Sometimes you just don't know where you are going
sometimes you know,
but finding the destination is like feeling around in the dark
when you don't know your way
along walls, stubbing your toes on furniture
while letting your eyes adjust


(1 Cor. 13:9-13)
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
...

Jesus calms winds and waves (Matt 8:23-27)
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."
26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the sea obeys him?"

...

Mustard Seeds

(Matt 13:31-32)
31 He put another parable before them saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

(Matt 17:16-20)
16 "...And I brought him to your disciples and they could not heal him."
17 "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."
18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
20 He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

...

Walking on Water
(Matt 14:23-27)
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; It is I. Do not be afraid."

...
Trial
(Isaiah 55)
(Isaiah 55:9)
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

...
Exercising Your Faith: Don't Look Down--Look Out!
(Matt 14:28-31)
28 And Peter answered him, "Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord save me."
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

...
Faith in times on Uncertainty
(Matt 20)
(Matt 20:11-18) Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stopped to look into the tomb.
12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me and I will take him away."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father, and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he said these things to her.
...

(Matt 20:24-29) Thomas
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called a Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be unto you."
27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."
28 Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

...

Believing without Seeing
(Romans 8:18-15)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected futility, not willingly, but to him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.


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On Giving to God--David's Generosity/ Planning the First Temple
(1 Chronicles 29)
2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work; silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble--all of these in large quantities.
3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:
4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings,
5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly.

7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.
8 Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly for the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David's Prayer
10 David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
"Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom: you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.
16 O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.
17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.
18 O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.


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On Friendship: Traveling Life's Journey & Meeting Obstacles Together
Ruth to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17)

16 But Ruth replied "Don't urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.
17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

Jonathan & his armor-bearer (I Samuel 14:6-7)
6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
7 "Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead: I am with you heart and soul."
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Living Life with A Purpose, As Children of Light
(Psalm 18:28-36)

28 You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning: my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
36 You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.