To live each day new with faith in Jesus Christ in the way He was an example for us to live is a challenge. "...take up cross daily..." (Luke 9:23-27), and so many other verses slip through my mind with this challenge.

     "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."   I Cornithians 10:13. NIV

      A verse of such comfort!  So many times, I can lump that verse into dealing with big things or actions in life. Yet, it is so applicable when it comes to the little things like random thoughts.  How easily can our thoughts snowball into actions?

     If what I have been learning these last few years has applications it must first start with my thinking. If I let unforgiveness creep in and dwell upon the bad, I go backwards in faith and growth. So. what I think becomes a temptation as it can change my attitude resulting in how I treat people.

     "14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

      Wake up verses there that we can so easily skim over without it sinking in. It comes right after the "Lord's Prayer" in Matthew. More I study, yet even greater when I try to apply it, I understand why it is considered a "narrow road/path" to Jesus Christ in heaven. How many times can I fool myself when I don't apply what I study? When I fool myself, which road can that put me on?

     Merry Christmas! We can say this to others over the years. Yet, is it a robotic greeting or is it what one feels down deep as it shows through ones eyes?

     This year, I have been quiet when it comes to writing due to so much going on. Sometimes, when one is in the middle of a lesson if one starts to write, is the understanding even there to even be writing?  Can I even write now? Yes.  Lately, every time I open my Bible the subject of Mercy is there before me and God is my strength to defend me and more.

     In these last years, there has been so much betrayal in ways that I can't even go into due to how it could discourage those to hear.  What is faith? That question as I seek sincerity of faith in fellowship with others and seeking God due to so many reasons.

     In the last few months some answers have finally came but it took a greater point of brokeness in my life to even start to learn answers I have been seeking.  If just spoken to me by another, would I have ever understood it the way I do now? I know I have far more to learn.

     Jealousy and pride can reek such havoc anywhere! Yet, one who is hurt can become blinded to much also and start hurting others.  Sometimes, it is best to step back and seek God. Yet, seeking is so much more than a word. It is an action that must become a desire as much as to eat food or drink water to live. The desire to what we seek can relate to what we find.  If we seek little we may find little.

     I intended to share more details in this blog but still don't have the freedom to do so. Yet, the root of it, is that to understand mercy more you must give it rather than receive it. We all can want it. Yet, giving can be harder than recieve.  I spend most of my life trying to encourage others to the point of it about destroying me financially, socially, spiritually, and almost to the point of my life in these last few years. The question was after the destruction will I still reach out to encourage others or give up to become like so many others?  

     God has given us mercy and so much more if we humble ourselves before Him to receive it. Will we swallow pride to even ask forgiveness? Do bullies like to admit they are bullies?  Yet, God has forgiveness waiting for us all.  It is a gift for us to accept. We can talk about that word but not live it.  We can talk about change but just change how we hurt another.  

      Yet, sincerely giving Mercy is also gives a gift back to the giver which is a peace and joy that is better than any high in life. It gives energy to work harder to encourage others.  We can talk about it, yet acting on it is another issue. Yet, one must continually act/live in it toward others to receive the fruit of peace and joy that it gives back to the one living/acting on it.

      There is a difference when you live in it verses talking/writing about it. Our Lord Jesus is not  blind but in control as He deals with things in His own timing.  Yet, sometimes, it takes us getting broken to such a point that there is no where else to go but to turn from God or live it stronger. I still can not imagine/fathom/comprehend how we all can betray Jesus each day with our lives when HE has given us so much!

      This Christmas Day has been like no other. The days, months, years leading up to this time, I prefer not to go through again, yet would my Faith in Jesus be as strong without it? Sadly, no, due to I would be relying on myself more than Jesus.   It worked out in unexpected ways to be alone this day which has been an unexpected gift in its own way to seek more.  In 16 hours, I will be with family. Praise God for blowing snow! We chose to complain or we can praise! Yet, when we praise through things that look bad to the world it can hold great blessings to come for us when we praise!

      The Gift of Mercy has a cost other than a dollar amount but it is worth it both ways it goes!

     Impatience does not look good on anybody. Yet, we can all struggle with it. Patience goes with faith. How many ways can we learn it? If I started listing it in my own life, the list would be so long it would be boring but relatable as we all can struggle with similiar as we grow.

     I figured in my concept of time, I would be back working on the streets by now at work. Yet, I'm still doing rehab with light duty in the office. I have no right to complain. I am grateful to be working and so much more. Yet, there are things we love doing and look forward to doing them again. Yet, the ones in the office equip the ones on the street to do many things those on the street working don't even thing to realize. How much can we take for granted? In all parts of life?

     As I work in the office and see things in a different way from the office, I realize in our spiritual lives it can be similiar. How much do we take forgranted? Complain?

     How many generations passed till the Messiah was born to the world? Patience is needed due to God has His own timing. We can learn from so many areas when we are open to learn. Patience helps us learn as we take the time to learn from what is around us instead of complaining the time away.  In ways, patience has an excitement of its own!!!

