Free Wheelchair Mission

As we continue in Mobility Awareness Month, I wanted to share a website with you all. My friend Brad shared this with me earlier and I was so excited! I wnant to be involved in this more than just donating money but it's a place to start. I'll let their website mission and vision speak for itself but basically they have manufactured a wheelchair out of cheap products to give to people in other countries who need it for a mere $63.94. Now just so we're clear, I generally spend about $2500. This is an awesome mission they have!!! Read more here: http://www.freewheelchairmission.org/site/c.fgLFIXOJKtF/b.4916275/k.BE91/Home.htm

I encourage you to give and help others!!!

Semi-Finalist!!!!

So if you haven't already seen in my million faceboook posts, I have been in a contest which is promoting Mobility Awareness Month to win an adapted vehicle. The contest ran for 43 days with a steady enrollment. Over 1,600 people submitted their stories of needs for a van, my story being one of them. In order to be a semi-finalist and further considered for one of the vehicle, you had to be within the top 10 percent of voters. They really had no idea how many people would join the contest so they had no way of tracking who was in the top 10 percent because the more people joined, the more people that were in the top 10 percent. Let me tell you I was amazed at how many people I had behind me and supporting me in this contest. I cannot even say enough thanks and will dedicate an entire post to that so be on the lookout.

So what is next?

Since I made it to the top 10 percent, an individual committee is reviewing our profiles. And to my understanding they will make the decision from there as to who they give the three vans to.

I go through moments of completely thinking I got this and other moments of I've never will win this. It's actually an awesome picture of giving all of my control and hopes to God rather than trying to control it myself. I literally can't do anything else to help in the decision making but pray. I know I have put this up before I'll remind myself: "11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV


God has it all planned out and I need to rest in that promise.


I'll keep you all up to date. Thanks for your votes.
Bek

What Faith Can do

This morning I was really encouraged by this song and it calmed my nerves. With the van contest I've been super nervous to win but this helped bring things back to perspective and more important back to God. Look up a video and read these lyrics. Be encouraged.

What Faith Can Do:
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you're stronger
Stronger than you know

Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason
For someone not to try

Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright

Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do

Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Series: 10 lame Questions

So I've come up with a focus to the blog - aka living and loving life in a wheelchair. I am constantly saying "failing to plan is to planning to fail." And this is kind of what I have been doing with my blog and that changes today. I am reading this new blogger, Jeff Goins, and really like his feedback and suggestions on how to grow as a writer Last night I was also thinking this through and realized beyond the focus of living and loving life in a wheelchair to inform and bring about awareness to others of what it is like to live in the wheels of me. I needed a series to keep my focus and hopefully capture an audience.

So , I came up with "10 lame questions." And yes that is supposed to be funny.

They are two common reactions people portray when they begin to become my friend. Often times either they choose to not ask any questions for a long time and basically until I bring it up. The second reaction or response I get is the asking tons, some may be inappropriate questions about how I shower, get into cars, and what I have (often times when this question is asked, I want to say I have wheelchair!). What response do I appreciate more? Hmmm...I would say it tends to depend on the situation but most of the time, the second response.

Ultimately these questions are going to be asked whether I've known you for 5 minutes or 5 years. I still have my friends who have known me forever asking these questions so maybe it's better to just ask them at the beginning. I mean it makes for a heck of an icebreaker which I think can cause for a closer relationship.
What question has been bugging you since knowing me and let me answer it!! I have the first couple planned but open to suggestions and questions.

Momentary Marriage Video

My sister shared this video with me and told me to be prepared with tissues. I didn't believe her but I was downright bawling in it. Please take a few minutes from John Piper's Desiring God blog to watch the touching story of Ian and Larissa.

Rollin in the rain

It's been a very rainy spring this year. Like I feel like I am living in Florida because it probably rains once a day. In the evenings, I often roll either around town, to the bank, to starbucks, etc. Often times I will get stuck in the rain and sometimes even lightening storms. I get yelled at to not roll around in those kind of storms. My response, "What it's not like I am pushing around a big metal thing...oh wait." Will you help me avoid rolling around in these kind of storms by voting for me to win an adapted van here? We have only one more week to vote and then the judges decide!!! It would be extremely awesome to win one of the three - Use a promo code: 889, 890, 891, etc.!!! THANKS!!!

Wheels & Writin'

Over the past 6 months I haven't written much in my blog. One reason being, I didn't have a personal laptop - the other being I was on a journey.
*cute dramatic voice* I was on an epic quest. I have always loved writing and not long after graduating college decided
To start a blog. I am going to be rich and famous through this blog - I decided but with little direction. So I needed to figure out what the focus on my blog would be.

