How to warm your mother's heart . . .

Micah came home from her first official day of class at North Central University on Wednesday so excited!  "Mom, chapel was so good.  I just had to raise my hands in worship and I even began to cry."  As she was sharing, she raised her hands and once again began to cry.  

When Sam came home, she told him the same story, raising her hands with tears coming down her cheeks.  "Holy Spirit, continue to move in this young lady's life!  Amen."    

P.S.  Her other classes were fine.

Thankful Thursday!

"Thankful Thursday!" happened at Sand Creek yesterday and it was such a neat God thing!  We have a new course manager this year who confided in me early this season that she was struggling with anxiety.  I told her that I'd put her on my Tuesday/Thursday prayer list and trust God on her behalf.

Yesterday, we finally had a chance to talk about how she was doing.  We'd come up in the Bobcat from tearing down high ropes while the guys we were working with were still zipping with customers.

My friends, we stay in that Bobcat for probably fifteen minutes as she shared how she was doing (better!) and where she was at in her life.  A most unlikely place for a most wonderful time!  To God be the glory!

Only at Sand Creek - on a Thursday!

Today's team build was a group of engineers from the north metro.  As I spoke with their leader, she shared with me that they really weren't into the team building "thing", but they were going to try it and see what happened.  If it was a bust, could they go to the high ropes elements early?  Of course.  

You know it wasn't a bust!  It was an awesome success!  At the end of each low ropes element, I always ask my group, "Is there anything from here that you learned that you can bring back to work?"  At our last element before high ropes, one of the guys said, "We need to hug each other more!"  Ya gotta love it! 

Once they left (with a promise to come back!), it was zip lines and high ropes from 2:00-5:30 p.m.  Great groups of people, lots of fun, with a surprise appearance from Benjamin Franklin - as in one of those groups left us a $100.00 tip - another Sand Creek first!  

I drove home $55.00 richer yesterday!  Diane, if you're reading this, I think your sign is helping!

 

Only at Sand Creek - on a Wednesday!

Oh, the things you learn at Sand Creek!

We had a group from Augsburg College near downtown Minneapolis out on Wednesday.  They came in a coach bus, twenty-five students with three leaders.  I was there to welcome them.  While talking to their leaders and gathering waivers, I saw students pull out their regular cigarettes and vape cigarettes. Like everyone was smoking because . . . 

Augsburg is one of the few colleges in the United States that offers a college program for students who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.  This was going to be fun!  (Take that however you want.  I will admit I was a bit nervous, but I shouldn't have been!)  

I got the best group of students who worked so well together.  We had so much fun on the low ropes and then again on the "leap of faith".  Before they left, they wanted a group picture.  I said, "I'll take it."  And they said, "No, we want you in it!"  The funny thing was, it just wasn't my group - it was the whole group that wanted me in the picture.  No other staff.  When you love like Jesus loves - unconditionally - God things happen!

It was inevitable! (Alias "The Dryer Update")

You had to know that if the repairman showed up less than twenty-four hours after I called for service, it was too good to be true.  Sure enough, after sixteen years of service, our dryer control panel was dead.  Unfortunately for us, they stopped making our control panel in 2016.  No matter who or where we called, our panel was obsolete and no one had one in stock. 

So began the dryer hunt . . . from Sears to Best Buy to Tony's Appliances, on-line and in-store.  I spoke to Sam about an hour ago and he thinks he's found one he likes that he's going to stop and pick up on his way home from school.  Sure hope I like it, too!  

Definitely a Monday here!

Seriously, this was the day I'd been looking forward to all summer - the day Sam went back to school!  It wasn't that the way he did things was necessarily wrong.  It was just different.  We had had some frustrating moments this summer with different!  And now he was going back to school (insert big smile!) . . .

His first words to me this morning, "Our dryer's not working."  Excellent.  I'll deal with it.  First I texted three neighbors.  Bless them all!  They all responded with, "Yes, you can use our dryer!"  Since Tron responded first, I carried three loads of laundry at three separate times across the road, up the drive and down the stairs to her 41 minute dryer.  Success!

