What's in a Name?

I've recently had people asking about the name of my blog, or making weird faces when they see the title, so I thought I'd clear things up and explain the meaning.
Dragon on my belly really has no significance. Last winter, I was given a bearded dragon; something that I have  wanted for some time. Pretty much anytime I was just sitting around watching tv, or reading, or knitting (or all 3 at the same time), I would bring Kazul (the beardie) out of her tank, and hold he for a while. Bearded dragons are known for being the friendliest lizards. Kazul liked to lay on my stomach, soaking up my body heat since it was cold out. Every time Mom would ask me to do something, I would say, "I can't, I have a dragon on my belly."
So we started making up a goofy poem that started out with "Dragon on my belly...", then each line used goofy words that rhymed with belly. When I was thinking about publishing a book of poetry (which is in the works, let me know if you want one), that name was suggested as a title. And I liked it. Around that same time, I was trying to come up with a blog name. I hate making up names for things like this. I was getting really annoyed, and almost just gave up on making a blog, because I couldn't come up with a name. So since it was something that had been floating around, I grabbed the title "Dragon on my Belly".
So there you have it. There is no deep, spiritual meaning to the title; I do not have a dragon tattooed on my stomach; there is really not much meaning at all. Just a family joke. I hope you enjoy the blog anyway :~)

Bucket List Year

I feel that I know a little how I would answer the question, "What would you do if you knew you only had a couple of months to live?" I know it's not that extreme, but it's still hard. I'll only have about 6 months at home...What are the important things?
I feel like I will be stripping down this next year to the things that really matter to me. And maybe I'll be surprised to learn what those things are. But then again, maybe not. Even before I made up my mind (well, my head wasn't made up, but my heart was sort of doing its own thing), I was already beginning to see what I was clinging to. I want my Dad to teach me to drive a motorcycle. Someone here could, but I want him to. That's something I should learn from my Dad. I want to sit and talk with Mom for hours about everything, no matter how big or small. I want to go hiking with Steve, and visit Carla for some quality time. I want to spend time with Gram, Chip, Shadow, and other animals I've grown up with, who won't understand what's up.
I feel so frightened and elated at the same time. I have no idea what to think, so sometimes I just try to avoid thinking. But that's not really an option. I have to make a firm decision one way or another. This whole time, I have been up and down. One second, I'm certain that I will be coming here, and the next second, it scares the heck out of me. But I guess even in that, I've still been pretty sure the whole time that I would be moving here.
Sometimes, I wish I'd never heard of Leg Up. Then I wouldn't have this choice to make. But that's no solution.
Right at this moment, I sort of feel stuck. I still have 3 weeks here before I can go home and get ready to come back. I feel like I am poised on the edge, just waiting to leap, but something is holding me here for a little while longer. Like Judy, Jimmy, and the Cinnamon Bear, stuck on the wave as they tried to get to the Island of Obi (a story that is a family road trip tradition). I am very eager to get home, as, once I get home, I am able to start preparing to return. And when I return, we can really get things going. I'll have my own place, and a motorcycle (hopefully), both of which will give me more time to get things done. Right now though, we're planning and preparing, but can't implement so much when I'll be gone for 6 months.
I think that's where the majority of my hesitancy at the moment comes from. Not that there's really even all that much hesitancy though. Sometimes there is, and I am sure there will be once I get home and face the prospect of leaving. But basically, I think it will be ok. I really feel that this is what I am supposed to do.
So even though this summer could prove to be an emotional one, as I prepare to leave, I plan to make it a great one. And yeah, maybe a lot of my plans would look silly to other people; they'll say that I am not making good use of my time. But it will be things that matter to me. Like riding around the mail route with my Dad, and going shopping with my Mom, and going for walks with my grandparent's dog, and things like that. Those things I take for granted, but that matter. And when I leave, I hope to be truly content about how I've spent my time. 

