march 1, 2008 - my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You… (psalm 57:1)

top of the morning, friends!


thank you for all the birthday wishes! other than a few aches and pains, 44 doesn't feel too bad!


i appreciate the cards and calls - you guys have been great!



i hope this finds you all well and healthy. i'm getting better every day!



the picture here is of my friend ernestine, whose birthday is one day off from mine. happy 90th birthday, ernie!!!


i attended a motion to suppress hearing in wheeling yesterday on my case. the suspect's attorney was attempting to suppress the blood test, which showed a series of narcotics. fortunately, the magistrate ruled in our favor and as far as i know, the test will remain. thanks to my friend captain tina phillips, WVSP for her hospitality during my visit as well.


story for the day:

The Sands of Forgiveness

by Author Unknown

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

wendy forbes - thank you so much for your continuing kindness!


OFLS friends - thank you as well for the lovely custom card! i really miss you guys.



nora fish - thanks for the letter. unfortunately, i will not be going to the engagement you mentioned, but i'd love to meet your family members sometime. thanks for keeping me lifted up.

quote for the day:

"it is not falling into the water, but lying in it, that drowns"

anonymous

prayer requests:

gil and char jones - they lost their daughter, tasha last week. tasha had been released from dodd hall at OSU after some reason health issues. shortly after she was released, she unexpectedly passed. this family desperately needs your prayers.



scott rike - scott is a friend and is a sergeant with the OSP and his father has been recently diagnosed with cancer. please pray for healing as well as favor for scott to be able to get geographically closer to his family.



tonya daniels - tonya is a friend and classmate of mine from franklin university. her mom has been diagnosed with breast cancer. she asks that we keep her family in our thoughts and prayers.


dale and naomi robirds - please continue to keep their son ryan in your prayers, as he continues to battle hodgekin's lymphoma.



terri west - terri's still recovering from foot surgery. please pray for improved coordination, as i've heard that she's taken a few "spills" lately! she and i have a similar record on falling!



dianna white - she's had one knee surgery....now she's waiting to have the other one done. dance lessons continue to be on hold.


mary pfeifer - as she recovers from neck surgery.


junior salyers - my sister's brother-in-law continues to battle emphasema and cancer.

for my motorcycling friends....a special video for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4mU8ZqMZPU

i will write again when i have more to report.....

until next time....be blessed!



lisa - 1095

february 21, 2008 - “for everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:8)

top of the morning, friends.....

i hope this blog entry finds you all well.

not much has happened since my last talk with you. i'm still waiting for the retirement board to contact me and set up an appointment with it's independent physician. most of the paperwork has been compiled and i suspect the retirement board will make a ruling on my situation in the next month or so. then...on to the next chapter of my life.

the above pictures are of my yamaha roadstar, which unfortunately, was totalled during the crash. while i'm glad it wasn't my harley, the yamaha was one of my favorite bikes. as strange as it may sound, it had almost become an extension of me. that was the bike i did my long-distance traveling on. it had the largest motor and more storage space than any other bike i own.

i went in and cleaned out my office last week. it's amazing how much 'stuff' one collects over a career! i just about needed a semi to bring it all home!

quote for the day (compliments of terri west):

"people are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun's out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light within."

- elizabeth kubler-ross -

my cousin, boo-boo sent me this note and because i found it so motivational, i thought i'd share it with you:

Train of Life

Some folks ride the train of life

Looking out the rear,

Watching miles of life roll by,

And marking every year.

They sit in sad remembrance,

Of wasted days gone by,

And curse their life for what it was,

And hang their head and cry.

But I don't concern myself with that,

I took a different vent,

I look forward to what life holds,

And not what has been spent.

So strap me to the engine,

As securely as I can be,

I want to be out on the front,

To see what I can see.

I want to feel the winds of change,

Blowing in my face,

I want to see what life unfolds,

As I move from place to place.

I want to see what's coming up,

Not looking at the past,

Life's too short for yesterdays,

It moves along too fast.

