Overcoming Jealousy

(Image source:Google)

"Wow. I wish I was as cute as she is....", "Why do they have so much money? And why do they go out and buy 13 new shirts? I wouldn't do that if I had half as much money as they do", "Why do they have so many friends and I'm stuck at home?", "Why do they get to go there?", "Why did I get all the horrible genes in my family? My friends can eat whatever they want and still look fabulous?", "Why didn't you bless me as much as you did them, God? You are always doing things for them", ....."Why doesn't God love me as much as He loves them?"

Over and over, the questions bombard us. Despite the gender. Despite the age. There will always be someone, somewhere with something that we desire. Attractiveness. More money to do "fun" things. Freedom. Companionship. Less responsibility. Even the way in which God seems to love them more. I mean, He must love them more because their life is great. Right....?

Jealousy is one of the hardest, sneakiest, and most destructive things to a human soul. It creeps into our minds at unsuspecting times, comfortably making itself at home.

I have found that it does 4 things:

1) Jealousy causes me to realize what others have
2) Jealousy causes me to realize what I don't have
3) Jealousy causes me to question the why I can't have what they have
4) Jealousy causes me to question God's character
(because obviously He loves that person more than me...right?)

I have struggled with jealousy in my own heart. Through these past few years, as life looks a little different than I had imagined for myself, I have repeatedly come face to face with my flesh rearing its ugly head. Mind you, it is ugly. The truth is, I don't like to be left out of things. I don't like to be "left behind" as others move through exciting new stages of life. I don't like staying at home while my friends get to go off on adventures. I get lonely. I don't have a swarm of friends waiting for me to have a day off so we can go do fun things. *begin mournful background music* ....that sounds pretty pitiful, huh? :)

A few years ago, my sister and I had a mutual friend with whom we were very close. We both loved this girl to bits, cherishing each moment we had with her. However, because we are competitive (unconsciously), jealousy crept into the picture. If this friend had a deep talk with one of us, immediately the other would feel left out. That sister would want to have a chance to talk with this friend, too. On and on and on and on. We were jealous of the affection we saw being bestowed on each other.

One day, as I was thinking about the situation, I realized how wrong my attitude was becoming. How ungodly is it to covet a blessing being bestowed on another person? Jesus showed me how I was damaging my relationship with my sister, and also on this friend. It was causing a strain in our three-some, putting pressure on our friend to continually "balance" her time. As I repented, I asked the Holy Spirit to purge out the spirit of Jealousy and to show me how to actually run from Jealousy. I am so glad to report that correcting my own heart attitude has helped so much. For the last few years, the three of us have been able to have a sweet fellowship and my jealousy towards my sister (or her time with this friend) is no where to be found. So, Anna, if I struggle with jealousy, how do I combat it?

Well, I'm glad you asked! ;)

1) Realize Your Jealousy is Wrong
As uncomfortable as it is, jealousy is jealousy. Calling it by any other name doesn't change the fact that it leads us to doing wrong--whether in our outward treatment of others or even sinning in our own hearts. When we begin to treat others differently, growing more agitated or looking for ways to have people feel sorry for us (which is self-pity). Jealousy provokes us into believing that others owe us something--attention, sympathy, etc. I cannot emphasize enough how destructive this is in relationships. Not only destructive, is simply a wrong attitude to have towards our Brothers and Sisters in Christ! If we are supposed to love those who speak ill of us and talk about us behind our backs, how much more are we supposed to love those who are in our day-to-day lives!

2) Repent
Frequently in our culture, a "solution" to problems we face often leaves out repentance. Repenting simply means to actually feel remorse about what you did (or the thoughts in your heart)...actually being sorry. When we are discontent with what the Lord has given to us and linger on that dissatisfaction, we are actually kind of informing Him that He doesn't actually know what we need--or that He shows favoritism. Neither of which are anything near the truth. "The Father knows what you need before you ask Him" is truth (Matthew 6:8). When we dwell upon what He has given to others, we challenge Him that He is a good Father and often turn to blaming Him for not giving us those "good gifts". It breaks my heart to think of all the times I have grieved the Lord by pointing out to Him "His lack of goodness to me" by seeing fit to give me a small circle of friends (most of which are out of state). The only way we can truly have victory (in any area!) is by repenting.


