'Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!!' Wait, what was that?

We grew up with fairy tales... Cinderella, Snow White, yada yada yada.  The Prince always rode in on his white horse and saved the day.  The white picket fence scenario embedded in our minds as little girls, which when reality reared it's ugly head, showed us was not the case.  There was no prince, white horse or 'happily ever after'.  Once fantasy and reality showed they were on two different planes, which to believe in became a challenge.  So introducing something as 'faith' in a spiritual basis was sometimes seen as a possible 'fantasy' if you will.  Exactly how DO I differentiate between the two?  How do I incorporate believing in a Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, into my daily regiment?  When it's something not seen, felt or heard?

It was put to me in the simplest of forms early in my spiritual walk, if you will.  'You believe when you turn on the light switch the light is going to come on, right?' 'Yes, but that is science.' 'In a sense, yes, but the concept of faith is the same'.  Believing the light will, [here's the pessimist in me...providing the wiring is correct and bulb is good, and power is stored] illuminate.  So how does that apply to my faith? 

The Bible tells me if I have the faith the size of a mustard seed, I can move mountains.  WOW!  That's pretty impressive. Has anybody weighed a mountain lately?  That's pretty dog gone heavy.  Or better yet, seen the size of a mustard seed? But I'm not looking to move mountains, I'm looking to heal my mind body and spirit of all the toxins that harm my being.  Which, I'm pretty sure can be summed up as moving mountains.  And all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed.  Which are so incredibly small, it's amazing! Hebrews 11:1 tells me "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

When one embarks on how they are going to travel in the journey they did not ask for, ie. being diagnosed with Breast Cancer; they are faced with many choices.  A lot of times, I feel anger, which is derivative of fear of the unknown.  Oh but wait, isn't that what life itself is, unknown? So why should this journey be any different than any other lessons learned in life?  Well, because there's a certain mortality attached to it?  But wait, that's life itself, right?  Who says we are all going to live to be one hundred or so?  As Thoreau states: 'Tomorrow is promised to no one'.  In a sense, I have been given a blessing.  I have been given a time frame on which to chose how to spend my life and how I want that quality of life to entail.  Not all are given that choice.

A.W. Tozer goes on to state "What is overlooked in all this is that faith is good only when it engages truth ...". Ahhhh.. truth!  So there it is, the meat of the matter.  I was told by someone a very long time ago, 'When I share something with you, don't take it as gospel just because I said it, seek for yourself that it is in fact the truth I am telling you.  Question everything, as some will purposely tell you falsely!'  Truer words have never been spoken!

I've been doing my homework.  If I am going to travel down this road, I want the correct road map of the path that will get me to my 'destiny' if you will, with the most informed and practical approach possible. At the same time, I want to stop and smell every flower along the way.  See the beauty in each sunrise and sunset, which by the way, are absolutely breath taking out at sea, along with seeing more stars in the sky at night than one thought possible to occupy such a vast place.

One of my favorite books 'The Greatest Miracle In The World' by Og Mandino sums it up nicely...
http://www.wowzone.com/godmemo.htm.  I think I need to go to a book store and find another copy.  Damnedest thing keeps happening, I always end up giving it away to someone whom I feel at the time really needs to see that they are truly a miracle.  As are you, me and everyone of on the face of the earth.