I called CenterPoint Energy next.  They could get a repairman out tomorrow morning between 8 a.m. and noon.  Would that be okay?  I was thinking it would be at least a week out.  That was fantastic! 

Next up was picking up a rental car at Enterprise.  With Sam going back to work, we could no longer share just one vehicle and my car was going to be in the shop longer than expected.  I caught the phone as I was getting ready to leave.

Jana wanted to do lunch.  She'd bring me to Enterprise.  Awesome!

Seriously, the Ford Focus with New York Plates was DIRTY!  I was shocked.  I shared my shock.  "Really?  It's not clean?  Hello?"  "Well, we can offer you a bigger, cleaner car . . ."  "Um, no thanks!  Let me take some pictures.  It's going to rain this afternoon and I'll just leave it outside!"  Won't be using Enterprise again!  Won't be using the rental either.  Told Sam it was his!

Just another Monday . . . but the laundry's done, the new dishes are in the cupboard, the old dishes are in the garage, the rain is falling.  It could be worse! 

  

New Dishes!

Just the post you wanted to read!  

After two years of saving my tips at Sand Creek, I was able to purchase new dishes!  Seriously, we were down to six bowls on our old set - four with chips or cracks!  It was time! 

Here they are:

Very different from the ones we had!  I'm not sure about the shapes/sizes, but I'm definitely sold on the colors!

Guinea Update!

This post has been reblogged from "Shine Bright" written by a pediatric nurse aboard the Africa Mercy, Jenny.  May it give you a good feel for what is happening with Mercy Ships in Guinea.