3) Praise God For What You Do Have
What on earth am I supposed to praise the Lord for when I am watching others live a life with perks? Good question. For starters, do you have ears? Can you hear a worship song? Do you have eyes? Can you see the colors in a sunset? Can you see the wildflowers dancing in the sunshine as you drive by?Do you have the ability to read? Are you able to sing (even off key)? Praise Him that He has given you the ability to breathe! When I'm struggling intensely or overwhelmed, sometimes it's the simplest of prayers that get my mind back where it should be--on Jesus. You can't imagine the power that comes when we turn our thoughts toward Jesus. The devil knows that when we take our eyes off of our Savior--and turned toward ourselves--that is when we stumble and doubt Jesus (think Peter sinking when he tried to walk on water). By taking our eyes off of "all the things I'm missing out on" and redirect them to the Lord, we realize what He has given us. He has allowed us to be in relationship with Him! We have daily chats with the Creator of the Universe. What other religion has actual communion with a God who wants us to know His love, but also to share His love with people who need it? A God of compassion, a Warrior who never fails to come through on His promises, a God of Music and laughter, a God who does not forget the orphans and widows, who promises that the proud will be humbled and the humbled will be exalted. If that doesn't get you started on praising the Lord, email me because I could give you a few more! ;)

4) Pray For That Person/Situation
This is awesome--and can be difficult to put into practice. However, I have learned that it is almost impossible for me to stay jealous or angry at someone when you pray for them. Try it. Not just a mamby-pamby "God bless such-an-such". If you are jealous of a friendship, pray for those people. Ask the Lord to bless their friendship, pray that each of them would be strengthened and encouraged. Thank the Lord that He brought forth a friendship for them...and ask the Lord to be close to you as you feel lonely. Ask Him to open your eyes to anyone who may need a friend. Again, this is one of the best ways to help me redirect my thoughts towards Christ. Pray for those people. If you are struggling with not feeling as pretty as someone else, ask the Lord to draw them to Himself in a close friendship. Pray. Pray. Pray. When you're done, and if you're still feeling icko...pray some more! :)

Don't get me wrong--this is not "Anna's Quick Fix to Jealousy in Just 4 Easy Steps!". I still combat jealousy. The question is, what do we do with it when we find it in our hearts? The further I walk with the Lord, the more He is showing me how to let Him weed out the things in my heart that are causing me to stumble. I am growing to be disgusted whenever I find jealousy in my own heart...and I know that realization is a gift from the Lord. When we are disgusted with something, we want to put that thing far from us. I want to put jealousy far from myself. In fact, I want to hightail it away from jealousy faster than you can shake a stick at me. Whatever that means. **snickers**

Anyways, I hope this will challenge and encourage you! Remember that "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). He can help you overcome. Keep looking to Him. He has never failed His children. :)

With Love, 

P.S. I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, ask a question, or just someone to pray for you as you are working through your relationship with the Lord--I would love to hear from you. 

"Comparison is the Thief of Joy." ~ Theodore Rosevelt

True Answers to Prayer

Today, I just need to tell people of God's faithfulness. So, after planning on doing a "how this last year has changed my life" post, I am instead doing a "Specific Prayers Answered" because I want people to see how God answers prayers--big and small.

• I was told 12/18/2012 that my Skin Graft surgery would be the 24th. I laid on the examination table,crying with mom after the surgeon left the room. After mom and I had spent weeks being SO careful in wound care and I had bypassed so many Christmas activities because of concern, it felt like my best was not enough. I felt terrible because something I had accidentally done caused something that would be costly to mom and dad monetarily.YET. As soon as I turned my thoughts to the Lord prayed for strength, He filled me with SO much incredible peace that I floated out of the doctors office, all smiles and joyful. :)
• I prayed that God would give me a doctor who I would feel comfortable with= God gave me the sweetest doctor for my first visit--I am always a little concerned about who my doctors are, yet the doctor God provided immediately made me feel at ease. (As well as the nurses...they were so great!)
• I prayed for strength= God answered this in many ways, but specifically through friendship. I skyped with some of my dearest friends, as well as called my friend Miriam. I talked to Miriam on the 23rd (and the day before surgery #2), and Jesus caused my heart to overflow because her. I was anxious, yet as I prayed with my sweet friend, Jesus came and sat down with me. He's pretty sweet like that.
• I prayed that God would bring peace and that His hand would be evident= The morning of my surgery, God made it SNOW. :) It wasn't supposed to (that I'm aware of), but as Mom and Dad drove me in, I began praying for peace. As I prayed, there were little flakes drifting down. It was so sweet. It snowed the entire way, creating a peaceful quiet drive.
• I prayed that I would be able to enjoy Christmas eve somehow= Because I don't have feeling in part of the back of my right leg, I was not put 100% under anesthesia. This was an answer to prayer, because our family loves Christmas Eve and I wanted to be conscious for the evening. I slept a little that afternoon, but I was fully conscious for the evening. :)