     Each day to be alive is a day to thank our gracious, loving Lord Jesus. There are days we struggle with being thankful with what could be going on. Yet, it is those interesting days that allow us to value what we do have and going on with other days. Also, those interesting days gives up ample opportunities to stand in faith and hope in God that He is working through things in our lives.

      The list of things to be thankful for is long and full of praise in how God is working things out despite me not understanding it all. Yet, if you or I knew everything, there would be no room for faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, we can know our Faith in Jesus Christ can get us through were He leads and out of the trouble we can lead our own selves out of as we repent to Jesus who is willing to forgive us.  PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL HE HAS DONE!!!!

     Interesting times in life allow God to work in our lives to help us through them. It allows us to see in another way how me He loves us despite how we can take it so much forgranted.

     As life keeps getting more interesting, we have a choice to complain to increase in bitterness in time even though we may be blind to it.  Or, we can pray and apply faith in God will take us through it. Yes, we will still have those days and such that we doubt. We wonder why? Yet, it allows us time to learn.  It allows us a choice to Praise the Lord in all times to watch His blessings flow in times that are interesting. The words I chose to speak can encourage the situations either way.

     Within the last few years, I have learned more about people. When times are good you think you can trust some people to be there and don't expect others. Yet, when things do get interesting, it may amaze you who is there sincerely for you. So many empty words verses actual actions. It allows you to see people in another way.  Sadder yet, when you start getting better, it is amazing who can try to destroy you again by twisting things. Purpose? Attention for themselves can be a reason for some. Those who can hurt you can help you in ways. New hurts can seem pale compared to those of old ones due to the old ones taught you things to help you deal with new ones knowing God is in control.

      Yet, even with people, God sees. We can't fool God. Interesting things happen in life. We can chose to do good things and bad things can still happen as the enemy attacks including using people claiming whatever. Yet, when the bad things happen we can start to doubt ourselves like we mess up and cause ourselves to withdraw instead of fight.

      Is turning the cheek the same thing in letting the enemy win when he attacks? It is not a blanket statment. Our doubt can cause distance in our relationship with God. Unfortunately when attacks come we need that relationship with God so much tighter than allowing doubts to come and create distance.

      Yes, you can say I'm writing vaguely but God knows the details to what I'm writing as He is in charge and my avenger (Romans 12) in His judgment and patience for people to come to Him.  The same patience He has with me, He has with others to come to Him in repentance before their death. My direction He gives us is to love others and forgive others as He does us. That is challenging and only acheived with God's help. We can't do it by ourselves. One can assume they do it but yet don't realize the extent of what it is.  I'm suppose to be faithful to work in the gifts He has given me to work with. It amazes me how He can open doors for them to be used wherever we are at as we are seeking Him. The older I get, the more I learn what serving Him means. We can use words and not understand what it takes to live them.  

     Brokeness is what God can use more than how strong we think we are. No matter how good we think we are trying to be we can still mess up. Yet, sometimes, we blame ourselves when there is a bigger picture we can't see in things.  Humbleness is key. Jealousy with others is real which can reak havoc in lives. People who attend church or stand up there stand up there to lead things can reek so much spiritual destruction in people's lives.  Are they examples for God or examples for.....? Pride can destroy so much.

   Busy last few days at work as they change some things to help make us more proficient. I want to do the same at home in my life, also. When I cook, I cook for several days now so I can take less time each day to do cook due to preparing several at on time to eat later.

     Yet, if I rush, I find I miss things and make mistakes. I would rather not admit to some cooking mistakes I have done in trying to rush.   Yet, I find that I can't rush some other things either. XangPastor suggested a group with a wonderful idea to read the Holy Bible in 99 days starting on 09/09/09. I started on  09/11/09 for several reasons. I am falling behind on the reading schedule due to I just can't read the Holy Bible as a novel.  Yet, the challenge is still wonderful even if it will take me a few weeks/months longer. It has been awhile since I have read it from Genesis to Revelations. Years have passed so that I can relate to these examples of faith people lived or didn't live out in different ways. I understand more in ways, yet realize how the world can view it more interesting also. Yet, my past study over my life just adds to it more as I will go back to reread passages. I'm thankful to this challenge!

     Friday I took my cat to the Vet for his yearly shots. Each visit he has become more interesting to the point they treated him as a wild kitty for their own protection. Today, they gas him for the first time before they would touch him as he is 12.5 lbs of strength and stature. He is not a fat appearing cat but has strength and determination in what he does. He sounds like a wild beast at times! Yet, this visit is for his own good to keep him safe from what is out there in this world. Yet, he does his best to fight it all.  I realized myself how I also will fight what is going on in my life not realizing God also has His best in mind for me also. Things that can seem bad to me at the time, I find later has helped me help other that I meet later. This challenge is changing some of the study I have been doing and allowing me to read the Bible at a quicker pace as a whole which has been very beneficial to me at this time.  Praise the Lord for God's plans for our lives even though we don't understand it all at the time we are living it.

     It is nearing the time of the year when chili is going to sound so good!  Yet, I picked up a bag of apples and could not resist turning them into something less healthy than eating them alone. I could not make up my mind so I made a combination of both.

