Good morning all!
Summer is here, finally, and I have not been on my computer much to blog.
However, the Lord has been speaking to my heart and into my spirit as I have been taking time out to enjoy some summer activities.
We have been doing lots of day trips – some by motorcycle and some by car, have been bicycling and tending to the flowers and veggie garden and doing much work around the house and yard.
In between I have been taking work courses and catching up on odds and ends things that I never have time for during the school year.

Motorcycling has been a great opportunity for us to spend time together, have some fun, enjoy the great outdoors and do some exploring.  It has also been a time of great learning and insight for me. So, for the next few blogs, I’m going to share some Lessons in Faith that I have learned from riding on the back of that motorcycle.

Ok, so now you are thinking, “What in the world does the great prophet Isaiah have to do with riding on a motorcycle?”  I’ve been spending a lot of time on the back of a motorcycle and it continues to amaze me the times and places that the Lord chooses to speak to my heart and my spirit.  The back of the motorcycle is a new one on me as well.  But WOW has He spoken into my life in the last few years of motorcycling riding.

So, what do you learn on the back of a motorcycle?  Well, I guess the first place to start is getting on the motorcycle.  That may sound like a simple feat but I must admit it took me a year to brave it.  My husband decided out of the blue that he would like to have a motorcycle.  Silly me, I agreed that he should have one and he started on his search.  I hadn’t thought of the possibility that he would want me to get on the thing.  Having had an unpleasant experience with a motorcycle when I was younger I hadn’t even considered that this was something he was thinking of us doing together – quality time as it were.  I hadn’t entertained the thought and he didn’t spell it out so I assumed he was going to be going solo and he assumed we would be travelling together.  A few months, a purchase made, motorcycle gear and a course, all leading to the day he got his motorcycle license.  Yeah for him!

And then it became clear when he started talking about purchasing ladies motorcycle gear…..you want me to do what?  No, no, no, that wasn’t my understanding at all.  “But please”, he said, “It is something we can do together.”  And on it went for the remainder of the summer and throughout the winter, increasing in intensity as spring and a new season of motorcycling approached.

And then the day came that he said, “I know, we can get you a motorcycle helmet and jacket for your birthday!”  He was so excited and God began to speak to me, “you need to get on the bike”, “it is a gift”.
And then the arguing started.  With God, that is.  The Father.  The One who leads and guides and directs my life.

“But why?” “Why do I have to get on the motorcycle?”  “He is fine without me.”  “You know how I have this fear of motorcycles.”  And on and on the conversation went, rather one sided, until I laid out all my arguments and He responded, “You need to get on the bike”, “it is a gift”.

And then it hit me, it was a gift.  It was an opportunity to demonstrate trust and faith in my husband and my Heavenly Father.  It was an opportunity to face my fear head on.  It was an opportunity to get out of the box (the box that sometimes begins to feel very small and constricting) and have some fun (yes, spontaneous fun!).
And so, it was off to the motorcycle shop for birthday presents.   I was excited and nervous but was fairly confident at least in purchasing the gear (minus the fact that I have a very small head and the helmet weighed more than I did and I looked like a bobble head alien mix).

And then the moment of truth came.  I had said yes to God and yes to my husband, was I going follow through and get on the bike?

Let’s look back at Isaiah.  This was a particularly challenging time in his life.  King Uzziah had died….his king; the one he had worked under his entire career.  Isaiah’s life would be changed forever.  He likely had many fears around what he would do next, where would he go, what/who would he depend on.  It was at this time that the King of Kings, the Lord revealed himself to Isaiah.  In opening up Isaiah’s eyes and spirit to the glory of the Lord and to the condition of his own spirit, Isaiah was able to step outside of his box and up to the plate and accept the call of the Lord on his life.  As Isaiah heard the “voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Isaiah set aside his fears, choose to move out of his box and responded, “Here am I! Send me.”

We don’t know what fears Isaiah may have had.  He was suffering loss, grieving for his king and the life that would be left behind, the things that would change and what new things would be expected of him.   What we do know is that Isaiah said yes to God.  He accepted the call and took the first step of the rest of the journey the King of Kings had in store for him.
I don’t know what you are facing at this time in your life.  God may be asking you to leave something behind or to start something new.  It may involve your home, family, career, ministry or even some things that may seem very “every day unimportant”, like whether or not to get on the motorcycle.

But whatever it is that God is speaking into your heart and spirit, I guarantee you two things:
1) It is never unimportant
2) You have to take that first step of obedience in order to start the journey and before God will show you the next step

So what did I do?  I got on the motorcycle!  And thus started a journey of life lessons that the Father has shared with me and a new and wonderful way to spend quality time with my husband.
No matter where you are or what you are doing, when God speaks, “you have to get on the motorcycle!”

Let us pray together:
Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we ask today that you would soften our hearts and our spirits to hear Your voice as you speak to us in the many facets of our daily lives.  And that you would teach us obedience in the little things so that You may work in and through our lives.   We thank you for motorcycles and new journeys and the joy that is to be had in the gift of obedience.  We pray in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen and Amen and Amen.

