Struggling to Keep My Mouth in Alignment with my Heart

I'm struggling with issues of the mouth again. My mouth is an issue. When I let my feelings have control of my mouth - the result isn't pretty. The Bible tells me to cease anger and forsake wrath because it only causes harm. Do not fret - it only causes harm. I'm telling you, Jesus has convicted me to love. My heart loves Jesus and I only want to let love flow from my heart and out of my mouth. 

When I lived in the world, I used to walk in ways that don't show love. I was angry and could cuss with the best. That is not the way I live my life anymore. I have to keep in the word to keep these sins out of my heart and mind. Today, I am so thankful for the many blessing in my life. My heart belongs to Jesus. I have to stay in the word to keep my tongue in alignment with my heart. 

neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.    Ephesians 5:4

When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.    Colossians 3:7-8

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.     Psalm 27:8

Addicted to the Bible

"My addiction… my drug of choice… was truly a miracle. While I was depressed and reeling from the pain of dashed hopes, unanswered prayers, and a body that was betraying me, I became addicted to the Word of God. During the days of blackness, the Bible became a source of joy and light."                            

 Day 1 Joy for All Seasons by Carol McLeod

SalleeB: Can you identify with this? I sure can.

Four years into widowhood, I met someone I thought was going to be my next husband. He lived an hour and a half from me so we commuted back and forth on weekends. He asked me to marry him. I said yes. Shortly afterwards, the holiday season began. 

After Christmas, he and I began moving my belongings from my house to his.  You know its serious when your motorcycle and dog aren't staying with you during the week. 

Following New Year's I breathed a sigh of relief because the holiday season was over and went back to work. THEN, that first weekend in January, I stayed home as agreed AND he didn't answer or return my calls all weekend. I was getting worried, but stayed calm and kept turning it over to God.

You know where this is going right? Yep, he broke off the engagement with a Monday morning voice mail of It's not you it's me.

The very next Saturday morning, my friend Kathi helped me retrieve all my things with her SUV and flatbed trailer.

After that relationship ambush, I immersed myself in the Bible. You see, I too, am addicted to the Bible. My bridegroom is Jesus. The Bible helped me keep the darkness of rejection, anger, and depression at bay. The light of the Word of God restored me and gave me back my joy.

A Saturday Morning Miracle - The Lord Saved My Husband From a Bike Wreck

Saturday, May 5, 2018, wasn't just Cinco de Mayo this year. 
The first Saturday in May is Christian Motorcyclists Association's " Run for the Son" fundraiser. This annual fundraiser just happened to coincide with Cinco de Mayo this year. Rather than ride with our CMA chapter, Bill and I decided we were going to ride by ourselves this year. We didn't have a specific reason. We just wanted to ride and enjoy a day together; couple time on bikes. We had no idea that the day was going to bring a close encounter with disaster for Bill.
Saturday morning was sunny, but a little chilly whenever the sun was shaded by a cloud. 
As Bill and I rode down the highway toward Cuba, MO, each of us began to regret not wearing long sleeves under our riding vests. However, the day was gorgeous when the sun was out. The fields and trees were vibrant shades of green in contrast to the bright blue sky overhead with big, puffy white clouds staggered across it. It was a beautiful day to be riding motorcycles down the highway.
Bill was riding his Roadglide ahead of me.
I slowed my Softail Custom and began to lag behind a little bit as I admired the spring beauty of the rural countryside spread out in the sunshine like a quilt. When I realized I was getting farther behind than I wanted to be, I rolled my bike's throttle and began to catch up to the hubby as we came around a curve and entered a long straight stretch. Toward the end of the straight stretch, I noticed an older, beat up,  brown truck stopped in the northbound lane without a turn signal on, but also saw a graveled road on the right and figured the truck was waiting to turn left. Briefly, I  also noticed a white SUV was stopped behind the beat up truck. My attention returned to the distance between Bill and I  as I slowly closed the distance between our two bikes and my relaxed hubby who was riding with his feet up on his highway bars, cruising along at 55 mph.
The next second is branded on my memory.
The sight that no biker wants to see. The front tires on the beat up truck turned left and the truck began to move forward and left. I couldn't believe that the truck driver was beginning a turn that would place the truck directly in the path of my husband's Roadglide! My actions and what I was seeing seemed to go into slow motion and seconds turned into minutes as I noted several things almost instantaneously. First, I checked my right rearview mirror to see if anyone was behind my bike. There wasn't. Then I grabbed my front brake, downshifted and watched my husband on his bike at the same time. At least it seemed like the same time.
Sallee's Perspective
My eyes took in a sight that shocked me and made me say something. I still don't know what exactly I said. Probably, "Oh My God!, or Oh, Jesus!" I watched Bill's Roadglide come down on its front forks as he squeezed his front brake lever and got his feet off the highway bar pegs and onto his floorboards so he could hit his rear brake. Next, I saw his 800+ pound Roadglide literally squat down as he applied the rear brakes. I was horrified to realize I could see him and his bike framed against the side of the brown pickup truck. I couldn't see anything except brown truck to his right and left. He isn't going to make it! I thought. Oh, Jesus, he isn't going to make it! The truck never gained speed as my husband atop his Roadglide closed distance with it. I could clearly see Bill and his bike closing on the rear of the truck and Bill's squatting Roadglide's exhaust pipes seemingly, skimming the road surface. Bill had moved his bike left until it was on top of the centerline as he continued to apply his brakes, attempting to slow down and miss hitting the side of the creeping, snail-like truck. Incredibly, I saw Bill ride between the back end of the truck and the stopped white SUV that was still sitting in the northbound lane of the road without any visible space showing between my husband's bike, the truck's tailgate and the second stopped vehicle. Relief was short-lived as I realized the I was quickly closing distance with the truck that was STILL moving incredibly slow. However, as I began to slow and move left, the truck FINALLY shot forward and cleared the road ahead of me. As I looked at the pickup truck, I could see that the driver wasn't even looking in my direction.
Bill and I waited to stop until we rode about 5 miles up the road and arrived in Cuba, MO at Dottie's Truckstop.
My hands had stopped trembling by then and Bill said his heart was beginning to beat normally. We attempted to act normal in the aftermath of the extremely close call. However, neither of us wanted to ride all afternoon anymore. Instead, we decided to ride the short distance between Cuba and St. James, eat at the Mexican restaurant there,  and then return home.  We were both still fairly shocked at what had happened and we talked about it with each other at the restaurant. Bill shared the incident with me from his perspective.
Bill's Perspective
When I saw the truck start to turn, I couldn't believe it! Then I couldn't believe how slowly it was turning. I grabbed my front brakes and I'm not sure when I got my feet on the floorboards, but I remember using the rear brake. I seriously didn't think I was going to make it. I clearly saw myself hitting the truck and flying through the air over the truck bed. I could see through the open truck window and see the driver and the woman sitting by him. Neither of them EVER turned their head to look at me. Just when I knew I wasn't going to make it because I was very close to the rear of the truck, I don't remember anything until I was in between the truck bed and the white car. I believe God reached down and slowed my bike. There just isn't any other explanation. I KNEW I wasn't going to be able to stop in time. My bike is so wide and I saw the back of the truck to my right and wondered how I was fitting in between the two. I received a miracle from God. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord intervened and performed a miracle that let me miss that truck. It took a long time for my heart to slow down. I didn't see the truck speed up. I saw you and your bike behind me and the truck wasn't on the road anymore. I believe the Lord saved me. There isn't any other explanation. He reached out and slowed my bike enough for me to clear the end of that truck.
Both of us agree that the Lord intervened and prevented Bill from having a serious accident. Bill and I have discussed this incident multiple times. Yes, his new tires helped slow him down and the fact that he was going the speed limit, 55 mph. Yes, he reacted quickly and did everything he could to miss the truck. After riding a motorcycle for 50 years, Bill knows exactly how long it takes him to stop his bike. He is positive that there is no physical way that his bike should have missed hitting the rear of that truck. We both were sure he wasn't going to be able to stop because of the extremely slow speed of the truck.  We both are convinced that Jesus intervened and prevented a serious accident on Cinco de Mayo - "Run for the Son" day.
Psalm 91:9-12;14-16
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
 12 they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
14“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Isaiah 52:12
But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Rely on God and Pray Desperately

