The "F" Word.

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."
- JRR Tolkien

A new day, a new problem, a new sickness, a new bill. Another day without enough money. Another day of being alone. A new day to consider ending it all. A new day of hope. A new day to feel God moving in your life. A new day to love your family and friends. A new day of life.

We lay down in our beds, on our couches, in our recliners, or even on the floor and fall asleep. Most people have already planned the next day out before they even fall asleep. Why? We are not promised tomorrow. It's a little thing called FAITH. Yes I said the "F" word. I said FAITH. We wake up and climb out of bed and our thoughts are all different, but most wish for just a few more minutes of sleep. Our first thoughts in the morning should be "Thank you God for allowing me to wake up today. Thank you for another day to feel your hands moving in my life." I am talking to myself as much as you reading this. I am in know way perfect. I wake up and my first thoughts are usually "Ugh...I need more sleep."

By FAITH we plan tomorrow. By FAITH we tell our loved ones "I'll see you later." By FAITH we get into our cars, or in my case walk downstairs, to go to work. By FAITH we believe that there is even a God.

I know that most of us have a personal relationship with God, but some people out there believe that we are just delusional. That we have fooled our selves into believing that God is in control of our lives. Those are the people that I feel JRR Tolkien was talking to when he said the quote above.

We all have had those dark times in our lives, but it is our FAITH that has brought us through. As Pastor David Cook from International Bible Church in San Antonio once said "Don't doubt in the dark what the Lord tells you in the light." We go to church and our pastors teach us what we need to know, but during those dark times we tend to forget. Yet there are times that we remember what we have been tought and by FAITH we believe that everything is going to work out.

Do we as people have the FAITH that is needed to beliveve that God is going to keep us protected on our way to work? Do we have the FAITH to believe that God knows what he is doing when a family member passes away? That last one has hit a nerve with several of us recently.

We have lost some wonderful people at my church in the past 3 months. It has been very hard for even myself. Some of my friends have lost fathers and grandfathers and we all have lost a friend. It's tough, but do we have the FAITH to carry on and remember thier lives and honor them. Yet more importantly do we have the FAITH to believe that God knows what he is doing?

FAITH is a hard, but simple thing. We just have to believe and put our trust in the Lord. It's a hard thing to put your beliefs in someone that you might not have ever seen or heard, but thats why it's called FAITH. You have to let go and let God. It's a simple as going to sleep expecting to wake up in the morning.

As an interesting fact the word FAITH is in the NKJV bible 250 times. I think that means that it is important to have it. Remember that it's by FAITH we are healed and by FAITH we plan tomorrow. May God bless you all in your daily activities. In the words of Rev. Run "God is love." Have a wonderful day.

Where would we be?

I look up to the hills, but where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalms 121:1-2 (NCV)

We all need to take sometime as we welcome a new year to reflect on aspects of our lives. We all have had to deal with tough times and struggles in our lives. Have we ever really, my self included, taken the time to sit and think of how we made it through those times?

I know what I have gone through in my short 26 (almost 27) years of life. There have been times that I have just wanted to give up, but something happens and what I was going through ends. The situation is resolved or I get a new job, or a new car, or how ever it needs to happen the issues are taken care of.

There have been plenty of times when my parents have bailed me out of what ever situation that I am going through. I have had to count on my brother or sister or other family members. There have been times when all I had were my friends, but I have always gotten through the situation.

Now that 2008 is here another situation has come up, but I know that I am going to get through it. Not because of my family or my friends. Not because of anything that I do on my own. The only reason that I am going to make it through this and what ever else might come my way is the Lord.

God is the one that has given me the strength to make it through these situations. He has given me the understanding or the knowledge to work it out. He is the one that has allowed my family and friends to be there when I need them the most. With out him were would I be?

But you need to ask your self where would you be if God wasn't there?

May God bless you all in 2008 and keep checking for new postings.