Ken Davis Blog

Beaten by a stroke! A true story.

 Today I rode 16 miles on my bike.  It was hot and the last three miles were all uphill.  I was one mile from home, pedaling up hill with all my might, when I was passed by an old guy with a gray beard.  I tried to catch him but could only watch as he disappeared around a corner.  As I rounded that corner I saw that he had slowed down and was waiting for me to catch up.  When I reached him he greeted me warmly as he slowed to my pace.  "I won't keep you long." He said.  "I wanted to tell you to never stop doing what you are doing.  Today is the seventh anniversary of my stroke."  "I have regained my speech but my left side is still mostly paralyzed," He said.  "I ride every day because I want to live.  I don't do it to stay alive, I do it to live."   "Don't stop doing this," he said with a smile. "LIVE," he shouted over his shoulder as he left me in the dust. 

What a jolt of encouragement and wisdom.  We really live only when we challenge ourselves.

Daily.....How do you challenge yourself physically?
Daily.....How do you challenge yourself spiritually?
Daily......How do you challenge yourself mentally?
Daily........How do you challenge yourself socially?

Men and women who continually reach for new challenges not only live...... they live longer?

My challenge for tomorrow is to recover from the fact that I was soundly beaten by a partially paralyzed man older than myself. My challenge for the next day is to find him, thank him for his advice and beat him up that hill!

 

Styrofoam Man!

I am seriously trying to get in the best shape of my life.   When I am exercising regularly and eating right I feel great.  As motivation to keep at it, I am training for a Triathlon.  Not like one of those "Iron man" things you see on television.  This is more like “aluminum man” or “Styrofoam man.”  In this one I run to the bathroom, fill the tub, get in, pull the plug and fight the current. Then I take out my bike, pump up the tires and go to bed. 

Actually the swim is about 300 yards, the biking is about 9 miles and the run is a little over two miles.  The funeral will follow immediately with fun and food for all.  

God gave us one body, I have learned that I pay a dear price when I don’t take care of it.  I may not end up looking like a stud but I am going to be a feisty little bundle of wrinkles. 

1st Corinthians  6:19
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  Keep the house strong.

New Grandson

Please welcome Tyler Mark Scheer  8 lbs 9oz 21 inches of handsome ruggedness. Born at 2:26 PM July 16th.  God is so good.  What could be greater than a spectacular picture of a nebulae taken from the hubble telescope?  How about a picture of a miraculous new life taken from a cell phone.  Oh yeah! The little one is Tyler, the big smiley one is his dad, Brian Scheer. 

A star is born

Watercooler Wednesday.  Today is the day.  Sometime today the doctor will induce my daughter to begin the process of giving birth to Tyler Scheer.  I can't show you a picture yet.  He's not here yet. 

The picture to the left IS NOT him.  But I can tell you that Tyler looks a little like God.  He was made in the image of perfect love.  What originality, what creativity, what art, what love.

Picture taken from the Hubble Telescope.  Clouds accompanying the birth of a star! M16

The world waits for you little one.  May God bring you safely to us.

Is he SMOOTH??

     A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with the boys?" Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too rough."  The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I find a smooth one, can I play with him?" 
    In our home the answer would be, "No, there is no such thing as a smooth boy.  This is my Grandson Preston.  He is all boy.  He is sweet and bright and can talk you into early retirement, but he is not smooth.                                        

    After having three girls who dissolve into tears if their hands get muddy it has been so much fun to  have this boy who eats mud. 
    I guess I want to be remembered like that.  At my memorial, when they ask, "Was he smooth?"  I hope the answer will be, "No, he was rough.  But he was sure a lot of fun to play with."

Breaking Addictions

My daughter Traci has been trying unsuccessfully for months to break my granddaughter, Jadyn, of her addiction to a pacifier.   Without the pacifier there was no sleep for Jadyn or anyone within hearing range.  Within seconds of getting the pacifier she was sound asleep.  This pacifier was the "Ambien" of toddler world.

Yesterday I received a picture from Traci with the caption, Now we have two addicts.  Now family dog, "Hootie" has the habit.  But the whole affair was a miracle in disguise.  Once "Hootie" got his lips on the thing, Jadyn decided to "pass" on the "pacifier. 

Made me think about a lot of adults, one I see in the mirror occasionally,  who still hang on to their own pacifier and what it might take to get them to give it up.  Want to borrow "Hootie?"