The Labours of Hercules

Today was a huge day! For Leg Up, for me, and probably most of all for Hercules.
Today was Herc's first day truly driving. We've been doing quite a lot of ground driving in preparation for this, but didn't know how he would feel about the cart. So we had an adorable pony in a harness, and a cute cart, and today was the day to put them together. Mala and I worked together in case he had any issues, but he handled everything like a champ. He didn't even flinch when the shafts came along beside him, then he stood patiently (mostly patiently) while we adjusted the harness and figured out just how to go about hitching him up.
I ground drove Hercules once around the arena to see how he would react (everything we do, we're taking it fairly slow. We don't want to rush and get him or anyone else hurt). He was totally calm, so I got in the cart, and we were off. The first couple of times around, he was a little confused about the shafts along his sides, and every time the wheel hit a rock (which there are plenty of in the ring :~) ), he would stop. But with reassurances and encouragement, he kept going, and in a short time was acting like he had been driving for quite some time.
Mala drove him, then got Abi, who was home sick from school. You know the girl loves horses when she's sick and will still come all the way down to the ring for a chance to drive :~). And Hercules performed beautifully. He has never seemed really happy in any job we have given him until now. He seemed happy, and even with two of us in the cart, and him doing a lot of trotting, he was barely even warm, and wanted to keep trotting.
I was about ready to pop. I am so proud of Herc! It has only been around 8 weeks (at the most, I'm not sure of the date when we started) since the time he was like, 'Ground driving? What's that? Aren't you supposed to be on my back when you have the reins?'
We still have plenty of work to do, but he has come so far. He really is a phenomenal little pony. Can't wait to try therapy with the cart...

Why we do what we do

I posted this on the Leg Up facebook page, and thought I'd put it here too. Sometimes it is good, even when you are passionate about the cause you are working with, to write down why you are passionate about it. There is a lot of skepticism toward horse therapy sometimes, and I know that I will run into it. So I wrote this to remind myself what the reasons are for doing horse therapy. I can look back at this on those days that everyone says I am crazy, and I can say, "No! I know why I am doing this, and it is worth every bit of hardship. These are my reasons, and I won't back down."
So here it is:
We do what we do because we see that it works. We see the smiles, we see lives being changed, and we know that God is rejoicing over us as we use his creation to reach his children.
When people are willing to stand in the rain so their child can have therapy, we know that it is making a difference. When we see the girls' confidence growing, or see one of the kids who is able to sit up on their own a little better, we know we are giving them a better chance at life.
Yeah, sometimes it's hard. It's a little uncomfortable walking around soaked to the bone because you've been caught in a rain shower. There are times that the horses don't behave the way we want them to, or traffic is backed up like crazy because of the tourists, or a horse is sick, or any number of things. Working with animals is always less predictable than sitting down with a cup of tea and talking about life. And then when you throw in the Indian culture with their, 'eh, we'll get there when we get there.' mentality that makes it ok to say you'll be there in 5 minutes when you really know it'll be an hour or two, things get interesting.
But even when things are tough, if you see that you are making a difference, it is easier to continue. You can't give up, because you will let those who are counting on you down. And people do count on these ponies. God can use everything, and through Leg Up, he uses 4 ponies to improve the lives of 5 girls and 9 children with handicaps. And the program will only progress from here.
And that's why we do what we do. God has given us an opportunity to reach lives using a somewhat unorthodox method, and we are going to run with that and continue the work he has given us to do.

Outward Appearance.

It is so very easy sometimes to forget what these girls we're working with have been through. A weekend at camp makes them seem like any student I would typically be around at camp. I mean, I know theses are all girls that have been rescued from prostitution, but it's not the way I see them when they're jumping on me in the hammock, or they're making me bracelets during craft time, or anything like that. These girls are a bunch of crazy people sometimes. They're amazing.
But then it hits even harder when there's a testimony time, and one of the girls that was just clowning an hour before, gets up to tell her story.
You see a girl break down crying as she speaks about her Mother working in the fields. Then she tells about searching for a job so she could help her Mom, and how that led to her being sold to a brothel. Though she remains strong as she tells about being beaten and raped, she cannot hold it together when the translator begins to sing a worship song after her testimony. And all around the campfire, girls are sniffling and crying because they understand what she has gone through.
The first night of camp, one girl gave her testimony, and talked about how she tried several times to kill herself while she was in prostitution. She tried to hang herself, and even burn herself to death. And this girl is now on Horse and Rider, the movie about Leg Up, and she wants to share her testimony with anyone who will listen. She says there is no reason for her to be afraid to tell what God has done in her life. She is so goofy, and is always talking about finding me an Indian man to marry, and just saying silly things like that.
To look at this group of girls, you wouldn't think that they've been through what they have been through. But this shows why it is so important that they are rescued. These aren't happy women who have chosen to sell themselves because it is a lucrative way of life, where they have sex all the time, and get paid a lot of money. These are girls who have been sold againt their will, and they don't see a rupee of the money that is paid for their services.
Some of the girls have made bad choices; running away from home (though usually there is abuse, or another good reason for that), or trusting strangers or something like that, but in no way should that be enough to condemn a girl (or woman) to a life like this.
I look at the girls and see the joy and childlike excitement on their faces, and then I see major scars and I remember what their past is. But that is totally unimportant. God doesn't look at their scars, so why should I?
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
How do we look at the heart though? I think I see it when girls are crying for one another, or getting chai and biscuits for someone who is not feeling well, or when they're cheering for their friends who are frightened to try something new. I can see the sweetness of their hearts that still survives in spite of all they have been through. And that is what God looks at, not the scars, or the attitude issues, or anything else unimportant.
I just need to remember this when they do something that grates on my nerves... :~)

