Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tomorrow is December 1st :)

Hi there friends :)

There is only one day left for any donations.  Tomorrow, whatever we have will go to India!  And you have no idea how excited I am about that :)

As for my final "official" walk - Sunday was beautiful.  It was simple.  It was gorgeous outside.  It was just what I needed.

Joe and I walked the three miles while the "twinsies" played at the playground. (Our Joey watched them while we walked)

I had considered having them all come walk with us at least one of the laps - but they looked so happy playing at the new playground - it just felt right to let them enjoy the swings :)

My sister and Matt did a celebratory lap with us (she was even in her church clothes! hehe)  and Paul and Jami said yes to joining us- but their two littles (Jed and Simeon) said no! hehehe  That's ok!  When their littlest little was just born - he braved the chilly, rainy weather to come to the first 250 party!  I am smiling thinking back to that day - that was a good day :)

Today I will do a final "unofficial" walk with Adrienne and her littlest little, Micah.  I say unofficial - because technically I have reached my 1000 miles.  This is just the few miles added on before December 1st - the official end of my sweet journey.

In some ways -it's over.  But in other ways - it's really just beginning.

After our walk on Sunday - we went to Christy's house to celebrate Orphan Sunday.  (what a GREAT time that was!)  At one point in our day - someone was talking about how we are exposing our children to such a wonderful thing by opening up our hearts and lives to adoption.  He reminded us that "what parents do in moderation, children do in excess".  What a great thought!  We adopt one - maybe two... what will they do?  Wow!

Having come freshly off of our walk - Gospel for Asia was on my mind, and I immediately related the two concepts and confirmed in my mind how true the proverb was!

A few months into my 1000 miles - Micah and Sydney were just loving what was going on!  They loved the excitement of raising money for a well.  Micah used to talk about "what if we found 10,000 dollars - think how many toys, vacations, new cars we could buy! "   ( -ahhhh to be a child and not realize how far a dollar will go. hahahaha)

but - after the well walk started - he started saying - "what if we found 10,000 - think of how many Jesus wells we could buy!"

love that boy.

soon that wasn't enough - and both he and Sydney decided they were going to do their own little journey.  I encouraged them - but honestly, I was thinking...  sure they're excited now - but this will probably pass.

It didn't.  So they asked me what they could raise money for.  I said - go open the catalog and see what really interests you!

Parents, if you do this - be prepared. LOL   Apparently, I should have given them a little more direction?  hehehe

Micah chose a $11,000 church and Sydney chose a $1800 generator for the church.

*gulp*

Before I brought them my dose of reality - the LORD kept me quiet.  He just spoke to my heart very clearly and told me to encourage them, smile, and sit back and watch Him work.

so... with clenched teeth - i said greeeeeeeeeeeeat!  Let's do it!

We didn't think that walking would be a good platform for their mission, but we didn't really have any idea what we could do.  I told them - well, we're not in any rush.  Let's wait for the LORD to tell us what to do.  In the next few months, He made it clear what we should do.  Memorize Romans.  yep- all of it.  :)

Don't worry... I'm not "hitting my friends up" for $12,800.  I'm pretty much letting the LORD handle the publicity on that one! hahahaha  I think I might need a slightly bigger circle of friends ;)  or just one really rich friend hehehehe.

Allllllll that to say...  (winking at you Joe)

Here is the point.  He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.  (shedding a tear or two right now)  Isn't He just so good?

Let me say it again.

Isn't He - just - SO - GOOD!

He doesn't just complete it with you - He takes it onto the next generation and then the next!  He is faithful to me through my children and children's children.  He loves us so much that He did this journey - for me, for you, for our family in Asia.  This was for Him, by Him and through Him.

Thank you thank you thank you for your love.  for your support. for your attention.  for you!

If I could express one thing to you that I learned along the way - take this with you.  (and i'm borrowing this from you Christy!)

Live to give His love away.


I never like saying Goodbye.  It just sounds so final, doesn't it?  But the other day, I read where the word "goodbye" comes from.  It means "God be with ye."   Neat, right?


so..... i love you all.  
God be with you


Joy- FULL Le :)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

I've got this friend

(the title of this blog just started me singing one of my favorite new songs... hehehe)

anyway - i DO have this friend...

I love her dearly - we try to get together  - and something happens at the last minute that cancels our plans!  so frustrating!  But we forgive each other's schedules and make plans for new plans!

Well- we FINALLY got together.  We had such a great time - i mean - it was just perfect!  well worth the wait! We laughed, we cried, we had this amazing heart to heart conversation, we just had the best time!  it was one of those times when you just sit back and go... wow - that was so special!!!  so right as we were just sitting there smiling at each other and getting ready to talk a little more - everything started to go fuzzy, and fade a little. so strange...

and i woke up.

Can you believe that!!! hahaha it was all a dream. I seriously was confused when I woke up - it was just SO REAL!

