This morning, I woke up feeling really angry. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but somehow I managed to make it to the 12 o'clock service. I sat alone in the front feeling anxious. As soon as the music came on, I felt a sense of relief. Everyone was clapping, singing, and smiling feelin' good! But i wasn't. I sat there in the pew, arms crossed, looking at the ground.

Jim started speaking. I have never heard him preach before during the times I have managed to make it to church. I automatically started listening when I heard the word 'faith'.

For a while, I was starting to question my faith, and would ask myself, "WHAT IS FAITH?" and "WHAT IS IT'S PURPOSE?!"

Coach Jim answered all my questions during the sermon.

What the heck? If you can't see faith, how do you know it's really there?!
Faith is your parachute when jumping out of a plane, and without your parachute, you are nothing. You will fall face first into the ground no questions asked, no matter how many times you have thought about it, and how many times you have thought you could. You can't fully worship the Lord without FAITH. Faith is the foundation that you need to build up your relationship with God. Without a firm foundation of faith, everything you build on the unsteady foundation will only make things crumble.


The three "B's" also got me thinking...

Be Ready; For a while I always thought that I would pray to God, tell him what I wanted, and how and when he should do this for me. It doesn't work that way. God should be the one to guide you and tell YOU what to do and how to do it. All I have to do is ask for guidance and he will guide me to the right path, or the path he wants ME to follow. Seek God in the morning...easier said than done. I have to MAKE time for God, I have to motivate myself and spend time with God away from all the distractions I face in my daily life. Just 20 minutes with God, praying, reading his word, and talking to him, will slowly make an impact in my life when he wants it too. Everything will fall into place if you just have faith and trust the lord with all your mind, all your heart, all your soul.

Be Paitent; I am not a very paitent person, this i know. I am easily irritated by traffic and sometimes people in general. I get angry towards the most little things, and let them bring me down. I want everything my way, the way i want it. And that't not how your are supposed to live!! I am so stubborn i never wanted to admit this. God has called to US to wait on HIM, not the other way around.

WAIT IT OUT, let God affirm you that your parachute is there (your faith) before taking any risks or jumping outof that plane. Good things come to those who wait!!! :D

Be Holy; We all need the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and give us strength! God is always speaking to us, and always listening to us.

If I never feel that I am drifting from God, or something is in the way of me getting close to God, all i have to do is ask myself; "What is keeping me from God to hinder me from him?" "is it a habit? behavior? a person?" I have to ask him to FLUSH IT OUT and replace it with FAITH.

We Walk by Faith, not by sight.

At the end of the Sermon, I started crying. When they did the Alter Call, my hand immdediatly shot up! No questions asked. I wanted to rededicate my life to Christ and START OVER. I got up, in front of everyone and walked to the back room. People were clapping, cheering, excited that people were making that change in their life. A group of 15 or so people were either saved, or rededicated today. It felt good to feel welcome back into God's arms.

Please continue to pray for me, as I start my new journey with God, and my new life with FAITH!
:]