Why I’m Hiking a 10K on Lookout Mountain

On December the 18th, 2010, I am going to be hiking a 10K (6.2 miles) on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The last time I went hiking was in the summer of 2009 in Colorado. That’s me in this photo. I have to say, it was a pretty easy hike. And it’s a good thing, because it had been a long time since I had been hiking.

This one will be much more grueling and it will be in December. YIKES! But I’m up for it and so is Michael (my husband) as well as my daughter, Megan. Her husband, Joel, was going to join us but … conveniently … broke his foot.

(Anyone else want to come along? Click here to register.)

Why did I sign up for this 10K in the mountains? Because I want to help bring my newest grandbaby home … from Uganda.

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Encouragement For Today

Two people are facing a difficult day today. A day that has been a long time coming. Now it is here.

I sent this email to them in the hopes that it could be an encouragement. I thought I would post it here. Perhaps you need some encouragement and some assurance that He is a good God and loves you, and that “His will governs all.”

Good morning,

Praying for a real sense of God’s abiding presence in you today—filling you, and leading you each step of the way.

May you go forth with humility, courage and boldness, and with the assurance that “His will governs all.”

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Col. Philip W. Bruce Crosses the Finish Line

I woke up this morning to a text left to me by my sister-in-law, Patty Bruce, Phil’s devoted wife of about 44 years. It said:

“We wanted to share with you – Phil went to be with the Lord tonight at 10:40. We are missing him, but rejoicing in his being in the most excellent place. Love , pctkjb&d”

I have 4 older brothers, Phil is the oldest. I’m his baby sister. He’s been battling a mysterious neurological disease for the last five years and last night, his battle was over. I will miss him tremendously. His daughter, Karen began keeping a journal during his last weeks. After I read her entry from this morning, I knew I wanted to post it here. It is just beautiful. I pray that it will be an enouragement to you. (Please make sure you read the last *)

From Phil’s Journey, September 12, 2010, by Karen Rice:

i thought i would be able to sleep tonight without coming here to wrap up my day. but, apparently this has become an elemental part of my daily routine. apparently i will need some time to pass before i can share with you details that are close to my heart, but it seems best to state a few things simply to you, my dear family and friends.

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Nothing Is Wasted: The Story Of Tsi

What drives you to do what you do? Where do your passions come from? What situations have you endured that have become a part of “your story” and have been redeemed to help others? We all have them. As Richard Rohr has said, “Nothing is wasted.” That is certainly true of Tsi, a fourteen-year-old girl we met on our third day in Ethiopia. World Vision wanted us to meet her because she has an inspirational story of survival and rescue, and also because they wanted us to see, first hand, what World Vision is doing to save lives.

Tsi, a beautiful teenager, (not unlike one of my own five daughters) is being raised by her mother and grandmother.

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To Ethiopia With World Vision, Who Are They?

As you may know, Mike and I just got back from a trip to Ethiopia with World Vision. My brain, and my heart, are still in a bit of shock, but I’m sorting through our experiences so I can share a couple of them with you. But, before that, I thought it’d be helpful to let you into the heart and soul of World Vision.

I’m embarassed to say that Mike and I knew very little about World Vision before we left. We thought we knew who they were—we have seen their ads, heard their appeals and have sponsored children with them—but when we were with them, up close and personal, we realized that we knew virtually nothing about them.

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When I’m Really Annoyed

 

It seems that lately I’ve had several conversations with people who are very upset about something. They feel angry, annoyed, hurt, mistreated, misunderstood, etc.

These people find that something or someone has not been fair. Something happened that wasn’t supposed to happen. Something didn’t go the way it was supposed to, or the way they wanted it. Someone let them down. Someone hurt their feelings. Someone got in their way. Somebody was really annoying them.

So they complain. They play the victim. They fuss. They whine. They blame. I find these kind of people very annoying. (Oops. Did I just say that?)

Before I get too self-righteous pointing “them” out, I have to admit that I’m one of “them.” In fact, just the other night I got really upset because I lost a blog post I was writing.

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