Random Thoughts

I apologize even before I start (a trick that I learned from my wife!). As much as I would like to say there is a thread that connects these thoughts, I cannot confirm that as truth, and to predict that there is something that unites these random ideas would be purely speculation on my part. Perhaps you will see something that has slipped past me - something that makes these words a part of something greater. I can say now that there is no intention to weave a central theme throughout the following paragraphs, so if you discover something that I have missed, please let me know....

It's been a while since I wrote a blog, and sometimes I go too many directions in my mind when I don't have a medium to release them. Journaling or blogging has been an "out" for me, especially when something happens in my life that stimulates thought. So the following are some of the ideas that have been percolating for a while - use them to stimulate your own thoughts or view them as only random musings of a random guy!

Are there times in your life when a thought comes to you from out of the blue? Perhaps it is a discovery or insight that you have never mulled over before - a new concept that settles in your mind and sends you places that you have never been before. I have often wondered - where do those ideas originate? Is the mind so sophisticated that it can take known thoughts and fill in the blanks with new thoughts? I can see where God can place ideas in our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit, but what about those non-spiritual ideas? Does God also bring us ideas that are secular - something that stretches our minds beyond our current horizons?

Speaking of God - why did He place a tree in the Garden of Eden that was the only place that mankind could be tempted? What was the temptation? Was it an appetite issue? Not really - I doubt that Eve was hungry, since she pointed out the fact that she had access to any other tree, and could take a bite of the fruit from those trees at any time she wanted one. So was the temptation as simple as deciding to go "my way or God's way?" If that was it, then could we say that every temptation we experience is the exact same one - to do things our way as opposed to God's way? If that is true, then suddenly the importance of finding out what God wants for us takes on a new meaning. Understanding that God only wants the best for us (and I truly believe that He does), then the intent of our relationship with God (and the importance of it) is to discover what He has designed for us to do and be and to follow that or institute that into our lives as fully as possible. Which includes every aspect of our lives. Even when we in our limited knowledge don't understand why we are asked to do something. It may feel as innocuous as being asked not to eat from the tree - but it has so much at stake.

What gives you strength - the times that challenge you or those times when "the livin' is easy?" If it is those tough times, why do we pray for peace in our lives? Why don't we, like Caleb in the Old Testament, ask for the land with the giants? Why do we feel that God has left us when we are given trials that are designed to help us to grow and better meet the challenges that are coming?

If Solomon was the wisest man that lived, why don't I spend more time studying what he wrote? What have I learned from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon?

Finally, what am I going to do this week that will bring me closer to my goal of an eternal relationship with God? Relationships are open-ended; they can always get better. How good do I want it to get this week?

Random thoughts - do you want to share yours with me?

God bless you abundantly!