I think

This is something I posted on Facebook in 2009. I was thinking about it earlier today, and thought I should repost it. Enjoy. 


I THINK... 

I think that it is a good thing that I cannot see the plans of God... 

I think that poetry is simply how you express emotion with your hands... 

I think that abortion is pretty much, if not definitely, the worst crime... 

I think that one day we will look back on so much of what worries us now, and laugh... 

I think that it is good for us that God has a sense of humour... 

I think that many problems would be solved if Christians really cared for others the way they cared for themselves... 

I think that a little girl who has a horse as a best friend is the luckiest little girl... 

I think that friends of all ages (even those you don't realize are friends) are what truly make you who you are... 

I think that deep, intense conversations are one of the ultimate ways to deepen a friendship... 

I think that a true friend is the next best thing to family... 

I think that dancing in the rain is something that everyone should do at least once in their life... 

I think that swearing shows a decided lack of intelligence... 

I think that one of the most humbling experiences is serving people who would be considered socially below you... 

I think that memories would be the worst thing to lose... 

I think that when one person in a group is completely honest, that is when you see everyone's true colours... 

I think that things are blown way out of proportion a lot... 

I think that tragedy goes a long way in defining who you are... 

I think the worst thing a friend can do is to not be there for you... 

I think that sometimes, life cannot be determined by good or bad, but by how you react to either... 

I think that everyone should find at least one book that they can absolutely get lost in... 

I think God weeps when He watches us more than we realize... 

I think also that God smiles more than we would guess... 

I think that the ability to think is one of the best and worst gifts we have been given... 

I think that sorrow draws people together much faster and more solid than joy in many cases... 

What do you think?

Thought you should know...

Hey all-somehow I doubt this news will really shock anyone, but I thought I would go ahead and share it now.
I was recently offered the position as Director of Leg Up here in India. And after a lot of debating, and discussion with people I trust, I have decided to accept. Leg Up has the potential to become a much more wide spread ministry; serving the community and even drawing people from elsewhere in India. But in order to do that, it needs someone who can be dedicated to the program, and who can put the vision into action.
When I came to India this year, I knew that there was a chance that sometime in the next couple of years, I would be offered a job here, but I did not realize it would be this soon, and honestly, I didn't think I'd accept. But after talking to Mala and hearing her vision for Leg Up, I realized that it is something that will be mutually beneficial. I will be good for the program, and it will be good for me.
Believe it or not, this was a tough decision to make. As much as I love India, I do not relish the thought of being so far from my family for so long. But for right now, it seems to be the right choice.
God did some really cool things bringing about my time in India, and perhaps this was the reason for all of that. I can be more confident in moving here, because God's hand has certainly been in it from the start.
So here's the basic plan: I will return home in June as planned, then spend about 6 months raising support and preparing to leave, before returning to India in January or somewhere around there. The dates are not definite yet. I will be renting a house in Ooty, and will most likely have a motorcycle so I don't have to hassle with the bus. I will most likely be returning home once a year, around Christmas time. Otherwise, people are welcome to come visit ;~)
I am hoping to speak to various churches or groups to raise support before coming back here. If you are interested in having me speak, or have any suggestions for me, leave me a comment, or email me at lrweb7@yahoo.com. I get home June 8th, and will be available to speak after that. If I talk to you early, you'll have me when I am jet-lagged and have no clue what I am saying :~)