Acts 20:35 – In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Gratitude Day 808

I grew up on a small typical Wisconsin dairy farm. Everything centered around the farm. Our family milked cows and grew crops. My sisters and I raised sheep which we showed at the county fair. We had a very large garden and lawn. We cut wood to keep the large house warm in the winter.  

Every day was filled with doing the things required to keep the farm going. We all had jobs and responsibilities. Yes, we were involved in our church. My siblings and I participated in 4-H, FFA, youth group and other youth organizations. I only remember one vacation where our entire family went. We visited our cousins in Michigan for a long weekend.

In the summer, days would go by before I left the farm. There was always plenty to do and not enough time to get everything done. Yes, my Martha-like tendencies were nurtured and developed as a very young girl. I never questioned this. It simply happened out of necessity. Yet, there was one way that I felt a little freedom and opportunity. It was with my bike.

Some evenings after the cows were milked and every animal was fed, I would hop on my bike and go for a ride. There was a small crick down and around the corner. I’d ride my bike down to the bridge and sit there for a while. A few times a summer, I rode my bike around the “country block,” which meant going up a big hill at the beginning of the ride and then coasting down on the other side. This was a several mile bike ride. It felt like a treat when I could get away for an hour or so and feel the wind blow through my hair as I let the bike go as fast as it could, going down the curvy hill on the other side.

When I was in early elementary school, summer swimming lessons were at a lake a few miles from our house. My sisters and I rode our bikes to the lake a couple times a week for lessons, crossing a significant highway. Most parents today would never dream of letting their kids do such a thing, concerned if something would happen to their children. For us, if we wanted to go to swimming lessons, our only option was to ride our bikes because lessons were in the day, prime time for baling hay.

Jessie was a girl close to my age in our neighborhood. She lived about a mile away and not on a farm. Jessie often spent time at our farm in the summer simply because there was always something to do. We rode our bikes back and forth between our houses, our only form of transportation. I think our bikes could have driven themselves between our two houses.

Growing up, my bike provided what little bit of opportunity I had to leave the farm and experience something else in life for even just a little while. My parents instilled in me that having a bike was a treat and I should respect this. Having a bike meant that I could get myself where I wanted to go sometimes without depending upon someone else. My parents did not have the luxury of being able to run us kids where we always wanted to be. A bike provided me a way to not have to depend upon anyone else.

All this was possible because I had a bike. Had I not had a dependable bike, my childhood would have been quite different. A bike provided me with transportation, fun, exercise, and opportunity.

Unfortunately, there are kids who do not have bikes. In 2017, a non-profit organization called FB4K Madison was started. FB4K stands for Free Bikes for Kids Madison. This group collects old rusty bikes, refurbishes them and distributes an entire bike package to kids who do not have a bike whether because they cannot afford them or they have historically been excluded from the biking industry. A bike package includes a bike, helmet, bike pump, lock, headlights and taillights. Kids who receive the bikes use their bikes to get to school, a friend’s house, the library or a first job.

Bikes are so beneficial for kids. They provide opportunities for kids physically and mentally. They encourage kids to develop socially and emotionally as well as boost one’s confidence. Because FB4K refurbishes old bikes, it also keeps these bikes out of landfills.

This video shares more about what FB4K does:

In 2022, FB4K distributed about 1,400 bikes in Dane and Milwaukee counties. The group would like to help kids in all of southern Wisconsin. They already have requests for 2,500 bikes in 2023. FB4K does not want over 1,000 kids to not receive a bike this year. This is where we can help out.

Here’s what we can do to support the mission of FB4K:

• Donate used bikes. FB4K wants used bikes now so they can be refurbished before distribution in May. Bikes can be donated at Dick’s near East Towne Mall in Madison. Here is information about how to donate bikes: https://fb4kmadison.org/donate/
• Provide funds to refurbish bikes. It costs about $100 to refurbish each bike. Donations can be made online at: https://fb4kmadison.networkforgood.com/projects/160307-help-fb4k-give-away-more-bikes
• Mail a donation to: FB4K Madison, PO Box 6594, Madison, WI  53716.
• Please make sure and mention that any donation is part of Our Monthly Resolution.
• Volunteer. There are lots of opportunities to help and experience is not required. Here are all the different ways people can volunteer: https://fb4kmadison.org/volunteer/

My friend Stacie and I started Our Monthly Resolution because we are deeply committed to the thought that it is far more important that we give than receive. Giving does not always mean giving a huge financial amount. Any amount is great. Giving challenges ourselves to take some of the blessings we have received and bless someone else with them.

Will you join us in supporting FB4K this February? I think of all the wonderful times and memories I had simply because I had a bike. Can we help other kids create their own memories and opportunities with their bike? Thank you for considering supporting FB4K this month.

For all the great memories I have from growing up with a bike, I am grateful.

Blessings –

Loving God – While there were many things I didn’t have as a child, I always had a bike. I am so grateful for that bike and the opportunities it provided me. I think of all the kids who feel limited in what they can do because they lack something to help them. Thank you for organizations like FB4K. May many of us come together this month and help provide kids in need with a bike that will encourage them to make great memories as well. Amen.

