Heading Toward Calm

The last few months have felt like I'm always on the go. This is typical for my summers, but for this year has felt extra busy for some reason. Thankfully, my calendar is clearing out and it looks like slower times ahead for a few weeks. However, this last week was still full of activity.

Tuesday was my second and final day at the gospel outreach group. The booth is sandwiched by two other booths that do not have Christian values, the Democrat party and Bud & Mary's cannabis booth. I usually end up facing the cannabis booth and get a nose full of the free smells they include of their products. It's supposed to just be the scent, but the idea can give thoughts of added influence. For the first part of Tuesday, I started the shift facing the opposite direction.

One lady spent time talking with the political party, showing support for their ideas, and then meandered over toward me. As she looked over the literature we have on display, I asked her about her knowledge of Noah's Ark and the Bible. She had some, but looked more disdained, and said she was part of a liberal Lutheran church. Just as I began asking about sin and salvation, she quickly left. Throughout the rest of the morning, I had a few short conversations with parents as their kids got dinosaur tattoos, but my fellow volunteers looked busier. No matter what, God's creation and the gospel were shared to many people through various forms.

Thursday and Friday night were this week's open shifts. I was thankful not to have any outings as the day starts out pretty groggy. I made sure to review the message I preached this morning, but not much else was done for being productive.

With this schedule of open nights likely continuing for several months, we all need to get used to the routine. Unfortunately, I already see the toll it's taking on my parents' health. God has brought us through another week of the quad life and I will look to Him for strength and energy.

New Speaking Experience

In 2004, I spoke to my first class of 2nd graders about disability awareness. I'm not sure if that qualifies as public speaking, but it was where my side venture of talks began. Since then, I have spoken in several grade schools, colleges, and churches. However, this week was a new experience that I wasn't sure what to expect.

Sometime in May, I received a legitimate message through my website asking me to speak. The venue would be a ladies' group that gathered once a month at a church in a nearby town. I wasn't told a topic other than myself and to bring copies of my book to sell. We arranged to meet at the end of June, the week after vacation. However, that was when I wasn't feeling well and needed frequent suctioning. I felt bad doing it, but officially cancelled the day before I was scheduled.

The new time to meet with this group was Thursday, July 31. I do not like talking about myself, at least as a main topic for speaking. I know this blog is all about me, but this is a different setting. Proverbs 27:2 says to let someone else praise you and not your own lips. Instead of just telling my story, I tied in Jeremiah 29:11 and that God uses all of our lives in various ways.

In all, it was about 20 ladies who were well beyond retirement age. Apparently the time in June had been promoted more and had nearly 30 attendees. Without really knowing what to say, or for how long, it went pretty well. I likely should have spoke a little longer, but I'm not sure my voice would have been able to continue.

Public speaking is a top fear for most people, but it's something I find fun. Living the quad life is full of unique opportunities and I enjoy helping others learn and see more of God's care in our life. A similar venue may be interesting, but I will see what God brings.

Preaching Marathan has Begun

In early May, I sat in a meeting with local pastors and church speakers. It was the group's final meeting of the year and I told a friend that I had a very open preaching schedule if he wanted a break sometime. He has yet to contact me, but the open schedule has disappeared. Starting tonight, I'm scheduled to preach somewhere five out of the next seven weeks.

When I was young, nearly every church had a morning and evening service every Sunday. Now, only a small number of churches still hold evening services and they are mainly attended by people past retirement age. A congregation very close to my home recently lost their main pastor due to him moving to another church. Therefore, I am scheduled to fill one evening a month through September, so far.

Tonight I will be starting a series looking at the book of James. Since I normally only lead a certain church every few months, or less, I rarely get to do a sermon series and look in depth at a passage. I'm excited for the opportunity, but it also creates a problem. I will not be able to recycle these messages to use in other churches. I am scheduled to preach at my own congregation next week, which means I need a totally different message. The final quad life wrinkle is that I didn't have a nurse last night, which means I'm preaching this evening while I am tired and my parents are as well.

This last week has been interesting in finalizing and reviewing one message while preparing another that is totally unrelated. I am then scheduled to preach in the evening again on August 10, and that sermon only exists as an idea for the next message in my series. I also have to keep in mind web development with two new sites I've been working on this week.

