How do you keep your faith?

It was only when I learned from studying the Bible that God does not take our loved ones from us, but rather that the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one satin that I could find relief from my grief. God is loving and promises just a little while longer and the wicked one will be no more.

The devil is a mean devil. It's the fact that all good things come from above....
The thing is that hurts do not come from above. It's the thief that comes to steal to kill and to destroy, not the Father God. We need to know our enemy. Our enemy is not God. Isn't the most popular scripture that God so loved the world that He gave....? The pain and hurt that happened in your life did not come from God who loves you so much. We need to know who is the thief and who is the giver of life.

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Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

When I accepted the gift of salvation I didn't do so lightly. I had already buried 4 kids. In a way, not believing God's existence saved me from blaming God. But in searching for truth I discovered that Jesus came to give us an abundant life, whereas satan is out to kill, steal and destroy. So when I became a Christian, I KNEW who my enemy was and vowed I would fight against all he stands for with everything in me. God doesn't kill your loved ones.

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http://sonshine-littlebitofsonshine.blogspot.com/

Christian Homesteaders Forum
http://christianhomesteader.forumotion.net/

When we lost our daughter in april, a few people questioned why god would let that happen. I look at it as god is the only way I will ever get to see her again. Thats what keeps me going.

When I was 36, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I felt like I was the tornado, and everything outside looked fine, but inside I was all turmoil. One night while DH held me, I had this internal conversation with God, basically told him how difficult it was, and how he couldn't possibly be there with me, and I'd just do it on my own, thank you very much, 'cause it sure felt like I was. And then I got to experience just how vast the void was without Him. I sobbed for about 20 minutes, and then asked Him to come back and lift me up.

That whole footprints in the sand thing? It is accurate. (and I hate cliches')

Life is hard, heart wrenching, awful sometimes. It's Ok to get mad, question, maybe even try walking without Him. He'll be waiting when you're ready.

<<<hugs & prayers>>>

It is a journey--- just keep walking...

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New Forum:
http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/


Find me on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MelissaRileyNorris

I love to listen to Joel Osteen.

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Verse 33 says it all!
Deep Bible Study (Bible Study Fellowship International.org is a GREAT verse by verse expository teaching). Prayer, Fasting, and the fellowship of other Believers is vital to my growth in Christ.

Praise the Lord!

1 Corinthians 10:12-13
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.
He is not causing the pain.....and in the midst of pain I have a choice.
Raise my fists to the heavens and rage......
or
Raise my hands to the heavens and praise Him.

The only way to Praise Him in the middle of turmoil is to know Him. And to know Him, I must study His Word, walk with Him, obey His Commands, and grow daily.

I highly recommend BSF. It is AMAZING.

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I am sure of two things: There is a God, and I am not Him.
The movie Rudy

Jen

I have to agree with Melissa. I have been working my way through a crisis of faith for over 10 years. I am a believer. I am one of the most blessed women on earth. But..... I had an experience that shook me to the core.

It is a long story but basically I believed in God but I didn't like him very much and didn't trust him. I still see his workings in my life and have begun to realize what this was all about. It has been slow but I am coming around.

Keep walking.

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http://doremafarm.com

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Stevenson, 1936

Hang in there, God knew there would be hard times when we would question. He is with you and has never left you.

When my mom died, there was a long time when I was just going through the motions. I hated going to church. I felt like such an outsider, as if this whole religion thing was fine for other folks, but I didn't belong. Didn't help that our church pastor was an idiot and did some things to make me feel even worse about losing my mom. Good intentions, but I've decided the man was just plain stupid. I went anyway, though, because my husband and kids seemed to get something out of it.

Then something happened. After every horrible thing that's happened to me in my life - honest, everything - something good has come of it. That sounds very strange, like what good could possibly come out of a tragedy? But good does happen, it just takes a very open mind to figure out what it is - and sometimes we might not even ever figure it out till we're dead and with Him. And the good things that happen might not even be about *you* - they might be something that changes other peoples' lives, and ultimately the world; you just never know.