So if the ride gets bumpy,

While you are looking back,

Go up front, and you may find,

Your life has jumped the track.

It's all right to remember,

That's part of history,

But up front's where it's happening,

There's so much mystery.

The enjoyment of living,

Is not where we have been,

It's looking ever forward,

To another year and ten.

It's searching all the byways,

Never should you refrain,

For if you want to live your life,
You gotta drive the train!

steve & sandy belyus - thanks so much for meeting me for breakfast last week. it was great seeing you guys again. i'll let you know when there is another "elvis sighting." lol

tom reffey - i'm so sorry i had to bail on you for dinner tonight. i'd love to take a raincheck sometime.

terri west - i hope you are healing nicely from your recent surgery. i just wish i could be half the encouragement for you as you've been for me.

laura mourne - glad the scripture came in handy....His grace is sufficient, isn't it? how'd the devotion go?

zach wolfe - nice hearing from you, zach. i worked with your dad a long time ago....being a trooper in bucyrus was one of the most enjoyable times in my career. hearing your dad's name was a real "blast from the past!" please send him my regards.

michael from D9 - good hearing from you again, sir. i'm glad you received a good grade on your paper. i'm glad i could help. good luck on future education and ministry endeavors.

please keep mary pfeifer in your prayers today, as she is undergoing surgery for a herniated disc she sustained from the motorcycle crash.

also keep dianna white ("dirty d") in your prayers, as she is having surgery on one of her knees tomorrow. future dance instruction will be on hold...lol

one more prayer request - please pray for dale & naomi robirds son, ryan. he is only 20 years old and has been diagnosed with hodgekins lymphoma. while the prognosis is good, he will have to undergo a significant amount of chemotherapy to recover.

until we talk again, be blessed!

lisa - 1095

february 9, 2008 - do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing (1 peter 3:9)

top of the morning, friends.....

i hope this entry finds you all well. i'm still in my robe, enjoying a cup of earl grey tea this morning before i prepare to run a few errands. i plan to go in an clean out my office sometime this week, as i have a few personal items to pick up.

i am also in the process of compiling medical records for the retirement board's review. that's proven to be a daunting task. i spent the entire day yesterday compiling records for the victim's of crime compensation fund - another very time consuming ordeal.

mary and i went to wheeling last monday for our 3rd pretrial. the suspects attorney is attempting to suppress the blood test, which showed a laundry list of prescription drugs as well as an illegal street drug. the prosecutor feels that even if the test is thrown out, the case is still extremely strong, so we're optimistic. there will be a motion to suppress hearing later this month. we hope to get this case in front of a jury as soon as possible.

i met with the guys from HR this week as well - major bruce ludlow, captain kevin teaford, and staff lt. brian landis. they bought my lunch at the rice bowl. while the topic was not really what i wanted to discuss (retirement), they were very gracious and understanding. amongst many things we discussed, they wanted to know if i was interested in having a retirement testimonial dinner. i said no, that i would have a "get together" sometime this summer - probably at my house. i will have something simple - perhaps a cookout where you all can come over for a burger and beverage. i may be able to talk my dad into coming up and frying some of his famous fish and hushpuppies! we'll see.

story and scripture for the day

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:3)

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

my friend roberta rice sent me a link that i thought you all would enjoy as well. it really hit home for me on living life to it's fullest. it is posted at the end of the blog - after my sign-off. enjoy!

jon (michelle's neighbor) - tell michelle thanks for thinking of me. my email address is: stafflt@sbcglobal.net

janet from seattle - as a fellow motorcyclist, i realize one doesn't easily offer up his or her "ride" to just anyone! i'm honored that you'd be willing to share yours. i just may take you up on it sometime, friend. unfortunately, i think i'll be riding dad's trike this year. i'm not sure i want to risk the two wheeler yet. i do, however, start it every week or so just to smell the fumes...lol

mike hunter - thanks mike, for the constant encouragement. you continue to inspire me. i look forward to speaking to your kiwanis group next month.