I find myself thinking about two difficult situations where I prayed desperately and my prayer was answered.

• My late husband had been released from the hospital and two weeks later he had to be readmitted when his body and antibiotics just wouldn't get rid of his bacterial pneumonia.  He was skeletally thin, struggling for every breath, and tired of the fight. In my heart I knew I could lose him. That evening, I left the hospital and returned home. As I walked across my kitchen, I just sank to my knees and began talking to Jesus and Father God out loud and begged him to heal my husband. Words flowed out of my mouth and to the listening ear of my lord. At the end, I remember telling God that I would accept his will no matter what it was. As I rose from my knees, calmness filled me from the inside out. I had done all I could and given the situation and my husband to God. Peace filled my heart AND my husband came home, gained weight, and regained his strength. He was with me for another 8 years in spite of his terminal illness. 
• On an especially trying day of dealing with a teenage daughter, I knew I was in danger of losing my temper. I also knew I wouldn't be able to control what I said, or did once the anger exploded into rage. Mentally I sent a desperate appeal to the Lord, "Lord, help me, oh please help me!" Instantaneously I felt as if a bucket of cool calmness had been poured over me. It flowed over me like cool water and when it reached my feet, not one spark, or ember of anger remained. In the place of the scorching anger, was a supernatural calmness that was just as great as the anger I had felt just seconds before. My desperate prayer had been answered in one amazing moment.  

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 1:8-11:

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,a about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

God, Who Raises the Dead
When I faced great pressure that was beyond my ability to endure, I relied on God, who raises the dead. Yes, Jesus raised the dead and God raised Jesus from the dead! How exciting is that? If Jesus could raise the dead and God can raise Jesus from the dead, then they can take care of anything I am going to face WHEN I rely on him. 
God Did and God Will
I love how Paul says that God delivered them from peril and then says he knows God will deliver them again. Paul had that faith because God kept answering their appeals. Then Paul acknowledges that the prayers of the Corinthians had a place in their deliverance too AND Paul knows that they will give God thanks for answering their prayers. 
Three Key Points

• When life seems darkest, rely on God, who raises the dead, to deliver me. 
• I will rely on God and pray knowing that God, who raises the dead, has answered my prayer and will answer my prayer again.  
• The correct response for an answered prayer is heartfelt thanks to God. Then, I will tell people what God has done for me and give him thanks again! This is how my testimony is meant to reveal the power of God in my life. 

My Word for 2018 is Jesus, or a Christian New Year's Resolution

Hello all,
You may have noticed that I haven't posted a lot from Dec.4 to Dec. 31. I spent the holiday season focusing on family, friends, and holiday events. However, today is the beginning of a new year and it is time to begin writing again.
I read a post on "Out of the Ashes", a FB public group, that was asking the members to post one word for 2018 as they received their word through prayer. 

My word was immediately given to me - Jesus.  Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Redeemer, Jesus the Teacher, Jesus the Servant, Jesus the Fisher of Men, Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Lord of my Life.
Jesus is in the beginning, middle, and end of my day.
That doesn't mean I don't fall short of his example though. I do. Daily. It is so hard to walk down the narrow path of faith and think of myself as a stranger in this life. I find myself concerned with things that have no bearing on my life as a follower of Jesus.