Enjoying some early Christmas presents

• Continued prayer for Strength= God gave me Rachel as my sister, and she also doubles as my personal butler Reggie when I'm injured/sick. I slept downstairs on her bed for over a month while she camped out on a mattress on the floor, taking care of me. <3 I really appreciate her, and we have SO many hysterical stories of midnight madness. ;)
• I asked for help regarding bruising, poor circulation, reactions to medicine= God is a sustaining God, full of mercy and grace. He gives strength to the weary and bears us up on eagles wings. He gave us wisdom about how to battle sore spots from laying on the bed, terrible circulation (I woke up and my feet were turning purple several nights), and the medication making me feel terrible. He was a gentle hand on my head, as a father smooths the curls of the child he loves, so Jesus caressed my weary head on His chest. He also provided some smart ideas of how to help position me better, as well as some humorous scenarios. (We were desperate enough to put a blanket in the microwave for a little while--it just lead to some of them smelling like popcorn..haha!)
• The I would know Jesus had a purpose for this= I had friends that texted me almost every day (some who live out of the country), my pastor and friends who called, 4-year-olds sending "Miss Anna" coloring sheets, and complete strangers bringing my family meals. It felt like the arms of Jesus were encircling my family! I cried so many times at a timely bible verse, or a note. His purpose was that I might know Him better---that's a pretty special thing.
• I prayed for good news and if bad news, then peace= After my week after surgery checkup, I went with the anticipation of being finished with all the "not bending my leg at all", super uncomfortable stapled bandages, and sleeping in my own bed. However, I instead received the news that my next surgery was going to be on the 9th, this time, with the potential to be in the hospital for 1 week+. YET, there was joy and peace in my heart, and again I walked out with a all smiles!
• I prayed for relief of stress for my mom and myself= The week between surgeries was hands down a complete answer to prayer. I got to have my huge bulky bandage replaced for a smaller one AND was able to shower and move a bit more freely. I told my mom that this was my sanity week--God gave me a lull in the spiritual and physical storm. It was SO sweet. We laughed all week, I was animated and even baked. :)
• For the next surgery,I prayed that I would be sunshine to the medical personnel and a light to those around me throughout my stay= After I prayed that, I felt such joy and peace that I smiled the entire day we spent in the waiting room. (Originally my surgery was supposed to be at 2 (?) so I wasn't supposed to eat/drink from the night before, but it ended up being around 4?)
• I prayed that God would make our time in the waiting room fruitful and joyful= My pastor Bill and worship leader Joseph came to the hospital to pray with me in the waiting room. This was actually an incredible blessing to me, and as we just sat and chatted, God used all of our laughter and conversation to cheer my family up and bring peace even more so to my heart. (And I also hope it cheered others up as well)
• I also prayed that God would send me Christian nurses and doctors= This short little nurse came in to do surgery prep, and she was so sweet. She made sure I was completely comfortable, and as she left, she looked me straight in the eyes and said "God Bless you."
• I prayed for protection during the surgery= I apparently had a small allergy to the anesthesia, but it cleared up quickly.
• I prayed for favor with my nurses and doctors= According to my family, all the staff were thrilled with how quickly I responded and with my cheerfulness. Some of them said a few really sweet comments, which also blessed me.
• I prayed for humor and fun things= I have a load of stories. One of my favorite stories was (Since it was on my upper leg, I had to lay on my stomach.) waking up at 5:00 a.m. and adjusting my head from the left to the right. As soon as I did that BOOM there were 2 doctors standing RIGHT over me (apparently they're pretty sneaky) saying "Uh..we just wanted to let you know that your doctors will be in shortly."
• I prayed for a speedy recovery= So, the day after my surgery all of my doctors came in and said "You have a choice: You are doing so well that we feel comfortable with releasing you. So, you can go home today, or you can go home later this week." YAHOO! My mom was thrilled. :)
• This time, when I came home, I was WAY more with it and as soon as I walked up my stairs, I saw 2 huge care packages from friends in CT and in NH. There was much excitement and giggling as Jesus showered me with overwhelming love through those gifts (they were soon followed by more!)
• I prayed for answers= Although there are things I will never know this side of eternity, I was actually incredibly blown away with the fact that Jesus told me several reasons why He was allowing me to walk through this. The one I will share with you is so that I might know His tender care. He cares for His sheep. Sweetly.
  
