Yesterday was "the big day"...
Four members of this summers Ride:Well Pacific team, two members of the Ride:Well Southern team, and two folks who will have treasures in heaven for participating "for fun" met at 7:30 AM yesterday for a 100 mile bike ride. Considering this a fundraising tool and a great training tool, we were all very excited to be a part of this....then came the first 10 mile stretch...
After 10 miles, we were all enjoying the great time together, introductions being made to folks we didn't know very well, and preparing mentally (at least for me personally) for what venture I had begun.
Following this short break, we began a 33 mile ride...33 Miles....This time a couple months ago, that would have seemed impossible, and here it was, right in front of me. This stretch was pretty exciting for me personally. It was on this stretch where I passed my previous record of 40 miles. This, for me, merited a one-handed chicken dance while riding. :) This "leg" of the ride was followed up by a friend of Ride:Well (who is participating in Venture Expeditions' Kilimanjaro climb) brining us snacks and drinks.
Heaven-sent. That's what I have to say about her.
After a 10 minute break there, it was time to finish off the first part of the ride, 20 miles..
I can do this...I can do this...Just have to finish this 20, then lunch time!
As a whole, this ride was really great, beautiful scenery there.
And farms...with dogs...lots of dogs...4 of which charged at me and ran right around my bike for a few hundred feet-SCARY!!! Definitely can't be afraid of dogs if you have an interest in cycling! (Go ahead and journal that tidbit away) :)
But...we made it...lunch time at our meeting spot. I was SO proud of everyone who got BACK ON the saddles after lunch. That point, it would have been SO easy to just throw in the towel, but no one did--and we were ALL off for Round 2!
Right now, I wish that I could add something deeply spiritual about getting back on the bike after a 63 mile ride and a lunch break, but I can't. My first reaction when I got back on the bike was that my butt hurt...REALLY REALLY BAD...That is a pain that you can't describe unless you've experienced it!
Our second part was scheduled for 24 miles... We started strong, and about 10 miles in, we experienced "the hill". I had no clue that hills like that even existed in Texas!! Following the "hill of death" as I will label it, we rode, we just rode...great conversations ...great self-reflection time, just a smooth ride. Following this, we realized that due to some minor miscalculations, we were only about 13 miles away from the 100 mile mark--so we just finished it out.
NINE HOURS TOTAL ON THE SADDLE--and we made it. Wow. Unbelievable!
What a milestone. No one that participated had gone that far before ever. Personal records were broken--and it was awesome! A day of personal time, a day to get to know teammates and new friends, and a day that I for one won't forget.
Ride:Well, here we come!!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Patience, wipe-outs, and prayer
It's been a while since I've updated this so I thought it was about time. So, here it goes:
The last couple weeks have been somewhat stressful for me personally. Trying to balance work, training, fundraising, and my normal relationships have proven to be pretty overwhelming at points. But today, I realized something:
In the movie "Evan Almighty" there is a part where "God" played by Morgan Freeman asks, When you ask for courage, does God just give you courage, or does he give you opportunities to be courageous? In relation to me personally, I don't think that God would just give me patience (which is what I've been praying for), but instead, He puts me into situations to learn to be patient.
And that's what I need. God has given me the opportunity to be a part of this life-changing experience, I know He'll take care of me.
On a lighter note, a week ago I went on my first "road ride" with my clip-ins. For those that may not know, my cycling shoes will actually be clipping into my pedals. This requires quite a bit of hand-eye coordination, which I obviously am still learning. I had to "spills"..one just on my right hand, and the other..and pretty hilarious and amazing wipe-out. I fell directly onto my left knee and have a pretty awesome bruise to show for it. However, now, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with clipping in. :)
I have had 2 fundraisers in the last couple of weeks. One was a surprsie fundraiser which was organized by a couple fabulous ladies that I work with, and a fundraiser dinner/silent auction/spelling bee last night. It was a GREAT time! At the end of the night I got up to talk some about this summer. And to be honest, most of the time, in front of large groups with a mic I either:
A)sweat and shake and feel like crying
B)my face turns red and I can't remember my name
or
C)I feel like I need to throw up
But really, I didn't feel any of those. I was completely real up there and I was completely comfortable up there, talking about Blood:Water Mission. I think that when there is something that is a part of your heart, it's easy to share that "heart" with others.
