Life is full of surprises and uncertainties but we are the ones that can choose to win or lose. God gave us power not just to climb but to even move mountains if we just have faith. We are praying that you will choose to win in the year of 2009 and find all God's blessings that He prepared for you. May God help you prosper this year and find more ways to praise him through living your life more spiritually, desiring Him and making room for Him in every decision you make.

Climbing a mountain can be difficult, you have to deal with wild environment, carrying heavy equipment in the first sunny days at the bottom of the mountain. Then somewhere during your climb your feet will hurt, your legs will feel the mountain's pressure. Reaching a higher altitude it will get colder at night, the air will be thinner, you will start to slip on the snow or ice. Your mind will start flashing back to the nice couch and hot tea you left behind.

Thinking about all these things will make you even weaker, you will question yourself about the decision you made to climb. You'll start feeling pain in your entire body. Turning your head and seeing where you are, you will discover that you have traveled quite a distance from where you started. But the thought of having to deal with the unknown is scaring you to death. What if you end up in a blizzard or avalanche, maybe you break something or even die.

You start crying and don't need any comfort from anyone, starting to feel sorry for yourself, you want to turn around and give up. Then inbetween the clouds you peek at the summit of the mountain and wish you would be there already, "...why is it so long and hard to get to..." you're asking yourself. Then you take some time to think why you wanted to do this in the first place and realize that you are not the only one that feels like this and goes through all these things. Coming back to your senses you find strength and faith and finish the climb experiencing the happiness and victory that you were able to get to the top of the mountain.

Looking back you understand that your faith and strong will has kept you from going back. God is giving us the faith and all the help we need but he wants us to have a strong will and just believe that we can!  "...all things are possible to the one who believes!"

Steli Pand