I have no desire to want to repeat this year. Many lessons learned through challenges. Yet, many lessons in continual learning that takes time to apply to ones heart to doing it automatically when it is called to do. 

     Finally realizing some truths and stands that need to be made in order to grow in faith and experience the power of God in ones personal life. We can talk about it or hear it talked about but is it real in our personal lives? Are we just on the edge of it or actually li ving it?

     Yes, I'm being vague due to if I spoke details this post would be unknown pages in length in what this year held in lessons. Yet the bottom line is about faith. Chosing Godly values and promises verses the empty ones of the world with selfishness so much at the root of it.

     There is victory in Jesus even though at moments it looks interesting but that is when faith has a chance to grow. Mark 11 where faith is talked about can move mountains if we stand on scripture promises instead of unbelief and doubt. Our words can defeat us when we speak with just feelings motivating us verses facts.

     Without this year I would not have learned these lessons. It is a spiritual battle we face as we serve the Lord verses one not against flesh and blood. With this in mind it helps one to love their enemies. Humans have a eternal destination waiting for them as they live. If we do not love our enemies, what chance do they have to chose Jesus as they are then able to see the difference of Jesus being real in our lives verses empty words? If we are not sincere and we don't live in His power then what difference are we from the world? Do we then become goats and tares in our own spiritual blindness as we fool ourselves? Does the love chapter of Corinthians set us apart from the world? 2010 has been challenging! Yet, I have an expectant heart for 2011!!!

     It takes so much less effort to float in life verses standing for something. If we float it is a passive state of whatever happens happens at we are carried along the current stream of popular view due to we don't want to create a ripple for the peace of others. Yet, if one is floating are they eyes open or closed as they might see a little of what is going on around them as they are floating face up? Floating face up is better than face down due to one needs air to breathe in this wide stream of life that can flow quiet quickly to carry one far faster down the path that one thinks that can happen with lots of regret if they ever realize the the great waterfall of eternity that waits for them.

     As one floats, a lot of times ones ears are underwater so it is heard to hear if one is floating on ones back in stream. Yet, the can change positions to get their head out of the floating mainstream thought of popularity. Yet, if their feet happen to touch or scrape the bottom when they just happen to be in a more shallow stream of popularity that is filling their life, they might have an opportunity to stand and make a ripple of difference in the stream from something seen or heard. Yet, that little bit of standing can create a ripple in the stream which may have interrupt the the passive state they are in.

    Maybe as another reaches out to them that are standing for something in this life it can snag them for a bit until they push away from one that cared enough to snag them to try to help them out of this destructive passive force of living. One who stands tries to alert the other who is floating that there are things happening around them they need to be aware of.

     Yet, one who stands can also slip with their feet or hand hold that is allowing them to stand. Yet, they keep the position of looking around with eyes able to see and ears able to hear to watch for something to reach out to to help them stand again. Some slip and start to float even if they don't plan too. Yet, their position is different floating position as they look for a way of escape of this fast current that take one off balance.

     Yet, the ability to chose is still there if one is floating down the stream of popular opinion that can be a gentle form of mob rule that usually does not lead to a good place for eternity. There are various floating positions out there and places to stand or become snagged on which can create a ripple of difference in this world.  

     Waking up by a phone call realizing you are late to start a Christmas day can cause a haze of movement completed in a mental fog  until you are fully awake.  Sometimes, those actions done in a fog can lead to losing something like a cell phone for the rest of the day. Cellphones are small enough to fall and slip in a place out of sight or into something to be taken to anywhere.

     Frustration then is built up as one tries to find something without success which can create more mental blindness in coming with plans of possibilities to find it. So, I just left for a day away about an hour away from home to spend it with family. That can be a good thing to visit ones family on Christmas without a cell phone, in ways it becomes an unintentional gift of less distractions of this world, friends, and work in that tiny clever box of technology.

      Finally leaving without finding the phone as realized I would even be more late if I stayed to find it. The drive started in silence and conviction hit me of how dependant we have become on that little box of technology. My alarms on the phone failed to wake me on my last shift of work despite the alarms being set and not going off. Yet, the conviction went deeper than the dependence I have developed in daily living with it as a tool.  The cell phone can break down over time in not working as well.

      Had it become a replacement of prayer and dependance on God? I'm several decades into life and well remember the time without cell phones when stranded out in the middle of nowhere from driving an old car or other events that created a need to be able to call one for help. How much more did I use faith and prayer to call upon God to help me in sending somebody I knew near me or a stranger willing to help me? How many times did I have Jesus Christ to call on for help in those situations by prayer? In so many ways it has helped build my faith in what it is today by witness how God provided!!!

      Even waking up to my last shift of work without my cell phone alarm was done by a cat jumping around on my to wake me up from the issue of annoyance. I work unusual hours with creates a very unsual sleep patterns which waking up is greatly helped by an alarm. God knows my needs and helps me even in the little things. Yet, despite how He does help me I tend to forget it way to easily at times.

      To find my phone when I arrived home, I had arranged for my Mother to call me starting at a certain time until I called her back to let her know I found it. Yet, on the drive home as I spent most of it in prayer, the idea occurred to me to use my computer email to text my phone which would create a reason for it to ring. I called her before she had a chance to call me at the appointed time. Yet, more important, I had called on God by prayer which is a far greater source of so much more than any cell phone can offer anyone. Plus, one can't lose prayer like they can a cell phone!