may 29, 2008 - “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father…” (James 1:17)

top of the morning, friends.....

i hope this entry finds you all well.

its been a while since i made a posting, simply because i didn't have a lot to report.

today, however, i do have some extremely unfortunate news to share. mr. walenciej, the individual who hit mary and me on friday, july 13, 2007, committed suicide this week. we don't have all the details yet, but we are asking for prayer for the walenciej family, as they have lost a son, a brother, and a father. may God bless them. mary and i had long forgiven mr. walenciej, and both feel that there is nothing worth taking your own life over. the criminal case, of course, will be dismissed. please keep mary and me in your prayers. we both wanted closure, but certainly not in this manner.

quotes for the day:

"only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly"

-robert f. kennedy -

_______________________________________________

"a strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug"
- patricia neal -

captain paul pride - thanks so much for the invitation to the retirees luncheon. the food and fellowship was outstanding. it was great seeing everyone again!

retired captain les reel - thank you so much for your wonderful, heartfelt letter. you humble me, friend. i will cherish your kind words. please keep in touch - i miss your friendship and mentorship!

retired sergeant steve belyus - thanks friend, for all the crash reconstruction work you did for mary and me. we will be forever indebted to you!

for my motorcycle friends - please send me your home email addresses to stafflt@sbcglobal.net, as i'm trying to put together a "motorcycle email group" to share upcoming rides, bikes for sale, bike shows, and any other pertinent motorcycle information. in the meantime, my friend jules (641-227-9156) has the above (orange) road king for sale right now for$17,200. Also, my friend sgt. jeff skinner also has the above (white) road king for sale as well.

capital city motorcycle club will be having a "gypsy tour" ride on saturday, june 21, 2008 for those interested. capital city is on borror road just south of grove city. let me know if you need start/end times. all are welcome for riding, food, and fellowship.

please keep the following people in your prayers, as they are all experiencing some health issues:

glenda woodgeard & her mom

junior salyers

mary taylor

janet barbee

ernestine abrams

scott rikes dad

jillian salyers

also keep the patrol and its leadership in your prayers as well, as a dedicated funding source is attempting to be determined. hearings are being conducted now.

thanks to everyone who has continued to keep me lifted up via emails, phone calls, visits, prayer, etc.... things are going great! my rehab is going well, as is school. everything is as it should be and will be just fine.

until next time.....

be blessed,

lisa - 1095

may 8, 2008 - for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks - (Matthew 12:34)

top of the morning, friends....

i hope this finds you all well!

i don't really have much to report today, but wanted to ask for prayer for a few people. we all need daily prayer. the Father says that when two or more are gathered in His name, great miracles will occur.

cindy kollin - is going in for surgery today. please keep her in your prayers - for strength both physically and emotionally.

junior salyers - is battling cancer and is currently going through treatment. please continue to pray for healing and endurance.

mike salyers - my brother-in-law who is too stubborn to go to the doctor for a continuing bout of the flu and/or bronchitis.

quote for the day:

"people may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else. experience is determined by yourself -- not the circumstances of your life"

- gita bellin -

story for the day (submitted by cindy kollin):

Scars… Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida , a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go.' You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of yourstruggle, He's been there holding on to you.

please continue to pray corporately for our country, our troops, our families, and our friends. remember, everyone is in the midst of some sort of physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual struggle today.

thanks to all who have sent words of encouragement about my retirement. i appreciate them more than you can know. for now, i'm going to focus on school and rehab and see what doors might be opened for me in the future.

God bless you all....

lisa - 1095

may 3, 2008 - a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed - (Proverbs 11:25)

top of the afternoon, friends....

i hope this finds you all well!

well, my retirement is official, as of last sunday. thanks to dave and fran dicken for opening their home for the wonderful send-off!

also thanks to everyone for such kind words, cards, and gifts. i have been so blessed with wonderful friends. you guys and gals have been nothing but stellar during this ordeal.

the rehab continues with my leg. i continue to walk 1-3 miles a day either with crutches or cane, but i am working to put more weight on it each day.

i return to the dr. the middle of this month to determine if i can be placed in formal rehab. for now, i'm just trying to become acclimated to walking again.

mary is continuing to work light duty, but should return to full duty very soon. she thanks you all for your thoughts and prayers that have made her recovery much easier.

we have another pretrial toward the end of this month. there will be at least one more after that before the jury trial.

quote for the day.....

"a happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes"

hugh downs

colonel collins - thanks so much for the nice gesture this week. i enjoyed our visit.

