Only believe

I believe in faithfulness
I believe in giving of myself for someone else
I believe in peace and love
I believe in honesty and trust but it's not enough
For all that I believe may never change the way it is
Unless I believe Jesus lives

(chorus)
Where there is faith
There is a voice calling, keep walking
You're not alone in this world
Where there is faith
There is a peace like a child sleeping
Hope everlasting in He who is able to
Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart
It is a wonderful, powerful place
Where there is faith

There's a man across the sea
Never heard the sound of freedom ring
Only in his dreams There's a lady dressed in black
In a motorcade of cadillacs
Daddy's not coming back
Our hearts begin to fall
And our stability grows weak
But Jesus meets our needs if we only believe

(chorus)
Where there is faith
There is a voice calling, keep walking
You're not alone in this world
Where there is faith
There is a peace like a child sleeping
Hope everlasting in He who is able to
Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart
It is a wonderful, powerful place
Where there is faith

4Him: Where There is Faith

Commitment: What does it require?

Commitment, for me, is a totally overwhelming subject. Commitment means everything to me. Two ingredients must exist for a commitment to be successful: the 1st is unconditional love, and the 2nd is follow-through. Without both of these, commitment cannot be.

Unconditional love takes courage and a willingness to sacrifice. When you choose to love someone unconditionally, you take some chances. You are letting it be consciously known that you believe in someone, and when you do this, you can't be sure that you will get a positive  response right away, or when, or even ever. To be committed to someone, or any number of things (it doesn't have to be a person) is a difficult decision to make. I would say it is a decision made between you and God.

The second essential ingredient in commitment is follow-through. If you have decided that you love unconditionally the object of your commitment, the next challenge, or set of challenges comes along when complications arise, and you are left wondering: "Does this even make any sense?", "Am I getting (or ever going to get) any payback?" But see, there is the whole meaning of unconditional love. Unconditional love means you abandon the anticipation that you are going to receive something. You are only going to think of what is best for the recipient of your love.

Commitment, love, follow through... guess who the first person to commit to should be? The one you see in the mirror every day! Commitment is an enormous, enormous subject. Please be patient with me as I try to knock out this series. I wanna do it justice. I want to be fair in putting out quality, accurate information.

"Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write on the tablet of your heart." --Proverbs chapter 3, verse 3

Mariah Carey: Anytime You Need A Friend

Commitment: the basics

I reviewed a lot of the content I've been sharing here on Always Your Friend recently, and my reaction was, I'd better get cracking and present some solid material!

So I said I would be spending some time on the topic of commitment. Here is the outline I promised on the subject:

A. Why commitment?
     1. Commitment is the key to making a friendship come alive.

     2. Commitment assists in procuring longevity of friendship

     3. As commitment is realized to be part of a friendship, a safe place for love is created

B. How is commitment accomplished?

     1. Being willing to accept our friends, even if it means going outside of our own comfort level

     2. Being motivated: seeing the potential of commitment for creating a mutually healthier friendship

C. The result of commitment

     1. Recognition that our sacrifices indicate that we sincerely value another

     2. As we demonstrate commitment over time, friendship becomes easier and more natural

Orleans: Still the One

Coming soon from the Position of Friend

Hello Bloggers and Blog Readers!  I have something that I wish to write about which is going to be quite an ambitious undertaking for me. I want to do a series on the subject of "Commitment". Commitment, if you ask me, is the single most important component in a successful and rewarding friendship or relationship.  You could almost say that commitment can pinch hit for 'LOVE' as the feature that "covers a multitude of sins". But I don't want to start into my topic without first having a clear idea of all that I'm going to discuss. Commitment is a vast topic. Soon I hope to be providing you with an outline of the aspects of commitment that I will be going into. For now, I have here some dictionary definitions of the word "Commitment":

com·mit·ment /kəˈmitmənt/

noun: commitment;
plural noun: commitments

a) the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. "the company's commitment to quality"
synonyms: dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity "her commitment to her students"

b) a pledge or undertaking. "I cannot make such a commitment at the moment"
synonyms: vow, promise, pledge, oath; More

c) an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action. "business commitments"
synonyms: responsibility, obligation, duty, tie, liability;

Whitney Houston and Cece Winans: Count On Me

Sonship: Morning Song

I can't believe it people!!! I have been looking for this song for years! This album, entitled "It Shall Be", by a band from the heart of the 1970s called 'Sonship' was given to me as a gift while I was in the hospital struggling with psychiatric issues. I was depressed as could be. And this song sung by Nancy Helms used to help me face the day. It is a song that gives you something to shoot for. It is not necessarily the way most of us feel naturally.But it gives direction for the way we should get our minds in gear in the morning to face the day. I am so very thankful thay I finally found it!!!

The Just Shall Live (by) Faith

I know the just shall live
I know the just shall live
I know the just shall live
By faith

'Cause You won't let Your Holy One
No, You won't let Your Holy One
You won't let Your Holy One
See corruption in the grave

Because He put His trust in You
Because He put His trust in You
Because He put His trust in You
Many shall be saved

And I know that You will raise the up
That You will raise them up
I know that You will raise them up
On the last day

For the Lord looks down on the sons of men
And he hears the cries of the innocent
And the guilty will not stand
And the day of reckoning soon will come
And the whole world will see justice done
By the Lord's almighty hand

So I m telling you the just shall live
I know the just shall live
I know the just shall live
By faith

And You will raise them up
I know that You will raise them up
That You will raise them up
On the last day

And the prayers stand where the fighters fell
And time testifies with the tale to tell
That the meek shall inherit the earth
And the Church advances on the gates of hell
And she clings to a light that will not be quelled
By the kingdoms of this world

So I'm telling you the just shall live
I know the just shall live
I know the just shall live
By faith

And You will raise them up
And You will raise them up
You will raise them up
On the last day

The Just Shall Live --written and performed by Rich Mullins

Now how did I get from point A to point B?

Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through

It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through

Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again

So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause somebody's praying you through Somebody's praying you through
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, somebody's praying you through

Allen Asbury: Somebody's Praying Me Through

Don't panic! It's not that deep!

I have observed something in human beings that saddens me. Most everyone, from the richest to the poorest, regularly grades themselves and the state their lives are in. What I am describing is that about every 10 minutes, or at different points in conversations, people feel that what happened at that particular moment means they're a failure or a success. The problem with this type of mind process is that it bestows way too much power to the concept of PERMANENCE.

The way I view life, there is no such thing as permanence. Our brains go to so many different places within the course of a day. We respond to what we take in through our senses. We have memories that float around in our minds, we react to the people we meet. we react to what we plan to do. And so, the mind experiences different things all day long! Most of what we is transient. Why give ourselves a grade for something that will soon change? We are unfair to ourselves when we do this.

Amy Grant: Faith Walkin' People