Random Questions From My Quirky Mind

Am I weird because I got excited and already bought a pumpkin bowl and a bunch of candy for the trick or treater’s this year?

Is there a more beautiful place in the fall besides IL?

Why is a campfire so hypnotizing?

Are runners chasing after more than the finish line in life? And are climbers trying to reach something more than the top of the mountain??

Why do cell phone companies have to be so frustrating?

Why does The Cheesecake Factory cheesecake make me smile with just the thought of it?

Is there such a thing as healthy food that tastes terrific?

Does it make me “mature” that my neighbors painted the trim on their house and the entire garage door bright PINK and I: 1. Resisted the urge to run to the other neighbors and gossip about it. 2. Still smile and wave to them even though the pink color strikes a nerve in me each day.

It is bad that one of the reasons I am excited for fall is that I can wear cute heeled boots again?

Will my husband remember that he said he won’t ever say I am not adventurous since I crawled through a bunch of dark caves with him that had big spiders and no room to stand up?!

Will I ever be able to run competitively again?

Will this new season of fall be the best season in life yet?

Is there a comfortable dress shoe with heels that won’t hurt my foot after wearing it for 12 hours?

How will I see God at work this season and how will I allow Him to work through me?


Feel free to provide answers to any of the above.

The Door

As I take a step up, I have to take a deep breath. I gently raise my hand in the shape of a loose fist and thrust it over my head and forward. I realize I have been in this very spot before. The same hand is raised, the same lungs taking in air to calm my pulse rate down, the same fears running through my mind, and the same anxiety of not knowing what will be the result of the knock on the door. As my hand hits the door in my mind, I can almost hear it audibly. *Knock… Knock….Knock*


Will He answer the door? He promises to do so. How long will I have to knock? Will He crack the door open just a bit to tell me to come back later? If so, what should I do in the meantime? Am I at the wrong door? How about a note slipped under the door with directions on where to find the right door with Him behind it? I’m just not sure. And so…I keep knocking. *Knock…Knock*

To the right or to the left? Move quickly ahead or Be Still? Who knows? As I stand before a heavy door that I’m not sure I could even push open if I did hear “Come on in” from the other side, I wait. Knowing in my heart there is a purpose and growth in the wait before the door opens, I still have a feeling of confusion. Hanging on to the promise, I will persist. *Knock*

Matthew 7:7-8 NLT “ Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

The Climb

My husband and I went for a bike ride recently. We rode 10 miles, Phil hardly broke a sweat. He is way stronger than I am on a bike. About 4 miles into the ride we came to a decision making point. Turn around and go home, was option one. Go to the right and have to climb a very large hill, was option number two. Or we could do option number three and ride in a residential area. I chose option number three.

Although option number three didn’t have that huge hill, I wasn’t aware that it did have some (not exactly small) hills. I suddenly became aware as I looked and couldn’t see over the hump in the road far ahead. I needed to get moving. Phil rode right beside me and encouraged me. I was struggling to get the words out of my mouth, “I….don’t….think…I…can make…it..to…the top.” He reassured me I could.

I was struggling. Phil told me to try to stand and pedal…my legs wouldn’t let me up. I was worn out. I wasn’t sure how to respond to the person driving up the hill in their car who yelled out the window “Good Job!” As I was CREEPING up the hill and noticeably wobbly at this point, I wasn’t sure the passerby was making fun of me or trying to encourage me. A walker would have been going faster up that hill than I was climbing. So..I laughed…which didn’t help as I was trying to get up the hill.

All the sudden I felt a hand on my back and a gentle push in those last few feet that I didn’t think I was going to make. As I looked to my left, I saw my husband riding one handed while helping me along. I didn’t ask for the help. He knows I never would have, I am way too stubborn. It bruised my pride to be pushed but was greatly appreciated at the same time. And so…I let him help me up those last few feet to the top.

What about you? Are you struggling up a hill? Are you barely able to stand up to push? We all have been there in life. Maybe it isn’t about a bike ride. Maybe it is something in life that you are struggling with that is even bigger, and you feel like you are climbing a mountain instead of a hill. Know that the Lord is there to take one hand off His handle bars and to help you up. He is riding right beside you. He is watching you, cheering you on, and even ready to give you a gentle push to the top if you will receive it. And remember, once you get to the top, it’s all downhill from there.

Orphan Sunday

Grab your calendars, blackberries, and notepads. Orphan Sunday is November 8th, 2009. Get your church involved! Click this link to learn more.

http://www.orphansunday.org/

Let the voice of millions be heard in your church.

Prayers for Blessed

Please pray for this little one in Kenya. Her name is “Blessed” and she is the daughter of a Pastor in Kitale, Kenya. She has a heart condition and needs medical attention and a miracle. She is pictured here with her father. Financial provision and physical healing to her body are greatly needed.