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