My actions and behaviors do not always reflect the loving light of Jesus Christ. So what do I do?

1. Ask for Jesus to help me and strengthen my ability to reflect his love and lifestyle as a servant of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit every day. 
2. Stop beating myself up mentally when I fall short and do my best to not repeat the error. Let the error teach me and not condemn me. Condemnation is Satan trying to widen the gap between myself and Jesus. I am not letting him succeed. 
3. Focus on what I am doing right. This simple activity will increase my spiritual connection with the Lord and keep Satan from trapping me into thoughts of condemnation. 
4. Evaluate my activities regularly and not let myself get caught up in busyness that stops me from reading my bible, meditating on the bible, and being a servant. This isn't an excuse to skip out on what the Lord calls me to do, but a way to keep me from getting caught up in activities that don't serve Jesus in anyway. 
5. I need to be a servant of the Lord that is actively asking people if they know Jesus and not a busy part of an organization that isn't fulfilling the needs of orphans, widows, homeless, and hurting people. Unconditional love for the unlovable is part of being a new person filled with the Holy Spirit.
6. Read my bible regularly. All of the bible, not just part of the bible. The bible is the "Sword of the Spirit" and can teach me how to think, act, and keep my mind focused on the new woman that I am. I will grow spiritually this way and begin to find myself speaking the word in my daily life, not quoting, but speaking the word as naturally as breathing. 

Jesus is my word and my way of life for 2018. 

I will continue to be a coheir of the kingdom of God and do my best to reflect the unconditional love and light as a follower of Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is my counselor, the bible is my instructional manual, and my Jesus will strengthen me to be his servant. 

Happy New Year and may the Lord bless you and keep you through the coming year,
Sallee Bonham

A Joy Filled Woman

No Spiritual Roots - Luke 8:13

For a long time, I was like the seed on the rock.
I love Jesus. I feel great joy in talking about him and studying the bible. However, my faith was an emotional response to belonging to Jesus and interacting at church. I wasn't a disciple. I was a church member.

I have always known that I belong to Jesus.
However, somewhere in my bible reading I missed that I am not a belonging, but a new creation whose life is changed by knowing Jesus as lord and savior. My life didn't change. My life didn't change because I wasn't allowing Jesus into all areas of my life. I was only allowing Jesus into one area of my life that was labelled, church.

I am a social person and I enjoy being a member of a church. 
Volunteering regularly, participating in Sunday school, and reading my bible was part of my church life. I wasn't doing any of this because I wanted to serve Jesus. I was doing this because that is what church people do. See what I am getting at? I was receiving the word with joy, but I wasn't growing any spiritual roots.

Here was my temptation, I was a housewife who KNEW she had a problem with alcohol and wanted to quit drinking.

In fact, I was leaving church buoyed up by joyfulness and telling myself I wasn't going to drink anymore alcohol. Happiness filled me from worshipping Jesus from 10:00 to noon. However within a couple of hours after I arrived at home, I found myself reaching for a drink.

I couldn't understand why the feeling I felt at church, Sunday school and bible study wasn't lasting after I reached home. 

I had no idea that the problem was that I didn't have spiritual roots. My faith wasn't rooted in Jesus. My faith was an emotional faith that was rooted in being a church member, rather than a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Today, I no longer have an emotional faith that has no spiritual roots.
During my recovery from alcohol,  I learned how to let go of living my life my way and let God take control of my life. Jesus is with me all day long, everywhere I go. He is driving the car  and I am riding in the backseat.

Church isn't a building and activities.
Church is being a member of the body of Christ. Now joy fills my heart and floods me from the inside out because I am a disciple of Jesus who is willing to share what Jesus has done for me where ever he leads me.

Learning I am NOT the Boss in Sobriety - Romans 9:20 - June 19, 2017

After I stopped drinking, I  found out that I thought I was the boss of life around me. 

Here are some examples to illustrate this way of thinking:

• Everywhere I went, I would change the toilet paper roll to come off of the top.
• I had an opinion about everything I saw around me AND voiced my opinion about it.
• Church people were hypocrites and I wanted nothing to do with them.
• Other women were my enemies. I didn't like them. 
• My boyfriend, or partner needed to discuss everything with me, or I was MAD that I was left out of the decision making.
• I believed in Jesus, but I only wanted to pray when I was in trouble. Then I wanted to bargain with God rather than submit to God. 

My way of thinking brought me crashing down to my knees and submitting to God, but it took a life threatening situation to do it. 

During the first 6 months of my sobriety, I had to face some harsh truths about myself. 

Many of the faults that I had blamed on alcohol - wasn't the alcohol - it was me. My perception of who I was as a person was fractured and broken like a dropped mirror. Tears streamed down my face easily when I was alone. My best friend had died and I was my best friend. 

My understanding of my role in life slowly, but surely underwent several revisions. 

The first revision was that I dusted off my Bible and admitted my life was unmanageable and I was powerless over alcohol. Additionally, my mom made sure I was turning to Jesus and I rededicated my life to him. 

Let's Go to Church

Although I was reading my bible and turning to Jesus, I didn't return to church until I had about 18 months of sobriety. This revision happened after I was told,"What better place for hypocrites to be than in church? Maybe they will finally see the light."

Sisterhood is Good

At 3 years of sobriety, I found myself wanting to rejoin the sisterhood of women because of all the help I was receiving FROM a couple of ladies with long term sobriety. Those ladies had something I wanted; they both knew how to stay sober, how to stay promiscuity-free, and how to apply biblical principles to 12 step recovery.  Yes, my sisters were no longer my enemies.

My Way isn't the Only Way

Somewhere around the 3rd-4th year of recovery, in a conversation with my husband, I found myself saying," ...After all, my way isn't the only way." 

My husband stared at me like I had suddenly developed an extra head atop my shoulders before saying,"I had hoped this day would arrive, but I had about given up on it!"

