Big Thunder Mountain, Walt Disney & The Ride...

Thanks for joining the ride... What does it mean? You know, I wasn’t quite sure what I meant by that until our family trip to Disney World in March. It just sounded like something cool to say. Then after watching our son, John Thomas, ride Big Thunder Mountain for the first time, it all clicked.

All of the factors surrounding the ride pointed to disaster; it was his first roller coaster, it was at night; it was during the fireworks display; it had been a very, very long day. I glanced down at him as we were ascending the hill and his face was filled with fear. He’s short, so his field of vision was limited to what was above us and to the side. As we topped the hill, the cars released from the chain, we began the descent, and the fireworks began (The timing was quite amazing). His look of fear turned into terror and I began to envision the emotional maintenance that was in store after the ride was over. The ride came to an end and his look of terror & fear immediately turned into shear joy as he said, “Daddy, let’s do that again!” Which we did, four more times that night.

We have been on a ride for the past year, more often than not I have experienced the exact same feelings & emotions as John Thomas did on that roller coaster; fear not knowing what is in before of me, uncertainty of the next turn that will throw me from one side of the car to the other, being frightened as the fireworks explode overhead, terror as I see the world fly by to my sides. It is amazing how all of these things can be combined with the joy. Joy in knowing that the ride is good, joy in knowing that I am as “safe” as the Father wants me to be.

So with that,
Thanks for joining the ride,
Ryan

News Year Resolutions...in February

Better late than never, right. I have been very unfaithful to keep up with our blog. Let's face it, you only have to scroll one post beyond this to see I have not written an entry since November. Before that, September! I claim that the reason is busyness. I am not lying when I say we have been busy. Ryan is still working his regular job, serving as a deacon, helping with the Youth Group, leading worship in church almost every Sunday, and working on raising our support to go to the border. Me? I am homeschooling our two children, keeping our house, trying desperately to be a support and help mate to Ry. Phew! But I've claimed it before. Again, see last post. So maybe the real reason I have been so neglectful of our communication is fear. Sometimes, a lot of times, it feels there is nothing to share. Ryan talked to a pastor. I called someone to have dinner. We got $50 more dollars a month. And shame on me, I think too often, big deal. How dare I think such things about the provision of our Lord! As I say to the kids at times, you forget yourself, and I have forgotten myself. Truth is, I thought we would be farther along in the process. I thought we would be making plans to spend a month in New York this summer, plans to leave for Costa Rica and language school in the fall. Instead we hover at 10% of our total need. I am discouraged. Or at least, I have been. But, mercifully God is convicting, and will not allow us to stay in our sin. So before God and all of you who read this, I am so sorry. And so I make a resolution in February, more about my desire to trust God completely, than a goal to write my blog. My desire is that I will trust God so much that I would find something worthy to blog about everyday, even if I may not have the time to do exactly that!