If you have enjoyed this blog, please pass it along to someone else who will also enjoy it

February Our Monthly Resolution – Free Bikes 4 Kids

Acts 20:35 – In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Gratitude Day 808

I grew up on a small typical Wisconsin dairy farm. Everything centered around the farm. Our family milked cows and grew crops. My sisters and I raised sheep which we showed at the county fair. We had a very large garden and lawn. We cut wood to keep the large house warm in the winter.  

Every day was filled with doing the things required to keep the farm going. We all had jobs and responsibilities. Yes, we were involved in our church. My siblings and I participated in 4-H, FFA, youth group and other youth organizations. I only remember one vacation where our entire family went. We visited our cousins in Michigan for a long weekend.

In the summer, days would go by before I left the farm. There was always plenty to do and not enough time to get everything done. Yes, my Martha-like tendencies were nurtured and developed as a very young girl. I never questioned this. It simply happened out of necessity. Yet, there was one way that I felt a little freedom and opportunity. It was with my bike.

Some evenings after the cows were milked and every animal was fed, I would hop on my bike and go for a ride. There was a small crick down and around the corner. I’d ride my bike down to the bridge and sit there for a while. A few times a summer, I rode my bike around the “country block,” which meant going up a big hill at the beginning of the ride and then coasting down on the other side. This was a several mile bike ride. It felt like a treat when I could get away for an hour or so and feel the wind blow through my hair as I let the bike go as fast as it could, going down the curvy hill on the other side.

When I was in early elementary school, summer swimming lessons were at a lake a few miles from our house. My sisters and I rode our bikes to the lake a couple times a week for lessons, crossing a significant highway. Most parents today would never dream of letting their kids do such a thing, concerned if something would happen to their children. For us, if we wanted to go to swimming lessons, our only option was to ride our bikes because lessons were in the day, prime time for baling hay.

Jessie was a girl close to my age in our neighborhood. She lived about a mile away and not on a farm. Jessie often spent time at our farm in the summer simply because there was always something to do. We rode our bikes back and forth between our houses, our only form of transportation. I think our bikes could have driven themselves between our two houses.

Growing up, my bike provided what little bit of opportunity I had to leave the farm and experience something else in life for even just a little while. My parents instilled in me that having a bike was a treat and I should respect this. Having a bike meant that I could get myself where I wanted to go sometimes without depending upon someone else. My parents did not have the luxury of being able to run us kids where we always wanted to be. A bike provided me a way to not have to depend upon anyone else.

All this was possible because I had a bike. Had I not had a dependable bike, my childhood would have been quite different. A bike provided me with transportation, fun, exercise, and opportunity.

Unfortunately, there are kids who do not have bikes. In 2017, a non-profit organization called FB4K Madison was started. FB4K stands for Free Bikes for Kids Madison. This group collects old rusty bikes, refurbishes them and distributes an entire bike package to kids who do not have a bike whether because they cannot afford them or they have historically been excluded from the biking industry. A bike package includes a bike, helmet, bike pump, lock, headlights and taillights. Kids who receive the bikes use their bikes to get to school, a friend’s house, the library or a first job.

Bikes are so beneficial for kids. They provide opportunities for kids physically and mentally. They encourage kids to develop socially and emotionally as well as boost one’s confidence. Because FB4K refurbishes old bikes, it also keeps these bikes out of landfills.

This video shares more about what FB4K does:

In 2022, FB4K distributed about 1,400 bikes in Dane and Milwaukee counties. The group would like to help kids in all of southern Wisconsin. They already have requests for 2,500 bikes in 2023. FB4K does not want over 1,000 kids to not receive a bike this year. This is where we can help out.

Here’s what we can do to support the mission of FB4K:

• Donate used bikes. FB4K wants used bikes now so they can be refurbished before distribution in May. Bikes can be donated at Dick’s near East Towne Mall in Madison. Here is information about how to donate bikes: https://fb4kmadison.org/donate/
• Provide funds to refurbish bikes. It costs about $100 to refurbish each bike. Donations can be made online at: https://fb4kmadison.networkforgood.com/projects/160307-help-fb4k-give-away-more-bikes
• Mail a donation to: FB4K Madison, PO Box 6594, Madison, WI  53716.
• Please make sure and mention that any donation is part of Our Monthly Resolution.
• Volunteer. There are lots of opportunities to help and experience is not required. Here are all the different ways people can volunteer: https://fb4kmadison.org/volunteer/

My friend Stacie and I started Our Monthly Resolution because we are deeply committed to the thought that it is far more important that we give than receive. Giving does not always mean giving a huge financial amount. Any amount is great. Giving challenges ourselves to take some of the blessings we have received and bless someone else with them.

Will you join us in supporting FB4K this February? I think of all the wonderful times and memories I had simply because I had a bike. Can we help other kids create their own memories and opportunities with their bike? Thank you for considering supporting FB4K this month.

For all the great memories I have from growing up with a bike, I am grateful.

Blessings –

Loving God – While there were many things I didn’t have as a child, I always had a bike. I am so grateful for that bike and the opportunities it provided me. I think of all the kids who feel limited in what they can do because they lack something to help them. Thank you for organizations like FB4K. May many of us come together this month and help provide kids in need with a bike that will encourage them to make great memories as well. Amen.

If you have enjoyed this blog, please pass it along to someone else who will also enjoy it