  ~

I have more stories throughout the 3+ months it actually took for complete recovery (super bad weakness and still pain), but I do not want to completely swamp you all! ;) I do want to say this though: God took my mistake, loved me enough to allow refining and trials, and He brought me so much closer to himself through this. Because of all of this, I am at a far closer walk with the Lord--I talk to Jesus..and He replies. Just like that. Because God loves me, He took my hand and walked with me through every day when I was laying in complete vulnerability. He sat beside my bed, wiping every tear, singing over me with songs of Joy and Hope.

"The Lord is refining me as silver, my faith like gold.
He has purposed good things for me,
to satisfy my spirit and the cry of my heart.
[..] Lord, may I learn every lesson that you would teach me."
[1/14/13 Journal Entry]

Anyways, as you are all moving from Thanksgiving to Christmas prep., know that God moves and He truly and faithfully answers prayers. If you are praying about things right now and feel like you are not getting answers, KEEP PRAYING!  His name is Faithful and True. He will surely answer those who call upon His name!

In Him, 

(P.s. I counted, and I had over 100+ people praying for me and my family. Crazy! If you were one of them, thank you!)

A Marking of Stones

This week has been hard. From some crazy schedules, bible studies, some health issues and my grandfather in a serious condition in the hospital, it has been a difficult past few days.

And yet.

As I drive from the hospital, to bible studies,then home to put in time working, I keep thinking about my last few chapters in Deuteronomy and the chapters in Joshua (which I have now started). I am about 7 chapters into Joshua, and I'll just summarize for you what's happening:

Moses has handed over position of leader of the Israelites  to this man called Joshua. If you remember from a previous post, Joshua is one of the men that God called out by name from amongst the entire host of people as a man with whom he was pleased. The entire first chapter is the Lord encouraging and instructing Joshua in what to do. This chapter is where the verse "Be strong and of good courage" is from (vs. 6). It is truly an incredible chapter, considering Joshua knew whose shoes he was going to be filling. When Moses left Egypt, even the Egyptians knew him to be a man of God. Moses spent days in the incredible presence of the Lord. Talk about pressure. Yet, the Lord God knew.

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you."

That's pretty incredible, huh?

The next chapters have been about how faithful God is--He sends them out to cities and He goes before them! Some of the strongest cities even surrendered because they had heard about the God of the Israelites and were already terrified! If you are having a hard time right now with clinging to the faithfulness and ability of God, read Joshua. (Well, I personally think you should read it, regardless..but you know what I mean ;) )

One thing that has really struck me is the fact that God does not just provide victory for the people and then they move on. He proves Himself, then several times He has the Israelites build a memorial for the generations after them. In Chapter 4, it was specifically a pile of 12 stones, representing each tribe of Israel. It was seemingly just a pile of stones, yet so much more than that! Whenever someone would pass by that way again, they would see the stones and remember what God did at that river. It would be a testimony that would outlast that generation.

Google

 God's faithfulness is not merely for one generation people, but for generations of people. When we set a memorial down or a "landmark", it is not just for ourselves but also for our children...and for their children.

"[...] that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come
"What do those stones mean to you"? [...] and you shall let your children know that 'Israel passed over the Jordan on dry ground' [...] So that all the people on earth may know
that the hand of God is mighty;
That you may fear the LORD forever."

~Joshua 4:6, 23 & 24~

~

As I've been praying for strength and the nearness of God this week, I have been reminded to create a my own "memorial" and testimony of God's faithfulness. You definitely could build a memorial or set a physical stone as remembrance, but as for me, it often comes out in writing down a list of answered prayer or putting verses God has given me around my room (or on the bathroom mirror). It is a reminder to think on God's faithfulness, and it often causes people to ask about "that random list".

