Faith.. Friends..

God is the cool fresh wind on a hot summer's day,
A friend is the towel that wipes the sweat off your brow.
God is the water in the desert,
A friend is the one who tips the water into your mouth when you're too weak to hold the bottle.

As most of you know, i was going through one of the toughest weeks in my life last week. Praise be to God! I've finally pulled through and my faith is stronger than ever.. and it will continue to grow. I've learned a few things..

Firstly, to be careful not to be too carried away to the extent that I'm replying on my own strength when I'm serving God. I thought that I was "close" to God, and that my faith was unshakable.. I'm a man of remarkable folly!

Secondly, spiritual attacks do occur. Jon (Lee) emailed me with a word of encouragement:

"The bible says that the devil doesn't care about those kind of Christians that keep quiet about their faith, or don't do much to lead others to the truth; which is Christ. He leaves them alone.But he DOES bother those who make a difference in the lives of others; those who share about their relationship with God. When u got the CIA room underway, it is startign to get others to build Christ centered relationships. So because of this, I am sure that the devil is trying his hardest to knock u off track."

Thirdly, Salvation comes only by Faith. And Faith is believing in something that isn't seen, that can't be proven! I have Hope and Purpose in my life. I've seen God change my life, and the lives of many of my friends. In that, I firmly place my trust at the foot of the cross. No turning back.

Finally, God has very graciously blessed me with friends who genuinely care. When I was in my lowest moments, God sent some angels to brighten up my day (i was surprised at the senders of some of those encouragements!)

Jon Lee, Dani, Betty, Erin, Franny, and Joce all emailed me to remind me of God's faithfulness and not to give up on him. From the deepest portions of my heart, I thank the Lord for the 6 of you. You've got no idea how encouraged I was with every word I read. I'm genuinely grateful that God has blessed me with you guys! :)