Wednesday, May 17, 2017

advice before accepting your next ride












In between having two BMW’s totaled from underneath me, a 1972 R60/5 and a new with only 400 miles R90/6, I had to get around somehow.  Among other things my left wrist was broken in a few places, so It made pulling in a clutch difficult, also with a shoulder separated and a broken collarbone, I went with the doctor on this one and no riding.  Having only motorcycles, if I wanted to get around I learned to hitchhike, which 40 years ago was an accepted way of travel in South Florida.  And I actually got pretty good at it, it seems there is a way or style to get picked up, and once mastering it, which I never did in the few short months, but got good enough I could get a ride pretty easily.  But as with anything free, or any handout, you took what was offered, and it wasn’t always what you wanted.  Besides some weirdoes, you didn’t necessarily get door to door service, and I learned where to be dropped to best get my next ride.  Like some ride bus routes, we hitch hiked that way, and I never had a bad time, bad ride, or bad experience. Some actually turned out pretty good, but you also learned to be a quick character study, and to learn to pass on some.  You asked first “how far you going,” and if you felt like they were a bad choice, turned the down.  Which I am sure worked in reverse, when I was asked first “how far you going?”
But times and people have changed, and hitching a ride is not what it used to be.  Only in an emergency would I consider it anymore, and with cell phones, you really don’t need to, call a taxi or Uber.  But yet nothing beat free when broke, or broken as I was, which only made the healing time drag on.  I have picked up hitch hikers in my time, but since I ride most of the time, I get a thumbs up from them and a free pass.  But one night, in desperation, his, not mine, I gave a guy a ride.  On I-80 in western Pennsylvania, it is barren, and getting gas on my way to Ohio, this guy approached me.  It was pouring, he needed to get where I was headed, and was willing to ride without rain gear.  At least to the next stop, which came none to soon for him, and for me also.  He was soaked, but further down the road, I had picked up someone who didn’t know to ride. Which is dangerous, and I couldn’t wait to get rid of him.  Fro my own selfish reasons....
For some seeking God is like hitch hiking, you take your chances with what comes along.  Too many cults out to get you for their own good, to misdirect you and mislead.  How many times was I invited to a I Ching meeting, a so-called Bible study, or a wealth building club draped around religion.  Only to find myself short of where I needed to be or wanted to go.  Some wanted to add rules to my life to control me.  Some wanted to take advantage of my money, via dues in the name of giving.  Anytime I accepted an invitation, I was at their mercy to go where they were taking me.  Finding out that all that come in the name of Lord are not of the Lord.  At least the Jesus the Bible speaks of....
1 John tells of no one abiding in Jesus Christ sins anymore.  But when we do we have an advocate in him when we confess our iniquities.  But in him, we won’t want to, because we are guided by his spirit.  That our life in inter twined with his in the spirit.  Yet for the wolfs seeking whom they may devour, twisted scripture can lead to disaster.  Like getting in a car you know you shouldn’t, you can be taken for a ride.  But abiding in Christ works two ways, his spirit comes to live in us, and we come to live in him.  Our lives are intertwined like vines, not being able to tell where one starts and the other ends.  Both clinging to each other, but seeking from Jesus the strength we need, the love we need, and the forgiveness we desire.  Sheep who need a shepherd, a person needing a ride, but with someone they can trust.  When we are picked up hitching, both parties have an obligation, the hitcher to respect the driver, the driver to do what he says he will do.  Too often the signals get mixed, and never to our advantage.  In the spirit, the signal is clear, the choice is always ours, and forgiveness is provided for any wrong doing.  But the choice is ours, do we get in the car or not?  Do we stop to pick up the hitcher?  Or are you talked into it like I was that rainy night?  Jesus never forces himself upon you.....do you force him on others?
Abiding in Christ frees us from the bondage of sin, and from being sinned against.  We can make better decisions when we walk continuously with Christ, which abiding is.  Continually, continuous.  Always, all the time.  Like right now.  Living in him frees us from the bondage of sin right now, so we can live godly lives.  Looking back, I was a fair target for the wolf type looking for whom it might kill.  They go after the weakest ones in the pack, and I was damaged.  I was at risk, and vulnerable.  God watched over me even though I didn’t know it or wasn’t saved yet, that is his love.  But the choice to abide in him was mine and always will be.  So beware of those who appear as sheep but inside are ravenous wolves.  The devil is out to seek and destroy, hitching on wherever he can, offering a ride, but not the one you want or need.  Say no to the cults, to a religion that isn’t all about Jesus, that denies his deity.  They may appear friendly, but are out to get  you.  God has given us his spirit to discern, for in this life you will have trials and tribulation.  By abiding in Christ you will know what to do, and who to do it with.  Long before you ask or know, he has provided the way.  Jesus is the way, anything else is a detour meant to destroy.  Jesus looks out for us, are we out looking for him?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

