of time and knew my next road was coming up soon. Just as I got to it, Murphy struck again: Road Closed -DETOUR.

OK so now I am clueless where the detour is going to take me. I proceed to follow the signs, then get to a 4 way intersection and yep you guessed it, Murphy again. No detour sign to show which way to go and no road signs to tell me the names of any of the roads I’m at. I decided to pull over at a church parking lot and take a break. I had a drink in my saddlebag that I’d fixed before I left home so used this opportunity to hydrate. As I watched the intersection, I noticed which direction the majority of the cars were going and decided that was the way I would also go. After going about a mile or so on that road there was finally a road sign and I knew I was back on the road I initially wanted. You see now why it’s a good thing I was travelling alone? Indecision and confusion don’t work well if you have no way to communicate from 1 bike to the other with your hubby.

So I’m at least now going the way I wanted to. I had to stop a few times for school buses and travelled some road that was definitely in need of work, grass even growing up through the cracks in it, but at least I was on the right track.

As I neared the end of this road I knew I’d be back on a main highway I was familiar with so could get up to a good speed and ride comfortably knowing where I was. Well knowing where I was turned out to be true, but getting up to a good speed was not to be. Just ahead of me was a very large dump truck that was fully loaded with something quite heavy apparently and it did not get up to speed the entire time I followed it.

As I approached a local college, it’s usually just an area that requires you to go slow through it to allow for students walking across the road etc. to be safe. Well for the first time ever that I’ve experienced it, must be classes had just let out and there was a police officer stopping traffic in both directions to allow all of the students out of the parking lot-all of them. I used this time to go ahead and put the bike in neutral and stretch my hands and arms a bit while having to wait. We weren’t moving any time soon.

So now I’m all stretched and ready to ride again 😄. By now I need gas so go ahead to one of my “usual” stops to fill up-uneventful YAY!

I got back out on the road and was able to relax and again reminisce about my daddy and about my father in law whose been so special and helpful, especially since my daddy passed away. Then more memories came back about my mom as mother’s day also approaches. I am blessed to still have her here to celebrate as well as my mother in law. Love and spend time with your parents while you can, because one day you’ll wish you could and you won’t be able to. I’d love to hear daddy say “see ya later kiddo ” just 1 more time. He would not have been happy about me learning to ride at first but he still would have loved and supported me, as my mom still does.

I decide to make one last turn and ride by a pretty lake nearby before heading home. Today, they had started to repave a section of this road. This meant only 1 lane was open and that there was some road oil and tar particles in the travelling lane which required added caution yet again. Safely got through this area and thankfully the rest of the ride home was normal with no added surprises which I was grateful for. This is one ride full of memories, old and new, I will not soon forget.

I know I haven’t rambled lately, but it’s not due to lack of riding thankfully. There are many times when I ride, that I have thoughts I consider writing about, but I try not to write until that “still small voice” says to. Today I heard the voice say it’s time. No it’s not an audible voice, just a voice in my head and a feeling in my heart that it’s time to share.

Many of my thoughts on recent rides have been related to focus. Some of these rides were alone, and a couple were with my hubby which was wonderful. Focus when I’m riding is key. The road, other vehicles, the weather, and many other variables require constant consideration when riding a bike. You probably wouldn’t think twice about gravel or a stone in the road while you’re in a 4 wheeled vehicle, but on a bike it can be a totally different story. One thing I’ve learned riding horses and my bike, you focus ahead of where you want to go. If there’s a curve in the road, you focus on the middle when you start and where you want to end up by the middle of the curve. You never focus directly in front of you. Where you look, is where you will go. If there’s a stone or object in the road you want to avoid, don’t focus on it. Look beyond it to where you want to end up. If you stare at the stone you’ll end up hitting it, not avoiding it.

Isn’t this true in life as well? Our focus determines the decisions we make. Others can influence our decisions, but ultimately we make our own choices based on where our focus is. I know I’ve made many poor choices, because my focus was in the wrong place. When that happens, I just pray I learn from those choices and that I’ll move on to make better ones. For the most part I believe our focus needs to be on what’s ahead and not where we’ve been or what we’ve done. That being said, we do sometimes need to lack back briefly, in order to look ahead wisely.