Good morning all!
Summer is here, finally, and I have not been on my computer much to blog.
However, the Lord has been speaking to my heart and into my spirit as I have been taking time out to enjoy some summer activities.
We have been doing lots of day trips – some by motorcycle and some by car, have been bicycling and tending to the flowers and veggie garden and doing much work around the house and yard.
In between I have been taking work courses and catching up on odds and ends things that I never have time for during the school year.

Motorcycling has been a great opportunity for us to spend time together, have some fun, enjoy the great outdoors and do some exploring.  It has also been a time of great learning and insight for me. So, for the next few blogs, I’m going to share some Lessons in Faith that I have learned from riding on the back of that motorcycle.

Ok, so now you are thinking, “What in the world does the great prophet Isaiah have to do with riding on a motorcycle?”  I’ve been spending a lot of time on the back of a motorcycle and it continues to amaze me the times and places that the Lord chooses to speak to my heart and my spirit.  The back of the motorcycle is a new one on me as well.  But WOW has He spoken into my life in the last few years of motorcycling riding.

So, what do you learn on the back of a motorcycle?  Well, I guess the first place to start is getting on the motorcycle.  That may sound like a simple feat but I must admit it took me a year to brave it.  My husband decided out of the blue that he would like to have a motorcycle.  Silly me, I agreed that he should have one and he started on his search.  I hadn’t thought of the possibility that he would want me to get on the thing.  Having had an unpleasant experience with a motorcycle when I was younger I hadn’t even considered that this was something he was thinking of us doing together – quality time as it were.  I hadn’t entertained the thought and he didn’t spell it out so I assumed he was going to be going solo and he assumed we would be travelling together.  A few months, a purchase made, motorcycle gear and a course, all leading to the day he got his motorcycle license.  Yeah for him!

And then it became clear when he started talking about purchasing ladies motorcycle gear…..you want me to do what?  No, no, no, that wasn’t my understanding at all.  “But please”, he said, “It is something we can do together.”  And on it went for the remainder of the summer and throughout the winter, increasing in intensity as spring and a new season of motorcycling approached.

And then the day came that he said, “I know, we can get you a motorcycle helmet and jacket for your birthday!”  He was so excited and God began to speak to me, “you need to get on the bike”, “it is a gift”.
And then the arguing started.  With God, that is.  The Father.  The One who leads and guides and directs my life.

“But why?” “Why do I have to get on the motorcycle?”  “He is fine without me.”  “You know how I have this fear of motorcycles.”  And on and on the conversation went, rather one sided, until I laid out all my arguments and He responded, “You need to get on the bike”, “it is a gift”.

And then it hit me, it was a gift.  It was an opportunity to demonstrate trust and faith in my husband and my Heavenly Father.  It was an opportunity to face my fear head on.  It was an opportunity to get out of the box (the box that sometimes begins to feel very small and constricting) and have some fun (yes, spontaneous fun!).
And so, it was off to the motorcycle shop for birthday presents.   I was excited and nervous but was fairly confident at least in purchasing the gear (minus the fact that I have a very small head and the helmet weighed more than I did and I looked like a bobble head alien mix).

And then the moment of truth came.  I had said yes to God and yes to my husband, was I going follow through and get on the bike?

Let’s look back at Isaiah.  This was a particularly challenging time in his life.  King Uzziah had died….his king; the one he had worked under his entire career.  Isaiah’s life would be changed forever.  He likely had many fears around what he would do next, where would he go, what/who would he depend on.  It was at this time that the King of Kings, the Lord revealed himself to Isaiah.  In opening up Isaiah’s eyes and spirit to the glory of the Lord and to the condition of his own spirit, Isaiah was able to step outside of his box and up to the plate and accept the call of the Lord on his life.  As Isaiah heard the “voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Isaiah set aside his fears, choose to move out of his box and responded, “Here am I! Send me.”

We don’t know what fears Isaiah may have had.  He was suffering loss, grieving for his king and the life that would be left behind, the things that would change and what new things would be expected of him.   What we do know is that Isaiah said yes to God.  He accepted the call and took the first step of the rest of the journey the King of Kings had in store for him.
I don’t know what you are facing at this time in your life.  God may be asking you to leave something behind or to start something new.  It may involve your home, family, career, ministry or even some things that may seem very “every day unimportant”, like whether or not to get on the motorcycle.

But whatever it is that God is speaking into your heart and spirit, I guarantee you two things:
1) It is never unimportant
2) You have to take that first step of obedience in order to start the journey and before God will show you the next step

So what did I do?  I got on the motorcycle!  And thus started a journey of life lessons that the Father has shared with me and a new and wonderful way to spend quality time with my husband.
No matter where you are or what you are doing, when God speaks, “you have to get on the motorcycle!”

Let us pray together:
Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we ask today that you would soften our hearts and our spirits to hear Your voice as you speak to us in the many facets of our daily lives.  And that you would teach us obedience in the little things so that You may work in and through our lives.   We thank you for motorcycles and new journeys and the joy that is to be had in the gift of obedience.  We pray in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen and Amen and Amen.