For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision not uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. Galatians 5:6
May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing with hope. Romans 15:13
Therefore, we conclude that apart from the deeds of the law a man is justified by faith. Romans 3:38 (Bold script for faith my addition)
Faith is the belief, hope, knowledge of something we have no control over. We believe the sun will rise each day, the world will spin on its axis, after the rain, the sky will brighten and the waters will recede. We believe. We hope. That’s faith. It’s so easy to believe in those things which make up our corner of the world. Some know that monsoon season is a certain time, others expect snows at certain times. Yet, to have faith in the unseen, is much more difficult. How do you know that after a flood, the waters eventually recede, and the rains stop? It’s been experienced. And when the snows and colds of winter blasts and seems as though it is never bring Spring, there is faith that the change of season will come. It’s been the experience; the result of waiting and believing and seeing the evolution of seasons.
But for some it is so difficult to grasp the idea–the BELIEF–of a creator! We have not seen…yet see all the time if we look at the majestic mountains, the oceans, the love and kindness of others, the goodness, births of animals and more. We see it the lovely sunrises, the glorious sunsets. We listen to the roar of the ocean, or the gentle lap of the waves on shore, the twitter of dolphin, chirping of birds, or the gurgling happy sounds from a baby. There is so much just seeing how the world around as been created.
If we have trust and believe Jesus died for US, for our sinful beings, that is faith. Faith is hope, trust in something we have no control over. And we certainly have no control of the rain falling from the sky, the sun rising each day and most other things. But the belief is there for what will come after is what we have seen before.
We can plan for something, but plans can go awry. Trust and faith can be shaken, but if you choose to hold on, continue to pray and believe things will turn out for your good, you will get through. And you will come through difficulties stronger.
I think it must be so lonely and upsetting to not have faith in anything other than your own skills and abilities. Then what happens when severe illness strikes and you are left with a broken, sick body? It must be overwhelming to then have nothing but your own skills to see you through.
Our Lord came to earth, walked and lived among people, as a man, although He was God. He chose to take our sins on himself, and die an agonizing death on a cross, to ensure a way for us to reach heaven through faith. He did this so all the sacrifices of the rules were done. He was the last–the final–sacrifice. We have only to believe in Him and we will be saved. That beats out any guarantee you can get. We believe and trust in Him and our lives change and improve. That is NOT to say we will always have smooth sailing, no problems or heartaches, but when the difficult times arise, we have the knowledge of knowing He is there and will help us overcome.
If we might believe in Him, follow Him and learn to love others as we love ourselves. This then would lead us to denying our own selfish manner, and instead give of ourselves, our possessions and our time for the benefit of others. Believing in Him through faith gives us everything we need.
It’s as easy as that. His sacrifice, our belief He died for us…Faith.
His sacrifice is the best of mybellaviews!
For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2: 11,12
I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in the season; there shall be showers of blessing. Then the tress of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. Ezekiel 34:26.27
I love the spring, summer and fall, and actually don’t mind the winter too much living in North Carolina. But by far the warmth and progressively longer days at the of end of winter and early spring are my favorite times.
Gardening is one of the hobbies God’s given me to enjoy. I’m not always real knowledgeable, but I like playing in the dirt, planting and nurturing, weeding and feeding the plants and hoping that I’ll be rewarded by the pretty colors and blossoms. Then I watch the little lizards or chameleons spring about, admire the pretty butterflies and bees that feed, pollinate and keep the cycle going. How magical it seems!
Yet God had a purpose for creating and using some animals and insects to benefit from the blossoms and plants. There is such an interdependence we all have. But how lovely it is to see the blossoms, even in a field of wildflowers blossoming; certainly a gift from the creator.
He’s blessed us with so much if we just pause and look; take a deep breath and smell the flowers, the damp earth, the ocean if you live near enough; the sounds of birds singing, bees buzzing, hummingbirds whizzing by. There is so very much that one has as a daily blessing.
I see so much more, appreciate so much more in the spring. I tend to make a mad dash from car to shelter in the winter, and spend more time avoiding the early dark evenings, the cold; and then the days start lengthening, the sun shines longer, and I have more energy and lightness of heart.
Thankfully, I savor enough blessings throughout the three seasons of color, gardening and so forth that I pull out my memories for the more dismal days of winter.
Thank you, God for the blessings of each season and all my bellaviews
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted….Ecclesiastes 3:1,2
This weekend the clocks are jumping forward; the birds are singing and doing flirtatious leaps on tree branches, telephone wires, and other perches with songs sounding full of excitement and joy. The temperatures are creeping up into the 70s this week in eastern NC, the sun is climbing higher in the skies and showing off its brightness for longer minutes each day….Spring has sprung!!
