I’d like to start my post by stating:  THANK YOU!  Thank you times a million for all of your prayers and encouragement.  Also, I just noticed we’re just shy of $11,000…  That is A-w-esome!  God is good – all the time.  Let’s keep spreading the word and making it happen! 

Pondered thoughts while riding:

1. I was thinking about the Church as the body of Christ and how cool it is that God allows us to work together…  This thought was instigated by the question:  “What keeps me going?”  That’s my answer in a nutshell.  God grace, obviously, is what sustains my team and me.  In addition, we are encouraged by all of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ (or fellow organs and appendages, if you’re still following the analogy.)  Thank you for utilizing your time and talents for His plan.  As we near the $15k, we need to get our pec’s and bi’s jacked!  (riders = lower body J) Please help us in this initiative.

2. We spotted a turtle on the second day.  He was chilling out in the middle of the road.  As we were riding by, I decided to stop.  After-all, this is a pro-life initiative, so… “save the turtles!”  Anyways, as I went to pick up our new mascot, he quickly jumped into his shell.  As I rode up to show Stephen, he asked if the turtle was still alive.  You see, from the outside it was hard to tell b/c it was closed up and hidden, but on the inside it was kicking and screaming, alive and well.  So, too, our brothers and sisters patiently await their opportunity (a gift from God) to break out of the shell.  And let me tell you, that turtle was probably scared as heck when I tried to disturb him…It’s time to take a stand and fight for the defenseless!

News from today:

Today’s happenings…  Let me start by stating that it was an “eventful” day.  We began our ride at 6 am.  Our hope (since we started the trip) was to get on the road by 5:30; however, we (Mike) somehow managed to set the alarm off at the church where our bikes were stored…

The trip started off well with little hills and a nice cool breeze (where it came from no one is sure). We took a lunch break at Blatesville, MS.  As we made our way into the early afternoon, the temperatures and humidity began to rise…  We had a strong tail wind which made for fast travel, but our destination was a little bit farther then expected. What was supposed to be a 120 mile day turned out to be a 140 miles. 

We ended the day w/ Mass at St. Michael’s and a lovely dinner w/ the Reinking’s! 

Totals for today:

1 bike accident = Stacy and Eric…minor cuts and bruises, 1 fallen comrade = Kevin got heat exhaustion and had to call it quits at 130 mi. mark!  He was a bit delirious and was not making a lot of sense; however, he’s back in action and pumped for tomorrow’s ride.  All-in-all, we’re doing well and appreciate all the prayers.  Please let us continue to pray for one another

Sister Mary Joseph – Pray for us!

Now is the time!  It is time to gather the troops.  It is time to rise above our differences and disagreements and unite in this battle for souls.  Our brothers and sisters are in desperate need of our help.  It is time to answer the call.  It is time put our self-interests aside.  It is time to make this more than yearly contribution or a passing thought.  There is no excuse and no reason to be sitting on the sidelines.  Get up and get out there.  We each play a vital role in this effort.  What is our mission?  What is our goal?  To transform our culture.  To end abortion.  To end moral relativism.  To eliminate any and all lies from hell. Each and everyone of us plays a specific role in this effort.  It’s not about 4 riders making a trek across the country.  It’s about sharing truth, that is Jesus Christ.

“Christianity is not a religion of quiet tea parties and platonic goodwill towards all.  It is a religion of martyrs and confessors, of men and women who believe that their faith in Jesus Christ is worth living and dying for.”  Do not forget that.

God is on our side!  We will not fail, we will not lose and we will not stop until it ends.  “A small boy and a bully meet.  When the small boy is knocked down, he gets up and attacks again, over and over, until at last he will win.  For nothing in the world is as fearsome as a bloody, battered opponent who will never surrender.”  NEVER!

As our late beloved Holy Father shared with us at WYD in Denver, CO:  “Have no fear. The outcome of the battle for life is already decided … You too must feel the full urgency of the task … Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life. …This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops.” – Blessed John Paul the Great

Let us pray that God will use us as His instruments and that we may be submissive to His divine will.  Lord, use our intellect, our health, our communication skills, our sense of humor, our strength and talents, and even our faults and weaknesses.  What we have is not our own.  We pray, Lord, that we may rise above our shortcomings and offer it to you on the Holy Altar.  We pray for our brothers and sisters who have fallen away from the faith, as well as our brothers and sisters who have been killed in this battle.

We will not fear!  No matter the distance, no matter the obstacles presented, God is with us.  St. Paul reminds us, “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.”

Please support our efforts.  Your prayers, sacrifices and contributions make all the difference in the world.  Praise God for the gift of life, never go a day without thanking Him and never lose sight of your dignity, worth and purpose.  God loves you and so do I!

Brother in Christ,

Jimmy

I apologize for the delayed update from team Wisconsin.  I must say, the story of our experience keeps getting better and better.  Satan certainly does not like what we’re doing.  That in mind, we must persevere!  Keep praying:  Lord, We are weak.  Make us strong!

DAY 2:  All day we fought 16-27 mph winds and lost one of our riders towards the end of the day (that rider happened to be me).  Long story short, yesterday ended with a pleasant visit to Proctor hospital and two IV’s.     

DAY 3:  So, after getting discharged and returning back to Bradley, I settled in for the evening at 1 Am.  Woke up a few hours later to celebrate mass with the team and cheered ‘em on as they began their trek southbound to Springfield.  I spoke with Jordan earlier this evening and it sounds like they had another battle against the winds, but finished up in Springfield with a total of 100 miles for the day. 