My passage tonight is James 1:1-12 and looks at persevering under trial. I am in a busy time of my own doing, but I'm thankful to primarily be back to regular health and to know God gives wisdom to all who ask. I pray for wisdom and energy these next several weeks as I work to do the tasks God has given me and serve Him faithfully through it all.

Final School

It has been a busy week of finishing and preparation. Tuesday was my last class for the year. It was a group of nine Occupational Therapy Assistant students who seemed to listen well. One in particular was very quiet and attentive (see picture).

OT students are very interested in all the different items I use to function. I discuss my wheelchair and different options as well as how I use mouth sticks and what type works for different needs. In class, they don't get a lot of real-life experience, especially with all the equipment I use. My schedule one-hour presentation frequently turns into 90 minutes or more. I wonder how much they actually remember after I leave, but hopefully my presentation helps.

Thursday morning, I visited with my ENT about my trach button and nose. It looks like I may have infection again, so I'll see what results come from testing. For my nose, I hoped to get help for breathing at night. Unfortunately, nose cartilage keeps growing throughout your life and mine is growing crooked. Therefore, when it gets annoying enough, I'll need to have it surgically corrected. It wasn't the answer I wanted, but it was an answer.

Today, Father's Day, is the last day to relax. After six years of staying home, I'm finally planning to take an over night trip. I've been thankful for all dad's help in packing, checking the van, and making sure everything is ready for a road trip.

Dad continues to do so much for me in many ways and rarely gets to take a day off. He should be at least somewhat retired, but continues to work at least full-time to keep insurance. I look forward to when he can slow down and not have work responsibilities.

I will continue to see what the quad life brings and be thankful for who God has put around me.

Knowing Your Area

In every hobby or field of work, you gain experience as time passes. Different scenarios help to gain knowledge so that when it happens again, you can quickly solve the issue. The same is true when studying Scripture and using it as your basis for thinking.

If I am talking to someone on the street, I have verses I can reference for different objections. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus expounded on the sixth commandment that hatred is the same as murder. A few verses later, in 5:27, He said that looking with lust is the same as adultery. Further references are Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23, and a handful of other verses. When preaching, I tend to study one text and use other passages to support the message. However, I have been noticing lately I may be getting narrow sighted and need to pay further attention.

For the last few weeks, I have been reading a book on general advice for Biblical counseling. I took an online course early in the year and this has been a very loose follow-up. As the authors look at different counseling scenarios, they point to various passages that help relate to a situation and may assist the counselee to a better frame of mind. While some of the advised texts are familiar, the majority are ones that I would need to look up and further learn their context.

I have written on this blog several times about my routine of reading the Bible. For several years, I read through from Genesis-Revelation twice a year. Now, I'm down to about once a year of cover to cover, but replaced one of my reading times with more in-depth study. This is slower, but I still progress through Scripture and invest in God's Word.

At this point in the quad life, I do not see starting a new career as a Biblical counselor. However, as a part-time preacher and occasional mentor, I do see it as useful knowledge to be familiar with. If nothing else, this latest book has taught me not to get blinded to one train of thought while studying. Continuing to broaden my knowledge and quick reference tools will always be helpful, no matter how often or little they get used.

Finished and Beginning

It seems to be a usual condition, but it was another busy week in the quad life. It started one activity, finished another, and started a big project.

Tuesday morning was my first of two scheduled college classes. Unfortunately, I don't have very many college courses left. I have helped teach four different subjects in three different schools. Now, I'm down to two subjects at one school. I'm thankful for what I have been given, but wish I could do more. Nursing students could especially benefit from knowing more about spinal cord injuries and home care, but they are the hardest classes to get into. I continue to pray that I can visit current classes and expand again.

Thursday was my busiest day, starting with my final grade school visit of the year. A total of 11 students were in the combined 3rd/4th grade classroom. These are the oldest kids I visit, but they are generally the calmest as well. The instructor was quick to post pictures on the school's Facebook page and was thankful for my visit. I really enjoy working with kids and would love to find some type of summer program I could help with. I have no idea how I could fit it in, but it would still be fun.

I quickly transitioned from teaching kids Thursday morning to a big project. In August, my wheelchair will be ten years old. Power chairs are made to last five years and then be replaced. My current system has done pretty well, but it has definitely not supported my back very well. Due to various factors, my insurance may also be changing in a year. Therefore, I've started working toward a new chair.

