Journey Of Faith

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

There are no guarantees in this life. One minute your home is filled with happiness, the next it is filled with sorrow. One minute you are active and full of life, the next you are passive and weak. At times we feel cherished and surrounded by love, other times abandoned and isolated. It seems that life is a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs, and regardless of what inner strength you may possess there are times when these attacks wear you completely down. This is where our journey of faith starts; we must understand and be assured that God loves us and will stand by us in the good times and the bad. He is delighted in our moments of achievements and praise, and stays very near and protects us when we are vulnerable and faint.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Romans 5:5)

When things seem to be crumbling in and around my life, I find myself needing to remember to get back to the basics and focus on the true meaning of life; simplicity in God's love and the hope for a better future. True happiness is when we draw close to the source of happiness by obeying and trusting in His assurance of protection and guidance; we will never outgrow our need for His power and leadership. When resolutions to a problem seem nowhere to be found, and I just can't seem to pull myself up from a deep hole of desolation, I know I possess a reserve of power and faith to call upon my Lord to help me meet every challenge and trial. He will hold me in His loving arms and encourage me to draw from my inner strength so that I can clearly see the light at the end of any dark tunnel.

"The Lord will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:17)

Work And Play

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

God always knows how to plan, balance, and evaluate a perfect agenda for me, and I give Him thanks and praise for an amazing two weeks (well needed!) of vacation. My husband, youngest daughter, and I spent the last two weeks in the company of my oldest daughter and two precious grandsons who we haven't seen for quite a long time. What joy and unexpected surprises children can bring into a home; they lighten up the daily grind and and normal routine we can often get caught up in. After spending the first week planning and exercising activities in and around Boise, we had the opportunity during the second week of vacation to experience firsthand some of God's glorious creation while camping in the Sawtooth mountains. What a relaxing and yet energizing time we shared; a perfect way to wrap up the last of our visit. After many sad good-byes, I now felt a renewed state of mind to pick up where I left off at home and work. I am so thankful for the many great memories made in the last couple of weeks that we all shared and will hold on to until our next visit/vacation.

"That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything that God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it." (Ecclesiastes 3:13-14)

God wants us to be happy and to pursue good and worthy goals in life. We must find joy and pleasure in everything we do, and accept each day as it comes whether it's smooth or rocky. Sometimes we get to play, but many times we have to work. He planned and is involved in all of our moments; His desire is for us to trust Him and yield to His design and purpose every day. God has refreshed and strengthened me during this time of play so that I can move on and find the same joy and contentment in my work. The essence of man's life is to be successful in this world and find joy, peace, and contentment each day with it's measure of work and play.