On a recent ride with my hubby, he led to begin with then when we got to an intersection closer to home, I told him I needed to fuel up. At that point he told me to lead so I went ahead, even though I actually prefer to follow. As I lead I tried to keep taking a look behind me in the side mirrors to know he was still following. I saw where I planned to get gas and put on my blinker so he’d know where I was stopping. As we approached the gas station, I saw it was super busy so I turned off my blinker and decided to wait until the next station. I didn’t immediately look behind me though and by the time I did, my hubby wasn’t there. He no doubt stopped where I originally had signaled. I stopped at the next station and sent him a note to apologize and tell him where I was. I waited a bit, then realized he most likely just turned and headed home so I did as well. This is an example of why sometimes we do need to look back in order to move ahead the way we want to.

Another example of that happened while riding today. I was entering a road where I needed to merge out into traffic. I glanced in my mirror and saw nothing, but because of this particular location, I knew I also needed to physically turn and look, not rely just on my mirror. As I did that, I saw several cars coming and knew they had no intention of slowing down to allow me to merge, so I came to a complete stop. I waited for them all to go by, then after one more check, I merged out onto the road. Looking back does sometimes serve an important purpose, we just cannot remain focused there. We must glance back, then look ahead and refocus on where we’re going.

My husband and I moved a few years ago and that like everything else required planning. We knew we needed to plan ahead and save some money for this to happen. It meant taking weekend getaways, not weeklong vacations. It meant taking some home cooked food with us and not eating out the entire weekend. We were able to still enjoy time away, but didn’t feel guilty or later regret it due to spending too much.

There are other things we’d like to do one day, which requires planning ahead now so that maybe one day we can. Life is all about choices and focus, from little things like what we eat or drink to major choices like buying a home, planning for retirement, and where we will spend eternity.

Most, if not all, of my poor choices were made because my focus was not on God or what He wanted for me. It was on what I thought I wanted for me. His plans are always so much better than my own.

Focus gets us where we’re going; good or bad, the choice is ours.

Proverbs 12:15

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who seeks counsel is wise.”

Finally we got a sunny day with beautiful blue skies, sunshine, and very little wind! The wind lately has been a serious buzzkiller when it comes to riding, but not today. I rode longer than I’ve ridden at one time ever I think since I started riding. I must admit I didn’t want to stop even then but it had been a little over 2 hours and it was time. Unfortunately, I have responsibilities that require attention, whether I like it or not.

Today as I rode it seemed my mind was everywhere; thinking about my childhood, my youth, the day I was SUPPOSED to leave for college and so many other things right up until the present. Yes I said supposed to, I changed my mind the day I was to leave. It’s a day I won’t forget for sure, but a day I don’t regret.

It made me think about my daughter in law, who is going into nursing, and my oldest son’s girlfriend who is going into special education. That’s exactly what my major was going to be. It’s funny how things work out. They both are going into fields where they will help others and I’m proud of them both, as I am my sons. Although I didn’t go on to get my degree as planned, I’m working with individuals who have autism and couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. I guess my job now combines the nursing and the teaching all into one.

While riding I also thought about how often I’ve felt like I never really “fit in.” I was not the partier or social bug in school. I preferred then, like now, to just have a few close friends rather than a large group to hang out with. I was happier going hiking, fishing, or canoeing with my brother or hunting with my dad and brother than going out with friends. Maybe it was and is a comfort thing because I knew what they expected, knew they’d love me no matter what, and there was no pressure. I did realize today it’s also time to start fishing again.I saw a lot of people fishing today and it brought back some great memories. I’m not sure I can combine that with riding but we’ll see!

Even though my mom and dad didn’t completely understand my reason for not going to college that day, they still supported my decision. Don’t get me wrong, there was some serious discussion and expectations that followed that decision, but there was also support and understanding.

Throughout my life, as I made decisions that they didn’t always agree with, there was always support and understanding from my parents and my brother.

It seems like now there is so much focus on people feeling like they need to “fit in” and be what others want them to be. Too much focus, in my opinion, is put on what others think. God made each and every one of us different for a reason. We all serve a different purpose, we all can’t be alike or be what someone else wants us to be. I’ve always been very independent and strong willed. This can be intimidating to others sometimes and be misunderstood. I’ve also always tried to be a peace maker and to “fix” things for other people. The older I get, the more I realize I can’t fix anyone but myself and that’s a full time job 😉.