kathy mckinniss - thanks for the note, kathy. you've always been such a good friend. i look forward to hooking up sometime for lunch or coffee. please send my regards to eric.

paul hamm - the pinto was a "class act," wasn't it? they don't make self-destructing cars like that anymore! mary and i would be honored to go to lunch with you sometime!

gary & annette humphries - i look forward to your visit. i'm free most weekends, so we need to plan something soon. my email is listed above. thanks so much for thinking of me.

captain tina phillips - i'm here. where are you? thanks for the comment about the picture, however, i took alot of grief about it because many people thought i was 12 in that picture...lol how was your trip, friend? i really appreciated you sending one of your "friends" to meet us at the courthouse. you have no idea what a friendly face meant that day. call me sometime....

until next time, be blessed.....

lisa - 1095

january 29, 2008 - “the mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9)

top of the evening, friends....

i hope that this entry finds you all well. you folks have been so incredibly inspirational to both mary and me! we thank you again for that.

i finally have an update on my situation. i went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday and he said that medically, my leg is healing quite nicely. he indicated that while the graft is taking and i'm progressing very well, he still wants me to be non-weight bearing on my left leg for another two months. my lower bone has healed sufficiently to walk, but my femur still needs some time to mend. he said that while the metal plate on the front of my bone helps stabilize it, he didn't want to put a plate on the back of the bone because it would inhibit the blood supply. without additional support, the new bone could be damaged...so, the moral of the story is that i need to continue to be patient. that, of course was not the news that i wanted to hear.

i also write this with a heavy heart because i now know that i must file for disability retirement very soon. i had planned to return to light duty on february 4th, but will be unable to do so because my doctor cannot definitively say that i will be prepared to return to full duty in 90 days. while bargaining unit employees enjoy the benefit of a year of transitional or light-duty, exempt officers do not. we are only entitled to 90 days of transitional duty because parity has not been extended to us - forcing my untimely departure. i have great love and passion for my job, as i have given almost 25 years of my life to the OSP. it disheartens me that i will be leaving this great organization and its great people this way. one good thing is that i have 5 years "come back" rights. so if i can progress and heal, my hearts desire is to return to full duty as soon as possible. with God's grace and mercy, i hope to make that happen. please continue to pray for healing, as i really would love to finish my career the way i intended.

one thing i do know is that God is in control and that everything will be okay. He doesn't close one door unless he opens another. my finite mind doesn't understand why things happened this way, but i have to believe that there's a lesson or a purpose here. i just need to be sensitive to His plans. in the meantime, i plan to work very hard at rehab and finish my MBA.

quote for the day

"just as storms in life are a certainty, so is the provision of God for every storm we will ever face. life can be messy and bad things will happen, because every crisis and every storm is an opportunity to trust God. He calls us to a heavenly perspective when facing challenging times. He calls us to see them as He sees them - opportunities for His power and purpose to be illustrated in human terms."

- crosswalk.com -

wendy forbes - thank you again for always checking on me. your cards and calls are greatly appreciated!

steve belyus - thanks for the call on tuesday. i treasure our friendship more than you know, buddy. call me when you're back in town i'll buy you that lunch i owe you!

to my friends at OFLS - i will miss you folks more than you know. a person could not ask for a better group of talented people to work with. please keep in touch, as i'd love to hear from you all.

colonel butch collins - thank you for all you've done to assist with my situation. you, sir are a gentleman and i regret not having the opportunity to work with you longer.

lisa terrill rowland - oh, my goodness! it's been 25 years since i've seen or heard from you! thanks for writing in on the blog. i'd love to get together for coffee sometime when i visit my family. i hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

elzie fish - well, friend....it sounds like i too may be the "r" word as well. maybe we ought to build that motorcycle we've talked about?

janet & deb from seattle - it was great hearing from both of you! mary and i truly cherish our friends from the international association of women police. you have all been great about checking on our conditions. maybe we'll see you at future conferences.

reverend ellsworth - thank you so much for lunch last week. you too, are a gentleman and a friend. i'm so thankful that we have such a class act as our chaplain. next time, however,the lunch is on me!

