Inspirational Love of Amazing Proportions

I've seen the video of this incredible story and if you have blood in your veins I can't see how you can't cry and be moved but I don't have the movie. Instead I recieved the story the other day in an email from a friend of mine and I had to post it. If you haven't ever heard or seen the story of Dick Hoyt and his son you need to. Its amazing...and whats more amazing is its about an earthly fathers love for his child. It just makes me totally amazed and speechless to try to comprehend the love our heavenly father has for us. Nonetheless here is the story of Dick Hoyt and his son Rick....

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From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles inmarathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day. Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his backmountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick wasstrangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an institution.''But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told.``There's nothing going on in his brain.''"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out alot was going on in his brain.
Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!''
And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized acharity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.'' Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ranmore than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried.``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore for two weeks.''That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could.
He got into such hard-bellyshape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hourIronmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think? Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctortold him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some back breaking race every weekend, including this Father'sDay. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Until Dukey Drops Again.....Much Love........

Stumbled on to a old but great song...

There is a group named Caedmon's Call that I have many of their Cd's and have enjoyed their smooth folk-acoustic music rich with percussion and true honest lyrics. One song in particular has struck a cord with me tonight as I was headed to bed and heard it. Its from their "40Acres" cd released in 1999. I love the words and the truth they bear. So I found this old song and great CD I might add and wanted to share it with my two readers. =P haha It can mean for you whatever it may but I just was reminded of two verses...
Jer. 29:11-13 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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Prov. 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Well with that here are the lyrics to this song "Table for Two"...


"Table for Two" by Caedmon's Call (40 Acres)

Danny and I spent another late night over pancakes
We talked about soccer and how every man's just the same
We made speculation on who's and the when's of our futures
And how everyone's lonely but still we just couldn't complain

And how we just hate being alone
Could I have missed my only chance
And now I'm just wasting my time
Looking around

But you know I know better, I'm not gonna worry 'bout nothing
'Cause if the birds and the flowers survive then I'll make it OK
And given an chance and a rock see which one breaks a window
And see which one keeps me up all night and into the day

Because I'm so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in
And that it's not my job to wait by the phone for her to call

This day's been crazy but everything's happened on schedule
From the rain and the cold to the drink that spilled on my shirt
'Cause You knew how You'd save me before I fell dead in the garden
And You knew this day long before You made me outta dirt

And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the ends and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace to get me to sleep



Until Dukey Drops Again.....Much Love....

Hope in the Dark and my thoughts

I've been on this fresh self-reflective perspectives kick as you can tell from a few of my recent posts specifically relating to what we have been blessed and what we don't realize we have and how we should be different. Anyway since I posted some of my previous posts I recieved this book "Hope in the Dark" about Africa and was amazed how refreshing and accurately it has penned some of my thoughts. It says much of what I've been thinking in different words so well. So I picked some clips from the book that may astound and shock you but they are true. As you read them think how life would be different and how it changes the lenses you look through.

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"We know that American pity Africans," he told me. "But sometimes I think Africans pity American."
"How so?" I asked him.
"American seem to expect that everything will be provided for them. For us," he said, "this ear of corn is a gift from God. This evening's rain is a shower of mercy upon us. This healthy breath is life-giving. And, maybe tomorrow we will not have such things, our hearts are so full from God's provision."

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****Decisions I must make on any given day:
-Blue shirt or pink cardigan?
-Tall soy chai latte or Grande caramel macchiato?
-Write reports first or work on budget?
-Text message or call?
-Eat out or frozen dinner?
-Reality television or Headline News?
****Decisions SHE must make on any given day:
-Blue dress or blue dress?
-River water or puddle water?
-Walk once for four hours to get water or walk twice for eight hours to get more water?
-Sleep with the fisherman who will give food in return or let orphaned grandchildren go to bed hungry?
-Persist through the struggle or give up?
-Curse God or praise Him?

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"When she gave birth to an HIV-positive child, she named the baby "No Hope", for there was none. The mother's life was an isolated of stigma, abondonment, and fear. But her community began to shower love instead of judgement, support instead of neglect...and everything changed. Glimpses of grace enterd into the darkness of the pain, and hope made itself present. She has changed the name of her child to "Jesus is my hope."