OFLS friends - thanks again for your generosity! you guys and gals are the best!

i'll let you know how the rehab/dr.'s appointment goes. the progress is slow, but sure!

until next time,

be blessed....

lisa - 1095

april 19, 2008 - if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted and planted in the sea’ and it'll obey

top of the afternoon, friends....




once again, i hope this blog entry finds you all well. as you know from reading previous entries, my orthopedic doctor, beginning march 31, is allowing me to now put some weight on my left leg. while i am still on crutches, the majority of the time, i continuously add additional weight each day. i have also walked with a cane for varying periods of time. unbelivably, i have even walked with no support, although its very jerky and unstable. the following two videos at the bottom of the screen show a little of my progress.




thanks to your continued thoughts, prayers, and support, i am progressing with each passing day. while i don't always notice huge improvements on a daily basis, i do notice great improvements weekly.


the picture above is of my friend sammy, who incidently, is also on Mt. Rushmore, as you can see...lol


the MBA continues. carl, dianna, and i forgot how much work and research goes into this, but we're all doing well.

for my motorcycle friends (but ALL are welcome!)....there are some upcoming rides at capital city motorcycle club. the details are listed below:

• may 4, 2008 - 11a signup - 1230p ride
• june 21, 2008 - gypsy tour - 9a signup - 10a ride
• september 7, 2008 - kids & kamp ride - signup 11a - 1230p ride

capital city motorcycle club is located at 9700 borror road, orient, ohio 43146 - 614-877-1777

quote for the day:

it is not the cards you are dealt but what you do with them that counts
- anonymous -

terri west - thanks again for your little "pick me ups." they always make me smile.




brenda pahl - you, friend, are my inspiration. i have seen how you have fought adversity and won. i hope i can do as well!




colonel & brenda collins - thanks for always checking in on me. i so appreciate your leadership and friendship.




dave & fran dicken - thanks so much for all you've done and continue to do to make this part of my life easier.

cindy kollin - congratulations on the new house - can't wait for the housewarming party!

larry balla - thanks for your continued concern. the blue knights have been nothing but stellar!

wendy forbes - you have been such a God-send to me, friend. your thoughtfulness and compassion never cease to amaze me.

elzie fish - thanks for the visit and ride info, buddy. i don't care what my dad says, i think you're a pretty good guy.

len & shelly gray - i'm so sorry about the passing of shelly's dad. my thoughts and prayers are with you guys.

scott rike - congratulations on the birth of your new son! he's a very handsome little man!

mike hunter - thanks for the very nice note....i wish you nothing but the best on your bicycling goals. if anyone can do what you have planned....you can!

until next time....

be blessed!

lisa - 1095

april 11, 2008 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:5-6)

top of the afternoon friends....

i hope this blog entry finds you all well.

things are great here. i am putting a little more weight on my leg each day. of course, i'm still using crutches, as my left leg won't yet totally support me, but i've been walking 1-3 miles each day since being told i can start weight bearing. it's slow and certainly not pretty, but i'm doing better every day!

we went to yet another pretrial yesterday. while the lab results stay in, they will be redacted to exclude the illegal drug metabolite that showed up in the suspect's blood. during the testing, the lab ran out of blood. they could show that the illegal drug was there, but unfortunately, could not quantify it. the judge did not want to unfairly prejudice the future jury with that information. go figure. there will be another two pretrials before the case goes before a jury. but....it will be alright, not matter what.

the picture is of my friend, sgt. scott rike. as i said before, he has been such an inspiration to me during this ordeal. scott had some significant health issues a while back and had to also retire. fortunately, he fought against the odds and is now back at work! i'm glad to see he's doing well these days.

the MBA continues. i had forgotten how much research goes into this! carl, dianna and i have been putting a tremendous amount of work into this. we all hope - no....we know it will pay off in the end.

quote for the day:

"the place to improve the world is first in one's own heart, head and hands"

- robert m. pirsig -

glenda woodgeard - we're all praying for your mom, who remains at OSU. we are confident she will make a complete and speedy recovery!

tina & beth - thanks again for your concern and hospitality in WV. you guys are the best!

gina herbert - we're praying for your recovery as well...please keep your chin up...it will get better - i promise!

cindy kollin - congrats on your new place....can't wait to see it!

scott rike - we're continuing to pray for you and your family. we are trusting that your father is healed and that the baby is doing great!

until next time....continue to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

march 31, 2008 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)

top of the evening, friends....


i hope this blog entry finds you all happy and healthy this last day of march. hopefully, warmer weather is on it's way!