mark atkeson & bob booker - thanks for the call today. you guys always know when i need encouragement the most. please let me take a raincheck on the visit...i'd love to see you guys.

things are as they should be......until next time, be blessed!

lisa - 1095

january 23, 2008 - “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9)

top of the evening, friends....

i hope that this blog entry finds you all well! things are good here because God is good every day!

the above picture is of the car that hit mary and me on friday the 13th. a combined minimum speed of approximately 66 mph does a significant amount of damage, as you can see.

well, my new truck came in and i couldn't be more pleased with it. i still need to get seat covers installed so the hounds can once again ride with me. they sure don't appreciate being left behind. mary, trish and i broke it in last weekend and took it down to hocking hills to have lunch with raejean and nancy. we all had a great time, and what a beautiful day it was for a drive - although COLD!

i'm still anxiously awaiting the next dr's appointment to see if i can bear weight on my leg or if i have to have additional surgery. my plan was to return to work 2/4...but we'll see.

there is a pretrial (the 3rd thus far) in early february in wheeling for our case. we both plan to attend. this will be the first one we've been able to be there for.

quote for the day:

"Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true."

Napoleon Hill

colonel paul & margie mcclellan - thank you so much for the "sturgis" hat and shirt! you guys shouldn't have done that, but you know i love them both! i will cherish and proudly wear each! i pray your travels are safe and enjoyable. please keep in touch.

colonel butch & brenda collins - i appreciate your call last weekend. i also appreciate your concern for me and my situation. you have no idea how much that means.

wendy forbes - thank you so much for the great pictures and cards! i also always enjoy having you and alan over for movies, etc... i hope your new position is going well too. you've got all it takes to be greatly successful!

mark fellure - buddy, i'll be back on the road in no time. we need to hook up at capital city motorcycle club. with guys like elzie around, they really need us to "class up" the joint! lol

paul hamm - my goodness! it's been better than 20 years since i've heard from you! wow...how time flies, my friend. i still remember us tooling around in my 1972 ford pinto! i appreciate your blog entry and hope you continue to write and keep in touch.

captain tina phillips - thanks again for your help in many arenas. i'll be in touch before the pretrial to set up a meeting place with one of your guys. you, my friend, have been a God send.

dick krider - wow...another blast from my past! some of my fondest memories are working in wyandot county. we always enjoyed such a great working relationship and friendship with you folks. i miss you guys more than you know and appreciate your note on the blog. please keep in touch and tell everyone i said hello.

elzie fish - COTA still has you banned, if you weren't aware. "born to be wild??????" ps....my dad said doesn't appreciate you harassing me....or something like that.....lol

captain dave dicken - thanks for the "care package" you left for me today. i'm sorry i wasn't here to visit with you. i appreciate you keeping me apprised of what's going on.

i'll update you when i have more information. thanks so much for reading and caring!

until then, be blessed!

lisa - 1095

friday, january 11, 2008 - "...I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (psalm 139:13-14)

top of the morning, friends....

i hope this blog entry finds you all well.

i don't have a lot to report today, but wanted to check in and again thank you all for your kindness and for being so attentive to mary, me and the blog.

because of God's grace and your prayers, however, i continue to improve with each passing day. i'm very excited to visit the doctor at the end of this month to determine if i need additional bone grafting (i pray not...), and to see if i can soon bear weight on my left leg. both of these will help decide if i return to work in february. i can't wait to actually walk again! it's been 6 months since i have worked, walked, and driven. my last surgery has had 2 1/2 months healing time, so i'm optimistic that i'll receive good news. please keep me in your prayers....those have kept mary and me both going over the last few months.

my new vehicle has not arrived yet, as there's been a bit of a delay with the delivery. hopefully, it will be in columbus the first of next week. i guess patience is a virtue. i've learned a lot of patience over the last year....lol

the above picture is of my dad and me in tennessee. we were doing our best to impersonate motorcycle outlaws. i think he kinda resembles willy nelson - but don't tell him i said so!

i'm heading out now to run some errands prior to the weekend, as there's always something to do.

quote for the day:

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.