Pow! understanding smacked me in the face as I thought about what I had just said. Silently, I congratulated myself on getting better. 

Why Did You Do This?

When I reached 14 years of sobriety, I was still struggling with God over why I was me. One night I looked at the ceiling and cried,"Why did you make me this way? I am MAD at you!" At that time, silence was the only response I received to my angry question. 

God's Answer

Two weeks later, God answered me during my morning prayer and meditation time. One word kept popping into the stillness of my brain, "Clay." 

"What? Clay? Really Lord?" Never in a million years would I tell myself to read about clay in my bible. 

However, I obediently turned to the index of my study bible and looked up the word, clay. Carefully, I began to read the first verse and write down my thoughts about it. Five bible verses later, I was reading and writing down my thoughts about Romans 9:21. As I read the scripture, I found my eyes drawn to the previous verse, 9:20. 

As I read verse 9:20, the words seemed to float up off the page and POW! from my innermost being  outward, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, I KNEW I was being spiritually spanked for my angry diatribe at God  two weeks earlier. 

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?

How arrogant I had been. Yelling at God? Really? 

With a sigh, I started writing about why I was resentful (angry)at God, the cause of the anger, and how it affected me. The cause of the anger was control. Once again, my way of thinking brought me crashing down to my knees and re-submitting my life to God. By re-submitting all control of my entire life to God, I was making a decision to turn my will and my life over to God, again. Consequently while I was on my knees, an apology to the Creator of All issued from my lips. 

In conclusion

At 14 years sober, I realized that God was giving me the knowledge of his will for me because I was seeking Him through daily prayer and meditation. He was molding me, one day at a time, and I had to be willing to submit to his molding in order to grow spiritually and continue growing closer to God, through Jesus. 

Reaching for Sobriety with My Dad

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
 it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8

Growing up with my dad had its good moments, bad moments, and awful, gut wrenching moments.

One of the best moments that I remember is my dad playing "Airplane" with my siblings and I. "Airplane" is a version of "Follow the Leader." The difference is that you stretch your arms out like wings and make motor noises with your mouth as you run after the lead airplane. 

I fondly remember my dad during holiday gift giving, Thanksgiving dinners with a golden brown turkey on the table, visiting my great grandparents and grandparents, riding in the back of the old '49 Dodge pickup truck in the summer, hunting deer with dad, and fishing - lots of fishing!

Most of the great memories are from the years before I turned 10. 

After that, Dad's drinking took over and he changed into an angry man who took his anger out on my mom. Dad was physically and emotionally abusive. No one should see their mom bleeding and bruised in the aftermath of a verbal and physical assault.  

My teen years were chaotic.

I started speaking my teenage opinion to my dad; it didn't go over well. My brother was the focus of some unpleasant attention too. Both of us found out what it was like to be pinned against a wall by the neck and lifted off the floor. I was 16 when this happened and my brother was 15.

However, my dad changed in 1977. 

One afternoon he came home to find a deputy sheriff waiting for him. Dad was served with papers saying he couldn't stay at the house for 30 days. This situation changed my dad, but I wasn't there to see it. 

I left home at 17 and went into the United States Navy. 

You know what happened when I left home? I started drinking like my dad. I repeated the cycle of alcoholism even though I had sworn that my drinking wouldn't be like my Dad's drinking. My awareness of Dad's recovery was mainly from a few quick trips home because my parents asked me not to bring alcohol into the house, or drink while I was at the house. 

Now I am going to fast forward to 1984. 

In 1984, I was discharged from the Navy and went home to Missouri. I proceeded to meet a nice fellow at the bar I worked at and we ended up together. By 1992, we had 2 little girls and I was drowning myself with alcohol every day. At this point, my dad had been sober for eight years. He and mom went to 12 step recovery meetings. Dad went to a meeting for alcoholics and mom went to a meeting for the friends and family of alcoholics. 

Just like my dad, I had a life changing moment myself. 

My moment came when my partner aimed a .22 rifle at me during my attempt to stop him from shooting our family pet, a little black dog named Scooter. Did you know that a .22 rifle barrel looks as big as a cannon when you are looking into it? Additionally, time seemed to slow down as I looked over his shoulder and saw our two beautiful little girls standing side by side and screaming at him to not hurt Momma. As I looked back at him and the rifle barrel, I was conscious of one thought ricocheting in my head,"Oh my god, I am going to be shot."I wasn't. 

In fact, I managed to get myself, the dog, and the two children into the car and leave. You know where I went don't you? Yep, I drove to Mom and Dad's house. My dad answered the door and looked at us for one long moment - I was bedraggled and muddy as I huddled with my pale and silent daughters and their little black dog. 

The next day I followed my dad into sobriety and wiped the dust off of my Bible. 

During the following day, I read the Bible.  A HUGE weight lifted off of my shoulders and I felt like I was walking 2 feet above the floor. That evening, my mom's friend took me to my first recovery meeting. 

Those early weeks were tough, but Jesus kept showing me the path I needed to take. 

I was hired for the first job I applied for, day shift at a nursing home. Two weeks later, I found an apartment and the landlord agreed to let me pay the rent in two monthly payments. Every time a financial situation arose, I let Jesus handle it and everything just fell into place. God, through Jesus, took care of my every need as I continued to learn how to live sober.

My dad and mom were always available to answer my questions about sobriety. 

Both helped me many times. At meetings, it was tough to hear my dad talk about life before sobriety. I lived through those times, too. However, I needed to confront the situations as an adult and leave behind the little girl memories. My dad apologized to me and I apologized to him. We healed together one day at a time. 

This year I celebrated 25 years of sobriety and my dad celebrates 33 years in July. What we found, faith in God through Jesus, works! 