That of course, is not to say there may not be gray or rainy days, the temperatures may dip rudely back into COLD, and the winds may arrogantly remind us of chills which feel as though they seep beneath one’s skin to cause the bones to ache. That’s spring!
But I love the days as they get longer, more sunshine and daylight. It frees me from my self-imposed hibernation. I want to be out in the air, looking at all the things freed after a winter—trees budding, flowers poking up, flirtatious birds doing silly acrobatics in their enthusiastic manner, and the sun sitting higher in the sky.
But each of the seasons has its own specialness. The summer has long, hot days, possible beach times, cookouts, but more sunshine; the fall has harvest, mums, pumpkins, cooler yet shorter days; the winter brings days with less sunshine, colder temps, and for me, a time of almost hibernating. And after a few weeks of winter, spring starts poking through with the gradual increase of sunshine, warmer temps, and the poking through of flowers. The birds seem to sing louder, hopping about in search of worms and bugs. So I appreciate the fact there is a time for to grow, a time harvest…..
I hope you are able to look about and enjoy what is important to you in each of the seasons.
Blessings from my bellaviews.
Isaiah 65:17-18 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy and her people to be a gladness.
Ezekiel 34:26-27 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit and the earth shall yield its increase.
Spring is on its way!
I love Spring—warmer weather, longer daylight hours, the bursting forth of flowers emerging from hibernation, birds singing and twittering, and there seems to be a saucier bounce you see in many people’s walks. There’s buoyancy you can almost feel; certainly not like being suspended in a G force, but still a lightness, an expectation.
Everything feels new. Spirits seem lighter after dealing with winter. It’s easier to cuddle down with a good movie and a blanket, maybe with a fire roaring in the chilliness of the season. Certainly, most are able to go about their lives—going to work each day, meeting friends for socializing, and so on, but still after the holidays, many tend to spend more quiet time at home. The winter just seems to invite snuggling in, resting more, and relaxing in the longer dark days.
We wait for the longer days; the gradual earlier appearance of the sun each morning, while the sunsets creep into darkness a little later.
I have so much to celebrate and be thankful DAILY, and spring is a continual time of praising for all the beauty that renews each year.
Find some of the reasons I so enjoy my bellaviews below.
sunrise Jan 6 ’17 sunset over the Sound 
You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97:10
Sixteen years ago today, our country saw evil within its own banks. And it felt different than many of the atrocities we’d seen over the years on television regarding other countries. I guess because those, although tragic, seemed so distant, or felt that way. And we were maybe smug it was not going to happen in our country.
So, this morning, within moments of awakening, the events of a decade and half ago were with me. Always on that date, I think about those horrific and tragic events, and pray for all those so affected, but this year it was a pall, constantly present in my mind all day.
Our attitude has changed again to one of some complacency. We shake our heads and say it’s scary times, and yet we’ve become non-vigilant again, as though we’ve forgotten. And yet it seems as though evil and horror touch our lives daily in the news–killing of police, bombings, maiming of persons, and drive by shootings that result in the deaths of babies and more.
Was it so persistently with me today because the day looked much like that pretty day in 2001? The sky was blue, cloudless, and looked peaceful; both then and today. Maybe it was because the day was so pretty in New York, Pennsylvania and DC in 2001, that seeing the devastation of buildings and plane, against a pretty and peaceful sky, left its harsh and bitter memory. The sky was so marred with the smoke, soot and evilness rising into it. It was so harsh, and looked like what it was—destruction, evil, death, and loss. So many lives.
There were so many stories of heroism, of angels helping others trapped and leading them out—whether it be the first responders themselves, some of the dogs used by the first responders, others helping as they tried to find their own way out of the devastation, or true angels. I know God was in those places that day. There is not a single doubt in my mind and heart. I know it. Call it faith.
I wonder if those pilots who chose to crash the planes changed their minds at the last instant before impact and cried out to God to help them, save them. Are they so sure we are infidels and deserving of death that they don’t question, even at the last moment, their actions? Is there no doubt at the moment of their impending death?
So, on this beautiful day, with a blue and clear sky, the peaceful sounds of the ocean lapping the shore rhythmically, and the cicadas chirping, I remember and pray.
We’ll always remember where we were September 11, 2001. One of the dates which is forever affecting “mybellaviews.” God bless America, and I pray all will feel and know God’s abiding love.
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!