What is Faith ?

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; knock, and it shall be opened to you. " Matthew 7:7
This is perhaps the most famous Bible quote, and probably the least understood and the least practiced. It is the basis of the Law of Attraction, a term first coined by William Walker Atkinson in 1906, in his book 'Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World'. The expression was then used by Esther and Jerry Hicks in their numerous Abraham publications. In 2006, controversial Australian author Rhonda Byrne snapped it up and made a multi-million dollar business out of her best-selling book and video 'The Secret', which in reality is not a secret at all, as this truth has been in the Bible for over two thousand years - for everyone to read and take to heart.

But why do some people get what they ask for and others don't? The difference lies in the degree of faith you have. If you ask for something, but believe you can't have it for one reason or another, or think you don't deserve it, it will be more difficult for you to receive it, because you're closing the door to it. You don't allow it to come to you. For instance, maybe you want to be healthy, wealthy, or in a satisfying love relationship, but deep down you feel you can't achieve this goal because... Now you come up with all your arguments. You list all the reasons that prevent you from achieving your goal. I can't lose weight because I don't have enough willpower to stick to a diet. I can't find a partner because I don't mix with the right people. I would like to become an artist, but there is too much competition in my field. I would like to start my own business, but I have no capital to invest. And so on... 

Where does faith come from? It is more than just a word. It comes from letting go and letting Go. It comes from the knowledge deep inside you that you are a worthy human being and deserve to be happy and successful,  no matter what this means to you. But without the help of God, no amount of positive thinking and asking will get you anywhere. Only God can give you what you're asking for, and you need to state your desire clearly. Say it aloud, say it with conviction and be prepared to be patient. God will give you everything you want, but in His own time. But He can only give it to you if you ask for it specifically. Nothing is impossible, if you put your life into His hands and trust that He will look after you.

"I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

With all my love,

Bella

Painting: 'Childhood Faith' by Zolan

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." - John 14:27.

"There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love." John 4:18

An infant comes into this world with a trusting heart, full of love for those who care for him or her. As you keep living and get older, you lose the natural ability to instinctively expect good from others. Instead, you expect to be cheated, lied to, stolen from, disrespected and humiliated. You learn from your experiences, but you tend to cling to the negative ones, rather than emphasising the good ones. 

Fear is "False Evidence Appearing Real" because it doesn't have to be that way. You don't need to cultivate this bitterness and gnawing sense of foreboding that stems from unpleasant past occurrences. You can turn things around and have faith: there is guidance, and there is protection from Above. You can surrender to your life as it unfolds, instead of trying to control everything. You can trust your intuition to help you make the right choice, while letting go of the outcomes as there are no guarantees. 

If you don't take any risks, out of fear of doing something wrong, you'll never try anything new. To change your attitude and try new approaches, believe that they will make a difference in your life.

Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, and it doesn't matter what problems you have and what your circumstances are. It is how you react to challenges, and how you deal with issues that matters. In the end, only love is real. You can love your life, even though it may appear bleak to you at times. You can love the people in it, even though they may appear to be causing you grief. If you allow events and individuals to steal your joy from you, you will never experience lasting peace.

The PEACE Jesus talked about when he left his disciples was a lasting one, not just a momentary relief. He didn't talk about an emotional roller-coaster, about perpetually shifting moods, the kind of yo-yo attitude that you sometimes think is justifiable and acceptable. The peace Jesus talked about is permanent. It is His gift to us, a spiritual state of mind that cannot be altered by people or events. As love infuses everything, it becomes the origin of your thinking and colours your emotions throughout the day. Hope springs from it, with the certainty that all is well, and all will continue to be well, no matter what...

With all my love,

Bella

Painting: "Red Tree Landscape" by Rachel Bingaman

Start Every Day with Hope in your Heart...

"There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen (Anthem - from his album The Future).

Let the light come in through the cracks of your being. Allow the positive energy of HOPE to infuse you today. Bask in it, bathe in it, let it penetrate every pore of your skin.

Hope is at your fingertips. Forget your regrets about yesterday, and forget your worries about tomorrow. Become totally lost in the present. That's where your point of power is, right here, in the now.

Every day brings with it unlimited possibilities, new challenges and choices that are yours to make. Allow the grace and beauty of a new sunrise to touch your soul. Remove your shackles; let go of yesterday's sadness and grief. There is so much love and joy around you, but it's up to you to allow them into your experience.

Hope is an expectation in our heart of good things to come. No matter what problem you're facing right now, you know that it will get better. you trust the world to be on your side and give you the answers you need. You trust that no matter how desperate a situation is, improvement is always possible. You trust that after the rain, there will be sunshine again.

Hope is a burning flame that will never go out. Hope is life itself. It's what keeps you going, no matter what you're going through! Your wishes are there to come true. Eventually, what you pray for will become a reality...

With much love,

Bella

"God is a shower to the heart burned up with grief. God is a sun to the face deluged with tears." - Joseph Roux, Meditations of a Parish Priest.

Painting: "Sunrise" by Margret Hofheinz-Doring, 1910-1994, German.