25 Years Alcohol and Drug Free - My Sobriety Birthday

Today I have been clean and sober for a quarter of a century, or twenty-five years. My first day of a changed life occurred on June 15, 1992. 

On that day, I had come to believe and accepted three things about my life:

• Step 1 The Personal Version

I admitted I was powerless over alcohol and drugs-that my life had become unmanageable

• Step 2 The Personal Version

I came to believe that a Power greater than myself (God) could restore me to sanity.

• Step 3 The Personal Version

I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understood Him. 

In short, I had hit my rock bottom and knew that I needed help to learn how to live differently.

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Isaiah 6:3
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

I can't, He can, and I think I'll let Him one day at a time! 

An Answered Prayer and Spiritual Conviction

How Do You Use the Holy Spirit?
For several weeks, I have been trying to figure out how to use the Holy Spirit inside of me and let it overflow from me onto others through prayer and conversation. 

Don't laugh, sometimes I can't see the forest for the trees.

Last night I spoke with Bill about my mental wrestling match with this issue because I want to be an effective witness for Jesus. 

Bill and I discussed several Bible verses, but I still felt like I was missing something. Finally, I turned to Jesus in prayer and quit trying to wrestle some understanding from everything I had read, listened to, and talked about.
My prayer was pretty basic; I asked for understanding of the issue I was struggling with. 

Today, my Aunt Nancy posted her daily reading from Jesus Calling.

As I read through the passage, tears began to form in my eyes as I became aware that I was being spiritually convicted. 

For me, spiritual conviction feels like the words seemed to rise from the page and sink into the core of my being.  I started crying tears of joy as I thanked Jesus for listening to my prayer request the preceding evening and providing an answer through my aunt's post.

Answered Prayer
Next, I tearfully told Bill that my tears were joyful ones because I had been given a direct answer to my prayer. Bill listened as I read the words of the post to him. He agreed that I had been given a definite answer to my prayer. 

The Holy Spirit doesn't need any help from me. 
All I have to do is to be still and let Jesus work through me while not taking credit for it in ANY way. My part is to continue to live close to Jesus and be open and willing to the change going on inside me. I am NOT to control the streaming of the Holy Spirit. I AM supposed to keep my focus on Jesus. Pretty simple isn't it? 

I snipped the post and it is now on my computer background. My plan is to read and reread the post as I live close to Jesus and stay focused on him as I walk through today. 

Be a Believer AND a Receiver

A New Person
Today, I know and understand that I am a new person whose entire life changed once I told Jesus I would do anything he wanted me to do if he would just take away the pain of living life my way. 

I gave my life back to Jesus, but I didn't let go of the guilt, shame, and remorse that were caused by my alcoholic actions and attitudes. I believed it was my job to make myself into a "good" person. 

In early sobriety and the resumption of my childhood faith, I didn't truly understand that I didn't have to try and fix myself, or turn myself into a good believer. I couldn't grasp the simplicity of God giving me what I needed, in return for living a new life of faith. Instead, I strove to make myself a better person by fixing my own faults. That didn't turn out well because all I was truly doing was mentally beating myself up over past behavior that I couldn't change. This misconception caused me trouble for over 15 years. 

Freed from Misconception
Finally, the scriptures that I studied began to make sense. What changed? I started praying for the wisdom and discernment that I needed to understand the Bible. Slowly, I came to understand that as a believer in Jesus, I was freed from the baggage of my past. The alcoholic fueled life that I led for 33 years was washed clean by the blood of Jesus and all I had to do was try to be the best Sallee I could be today. God would fix me himself.

Equip Me and Fix Me
First, I came to believe that God would equip me and fix me as I walked down the path that best served him. That's right. I learned that my life isn't mine to live. My life belongs to Jesus Christ and Father God. 

I began to ask God to shape me and mold me into his will for me. I repeated this over and over to myself in order to let go of the urge to control my own life. I'm stubborn and change is difficult. 

My heart's desire became to be a good servant and do the will of God. As a new person through Christ, I choose to be a servant of Jesus Christ and God. Everything I have in my life, is through, from, and for Jesus Christ. 

I am a Receiver of Blessings 
Today, I am a receiver of blessings because, "the commandments of him we keep, and the things pleasing  before him, we practice." I believe the Bible and I keep the Word of God in my life, and do what is pleasing before him. Therefore, I know I will receive his blessings when I ask. 

Honestly, you just have to make up your mind that you belong to Jesus Christ from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Make your heart's desire to be a servant. Give your life to him daily if necessary. Every day, look into the bathroom mirror and say,"I can't, He can, and I think I'll let Him." 

Live in Joy Daily! 
The only life any of us truly has is the moment in which we are alive right now. Life can change in the blink of an eye. Be joyful in your faith. You are beloved by Jesus and he wants to take care of you. Live his way and you will be equipped in everything good. 


Hebrews 9:14 NASB
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:10 NASB
but He (Jesus), having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

Hebrews 13: 21 NASB
equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.


1 John 3:22 NASB

and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

Romans 11:36 NASB

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

A Baptism and a Baby Dedication

Today, God blessed us with a beautiful, sunshine-filled, Sunday morning. 
We were given a Sabbath Day full of sunshine outside and spiritual sunshine inside the church building as the family of God gathered to worship him this morning. Inside the church, we had the opportunity to watch one of our youth get baptized and a young couple dedicate the life of their new daughter to God's family.

My mother did her best to raise me to follow her faith. I loved Jesus and was very religious as a preteen and teen. Then, I left home at seventeen to go into the military.

My mom prayed hard for me after I left home and went into the military.
In Navy boot camp, I continued to go to church on Sunday morning. However, that changed after I reported to my first duty station. I became a member of the world, rather than a church-going child of God. Like many young adults from a strict family, once I was out from under parental supervision I chose to dedicate myself to worldly activities. My momma never quit praying for me.

