A note from Mistie

[RandyC]

Hi, Mistie sent this to us. Thought I should pass it on.


Hi Y'all!
China is an amazing place. . . I wanted to say good-bye a bit before i left, but was staying at my folks and we were evacuated for nearly a week before i left for Asia. . .difficult to get all the final details done that way : )

To celebrate Thanksgiving, today i ate a roasted chicken leg and stewed pumpkin (and a few other interesting things) with 30 of my 125 students in the student dining hall. Every Tuesday and Wednesday we eat dinner together so they will practice their English. I don't have to do that, but i want them to do well, so it makes sense. Most of the time it's ok. . .but i quit asking what we're eating when they told me mule.

On Sunday, I also celebrated T-day with a South Korean couple who lived in the States for 25 years. He's a retired engineer and they're here learning Chinese! Eleven of us went to a Korean restaurant for a feast and it cost about $27.

Although it's not expensive to live here, my lifestyle is quite different. I take the bus for anything longer than a couple of miles and walk 2-4 miles (give or take a couple more) nearly every day. . .i'd be losing weight if i wasn't eating so much starchy stuff : )

If anyone is interested (and please pass the info on) my Miata is still for sale. I owe $19,900 and Bluebook is a couple thousand more. The guy that's trying to sell it for me (in Corona) wants me to put it on consignment with a dealership. If i'm going to lose money, i'd rather it be for someone i know. . .

The tires are fairly new, i got the fender/bumper painted because of some scratches from a shopping cart. It's the grand touring model with leather seats, premium sound, Xenon HID Headlights, Dynamic Stability Control w/Traction Control, Advanced Keyless Entry, and
Anti-Theft Alarm.

The key was my favorite thing. . .it's a proximity key so i didn't have to take it out of my purse. . .very safe.

Anyone want to visit China?? I'm in "real China" not a touristy area and would love company. . .i'm even learning mandarin so i can do better than point to phrases in my book : )

If you're interested, check out my blog:

MistiesMusings.blogspot.com

Hugs to you all!!
mistie

[RandyC]

And she also has a nice write up on her blog-



Monday, July 16, 2007

Life Lessons Learned from Autocross Racing (http://mistiesmusings.blogspot.com/2007/07/life-lessons-learned-from-autocross.html)

The starter’s flag signaled the start and I was off, tires spinning and engine screaming as I pulled as much speed as possible out of first gear before whipping into second. Rounding the first corner only inches from the inside cone, I looked for the pivot point of the next turn. Coming out of the hard right, I flew down a chicane–autocross for slalom–and rocketed into an S-turn. Suddenly, all I could see was a sea of orange cones spreading out in every direction in front of me. I lost the course for a split-second, enough time to miss a slight curve. Slamming on the brakes, I spun 180 degrees and went off course.

Geometrically speaking, there is one perfect line–the shortest distance with the least amount of turn–around any course. Finding it and following it is the goal of every racer but not all racers even see that line. Even if they did, not every (any?) car is able to follow such a strenuous path. Add to that equation the fact that in a race, the car and driver are hurtling around the course at speeds far too fast to achieve perfection. Then, of course, there are the occasional distractions like safety hazards, car malfunctions, and changing weather conditions which complicate things. Car racing is a lot like life.

In life, there is the perfect way, Jesus’ example. Not all of us–not even all of us who call ourselves Christ-followers–see that example in the same way and none of us are capable of copying it exactly. And, as we hurtle through life at what sometimes seems lightspeed, especially when we’re hurting, hungry, angry, lonely or tired, we can miss a turn and spin out of control.

Throwing myself into the sport of autocross racing was more about doing something fun than learning lessons, but God has used my fun to teach me some important lessons. As a novice, an instructor rode along and made suggestions because racing is not like driving to the grocery store for milk or even running the kids to school when they’re late.

My first few attempts to navigate the course were slow and awkward but thrilling. Learning to turn the rear view mirror up and away so that what is in the past does not distract me provided an amazing sense of freedom. Relearning to keep my hands at 10 and 2–instead of using my knee while holding a coffee cup or applying lipstick–reminded me that short cuts are not always good. Applying the gas pedal while still in a tight turn and allowing the centrifugal force to catapult me down the next straightaway was contrary to my motherly instincts but increased my speed significantly.

With racing and with life, some lessons can be learned from “hints” provided by those more experienced but many have to be learned just by living.

Preparation is critical. Even in an unmodified car, checking the tire pressure, keeping the gas tank near empty and removing all “loose” items is important. At the track, the car goes through “tech” where fellow racers check the car for obvious safety issues. Federally-approved helmets must be worn and insurance waivers signed. Less obvious details–getting enough sleep the night before, eating, and walking the course prior to racing around it–are essential.

As a believer, preparing spiritually for each day’s journey is a necessity. Jesus often reminds us to ask for what we need, but how can we know what we need if we never give it any thought? Wisdom, strength, endurance, discernment. . .all of these are promised, but we need to ask. A God-time each day helps fine-tune our engines. Frequent fellowship with other Christians is imperative. Regular tune-ups–retreats, fasting, periods of silence–give the Creator a chance to restore our factory settings.

One of my fellow racers gave me another hint that has really helped me! Don't just think “go faster” for the entire race course and expect to see an improvement because trying to do it all perfectly is overwhelming. It is important to pick one or two particularly troublesome areas of the track and mentally review ways to improve in those areas. Working on correcting my own faults is the same. Just thinking about all of my shortcomings–much less trying to fix all of them at the same time–is so devastating that I become depressed and often opt for a pity party rather than growth. Focusing on one or two weaknesses is more manageable and allows me to concentrate my efforts on changing.

This past weekend was one of the best race weekends ever. Sadly it was probably my last for a couple of years or so. . .i don't expect to race cars in Africa. However i do expect to take some of the lessons i've learned with me.me. . . Many thanks to the Southern California Autocross Team and everyone that wears a helmet at Qualcomm Stadium!


What fuels your tank?