Welcome to GUINEA!! ~August 2018 Edition~

The Africa Mercy arrived in Guinea two weeks ago! We were welcomed to our new dock in Conakry with music, dancing, joy, excitement...and a massive downpour. It is wonderful to be back in Africa once again for my 4th field service with Mercy Ships and I'm looking forward to being a part of what God is doing here. I'm sorry for my silence the past few months as I've been sailing, traveling, resting and spending a few weeks home with family (please follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more frequent updates and to see what daily life is like!). After a busy year in Cameroon, this time was exactly what I needed to recover mentally, physically and emotionally and prepare for the next year of service. We have one more week until patients arrive on the ship so here is a quick introduction to my new home! [If you are interested in what it looks like when the Africa Mercy arrives in a new country, check out this short video from Mercy Ships: https://www.mercyships.org/arrival-in-guinea/] All of June and July, the ship was sailing or in the shipyard in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain to have maintenance and repairs. While this is somewhat of a rest period for parts of the ship like the hospital, for the engineering and deck crews this is the busiest time of year! One of my favorite parts of sailing is a tradition called Worship on the Bow. This area of the ship is usually off limits to crew for safety reasons except for calm days during the sail. It's great for quiet sunbathing, naps or sealife sighting but once or twice per sail we set aside some time to praise God from the deck surrounded by open ocean! Almost the entire crew attends and things can get pretty rowdy when they pull out crowd favorites like Jabulani Africa or Days of Elijah :) Here's our Captain John making a phone call on arrival day. For a sea-loving captain, it can be pretty boring to live on a ship that only sails for 2-3 weeks per year. Most of the year is spent making sure the ship is in 'ship shape' for sailing - and when that day comes, it's finally time to shine! I've been to 4 African countries with Mercy Ships: Madagascar, Benin, Cameroon and Guinea. Guinea is by far the most needy of them all! The difference could be felt from day one just in seeing the port and surrounding areas - and Conakry, the port city, is one of the wealthier areas. Guinea has a population of over 12,000,000, of which 35% live below the poverty level. The ship was last here in 2012-13 and since that time, the Ebola outbreak hit Guinea very hard, nearly crippling the healthcare system and making outside aid organizations hesitant to work in the region. There are approximately 40 hospitals in the country with less than 100 surgeons and 10 anesthesiologists between them (those are very generous estimates since the actual numbers are hard to determine). The life expectancy is only 59 years. All that being said, we have much work to do here and are excited to see how God plans to use this ship and willing people to bring hope and healing to a place that so needs it. Last week, we held a Mass Screening event in the capital city of Conakry. Over 6,000 people passed through the gates.  It proved to be a challenging day, as crowds began to multiply before sunrise in hopes of relief from medical conditions rarely seen in any other setting. By the end of the day, 1,135 people were offered follow-up appointments to return for a more in-depth health assessment.  In the coming months, the team will also continue to screen patients from four regions in the interior as well. Thank you for your prayer on this hugely important day that enabled us to find a huge portion of our patients for surgery this year! Also happening during the time since our arrival is the annual cleaning and set up of the hospital. We have had an awesome crew working tirelessly to set up the wards, operating rooms, and other parts of the hospital to prepare for patients to arrive soon! I can't get enough of these gorgeous sunsets from the deck of our ship out over the Atlantic Ocean! A different view of God's creation every day!! As we've been setting up the hospital and preparing for the year ahead, I've had the chance to do a little exploring around the Conakry area. The surrounding streets near the port are mostly small shops and neighborhoods, but just a short boat ride away are several beautiful islands with hotels, restaurants and beaches. While I love most things about living on ship, the ability to get away for awhile and relax in nature is an added benefit, especially after a busy work week. Guinea has many beautiful sights and I hope to see more of them during my time here! Prayer Points: URGENT: One container of supplies, including the tents that go on the dock and other important equipment that should have arrived before the ship, has been diverted from Cameroon. It needs to arrive in Guinea ASAP and also be cleared quickly through customs to allow those teams to have a place to work when patients start arriving soon! Further screening continues this week for patients who were pre-selected at the mass screening. Four other screening events in different cities all over Guinea will be held in October to fill any remaining spots. Over 100 new crew members have come onboard the ship since our arrival in Guinea. Pray for smooth transitions and quick training for many people in new positions. Surgery begins September 4! Pray for the patients and crew who will care for the hundreds of surgeries that will be done in the next 9 months.

Hats off to North Central!

Micah began her college career yesterday with "Welcome Week" at North Central University in downtown Minneapolis.  

We had looked at several Christian colleges for her and out of them, she chose North Central.  That choice was again confirmed yesterday as we walked in to the cafeteria and were greeted with signs that said, "North Central's dining room is peanut/tree nut free." 

Hallelujah! 

Only at Sand Creek . . . on a Saturday!

We have come to the realization that when Sand Creek is fully staffed, every day at Sand Creek is an excellent day!  Yesterday was no exception!  

We had two large zips before lunch.  Pity on the two women who showed up to celebrate a 40th birthday and ended up zipping with a bridal party of eighteen!  They survived - with smiles even!

Two more large zips after lunch, including the British father who took his son once this week and came back yesterday with his son AND daughter because his daughter said it wasn't fair that she hadn't got to go!  Then I was done for the day . . .

Wrong Number!

Micah and I were out running errands Thursday afternoon when I remembered she needed to stop by her pediatricians' for some lab work.  We decided to call from the car.  Every time we tried, we got a busy signal.  I finally said, "Let's just go for it.  I'm sure they'll fit you in." 

We got there and I mentioned to the receptionists that their line had been busy for a very long time.  They looked at each other and said, "We haven't gotten a phone call in a while."  

Janice asked me, "Do you have our right number?"  I assured her I did and read it off my phone to her.  I didn't.  But I do now!  

Only at Sand Creek . . .

We had an excellent time Friday morning with the Finance Department of Lifetime Fitness down on the low ropes course.  I'm not sure how the zip liners did in the pouring rain, but we had enough tree cover so that it wasn't bad for us! 