As I continued to ride, I thought about how I would or wouldn’t do things now, if I had the chance to do anything over. I’ll admit there are some things I’d have done differently, but then I wouldn’t be who I am today. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know honestly, I guess it depends on who you ask.

All I know is I’m determined to take one day at a time and just try to be me. You can’t please everyone and some days you may not feel like you please anyone, you just have to keep going and try to do better for you, and for who you think God wants you to be. Everyone has an opinion, but only you can live your life.

We are all probably good at giving advice, but not as good at taking it. Sometimes our own advice to others, is really advice we need to take ourselves I think. I can’t tell you how many times I remember saying, “I will never…” and how many times that “never” became something I indeed “did.” Sometimes that was and is a good thing, sometimes, not so much.

Every day is a new beginning. What I (we) decide to do with it is up to me(us). Every day God allows me to wake up, means He still has a plan for me and for you.

I challenge each and every one of you to commit with me to try to make every day count, as we never know when it will be our last. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know the one who holds my future in His hands and that’s enough.

Several different thoughts have come to mind recently when riding and the one thing they all have in common is how you need to have the right “tools ” to succeed.

I needed to make a new house for my rapidly growing puppy and that meant I needed to borrow a saw from my son. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to cut the wood the way I needed it.

While riding this past week, every ride has required different riding gear (garments can be considered tools too 😀). Every day lately it seems there has been wind to deal with, but the temperatures have varied greatly. One day I rode with a light jacket and my vest and it was perfect. The next day I thought the weather felt the same so I dressed the same. I soon found out I was wrong! My ride was going to be very short if I didn’t go back home for a better choice of “tools”. My hubby was quite surprised to see me back so soon until I explained why. I got on warmer clothes and my leather jacket and warmer gloves and was ready to go again. He said, “You going again?” I said I sure was now that I had the proper clothes. Now my ride was awesome. It was one of those days where I just felt like I was one with the bike and could go forever. Having the proper “tools” made all the difference in the world. I rode for probably an hour and a half or more and decided I probably needed to go home and spend time with my hubby and get some supper going. To my surprise when I arrived, he had just finished roto-tilling the garden and was getting on his bike to go for a ride. He motioned for me to turn my bike and head back out, this time following him. That absolutely made my day; I love the times we get to ride together so much and it doesn’t happen very often so I wasn’t about to say no!! Again I was very thankful for the proper gear so I was still warm enough even now that the sun was starting to go down some.

Again today it was windy and on the first ride of the day that meant sweatshirt and vest, then the second ride was just t-shirt and vest. As you can tell our Spring weather is a bit wacky right now but at least it’s still rideable. I feel bad for others I see that are posting pictures of more snow making riding for them impossible. Riding has also become a “tool” for me to deal with every day life and have that alone time with God.

In all areas of life we need the proper tools; tools for building, clothes for riding, and directions for everything. One of the biggest tools I need EVERY day is God’s word. Every ride begins with a prayer before I even leave my driveway.

Some days it seems I pray all day long, other days it’s just here and there. The fact that I can pray anytime, anywhere, is an amazing tool I know I need. I know if I give it to God, it’s handled. It may or may not be handled the way I want it to be, but I know it’s handled the way it needs to be, if I give it over to Him. I need His word in my mind and my heart daily.

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, not are your ways my ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ”

I am so glad I can go to Him and know that He will answer prayers. It may not be in the time I want or the answer I want, but if it’s His will, it’s the right time and the right way.

His word is a tool I need in my heart and mind every day.

As sure as Sunday marked the day we celebrated that Jesus is alive and rose from the dead, there were signs of new life everywhere as I rode yesterday.

It was as if overnight everything came to life. The wild redbud trees are showcasing their beautiful yet delicate pink/purple flowers. You can see them showering the roadsides as well as highlighting the wooded areas that are still mostly barren. Although the buttercups, daffodils, are now gone by, the azaleas are in full bloom. They are lighting up neighborhoods with their brilliant red, white, pink, and purple flowers.