The initial meeting went very well. I had a list of items to adjust, keep similar, or have on a wish list. Everyone listened to me and liked that I knew what I was talking about. I have another appointment in two weeks to see a potential chair option and get molded for a new back. Considering it took eight years to get a new chair last time, I'm excited to see this process moving faster. Time will tell if the momentum continues, but I'm pleased so far. 

This week looks slower, but it will not last long. Hopefully the rest will help get caught up on other areas.

Three Cold Days

For the past several years, I have volunteered with the gospel outreach group at Tulip Time in Pella. The last three days saw this year's event, and I'm thankful they're finished.

As I posted last week, my dad has been on vacation and I had an extra caregiver to help while he was away. Thankfully, this allowed me to continue volunteering all three days of the festival instead of just two. Since I am one of team leaders, I think it is best to be available the entire time to allow consistency for outreach teams. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work this year.

Spring has been reluctant to come this year and temperatures have been quite cool compared to previous years. Initial predictions for May 1-3 were for low 70's, but that continued to decrease as the days came closer. As it turned out, actual temps were at least ten degrees cooler with scant amount of sun and plenty of rain.

Each morning started with two one-hour training sessions at a church near downtown. They were all well done and great for learning how to share your faith and navigate current events. One session dealt with Marxism and covered several topics, such as climate change. My thoughts went to previous alarmist propaganda of the earth getting hotter. More warmth would have been welcome these days, but it seems to go more the opposite.

After training sessions, we then broke into teams and went out to designated areas to talk with people and give out gospel tracts. On Thursday, I was stationed at the prayer booth. We didn't receive any prayer requests, but did hand out gospel tracts and information on the town's Christian foundation. Friday saw an abundance of rain, which meant I reluctantly headed home after training and left my group with another leader. I felt bad for ducking out, but everyone seemed to understand that electric medical equipment and rain don't mix well. Finally, yesterday, my one team member and I parked ourselves on a very busy sidewalk corner and handed out gospel tracts as throngs of people walked passed. This final day did result in some short conversations, but nothing substantial or argumentative.

Despite wearing insulated jeans, sweatshirt, and coat, I returned home very cold each day. Saturday evening, I also felt quite tired after three days of activity and getting up early. I don't like to admit it, but leading an active quad life is getting harder, especially in non-ideal weather conditions. I'm looking forward to this week of staying home, and hopefully warmer temps as well.

Two Visits for Three Schools

This week concluded most of my school visits for the year. On Thursday, I went to two campuses of one school and Friday was a virtual classroom.

I have been going to the main campus of first school for several years. The teacher, Mrs. K, is very familiar with me and my routine. The inner-city school typically has very active students with a diverse background. I came in as the class was in the library and got settled in among the desks. As I read names, Mrs. K noted the school is now attracting more families from a Spanish background than African. I was thankful to see I could read most of the student's names this year, which hasn't always been the case.

After the kids returned, I did my regular presentation and noted the class was MUCH calmer than previous years. Mrs. K always does a good job in keeping order in the room, but this group was exceptional. Less than two hours later, and after lunch, I was at the school's west campus to speak with 15 kids from 2nd through 5th grade.

My caregiver and I found the stately, older style, church building and was let in by a maintenance person. The interior was completely opposite the outside with fully modern carpet, walls, and signage. However, the first floor was completely devoid of people with no sign of a school anywhere. We found a brochure to the school and called the number listed for the campus we were apparently in, but couldn't find. Shortly after calling, two women appeared from an elevator and guided us to a room with several chairs, a small inaccessible stage, and faux windows with blue lights. Not long after, children appeared from somewhere in the building that we never saw.

Even with the diverse age group, questions went well and the students seemed to catch on. I apparently didn't specify clearly that markers or pens would be needed for the writing section and a teacher brought a large bag of pencils. They worked for the demonstration, but pencils were much harder to use and not comfortable on mouths. Thankfully, Friday's virtual visit with 3rd graders in Minnesota went well with no unexpected twists.

For almost every class though, I forgot or skipped at least one point I always cover. After 21 years of doing nearly the same presentation multiple times a year, you would think I could do it easily. I guess the quad life is getting older, and I had more affects from last fall's medical trouble than I thought.