Prayers. Fasting.  Almsgiving.  Offer it up for His greater glory and know:  “It’s not the size of the army that victory depends on, but strength comes from Heaven” – 1 Macc 3:19

Brother in Christ,

Jimmy

Sister Mary Joseph — Pray for us!

P.S.  I’d like to send my appreciation and honor my Uncle John for taking care of me and his family for welcoming us in to Peoria!  I’d also like to thank  Fr. Brownsey and the FOCUS missionaries for their hospitality.

Enjoy!

Day 2 Video:

Day 3 Video:

All for His greater glory and a greater respect for life!

Brother in Christ,

Jimmy

Sister Mary Joseph – Pray for us!

Great news:  It appears that Spring is here!  It’s been exciting to get outside, see all the beautiful colors, take in the nice breeze and let the rubber hit the road.

Keep Praying:  Continue to pray for the safety and health of all the riders, for an end to abortion, and for a greater respect to life!   

As we approach the start date, I look forward to sharing this experience!  And pray that God may bless you all in abundant joy for your faithful and commited service to His will. 

Final note:  If there are any events happening at any of the stopping points please notify one of the riders and we’ll be happy to see what we can do!

Peace in Him through Her,

Jimmy

St. Monica, Pray for us!  Sister Mary Joseph, Pray for us!  St. Joseph, Pray for us!  St. Patrick, Pray for us!  Mary, Queen of Victory, Pray for us!  Our Guardian Angels – Protect us!

First, I’d like to recognize Nick Dobrinska and Jordan Maternowski for joining team UW.  I’d also like to announce our pit-crew captain, Ms. Stephanie Dunbar.  It’s a tremendous joy and blessing to share the enthusiasm with such phenomenal men and women.

Please continue to keep all the riders in your prayers!  As you are all aware, winter training in Illinois and Wisconsin is not the most ideal; however, it’s God’s outpouring grace and mercy that allows us to sustain. 

Please also pray for a greater unified front within the Pro-life movement.  The devil thrives on disunity!  That said, pray that we may overcome our differences and recognize that we are in this together to promote a greater respect for life and the dignity of the human person. 

To respect life is not just a matter of killing the innocence.  That’s where it starts!  So, yes, this is our greatest feat to overcome; however, ask yourself:  How can I better respect life and the dignity of the human person?  It’s through our actions, and in the day-to-day, that we can work together to transform our culture, the Culture of Death.  And, it doesn’t end there…  As St. José Maria Escriva said, “action is worth nothing without prayer:  prayer grows in value with sacrifice.” 

I’d like to thank you for your contributions and challenge you to continue offering up prayers and sacrifices for a greater respect to life and the transformation of our culture!

That said, as we continue preparing for this endeavor, I encourage you, above all else, to pray.  Prayer is essential!  In prayer, reflect on these questions…

- What can I do?  It is important to recognize:  the Liturgical season.  It’s no coincide that our endeavor occurs during the season of Lent.  Why is that?   Well, Lent is a great time to draw closer to Christ’s passion.  (fasting, prayer, and alms giving) And what do I mean by that, well… we can rest assured in knowing that God’s greater Glory will triumph over any and all evil.  That said, as His faithful stewards (Soldiers for Christ) it is our duty to unite ourselves to His suffering and recognize His grace poured out in/through us.  Keep in mind, “grace builds on nature.”  – St. Thomas Aquinas.  God will work with what we give Him.  That said, if we truly believe that we can transform the “Culture of Death,” let’s start working to transform the culture.  It starts here, it starts now.  How?  I’m sure you have heard this before, but it’s always important to refer back to…  ”Some give by going, others go by giving.”  We’re all in this together.  Let us unite for His greater Glory through our prayers, efforts, encouragement and support!

- Why am I doing it?  It’s always important to refer back to the intention.  We’re doing this to raise awareness, promote hope and unity, and encourage our fellow brothers and sisters working directly in Satan’s line of fire. 

-  Is it worth?  Absolute.  It’s worth every penny and/or ounce of sweat.  Use the gifts God has given you for His greater glory.  If you want to see your light shine, turn it on.  If you want to make a difference, take action.  We are His instruments.  Trust in His will, follow His way, prepare for the battle and know that the journey is difficult. 

I’ll keep working on our (UW) end to prepare for this endeavor.  I encourage you all, as well. 

Mary – Queen of Victory (Pray for us!), Sister Mary Joseph (Pray for us!), St. Michael – the Archangel (Pray for us!), St. Sebastian (Pray for us!), All our guardian angels (Pray for us!)

As Mike stated, It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a year, but great to know that B4B 2010 is rapidly approaching.  Both Mike and I are equally enthused and preparing our respective teams for the endeavor. 

As I was sitting in Mass yesterday, I was struck by the first reading from Jeremiah…

Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
“The word of the LORD came to me, saying:  Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you…But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you.  Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land:  against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people.  They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”

Amen!  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the battle is on!  Gird your loins, stand up and protect the dignity of Life.  As faithful Christians, we are called to Holiness.  We called to strengthen one anothers sword and be faithful stewards to His will.  As Jeremiah exclaims:  “They will fight against you but not prevail over you.”  Rest assured that God is with us, now and always.  You’ve heard it said, time and time again…We are many parts, but we’re all one body.  Let’s come together, as a unified front, and work to protect the dignity of the human person.  The time is Now!  I look forward to the months ahead, as we prepare to trek out this Spring.  Know that you are all in my prayers and thank you for all that you do.  Let’s continue to pray for a greater respect to life and a transformation of our culture.  Mary-Queen of Victory (pray for us!)