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There's something incredible about African skies. It's as if God said, " I have so much beauty to give My world. And I'm going to shower it on this place because I can."

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"If you want to know the pulse and strength of Africa, spend a day with the women of a village. In the midst of deep suffering, domestic abuse, societal and poverty constraints, the women are the stability of Africa. The will carry the buckets upon thier heads, touch the wounds of the sick, accept the burdens of helping the village survive-and all the while, the will be singing praises to God."

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In this world, God has given us the gift of choice. Injustice threatens to take it away. They can drink the filthy, bacteria-ridden pond water or drink nothing. Clearly, that is no choice at all.

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There is a quote(below) in this book Hope in the Dark that I believe that anyone who goes to Africa can identify with and find totally true. Its something that you can only experience and when you see it you know it and its both amazes and inspires. -Luke


People ask me, "Doesn't it paralyze you to walk so closely and intimately with suffering?"
"No", I tell them.
"If I learned anything form my time in Africa, its that though the suffering is overwhelming, so to is the hope."

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Well let all that soak in a bit and see what you realize. See what you learn. I hope that this at the very least prompts you to look at your own life and see if you can say the same as some of these amazing people do who don't know where todays meal for themselves and their family will come from, battle with AIDS or don't even have remotely clean water. To be happy, content and free is a choice. Its a perspective of hope, love and grace that you chose to rest in.
Until Dukey Drops Again......Much Love............

10 things God may ask

This was a email I wanted to post that I got from a friend.
Just some thoughts to ponder...

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove: He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house: He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet: He'll ask how many you helped clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was: He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was: He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask how many friends you had: He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived: He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin: He'll ask about the content of your character.
9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation: He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
10. God won't have to ask how many people you share this with: He already knows whether or not you are ashamed to share the good news of his love and salvation.

Until Dukey Drops Again.....Much Love.........

By choice or necessity

I was thinking in the last few days about how we as wealthy Americans have so many options and opportunites all around us. I mean if we get a little hungry and there is nothing in the fridge or cabinets that we would care to eat we can jump in our cars and drive up to the window at the local Burger King, Spangles, Taco Bell, Wendys or whatever we choose, depending on how late it is, and they give us food that was picked out on our own. We get to choose what food we would like to consume and however we would like it! We don't even have to get out of our cars.
I'm curious in such a make-it-your-way have-it-how-you-want ready-to-eat-in-10-seconds-society with opprotunity and convieneince everywhere how would our lives be different personally if we were born into poverty. Not American poverty where we claim to have it rough but 3rd world poverty where you dig in trash in hopes to find a chicken bone to suck on or boil with some water or where you are extremely excited and consider yourself blessed because you have one meal a day that is a bowl of rice and whatever else you may find.
I try to put myself in an element that I've seen but not experienced and I find myself asking would we be so picky if we were born into a different life? Would we even know what it is to be picky? Would we be so selfish? Would we be so ungrateful and unappreciative? Would our expectation of deserving or having rights to certian things instead of giving still exist? Would it take such a drastic change for us to realize the blessings we have and maybe cause us to be a little more selfless?

Luke 16:13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

This is not to make us look at ourselves and be disgusted at all that "we" are but to recognize the blessings we have and still be different while sharing those blessings. Don't be consumed by this world....Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Until Dukey Drops Again.....Much Love..........

My Sisters Wedding

The week prior to July 8th 2006 I thought to myself this can't be real. My little sis is getting married!?! She's my little sis, she can't. As I began to work on the slideshow for their wedding it gave me a little chance to stare at the fact that yeah my sister is getting married. I'll be honest there were tears of joy and excitement for my little sis that she was...GETTING MARRIED!
It was a beautiful wedding and an awesome celebration of D.J. and Amanda(Ross) Castilleja (Cost-ee-yay-ha)!! For those that don't know D.J. he's a good guy and a great other half of the new Castilleja couple.
So I guess there is a time for each one of us when we enter a new season. A new season which brings new challenges and new surprises and blessings in which we become that much closer to who God has created us to be! I love these two and wish the greatest blessing upon them both for their lives and those that they touch!
Well thats it for now....Until Dukey Drops Again.........Much Love..............