One more school remains, but not until mid-May. I don't like that my visits went so quickly this year, but I didn't miss any regular schools and actually added one. Quick or slow, I'm thankful for the opportunity and getting to teach about God's world and love for all abilities.

Schools, Church, and Nearly Forgetting

Since 2014, I have written a blog entry almost every week. I generally write them on one of my Saturday sit times with a scheduled release of 2:00 Sunday afternoon. This morning, as dad was flopping me around to get dressed for church, it occurred to me that I completely forgot to write. Therefore, I'm actually writing on Sunday afternoon, mainly while flat even.

Last Tuesday was my first regular school visit. I had three sections of 2nd graders with about 20-25 minutes per section. The time went very quick and I skipped some of the items I normally cover. However, it was great getting to work with kids again. Short visits once a year are too few, I wish I could be around kids more regularly all year.

My final section concluded with afternoon recess. In wondering around the room as I spoke, I suddenly realized I was beside the coat rack where all 20 or so kids were headed. As children climbed around me, one boy stood about a foot away telling me some apparently serious revelation, but I couldn't hear a thing he said. My caregiver, stuck on the opposite side of me, later said she had the same problem. I didn't like giving generic nods, but it seemed to satisfy him.

Friday was another class of 2nd graders, whose teacher didn't tell I was coming. As students filtered in from recess, they had looks of surprise and curiosity on their faces. I finished more than 45 minutes after starting, but it went well and the active group seemed to learn.

This morning was my first, and currently only, church service scheduled for this year. It was a familiar congregation, but I'm responsible for the full service. I preached on James 2, demonstrating faith by deeds/works, and not earning salvation. I remembered most my points, but had a sore throat after talking for an hour. I considered dictating this entry, but my voice wasn't having it.

I'm thankful the van worked and dad is able to get me going, even with needing to use my hoyer lift. This will be another active week in the quad life with more school visits, but a break is coming!

Spring has Arrived, Maybe

In just a few days, spring will officially arrive in the northern hemisphere. This past week has felt like it, but only briefly. On Thursday, it was sunny with a high in the low 70's. I got out to run my own errands for the first time this year.

I also joined a local pastor's meeting on the same day. They meet monthly during the school year, but it's rare that weather and schedules work for me to join. It feels somewhat odd being the only person who isn't directly employed as a pastor or chaplain. However, I can still learn about pastoral needs in the community and where I can possibly help.

Friday was also nice enough that I got out on the deck to start work on my annual sun tan/burn. It felt nice sitting outside again, even though the wind was a bit blustery. This weekend though, we have highs in the 40's and my Amazon Echo mentioned snow for Wednesday. Iowa weather is indeed a mixed bag as it seems seasons fight for control.

Lately, it seems like I spend more time in meetings than anything else. In addition to Thursday's, I had virtual meetings Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning. I'm vice chair of the Olmstead Community Task Force, a group appointed by the governor to monitor and improve independent living for Iowan's with disabilities. The chair person has been out with other commitments the last two meetings, leaving me in charge. Since the Iowa legislature is also in session until April, it is a busy time of year for our group.

The executive board (which results in more meetings) has said they would encourage me to consider being chairman. I have declined, but I think I'm being put in the role whether I want to be our not! Official title or not, I'm thankful I can help lead a group that works toward positive change and where my quad life experiences are an asset.

This new week looks to be free of meetings, but more work. Hopefully I can also get more time in the sun!

Learning New Career or Just Learning?

Last summer, I took a 12-week course on expository preaching. It was a challenge to complete, but still fun and beneficial. A couple weeks after my final assignment, a pastor friend let me know about several free courses through a seminary in Texas. Looking through the options, I found a few that sounded intriguing. About the same time, I learned the instructor from the preaching course I just finished was disqualified from ministry for not practicing what he preached. This soured my appetite for pursuing more education, at least for a while.

A few weeks ago, I returned to the information I received last fall and decided to try a course. The first one that sounded interesting, and could be useful, was Introduction to Biblical Counseling. It hasn't happened in a while, but I have had friends that looked to me for help in hard times. I offer what I can, but I can always learn more.

The free course is only five lessons and doesn't offer any credits or certificates, it's just strictly for learning. So far, I have completed three lessons and hope to do the fourth this weekend. They consist of three to four videos that are around 15 minutes each. After watching each one, you answer a short multi-point quiz from what was just covered. The final parts include a short reading and a final quiz consisting of the same questions from the previous quizzes.