     I wanted an apple pie but not the flour mess to clean up. Yet, an apple crisp sounded good too. So, I pressed the pie crust into the bottom and sides. For the top, I did the crisp cover. Oh, it smelled wonderful baking!!!!

     Plus, to make it less damaging, I divided the pie up into making it in four smaller Corningware dishes so some of it could be frozen to eat at a later date. Okay, it was possible to freeze for later if it is possible to be left alone long enough. Yet, freezing it for a later date is better than it going bad on me or in the fridge!

     This last weekend was busy! Yet, if one is around people, there are ways to learn. Last week, through a Xanga blog, I learned about a website encouraging people to read the Holy Bible in 99 days. The blog who mentioned it has been one of many that encourages me in sincere ways.

     There is much going around in our lives but making time for the Word of God is crucial for strength in living strong for eternity with our Lord Jesus. Yes, if spend time reading through the Holy Bible, it will take time from other things I may be doing but believed it is going to be worth it. Besides, I have a new Bible I'm using for over a year and it is time to read it from cover to cover. If I do it to other books, why not the Word of God?

     So far, it has been great some days where I do extra which helps for days that are more interesting. Yet, I can reread a passage I have read for years and still get more out of it. Genesis was fascinating to me again. The older I get the more the Bible can be an example to me in different ways. As a youth you view the world one way compared to a mid aged adult. I pray in 10-20 years, my faith is even stronger as I live for the Lord and able to encourage others more toward living with Jesus for eternity. There is one lesson I learn that is sticking with me for days later.

     Nutshell of a few lessons, God uses people in different ways to encourage others as He is not into cookie cutter ministry to people. Yet, how many other people thought they worshiped God when Noah was shut up in the ark with his family?  How many others go their own way to God like Cain? How many of a generation wiped out before, the next generation entered the promise land?

     This week I went to a movie called "Bandslam". It was just one of those things that I walked into a second run theatre to see something as it just happened to be starting. It had a nice rating of PG so I thought it would be safe. I had no idea who was in it or what it was about. I knew for the little price I paid for it, I could walk out without much regrets of the price. It was just one of those spur of the moment ideas to do.

    It was about a high school students with the lead moving to a new town in hopes of starting over from a bad lingering past in his old town. He was able to start over and did quite well from his previous interest. Yet, jealousy hit from another at this new school in this new town so the jealous one sought to find the scoop from his old place to use against him.

    It almost worked due to the frustration hit him as it started to come out in ways to try to destroy what he had been doing. He wanted to crawl in bed and be sick to avoid what the past could do to him at his new place.  Yet, did he let it happen? Almost.........

    How many ways can we be attacked by the enemy? How many ways our past can try to destroy our future if we dwell on it? I walked out of that movie with such conviction and encouragment at the same time to realize how God can turn bad into good for HIS Glory if we chose to let HIM.  That was not a Christain movie label.  It had other good themes in it that I will not go into. I'm not one that likes to spoil a movie for others. It was basically clean for a movie these days.

     Yet, the message this week that keeps pounding me, it not to let your frustration cloud your focus in what God is capable of doing. Our frustration can hurt us as it is takes our focus from Jesus being the Lord of our lives. Frustration shifts our focus off of God and displays our doubt in what God can do next if we chose to let Him. Our attitude can destroy us.

     Yes, bad things will still happen in all sorts of ways around us as we live in this world. Yet, those with sincere faith in Jesus Christ has something the world does not have which is the knowledge which must be followed by action that Jesus can work things out for His glory when we chose HIM and not the ways of the world in dealing with things. That is so much easier said than done.  Yet, if we can chose to do it in keeping our focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, He can turn we seems to be a frustrating situation that can defeat us into a blessing for us as long as we are patient in Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

     It has been awhile. Yet, sometimes to learn one must be quiet. Modern technology can take too much of our time despite it being designed to save us time.

     There are times in life to be less busy with busy work of sorts. Our pride in doing things can blind us so from what we really need to be doing. We think we need to do something but we do it instead of doing what we are convicted to be doing. We can put things off so well at times. 

    We can think we are in the right but be so wrong. Pride can blind us until our eternal death.

     My Father could talk with a total stranger while I was standing next to him as I would think they were old friends by the way they talked. As I have become older, I find myself doing the same thing with people I meet during a day. It is amazing how we can open up with each other. God puts people on our paths that we can encourage and they encourage us.

     The letter I wrote for the guy in the previous blog, I don't know how it made a difference but he did get to keep his job after things in limbo till June. I learned things from it in many ways. I know if I did not write it, I would be have regrets for a long time in not writing it.  It would have been easy to justify not doing but I would have been living on my agenda if I had not.

     I can learn so much from others. It is amazing how one conversation I can have with one stranger / friendcan help with another stranger/friend to encourage them later! A person I have never met before gives me information to help another!!! That is a cool time when that happens, and especially in the same day!

      If I spend too much time on line or "too" busy, I seem to miss out other things I should be doing which is seeking Jesus Christ and HIS direction each day, not my own agenda despite how I can justify doing it. 

How often do we get sidetracked on our own agenda?