August 20, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
The charity event was a smashing success!! We raised $932.00!! Thank you to each and every person who came out to support Journey to Change!! Together, we can each have a Journey to Change!!
Doesn’t every lady keep her charity money in her shoe??
Thank you to each person who participated in the Journey!!
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August 20, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Sometimes life changes so radically that the very breath is sucked from your lungs. He stood in the garage and I could feel he was upset, his fists were clenched and his blond gray hair was messy. “Where has my sweet husband gone,” I wonder. I look at his face and I want to reach out and cup his cheek in my hand and smile at him. He’s like a boxer in the ring, his movements jerky and continuous. He makes sure he is at least 10 feet away from me.
“I don’t want to work this out with you,” he says with pain etched on his face. My heart sinks as I watch his blue eyes fill with tears. “Was I a bad wife to you?” I manage to croak out. “No, you were the best wife,” he cries. “Then why?” I whisper. “I just don’t want to,” he says.
A breaking heart is the worst pain I think. My dreams came crashing down to lay like broken shards of glass at my feet. I loved being a wife. I did not think I would survive the heart ache of it all.
I spent months crying, curled sometimes in the fetal position on the kitchen floor. I would rail at God, “I know You could have fixed things. Why didn’t You??” I would sit in my car, parked in the driveway of the house, looking at the garage door, thinking, “I can’t go in that empty house one more day. I just can’t do this God. It’s too hard.” Tears would stream down my face as I laid my head on the steering wheel.
My phone would ring, one of those women I get to mentor would be calling. For a brief moment, while I was helping them, I would forget my pain. It was in those moments that I knew God carried me in His palm.
God has a different plan for me. I’ve come to learn, that it’s usually best when I do things His way. Even if they go completely against what I want. The surrender is the painful part. Sometimes I can surrender with dignity and grace and sometimes I surrender kicking and screaming.
Still not sure what the plan is, although it seems to be unfolding without me doing much. I often feel, that I am on a rocket ship and it’s best if I just stay seated and keep my seat belt on!!
I thought my life was over…. Funny, it’s just begun!!!!
Looking into the face of God!!
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August 19, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Sometimes, people are placed in your life that shift your tectonic plates. You know that feeling… When the very landscape of your existence changes and you will never be the same. Mostly, this happens when a seemingly small kind gesture of one human touches something deep inside another. Sometimes, we are so caught up in our lives, that we don’t even notice…
Today, I challenge you to shift someone’s tectonic plates!!
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August 18, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Let’s talk about Ernie… remember Ernie?
When I was Indianapolis, I was getting ready to speak on the morning show, IndyStyle TV. I stood outside the studio and bowed my head in prayer. Many times on the Journey, I would ask God, “Why am I riding the Interstates?? Why am I alone?? What is the purpose of all this???” The air was heavy with moisture and it was already about 80 degrees, even though it was only 8 am. I had a long day of riding ahead of me and I knew it would be a hot one.
My phone started to vibrate, letting me know that I had received a message. When I checked the email, it was from a man named Ernie. He wrote, “Hey Linda, I’m an old friend, neighbor and roomate of your brother Randy. Just wanted to say that your journey has helped me rethink my journey with cancer and will keep me pushing to get better. What I thought was my last chemo session a couple of weeks ago is not, now they are going to be more agressive in this battle. Thanks for your inspiration.”
I started to cry. I do seem to cry alot on this darn Journey!! I knew at that moment that God had answered my questions for that day!! Sometimes you throw a pebble in the pond of life and you get to see the ripples!! Ernie was a wave!!
At that moment I knew, I would ride the Interstates ten times over, to be able to participate in something this monumental!! For you see, it’s not only Ernie who is the ripple… It’s also all the people that Ernie will touch after this!!
Ernie has taken the lemons of life, he has squeezed every drop of juice out of them, added sweet sugar and now, because the Journey has touched him, he will share that sweet lemonade with all those he comes in contact with. He may not even know he is doing it!!
When I returned to California, I had the opportunity to speak with Ernie. Come to find out, his situation was much more dire then I realized. “I’m… going to die anyway. I dont know why I clicked on Randy’s link to Journey, but Im glad I did. I read your story and realized I was being selfish and could fight this. No one knows about this, it was before I read about you and your cause. When I wanted to end it all, I made an appt with the anethesiologist to find out what drugs he was going to use to keep me under during the hip surgery. Then I googled all drugs that would have an allergic reaction to his drugs. I had one drug on hand that if taken enough of I would have never woken up. Thank you Linda, as you know I chose a different path…”
Was the Journey worth it?? Just ask Ernie, or better yet… ask all those people that Ernie will share the gift of life with!! Remember, sometimes, one little kind act, can change someone’s whole existence!! TOGETHER, we can each have a Journey to Change!!
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August 16, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
I had a goal when I started raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. I had a rather large goal!! How did I determine that goal?