(This isn't a bad thing, mind you. Direction and definition are key components to a life.)
In my mind, it needed to be important, special, uber-spiritual, and ultra famous. You know what I ended up doing on this journey? Nothing. Yup absolutely nothing. I pretended to be contemplating my ultimate purpose but really I just was not writing. Reading other blogs for sure but not my own. I wanted to be the subject-matter-expert on something but I didn't know what. I wanted to wow and bedazzle people with my wit. I didn't want to fail or have an unread blog. So I had a non-blog. A pretend place where I could look at it occasionally and be like-" seem, I write sometimes."

Really my blog did have a focus with the title I gave it but I pretended to want to write more than just being in a wheelchair because I am more than just a person in a wheelchair. Yet God has given me great passion and desire that He has placed me in a wheelchair in life to share His story and how much my physical weakness is a picture of how our human race weakness is in need of His great strength and grace. Why should I try and find some other niche to write about like baking or something else I clearly can't do. (P.s. there is nothing wrong with baking blogs - I love them and what people create from them) But I am officially embracing my wheels and writin' focus and moving forward. It encompasses so much off my life that I promise it won't just be, "so…. today I wheeled out of my room and my left wheel fell off!" So here I go troking, wheeling, rolling, strolling, sitting, and all the other words I can possibly use AND loving life!!

Come journey with me if you choose!

The Gym - Strong and Independent

I have been working out consistently at my gym since last July/August and by consistently I mean 3-5 times a week. It started with me wanting to lose weight for my friend's wedding. I got a trainer, started rolling the track, and did my best. Little did I know how much I could really do at my gym, how strong I could get, and the friends I would actually make. My trainer, Tom, has been very influential in this area of my life. I really consider him more of a life coach than just a personal trainer. :) Tonight I was working out by myself. And it was one of those moments where being a strong, independent women working out did not benefit me. I had one of the least dramatic falls ever getting off a machine. I don't think a single soul noticed. So I was somewhat awkwardly sitting on the floor in a not so common place and needed to get back on to my chair. Not a soul, I repeat myself, not one person stopped by to see if I need help. In fact people did the opposite, I had people stepping over and around me to get to their next burn. I don't know if this has ever happened anywhere else. To be fair, I am really independent at the gym and get on and off the floor pretty regularly. But I only get on to the floor in the designated floor areas which this clearly was not one of those places. It took me a couple of minutes and some deep breaths and I was able to get back into my chair with ease. I am thankful I started working out because I have gotten a lot stronger and didn't panic at this floor adventure. That's a day in my life.... Have you ever had one of those moments where it seems obvious that people around you should being paying attention but they aren't or choose not to??

Jobs I'd like to do but it would be super ridiculous:

Being a home realtor - Great commissions but can you imagine me - "well I can't actually go upstairs with you but tell me what you think. Also could you help me up the front stairs?"

Deliver mail/pizza - this may be similar but can you imagine…"um I can't reach your maibox but can you take this from me? Or will you please take your boiling, lava hot pizza off my lap?"

Farm aid or large animal raiser: "Let me just get over this grassy area so I can help you get home and then milk you, Daisy.. Just give me three hours"

A barber/cosmetologist - Yeah sure, I can't even see over your head sitting, let along properly hold a pair of scissors but don't worry, "You're in good hands."

Thankfully this small list of professions took me a while to come up with because I generally am not limited by my wheelchair and have many goals or dreams that I can accomplish without much difficulty. What professions would be ridiculous for you to do? Or what are some others I could add to mine?

Inspiring Leader

(I was asked earlier this week in the Movement 121 fellowhip that I am apart of to
write about my favorite inspiring leader. Visit here to find out more about Movement 121!!!