I didn't forget about Jesus and God.
Guilty feelings accompanied some of my activities, but not enough to stop me until I was thirty-three years old. At this point in my life, I returned to Jesus and the way in which I had been trained because I had proven to myself that I was an alcoholic. My life choices hadn't worked and were not working. Each day brought some joy, but the shame, guilt, and remorse that I felt outweighed the joy.

Today, I am filled with gratitude that my mother dedicated me to Jesus as a child.
I am thankful that she trained me up as a child of God. I never felt hopeless, no matter how bad the life situation I was in felt. Trouble always caused me to turn to Jesus and God, and not hopelessness.

Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Matthew 18:2-3
And calling to him (Jesus) a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Attitude is Everything in Christ

Chopped!

This morning as I watched "Chopped," the attitude of each chopped competitor caught my attention. 
The losing chef of the appetizer round said, "I failed, but I did learn a few things."
In contrast, the chopped chef of the entree round said,"Being on "Chopped" has been the greatest experience of my life. I have learned so much."
What a difference in attitude!
Both contestants had identical experiences; they competed on a cooking show and each was chopped after competing in a round of cooking the basket ingredients. The first chef gave a lukewarm acknowledgement of having learned something after saying, " I failed." The second chef only saw an amazing experience and an opportunity to learn.
A reminder of my lukewarm attitude
The difference with which each participant accepted not winning struck me as being a significant reminder of  my old self and my new self in my relationship with Jesus Christ. What a perfect illustration for having a lukewarm attitude for Jesus versus having a completely positive attitude for living life with Jesus to its fullest.

Revelation 3:15-16 
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.

I grew up knowing about Jesus. 
As a small child, I loved Jesus with all my heart. As I grew into puberty, my relationship with Jesus became an emotional and religious one. After leaving home, I relied on people, alcohol, and drugs to fulfill my needs. Living this way in the world, cooled my love for Jesus because I didn't have an indwelling Holy Spirit. What I had was a head full of bible knowledge and an empty place where the Holy Spirit should be. 

Matthew 24:12
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 
Revelation 2:4

Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. 

A Prodigal Daughter Returns

Although I returned to reading my bible and attending church at age 30, my relationship with Jesus didn't extend into all areas of my life. I continued to rely on alcohol and living an ungodly life on Monday to Saturday.  In short, I had not completely submitted to God, or forgiven myself for making bad choices during my twenties. 
Filled with the Holy Spirit
At age 35, after two years of sobriety, I did change my life, leave alcohol behind,and asked Jesus to come into my life as my Lord and my Savior. At my baptism, I heard an internal snap and was filled with immense happiness. I no longer had an empty place where the Holy Spirit should be. 

Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; hold to that which is good

An Answer to Prayer
During my late husband's illness, I learned to quickly turn to the Lord in prayer. Prayer sustained me through his 12 year battle with illness. The Lord gave me a strength that was well beyond my own abilities as I dealt with children, a sick husband, college classes, and working full-time. Acquaintances would remark that they didn't know how I managed to make it through these tough issues. My answer was always the same, "It is Jesus and not me." During the last six months of his illness, we dealt with a rebellious teenager. Copious amounts of prayer and the Holy Spirit saw me through this difficult time. My love for Jesus had grown tremendously, but I still didn't realize just how much God and Jesus love me. However, I was living a life that reflected my love of Jesus. 

Philippians 1:9
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment

Do you know how much God loves you?
At that time, I loved the Lord, but I still didn't understand how much He loved me, or how much deeper that relationship could be if I would completely submit myself to His Lordship and forgive myself for the past that I could not change. 

Philemon 1:6
That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Widowhood
After my husband's death, I went through a period of readjustment, bereavement, and living in the world. However, my Heavenly Father wasn't going to let go of me.  He put several bold, Christian women into my life to disciple me so that I could learn about the true depths of his love. 
A Revelation of Love
Two years later, after untold hours of bible study, prayer, and fellowship with these women, I finally had a revelation about how much Jesus loves me, I belong to Jesus Christ and not to myself. He took my sin upon himself and the minute I asked him to come into my life, I was forgiven. Finally, I learned to live a joyous life with Jesus to its fullest extent. Today, Jesus is the greatest experience of my life and He is all and in all areas of my life. 

Colossians 3:10-11
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Forgiven and Trying to Reflect Jesus

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

Forgiven, so forgive others

As I read this verse, the last phrase caught my attention, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Now I KNOW that I was forgiven for all of my wrongdoing before I made a commitment  to follow the teachings of Jesus.

My before Jesus motto: Life in the fast lane. That was the 1970's - 1980's lifestyle I practiced.

I left Jesus behind me when I left home at seventeen years old to go to Navy boot camp in Orlando, Florida. The old saying, sewing some wild oats, is one way to describe how I lived for about sixteen years. 

My life with Jesus motto is: Jesus is Lord of my life.

When I came to Jesus, he forgave me and my life changed forever. Today, I read the Bible, stay sober, and have become a completely new woman. I was forgiven all of my wrongdoing by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord forgave me and  I have to forgive others. 

Reflecting Jesus can be tough, but I am trying my best to do this, one day at a time with Jesus Christ. 

Psalm of the Week - 121:3 - September 25, 2016

God is my Father in Heaven. He loves me and doesn't want to see me come to harm. 

He is eternally vigilant. Isn't that amazing? No matter where I am or what I am doing, God is right there with me. 

I am going to relay an incident to you that will sound kooky. 

However, it is a true story about an incident that happened to me when I was fifteen. 

I stepped off of a sidewalk to cross a side street in downtown St. James, MO. 

Suddenly, it felt like everything around me stopped for a second. My vision blurred as I felt something hit me in the chest and I moved backwards. At the same time, a car turned quickly from the main road, onto the side street and passed in front of me. 

