Every day I hear many voices. I choose to listen to some while I ignore others. I choose to do this, but avoid doing that. And after each choice is made, one voice grows stronger while another is diminished.

And I make my choice - I control my life.

Choices are hard and sometimes it takes courage to make them. There is always a lot to consider. Is this the way to go? Is this the right thing to do? What are my peers going to think? Should I do that? I would be afraid and there are others to do the work. So much to weigh and consider.

And I make my choice - I control my life.

But what if I relinquish control of my life to God? If I watch for and listen to the voice of God that is within me? God's voice would become stronger. Yes, each and every time that I listen to and follow God's voice it would become stronger. God would have more control to lead me and to help me, making it easier to serve God and help make God's dreams come true.

So this is my prayer to you, my God. Please give me the wisdom to choose the right path, compassion to feel the need, give me the courage to hear just your voice, and the strength to do what you need.

Bob Lilly

We recently enjoyed celebrating our daughter's 26th birthday. I thought it would be fun to put some old pictures in her birthday card, so I started looking at the photographs from when she was born. Oh my! Memories came flooding back to me about all of the stressful things that happened around her birth. I was hospitalized in my 7th month of pregnancy and the doctor decided that our daughter had to be delivered early. The same week she was born, my wonderful mother was diagnosed with advanced cancer. How was I going to take care of a premature baby and my dying mother who lived by herself in another state? How could my husband and I be so thrilled about becoming parents and at the same time so heartbroken about losing a parent? It was a perfect storm.

When I look at the picture of my mom, baby daughter and me, it appears that there is nothing more than the happiness of celebrating a new grandchild. However, we had plenty of stressful and sad feelings behind those smiles that no one would know about unless I shared my story. My mother had surgery two days after this picture was taken and died about 6 weeks later.

How did I manage to get through that challenging time? I know that God must have been with me because there was too much for me to endure without His help. I am prepared to share with others that they too will get through their challenge because they are not alone. I can offer this comfort having experienced God's strength in my time of crisis.

Dinah Dalder

By Kay Franscoviak

Paul wrote, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ" (Philemon 1:6). Share my faith?! As I reflect on past experiences, I think - well, yes, I have shared my faith. I have participated in Bible studies with my work colleagues and at my church, I have demonstrated my faith by volunteering for Family Promise, attended church faithfully, and taught children's Sunday School. However, are participation, demonstration, attendance, and teaching all there is to sharing faith?

Over the last six months, I have given a lot of thought to the question of -- how ardently have I talked about my relationship with Jesus to someone outside of my church family? It is very easy for me to actively do, but to actually discuss my faith is difficult - really out of my comfort zone. I realize it is time to reflect on the journey of my faith from childhood to present if I am to share it with someone who is not a regular church goer. This self-reflection is happening with the help of Trinity's small group discussions.

As I come to know my faith journey better, then I will be able to better share my relationship with Christ with others as Paul instructed.