So far, I have received 100% for every evaluation. Some of the ideas are interesting and not necessarily how I would have thought. I'm not sure I'll ever use any of the material, but it's good to expand my knowledge. I saw last week how to become a certified biblical counselor through a two-year online course. At this point in life though, I don't foresee making a major career change.

I'm thankful that while living the hibernation quad life, I can keep my mind active. I will be starting a busy time for work soon and picked a great time to take this course. I will see what a new week brings!

Challenges of Online Witnessing

I am always learning and figuring out how to do new things. In 2016, I finished the online School of Biblical Evangelism. It helped increase my faith and understanding of Scripture as well as how to reach out and share the gospel. Since then, I have opportunity to serve with outreach groups during the Iowa State Fair and locally. These times of service are great, but they're only a few days a year. What do I do for outreach the rest of the time?

One of the groups I've volunteered with has had more outreach opportunities in Iowa. Unfortunately, they are usually on a Saturday when I don't have help and several hours away from home. While I may want to join them, it doesn't work due to logistics. Some friends also have just gone out locally and will do things like read Scripture in the park, but that again is challenging with everything else. Therefore, I turn to other methods.

When I preach, the majority of my messages have some sort of gospel message where I present the law and need for repentance. Studies, and pastors, have shown that even those who regularly attend church have not necessarily come to saving faith in Christ. They are what some call "Sunday Christians," in that they act godly on Sunday morning, but the opposite the rest of the week.

The place I have the most opportunity to witness to Christ is online, but this is also the hardest. Most days, I will post a Bible verse, or two, on Facebook. I also give gospel references on my YouTube channel, but I haven't been as diligent about it as I should recently. Finally, I have a few atheist friends online that I correspond with and tell the truth about God. One particular is very hateful toward anything Christian and posts memes of all types attacking the Bible, Christians, or anything else. I do not respond to every one, but do some with a Bible verse or correction of some sort.

Unlike in person though, you can't discuss back and forth as easily and conversation can easily get off track. Other times, it can be a seemingly endless trade of links supporting both sides of a topic and "proving" the other one false. After 2-3 rounds, the conversation usually stops and another can start. Wherever it stops, or starts, I pray for wisdom and that the person I'm talking with will come to Christ while time allows.

I'm thankful God has allowed me to use this quad life to spread His Word. I continue to look for opportunities and learn what helps, and what doesn't.

Sermon Writing Block

The year is winding down and cooler temps have started to replace the wonderful warmth of summer. That means it will not be long until my winter hibernation begins. Before it does though, I am scheduled to preach with two more groups.

Next Sunday afternoon, I agreed to speak at a local retirement home's church service. Once again, this will be a new experience and I'm not quite sure what I will be getting into. I have been told it is just like any other church service with singing and a time of studying Scripture. Therefore, I am preparing a message just as I normally do, at least I'm trying.

The last time I preached was September 1, and that was the conclusion of the twelve-week class I took. Trying to include everything that was required and then incorporating what was expected while preaching, it was a difficult message to give. I very frequently recycle messages and preach the same thing for different congregations. However, I don't plan to give that message again, at least not in the near future. Remembering class also makes me recall the falling away of the instructor and why I won't receive any tangible recognition of the effort.

I was scheduled to preach on October 6, and was asked to for October 13 as well, but I canceled and declined them. Being in the hospital at the time, I knew I wouldn't be ready to lead a church. Looking back at recovery the last few weeks, I'm thankful I did not agree to these invitations. Now, I'm a week away from preaching and have all these distractions in mind. I decided to make a new message for this group, but it hasn't been progressing as I had hoped.

One advantage I have is that I know the audience is all retirees, mostly in their 70's, 80's, and above. Therefore, my message doesn't need to fit multiple generations that are in various stages of life. I do have my passage determined and have written a message, but it still doesn't seem right. Hopefully with this week to go, it will get finalized to something I feel is good to present.

Such is the busy quad life, health concerns one week and sermon prep the next. Whatever I'm doing, I'm thankful to be used by God and trust Him wherever He leads.

Visit Conclusion

I can't remember the last time this happened, but I'm actually writing this week's entry on the day, and even  time, it normally goes out. The last few days have been busy and have not allowed me to write early, but they were good days.