are the years getting shorter, no but your life is














It is fair to say that as a group of people, humans that is, that we want it all, and we want it right now.  When I was young I always wanted to be 12, then when I got there found out I had to pay adult prices at the movies, what a rip.  I couldn’t wait to get out of high school, but then had to make decisions on my own without school telling me when, where, why and how to be.  Then it was starting a career, making money, then more money, then retiring on a disability.  For 63 years I was in a rush, and with less days ahead than lay behind, I want to slow down.   But it seems the world is getting even faster, why does time fly as I get older, I can deal with it while having fun, but why when older? 
I was excited to have sons, and couldn’t wait to ride motorcycles with them, to see them grow up.  Now they are grown up, and I am about to be a grandfather, yet I still see them as younger sons, needing me.  Why did they grow up so fast?  I got what I wanted, but did I?  Was I so much in a hurry that I missed out on the days I had in anticipation of tomorrow?  I have been so blessed by God with a family, friends, and Jesus, not particularly in that order, but yet something inside cries out for more. And today raising a new 13 week, 30 pound American Bulldog puppy, I am again learning patience, hoping she grows out of her puppy hood soon, but not so soon she gets old.  We had Clemenza for 12 years, we thought she would last forever, forever changed.  And now with only my mother left between Theresa and I, we are the old ones.  It happened so soon, so suddenly, that we never saw it coming.  But it is here now, so I make a vow to try to enjoy every day with what I have, looking forward to the future, but enjoying today too, with all its problems, but also with all its blessings.  Dear Lord, I need you more than ever!
We are called the human race, and scripture tells us to run the race to win.  We see it as a sprint, but really it is an endurance race.  While a drag race may be over in a matter of seconds, and at high speed with high thrills, the Baja 1000 takes hours, with some boring sections mixed in with the technical stuff.  We think we are not making progress, we cannot see where we are, until we compare it to other competitors, than either step it up, or continue at the pace we are running.  Going less slow is how they describe it, for some sections are fast. Some are slow.  The winners know how to make the best time in the section without crashing, a lesson we need to apply to life.  For like in racing, to finish first, you must first finish.  Ask Robbie Gordon, who ran out of gas 5 laps away from winning the Indy 500.  I have seen racers lead the whole race, then fade at the end, exhausted.  Some lives are like that, sadder still is when a Christian life is like that.  We are supposed to know better, at least we say we do.  But do we?
How many wait all year for vacation, then hurry and rush through it?  We wait all week for the weekend, then rush through it.  We enjoy the anticipation more than the event itself many times, forgetting we need to endure to the end, and enjoy the time we are in right now.  Sometimes we just need to stop and ask “where is Jesus in this activity?”  And then listen to his answer.  We have learned to be flexible in our touring, but yet cannot in life.  Yet everyday we need to bend, not break and choose Jesus over our plans.  How many good times were missed by our stubbornness, or good times had because we were flexible?  Maybe the adjustments we make tell us more about ourselves than we need to know.
Yet scripture tells us patience produces salvation, God is patient with us, are we patient with ourselves?  Or is tomorrow more important than today?  Maybe the example of having children says it best.  Fro 9 months we can plan, save, rearrange, and get ready.  Yet when the baby arrives, we feel so inadequate.  They cry, wet themselves, demand all our time, and wear us out.  But somehow it is all worth it when they smile.  Maybe that explains how God sees us, children who cry and complain, yet when we call him Dad, his heart melts.  He knows the hard times are all worth it then.  Do we?  Maybe a day of going less slow is what we need.  To rest and enjoy.  God does, so should we.  He looked at his creation and took great joy over what he had created, even knowing what was to come he rested.  We don’t know and don’t rest.  So take the time today and seek God, follow the spirit.  Rest a moment.  If time still seems to be flying, let it.  It isn’t getting any faster, maybe you are getting slower. 
Let the young ones do their time, we have.  Sit back and enjoy what you have with who you have.  And when you have Jesus you have it all.  He only made it to 33 yet lives on eternity, what’s your rush?
Or you can look back and say “if I knew I was going to live so long I would have taken better care of myself.”
love with compassion,
Mike
matthrw25biker.blogspot.com



