Here are the pictures from the Fitness Testing Day even at Susan B. Anthony Elementary School in Fresno. From the looks of the picture everyone had a great day and enjoyed the results of their hard work over the year. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Tomorrow at 8:00 am from the Clovis East High School Parking there will be a memorial ride for this Crystel.  Many of you already know the story but if you don’t you should read about this fun loving and exciting woman who lost her life last weekend at the Eye-Q California Classic Weekend.

There is os much to say about Crystel and I am not going to just copy what everyone has siad. I believe you should take a few minutes and if you can read about her life, her loves and her will to help others.

For all of the information here is the link from Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190465177668463

Thanks and hope to see you out there.

Mike began making the awards certificates for the kids today.  He plugged away at his computer, typing in children’s names, and certainly contemplating the obstacles and challenges each of them have faced this year.  Then, in the midst of filling out certificates, we receive a disturbing email.  (The full story can be found here.)  The story hits close to home because these are girls that will be entering Off The Front’s program, one next year and one in the years to come.

My heart is troubled, yet I feel paralyzed in a scenario like this one and left unsure what to actually do.  Hearing news like this completely shatters my heart, yet an hour later I find myself moving along with my day as if nothing has happened.  To be quite honest, I know that for a very long time I never truly felt compelled to do much of anything.  I spoke of how my heart hurt and could dialogue about great tragedy.  I’m not an insensitive person or naïve to think the children of this world aren’t hurting or in need.  The truth is that I’m finally fed up with my own passivity, blindness, ignorance, and ultimately lack of action – a place where much growth in my heart has been needed.  I can’t say it enough – I need to grow here!!  I speak to you from someone who does not merit the credibility to even be heard from a soapbox or as someone on a convicting rant.  I just simply wonder if you are like me in that it’s time to start opening your eyes to what is going on around us.  Somewhere in our city today are two very scared little girls, whose world has been shaken upside down, and are bearing a burden too heavy for them to carry alone.

A friend and I were talking yesterday about how many tragedies like this one happen that are never heard about or make the paper.  We pondered the fragility of life, felt blessed beyond measure in our situations (which I know I too easily take for granted), and yet were still left feeling helpless.  When situations of this magnitude drop a heavy weight on your heart, what do you do?  I began thinking of all the different ways people respond and found myself wanting to encourage each of us to do “something”.  Then I began to ask what actually keeps us in a state of paralysis and prevents us from moving into action.  Fear, discomfort, the messiness of getting involved, the huge commitment, financial obligation, change, thinking someone else will fix it, forgetfulness, selfishness – these all being thoughts that crossed my mind because of my own obstacles.

Before you think I am trying to throw another weight of guilt on top of the weight stories like these already bear, please know that’s really not the goal.  I just want to know what do YOU do?  How do YOU respond?   I am not looking for a right or wrong answer here and realize there are multiple ways of beginning to open our eyes to the reality of our city, state, country, and world.  I just want to know what do you really do?  What is your response?  Do you push the disturbing thoughts aside?  Do you pray?  Do you commit to start opening your hearts towards fostering or adoption?  Do you freeze?  Do you talk about how sad circumstances are yet get back to the reality of your own life quickly?  Do you weep?  Are you wrecked inside?  What do you do and how do you handle this type of pain?

I mentioned before that I tend to swing on an emotional pendulum.  Realizing there are plenty of children in need of families, homes, protection, love, and care, I just wonder what would happen if each of us did “something”…whatever that something is…And not in an effort to check off a box and move on.  How do we balance what we have yet love others and move towards taking care of those who are in desperate need of help?

I would be grateful for any thoughts you contemplate yourself.  I await comments and responses and would love to post thoughts or links to places that encourage us all to do “something”.

A few years ago, our sweet friends graciously allowed us to stay at their beautiful home in Carmel.  In addition, a different friend offered to come stay with us and watch our kiddos for a couple of days so Mike and could go out on a couple of dates.  To top off a wonderful week on vacation, the couple that loaned us their home also offered me a bike of theirs to ride.  (We have amazing friends, right?)

To this day, my husband will tell you this would be the highlight of his year – the opportunity to finally go on a ride with his wife.  To be quite honest, I was tremendously nervous and extremely intimidated.  The spandex wasn’t quite what I had in mind for “date attire” and looking “cute” for my hubby was nigh unto impossible.  And, something about being locked, I mean clicked into pedals, navigating 27 different gears on two different handle bars, focusing on which brake is rear and which is front, and huge cement trucks grazing by within a foot of me, just did not register as fun.  Go figure.  Thankfully, my husband appreciates spandex, proves to be a patient teacher, and loved the idea of me just being on the bike alongside him. read more…

When my husband first began the process of starting Off the Front, the dreams, ideas, and visions he had for this non-profit were overwhelmingly exciting.  As his wife, I found incredible satisfaction in coming along side him – number crunching, administrating, accounting, encouraging, and praying.  While rendering this kind of support has been of great necessity, I don’t think the reality of what Off The Front is really doing had penetrated my heart.  I am not an insensitive person or even naive to think that real lives are not involved here.  For some reason sitting behind a desk and administrating just removed me from the actuality of what is really happening.  Last night, as my husband and I sat and graded papers, and tallied points, my heart just broke.  The reality is that while every child has the opportunity to earn a bike, every child won’t.  As we talked about each child, their life, their demeanor in the classroom, their hindrances, I became an absolute wreck.  I was reminded of how my 7-year-old Cali feels at times.  In our home, Cali has a fairness meter that goes off the moment she realizes any advantage someone has over her and hearing “It’s not fair” is not uncommon.  (We are working on this)  As I sat staring at a piece of paper, with points tallied and indicating this “good kid” would not receive a bike, I burst into tears, and said “it’s not fair.” read more…

Just walked in the door from Susan B and the official launch of Off The Front! Man, what to say- the kids were super stoked to see the presentation and discover how they can earn a brand new bike, lock & helmet. Their excitement was contagious and i found myself fighting back tears before we began. Memories of my first bike flooded my mind as well as God’s continued faithfulness through this journey. Many of the eyes who will scan these words have made this possible. I promise you there are 70 kids who want to tell you thank you. Their questions were relentless- “when do we get the bikes, where do we park them, we don’t have enough bike racks….” Awesome. These kids are fired up and this big kid is as well. Riding a bike still makes me smile and warms my insides like it did so many years ago. To have the privilege of helping kids experience that feeling for the very first time leaves me speechless.

There’s a saying in Texas, “If  you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, it will change.” Much can change in a short amount of time. I’ve found this to be true for the las4 days with Off the Front. Over the Thanksgiving break, I applied for a $10,000 grant form Clorox- a company committed to helping kids succeed during these tough economic times. Over 5,000 great programs applied for the same grant- so, needless to say, making the top 50 was going to be quite the accomplishment. I worked hard on the proposal, had numerous sets of eyes proofread it, changed it, tweaked it over and over until it read just like i had hoped. I submitted it the day after thanksgiving and held my breath until Monday when Clorox announced the Top 50 candidates. read more…