Chinese Torture Chamber

When I was a kid, my cousin, Ben, would torture us with various methods: he would say things like, “put your two pointer fingers together, I bet one of them is longer than the other.”  When we would put them together, tip to tip, he would quickly wrap his hand around them and drag us around yelling, “Chinese torture!”  He also had this horrible thing called the “Iron Finger.”  Fortunately, it was usually John Mark that got this, but he would sit on John’s stomach, pin his shoulders to the ground with his knees and tap him repeatedly on the chest.  His finger was so strong that it wouldn’t bend!  It was always funny at first, but then it would turn to misery when he wouldn’t stop!

Last night, I thought about yelling, “Chinese torture!” myself when I attended my first “Endurance” Spin class.  It seemed fun at first, but quickly turned to misery.  In fact, when I finished the only thing I could say was this:  I didn’t throw up, pass out, or have a heartattack.  But man, was I in pain!  You can ride all day long on a stationary bike and use the little pre-programmed things to work out, but honey, it can NEVER compare to this.  There were times when my legs and ankles were so exhausted that if my feet had not been clipped to the bike pedals, I probably would have fallen off.  And the instructor kept saying, “You should be winded, but not out of breath!”  YEAH RIGHT!  There are two things that I did like about the class, though.  One: I did not quit.  I made it through the entire class.  Two: I burned over 800 calories in 45 minutes.

I’m so sore this morning… EVERYTHING hurts.  My ankles, my knees, my shoulders, my abs, and especially my butt from sitting on that bike seat!  Before I got in the shower last night, I went ahead and took an Aleve, but it didn’t help.

They tell me I should do Spin 3 to 4 times a week, but I seriously think I would die.  I laid down after the class last night and actually said my prayers.  Just in case I had a heartattack, I wanted everything to be square with the Big Guy, ya know?  Plus, I think in my heart, I may have sworn once or twice during that class.

I’m going back next Tuesday.

The Miracle of the Flame

I really miss blogging!  I have just felt so busy and overwhelmed that I haven’t written.  Then I realized this morning (once again) that it would probably be therapeudic for me to write- maybe it would help me unload a little!

I said all that to say… I’m not making any promises.  Here’s a little nugget, though. 

When you feel as if the job at hand is too big, consider Moses.  He was an orphan who was found (yeah, just a coincidence?) by the wife of the same Pharoah who was trying to kill him and others like him.  He grew up in a palace and seemingly had access to every luxury.  Fast forward, and we see a man who has forfeited everything to answer the call of God on his life.  In fact, he now waits to enter into Pharoah’s court to give him a message from God:  Let my people go.

Where did he get the guts to go after something like that?  Wouldn’t that seem pretty impossible?

When Moses saw the burning bush, the Bible said the bush was not being consumed.  Which means it was not the fuel for the fire, just the vehicle for it.  And when the fire left, where did it go?  Perhaps it moved on to another vehicle: Moses.  That fire wasn’t fueled by Moses, rather, Moses was fueled by it!  He was merely the vehicle for the fire!  That’s where he got his confidence and accomplished the task God gave him to complete.  It wasn’t easy- he, too, had to see the plagues come across the land of Egypt.  People he knew, loved, experiencing sickness and peril and finally, even death.  But the fire inside him pushed him forward.

The tasks ahead of us may not be easy- in fact, they may look impossible.  But if we are filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, we are fueled by it and we become a vehicle for God’s power.  That is The Miracle of the Flame.       thanks, daddy

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We had a busy weekend- as usual.  Josh and I both have Fridays off and yet we still feel like we have no time!  I guess everyone feels that way.  Work is busy, church is busy, Ellie is SERIOUSLY busy.  HA!  But I did manage to get outside with Ellie and the camera for a few new photos.  I think she’s amazing.  Also, a couple are from lunch on Friday.

Nothing is impossible for You… You hold my world in Your hand