A Day to be Thankful

[trez]

Brothers and Sisters,

I wanted to share some of my thoughts this am. As you all have known
I went through a terrible trial this last year. In many ways we are
still in that trial (financially) I really do not remember a year that
I was so incredibly broke. Nor have I ever been so incredibly ill.
Things around me were so bad there for one day I thought about ending
it all. Many of us have been there.

To say that I was always rest assured that Christ was with me, would
have been a total lie. In fact it was a day by day moment by moment
struggle. In fact I couldnt have called this my desert experience
without that type of struggle. It tore me to my core. More than I
had ever been torn before. It made me stop and take a real hard look
at my character and take a real hard look at what was important.

At times breathing was important. Having a place to lay down was
important. Not falling down the stairs was important. Puting on a
face of joy when I felt like thrashing out was important.

As my illness started to fade, months later, being able to spend time
with God was important, volunteering for a charity was important, and
standing tall for God was very important. Throughout this process I
found that you were important.

Yes you.

Not I.

I am very joyful that yesterday we were given some great
opportunities. First was we met with some Brothers and Sisters who
were doing God's work from South Carolina. They shared a great event
with us. They brought a period of worship and celebration with them.
The Pastors had been instumental in bringing a man to Christ. They
played the good Samaritin and repaired the man's motorcycle, and led
him to accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Then they came all the way up to Iowa to drop off the bike, to
celebrate the man's baptism, and to see that he gets hooked up with a
group that will take the time to Disciple him.

That brings us to the second thing I need to be thankful for... James
Barnhill "Dog". He has taken some very serious steps from his 1%er
back ground into what I would like to think is the 100%ers for Jesus.
We witnessed his baptism. We prayed with him, as we had been praying
for him previously. We met his family, we saw his motorcycle, we
accepted him in as one of our own.

The work however has not finished. No instead it is just begining.
Last year we saw the worst ride attendance we had ever seen. We were
thrown excuses in place of club pride. We were like I was ill.

We have had these diseases plaguing us... People so ill they couldnt
ride their bikes. Too many family things. (Aren't we family)
Backsliding. Mechanical breakdowns.

Brothers and Sisters today is a day of Thanksgiving. I no longer live
for Rick, but for you. I see us as having an opportunity to be a
Brother's Keeper. I also see us as having the opportunity to be each
other's brother's keepers. I thank God He has given us this
opportunity, for the further advancement of our souls.

Let us plan on getting together for the next year. No excuses. Let
us figure out ways to make the rides. Lets get together and worship.
Lets study together. Lets grow together.

I thank God we have this opportunity. We are bikers miles are part of
the title. We have patched Brother Barnhill just as we have patched
each other. The patch means family. Dont let a day go by when you
dont pray for your family.

Brother Trez