Unforgettable number 5 — My friend Peggy with her zest for life and the Lord

There are likely some persons who would not think that anyone could combine motherhood, music, motorcycles, psychology and Christianity into a great life.

However, the accomplishments of my friend Peggy Senger Morrison would wipe out that thought. Her basic philosophy is, “If I start and end my day with gratitude, nothing that happens in-between has the power to ruin tomorrow.”

Although she might not be as versatile as the “Bones” series’ Dr. Temperance Brennan, she outshines the character, especially in her Christian beliefs. In fact, she refers to herself as a “Free Lance Provocateur of Grace.” And she and her longtime companion, Alivia Biko, a guitarist, composer and vocalist of praise and worship music, have combined their talents (Peggy also sings).

They’ve made several DVDs, and my friend relates that, “Alivia is my wife of 14 years, and 9.5 years,” noting that, “because we had a church wedding before the Supreme Court said we could have a  civil wedding (which we also had in church).” So overall, “We have been friends and ministered together for 27 years.”

Also, in fact, she and Alivia co-founded a Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) church in Oregon before moving a few years ago to New Mexico. The group they led, Freedom Friends, was open to all, as noted by their standing rule: “Black, white, Asian, Latina, Latino, gay, straight, trans, rich, poor, vampire, zombie, Batman or Miley Cyrus, you are welcome.”

Peggy is a licensed therapist and author of several novels dealing with folks living under the direction of Jesus Christ, often fighting the direction until the light shines. Besides English, she has a working knowledge of Latin and Greek, not to mention the Bible and its importance in life. She also has a background in counseling and teaching at a major community college in Oregon.

The author of this piece actually is surprised to read what he just wrote, as he actually was only going to describe an epic motorcycle “outing” some years ago. Here goes:

While still in the Beaver State, Peggy was asked to speak to the National Wesleyan/Holiness Women’s Clergy Conference in San Antonio, Texas. She recalls that her first thought was, “No way.” But she recounts that in a split second she changed her mind, realizing that, “Jesus Christ has just given me a 5,000-mile, tax-deductible motorcycle ride!” With plenty of planning as to how she’d pack, what route she’d take and all the rest, including improving her physical condition, she climbed aboard her Kawasaki Vulcan. It was equipped with a 750cc V-twin, water-cooled engine and shaft drive. The bike was named “Rocinante” after the steed of Don Quixote.

There were so many amazing situations on her drive. One that sticks out is when “Rosie” started coughing in the middle of a nowhere desert, as though she wasn’t getting enough fuel. There was no cell phone service, and although Peggy added her emergency two quarts of fuel “in pure superstition,” the bike wouldn’t go faster than 25 mph at full throttle.

It was getting dark and she began to pray “hard.” She stopped at the top of a ridge and there below in a small valley was Team Kawasaki/Race Team 1. “I was thunderstruck,” she related, “but I swear that I heard the angels laughing.” Problem solved, as the expert mechanics, who were testing new products vs. Team Honda members, welcomed her, diagnosed the problem (a valve) and fixed it.

There also was a time when a small-town police officer stopped her, also in Nevada. He was parked behind a speed limit sign for 25 mph, a bit past the previous 75 mph sign. She recalls that she managed to get the bike down to 38 mph, but ... It seemed that the area was awaiting a large group of bikers heading for a desert rendezvous. The officer questioned her and was a bit startled when she said that she was “riding with angels.” Not the outlaw biker group, though. She shared her document revealing that she was a traveling minister, and the officer eventually let her go.

Overall, the trip was a great success. She had many other adventures, far too many for this space. Let us conclude with the information that some years later she reluctantly traded “Rosie” for a 500cc Honda Rebel. She noted that, “The reality is that the Rebel is 200 pounds lighter, gets better mileage and will outlast me.”

Hopefully, my friend will still be riding with angels.