Monday, May 15, 2017

rebels back then and now


















Looking back, I guess those of us who rode to high school were rebels.  The Viet Nam War was still going, it was still 5 years from Saigon becoming Ho Chi Min City, mini skirts were in, so were maxis, Chevy vs. Ford still ruled the sales race, and Honda was in its third year of its CB 750.  Harley was a leisure activity of AMF, and BSA was gone, no mega dealers yet, and if you rode, you still were looked down on.  At least by your parents, but to the girls....a different story.  A few of us rode, maybe 6-7 every day in the spring, we even started parking our bikes in a space just for us, and from Sportster to Yamaha 100, we had the fever.  We were sticking our faces in the wind every chance we got, some would protest the war, some got high, the stylish group went to the Island to drink as the law there was 18, but for the rest of us it was motorcycles.  Some had fast girls and cars, we had faster girls and faster motorcycles....while the Grateful Dead reminded us “of what a long strange trip it has been...” and ours was only beginning. 
But even with almost every bike on the road a Honda, read old Honda ads, they never referred to them as motorcycles, thanks to the Harley image from The Wild One, and so we rode Hondas.  At least to the uninitiated, but within those of us who rode, there was a pecking order.  With the engine size the main criteria, but the electric leg coming in second.  Real men kick started their bikes, on Triumphs it was a love song you hoped ended in making love, as you tickled the carbs, kicked through to release the clutch and find TDC, then jumped down to make it go.  Usually on the first or second try, and to those watching the when the bike rumbled to life, that was manhood.  But on the 1000cc Sporty, that took real men, men so tough they only wore leather, who smoked Chesterfields hidden in their short sleeve t-shirts, and smelled of grease and oil.  A big bike, a size we all dreamt of riding one day, suddenly our 350 cc’s of Honda were kid’s bike, our push button electric leg a sign of childhood, until the light turned green.  And away we went....
While the old bikes vibrated and leaked oil, ours ran smooth, were very quick and quiet.  They couldn’t shake us, the Triumph lost some of us in the curves, the Harley after 80 ate our lunch, but up till then, we ran neck to neck with them.  Leaving behind the parking lot status of cool, when the light changed, so did the attitude.  When the contest for cool changed, when the criteria was speed rather than being seen, when the audience at 80 was much different than the one parked, a new rebel was born.  A division in our ranks, cruising vs. racing, and the two would  never meet again.  One group of rebels becoming two, bad boys vs. fast boys, finally defined by the girls who rode with us, or dreamed of it.  You might have met the nicest people on a Honda, one ride changed all that.  Such were the rebels of my high school back then.....
We were “one nation under God,” but the dividing line became what you rode.  Sadly a lesson learned from religion.  Our town was broken down as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish, with each a different belief system, yet honoring the same God.  Just different means to that, some historical, some hysterical, and some not even worship at all.  We watched as the Catholic kids didn’t eat meat on Fridays, not even served in our cafeteria, the Lutherans and Baptists celebrated Lent, and the Jewish kids skipped out on Christmas.  All met in separate buildings, like our bike dealers did, and as a kid I never understood all the rules that made the difference.  Like those of us who rode, we all liked to ride, we just did it differently.  But when it came to religion, no one escaped unscathed, as each rule made one denomination better than the other, more religious, but less loving.  And even then, we were all about love, even if it was all about sex.  We knew there was more to life and love, but we didn’t find it in church.  Some did, but the rest of us wanted more....
With many of us turning to Jesus, which was real rebellion.  But really following a tone set 2000 years ago, when Jesus challenged the religious systems of the day.  The old time religion that was good enough for previous generations didn’t make it now.  We sought truth, the truth, and the spirit pointed us to Jesus, who reunited us with his father in heaven.  Some of the people he reunited were not the nicest people you met on Hondas, Harley types, scooter types came too.  Hippies, red necks, and even nerdy kids were being called, and becoming rebels.  Suddenly groups that would never have anything to do with each other were meeting, sharing Jesus, loving each other.  To our own amazement, and the amazement of others.  This Jesus was real, freed us from religion, united us in the spirit.  Ramblers and Sportsters were found parked next to each other, previous loose girls were finding respect, we got high on Jesus instead, and our worlds, the world was changing.  The same spirit that changed Nicodemus, that brought the 12 disciples together was uniting us.  We had been so busy being rebellious we never considered rebelling against sin.  Or turning to God.  Jesus changed all that, 2000 years ago, 45 years ago, and is still changing hearts and lives today.  Rebels then, rebels now. 
Think you are a rebel because you ride a black V-twin?  Wear leather and denim?  Sorry.  Talk tough and think Christians are weak.  Sorry.  Brag on conquests yet left unsatisfied.  Sorry.  It is only when you come to Christ you are really a rebel, you go against sin in all forms, from religion to society.  When you learn to love as Jesus loves you, then do you truly become a rebel.  Some still hide in pews and pulpits, some still attend church thinking that will purify them, but inside still are not at peace.  Take a break from religion, follow the original rebel, and find love without bounds, peace without description, joy beyond feelings.  Rebel from religion and cling to Jesus, and get ready to get a bad rap.  A small group of us who rode in high school were considered rebels and misunderstood.  Long before the motorcycle crowd espoused “let those who ride decide,” Jesus was sending the same message.  It is your decision, how much of a rebel are you?  Rebellious enough to turn to Jesus?  Tough enough to become a Christian?  Bright enough to see the light?  Or still seeking while others have found?  The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.  
Real rebels, saved rebels make it to heaven.  Jesus separates the good from the bad. Once defined by what we rode, we now are defined by who we serve.  Jesus Christ was a rebel to the end, to his death on the cross, something no religious person would do for anyone.  Jesus died so we could live, religion lives on only because there are rebels yet called but not changed.  Jesus lets you choose, religion tells you what to do.  Now what kind of an honorable rebel would be told what to do? Rebels then, rebels now, and forever...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com