I've caught myself praying not only for my fellow team members, but also for these people in Kenya that will get their needs met. People that I probably will never meet...that's what drives me. This ride is going to happen...God is going to do some amazing things in me, in my team, in the people we'll meet along the way, and in Kenya. I'm anticipating it already!
www.ridewelltour.org
**Ride:Well**,
Melissa
The last couple weeks have been somewhat stressful for me personally. Trying to balance work, training, fundraising, and my normal relationships have proven to be pretty overwhelming at points. But today, I realized something:
In the movie "Evan Almighty" there is a part where "God" played by Morgan Freeman asks, When you ask for courage, does God just give you courage, or does he give you opportunities to be courageous? In relation to me personally, I don't think that God would just give me patience (which is what I've been praying for), but instead, He puts me into situations to learn to be patient.
And that's what I need. God has given me the opportunity to be a part of this life-changing experience, I know He'll take care of me.
On a lighter note, a week ago I went on my first "road ride" with my clip-ins. For those that may not know, my cycling shoes will actually be clipping into my pedals. This requires quite a bit of hand-eye coordination, which I obviously am still learning. I had to "spills"..one just on my right hand, and the other..and pretty hilarious and amazing wipe-out. I fell directly onto my left knee and have a pretty awesome bruise to show for it. However, now, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with clipping in. :)
I have had 2 fundraisers in the last couple of weeks. One was a surprsie fundraiser which was organized by a couple fabulous ladies that I work with, and a fundraiser dinner/silent auction/spelling bee last night. It was a GREAT time! At the end of the night I got up to talk some about this summer. And to be honest, most of the time, in front of large groups with a mic I either:
A)sweat and shake and feel like crying
B)my face turns red and I can't remember my name
or
C)I feel like I need to throw up
But really, I didn't feel any of those. I was completely real up there and I was completely comfortable up there, talking about Blood:Water Mission. I think that when there is something that is a part of your heart, it's easy to share that "heart" with others.
I've caught myself praying not only for my fellow team members, but also for these people in Kenya that will get their needs met. People that I probably will never meet...that's what drives me. This ride is going to happen...God is going to do some amazing things in me, in my team, in the people we'll meet along the way, and in Kenya. I'm anticipating it already!
www.ridewelltour.org
**Ride:Well**,
Melissa
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Chisels and Welders
Every year on January 12, there is one person that I regularly have on the brain. His name is Joseph Ryan Waldrop. Today (1/12/10) would have been his 27th birthday. However, my friend Joe passed away over 4 years ago now. Joe was parapalegic due to a childhood illness and it didn't help at all also being in a couple car accidents during his lifetime. But if you ever talked to Joe, that's not what was priority to him. To him, the thing that mattered most were the people that he surrounded himself with, his "support system" persay.
The first time I met Joe in person, he and his friend drove from Mobile, Alabama to Cincinnati, Ohio to be a part of my graduation from my first year of Master's Commission. I don't think I could put into words what that meant to me.... After graduation, Joe let me know that he also wanted to be a part of Master's Commission. Joe, however, starting having seizures, which prevented him from coming the following year. We kept in touch frequently, encouraging each other, and just being the best friend that we could be.
The following summer, June 2004, I received the voice mail that made my heart drop. Joe had passed away. He had had a severe seizure, and didn't make it. His brother proceeded to explain about funeral plans, visitation, etc. After I cried for a few minutes I realized, he was finally free from that wheelchair. He and God were up in heaven probably listening to his favorite band, Five Iron Frenzy. :)
Today, especially, I was thinking: "What was it about Joe specifically that makes me re-evaluate life on this day every year?" And I think I may have come up with it...
I think that everyone that's in our life is put there for a "reason and a season" as I've heard it called. But some people just help chisel small parts of us into who we are meant to be and others are welders, making a massive impact on who we are, and ever more-so, who we are meant to be. Joe, for me, was a welder. He is a big part of the person that I am today. I think that we all have several people with chisels to help shape us, but we have only a few welders. Who are those people for you?
Don't take for the granted the relationships you have at this point in your life. Appreciate the moments you are given. And be grateful for all the people that shape the person that you are and that you CAN become.
The first time I met Joe in person, he and his friend drove from Mobile, Alabama to Cincinnati, Ohio to be a part of my graduation from my first year of Master's Commission. I don't think I could put into words what that meant to me.... After graduation, Joe let me know that he also wanted to be a part of Master's Commission. Joe, however, starting having seizures, which prevented him from coming the following year. We kept in touch frequently, encouraging each other, and just being the best friend that we could be.
