In this third installment of the Kingdom Keepers Series, we are reunited with the Kingdom Keepers, a group of teenagers who are fighting the Overtakers, a group of malicious Disney characters, bent on taking over not only the Disney theme parks, but the whole world.

As we join the Kingdom Keepers, we discover that Wayne, the imagineer responsible for creating many of the Disney landmark attractions and creator of the Kingdom Keepers, is missing.   And not only does the team need to find Wayne, but there is something major happening over at EPCOT, and the team needs to figure out what the Overtakers are up to, and how to defeat them!

The most fascinating aspect of the Kingdom Keepers series, and Disney in Shadow is no exception, is that Ridley Pearson is given unlimited access to the Disney parks.  And that give this series facts and information that normal Disney fans cannot experience.  And he weaves those facts into each book so that the reader gets to experience Disney in a new and exciting way.

Even though Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow is categorized and a “young readers” book, I find them exciting and very enjoyable to read.  They are great books to take your mind off your daily routine AND they give you the sense of being on an incredible adventure throughout Disney World, after dark, and in the shadows!

It was a cool evening and we were all very excited, Dave and Michelle had never run a 5k, I had only ran 1 previously, and Sid had run several in her life.  But this was a totally new experience.

The Expedition Everest Challenge was not ONLY a 5K, it was also an obstacle course AND a scavenger hunt.  It was a lot to take on, and we had time limits.  We were all excited and nervous.

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As you can see, the ladies beat us by 2 minutes, and they killed us on the scavenger hunt, but it was all worth it.  The after party, riding the rides at night, and having a new experience at Animal Kingdom made it all worth it.

I highly encourage you to register for a Disney 5K (the next one is on October 2).  They are challenging, but they are fun and deeply rewarding.

More to come.

Last night was inevitable.  It was destiny…it just HAD to happen.  I started training again for another 5K in June.  It was hard, painful, and afterward, I could really ‘feel’ it.

But then again, whenever we make dramatic changes into our lives, the changes are always difficult and, while we’re going through it, we can feel the effects of our efforts.

You may not be running a 5K, but you may be trying to lose weight, quit smoking, stop cussing, quit gossiping, or just stop being negative, it all involves us having to take that first step, throw the cigarettes away, choose to NOT speak, or in other words, we need to get off the couch.

4 Suggestions to Help You Get Off the Couch

1. Choose to Change – No one can do it for you, you MUST chose to change for yourself.
2. Quit Listening to the Negative Voices – whether in your head or the people you hang out with…STOP listening to the junk.  You CAN change, you CAN be better.
3. Surround Yourself With Support – people, books, podcasts, music…fill your life with the POSITIVE support you need to achieve your goal(s).
4. GET UP / STOP / QUIT / FORGIVE /ETC – get off the couch.  Move.  Do something…immediately.  Don’t wait, don’t put it off any longer.  Whatever your couch is, I know it’s comfortable and safe, but LIVING life is never comfortable or safe.  To truly live, you must take chances and conquer challenges.

Please know that I don’t have it all together, but I am on this journey with you.  Please let me know how I can help you in your journey.  I believe in you and you should believe in yourself.  You can do it, just like I can.  But we BOTH need to just get off the couch!

I’ve had so many conversations with people, friends, leaders, pastors, counselors, and people on the street about life and living that I’ve come to this conclusion:  I need to pull my head out of my own ass. (Apologies to all my Christian brothers and sisters)

I found this video and thought that I needed to heed it’s invitation.

So, as of today, May 1, I am Fasting from Negativity, in my words, thoughts, and my every day life.

“I am not my own, I am bought with a price, I belong to God. I choose to grow in and put on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,and self-control.” -Trevor H. Lund

SO…I’m done.  I’m done with the negative thoughts, negative words, negative actions, and the negative self-condemnation.  I’m done with it all.  I know I will stumble, but over the next 40 day, with God’s grace and strength, I will succeed in fasting from negativity.

I am asking for your prayers, your grace, and support.  This is a HUGE undertaking for me.  But I do not walk this path alone…I have the Holy Spirit to guide, Jesus to sustain, God to empower, and people to walk with me.

I WILL do this.  I have to…