We just laughed as they arrived!  We had a group of fifty.  They were asked to car pool from Chanhassen.  We counted.  Three cars had two people each.  That meant we had forty-seven guest cars plus our staff cars.  Trust me - no one left quickly when we were done!  

It was a Sand Creek first for me, when in our second group, I had a man who permanently used crutches.  It was wet.  He did well.  It was neat to see his team rally around him to ensure both his success and the group's success.

To top it off - each staff received a $30.00 tip!  General Mills, you lose! 

Only 432 miles to go!

As of Friday morning, I'm 1900 miles closer to the Atlantic Ocean as I continue my swim from Duluth through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean.  At my current pace, I may just make it by Christmas 2020! 

Only at Sand Creek . . . Meets Thankful Thursday!

We have known since the beginning of summer that today was "all-hands-on-deck" day.  We had roughly one hundred sixth graders from Blake Schools coming out.  Of course, since not "all-hands" could be "on-deck" today, Sam came out and joined us - and got a new free Sand Creek STAFF t-shirt to boot. 

The first thing I was thankful for was that I was given a "dream team" to work with - no new staff to train!  Nope, I was with the "Brothers Graham" - Tim and Mark.  We were all smiles because we KNOW we work well together!

The second thing I was thankful for was we were given low ropes first.  We could get our groups working together right off the bat.  Funny thing was - Mark got the "perfect group" - excellent kids, excellent staff.  Tim got the terrorist children who refused to listen to him - with a great staff.  I had a fun group of kids with the staff who spent her time on the phone - and disappeared during the afternoon.  Really?  Really! 

The next thing I was thankful for was I was not "Launchpad Lucy" today.  That honor was given to staff Sam with the broken leg (not my Sam!).  I was put out at platform two for the FIRST TIME EVER with Alan.  Oh, we had a blast!  And I got to zip, too.

Item four on the thankful list - we got an actual lunch break!  Where we could sit down and eat our food!  Uninterrupted by children!  Lovely!  To top it off, we got our tip of the day after lunch.  Our three groups had ONE chocolate chip cookie left - and they let Mark, Tim and I share it.  Better tip than anyone else got!

Item five was definitely after lunch when we went down the hill and did "wide games" with our three groups.  It was so excellent!  We took turns leading.  We set the next event up.  We shot!  We scored!

Finally, I was thankful for the weather today.  Beautiful weather today!  Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings - Lifetime is already looking at changing their schedule.  Sigh . . . 

Only at Sand Creek . . .

It was a Sand Creek first yesterday!

After an easy morning with the fifth through seventh graders from River Bend Nature Center, we had a team build with General Mills in the afternoon - or so we thought!  They thought they were coming only to do the zip line and didn't even know what team building was!  The people who planned it, of course, were back at the conference center.  They hadn't come along.

Fortunately, we talked them into doing the team build portion.  My group didn't know each other and came from all over the United States.  It was amazing how well they did!  We had so much fun - and all the other groups agreed with me!  Then we went zipping!  Another excellent, unexpected-by-them day!

Unfortunately, unlike Outback the night before, we didn't even get cereal coupons from General Mills . . . sadness.

Only at Sand Creek . . .

The rain held off, the sun came out and we had another lovely day at Sand Creek yesterday!  Our first two groups of zippers included either people I knew or people who knew people I knew - always fun!  Then it was off to the high ropes course followed by a late night team build with the managers from Outback Steakhouse.  I got to lead them in the low ropes and down the zip line.  Excellent night - made even better when each staff received $50.00 gift cards to Outback!  I wonder if today's group can top that?

Cameroon Field Service Update

Shhh . . .

Don't tell my body, but I took my lowest dose of Predisone since April 7.  Pray with me that I have no set backs!  Thanks!

Friday's Finds!

On Friday, Sam took us to "never-seen-by-us-before" sights on the North Shore.  After a brief tenth of a mile hike, we discovered the Illgen Waterfall.  It was lovely and mostly people free!  Definitely a place to go back to!

