Wild Wild West- Part 3 (Mangy Moose Saloon and a Bomber)

May 10, 2013 in Travel with 0 Comments

Some like to take pictures of nature. Some like to take pictures of people. Some like to take pictures of food. I like to take pictures of all of those things, but most of all, I like to take pictures of signs. As we traveled throughout the west, I’d scream, “Pull over! There’s the state line sign!” Then I’d force Don, Ruth, and Tim, my travel companions, to get out of the SUV and pose with me for a variety of pictures.

You see, a picture of a state line sign is proof that I’ve been there. It’s the conquering of a goal. And it’s the perfect desktop background for my computer, triggering many happy daydreams during otherwise stressful days. By the end of Days 5 and 6, I boasted three new sign pictures for my gallery.

DAY 5- 9/26/12 (Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

Jackson Hole is a storybook town surrounded by awe-inspiring mountains on every side. We spent a relaxing morning eating homemade doughnuts at Dolce Restaurant, browsing through quaint shops, and taking pictures of antler arches and life-size bear statues.

Antler Arch

About noon we headed down Moose Road toward Teton Village to eat lunch at the Mangy Moose Saloon. And you’ll never guess what we spotted on the way. Yep! Moose! I had to get a picture. I got stupidly close, but stayed in a ready-to-run-fast mode while I posed.

Moose

For our evening entertainment, we climbed aboard a covered wagon at the BarT5 Ranch for a wagon train ride and a chuckwagon dinner, complete with singing cowboys and whooping Indians.

DAY 6- 9/27/12 (Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Salt Lake City, Utah)

I was sad to leave Jackson Hole, but excited about our 275-mile trek south to Salt Lake City. For someone who gets a thrill from crossing state lines, our path on Highway 89 was extremely thrilling. It wove from Wyoming to Idaho to Wyoming a second time to Utah to Wyoming a third time. Then I-80 took us on into Salt Lake City.

Wyoming

Idaho

Utah State Line

We attended a magnificent rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the evening. As we exited the parking area, we drove straight into a crime scene! Police, sirens, and flashing lights were everywhere and the entire block in front of us was barricaded. A police officer yelled frantically at us to turn around. A man had a bomb in his backpack and was threatening to detonate it. Police shot and killed him. You can read about it here: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54985828-78/lake-salt-2011-bomber.html.csp

We decided we hadn’t had enough adventure for one day, so we hit Mo’s Neighborhood Grill for a nightcap (a hamburger). They were doing karaoke and Don, Ruth, and Tim were relentless. They finally wore me down and I sang karaoke for the first time in my life! “When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think of me…” :)

It’s fun to relive my Wild Wild West trip with you. Next stop—Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives!

 

Wild Wild West- Part 1 (Big Sky and Bison Burgers): http://www.beckyalexander.tv/wild-wild-west-part-1-big-sky-and-bison-burgers/

Wild Wild West- Part 2 (Huckleberry Ice-Cream and the Continental Divide): http://www.beckyalexander.tv/wild-wild-west-part-2-huckleberry-ice-cream-and-the-continental-divide/

Words to Live By

March 24, 2013 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 2 Comments

When my daughter Cassie offered to do a painting for me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. (She was an art major at the University of North Alabama at the time.) My eyes immediately gravitated to a spot over my bedroom closet doors that was patiently waiting for just the right painting. Now I could choose the size, the colors, and the images I wanted.

I climbed on a stool with my yard stick to evaluate the spot over my closet and determined the painting should be 22 inches wide by 12 inches tall. I then decided the painting should be splashed with pink, orange, red, yellow, and green. Finally, I selected the images for the painting. Actually they weren’t images; they were words.

I really like words. I like catching inspirational phrases in things that I hear and see. I write them in a journal that I started on Thanksgiving Day in 1991. So to choose the best possible words for my painting, I read through nine years of journal entries. I made a list of my favorite phrases.

  • I shall pass through this world but once.
  • Today is within my grasp.
  • What’s next? We should always be asking.
  • The window of opportunity is narrow.
  • God does not give a big assignment to a little character.