Friday, May 12, 2017

SORRY!










 The 1930’s brought us many board games, among them Monopoly, of which we all make up our own rules, and SORRY! where you don’t.  But a few weeks back, after a spaghetti meal at Dustin Arms, I sat with a few girls who were playing SORRY!, and they asked me to join in.  Now I have been playing SORRY! for over 55 years, my Grandma had the original game my father played, and I knew all the rules, the strategies, and the fun of sliding into your opponent.  With the ultimate goal of getting all your pieces home.  But these girls knew none of the rules, they didn’t know you only came out on a 1 or 2, that 4 only went backwards, that with an 11 you could change positions with an opponent, and split a 7.  They didn’t know about sliding, except on your own color, and didn’t even go home, they kept going around the board endlessly.  When I tried to explain the rules, they got exasperated, and one finally told me “you don’t know how to play the game.”  And there was no way to convince them different.  So I left, them still going around the board, missing out on all the fun SORRY! could give them, feeling sorry for them.  They had the same board and the same pieces, just not the same objective.  There was no way to win....they kept going around the board never knowing the truth.  They never knew what drawing the SORRY! card meant, and no one ever won, but no one ever lost either.  All the fun was gone, because they didn’t play the game as it was intended.  And I didn’t know how to play....
Many Christians live their life that way, going around the board without knowing the rules, or the rule maker.  Making up their own set of rules, they try to fit in, and when someone tries to show them the right way, they rebel, sometimes taking their game and leaving.  True, sometimes the rules are forced on them, by those who don’t know you cannot legislate love, but they never knew the truth, only saw the headlines, and the notes from the pastor.  They played the game, but were never in it, never losing, but never winning either. 
When we become a Christian we are promised eternity.  But when does eternity begin?  Like infinity, it has no beginning, so going back as far as you can you still are in it, and going forward you will always have more time to go.  We are not taught that eternity is right now, that we are in the midst of it, and it is quality as much as quantity.  Ever have an old saint tell you “I’ve been in church for over 30 years, didn’t tell me about God,” confusing seat time for heart time.  But it is the quality of life we can enjoy now in Jesus, that many substitute for life after death, which we get, but can have the benefits today.  If we turn to the spirit for guidance, and lean not on our own understanding.  Or we can live life like the girls playing SORRY! by their own rules.
It is a weakness when we try to figure out solutions based on our own intellect.  When we do, we become bored, change the rules, or disobey them, ending in frustration.  Our own programs leave us uninterested and bored, leaving us not wanting to be involved.  We lose interest, fall back on our old ways, and soon the joy is gone.  But the problem still stays, with a new set of players.  Where God walks in and is told “you don’ t know the rules.”  Maybe not, but I know Jesus...
How often have you planned and planned and yet God did it his way, and for your benefit?  With blessings you never imagined?  That is the quality of eternity now in the spirit, the “on earth as it is in heaven,” of the Lord’s prayer.  The words of Jesus to his disciples, on how to pray.  The spirit giving life despite our input.  Have you ever asked God to work through you, then did what you had planned anyway?  Do we cry like a baby when we don’t get our way, and complain God doesn’t answer your prayers?  Maybe...if we saw that every obstacle is an opportunity for Jesus to show himself in our life, to make us a true witness of his grace and mercy.  In him we get to reveal his glory, grace, wisdom, and power, no matter the situation.  For when we are weakest, his strength is made perfect.  Now, not after death, but today, right now!  We invited him into our lives, not just for the future, but today, which yesterday was tomorrow.  How little meaning time has when we spend it in the eternity of the right now of Jesus. 
Looking back, we see more than if we looked ahead in the spirit.  If only we trusted him as much before as we do after, eternity would be revealed in us everyday.  You can experience that eternity now in Jesus, by listening for his answer in prayer, by staying in the word, and letting the spirit guide you.  Finding that if you do, you have a greater chance of never having to say you are sorry.  And meaning it!  You see games have rules, and the game is played to win.  The young girls that day had no idea what they were missing, and didn’t want to know.  Does that sound like you and your relationship with God?  You need the spirit, the rule of love, and forgiveness.  Right now.  Those girls never knew the object of the game was to get home, just like Jesus calls to us now.  To come home to God, be forgiven, and walk in his spirit eternally.  With the blessings now and forever.  God’s way, not ours.  If that that you have heard from the beginning is in you, you have eternity now.  You will be abiding in the father and the son, and the spirit.  NOW!  And live a life you never dreamed of in the spirit.  If not, all you can say is “sorry.” Now you know...life to some just a game, but to those of us who know Jesus, it is eternal life. Which gives us a monopoly in the spirit!  To which I am never sorry...for to some life is a bored game only...but in both only the right way will get you home. 
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com