Friday, my friend John came to visit for a few days and brought his oldest son, TJ. It has been a couple years since John came long enough to stay overnight, let alone bring his son. He stopped for a quick day visit last year,but that was it.

TJ is now 11 and old enough to have conversations with, but still plays games. He had an older version of farming simulator on his iPad, so I had fun teaching him farming basics. However, one reason John came this weekend was to hear me preach.

Today was the end of my three week preaching stint and the final assignment for the preaching class I've been taking. I gave the same message last week for practice, but today was recorded and what I will be handing in, if I can figure out how. I think I covered the majority of the requirements, except changing my tone of voice and having a suspenseful pause. I attempted to do more "body movement" than I normally do, but I don't know if it will count. I hope I will get a passing grade at least, but I'm preparing myself to get a bad rating as well.

After nearly 12 weeks of reading books and watching lectures, I'm somewhat glad to be finished. I can't say I learned a lot of new information, but did get a better appreciation of preaching and am more able to look at a passage and prepare a message. If I have more opportunities for similar, I will likely take advantage of them. However, I will give it a few months in order to get further caught up on my reading and personal study.

Living the quad life, I'm thankful for what I've been enabled to do and close friends to share life with. None of us know what a day may bring, but the past few have been fun. Now, I start a new week with hardly any nights covered and a day empty as well.

Inter-Generational Witnessing Training

Since 2016, I have been volunteering at the Gospel Outreach/Ark Encounter booth at the Iowa State Fair. Each year, I have had the same caregiver come with me. She has become very familiar with the routine and we know what to do. This year, Sara was gone for surgery recovery and I thought I would not be able to volunteer. Thankfully that was not the case and I got to go for two days, but with different helpers.

Friday the ninth was my first day at the fair and my intern nurse, Brenda, came as my assistant. She has helped me some during the spring outreach event, but the fair is an entirely different situation and much busier. As she always has, Brenda adapted very quickly and figured out how to setup my microphone and then volunteered to help put dinosaur sticker tattoos on kids. 

Our three hour shift went well including our restroom break in unfamiliar surroundings. We likely talked with over 100 kids showing that dinosaurs were made on the sixth day of creation week, along with Adam and Eve. I talked with many parents about the Ark Encounter and confirming God's Word as real history. When our time was up, we took a couple hours to explore and I tried to show Brenda a sample of the Fair for her first visit.

Tuesday was my second day and the day that my dad helped. Dad has helped me do many things throughout my life, but a gospel outreach has barely been one of them. Unlike Friday, it took us nearly 45 minutes just to get into the fairgrounds and then to our booth a few minutes late. It took more instructing, but he also figured out my mic system and how to fill my hands with gospel tracts. Dad was a little more hesitant on helping with sticker tattoos, but he also helped and at one point was one of three people applying tattoos to throngs of waiting children.

Therefore, my first day was training someone that could be my daughter (if I had been blessed with kids in late teens/early 20's). The second day was working with my dad, so two different generations helping with the same task. I'm thankful to be able to live an active quad life and all the help God has given me. It was also nice having younger legs for a day that didn't mind going up large hills.

Next year, I don't know what God will bring or what situation I will be in. Whatever the case will be, I hope to continue to serve and doing more outreach.

Two Decades of Awareness

In 2004, I gave a disability awareness talk to second-graders at my local Christian grade school. I had seen a few months earlier that their course on disabilities consisted of watching a 30-minute video. I hoped I could improve the course by being a live person the students could interact with and who was local. This year marks two decades since my first school, and I still enjoy it.

Like every endeavor, it takes time to learn and see what works and what doesn't. Sitting in-front of 20+ eight-year-olds requires practice in patience as well as staying active. My very first class was a learning curve, but I have hopefully improved over the years.

Trying to teach kids about paralysis and other disabilities is a challenge. Since my first class, I always have the class write with their mouth, just like me. After 2020, in anticipation of mask requirements, I added in foot writing as well. These two activities show how I write and how someone without arms may write. No matter the method, the same activity gets done. God uses all different abilities to serve Him.

Now that I have been to schools several years in a row, it's fun getting recognized by older students. Recently, I left a third-grade classroom after my presentation and rolled directly into the fourth-graders during library time. I was quickly the focal point and was pelted with questions about the visit I just had and heard several, "I remember..." It has now been long enough that I could start getting a second generation of kids, but I don't think it has happened, yet.

