Got Faith? ( Day 5)

I named this blog "Got Faith" because of something I read today that really encouraged me in my walk with Christ. Sometimes I feel like even when we least expect discouragement sets in. Today has been a blessing, but I still am learning to walk in Christ the best way I know how. I also baked today, which I LOVE to do! Each day I am trying to find ways I can simply serve others. You learn how to love in a lot of ways by serving those around you, and not expecting anything in return. I am reading a book called, "Kissing Dating Goodbye." I am also reading, "How to Pray for Your Future Husband." They both sound contradicting in a way but they are equally refreshing. One allows you to see dating as a Christian, and the importance it is to love the right way in a relationship prior to marriage. The other is getting your heart ready for your future spouse, and allowing you to pray over his needs. Last night I prayed my Future husband would be trusting in the Lord wherever He is. I had a sense He needed me to pray over Him.I don't know him, but maybe someday I will figure out my prayers worked! Y'all should pick up a copy of any of these books. They allow your heart to be right as you meet the opposite sex. Instead of seeing others as potential spouses you see them as a brother/sister in Christ. I don't look at every guy, and think wow he could be my husband. When I speak to guys I present myself in a way as a loving sister in Christ. I also feel that God will let you know who you will marry. They will feel different being around them, things will be different, and it will be God's way of saying.. HEY, HERE HE IS. That's the same with all of you. Another thing I heard of which I thought was great is this : When you are dating someone they arent yours. You haven't made that covenant yet in marriage. The person you are dating could still possibly be someone else's, likewise who you are meant to be with could also be with someone else. So instead of pouring so much into a relationship you should treat them as if they were someone else's. If you were to break up, and hand whoever to someone else could you shake their hand and say you took care of them? Its crazy to think about, but its true. We are supposed to take care of each other as men and women in Christ. Not harm each other.Well I hope y'all find this below to be encouraging as I found it to be encouraging.





Today’s Truth
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4, NKJV). 
Friend to Friend

The greenest grass is always found in the valley. Shepherds and sheep are well acquainted with the fact that both mountains and valleys are an inevitable part of life.

Remember – the shepherd has to figure out a way over the mountain and through the valley. If a sheep is injured, the shepherd must carry his sheep and tend to its wounds until they are healed and the sheep is ready to return to the fold. The shepherd’s whole world revolves around the safety and comfort of his sheep, even in the deepest valley.

Valleys are a certainty of life. Your job is eliminated. Your husband is having an affair, or your teenage daughter is pregnant. Financial pressure suffocates dreams, or the betrayal of a trusted friend inflicts a wound so deep and painful that you long for that valley of death. Each day is thick with fear, and your heart is filled with disbelief. The valley may suddenly be before you in a time of loneliness or in the shock of a dire medical diagnosis.

The death of a loved one can derail a life. The death of a long-held hope can plunge us into a slimy pit of despair and darkness. Dreams that have slowly died or relationships that have abruptly ended can leave us stranded and alone in our own personal valley of death.

While valleys may come in all shapes and sizes, one thing is certain—valleys will come. That being said, we must ask and answer the question, “How can we deal with the valleys in life?” We must respond with faith.

Don’t let that word – faith – frighten you. You have faith. You walk into a dark room and flip a switch, knowing that the light will come on. You sit in a chair, knowing it will support your weight. You buy a ticket and board a plane, trusting that aircraft to get you to your desired destination. Yes, you have faith. It is just a matter of where you place that faith that makes all the difference in the world. When you place your faith in God, a world of possibilities and impossibilities opens up.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

It was advertised that the devil was putting his tools up for sale. When the day of the sale came, each tool was priced and laid out for public inspection. And what a collection it was. Hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit or pride…the inventory was treacherous. Off to one side was a harmless-looking tool priced higher than all the rest, even though it was obviously more worn than any other tool the devil owned. “What’s the name of this tool?” asked one of the customers. “That,” the devil replied, “is discouragement.” The customer asked, “But why have you priced it so high?” The devil smiled and explained, “Because discouragement is more useful to me than all the others. I can pry open and get inside a man’s heart with that tool when I can’t get near him with any other. It’s badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since so few people know it belongs to me.”

Are you discouraged…afraid…desperately trying to find enough energy to simply breathe? God knows. And He really is your shepherd. He understands that you may only be able to take one tiny, almost imperceptible step of faith. But He sees you, and just like a parent applauding their child’s first stumbling step, God will applaud will honor your choice to take it.

Be Blessed, 

AnnaCaroline

We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He- Holy is the Lord-- Chris Tomlin