Thursday, May 11, 2017

the day after the dealer closed
















To many of us, or really too many of us, rely on a relationship with our local dealer.  He is the one who stays open late so we can pick up that needed part, will even sometimes drop it by on his way home, or take one off a new bike in an emergency.  At least that is the way it used to be, and can be today.  The dealership owner rode, and on any Sunday morning ride would encounter his group of customers, adding to the ride, but sometimes subtracting from it also, he needed a day just to go for a ride like we do.  But yet got hit with so many questions, requests for helping me with my bike, and soon the day was gone, the miles were too few, and Monday came around, his Sunday, and all the non-shop things at home were calling.  It was a shop where we all knew each other by name or reputation, which lent us each a nickname to go with it.  We would joke “what mother would name her kid The, as in The Cruiser?”  We became friends, and would wait anxiously when he returned from the dealer meeting, to see what new bike we lusted after but couldn’t afford.  Did the new 750 really perform like the 1000?  Was there a new sport model, race replica?  Was it just new colors again, or was this the year to trade?  The dealer, our dealer was more than a friend, he was the connection to the outside inner workings of the industry.  Long before the mega dealer, he eked out a living, barely broke even, but had more friends and loyal customers than he could count.  It started with a love of motorcycles, turned into a hobby, then a business, and then a lifelong relationship.  We watched as his family members helped in the business, his wife would work parts, and his son would learn basic mechanical skills.  But as the time passed, he got older, he looked forward to riding like we did, all the people passing through the doors talked of places he had heard of but never rode, and one day, to our surprise, the shop was closed.  The sign said “NEW OWNERS” and we all were in shock.  What happened?  He never said anything about closing?  Was he OK?  But really it was, “where will we go now?  Our friend is gone...”
But soon it was “will the new owners understand like he did?  Will he give me the shop discount?  What will I do in an emergency?”  Suddenly we were no longer friends with the dealer, but customers.  New customers, and the relationship building process would begin again.  Some too old to care, some too young to remember how it was, and a part of the brotherhood, a personal relationship with motorcycles and motorcycling was gone.  An old dog of a ride would have to learn new tricks, hopefully the new owner would too.  Somewhere besides the free hot dogs, banners, and mail outs, we hoped there was a person.  Where we never filled out name and address, now we became part of a data base, and looking at it found some of our friends real first name.  BH was really Bernard, Slim was really Edwin, and Silly Willie was really Durwood.  Durwood?  The times changed, but how would they change us?
In the beginning, riding was like that.  But so was man’s relationship with God.  But something changed along the way, and we fell from grace.  Sin God called it, and it separated us from him.  One day Adam and Eve are walking in the garden with him, the next day hiding behind the bushes.  The dealership with God after sin said “NEW OWNER” and our relationship would never be the same.  The garden was closed, the entrance blocked, the new owner had a much different attitude towards us.  Soon we all went our own ways, some quit on God, some made up new gods, some even denied there ever was a God, and old friends would divide over the decisions.  Where would we turn for help, comfort, love and compassion?  The new owner had none of those qualities.  Life would never be the same under the new owner, and we concentrated so much on us, we never knew how much the old owner loved and needed us.  And then Jesus came along...