 Remember Gods' faithfulness. Keep track of answered prayers. Journal what God is teaching you, even if you have not seen the end result yet. Start listing the things you are asking God about (or asking for him to help) and watch as He answers. Write down when he answers! Set up visible verses in your home to remind you of what God has done for you, so when your children (or family members) ask, you can tell them of His faithfulness. This is so helpful on the days when the enemy wants us to believe that God is not listening. Remember His good nature and his merciful hand. And the neat thing is that if you start listing answered prayers, then it usually flows into Thanksgiving and Praise! 

Remembering His Faithfulness,

Obedience In Faith

So, I'm back in the Old Testament--Deuteronomy to be exact. What can I say? I really actually love it.

Yesterday and today I have been reading in the first 4 chapters, and to give you a quick summary, it is a recapping of Gods deeds for the children of Israel. If you haven't read Deuteronomy, I would actually encourage you to take a look. It is a very rich book. I was reading in the same room with my friend (who was working on an email) and I basically stopped every 3 minutes to read her a verse. *teehee*

I just get excited, ok? ;)

I was reading today of the victories God did----and I mean things GOD clearly did----through the Children of Israel. It is remarkable. If you think about it "logically", this group of people were formerly making bricks and used to doing manual labor! Yet God used them to completely wipe out cities "fortified with high walls, gates, and bars [...] and we utterly destroyed them" (Deut. 3:5,6). Just stop and think about it for a minute..............a people who were mostly builders defeating armies.

Pretty crazy,huh? 

But in all actuality, what I really have been blown away with is in chapter 1. The chapter is describing how the people of Israel moved God to anger because of their unbelief. Even after all He had fulfilled, answered, rescued, and preserved, they allowed themselves to forget his goodness. They forgot his favor, his tenderness, his mighty hand, and his victorious right arm. As a result, that entire generation was prohibited in seeing a promise fulfilled. Because they did not believe God would actually follow through in His word, they missed out on seeing yet another incredible miracle. When God sent them to scout out the land he promised that they would inherit, most of the scouts allowed their fear to creep in. They only saw (and found) reasons why they should not obey God--why it would be wise to rethink directions directly from Jehovah. 

Except 2 men.

2 men who believed God.

 And they were not forgotten by their Master.

Nope. 

And He called them out---by name.

"Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I will give the land upon which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed The Lord! [...] Joshua the son of Nun,who stands before you, he shall enter; encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it."

-Deuteronomy 1:35,36,38-

My heart even now quickens at the thought of being singled out of an entire generation---to be singled out by I AM? To be chosen from a generation of faithlessness because of true belief?  The boldness that Caleb and Joshua took in seeking out the goodness of Gods commands, and how they
sought to find the joy of following Gods commands. They sought to urge the people to obedience, to pursue righteousness, and believed God despite what their peers urged them to believe.

  But, if you pause to think about it, God has given us (as followers) the same opportunity. Jesus has proved himself over and over to us, yet how quickly we forget his blessings, his favor, his protection and when he intervenes on our behalf! We have the opportunity to step out into situations where it may seem daunting or difficult--I am kind of in a situation like that currently, as a matter of fact.  Situations where God has asked us to step out in bold faith, not clearly seeing the end result, but having the opportunity to take God fully at his word! 

The question is how will we respond? 

In bold, faithful (joyful) obedience like Caleb, or will we forfeit our opportunity to see the full glory of God revealed?

~

I cannot express how much I want to be like Caleb and Joshua. To be bold, zealous for my God, and earnestly believing my Lord at His every word! All I know is that my Jesus is still working on me--I am a bit timid of heart and feeble of strength. 

Yet I trust Him.

I believe he is fully able to take this little heart, 

and make me as courageous as Caleb!

Praise God!

In Him,

Anna

Radiate

Wow. The last 2 weeks have been crazy for me--thus no blog posts for a bit. Believe it or not, I technically will only be home 5 nights in July.

Yup. Crazy. 

The last week of June found me 6 hours south in North Carolina with my sweet friend Jessie, her husband Andrew, and whoever else happened to be around. Jessie and I got to have a night of talking heart-to-heart, as well as fun moments of enjoying our friendship. I was also really blessed by the church family they have down there, and felt so refreshed after my trip! After bidding them farewell, I then drove 3 hours north to my grandparents cabin for a fun, but BUSY week.

