Did you know there are at least 96 popular songs that have the word BELIEVE in the title? Then you have the whole Ripley's 'BELIEVE it or Not' adage. You even have ancient astronaut theorists use the word BELIEVE in various programs they run to speculate the existence of some ancient visitors that just HAD to be here in our past to explain the unexplained. So no matter which way you look, it is obvious that the 80's band Poison hit the point home that we all want 'something to BELIEVE in". Think about it. When one is at their wit's end, and have nowhere to turn...when they have tried everything to solve some problem and they just can't find an answer anywhere...what does every single human being long for in these times of desperation? They long to believe that the answer is there above; they turn upward, or bow down, out of some strange desperate plea to a god or force or entity bigger than the situation they are dealing with. In every movie, every thriller, every story you hear where someone is crying out, what do they call out? Even if it is to curse, they may call out a curse to some higher being that they didn't believe in before. It is almost like we were designed or created TO BELIEVE in something bigger than us. How do you explain the numerous, unbelievable number of self help books that have come out in the information age? How in the world is anyone supposed to figure out which person has the best answer to believing in themselves, when there seem to be so many people who figured it out? And then what do those people do when some horrible incident or event happens that tests their humility? Are they immune from natural disasters, or circumstances beyond their control such as an unexpected home invader, or a terrorist attack? Suddenly their self-help solutions can't do them a whole lot of good in that particular moment - at that particular time and space. What do you believe in? Ask yourself that question. Do you think you can rely on yourself in all situations, all the time - no matter what happens? Are you the highest power you know? Let's say you answer that question with something other than YOURSELF. What higher power do you believe exists? There is still the problem similar to all the self-help books - how do you know which one to BELIEVE? That is a question that nobody can answer but you. I can tell you what I BELIEVE, but it still may mean nothing to you, depending on your perspective on life, and life experience in general. But I can tell you why I BELIEVE what I do. So if I were to give advice to someone looking for something to believe in, I would tell them to search for answers the same way I have searched for answers. I would also tell them to carefully consider the questions that they want answered. For me, the main questions I want answered is, 'Why am I here?', 'Who loves me always?', and 'Who can I always turn to?' If you get right down to it, we all need to be validated, appreciated, and understood...but can we just rely on loved ones to always meet these needs? Are the people we love perfect? And will they always be around? Hmmm- I love my family, but I daresay, none of my loved ones are perfect - and neither am I. And I also know that we humans haven't quite figured out that whole physical immortality thing. So if a person can find TRUE answers to these questions that satisfy their needs, they can choose how important that is to them. As for what is TRUE - well that is another blog post for another day. But there really is no denying, Poison had it right...we all need something to BELIEVE in. #Believe #Faith #Jesus