For God so loved the world, the scripture tells us, that he gave over his only son, so we could have life everlasting.  So we could be reintroduced to the father, the original owner.  To go back to when he knew us all by name, and we knew him.  To where it was personal, and we were not separated from him.  To start riding again, to have access to a 24/7 hot line to parts, service, and see all the new models.  We had the inside track available to us again, but not all saw Jesus as God.  It was their choice to say no to Jesus, to quit riding, quit living and trust man.  Some even gave themselves over to false gods, and the devil, the new owner made sure they kept away from the truth.  Vicious advertising, false claims, and neglecting, denying of the holy spirit.  Yet Jesus loved us, and the spirit is still calling sinners to repent today.  That is why the devil attacks so vehemently that Jesus is not the son of God, that he is not deity, and that there is no hope in him.  All lies to keep him in business...and us from heaven.  His continuous vicious attack that denies the scripture that says “no one who denies the son has the father.”  Through that he can get at the secret revealed in the Bible about Jesus, and his saving grace.  About power in the spirit, and the love from a loving father.  Causing many to never know the love that God has for his children, no matter how far astray they have fallen.  A glory revealed through Jesus Christ his son, and available to all who turn to him.  The day after the fall things changed, the day Jesus died on the cross, the game changed again, now and forever.
The days of the local dealer have gone over to the mega dealer.  But the heart of the motorcyclist still remains, the desire to ride and fellowship.  Mega churches may dilute the intimacy, but Jesus never changes.  He knows you by name, whether Silly Willy, Eagle, Nippy, or Crazy.  He knows you and wants you to ride again with him, to know his father, to be guided by his spirit.  The doors are open, a new boss is in town, and the old owner, the devil knows his days are limited.  So before he goes under for good, he will get every soul he can, that is his business.  Don’t go there, start a new relationship today, you may be the the one who changes the the new owner into a friend, who knows all your names.  Who introduces you to his son and family, who will stay open late for you.  Who wants to make it personal,  his profit being found in the relationship, the profit in lives saved.  The whole program of creation was intended to be the Father, taking of the fullness that was in Him, and, through the eternal Spirit, imparting it to the Son. The Son, in turn, takes of the fullness that He has received, and, through the eternal Spirit, imparts it to humans and the whole creation to the end that the fullness may be reflected back in visible manifestation to the Father, and so the whole created world would glorify God. That is God's design for the universe.
If it works for motorcycles, it can work for man in Jesus, too.  He is the answer to where do we go now that the old shop is gone.  He is where we turn the day after the local dealer closed.  He is the reward that keeps us riding.  He wants your business, all of it, and at prices you can afford.  Stop looking, start riding.  The best rides are yet to come.  And then, retirement, and the ride we all long for in heaven. Riding and Jesus, it’s that personal.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com