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.