My Declaration

In my more private journal, I'm doing a 30-day meme. Today's topic was Your Beliefs, and I decided I wanted to share my list here. It's a good exercise and hits the high points.

I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and because of Him, I will never have to be separated from God.

I believe in hope, both in this life and for the life to come. It's my favorite virtue. I believe that no matter how bad the circumstances are, they can always improve because God is a God of action and miracles.

I believe that no experience or relationship is wasted. No matter how it turns out, there's always a purpose or lesson to be learned. Sometimes the purpose or lesson isn't even for you (which can be either encouraging or discouraging, depending on how you look at it).

I believe that God is sovereign and His will can't be messed up...and if you're seeking Him in your decisions, you can't derail your life. Please don't challenge me to a battle of wits about this. I only know I couldn't experience any peace if I didn't believe it.

I am a registered Republican, but I'm not hard-core about it. I believe every political party is spinning the truth to some degree. I wish there was a way to know the real, true facts about a lot of political things.

I believe that the truth will always come out in the end. Possibly not in time to save you, but someday. My dad has taught me that all my life, and I've seen a lot of proof. There have been times when this belief was the only thing keeping me from taking matters into my own hands (which would have yielded disastrous results).

I believe that family is extremely important, at all stages of life. As I've gotten older I've wished for more than the two kids I thought I would have, so they'd have more siblings to grow old with.

I believe that God gives women a special strength and capability that is different from men's but no less important, and that if we recognized and developed it, we would be practically unstoppable. (See also the fantastic article, Return of the Ezer.)

I believe in everything in moderation – another lesson from my dad. I don't support any diet that requires you to avoid an entire food group. It just seems like a bad idea. I also believe that life without dessert isn't worth living.

I believe our society is way too dependent on technology and would collapse if technology were lost. I'm also not convinced that Skynet couldn't really happen. :\

I believe in the power of physical touch. Not in a gross way. I think hugs, pats on the back, cuddles with your pets, etc. are good for your overall health. I'm not charismatic anymore, but I also still believe there's something special about the laying on of hands in prayer.

I believe that e-readers, however convenient, will never be as good as real, physical books.

I believe that children are often more in tune with the spiritual world than adults. They haven't had time to build up doubts or cynicism about things. There's a reason why Jesus tells us to come to Him as the little children do.

I believe that God made me, personally, to love and be loved, to share and to help. I believe that He will redeem my disappointments and all that I've lost, and bring out of them better things than I could have imagined. I could be proven wrong about this, and if I am, it won't make Him any less good. Maybe it's just what I have to believe to move on. But I feel it passionately.