My regular presentation is well embedded in my memory, but I still feel a bit rusty with my first group every year. I also change a few things depending on time and how interactive the class is. This year, I focused more on how someone with visual impairments may read, and some years it's how hearing impaired may use a phone. Even with that, my speaking memory issues came up in my last class.

This school likes me to include a favorite Bible verse as part of my talk. I remembered halfway through, but couldn't recall the reference or half the verse. While going home, Jeremiah 29:11 came to me easily again, but long after I left the students.

I love working with kids and am thankful for this opportunity God has given me. I don't know how long I'll be able to continue, but I plan to while I'm able to get out and remember what God has allowed me to speak.

Outreach without Reaching Out

May has arrived, and with it my annual volunteer time with the Tulip Gospel Outreach. I had the same time constraints as last year, but with a few different twists.

As what seems to be the norm, weather during Tulip Time was quite cool for most of the festival. Thursday started out with thunderstorms that continued for most the day. Dad dropped Sara and I off at church so we could stay dry and picked us up again over five hours later. Due to weather, the first parade was canceled and some of the events were moved inside to where we were meeting.

Gospel outreach volunteers moved to the basement and had a demonstration of sidewalk painting that leads into a presentation. The group's leader was very nice in getting lunch for Sara and I so we didn't have to battle the rain, but it meant we never left the chilly church. It was a good day of learning and fellowship, but I went home well before any outreach activities happened.

Friday morning was the best weather of the week with clear skies and temps in the low 70's. After the morning lessons, Sara and I headed out to lunch. Afterward, we returned to the church parking lot for a demonstration of good street preaching, not street screeching as some ministries do. By the time it finished, we had about 15 minutes until it was time to leave. Therefore, instead of going to our designated location, Sara and I returned to the van and home. We handed out two gospel tracts at lunch and three while going to our vehicle, but that was all.

Saturday was the final day of the festival and another soggy morning with full cloud cover. After dad brought Brenda and I to town, we listened to a couple excellent messages given by Mark Spence of Living Waters. During his first presentation, I looked at my chair's computer screen and realized I forgot to have someone plug it in overnight, it was only 50% charged. That meant I only lost three levels of charge over the previous two days, so I figured it would be okay.

Once again, we headed out to find food after coordinating plans with my team. I drove a little over two blocks from church, found a nutritious meal of strawberry funnel cake, and parked beside a nearby picnic table. While eating in the frigid air, I noticed my power level now read empty and displayed a message "recharge batteries." I gave out one tract to picnic table neighbors, who I could barely see, before informing my team I would have to leave. Brenda then pushed me, all 500+ lbs, through the bumpy sidewalks to the van.

Over three days of the outreach, I gave out six gospel tracts and had zero conversations. I did help my team in practicing conversations and gave out eight of my books, but that was it. The question I answered the most was, "Aren't your feet cold?" It was definitely a quad life experience, but I pray the very little interaction I had will result in eternal benefit for someone.

Junior High Teacher

I enjoy working with children. I like helping them learn, hearing their perspective on life, and of course watching them play and enjoy life. I don't get to this very often, but even short experiences are fun. Usually, I work with kids around age 8-10 when speaking in schools or when I volunteered at CHAMP Camp. Teens are an entirely different dynamic from their younger versions and harder to ascertain what they are thinking and understanding. However, that is the age group I have been working with for the last month.

In 2010, just a few weeks before getting my diaphragm pacemaker, I taught the high school class in my church's Sunday school. It was a short course on geology from a creation viewpoint and was fun to give. I had to bribe the teens with candy to answer questions, but it worked. This school year, I volunteered to be a substitute Sunday school instructor. I knew I couldn't commit to every Sunday through the year, but I thought I could help a few times at least.

Late in 2023, the regular Jr. High instructor had me come and meet the eight students he was teaching. The lesson plan he was using would conclude before the end of the year, so he offered for me to take the final four weeks of the year. I volunteered and quickly made up a lesson plan based on Genesis 1-11, the foundation of the Bible.

Week 2 Worksheet

Since my plan hadn't been approved by the church council, I was initially denied to teach. However, after some adjustments and searching through the approved material, I was allowed to go ahead.

