"Without faith there is no hope"

I heard that quote this week and it got me thinking. Without faith there is no hope. And if there is no hope there there is nothing to dream about or to look forward too. So if you have nothing to dream about or look forward too then I have to ask what's the point.

When that whole thought process was going through my head I began to think about a few people I know that don't believe and how they look at life. How they think that everything in life is stacked up against them. How they always get the bad deal. And it was like a flood light went on. They have no faith. They have no hope.

If they have no faith then they don't see that there are good things to hope for. And good things to look forward too. They only see the lows that happen in life and aren't paying attention to the highs.

We all have ups and downs and I now see that having faith really does make the difference in how you see those ups and downs and how you react to them.

Why wouldn't HE love me that much?

I've really had something on my heart and mind this week. I've been married for almost 16 years now. Longer then most of the people I know. That in it's self is a wonderful accomplishment that my husband and I are very proud of. These have not all been easy years. We've had our ups and downs as in every marriage. We've also made very poor choices that could have ended our marriage had we not been willing to look at the bigger picture and fight for our relationship.

So I've been thinking about all the poor choices I've made in the past years that could have easily ended my marriage. But I am so blessed to have a husband who loves me and values our marriage enough to say "I love you and I'm not going anywhere and we're going to work this out."

So I'm left to ask if my husband. An average man. Who is human and full of his own flaws can love me that much then why wouldn't God love me that much. Even with all my poor choices and all the times I've walked away and turned my back on Him, how wonderful is it to know that HE loves me enough to say "I'm not going anywhere". And how wonderful to know that when I finally get my act together again and return to Him, HE is there waiting with open arms to welcome me home again.

Prophetic Assembly

Today is the last day of our Daniel Fast at church for most of the congregation. I will be continuing until Saturday though. Starting Thursday night we will be having Prophetic Assembly at church. I am on the list for prophecy for Saturday morning. I'm really excited about it. I thought I would be nervous about it but I'm really excited. I am looking forward to hearing what God has to say for me. And to see where he is leading me to go with my Christian walk.

Nothing is Impossible

This morning at church Pastor Carey was talking about our destiny that God has instore for each of us and how on HE knows what that destiny is. She was talking about how excited she is to see God's work in each of our lives and in our Valley in 2009. I am too. She then asked us each to right down a few things on a peice of paper.

1. Possible - Something that I think is possible in 2009. To be our of debt. I truly believe that that is Gods plan for us this year and I trust that He will provide for us to achieve that goal.

2. Highly Improbably - Something that I think is highly improbable and will really need God's help in making it happen. For Larry to find God and join Kim and I in our walk with HIM.

3. Impossible - Something that I think is impossible. Nothing is impossible for God.

So now we'll wait to see God's work in our lives this year.

Taking a Financial Leap of Faith

So I've been thinking that my News Years resolution was going to be to get out of debt before the end of the year. And being that I still have almost 3 years of payments on my car that's a big deal. Many places in the Bible it says that you should not borrow or owe anything. I think my favorite scripture on the subject though is

Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Anyway, I had been thinking that I would get through December and Christmas and then I would start really knuckling down on our budget and start tithing (for the first time). Well this week I have been clearly hearing God say "No you'll start now". So in my desire to become more obedient to God I'm taking a huge leap of Faith and stepping out of my comfort zone just as Pastor Carey said yesterday. Wednesday is payday and I will be writing my first tithing check. Of course that is money that I could put towards something else but I am putting everything in God's hands and trusting that he will provide what we need.

Where does faith start?

That is a question that Pastor Carey asked today at church. Where does faith start? Faith begin with the Word of God. So now we know where it starts but what exactly is faith? Faith is the evidence of hope.

Hebrews 10:23 says

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

If faith starts with the Word then how does it start with you personally. Doesn't everyone know the reason for Christmas and Easter. That they are because of God and the Son. Is there someone out there that doesn't know and truly believes that those holidays are only about Santa and the Bunny? Sadly I'm sure that there are some out there in the world that don't know. So if we know the reason and know of God where does just knowing the Word turn to having Faith? Where did it start for you? I would love to hear your story.

God has really been working on my heart the past few weeks. Bringing me back "home". And as she spoke today I was really moved in my heart to push my faith in God farther. To step out of my comfort zone. I love the worship time at Christian Life Center. Being able to stand and sing praises to God. What a wonderful feeling to lift my hands in praise and feel the Holy Spirit overwhelm me. I haven't felt that in a long time. And I'm so excited to be able to being Kimmie to the same place. I know that God brought me back.

He made it easy for Kimberly to be able to attend the Christian Academy. He let all the obsticles there fall to the way side. There the seed was planted into her heart for the desire to go to church. And then my sweet girl invited me to come along with her. From there I was drawn back to CLC and I'm so greatful to be there again.

I also had to apologize to Pastor Carey this morning. God has really been weighing the issue on my heart the past week. Telling me that I had to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Which is not an easy thing for me. But I did what I was supposed to do. And what was right. Even if she had know idea I still owed it to her. I had been being very judgemental towards her and I was in the wrong. I could literally feel the weight lifting as I spoke to her. How Great is our GOD!!