Then we discovered the two sides of the "Black Beach".  There's the "Black Beach" that was made from taconite which is a great area to swim.  And there's the "Black Beach" just a bit north that's full of agates - if you're a lucky hunter!

There is no doubt, though, that the most fun was had by Annie who took great pleasure in chasing sticks and barking at the waves!

Our favorite line came from our dear dyslexic driver who read the sign "taconite" as "taco night"!  Love it!

 

Thankful Thursday . . . Finally!

Here it is, Sunday afternoon, and I'm finally posting "Thankful Thursday", mainly because we were on vacation last week.  You'll be glad to know that Thursday was definitely the best day of vaca because . . . 

• Matt joined us!  He couldn't get a sub for Wednesday so he stayed behind and worked while the rest of us traveled up to Lutsen.
• We went hiking in Judge Magney State Park to the Devil's Kettle waterfall.  It was beautiful!
• We had pizza from "My Sister's Place" in Grand Marais down in the marina which made everyone happy!

That may have truly been our last "family vacation" so I've very thankful we took it!

Only at Sand Creek . . .

. . . can you be fully booked every hour and still have a great day!  We wedding parties, birthday parties and NO rescues!  We had families, friends and lots of fun.  Of course, we're all thinking it's the calm before the storm . . .

This week, we have team builds on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with two on Wednesday.  I'll be spending time with people from River Bend, Lifetime Fitness, Outback Steakhouse, Breck (or Blake - it's a "B" school!) and more!  Stay tuned! 

"It's on my bucket list . . . "

As I was finishing up in the locker room this morning at the Y (before heading to ISD 196), Annie came in.  Annie is the blind swimmer.  We've all swam with her.  Sweet lady.  We were talking for a bit and she asked me what I was doing this summer.  I told her about Sand Creek and the zip line.  She said, "Zipping is on my bucket list!  Do you think I could do it?"  Friends, I gave her a resounding "YES!" along with "I hope to see you out there!"  Zip on!

I can't believe . . .

 . . . that I had a seventy-two year old woman roll her eyes at me and pout during Lay Rescuer CPR today!  I was teaching for ISD 196 and while we were testing, she was failing - badly!  Compressions were not deep enough, timing was off, breathing was not effective, she could not keep the pace.  I told her after class that I would NOT give her a CPR card with my name on it because her skills were not what I needed to see.  Friends, that's when she rolled her eyes and began to pout . . . 

Just like I said to my children, "Do not roll your eyes at me", so I said to her, "Do not . . ."  That's when she began to pout.  I told her what I specifically needed to see and I told her I was willing to give her another opportunity.

She decided it was more important to get her CPR card then to argue with me because I wasn't budging and she did it - with great improvement!  Seriously, the word "lazy" had come to mind earlier . . .

She got her card.  She left class.  She returned.  To thank me for being willing to spend the extra time with her.    

New Home!

I'm happy to say that our flamingoes

are enjoying their new home!

 

Only at Sand Creek . . .

I spent my afternoon with the "Flips" and "Whips" of the New Prague Gymnastics Club - ten great girls ranging in age from third to tenth grade.  Meanwhile, Sam's first day at Sand Creek gave him the "Twists".  With names like that, how could we not have fun?  We did zipping and the low ropes. 

Now, in case you're wondering, Sam's last day at Sand Creek is next Thursday.  We have a large group coming in that day and with a lot of our staff returning to college, he agreed help us out so we trained him in today - with the "Twists".

We're overjoyed . . .

. . . with what we found in our front yard this morning! Really!  What fun!

We've narrowed it down -

we think we know who did it!

And we love it!

We also have some plans for those pretty birds!

Stay tuned . . .  

Only at Sand Creek . . .

Only at Sand Creek can almost every day be a great day!  Today was no exception!  We had a fun crew of workers.  We cranked out the zippers.  We didn't do a single rescue on the high ropes AND . . .