I was confused.

I knew I had stepped from the curb into the road. I was standing on the sidewalk again. What happened? Then, I realized the car should have hit me because I had been walking across the street. It was too much for my fifteen year old brain to handle. 

I took off running and ran the five blocks to our house. 

As I burst through the front door, I started calling, "Mom! Mom!" My mom and I arrived in the dining room at the same time and I blurted out my story to her. In typical mom fashion, she pulled out a chair, told me to sit down, and calm down. Then, she sat down herself and quietly asked me to repeat my story again. After the calm story, Mom grabbed me and hugged me HARD! 

40 years later, this particular memory remains extremely vivid. 

This incident hasn't faded over time as many memories will. I can still feel the odd, everything-stopped-for-a-moment feeling and blurred vision. The sensation of moving backwards is still there.

Something invisible hit my chest and caused me to move backwards onto the sidewalk, just in time to not be hit by a car. 

I believe my eternally vigilant, Father in Heaven was not slumbering that day and had an angel save me. God loves me, he has a plan for me, and he isn't ready to call me back home yet. 

Led to Cleanse - Where Do I Start?

I know Jesus works in my life. It isn't a glowing angel type of working. He gives me the tool, or tools that I need to grow spiritually. Today, I am sharing a little bit of how Jesus works in my life to help me develop a deeper relationship with Him.

Led to Cleanse

For quite awhile I have been feeling led to cleanse spiritually. In 12 step recovery I learned this as taking an inventory of my behavior and ask for forgiveness. However, what I am feeling led to do is deeper and more encompassing, but biblically I didn't know where to start.

I was at a thrift store and picked up a book because it had a Missouri Baptist gift label on the front cover.

The title? Returning to Holiness, A Personal and Churchwide Journey to Revival BUT the description title on this book says - A Biblical Guide to Daily Cleansing and Churchwide Solemn Assemblies. I started reading it last night and the 5th verse was the Submerged VBS verse Psalm 139:23-24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"

I taught this scripture daily during VBS. lol...lol

I continued reading and here is what the book said:"Serious cleansing requires regularly getting alone with God for a through examination of your life. In the coming pages, you will discover a practical way any believer can experience deep daily cleansing." Okay, Lord now I know where to start.

The Author
The author of the book I picked up is by Dr. Gregory R. Frizzell. Dr. Frizzell has served in the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and the North American Mission Board.
Note: I apologize for the spacing, but my Blogger editing tools are not working for me today. SalleeB

The 2016 Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally

Our 700 mile round trip was rain-free, which was an answered prayer.

We arrived at the Union County Fairgrounds, home of the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally, at 3:00 P.M. on July 13. July 13 is the Early Bird day to arrive at the rally and if you want a shady camping spot, this is the day to get there. The day was still sunny and fairly clear when we arrived.

Storm clouds over the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally at the Union County Fairgrounds on July 13, 2016. 

However,  a pop-up thunderstorm appeared an hour after we arrived. 
Thankfully, Bill and I had our instant tent up and most of our gear inside the tent when strong gusts of cool air announced the storm's arrival. The gusty wind and rain was fairly brief, maybe twenty minutes long. The already saturated ground formed water puddles after a minute or two of rainfall. 

Large pickup trucks pulling enormous RVs kept arriving after the rain stopped.
Bill and I watched one driver in a four-wheel drive truck spin all four truck tires in an effort to move his RV, but it didn't help. All evening we watched this same scenario play out over and over. A tractor, or a tow truck, would appear and carefully pull the stuck rigs out of  the mud so they could continue to look for a drier, less muddy, parking spot.

Wednesday - See the enormous RV pulling a motorcycle trailer on top of  the hill? A smart choice!

Being a Christian biker at an adult only bike rally can be tough. 
Bill and I wear T-shirts that have a large Christian Motorcyclists Association patch on the back and a small one on the front. This way, passersby are aware of who we are when they see us on our way to the hospitality tent, or vendor area.

We are not supporting the rally by attending, we are practicing lifestyle evangelism in the midst of a biker rally. 
Jesus called us to this ministry because of our past lives, the before Jesus lives. Both of us lived the biker-party hard lifestyle before we made our decision to live our lives for Jesus Christ and follow the teachings of the Bible. Our past lives have uniquely equipped us for motorcycle ministry to bikers. We know what it feels like to live like this.

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen                                                                                                              Hebrews 13:21 AKJV

The Hospitality Tent
The goal is to be of service and witness to rally goers while providing coffee, free water, and free Gatorade. Bill and I work at the hospitality tent, help bless bikes, pray for people, and try to show a little bit of Jesus' love to those around us.

Additionally, free travel-size toiletries,toothbrushes, bug spray, sunblock, and other helpful articles are usually available. A variety of faith-based, biker pamphlets and New Testament bibles formatted for bikers assist with the witnessing.

On one of the tables, prayer request forms and a prayer box are provided for people who don't want to talk about prayer needs, but still want prayer. The prayer request form includes spaces for contact information, too. However, most prayer requests are anonymous, but Jesus knows who filled it out.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.                                                Galatians 6:9-10 AKJV

Thursday
Thursday morning, we walked to the hospitality tent and assisted with making coffee, filling the water cooler, and making Gatorade.  We were able to witness to several people throughout the day. Bill gave away two New Testament bibles, Hope For The Highway, and helped bless motorcycles.

We also witnessed to a young man who sought us out while we were eating supper. In fact, he pulled his bike up in front of the hospitality tent, parked it, and approached us. He talked to us for almost half an hour and then he asked to have his motorcycle blessed.

After a long hot day, we went to our tent about 6:30 PM. Our usual evening routine is to talk to our camping neighbors for a short while before retiring to our tent for the night before the evening parade of motorcycles begins to move through the camping area.

Bill at the end of a long, hot day. 

