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I certainly have failures in my life. I've also had success. God is good to His followers and his unfollowers. Bad things also befall his followers and his unfollowers. The main difference is His followers appreciate Him for the good and turn to Him in the bad.

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When the Bible says to speak the truth in love, that also applies to self-talk. It's the only way we can grow from an experience. Not just truth, and not just love. I can't change the things I've lost, but I can show care for my sadness, which at times is confusing.

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I'm reading Numbers 11 this morning about God's anger against complaints and greediness. Moses has thoughts of death in this chapter but God said he will not have to carry this alone. "Do you think I can't take care of you?" Both the people and Moses had complained to God, but some people were punished for their greediness. Both the people and Moses were provided for, but God responded differently to the people because of greediness. A pattern of Israel complaining and God responding in anger is seen thereafter. In the context, the Israelites were disdaining God's provision and God himself. I know the context is different, but it makes me feel cautious about complaining to God. I think we can both state how we feel to God and also appreciate what he has given. Like Paul said, he quit focusing on the handicap and started focusing on the gift.

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What's amazing to me is the story of Jesus and his resurrection. If it's not true, it's amazing how many people have been deceived.

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I can understand why someone might not believe in God the father. From my human perspective I would never want my child to suffer. God allows it. Now I trust he has His purposes. Also, I wouldn't want my children to think of themselves as wretched sinners. It's just not on my priority list to make sure my children tell me how bad they are. However, it is true we all are sinners. Realizing our need for a Savior, makes me thank God we have One. I worship that more than anything else in this life. I know God is with me.

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The more I don't fight with my feelings and trust in God the happier I am to be alive.

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I'm reading a book that affirms that unhappiness is normal. It's called The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. Sadness, fear, guilt are all part of life and will be felt at various moments throughout the day. We can reduce our anxiety about it. I'm thinking we have to accept our feelings, but still make good decisions. With that being said, is our life just a coin flip? This thing works out; this other thing doesn't work out. Or is it all part of a Divine plan?

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My biggest challenge is what feels like daily drudgery. I'm trying to FACE my feelings by focusing on my Faith, what I want to Accomplish, Connection with others, and Enjoying God's good gifts.

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It is "difficult to distinguish consciousness from the Autumn autisms. It has created."

Dr. Tzanck

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The organism is regarded as a machine, and that is right; but it is a considered a fixed, movable, automatic machine, confined within precise mathematical limits, and that is quite wrong. The organism is an organic machine, endowed, that is to say, with a flexible, elastic mechanism.

Claude Bernard

Compare a train on a track with a vehicle on a road.

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I have already told the story of the friend who used to ask everybody what he must do to find faith. It was sort of a challenge, for he used to add: "You say that it is a matter of grace, so there is nothing I can do about it."

One day he was given the answer: "Begin by living as if you had faith, and you will see."

Paul Tournier

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Though I'm trying to allow and accept all of my emotions, I'm also trying to lead with joy, my strength from the Lord. But that doesn't mean I automatically feel joy without feeling the other emotions also.

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My mind is naturally negative. Our brains are easily influenced by the fight/flight process. This can lead to anxiety and depression. I am trying to retrain my brain to stay focused on the present, and gratitude. As a Christian, this is also a way to feel closer to God.

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When I feel the burdens of life it seems unmanageable when I look at the whole picture, including the past, and my future. As tough as it is sometimes, if you take out the past and the future, we can most often deal with the here and now. Plus, the here and now is the only place I can find gratitude.

It can be unsatisfying to just focus on the here and now. I wish I could solve everything, all my past and future problems.

Don't forget, emotions are memories. Focus on the here and now.

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I'm in love with this God of the Bible. If there's a chance he might be real, I'm in!

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Often I feel like I have a block to feeling grateful. When I think about the immense gift of God's salvation, I am satisfied. I cannot overlook the ways God has been good to me. Practicing gratitude in the present remains my goal.

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Of course we all have to have faith, and this page is to work out your faith. I ascribe events in my life, both good and bad, to God. The good events are from God, and the bad events are allowed by God to change me. By faith, I trust, or you could say imagine, that there is a personal relationship behind all this. Sometimes I wonder if there is a personal relationship there. That's okay, because I come back to my faith.

There has to be a god in the sense that is a label we attribute to the cause of all things. Even if you're an atheist, something caused all things. We can call that God. Some say God has to be personal because the First Cause has to make a choice, and not respond automatically according to some natural law.