They were all so good. Any one of them would make an inspirational painting. But they weren’t exactly what I was looking for. I decided to change gears altogether and choose three individual words. The three words had to be powerful words, words that meant something to me, words to live by. Surprisingly, they came to me easily. I jotted down Adventure, Ambition, Attitude. I called Cassie and placed my order.

The painting now hangs in its perfect spot above my bedroom closet doors. I love it. The word Adventure reminds me to step out of the comfortable and into the unknown. The word Ambition reminds me to step out of the complacency and into the challenge. The word Attitude reminds me to step out of the difficulties and into the possibilities.

 

God’s words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven. Psalm 12:6 (MSG)

Adventure, Ambition, Attitude

My Next Fifty Years

February 23, 2013 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 0 Comments

Tim McGraw has a song called “My Next Thirty Years.” I’m rewriting it and calling it “My Next Fifty Years.”

In my first fifty years, my hair turned gray in spots, then pink. I was pregnant seven times—two kids, five miscarriages. I went from managing nursing homes to being an executive pastor. The governor of Alabama and I led a wedding together; he performed the ceremony and I sang. I was married to a 21-year-old guy, a 35-year-old guy, and a 50-year-old guy—all named Tim. I lived where I could hear the fireworks when the Cincinnati Reds hit a home run. I stood on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with Garth Brooks. So who knows what might happen in my next fifty years?

Maybe I’ll help start new churches around the world. Maybe I’ll travel to the final fourteen states and five continents I haven’t seen. Maybe I’ll run for mayor. Maybe I’ll meet Tim McGraw. Maybe I’ll write One Smile, One Arm- Part 2.

I don’t know for sure what will happen, but I do know that God has a wild and wonderful plan for me. And not only for me—for you, too! To experience that plan, we have to listen with our heart, be open to things outside our comfort zone, be available at a moment’s notice, and be adventurous enough to follow. Along the way, if limitations threaten to slow us down or challenges attempt to stop us, we must face them head on…with courage…with determination…with a smile.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

This was my 6th Tim McGraw concert- 6/23/12

This was my 6th Tim McGraw concert- 6/23/12

House of Horrors

February 8, 2013 in Bionic Woman with 0 Comments

Downstairs in the family room, my daughter Cassie (17 at the time) and her friend Devin were beginning a girls’ night of chick-flicks and popcorn. Upstairs in the dining room, my husband Tim was taking my prosthetic arm apart to replace a broken cable.

The girls decided to go upstairs to get some drinks. They bopped through the dining room to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of Mountain Dews. Tim talked to them briefly about the movie they were watching before they headed back downstairs. Fifteen minutes later, Devin said timidly, “Uh, Cassie, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Cassie replied, looking at her curiously.

Devin continued, “What is your dad doing?”

Puzzled, Cassie asked, “What do you mean?”

Devin stammered nervously, “He has an…uh…an arm on the table.”

Cassie giggled, “Yeah, Mom has a prosthesis and Dad is working on it.”

Devin’s mouth dropped open. “Really!” she exclaimed. “I never noticed!”

Just call our house “The Alexander House of Horrors.” I suppose all houses have a horror or two within. Can you identify yours? Maybe it’s those forgotten leftovers in the very back left corner of your refrigerator. Maybe it’s that friendly family mouse who always manages to evade capture. Perhaps it’s the not-so-pleasant smell in your son’s room that cannot be identified. Possibly it’s a closet door that no one dares open.

These “horrors” are part of our scary, marvelous, comical lives. We should enjoy them to the fullest! Take a picture of the moldy leftovers and post it on Facebook. Give your mouse a name like “The Green Arrow” or “James Bond.” Offer a reward to the family member who finds the source of the smell in your son’s room. But good grief, clean out your closet, will you?

 

Please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. 2 Corinthians 6:1 (MSG)

House of Horrors

Making 2013 Significant

January 11, 2013 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 2 Comments

“Nothing significant happens by chance—be deliberate!” When I read that tweet by Pastor Femi Monehin back in the fall, I retweeted it and wrote it in my journal. This week I am reflecting on it again as I look over my list of goals for the new year…

  1. Explore opportunities to reach my full potential within God’s plan.
  2. Seek God’s next adventure for Crosspoint Church and help lead Crosspoint through it.
  3. Write to inspire others, through my blog and other avenues.
  4. Publish “One Smile, One Arm,” my collection of short stories about life experiences with one arm.
  5. Travel to the 50 states.
  6. Get/stay fit.