The parking lot by adjacent to the vendor area.

Friday morning we worked at the re-entry gate, or the CMA gate, from 8:00 AM to noon. 
At the end of our gate shift, Bill and I rode our bikes to the vendor area. We walked through the vendors looking at all of the biker themed equipment, motorcycle clothing, and food.

During the walk through the rows of vendor booths and tents, we talked to the vendors that were not busy with customers, told them we hoped they sold everything, and witnessed as much as possible.

Happily, I spotted a small seat that we both thought would attach to the rear fender of my bike, between the solo seat and the luggage rack during our walk through!

The First Baptist Church of Sturgis and F.A.I.T.H. Riders had a small tent set up in the vendor area and they were giving away faith-based pamphlets and cold bottles of water. Bill and I talked with our brothers-in-faith and happily accepted bottles of cold water to help combat the humid heat.

Afterward, we went back to the hospitality tent and sat in the wind of the large fan that kept the air moving in the shaded area under the tent canopy until 4:00.

At our tent, we talked to the neighbors while we prepared to ride into town for supper. Unfortunately, another pop-up thunderstorm appeared and kept us tent bound until 7:00 PM. We decided to stay at the tent because it was so late. Supper was chocolate chunk granola bars that I had brought with us.

Tent bound during the Friday evening thunderstorm. Yes, the sun continued to shine during the downpour.   

Friday - The down pour stopped, but it continued to sprinkle rain intermittently all evening. 

Sometime in the early morning, blaring, emergency vehicle sirens woke me up as they drew closer.
Looking out the back tent window through the trees, I saw the flashing lights of an ambulance and police car as they passed by on  the highway. Listening, the sirens seemed to remain in the same spot and I decided they had to be at the front entrance of the rally. Sleepily, I prayed briefly for the safety of the emergency responders and whoever was injured before I went back to sleep.

Saturday, we were free until noon.
After we woke up and dressed, we rode out of the rally to take a shower at the First Baptist Church of Sturgis. The church had arranged for a disaster relief shower trailer to be on their parking lot.  Plus, the church ladies were serving coffee and breakfast in the community auditorium.

I had not realized how much the rally had been wearing on me until I sat down to eat breakfast with Bill at the church.  It was a welcome relief from the adult rally.

 At 11:00 AM,  we returned to our tent at the rally. Our neighbors were friendly and we talked with them quite a bit before we left for our gate shift. 

As we began our shift, one of our Christian Motorcyclists Association members told us that a man had died early in the morning. 
Instantly. I thought back to the sirens that had disturbed my sleep that morning. This was why the emergency vehicles had come to the rally. 

We were told that the man had lost control of his motorcycle, hit two other motorcycles, and ended up with the motorcycles on top of him. Sadness crept into my heart, but we all are responsible for the choices we make. It was too late to change what had happened. However, I could pray for the dead man's family and friends.

What a long, hot afternoon!
Several bikes came up to the re-entry gate without a rally pass. We directed them back to the highway and the main entrance. By now, we recognized many of the bikes and riders that were going into town and coming back from town. We waved them through the gate and I called, "Thank-you" to the ones that held up their left arm so we could see the rally band around their wrist.

At 4:00 PM, we left the gate and returned to camp.
We talked to the neighbors beside our tent. On our left, the neighbor was a guy who was camping by himself. Bill was able to witness to him for about 20 minutes because he was curious about why we were there. Our other neighbors on the right were a group of three couples. However, we mainly talked with one couple about bikes and life in general. Hopefully, we planted a seed or two just by being ourselves.

About 5:30, we rode our bikes through the CMA gate ourselves to eat supper at the Roadside Diner, a local diner that had good online reviews.

Upon our return at 6:30 PM
The evening parade of bikes through the camping area had started early. A half dozen spectators had set up chairs in front of our tent, but they apologized and moved so that we could park our bikes. Bill parked his RoadGlide, but I stayed on my Softail Custom waiting for him to move the motorcycle trailer and attach it to the trailer hitch on my bike. After the trailer was attached, Bill was ready to cover up his bike and I was ready to retreat to our tent for the night.

While Bill finished putting the cover on his bike, I  was in the tent praying for Jesus to let the walls of Satan's stronghold fall like the walls of Jericho.

Spiritually, this prayer was a flicker of light amid the darkness around me.
However, I knew our home church prayer warriors were adding their prayers to mine. Happily, the crowd around our tent seemed to disappear in a remarkably short amount of time. Answered prayer? I believe so.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.                                                                                                          Hebrews 11:20 NKJV

We zipped our front tent windows halfway up to help block the outside noise, before we started repacking our bags in preparation for leaving in the morning.

After talking for about an hour, we went to bed. As I lay there listening to roaring motorcycle engines and blaring country, rap, and rock music intermingled into a chaotic noise without harmony,  I prayed for the safety of everyone at the rally and repeated my prayer to let the walls of Satan's stronghold to fall like the walls of Jericho.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3 With praying also for us, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.                                                                                                                                        Colossians 4:2-4 AKJV

Sunday in Kentucky
Bill and I woke at 5:30 AM to silence. We hadn't heard stillness in three days and we savored the early morning quietness.

I got up about thirty minutes later to dress and finish packing my clothing bag. As Bill started his morning routine, I unzipped the tent and emerged into a calm and cool Kentucky morning. Silently, I thanked Jesus for the cool morning. Working together, Bill and I had everything packed in about an hour.

The morning was no longer silent as other early risers finished packing and began leaving the rally.
Bill and I held hands, bowed our heads, and prayed aloud for our safe travel before we started up our bikes.  My bike and Bill's bike rumbled as we rode up the hill to the CMA gate at about 7:00 AM to begin our ride home.

The Rally Was Over 

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace.                                                                                                                                             2 Corinthians 1:12 NIV