It's like this . . . have you read Stephen King's book 11/23/63? I won't give away the story, but it's about the effects of one event on the world - how bad things must happen so that good can happen later, or maybe just to keep things from being worse. And often those who are going through it have no idea how things might have turned out, if this or that hadn't taken place.

It also helps to be proactive. God - I have no doubt that it was God - put the idea into my mind, like a literal "lightbulb moment" after my mom died that I needed to go back and finish my college degree. I would not have been able to do this without the money she left me and it was the best way I could think of to honor her. God gives us inspiration and strength, but the work is up to us.

Everyone here, except one person, assumes that she is referring to Christianity. There are many many other faiths as well, and God is there for all. Answering with following the christian way is not always going to be what someone is looking for. Christianity doesn't have a monopoly on God and I think people tend to forget that.

As for me, I keep mine because I know God is there. I get mad sometimes or upset and want to yell and cry and say "why me", a lot, sometimes I do those things, but I know that He is still there whether I am upset or happy or sad or mad. I don't know why bad things happen, but they do, and I know its not due to God pushing a button or punishing someone or any of the many explanations people have for that. One day we will know the "why" of things.

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Recognize the beauty in things, in creation, even when thats difficult to do.
Be loving, show compassion. Create while we're here.
Enjoy this life, be in this life but not be of it.

This is the best advice IMO, and it works for me

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"If you tickle the earth with a hoe she laughs with a harvest."
- Douglas William Jerrold

Real is Beautiful -Sherry in Maine

I am 47

Jen, please know you are not alone. There are many in this old world who are having similar experiences as you are now. I truly feel sad for your situation. I am especially saddened by the attitude toward the Heavenly Father that you experienced in your family while you were a child. (None of us get out of childhood with a full deck; and this is one of the problems you have to now deal with as an adult.)

You will find many ideas as to who God really is and what He actually is responsible for, many of these interpretations will be erroneous simply because God is a Spirit and, if we are going to understand Him at all, we need to do so on a "spiritual" level (not physical or emotional). This means the Holy Spirit has to be living "within" us; and for this to occur, we must be willing (on some honest level that is sometimes even unknown to us) to permit this. You mentioned listening and hearing nothing but birds. Please know the ways the Holy Spirit talks with individuals are always unique to that individual. (Example: Were I feeling low and during my walk I heard birds, my heart would be uplifted because I would know they were there because of God's goodness.) A "walk by faith" is not something everyone can understand; and at times it even defies understanding.

I invite you to take that walk again; and this time simply look up at the heavens and pour out your heart to a Higher Power you know must be around somewhere, stating all and even more than you have posted in here, including your beliefs/feelings about Him. Then simply "ask" that He help you by sending you the Holy Spirit to lead you into truths.

In the meantime, please know God has given us control over our own lives, even if we permit others to take it from us and we believe/feel we have none. (This is so hard to understand when "stuck" in harmful past and/or familial situations that had authority over you during your childhood.) Also please know it is "not" God who "causes" harm to befall us. It is He who helps us overcome the harm that befalls us. (I invite you to read my son's book "When Angels Fall From Heaven" by David Starr, which is published by Trafford. There is nothing in this book that is some "interpretation" of Scripture. It is "straight" Scripture with one part interpreting another part. You can have your local library get it if you cannot find it.)

Jen, I invite you to take hold of the fact that God is a "loving God"; that He created you to enjoy all He could provide; that He "gave" His only Son that you might be able to know Him; and that He sent you His Holy Spirit to guide you. Hang on with all your might Jen and keep putting one foot in front of the other as you walk through the muddy parts of this world.

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I am what I am! Acknowledging this is the beginning; and my growth is yet to end. http://motdaugrnds.com/farmsales ~~~~~ http://motdaugrnds.com

Be careful with him and the people like him. He's one of those guys who believes that if we will it it will happen and faith = abundance. That's certainly not promised in the Bible. Shy, I'm certainly not trying to start an argument or hurt your feelings but I disagree with you wholeheartedly. Denominations are manmade but there is one way to Him and that is through His Son.

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

Agree with this totally. He is a great motivational speaker though.