Faith

Faith.  It is something I am trying to figure out.  I want more faith.  I need more faith.  Faith proceeds the miracle.  Faith without works is dead.  Faith not fear.  Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  To me, faith comes from believing, trusting, hoping that my loving Heavenly Father is in charge.  He is watching over me and my family and he can make all things work for our good.  That doesn't mean that all things that happen to us are his will.  We still experience consequences for our choices - good or bad.  I long for faith.  I don't know how it works.  I strive to exercise faith.  I prayerfully seek for guidance in the choices I make.  So often those things that I am praying for that seem right and good don't happen.  I'm left wondering why.  Why?  Was I praying for the wrong thing?  Did I miss the answer?  Did I not follow a prompting?  Did I not exercise enough faith?  How do you exercise faith?  How do I know if I have enough faith to be worthy and ready for the miracles and blessings Heavenly Father has in store for me?  I think I need a little message that says, "Yes, you are on the right track.  I'm right here with you.  We will do this together."

I read recently that faith takes patience.  I know I am short on patience.  If I work on patience maybe my faith will grow.  How do I work on patience?  It seems like I have plenty of opportunities to exercise patience as I raise a family.  I also have plenty of reminders that I need more patience or could have handled a situation better.  With patience I can easily see progress and shortcomings.  When we are promised we will receive certain blessings dependent on our faith in Christ and then things look like they have gone different than we had assumed, it is hard to know if you were lacking in faith.  If I work on patience, I can better exercise the faith that it will all eventually work out for good.

Patience comes.  Gratitude leads to patience.  When I learn to be thankful in the moment, I'm more patient.  When I list those things that are going well, those things that are blessing me life, the tender mercies then patience grows.  It is so much easier to put a hope up on a shelf for now when I remember the many good things happening in my life.  I am going back to a first step.  I am looking for the good and thanking my Father in Heaven.  The rest will come.  The gratitude will bless me with patience.  The patience will bless me with faith.  The Faith to hope to charity- the pure love of Christ.  That is my goal.  I want to love as Christ loves and the beauty of that is that I first feel his love, recognize it and begin this circle with gratitude and he teaches me how to have charity. John 4:19

Grateful

• lawns mowed by Milt before having to spend week with Tall One at the hospital.
• learning that there are things we can do at home that fight infection
• offers of help from family and friends
• faith of family shared in behalf of one member.
• a son strengthened through disappointment.
• garden growing and our first zucchini
• a cool home on a hot afternoon.
• women's support that reminds me that my trials are tailored for me but the same coping skills help each of us.  We learn from one another and feel support.
• home from hospital with Tall One not in pain.
• milking cow again.
• dinner prepared by a dear friend
• stories of Joseph and Emma that inspire patience and forgiveness.
• work applies to faith, patience, and gratitude.  I'm still learning about work.
• witnessing the birth of my new neice, Eden

• sandbox fun

• time with cousins who live too far away.

• early mornings in the garden.

• unexpected postcard from my Norwegian friends.