the photo attached is of our 2007 "motorcycles and murals" annual ride where my dad and i take a group of friends down to portsmouth, ohio to see the flood wall murals. we then go to "the ribber" for a great bbq rib lunch. the picture is of lt. kathy mckinney of the florida state patrol, my dad, lt. mark thompson, and me.



i have wonderful news! i went to the orthopedic doctor today and was told i could start weight bearing immediately. i won't see the doctor again for 6 weeks. until then, he wants me to simply get acclimated to walking again. he said it would be slow and to use the crutches at first, but try to add weight a little at a time. he won't put me in rehab yet, as that will be pretty intense. we'll revisit that possibility in may. God is good!



another positive note.....i start back to class tomorrow. i've been working on homework the biggest part of the week, so i think i'm pretty prepared. dirty di, carl and i are going back together. bless their hearts...when i had to drop out, they dropped out too. they said, "we started this MBA together....and we'll finish together." that is great friendship.

i have finally visited the retirement board's physician and providing no anticipated problems, my retirement will be official the last week of april.

i will also be traveling back to wheeling mid-april for a fourth pre-trial on our case.

quote for the day:

"Things are only impossible until they're not"

- Jean-Luc Picard -

• happy birthday to my niece erin hubbard! she turns 29 today.



• good luck to sgt. jim hutton (and his wife, sally) on his retirement from the patrol! happy trails to you on your future motorcycle travels! i had a very nice time at your retirement send-off. thanks so much for your kind words.



• please continue to pray for gina herbert of the ohio department of public safety. she has to have another surgery in april due to a crash in june 2007. she has had such a rough go of it and could certainly benefit from your thoughts and prayers.



• also pray for my friend, tom reffey who has been deployed to serve our country.


• debbie chapman - great news that you're back to work! i'm sure the kids really missed you as much as you missed them! just don't over do it, friend....we have some riding to do this summer!!


• terri west - i sure hope you're feeling much better too. hobbling around isn't much fun, but it does get better with time.....i promise!
• lt. mark thompson - thanks for your kind words last friday as well. i appreciate them more than you know.
• ray scharf - thanks so much for your email! words of encouragement like that lift me more than you know. i hope we can actually meet sometime.
• jane and mark bell - thanks so much for your cards and emails! they lift me more than you know.
• wyandot co/uppersandusky court friends - thank you so much for your words of encouragement too....it's been 15-20 years since i've seen you and you still keep me in your thoughts and prayers. may God bless each and every one of you!
• julie broughton - thanks, buddy for always remembering me. you've been a great friend since our "girls state" days!

until next time....continue to expect to be blessed....

lisa - 1095

march 17, 2008 - “oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory…” (I chronicles 4:10)

top of the morning, friends....

happy st. patrick's day! i trust this blog entry finds you well.

things continue to improve here (God is good!). i can do just about everything but walk and drive! hopefully, that will change at the end of the month, when i visit my orthopedic doctor.

i start back to school in 2 weeks, so i'm doing all i can to get my house in order. the painting continues (yuck!), and i have a gentleman coming today to paint the ceilings in the great room and loft. unfortunately, i can't do those from a wheelchair. i had no idea it would take me this long to paint...but i'm learning patience.

the picture is of my buddy, alan forbes during the blizzard. he and his mom, wendy came over for pizza and a movie on friday. we watched the "bee movie." of course, true to form, i fell asleep halfway through.

quotes for the day:

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."

- Og Mandino -

__________________________________________

"Make it a bad moment, not a bad day."

- Katherine Mylius -

sgt. ryan chapman - thank you so much for your kind words. i will certainly look up your friend's story. adversity does make us stronger!



dispatcher matt knutson - i have been told you are in the hospital. you're in all of our thoughts and prayers during your recovery.



captain tina phillips - i hope you have had ANOTHER great vacation and that your time was relaxing and enjoyable. give me an update when you return.



kathy mckinniss - thanks so much for your continued thoughts and prayers. you have always been so faithful in checking in. tell eric that i hope he's doing well too.



mary hamilton - good seeing you on saturday. as always, you take care of the multitudes....!



kate pirwitz - it was nice talking with you the other day. keep your chin up. your situation is certainly not insurmountable! call me if you need any help.

charlie morrison - i hope you're feeling much better very soon! you also are in my thoughts and prayers as you recover.

for all my female motorcycle friends....you'll enjoy this link:

http://www.helmethairmagazine.com/TopTen-January2008.html

until next time, be blessed.....

lisa - 1095