The creeping phlox are beginning to also blanket the ground with their vibrant colors including pinks, purples, white and even some hints of blue. The earth is coming to life again after the winter season has passed. All of these beautiful colors can make a person suddenly feel alive even on a gloomy day. The other trees are also slowly starting to show some color as they start to bud and become clothed again in leaves.

The temperatures are still crazy and in the 40s some days while hitting close to 80 another. It’s enough to drive a person crazy because just as you get used to the warmth, bam, it’s cold again. Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind it seems this Spring.

I guess we do the same thing though. Some days we’re upbeat and ready to take on the world, (we’re on fire) and other days we seem to barely get through (we’re cold as ice). You ever wonder why? I often do and don’t really have a good answer most of the time. Yesterday it was just nice to be able to ride and not really think about anything other than enjoying the new signs of life as they presented themselves everywhere I went. I rode about 100 miles and didn’t have a care in the world. I had my granddaughter for a few hours prior to riding which was a very welcome last minute surprise. I was off work so I didn’t have to be concerned with who might be needing anything, and it was just a carefree ride. Those days don’t happen very often so when they do it’s an added bonus. To also get to see so many beautiful colors as well was truly a gift!

Sometimes it’s the little things that can make me realize the big picture even more. I know I need to take time to feel more alive every day by looking for the little things, the positive things, that often get overlooked in the busyness of life. Flowers and trees and even the bees that are suddenly appearing to gather nectar, are all signs of life; of God’s beauty and His plan. He created it all and wants us to enjoy it, and to see Him in it. His handiwork is all around us if we only take time to see it.

Psalm 104:24
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Good Friday.

For some it’s just another day, for some it’s a day off work,  and for others it’s something so much more! The day started out looking pretty dark and gloomy,  but how appropriate that it should be. It was a dark day so many years ago, when Jesus paid the ultimate price for us; for you and for me and for the world. As I rode today I couldn’t help but think about all that He’s done for me and for my family and for everyone reading this. He gave His life for us in every sense. It doesn’t get any more amazing than that.

Just this week I’ve dealt with a situation that was simply wrong. My worldly self so wanted to reach out and respond to the situation to “say my peace” about it and set the person straight. I know the only reason I haven’t done so is because it’s not what He would have me to do. There was a day when I would have immediately reacted and probably would later have regretted it, but not this time. I’ve since thought over and over about how Jesus was mocked and beaten and betrayed.  He could have refused to follow God’s plan but instead He said, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Let that sink in for a minute. How much more peace might we have in our lives and in the world if we followed that same thinking in every decision we make?! Wow

Don’t get me wrong , part of me still wants to “set the record straight “, but I know it’s not what He wants. I’m doing my best to follow His will and pray I will remain silent on the matter, unless He guides me differently. It’s not about us, about me, it’s about Him.

There were breaks in the clouds today when the sun shone brightly through as well. This too seemed so fitting for the day. Even in our darkest days the Son is there and will shine through,  if we will allow Him to. He has the power to overcome all of the darkness in our lives. He proved that when He died on the cross for us,  for our sins. He took that on for all of us. He paid the price for us.

Thank you Jesus for giving us so much more than we deserve.

It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!

Have you ever had a time where you just wanted to run away and not be in contact with anyone, or just be invisible? I think probably at some point in our lives we have all had that feeling or that thought at least once.

Recently I had that feeling and although I couldn’t run away I could ride! The weather for a couple of days was actually co-operative considering it’s March. The wind was gusting some but not enough to keep me from riding for the most part and the seemingly never ending rain was taking a much appreciated break. I was able to get in 3 rides alone,  then got a bonus when I got to ride once with my hubby as well.

If you’ve read some of my recent ramblings, you’ll know that I can now turn on an app so that my hubby will be able to locate me if needed. Well on these rides I didn’t turn it on. In my mind at the time that meant not being invisible and alone. Looking back that was probably not a smart choice,  but thankfully it wasn’t needed. The good Lord kept me safe.

