an experience worth the trip

Faith is not about getting what i want. Faith is about not needing to. It's not needing to have what i want to be happy. It's about not needing my world to be full always of what's happy and bright to trust God. Faith is about trusting God when the path looks bleak and dark and goes on into a dark forest. Faith is knowing that come spiders, bears, snakes, rats, tarantaulas, or any other thing, that you will be taken care of. You will overcome because God overcame the world for you. It's big bad and ugly and it can knock you around but it cannot beat you. It's like a bully that rages on because he doesn't know that you will soon hit a growth spurt. I take that back. The world is full of the devil and the devil is a bully who doesn't know your big brother (your Holy Father).

"You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the next step when you have faith."
"Faith is knowing either that when you step into the darkness there will be something solid to stand on or that you will be taught how to fly."

Some days it's enough to say, I'm not graceful and my walk with you may not be pretty, Lord, but I'm still following you. I'm still hanging in there.

Your life with the Lord is a journey. He didn't promise you it would be easy and that there would be nothing to fear. He did, I think, promise adventure, excitement, things to see, places to go, and an experience worth the trip.

~Make your life a walk of faith and find an experience forever worth the trip.

eye spit

Yesterday I went running and got a bug in my eye. I thought, "well that sucks," especially since he stayed in there for twelve hours. Today I went running and my dad helped me gain perspective on it. He was like I guess that messed up his day; he drowned in eye spit. I started thinking about it. Say you are a nat just flying along and then all the sudden you end up in a giant pool of water, sweat, etc and you are getting smashed around by a giant stick (my finger). It may not have been the most fun for me, but I'm the one who is still alive. Today you may get a nat in your eye, but just remember to thank God for such a blessing. After all, today you aren't the nat.

footstool of blessings

One thing I believe: I should only fight the Good Fight. The Good Fight is the struggle to be the Christians we were created to be. All other fights are unncessary and pointless and expend valuable energy with which we might be doing something far more productive to further God's Kingdom. Fight the Good Fight; Finish the Race; Keep the Faith! You should get up every day and fight not with other people, fight not to succeed, fight not to make money. Fight to Keep the Faith. We all know Lot was in the business of keeping the faith-no matter what. He wasn't graceful about it, but he kept the faith. We can all do that much. Yeah, let the world take everything from you, and put up the fight to keep nothing but the faith and then it will all be made a footstool under your feet, as the blessings rain down on you.

I Yell at God!

I was talking to a friend of mine and he made me realize I like to yell at God. I really do. Sometimes, I am too angry at him to talk to him, or do what I call praying. So rather than giving God the silent treatment I just yell at him. I mean why not? So you might be thinking how dare you! The unfortunate events of your life are not God's fault because you probably choose poorly in life or lacked faith with which to move mountains as well as molehills. All of this is most certainly true. However, whether we admit it or not we all get frustrated deep down to our very souls and cores, and even feel empty inside. When I despair to that point and possess that much grief, I have to yell at God, especially since I know he has the power to transform my situation effortlessly if only he would. God wants us to love him enough to get angry with him just as we would our earthly fathers. After all, no one whom you do not love can truly make you angry. God knows what you are thinking and feeling anyways, so there are no extra strikes against you just for vocalizing the emotion. God knows what you are going through but he can't help you unless you ask him too, and he never said we can't ask in a loud and impatient voice. He just said ask and knock. By the way, he also didn't say we couldn't knock the door down. If the only way you can get through the door is with a sledge hammer, I vote you pound on through. You may think it perfectly fine to let off a little steam on your fellow man, yelling at him relentlessly, but more like taboo to yell at God. But consider this: A mortal man is more likely to be impacted by what you say, whereas God will be unharmed by it. Furthermore, God cares far more, is listening with unconditionally loving ears, and has the power to change your world for the better. The man you yell at doesn't care what is making you yell at him, isn't listening because he is thinking of the atrocious things he is about to yell back, and most likely has no power to change your world for the better. So I think it way more productive to yell at God.

I've been so downtrodden at times that I don't even know what to pray. That is to say I don't know what it is I want to transpire in my life. So i yell out to God. I don't know what to ask for! But here I am! I am still here, trusting you to do what is best for me. So do it already, even if it hurts! Just rip off the band aid already. The betwixt and between is killing me. Make me a tool. Make me your brand new Lot! Just make me yours! Mold my spirit to yours. Bend me till I break if you have to so that I will be your creation. I know it's the only way that I will be happy.