#1 and #2 are really big and really nebulous. (I felt “nebulous” was the right word to use, but I looked it up to be sure. The definition is: Lacking definite form or limits. Yes, it was the right word to use.) These two goals will begin with thought and prayer, followed by searching and seeking, followed by waiting and watching to see what unbelievable things might happen!

#3 is something I love to do. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for real-life stories that might spark encouragement in even just one person. Then I’ll pull words together to tell those stories to others.

#4 will be a challenge because I’m not sure how to do it. I’m registered to attend a writers’ conference in April with some breakout sessions on publishing. I’m hoping that will help.

#5 is SO MUCH FUN. I have 14 states to go. The writers’ conference in April will knock out Kansas and Oklahoma. Tim and I are cruising the Hawaiian Islands in June with friends Alton and Melissa Downs. And maybe, just maybe, I can squeeze in another state or two before the end of the year.

#6… Well, that means fewer cookies-and-cream milkshakes and more watermelon smoothies. I think I can handle that.

Have you written your goals for 2013? Time to get busy. 11 days are already gone. Be deliberate—nothing significant happens by chance!

Watermelon Smoothie

10 Great Things That Happened in 2012

January 1, 2013 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 0 Comments

New Arm1. I got a new prosthetic arm. It is a process that I only tackle once every ten years or so. It involves much research, many decisions, a huge financial commitment, lots of trips to the prosthetics facility, and a challenging adjustment period. But it’s done and I am pleased with the results. I’m glad I did it in 2012 and don’t have it to look forward to in 2013. :)

 

 

 

 

Dearman-Porter Wedding2. I officiated my first wedding ceremony for bride Megan Dearman and groom Scotty Porter. I was Megan’s children’s minister fifteen years ago when she was a preschooler. To get to say ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife’ at her wedding was the icing on the wedding cake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Sky3. Tim and I traveled the Wild, Wild West—Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah. I have a life goal of seeing all fifty states. 36 down, 14 to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom's Rules for a Happy House4. A story I wrote was chosen to appear in Group Publishing’s Children’s Ministry Magazine. It’s called “Pinocchio: What’s a Parent to Do When the Nose Begins to Grow?” As you might guess, it offers some advice to parents about kids and lying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Chair5. We remodeled our living room using the colors turquoise, orange, and lime. I had our old recliner reupholstered to match. I call it my “Happy Chair.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Election 20126. I worked at my first presidential election. I actually worked at the voting polls for four elections in 2012: the primary in March, a run-off in April, a special election concerning an Alabama constitutional amendment in September, and the biggie in November. I love learning and watching the voting process. It represents freedom and America at their best.

 

 

 

 

Cassie & Chris' Wedding7. I became a mother-in-law. My own baby girl walked the aisle in a white satin dress in August.

 

 

 

 

 

Crosspoint Somerville8. I helped start a new church. Though I have been working on church staffs for 22 years, I still learn new stuff all the time at Crosspoint Church. 2012 was no exception. We became a “multi-site” church, adding a second campus in Somerville, Alabama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim McGraw Concert9. Tim and I attended the Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney “Brothers of the Sun” concert in Nashville. This was my sixth Tim McGraw concert. I wish I had a picture of me and Tim McGraw to show you, but I don’t. However, one of these days, I’m going to meet him. Just you wait and see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

beckyalexander.tv10. My blog hit over 23,000 all-time views. I started blogging in December of 2009. I never dreamed anyone would read it besides my mom and best friends.

 

A decorative tile on my front porch reads: “Remember the day’s blessings; forget the day’s troubles.” I’d like to revise that saying and offer it to you as a wish: “Remember the blessings of 2012; forget the troubles of 2012.” HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

A Familiar Ho Ho Ho

December 21, 2012 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 9 Comments

Childhood memories of Christmas Eve are usually festive family dinners and piles of presents under colorful trees. My memories, however, are loud sirens and red fire trucks.