I simply wanted to ride as if I didn’t have a care in the world or any responsibilities. Sometimes we just need that time to unwind, clear our minds, and get refocused,  at least I do. As I rode I felt my mind going “blank” in a good way, instead of a million thoughts racing through. As I looked around there was so little color. The skies were gray, other than a few pink flowering trees the trees were naked and looked lifeless, the daffodils no longer had pretty flowers on them,  there was no sign of the yellow sun peaking out of the gloomy clouds, and things just looked relatively boring. This actually turned out to be helpful though as there was little to look at that encouraged wandering thoughts. I was able to truly clear my mind of all the day to day clutter that seems to sneak in.

I thought about how Jesus took time to be alone and pray. I often feel guilty about making and taking time for me but why is that? If someone as perfect as Jesus needed it, why do we feel guilty if we also need it? Maybe for those of us who have had children it’s because once we have them,  all of our focus turns to them and their needs. Then even when they’re grown we want to help them as well as our grandchildren, our spouses,  and our parents as they are aging. I cherish the fact my health is good enough to be able to do all those things and am very blessed to live close enough to do that!

With that being said, there are just those days sometimes when the best way to help others, requires getting away and getting refocused and re-energized. Riding has become the best way for me to do that.

Matthew 6:5-6   And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Psalm 46:10   Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Mark 1:35  Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,  where he prayed.

Matthew 14:23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Luke 5:16   But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Whether you ride or not , I encourage to find a way to take time for you. You might be surprised how much better you feel once you get past the guilt and spend quality time alone with your thoughts and with God. I wish I had learned it sooner, but as they say, “Better late than never !”

 

 

 

 

 

The robins were filling our yard this morning, the frogs and peepers have been welcoming the warmer weather we have had, and so many birds have been singing their joyful songs. The grass is a brilliant green, the bright yellow daffodils are making their presence known and are beautiful, the dandelions are appearing, and the Bradford Pear trees are elegant looking and in almost full bloom.

March has arrived and although the past 2 days have been very pretty and sunny, the March winds have been in full force making riding next to impossible, if looking for a relaxing ride without being blown all over the road that is. Although I would love to have been riding these past 2 days I will say that sometimes when it seems God is not answering my prayers, it is because He has something better in mind. Today is definitely an example of just that.

Had I been out riding today, I would not have run into my mom in the grocery store for an “unexpected” visit that was very nice, even though in a store. For those of you who don’t know me, I hate shopping in stores. (Amazon and I are best friends though lol). We talked for quite some time and as strange as it may sound, it was a blessing.

When I got home, my hubby and father-in-law were BOTH getting ready to start mowing. Our mower has not been running and when I left my hubby was getting ready to work on it and my “dad” was on his way over to assist if needed or just observe and spend time together. He brought his mower along too, in case we couldn’t get ours running. Yes it’s a bit early for mowing but believe me the grass and wild onions were definitely in high gear from the warm spell we recently had in February coupled with all of the rain we also have had and mowing is needed.

The picture you are about to see is a miracle! If you’ve read my earlier blogs you know my “dad” has cancer and this time last year this would NOT have been possible for so many reasons.

(If you follow me and are unable to see this picture for some reason, go directly to the website and you should be able to see it. http://www.christiangrandmabiker.com)

Again, had I been out riding today, I would have missed seeing this! This picture means more to me than any ride could have today and I will cherish it forever. “Dad” has had many bad days of course since his diagnosis, but today is not one of them. I am so thankful he is still with us and even more thankful he is feeling well enough today to do things he enjoys, like mowing. God has answered so many prayers this past year and I know He will continue to do so. He answers them in His way and His time and sometimes we may feel like He is not answering them at all, but as I was shown today and many other days, His way is always the best way.

2 Corinthians 5:7

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Sometimes when it seems God is not answering our prayers, it may be simply because God’s answer to our prayers is “No” and sometimes it may be “Wait”. Maybe the winds will die down and I can ride later today or tomorrow. We must remember that He knows best and I personally am grateful that He has not answered all of my prayers the way I wanted them to be answered. Just like when our children get mad at us when we tell them no because we know better than they do and we are trying to teach them or protect them by saying no, God too protects us and teaches us by saying no or wait. I don’t always understand His way, but I do know deep in my heart that His way is the only way, even if it may sometimes hurt at the time. For now, I am enjoying watching them mow and know riding will come in His time.

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”