God said, GO BIG!! One time, while I was campaigning to raise the $100,000, I became full of fear. I thought to myself, the goal is to big and we will try to raise only $5,000. That did not last long!! I HAD to change it back!! I could barely sleep until I mentally decided to GO BIG and fixed my web site to, once again, read $100,000!!
How was I was going to raise $100,000? Had I EVER raised money for charity before? NO!! I had no idea how to do any of Journey to Change!! I wasn’t going to let that stand in my way!!
In the beginning, when the donations would trickle in, I would often sit and ask God, “Why am I doing this? What if I can’t raise that much money? What if I fail?” Often times, I would get a feeling inside and it was like God answered my questions, “I asked you to. It’s not up to you to raise the money, just to do the campaigning. You can not fail if you try!!”
I contacted local businesses and asked them to donate. I asked my friends to donate. I asked my friends to ask their friends to donate. I asked people in the world of Facebook to donate. I created a web site and a link to donate. I had T-Shirts made, sold them and donated the money. We are still having a fund raising celebration on August 20th to raise money!!
Did I reach my goal? NOT EVEN CLOSE!! We have raised $1,630.00 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, so far. That’s a ton less then what I expected!! Do I feel like I failed? I did for a while. Then I realized, I did my part. I worked hard to train my body for the Journey!! I paid to have my motorcycle in top running condition!! I didn’t sleep many many many nights, campaigning on Facebook and thinking of new ways to create awareness of what I was doing!! I mailed out 5,000 flyers to all the Harley-Davidson dealerships, all over the world, asking for help to get the word out!! I contacted media all over America, requesting help!! THEN, I had to surrender. I could not control what others did, I had to trust that God was in charge and we would raise what we were suppose to.
I’m hoping that our fund raiser this weekend, will bring in more donations and I’m still hoping that people will continue to donate at my web site!! If we each donate $10.00, ask our friends to donate $10.00, have them ask their friends to donate $10.00, we CAN reach our goal.
The one thing I’m sure of, I can’t do this alone!! I need each and every one of you to help!!
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August 15, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Remember that hard choice made the other day?? Sometimes you get lucky and are shown right away that you made the RIGHT choice.
I cried for days thinking about making that choice. I was afraid that I would choose the wrong one. I know, if I go to God for help, He always provides it!!
I took counsel with others, who had experience with what I faced, and then I sat quietly.
That is not to say, when I had to stand with my decision, I did not have fear. I KNEW I had made the RIGHT decision and now I had to walk through my fear.
I like when God quickly reveals that I am on the right path. He will also quickly reveal when I’m wrong. It is up to me to look for the sign posts and correct my path if necessary.
Today, I can have fear and faith!!
Smile, see who’s day you can brighten!!
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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August 12, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
It’s Friday!! The breeze feels cool and sensual on my skin. My emotions are stirred up tonight and I’m missing my Dragon Slayer. The moon, full and bright, hangs heavy in the night sky. I want to throw my leg over and sweep the curves, hard!!
I want to sit by the ocean, the moonlight glinting off her chrome. The waves crashing into the shore, matching the fierce beating of my heart.
I want to race the moon beams, up over the hills and down deep in the valleys, allowing the draft to lift my hair off the back of my neck. Fingers of gentle wind caress my lower back, traveling along my spine, cooling my feverish skin.
I want to throw my head back and allow the smells of the night air to waft up my nose, tickling all my senses. I want to hear my laughter, carried far into the inky darkness.
I want to listen to my Dragon Slayer’s throaty roar which sends shivers of vibrations through my entire body.
Les…
Please, may I have my Dragon Slayer back? I know her siren song can be intoxicating, but myth says this allure, although irresistible, can be potentially dangerous.
I think it would be best to send her home……..
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
http://youtu.be/iNFGzxUXMog
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August 11, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
Sometimes life happens. We don’t get to have sunshine and rainbows every day. I have learned to laugh through my tears!! Each laugh brings healing to my hurting heart. I know the feelings of sadness will pass if I just keep moving forward. Sometimes it is in my WANTING, that brings me pain. Wanting life to be different then what it is. It is in ACCEPTING, that my pain is relieved.
Acceptance is where my freedom lies. Even if life does not LOOK, how I want it to. I don’t know what’s best many times, although if I turn my attention to helping others, my life does what it’s suppose to do!!
Today, in spite of my tears, I will LIVE LIFE OUT LOUD and LAUGH TILL IT HURTS!!
Big hugs to all!!
I cried when I saw the magnificence of this waterfall!! Can you see the rainbows??
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August 10, 2011 by Linda Lee Patterson
I do believe that Mr. Les has fallen in love with my Dragon Slayer!! I’m sure it’s all her shiny chrome!! Or maybe her deep rumble!! Or the way she slides into the curves and scrapes her floorboards, hard!! It might be the brushed metal paint job!!
Whatever it is, my Dragon Slayer stole his heart and he’s not able to ship her back till next week.
Les, she is like the sailor’s siren… Once she captures your heart, you’re a goner!!
Remember, that I warned you!!
Posted by Linda Patterson on the run!!
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