We all (or most) profess faith and the belief in God and that he has all power. Now I know I believe this and many here do, but how many actually live it?<P>Do not jump up and reply I do until you have looked at your situation. When the hard times came or are still coming do we immediately bow down and give thanks to God for what he has given us, or do we bow down and ask God why? And ask him to lift us out of our troubles?<P>I know the answer to to this question from the majority. Myself included. God said consider my servant Job. Nothing could harm Job as long as God's wall was around him. But when that wall came down, Job was tried on every side. His health was took from him, his livestock, even his children. But not once did he lose faith: "Job:1:22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Job:2:10: But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."<P>This is what we strive for. Every day it feels as if God drags me through the dirt and slime of my misery. It reminds me of a song I love...over and over he moulds me and makes me...into his likeness he fashions the clay...a vessel of honor I am today...all because Jesus didn't throw the clay away.<P>Just something to think on and ask yourself<P>My prayers for all.

Paul,<P>I'd have to say that your posts, and a handful of other's really keep me going.<P>Before I ever found this BB, I just was watching EWTN (Catholic Satelite TV) and boy was that healing...<BR>Constant message that God loves...<BR>He is not the one giving me hurt...<P>You are reminding me now to go back to it when in dispair.. He will lead me on the way.<P>God on one side, friends like you and most on this BB on the other side.<P>When I think I might fall...<BR>I will have my protectors on both sides<BR>holding me up.<P>Jim

My faith in God has what kept me going to this day. I KNOW He is there for me.<P>It isn't God dragging us through the mud. It's God who is helping us stand up at the end of the mud pit. It's God who helps us out of bed everyday and puts us to sleep at night. It's God who is taking care of me & the kids. I thank Hm every single day for His blessings.<P><P>------------------<BR>Prayers & God Bless!<BR>Chris<BR>For relationship info check out <A HREF="http://www.pcisys.net/~chriscal1/resources.html" TARGET=_blank>www.pcisys.net/~chriscal1/resources.html</A> <BR>

Thank you so much for your inspirational posts. We have all been going through such hard times. You've reminded me of what I need to do, thank the Lord for all He has done for me so far. Please keep your posts coming. I need the reminders so I don't lose my faith.

I had a dream last night (true)<P>I saw a man standing on the shores of some body of water. Life was good. Then a storm came and the waters rose, threatening to wipe out all he had worked for. So the man began to build a wall of sandbags. This worked for several storms, but some were too intense for him. The waters would begin to spill over the wall. The man thought that he was finished until I saw more people beginning to add sandbags of various sizes and shape to his wall. Pretty soon the wall was bigger, stronger and withstood the storm. Every now and then a leak would spring in the wall, but someone was always there waiting to place a sandbag in place.<P>Now the man did not leave this wall there when the floods receded, but he did not throw it away either. Instead he took it down bag by bag and stored them for another day. And every storm after that he put the bags back on the shore. Some were old and raveled some were new and strong. But they always held.<P>Everyone can look at this and see what I saw. We are that man. That land is our lives. The water our emotions and the storms are the trials that God has given us. The people are our friends and relatives shoring up our faith. And the sandbags are what's left after the trials and tribulations of our lives. Sometimes we build our own wall from our own bags, but sometimes we need the bags of others. We take down these walls when all is well, but lay them close by to be put back in case of need.<P>Where do you ask is God in all of this? God gave you the land you stand on. God caused the storms to come. God gave you the strength to fill the bags and build the wall. And above all...Who do you think sent all those people?

Paul - That's brilliant!!! If I had a dream like that I'd be saying to myself..."huh - what did THAT mean???"<P>Great dream and wonderful explanation.

When there's no where else to look, no body else to look to, when we're on the bottom... we have only one way to look - UP!<P>I believe God is healing my marriage. And I thank Him for it daily. My life is not all I would like right now, and I have a ways to go (don't we all?) but I believe that the same God who makes the ocean swell and the earth rotate is working in my life right this very second. <P>Thank you for the reminder... <P>------------------<BR>~Sheryl<P>Marriage: the most important contract you'll ever enter into, and the most sacred.<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by new_beginning (edited October 05, 1999).]