Jim Rohn

major mark atkeson - thanks for the call, friend. you're always so good to check on me.

woody triplett family - i'm so sorry for your loss. woody was such a blessing. hopefully, time will heal some of your hurt.

captain tina phillips - thanks for the call yesterday! it's always good to hear from a great friend. you've been nothing but extraordinary during this whole process. it's nice to have a "protector" in WV! i hope i can someday repay you.

major bob booker - hey buddy, i appreciate your call this week. it's always good to hear from you. we'll have to meet over coffee when i return!

elzie fish - "apparently canada didn't want me either???" what exactly did you mean by that? sounds like maybe you had a little negative experience at the border as well. i'd love to hear those stories!

kathy mckinnis - good hearing from you! i hope you'll not be a stranger from the blog again! i always enjoy your entries, and hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

lydia wagner - i hear congratulations is in order for your new promotion! i wish you only the best in your new position. maybe you can keep dianna in line now that you'll be in the same building. God only knows everyone else has failed...lol

julie smith - you have no idea how much i appreciated your call. when i've long-retired, you will be one of the people i miss most. i appreciate your hard work, professionalism, and friendship.

captain dave dicken - thanks for the visit and updates, my friend! i so miss working with you. we have the ability to accomplish so much, yet have fun doing it. i hope i can return soon to lighten your load.

terri west - you and i have similar political views....lol

s/lt. kim campbell - thanks for your call and invite, although i'm going to have to take a raincheck for now. i do appreciate your thoughtfulness!

until we talk again, expect to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

saturday, january 5, 2008 - "teach us to number our days..." (psalm 90:12)

top of the morning, friends....

i hope this finds you all well on this rainy saturday morning! i'm just trying to get some "odd jobs" done this month before my return to work in february. there's always something to do, isn't there?

last night, wendy and alan forbes came over for pizza and a movie. we had a great time watching "karate kid." wendy was kind enough to pick up the DVD and we ordered the pizza. wendy looked absolutely fantastic. she's lost over 30 lbs!

i also bought a new vehicle last night. my old explorer had 134,000 miles and has been "put to pasture." i ended up buying a toyota tacoma p/up truck so that i can still haul my dogs around, as well as get my mulch and stuff in the spring and summer. i should get it sometime this week. i've never had a pickup, but i was quite attached to my SUV, so i think it will be comparable. the picture above is a truck similar to what i bought. the dealership actually had a salesman come to my house to do the paperwork. now, that's service! (thanks lew karbler!)

the above picture is of my dad and me. he's sitting on his 1998 harley davidson road king trike, with a lehman conversion kit. i bought it on ebay for him about a year and a half ago and he just loves it! he let me borrow it last summer and i took a 2 week trip out west and up into canada with my "biker chick" friends....lol what's interesting is that we all went through customs together and i was the only one detained. what's up with that???

i talked with mary last night. she's enjoying being back to work and is feeling better each day. she wanted me to thank you all again for the calls, cards, and visits while she was off.

quote for the day:

"courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear"

ambrose redmoon

elzie - thanks for always coming to my rescue when i need something. i appreciate your willingness to help me find a new vehicle, even though you voted against me joining capital city motorcycle club.....lol

jean myers - thanks so much for the candy! i'm not sure if i ned to gain weight now, or not...but your contribution will certainly help! lol i'm so glad you're enjoying retirement. you deserve it, my friend.

toni roach - thank you for the lovely card and thoughtful words! your note was very heartfelt and appreciated. i know mary really loves you guys and is thankful to be back to work. she always brags on her "crew." i hope i get the opportunity to come back down and visit with you folks soon.

brian bender - please see a psychologist about the delusions you are having about beating me in a wheelchair race, my friend. either you need psychological help or you need to get off the drugs you're using! you're going DOWN! name the time and place - and have an undertaker on standby to dispose of your defeated self!

until we talk again, be blessed!

lisa - 1095