Lake Gaston

I know what you're thinking. That picture sure doesn't look like we were busy. And you're correct-we were enjoying our lake time. ;) But we did have a pretty hectic week, contrary to the only picture I took. As soon as I left the Cabin Sunday, I drove 3 hours back to Charlottesville to house-sit for a dear friend (which is where you currently find me). After this packed week of appointments, I have 3 days then I'm off for about 2 weeks on another adventure!

Crazy, huh?

All of this to say, I've had a bit of a challenge staying energized with all of my travels and being constantly around people. My personality usually needs some alone time, and I haven't really had good solid quiet times with the Lord. But through the midst of all these things, praying for patience and energy, I've been thinking about my countenance--typical random Anna thought. What has my countenance been? Through the business of these past (and next) few weeks, I really want my heart and my countenance to radiate Christ even if days can be tiring. Have you ever been around people who love God more than anything?  They are usually people who spend a lot of time in prayer (wherever they are) and who also have an earnest love for the Lord--they spend time with their Maker and are being (willingly) conformed into the image of Christ. Their eyes are clear and bright, and there's honestly just a joyful glow about them. They radiate.

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me, 

and delivered me from all my fears.

Look to Him and be radiant;

so your faces shall never be ashamed."
~Psalm 34:4,5~

The desire of my heart is to be so full of the Love of Jesus that people know there's something different about me, even just by my eyes and face. So, my prayer for the next month is that God would continually lift up my countenance, clear my eyes, and fill me with His joy and love. :)

Psalm 34

{Which, by the way, if you haven't read Psalm 34 in a while, you really should go read it. I absolutely love it.}

In Him,  

All In A Name

Faith: Compete trust or confidence in someone or something (according to Google).

For those of you who do not know, Faith is my middle name. No, seriously it is. There are a few different reasons which I was dubbed with this name, but the main one being that my parents prayed that I would become a woman whose trust was fully in God. Needless to say, I am still learning. But the last few days, God has given me 2 big sips of living water to savor regarding Faith. If you don't mind, I would like to share them with you. *My apologies if you do mind...*
Sip#1

I keep asking God to grant me more faith, to teach me how to have faith, and to open my eyes to ways he has been faithful. As I was reading in Romans about Abraham, a man who is known for his faith. I had another moment where I felt like I was seeing a verse for the first time.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. This is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness" ~Romans 4:20-22
Sip#2
"A little while ago, you were on your knees saying, "Lord, I fear I have no faith: Let me know that I have faith." Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously,  praying for trials? For how can you know that you have faith until your faith is exercised? God often sends us trials so that our graces may be discovered and that we may be assured of their existence."
In addition to that, I am praying also that God would increase my praise AND give me new songs to sing for Him. For He is worthy of all praise, admiration and glory!

Abraham's faith grew as he gave glory to God--he was able to trust God as he praised God. Then it hit me. The times when I am able to believe God wholeheartedly is when I am praising or worshiping Him. The more I praise Him, the more I am able to believe He will do what He says. Even the times where my heart is hurting so painfully that I can barely push the words "Praise God" out of my mouth, when I do, there is a chip in the burden settled on heart. Even though faith is choosing to believe, I am beginning to see that an increase of Praise is an increase of Faith. 

Sip #2 was actually a little harder to drink, yet it is a true and good word. It is from Charles Spurgeon's "Strengthen My Spirit" (pg. 119). You ready for this?

You should have heard me after I read this--I busted out laughing and saying "oh no! I just did that!". Of course no one wants bad things to happen; in fact, we usually go out of our way to avoid bad things. For me, I am so accident prone and so many things have happened to me the last year that my immediate response was "Oh no! Should I actually be praying for faith?! How about some Joy? or creative ways in Development of Quality time with family!? That sounds safe, right?"

Pretty pathetic, huh?

But then God reminded me of what I had read the day before--Praise increases Faith. Why would we want a wimpy faith, a faith that has not been tested and proven as TRUE? There MUST be a testing, so that there is a glorification of God. By choosing Faith, we choose trials. But, we are choosing GOD.

So. I've decided to continue to pray for faith. (Whew!) ;)

So, friends, Praise Him! Choose to have faith in Him who IS able. For Faith does not just describe him--He is called "Faithful and True" (Rev. 19:11). It is one of His names!

In Him who's Name is above ALL Names, 

~Anna