SPIRITUAL GROWTH FOREVER, BUT ONLY NOW

I pray that my faith may be based on my own experience of the power of God in my life. -- Anonymous

Remember that this [quiet time] is to gain an intimate knowledge of Me which will teach you all things and be the very foundation of your faith. -- "God Calling"

I read once, can't remember where, that we must give up the hope of Heaven to realize God in our life.

Then there's the more common, we all have to take our turn in the barrel. We all know what that means. Ah, but here's where self-knowledge alone avails us nothing. We can know we must take our turn in the barrel, but we're thinking not now...not with this.

Then there's our fine by me, but.... There's the qualifier...our hope of Heaven, if you will. That which is going to magically save us from our dreaded picture show. Our ego is already sitting shiva while we're spouting rote messages of faith.

That's if we're doing it right. 

We will never break loose from our self-reliance until we...uh, break loose from our self-reliance. Hold our nose and take a leap of faith, according to me, to gain an intimate knowledge of Me. And
"to gain" being our marching orders...for as long as it takes to become our faith's foundation. We'd best settle on "forever" for as long as it takes so we don't keep asking if we're there yet.

Spiritual growth is the ultimate paradox...it takes a long, long time to happen in a heartbeat.

Thank you.