08/29/09: Sat, HOT, 17 miles, no idea re: time length.

Wal-Mart was the destination goal. Not to go shopping, but b/c I knew that it was 5.2 miles from my apt. That would make for 10.4 miles round-trip and then a few more miles to add for a 17 mile trike. My daughter & I triked 17 miles this summer. My next long trike will be a goal of 19 - 20 miles. Wal-Mart always looms in the distance, doesn't it? A student from near Charlottesville, VA says this company is fighting the local city gov't to move onto historical ground.



The intersection at Wal-Mart provides the only "hill" in this area. There is an overpass along the horizon if you look closely at the grade increase on the right side. And on the other side of that overpass is a dead-end. So, I turned around and came back over this "hill". This is my hill training exercise :-) Sometimes life seems this way, doesn't it? Make it over a hurdle only to turn around and re-visit the hurdle from the other side.

This sign appeared quickly on a back, country (seemed like country to me) road. The first time I went by it the reading was 11 & 13 mph. I wasn't sure it was accurate, plus I thought it'd make a cool picture, so I turned around while fumbling w/ my camera and attentiveness around traffic, and took a pic of my 7 mph recording. Life's like that, isn't it? We don't believe we're doing as well as we are so we turn around to boast in our success and boom! Pride wipes out the bottom.

If you've ever wondered why your knight in shining armor hasn't arrived it's b/c he's here (below). And he isn't so shiny. Kind of rusty, actually. He's standing guard at this house in a neighborhood. Life's like that, too, isn't it? We know "the one" will appear and when s/he does, rust accompanies her/him. I believe this armor can be cleaned spotless. Will take perseverance. Will take elbow grease. Will take admitting there is rust & commitment to the difficult work.

Prayer is good. I believe we should remain in conversation w/ GOD all day long. However, when there's work to be done, we have responsibility. Many people prayed for me, continue praying for me, since that auto accident. I believe I have responsibility to do all I can to honor the faith of those who pray for me. Praying, in and of itself, for that metal knight to become shiny will not work. Someone is going to have to do some scrubbing and polishing. I know nothing about metalsmith work. In my imagination of the process, a thorough polishing will prevent future rust. As w/ rust in my soul, if I cover myself w/ a thorough polishing w/ GOD's Words, when the weather batters my heart, I will be protected. I have to continually bathe (polish myself) in GOD's Words.

Not far, maybe 4-5 blocks, from the knight in rusty armor standing guard over the entrance into the front door of his owner's house, stands a gigantic cat guarding another owner's back door. After I passed this cat twice (I turned around again to take this pic) I realized there is a bird house just to the right, around the corner of the house. I wonder if birds are scared away.

Be prepared for blessings to pop into your sight, that were there all along, but you never considered it blessing. Look w/ new eyes to re-see what is blessing your life. Last summer I used a walker and wheelchair. The summer before that I was running. This summer I am walking. Sometimes w/ a cane. And triking!

Blessings Abound!

~A~