Here is the blog I wrote and thought I'd post it publically:
There are so many people who inspire me including many involved in movement 121 that it was hard to choose. But ultimately I picked Dave Ramsey as my inspiring leader. His books, lesson, and radio show have extremely influenced and changed my life over the past year and a half. My sister started to share some of his ideas with me as she was going through his financial peace class last September. I was fairly hesitant at first but one lesson in of hearing his perspective and I dove head first. My life has taken a huge 360 since taking on the principles he teaches for the better and as a whole, not just financially. For those who don't know, Dave is a huge proponent of getting out of debt and living in financial peace by using the money which is provided to you with wisdom
3 main reasons Dave Ramsey is my inspiring leader (and could be yours!)
1. He loves Jesus and truly showcases that financial peace can be found when He is in your life - Ramsey's teaching really showed me that the Bible has a lot to say when it comes to our finances. "A slave is subject to the lender" He has man other verses which have showed me and thousands of other that God does not want us to have debt in our life and that we need to be wise with our money and slave to the lender.
2. He provides small baby steps to accomplish this financial peace - in my life, it is much easier for me to follow a plan when I have the steps planned and accomplishable rather than just vague ideas set before me. I know that these are important things to complete and with the right discipline will help me accomplish so much more in life.
3. He applies these principles to finance but can used in everyday but especially Christian lives - A phrase he is constantly using in his financial peace class is "If you live like no one else right now, some day you can live like no one else." Applying some of his principles like cutting up personal credit cards and pay off all debt can be somewhat weird in this world where we are constantly being bombarded with the next credit card deal and accumulating debt because it's a "good thing." Basically his saying means that even if it looks weird now, later on you'll have the freedom to do with what you want to with your money. He especially focuses on giving it away. This is similar when comparing Christianity to the world. People will look at us weird when we pray in public or when they find out we believe in a God we cannot see. But believing in Jesus Christ is living like no one else in the world and someday we will live like no one else in heaven. Romans 12:2 states, "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Dave also goes into the idea that we shouldn't just be giving handouts because they can hurt more than they can help which goes along well with the ideas of M121. I am actually going to hear Dave in person tomorrow at Willow Creek Church which is super exciting!!
His website is www.daveramsey.com - visit if you want to learn more about him! I totally recommend as he has changed my perspective on many facets in life.
Bek

Chinese Order: Orange chicken

A few Friday's ago, I came home from a long 40 hours of work week and wanted to do nothing more than sit on the leather chair, I so often fall asleep in, and watch "Say Yes to the Dress." As everyone else was going out for the evening, I called the local Chinese place to find that they had recently changed owners and no longer went by "The Golden Palace" as they had been known for years. Actually they had no name and no menu for me to see. I decided to go for something that every Chinese place has: Orange Chicken. It took nearly 7 minutes just to give the woman my order and address for delivery before she told me my order needed to be 15 dollars for delivery.
"Fine add some crab Rangoon if that will make it 15." It took at least another 7 minutes of repeating my address, order, and giving my debit card number before I finally was able to put the phone down.
"I don't ever expect to see that Chinese order," I told my mom with a preceding roar of laughter from the both of us. I waited about 30 minutes until a man came to deliver my food which was handed to my dad. And we both completely forgot to tip as he signed the receipt.** I opened my bags to find an order a crab Rangoon, 17 packets of sweet and sour sauce, 3 fortune cookies, and an order of cashew chicken. Rather than starting the order process all over again, I settled in on the crab Rangoon and cashew chicken.
20 minutes later...I had already eaten my fill of Chinese food when there was a knock at the door. The Chinese man who had been at my door just earlier was there with another bag in his hand. Before I said a word, he handed me the bag and spoke only one word.
"Sorry" and ran away from the house. I chuckled at the quick yet awkward exchange and looked inside my bag to find a full order of Orange Chicken.
Morale of the story is....Wait to eat your food until the right order comes or order from the established Chinese place and avoid the start ups if you can't be flexible to eat Cashew Chicken when you ordered Orange Chicken.
**I never would promote not tipping - in fact I still feel guilty for forgetting this!

Finisher Goals for 2012

If you've talked to me or even visited my Facebook page once recently, you'll notice two conversational pieces that have become quite overwhelming in my life. One is an adapted vehicle which I am currently saving, selling, and raising money for this year. There will be more details to come on this in the near future but if want to donate or learn more about this right now, click here. Two is John Acuff - my new favorite author, blogger, etc. I have posted his blog posts, chuckled at his statuses, read them to others, and probably annoyed people with my John Acuff obsession. Visit his blog here!

But at the end of 2011, he challenged his readers to put together finisher goals for 2012. These are similar and a more focused way of achieving New Years resolutions. Did I say easier? Nope, neither did he. You can read his blog to learn more about his challenge but basically making specific, realistic goals which if worked at can be achieved within or before the years end, if not much sooner. The idea being if I finish all my goals by June, I can always create new Finisher goals to work on. I loved this notion as last year I had a long list of resolutions, some completed and some not touched at all. Although creating my list of 5 finisher goals almost became a goal. :)

Bek's 5 (but actually 6) Finisher Goals for 2012:
1. Finish 12 books that I currently own but have not yet completed - one per month
2. Dedicate one workout a week to train and roll up to 5 miles inside and outside
3. Pay off two student loans
4. Study two major doctrinal points, first with the Bible and second Wayne Grudem
5. Obtain an adapted vehicle
6. Read through the Merrian-Webster 10th Edition dictionary

Rather than just making broad resolutions like "lose weight" or "read more" the finisher goals have allowed me to make achievable and specific outlines to work on the greater desires.

What New Year resolutions or Finisher Goals have you made for 2012??