The following summer, June 2004, I received the voice mail that made my heart drop. Joe had passed away. He had had a severe seizure, and didn't make it. His brother proceeded to explain about funeral plans, visitation, etc. After I cried for a few minutes I realized, he was finally free from that wheelchair. He and God were up in heaven probably listening to his favorite band, Five Iron Frenzy. :)
Today, especially, I was thinking: "What was it about Joe specifically that makes me re-evaluate life on this day every year?" And I think I may have come up with it...
I think that everyone that's in our life is put there for a "reason and a season" as I've heard it called. But some people just help chisel small parts of us into who we are meant to be and others are welders, making a massive impact on who we are, and ever more-so, who we are meant to be. Joe, for me, was a welder. He is a big part of the person that I am today. I think that we all have several people with chisels to help shape us, but we have only a few welders. Who are those people for you?
Don't take for the granted the relationships you have at this point in your life. Appreciate the moments you are given. And be grateful for all the people that shape the person that you are and that you CAN become.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The beginning of this Journey
Being the first blog, I've EVER done outside of MySpace, I'm not really sure how to get this started. So I'll start with things I know, and things and I'm in the process of learning at this point of my life:
The biggest (and most time) consuming thing that is happening now is that I am currently in the process of training for the Ride: Well tour. This is a bike ride that will take place during June and July, going from San Diego to Myrtle Beach. I'll be on a team of 16 others (I think...) that will be riding with me for a tremendous cause...fresh water and health for those that otherwise may not get it. You see, this ride is raising funds for Blood: Water Mission, an organization that builds fresh water wells and health clinics in Africa.
If anyone reading this grew up in the church like I did, this cause seems like another tele-evangelist pre-prayer money collection. And like you, I'd heard about the need over and over...but something changed in me. Something snapped. Maybe it's conviction, maybe it's the timing of this point in my life, whatever you want to call it, it happened to me. When I read that 1 in 6 people in Africa don't have clean accessible WATER, I pray that something also happens to you. To know that 1/3 of a CONTINENT doesn't have something that we take for granted, is heartbreaking and something that really woke me up.
You see, I'm not a crazy triathalon, marathon, ironman athlete. I started going to the gym and paying attention to my diet back in March, but that's about it. But one thing that I've learned is that when circumstances are beyond me, God usually puts people in my life to encourage me to push past the limits that I've set up for myself. That's what we do...whether it be a medical disorder, or people speaking negatively into your life at an age where it molds you, or (like me) a childhood that gave you a misconception of church or God or Christians, we all put limits on ourselves.
So, I'd encourage you, if you're at a point of confusion on your next "step" in life, think BIG. Think beyond you...make 2010 different. Make it what you want it. Do something you would have never thought or dreamed of. I'd love to hear what it is..what are your beyond-you goals for this year?
The biggest (and most time) consuming thing that is happening now is that I am currently in the process of training for the Ride: Well tour. This is a bike ride that will take place during June and July, going from San Diego to Myrtle Beach. I'll be on a team of 16 others (I think...) that will be riding with me for a tremendous cause...fresh water and health for those that otherwise may not get it. You see, this ride is raising funds for Blood: Water Mission, an organization that builds fresh water wells and health clinics in Africa.
If anyone reading this grew up in the church like I did, this cause seems like another tele-evangelist pre-prayer money collection. And like you, I'd heard about the need over and over...but something changed in me. Something snapped. Maybe it's conviction, maybe it's the timing of this point in my life, whatever you want to call it, it happened to me. When I read that 1 in 6 people in Africa don't have clean accessible WATER, I pray that something also happens to you. To know that 1/3 of a CONTINENT doesn't have something that we take for granted, is heartbreaking and something that really woke me up.
You see, I'm not a crazy triathalon, marathon, ironman athlete. I started going to the gym and paying attention to my diet back in March, but that's about it. But one thing that I've learned is that when circumstances are beyond me, God usually puts people in my life to encourage me to push past the limits that I've set up for myself. That's what we do...whether it be a medical disorder, or people speaking negatively into your life at an age where it molds you, or (like me) a childhood that gave you a misconception of church or God or Christians, we all put limits on ourselves.
So, I'd encourage you, if you're at a point of confusion on your next "step" in life, think BIG. Think beyond you...make 2010 different. Make it what you want it. Do something you would have never thought or dreamed of. I'd love to hear what it is..what are your beyond-you goals for this year?
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