I am a Hokie, class of 1983 BS in Finance. Most of my classes were on the side of the drillfield were Norris Hall is, I have probably walked every square inch of the campus. Every news shot from NBC, CNN, CBS is being shot from some location that I know like the back of my hand.   I remember walking behind Norris Hall the day we discovered we were going to have Lindsay.Lindsay was born at Montgomery County Hospital, where they took many of the victims. While I don't know any of the people killed this seems so real to me. Unlike Columbine or the Amish girls, this seems to hit home. I guess because it is home to me.  I have shed tears, been overcome with grief.  Why now? Why does it take something more familiar to pierce my heart?

I want to use this to remind me to constantly carry the burden of Christ.  Not to be so wrapped up in my little life where my biggest problem is when I can put my motorcycle together, but to share the burden our Father has for all his children.  Jeff spoke last sunday about being desensitized, I don't want to be that way.

Anyway, pray for all those families who have had a loss.  So senseless, I am sure it is harder than any other loss.

Ain't no stinking dog keeping me down!

Ha, I'm back in the saddle.  Four weeks and one day after my altercation with a big white dog (Did I mention that happened on 2/22 which is 1/3 (which is what portion of angels fell to earth with satan) of 666, and Jesus comes back on a white horse, so was the devil riding on a white dog trying to kill me and destroy my bike.  Spirtualize that!!) Anyway, I rode Vickie's motorcycle.  It was great! I am additicted to them.

Before you start, my doctor said I could put as much weight on my foot as is comfortable.

Wow -Long Time No See

  Yep, been a long time, been super busy with life, but I have come to place of rest right now. Not I time of rest that I planned on but something caused by a suicidal dog.  About 2 weeks ago an 80lb dog decided to run from a swamp, through traffic, directly under the wheel of my bike.  I was going 55, my bike decided to veer left, the law of physics determined that I would continue on the path I was on (some formula about mass and momentum but college was a long time ago) at which point I discovered that I can fly. I can't fly very far and I suck at landing. I went about 35 ft and ended up in the oncoming lane of traffic, since my head was still connected to my body and working (for the most part) I decided I should probably stand up and get out of the way. Standing didn't work, ok no problem, I rolled onto the shoulder, directly between a dead possum and racoon.  Bad stretch of road for us wild things!

Long story short, I went to the ER, they kept me for 11 hours.  Most of that time I was in a cervical collar, I don't think they are satisfied until they find something major wrong with you when you have such a major tumble.  A broken foot was not extreme enough so they did Ct Scans and MRI's at which point the ER doctor is happy to inform me that I have some spinal chord trauma and they are calling in the Trauma team.  I think the ER doc gets a bonus for this kind of thing.  The Trauma surgeon comes in and gives me a thorough physical and says I just have some preexisting neck problems and I should go see a neurosurgeon. Neurosugeon says I am fine, even says I am a SMART MOTORCYCLIST.  Wow, the first time somebody that smart has called me smart. Maybe it was an oxymoron.

Spiritual Musings:

I have had a host of comments on this event that have been very thought provoking, here are some:

God sure is in control of your life

If God was in control he could have done a better job of protecting you

What a miracle

I told you not to go riding

I told you about those death machines

guess you won't ride again (wrong)

Thank God for his angels

Were does God fit into this, did he know this was going to happen? Did he try to warn me to go home when I pulled over for gas and didn't have my wallet and I thought about going home? Did the Holy Spirit prompt me to put  my phone in my side pocket at my only stop along the way so I could call Vickie from the side of the road? Did God decide to intervene after I went airborne but not keep the dog from running across the road?

I don't know.  What I do know is that when I was flying off of my motorcycle I was not worried, not because I thought I wasn't going to get hurt or die ( I actually closed my eyes because I didn't want to see blood), but because I think I have that peace that passes understanding that God is in control of my ETERNAL LIFE (insert amens here) so everything else is just details.

Another thing I know is that Proverbs says Wisdom (a name for God here) cries out from the street.  You know what Wisdom says to motorcycle riders. WEAR FULL FACE HELMETS AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING! If I didn't have this stuff on I would be dead (helmet) Or on huge scab still in the hospital on a moriphine drip. Here are some pics of my well worn stuff.

Today is Fathers Day. I already got my Fathers Day Gift. I got it a couple of weeks ago. I was in Kenooosha and I went to church, excuse me, the first meeting, with my daughters.  As I noticed my youngest daughter at my side worshiping with abandon and then looked on the stage and saw my oldest daughter operating in her gifting and leading worship I realized that my little girls had grown up to be Woman who loved the Lord God with all their heart mind and soul.  I thought right then that there was no better feeling in the world than to see the one's that you love the most recieve the greatest gift available.  Then I thought of OUR FATHER (Abba Father, Who art in Heaven, that one) and how he must have that same feeling when he sees us worship.  I never really understood that scripture that says our praise is comely to him.  I kind of wondered if he got depressed if some one wasn't praising him 24/7, now I realize that our praises bless HIM because it means we have allowed him to give us the wonderful gift of life!

The Lord gave me a little nugget the other day, ( I actually hate it when people say that, but anyway I do attribute this thought to the Lord because I believe it is too profound to come just out of my brain).

Anyway:

Advice- Sometimes it is directed to a broad spectrum, through a book or a sermon, of if by an individual it is usually pleasant to the ears so we say:  That's right, I am going to try that.

Criticism- Is usually directed right at us and it is not pleasant to the ears so lots of times we discount it and say: That's not right, I'm not listening to that.

I wonder how many times we reject something as criticism when it is actually advise?  Prov. 1:23-33. OUCH!