The mind is a strange thing - isn't it?  I got sick this past week.  Really really sick.  I felt awful.  There were times in the beginning when I would just lay there in pain and try to calm myself and I'd start to feel better.  I couldn't move.  I couldn't think about anything.  I could only lay there still, motionless, and thoughtless -  then a stray thought would get into my mind and start turning. The thoughts would become sensations - smells - it would seem so real!  How could I simply think about a certain food and imagine the aromas, taste, and texture so effectively?!  It would be a matter of seconds before it would trigger a reaction.  Afterwards, I could only think about how a thought could grow into something with real power behind it.

Thoughts can be so powerful, can't they?

It got me thinking about prayer.  It's so much more than thoughts.  I know - there are people who believe that positive thinking and wishful thinking is just as beneficial as prayer.  Do you know there have been studies done?  Psychological studies done where they try to evaluate the power of positive thinking and prayer.  I know that no one will ever "prove" the power of prayer - because there will always be someone there to disprove it or to rationalize or reason away all of its efficacy.  But that's ok - because that's where our faith comes in.  And we know without faith, its impossible to please God.  We don't have to be caught up in the "proof"  because faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

It makes me sad that there are people that will never understand the beauty of prayer.  The privilege of prayer.  The power of prayer.

I had a sweet answer to prayer recently.  My treadmill was dying.  Dying dying dying again.  (I guess that's what happens when you walk, walk, and walk on it. hehehe)  I needed one - and I didn't want to tell anyone but the Lord.  So - I didn't.  I just walked on, and let my request be known to my Father.  I know he knows my needs and He knows my desires, and He knows the difference! hehehe  I wasn't so sure if I "needed" a new treadmill.  After all - there is an awful lot of ground out there.  :)

Long story short, about a month ago - a friend came up to me and said - Leah!  I have been meaning to ask you this for a while!  We are getting rid of our treadmill, and everytime my husband says he is about to toss it, I tell him - No!  I'm saving it for Leah!  But i  never asked you - did you need it?

I just laughed...  She said she didn't know why it was on her heart, but she just had to keep saving it for me.

Now, I know.  the doubters out there will say... oh come on.  You're walking a lot.  You blog about it - of course it wasn't your prayer.  It was just common sense that she thought of you.

Well. Believe what you will.  I know.  I am certain.  I am sure that my Daddy answered my prayer.  And yes - its ok if I call him Daddy.  He likes it, you know :)

And He gives very good gifts.  This treadmill is like - straight out of a gym.  It's GORGEOUS.

So want to know how I broke it in?  I wanted to do a little challenge for myself.  So I did a half marathon on it!  hehehehe.  I had to keep restarting it when it would hit the 100 minute mark, but it kept a running total of my miles.  It felt great.  Thank you so much for my treadmill, Lord - and thank you so much for your love and friendship, friends.  I would totally say who they were - and probably a few of you already know - but I don't know if they want to be mentioned.  so..... thank you thank you thank you.  I love my treadmill :)

This bloggie is all over the place.  I know.  I have a strange mind.  Now you know why sometimes I just don't write.  There is just too much going on in here and no way to sift through it - so I just let the random thoughts run away wildly... hehehe

Today, I decided I had better write because I only have a week left!  Can you believe it?  I can't. It feels like I've just started!  But then I look back to last year - and it feels sooooo long ago.  I remember walking in the early morning in the dark!  I remember those pictures!  I remember that horrible mountain Cory took  me on! hahahahaha  Feels like forever-ago :)  You're probably all thinking - wow - what a great way to end - why don't you go back to that mountain and prove how far you've come!  Go back to that mountain and finish it and say - wow - this seemed so hard before.

Forget it!!!! YOU go to that mountain!  I NEVER want to go back there! hahahahaha

Oh!  and before I forget - there's no party this time.  I know!  I said we'd forego the 750 party and have the 1000 mile party instead.  but I just thought - it seems so silly to spend money on a party when I can just sent it to the well.  Right???  But I WILL have a final walk if anyone wants to join me.

I've been doing about half of my walks down at the new park for our church.  If you haven't been there yet - just go.  You will love it.  It is so peaceful and so beautiful, and for all of my church family - it just has so much more meaning than a park - again - its just a sweet and long-awaited answer to prayer.  When I walk there, I just feel so loved by Him.  and especially close to Him.   Its lovely :)

So I was thinking.... I'm already going to have passed my actual 1000 mile marker by December 1 - my "official end".  But if you want to join me for a symbolic 1000 mile - I'll be walking this Sunday after church at our park on Cole Grade.  I'm going to do three miles there (that's 3 laps) but you can join in at any point and taper off at any point if you like.  That's the nice thing about laps :)  We will probably bring a picnic lunch to eat afterwards - so you are more than welcome to join any part of our plans if it suits you.

One last thing - I've been asked by a handful of you how much left I have to send this second well.   I was considering telling everyone how much more we needed, but I decided against it.  I just feel like - sometimes we feel the need to send a certain amount because we're pressured into it.  Don't get me wrong - sometimes pressure isn't a bad thing!  But I just feel very comfortable and peaceful having the Lord know what we need and leaving it at that.  It's something I learned from George Mueller :)

Whatever we send will be a blessing!

I love you all :)
Le