I met one of Sam's Vikings/Burnsville co-workers on the high ropes.  It was so cute!  I always ask people what they do and she said she was a kindergarten teacher at Gideon Pond.  I told her my hub also worked in the district.  She thought his name sounded so familiar!  Then she realized they worked together at the Vikings Training Center and had been in training together!

Why, O Y?

I taught CPR-PR/First Aid/Emergency Oxygen Administration at the Y this morning.  Things were not looking good when I stepped into our storage closet.  I sent this picture to my supervisor with the caption, "How many things in this bin do not belong?"

Since this is our emergency OXYGEN bin, let me tell you:

• Face masks
• Gloves
• Baby Manikin (and why is she faceless?)
• Adult Face
• AED

They should all be in THEIR bins, not this one!  I wasn't happy.  Whoever had taught before me should have packed things away - responsibly! - but since my class was a fun group of ladies, I worked on my attitude until . . .

 

We finished with the BRAND NEW NEVER EVER USED AED pads.  They're history now!

 I can honestly say that I wish I felt bad, but I honestly DON'T!  So I left the Y and headed to Sand Creek . . .

Canine Contrast!

My niece Lexie's dog had puppies . . .

If you're interested in buying one, let me know!

Meanwhile, contrast them with my favorite lady . . .

 

Only at Sand Creek . . .

Today was a personal celebration for me at Sand Creek!  I succcessfully belayed my first high ropes rescue to the ground!  He was a large man who had admitted to me while I was securing his trolley system that he was pushing our weight limit.  

Following his wife and four daughters through the course, he made it  up the cargo net, across the vines, though the Charlie Chaplin and collapsed.  Tim hooked him up and I lowered him down - with one of his daughter's holding me down.  Had she not done that with our weight differential, I would have been flying!  Praise God for Tim who talked me through it, for his daughters who helped us, and for success!  To Him be the glory!

Side Note:  When I arrived at the course this afternoon, there were two people waiting.  I asked if they had checked in and mom said they had actually come early because her son was nervous and didn't want to go.  Since we were the only three at platform one, I was able to gear him up, bring him out to the platform, explain what was going to happen and answer any questions he had.  Friends, we scored!  He zipped successfully!  Another glory story!

 

Thankful Thursday!

Today's "Thankful Thursday" comes from my husband, Sam, even though I'm writing it.

When school ended in June, Sam's district was looking at the possibility of going on strike this fall as they have been without a contract since July 1, 2017.  All teachers were told to consider the possibility getting a summer job and to do no unnecessary spending over the summer.

Teachers were also sent information on "Whelan Services" which was actually an opportunity to work at the Vikings' Training Center in Eagan.  Sam naturally got hired (a long with a lot of co-workers!) and spent his days at the team entrance at training camp. 
 

He became good "friends" with Stefan Diggs ("he honks at me every day!"), Julie Cousins (quarterback Kirk's wife) and many others.

Today was his last day there (or shall we say "scheduled" last day?).  

He came home satisfied/pleased/encouraged tonight.  He had three different supervisors come and tell him "good-bye".  They also asked him if he would be willing to work Vikings games this fall.  He said he could do one a month - but he's going to let them call him. (:  He also had a lot of other staff tell him "good-bye", both workers and Vikings.

He was thankful for his time there, thankful that he was appreciated and thankful for the experience - "sure beats calling parents every night, correcting homework, and writing up lesson plans".  

So now it's your turn to be thankful.  Go and thank a teacher for the impact they've had on your life.  Know their jobs are getting more and more difficult every year . . . 

Only at Sand Creek . . .

I wish I had some fun stories to share with you from my time at Sand Creek today - not happening!  We had the sweetest people - from the nanny with Max to the couple celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary to the three older brothers who kept bopping their little sister on the helmet much to their mother's chagrin!  It was quite the pleasant day out on the course . . . 