I divided the four weeks into large chunks, creation in Genesis 1, the fall of man in Genesis 3, Noah's flood in Genesis 6-9, and the final lesson on Babel in Genesis 11. For each lesson, I included a question from the Heidelberg Catechism and a few to make the students think. One question was if snow was a result of sin. We thought about Adam & Eve's original clothing (nothing), tasks, and food source. From this, we thought snow, or harsh winter conditions, were a result of the fall.

Overall, I think it went well. As I expected, it was hard to get much feedback from the students, but they seemed to catch on. A few times, our class was cut short due to a long worship service. It made it difficult to cover everything, but also made me mindful of my own preaching and not going too long. Today should have been my final week, but the service went so long that Sunday school was canceled. Therefore, I hope to finish everything next week when the year concludes.

If asked, I would be interested in helping again. I submitted a new curriculum to the council to approve for next year, but I am somewhat guessing it won't go through. God may surprise me though and I'll have a new opportunity to help teach the next generation. This week though, I'm scheduled for my fourth grade school visit with one more to go next month. Hopefully it will go well and students will learn about different abilities.

Recorded Interview

It has again been a busy week in the quad life with some days making me wonder how to get everything accomplished. One activity this week was not among the ordinary, but is becoming more familiar.

I don't listen to the radio very much. However, some mornings, and when driving to the city, I listen to a Christian radio station in Des Moines, Life 107.1. I don't care for some of the modern Christian music, but I do get a laugh out of two morning show DJ's, Taylor and Jen. They often promote their Saturday morning podcast that features a variety of people that can help listeners in Christian living. I contacted Jen early this year to see if they would be interested in my story and gave her a book. After a lot of schedule planning, I interviewed with them Tuesday afternoon.

Driving to Des Moines, my caregiver and I went through rain that changed to snow, then, ice, slush, and back to rain again. The rapid change in conditions made me wonder if this was what it was like 39 years ago during our accident if I really should be going. Thankfully, we arrived safely at an office building in West Des Moines and found the station's suite.

Interviewing with two people I've never met, and only heard, felt like going into the unknown. I prayed that the time would be glorifying to God and how He has worked in my life. I read a few sections of what I wrote, but made sure to emphasize the blessings I have received.

Unlike my previous radio appearance, this one didn't go out live. It will be edited into a podcast that should release late this month. One request I made was that I could present the gospel and have it in the final product. I'm not sure if I'll get to preview it, but I hope they do keep it in. The station's motto is "always uplifting" and discussing sin and deserving punishment goes against the theme.

This week looks to be a little calmer with fewer excursions. That doesn't mean the busyness is less, but I'm thankful I am able to be used in various roles.

Bad Retailer

I started my first jobs in high school. One was a temporary data entry position and the other was writing for a local newspaper. Since then, I've had a few different occupations with various employers. However, everything has been in the technology industry. The "product" is data, either recorded for later use or for public information such as a website.

With these forms of work, everything is completed quickly. When data becomes available, it is entered and done. Changes to client's websites are done as quickly as possible and then the job is complete. With the release of my book in early September, I have been thrust into a different job type; one that I'm starting to dislike.

The book is available on Amazon in three different forms, electronic, paperback, and hard cover. If someone purchases an item, Amazon takes care of everything and I get paid royalties at the end of the month (hopefully). For physical books, which I prefer, they get delivered within a few days. However, I can also order author copies as they're called.

For these, I pay the cost of producing the book and shipping to me. This is a less expensive option and I can then sell them directly for less expense than Amazon, and I can sign them. The main problem with this is shipping can take up to two weeks. Therefore, when someone asks for a book, I put them on my list and let them know when it comes. Unfortunately, by the time it arrives, enthusiasm has worn out and people aren't able to come and get them. I am then left with stacks of books sitting around my room. As I write this on Friday evening, I have 27 books on hand to fill 25 orders. That sounds great, but this week added a new complication.

A friend is in charge of the Iowa Ability Fair, which was held yesterday in Des Moines. She arranged for me to have a table to sell books. I was very reluctant to agree, but she was persistent. That means I took 20 books along, which are technically already sold, to sell to anyone interested. The fair went most of the day and I will need to make another order Saturday night.

I'm thankful people want to get my book and are excited to read it. However, my like of clear surfaces on furniture is starting to get to me. I will learn my new skill of retail supply and storage. Living the quad life is interesting sometimes with never knowing what to expect.