I lived in a small rural community in Ohio called Madison Township. Each Christmas Eve the volunteer fire department pulled Santa in his sleigh behind a fire truck from one side of the township to the other. Santa was escorted by a caravan of all the department’s fire trucks and volunteer firefighters’ personal vehicles with the portable flashing lights on the dashes. (I’m not sure what would have happened if there had been a fire in Madison Township on Christmas Eve.)

My dad and Uncle Kent always participated. I can remember my mom and aunt wishing they wouldn’t some years because it held up our Selby Family Christmas Eve dinner. But for us kids, it was quite a thrill. And in our community, it was a big part of Christmas Eve. Kids from one to ninety-two stood in their doorways straining their ears for the first hint of sirens, signaling Santa was near. Santa stopped in front of every house and talked to every kid. Where a sick child or an older person lived who couldn’t get out in the cold, Santa climbed out of his sleigh and made a surprise house call. And, of course, the stop at our house was always extra fun since we had some special pull with Santa. I could never really put my finger on it, but his “ho ho ho” sounded a bit familiar to me.

As we got older, all of us Selby kids were allowed to ride in the fire trucks in Santa’s caravan. Afterall, we were VIP’s of Santa! My grandma, disabled from several strokes, even rode with us one year, not too many seasons before she died. As more years passed, we moved away from that small community and the “job” was passed to others. But the Christmas Eve memories remain. They are loud and red and wonderful!

Thanks, Dad, for your love of Christmas… and your jolly laugh… which still sounds a lot like a guy in a red suit I recall from many years ago.

—————————————-

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

Grandma Maude Selby and Uncle Kent Selby

Grandma Maude Selby and Uncle Kent Selby

Wild Wild West- Part 2 (Huckleberry Ice-Cream and the Continental Divide)

December 9, 2012 in Travel with 1 Comment

I have a life goal of traveling to all fifty states. Some of my friends refer to it as my “Bucket List,” but I prefer to call it my goal. When I established this goal four years ago, I typed a list of the fifty states and highlighted in purple the ones I had been to. The count was 25 plus Washington, DC. What a great place to start… at exactly the half point.

In 2009, I highlighted Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. In 2010, I added Rhode Island. In 2011, I marked off New Jersey. (On my trip to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, I flew home from the Newark, New Jersey airport. I’m counting that.) And by the completion of my Wild Wild West trip, the count had risen to 36, with Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah glowing in purple!

DAY 3- 9/24/12 (Bozeman, Montana, to Yellowstone National Park)

For those who are not familiar with Yellowstone, the route through the park resembles a Figure 8. Sites along the route are described as being on the Upper Loop or the Lower Loop. Exploring with husband Tim and travel partners Don and Ruth Owsley, we spent most of our day on the Upper Loop. My favorite taste of the day was huckleberry ice-cream at the Mammoth Terrace Grill. My favorite site of the day was the Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin. It is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world. But what clearly made it magnificent to me was the display of primary colors—orange, yellow, green, and blue.

We ended our day in the Old Faithful area of the Lower Loop, watching the Old Faithful Geyser erupt, eating supper at the Old Faithful Inn, and checking in for the night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

DAY 4- 9/25/12 (Yellowstone National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

After a delicious breakfast of Eggs Benedict at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Tim, Don, Ruth, and I traveled the Lower Loop. The most memorable attractions were Dragon’s Mouth Spring, Mud Volcano, and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Crossing the Continental Divide was way cool for me. (We actually crossed it three times in Yellowstone.) This picture was taken at Craig Pass. A raindrop falling on one side of Craig Pass can end up in Oregon, while a raindrop falling a few feet away on the other side of the pass can end up in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans. AMAZING.

In the evening we left Yellowstone through the South Entrance and drove the 57 miles to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we checked in for our two-night stay at the Wyoming Inn.

So glad you continued with me on this second leg of my journey in the Wild Wild West. Next stop—The Mangy Moose Saloon!