However, SOMEONE obviously had toilet issues.  I ran into our portable bathroom before zipping at 3:00 p.m. only to discover poopy toilet paper on the floor and beside the toilet seat.  Like really?  Arg!  I cleaned it up - not joyfully, but dutifully.  Definitely a sad situation because we had no one there under ten today . . . Gross!  

Only at Sand Creek . . .

We had the "Brady Bunch" parents show up for the high ropes today.  This was their break from their six children and they were sincerely hoping to see NO other children today!  Unfortunately, that wasn't the game plan.

They got to go with Daniel (sophomore) and Eva (fourth grade) not only on the high ropes, but zipping, too!  Just the four of them, while Daniel and Eva's parents watched.  Daniel was the tall, silent type.  He barely said a word.  Eva was a social butterfly.  Somewhere in there, they fell in love and at the end they thanked Eva and Daniel for spending the afternoon with them!  It was precious to see!

The last group of the day - a group of twelve - had only three people show up on time.  Those three were not happy we had to wait for nine more people, but our options were quite limited.  Fortunately, they really didn't have to wait long.  It even got funnier when the family from Mongolia arrived (some things in life you can just not make up - they were really from Mongolia!).  They thought we would watch their two month old son so they could zip.  Ummm . . . nope.  Only at Sand Creek . . .   

Happy 13th Birthday!

Annie celebrated her 13th birthday today 

with a cup of ice cream!

She enjoyed every lick!

Chosing Joy . . .

"Though the fig tree do not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

That was my verse this morning because I, my friends, am struggling/fighting/battling depression.  I am a runner who currently can not run.  You runners out there understand exactly what I'm feeling.  Lately, I have had multiple people of all ages open doors for me because some days I can barely walk.  It's hard.  Very hard.  And yet, we hope this condition is only temporary.  That some day I WILL walk again normally.  That some day I WILL run again.  So I am choosing joy in circumstances I DO NOT LIKE believing my God to be bigger than my circumstances.  

I came home this afternoon and read a "Caring Bridge" post from Bill Hamel, a pastor at Trinity who is battling cancer. He shared this song from King and Country:  

"Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singing to the sky
Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify
Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die
The time has come to make a choice

And I choose joy …
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of night
Oh, with You by my side, I'm stepping into the light
I choose joy"

Micah says it's her favorite song - check it out!

The Two Year Plan . . .

It's been almost two years now since I pulled my pinkie/ring finger on the lane line while doing the back crawl.  The first doctor I saw three months after it happened said it would heal on it's own.  No worries!

Sadly, it has never really completely healed.  Over the past month (Gee! Where do I work?), the pain has been increasing to the point that it has been keeping me awake at night.  I finally asked my beloved foot doctor to recommend a hand surgeon who I saw this morning.  

The good news is that it's only ligament damage.  The bad news is it still needs to heal.  Helping me to heal is that shot of pain-infusing cortisone I got right between the fingers this morning - in the next forty-eight hours to two weeks we hope.  Should that not bring healing, physical therapy is on the docket.  Until then, it's just me and my finger buddy . . .

 

Twenty-five minutes!

No matter how fast or slow I go, my trip to Sand Creek always seems to take twenty-five minutes.  There are multiple people I could thank for that - the farmer on his tractor, the milk truck driver, the trash truck driver, the deadly slow driver, the idiot driver - it doesn't matter!  

A few weeks ago, I decided to redeem the time.  I started with calling my dad.  For twenty-five minutes we talked.  Since then, I've reached out to numerous friends and family members.  I've talked to people in Iowa, Tennessee, Florida and just thirty minutes away!  I have been blessed.

Want a call?  Send me a text and I'll let you know when I can call you!  You, then, can calm my road rage . . .

From the Good Ship . . .

 

These photos were copied from Shawn Thompson's blog.  Do pray for the good ship Mercy as it prepares for it's next outreach in Guinea.  It's currently finishing dry dock in the Canary Islands and preparing to sail soon.