Big Words | Faith

If we don't have faith we have nothing. Faith is one of the center of our beings. It's the foundation of who we are. 


Faith can best be described as a tree. Starts out small as a seed but slowly begins to grow. It doesn't happen over night but takes years before it becomes a tall tree. Even after many years trees still grow and will continue to grow until the tree dies. The same is with our faith. It will continue to grow and become more vast until the day that we die. 


Trees don't just grow by themselves. They take in nutrients and water with their roots from their immediate surroundings. This allows them to continue to grow or if there isn't any good nutrients around them they won't be able to grow. The same can be said for us. We are influenced by those around us and our faith grows by the support we have around us. 


A tree defies gravity by taking up nutrients and water through its roots and sending it to the top of the tree without using any energy. Our faith can also defy the world that holds us down. 


A tree also has many branches that come off of the main trunk of the tree. Just as our faith has many aspects and many different ideas that are based off of one central idea. 


It is a complex thing that is different for ever person. Every person grows at a different rate. There are trials and tribulations that can change every year. Some cause us to grow stronger while others cause us to grow slower. Faith is at our core and from that grows our branches.


He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20




Update:
P.S. Word in bold has been fixed thanks to the review of Matthew Pautsch.

Big Words | Truth

Truth are the words that do not want to be uttered. Instead of confronting with the truth we back away and say I don't know. In all truth we know but we are to afraid to say the truth because we fear the truth. The truth about us or about telling the truth to someone else. It brings about confrontation and that can be uncomfortable. We would rather stay comfortable and believe the "truth" that we are living. Even if the truth is brought to us, we tend to ignore and say that it cannot possibly be the truth. 

I know I do this all the time. If the truth is presented to me I tend to shrink away and begin to not pay attention. A lot of times I even begin to defend myself. I put up a wall and try to say why it isn't the truth. In all honesty I am afraid of the truth. It means accepting apart of me that I don't want to. We are slaves to the selves that we have created. Truth is what sets us free and yet we turn away from the truth. 

Truth is where it all begins though. It's the start of becoming something true. Truth about ourselves is where it starts but we can't do it without other people because most of the time we can't see the truth that is right in front of our faces.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 

John 8:32

A Thought on Prayer

Praying
It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try

to make them elaborate, this isn't

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

another voice may speak.

-Mary Oliver

Path

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path, and leave a trail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Continued Thoughts

I just asked someone what I should blog about. She said that I should write a blog about something other than myself. I am finding this task to be a little tricky because I usually write my thoughts on my blog and its a little like a journal. So I am going to continue thinking about what I shall write about and I am up for any thoughts or ideas. Or i could always write about someone else but I think that might end up being a little weird unless a person wants to be written about....

Time

Time is a precious thing. Everyone seems to know that but they don't understand it. If we valued time so much I think it would be more clear that we do. Instead of working and rushing all the time take a break and learn to value your time. Make time for people and make them your top valued time. Invest in them and make each person you care about feel special. You don't know how much time you will have with that person so take nothing for granted. 


Don't just know that someone is special to you. Understand it! Give them the time they deserve. Time is precious and you can never get it back. Whats done is done so live with no regrets because that will only waste your time even more. 

Forgiving

One of the hardest things in life is to forgive yourself. Its the oddest thing. It should be easy but we carry around our mistakes and pick them apart. We try and figure out what we could have done different or how we are going to fix it so that next time we won't make the same mistake. It starts to consume us and forgiving ourselves and moving on doesn't ever seem to be our first thought or option. 

I get a daily C.S. Lewis quote and that was what the quote was about today. He said "If God forgives us we must forgive ourselves otherwise its like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him" -CSLewis. That's what got me thinking about this and how once we have accepted Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and yet we rarely act as if they are. We let our past experiences take control of us and keep our darkest secrets hidden. Now I'm not saying go out and say to the whole world what your darkest secrets are but learn to trust those who are close to you and that love you. They will help you understand just how forgiven your sins are. 

The shame of sin is nothing compared to the love of Jesus and how that love is shown. There is no reason to not forgive yourself and move on. If the one who created you can do it than shouldn't we be able to as well?