 

Wild Wild West- Part 1 (Big Sky and Bison Burgers): http://www.beckyalexander.tv/wild-wild-west-part-1-big-sky-and-bison-burgers/

Wild Wild West- Part 1 (Big Sky and Bison Burgers)

December 3, 2012 in Travel with 2 Comments

It’s too bad that God asked me to be a pastor rather than a travel writer. I mean, hey, I could have ministered all over the world as a travel writer, right? Just kidding. I love my calling as a pastor, but I DO love to travel, too. So in my “off” time, I am always planning my next trip. I study maps, research cities, calculate travel routes, distribute vacation days on a calendar, budget money weekly to the “Fun Fund,” and plot how I can make my current dream happen.

My most recent “dream come true” was a trip to the Wild Wild West in September. I invite you to relive the experience with me over the next few blog posts. Through words and pictures I’ll share with you the things that fascinated me most. And I’d like to hear about the things that fascinated you most, if you’ve been to the same places.

DAY 1- 9/22/12 (Huntsville, Alabama, to Denver, Colorado, to Bozeman, Montana)

Due to a flight schedule change by United Airlines, my husband Tim and I ended up with an eight-hour layover in Denver on our way from Huntsville to Bozeman. I decided not to waste a minute sitting in the airport. We took a van service called the Super Shuttle to downtown Denver, about an hour’s ride in traffic. We had them drop us off at the outdoor 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. Very cool place! It was over a mile of shops, restaurants, street vendors, and performers. Oktoberfest was going on, too, which made it even more fun. We ate chicken crepes and banana with cream cheese crepes at a sidewalk café called “Crepes and Crepes.” Oh, I wish I had some now!

After a smooth flight from Denver to Bozeman, we caught up with our friends, Don and Ruth Owsley, who had arrived in the west earlier in the week from Cincinnati. We would be traveling together for the next six days via our rental SUV. T-o-o-e-x-c-i-t-e-d-t-o-s-l-e-e-p.

 DAY 2- 9/23/12 (Big Sky, Bozeman, and Livingston, Montana)

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Big Sky, Montana, and I finally made it! It was every bit as beautiful as I had imagined it would be.

Lunch was a first for me… I ate a BISON burger at Ted’s Montana Grill in Bozeman, not to mention the biggest onion rings in the whole world.

We topped off the day by walking down Main Street in the old western town of Livingston. If you looked left, you saw a train. If you looked right, you saw a mountain.

Thank you for joining me on this first leg of my journey to the Wild Wild West. There’s so much more to come. Next stop—Yellowstone!

I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wife

November 18, 2012 in Adventure, Ambition, Attitude with 1 Comment

2012 has been the Year of Weddings for me. I’ve had the privilege of performing three wedding ceremonies and being the mother of the bride once. Each was unique and each was special to me.

The wedding of Megan Dearman and Scotty Porter was the first I had ever officiated. I was Megan’s children’s minister fifteen years ago when she was a preschooler. To get to say ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife’ at her wedding was the icing on the wedding cake!

I loved Dr. Don Beach and Susan Basden the first time I met them at Crosspoint Church. I knew we were destined to be great friends. When they asked me to perform their wedding, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Sabrina Stroud and Cameron Roberson said their vows in the quaint chapel at Point Mallard Park. One very important guest made His presence known by directing the sun to hit the window at exactly the right moment during the ceremony, projecting a cross in front of the couple.

My own baby girl walked the aisle in a white satin dress in August. When I offered to perform the ceremony, she said, “No, Mom. I want you to just be my mom at my wedding.” So that’s what I did. I helped her put on her dress, her 5″ black heels, and her veil. Then I took my seat and watched with joy as Cassie and Chris began their life together. She said I would cry, but I proved her wrong.

As I place this ring on your finger,
Its perfect symmetry
Is a symbol of our perfect love.
It has no beginning and no end,
A symbol of the eternal commitment
We have made today.
 I came to this place today
As a woman standing alone;
I will walk from it by your side
And enter into a new and lasting commitment,
Knowing that we can accomplish more together
Than we ever could have alone.
 
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