My testimony

This note will more than more than likely surprise you. The reason I am writing this note is because God has clearly put this on my heart for me to share with you. I am admitting to having selective hearing when God speaks to me... but it's time I listen to him.

My Testimony:

Growing up, I had a pretty healthy upbringing. My parents were solid parents, I had great extended family, and plenty of attention seeing as I was the only child. My parents loved me and I knew it. I was always a strong student, and enjoyed learning. 

I can say that I never felt like a child growing up. If I ever did, it was much later on in my life. As a child, I experienced death at a fairly young age. My grandfather passed away, friends parents died that I was close to, and at 14 one of my best guy friends was killed in a car accident right in front of my eyes. 

I grew up appreciating life, and wanting to make the most of my life. Wanting to make the most of my relationships, telling people how much I care about them, and making sure to enjoy life while I was here. 

In 2002, my parents went through a divorce. In 2003 that process was completed. It was a long process, and threw my world upside-down. My mom had started accusing my father and I of stealing from her, and she was mentally ill. At this time we didn't even know it. Growing up, I had a pretty normal family. We went to church, both families got along ABNORMALLY well. I was an only child, we weren't rich, but we weren't poor. I had enough.  I had a lot of friends. I was confirmed at 14. My high school years, I was a pretty shy and quiet girl. I had a lot of friends and was very outgoing with them. However, if you weren't my friend I probably wasn't going to go out of my way to be yours. While the divorce was going on, my father left the house while it was up for sale. The only home I could ever remember living in. The home I planted my first garden with marigolds around the perimeter. The home that had my very own canopy bed, and matching bedroom set as a little girl. The home I would mow the lawn of and help my dad water the grass any chance I could get. The house I grew up playing with all the boys on my street, and the few girls...which helped mold me into the tom boy I am today. The white 2-story house, sitting on a a 1/2 acre of land, was now going to be the home of some friends in my grade, who's family was about to purchase. I was heartbroken. 

I had always been an excellent student, and a pretty good kid. Good grades, nice friends, active in sports. Liked to read and write and draw. I got in minimal trouble. Perhaps you know the feeling of having your parents divorced or not having a parental figure during a rough patch of time. I was fortunate to have both of my parents growing up who took great care of me, provided my every need, who gave me a good christian education and loved me. I had a close relationship with my mom all my life, and I was daddy's little girl to my father. Granted, my father was always the parent, and my mother the friend... I learned a lot from both of them. As we sold the house, I found myself going to live at my grandparents house for the next year or two. 

I commuted to high school for my senior year, hung out with my friends as much as possible, and for a short time drifted away from the church a bit. I found my comfort in my relationships, my friends, and in going out and having a good time. I didn't listen when my dad told me that I shouldn't be living my life that way, and that I needed to be careful. Like I said, I was a pretty good kid up until this point... and being an only child, I thought I was more than capable of making my own decisions. I hurt my father and grandparents who saw me going out more than normal, being more defiant, and not turning to them to talk when I should have. This is something I have now opened up about, and have experienced some life changing moments with all of them, but it doesn't make me forget the pain and the strain it caused everyone else. I put stress on the family, and ended up with a drunk driving ticket. I was embarrassed, and for quite a long time stopped drinking all together.

While I was finding my calm in my friends and social life, my mother was living back in the Delavan area with her family. I did not know the extent of her illness, which we now know to be Schizophrenia. All I knew was that she had been the sole reason my family had fallen apart in an instant. I was embarrassed, hurt, confused...and more than anything I wanted nothing to do with a relationship. I never wanted to do to someone what my parents were going through. 

In this time I did a lot of soul searching. I spent a lot of my alone and "down time" wondering why things were happening, how they were happening, and most importantly why God, if there was a God, was letting this happen. I started attending Elmbrook church again with my father sometime during this confused time in my life...and shortly after that felt drawn to start attending Impact, a similar group to The Ave which I had attended years prior.

During this time I realized I was the reason that I was down. Me alone. Not my mother, not my father, and not their divorce. It was clear as day, that when I did pray, and break down I received answers. They didn't always align with what I wanted, or how I wanted to handle a situation (but then again they rarely do) I had an eye-opening moment when I realized that I wasn't the only one going through hurt and pain. I took my focus onto both my parents. What they were going through... and it helped... a bit. Still definitely not a solution to my hurt however.

I started to pray a whole lot more. I started to pray for my family. For forgiveness. For guidance. I finally spoke up and I left a relationship that my family all agreed wasn't right for me in 2006. I had been in a relationship that I learned a lot from, but realized was not what was right. I was there for the child of the person I was dating. I found comfort in helping him, but wasn't truly in love with the person.  I got called out of that lifestyle by God. Not my father, not anyone else. God was calling me back to the church. I was proposed to on the day that I was ending the relationship, and needless to say that was  a messy break up. As soon as my faith started to get back on track, it fell apart again when I found myself with another non-believing boyfriend. After another failed relationship, a year and a half later, I felt another strong tug by God. I realized that all too often, my relationships were with people that were struggling in their faith, and I in turn led them to Him... but walked myself further away. Since my life was seemingly broken to myself, I was looking for people to "fix" and once they were fixed, I realized I didn't really want to be with them. I realized I needed to stop this "missionary" type of dating. I then had to re-evaluate my life. My priorities. What was I doing wrong??? What was missing... The main one was a realationship with God.

In 2007, I was blessed with the opportunity to be rebaptised by Jason Webb, pastor of Brooklife Church, and at the time Pastor of Impact. At that moment, I decided I was going to make some real changes. I wasn't sure if I could, I wasn't sure if it was the "right time." But I took a leap of faith. I was ready to get back in check with my walk with Him. No matter how many steps forward or back that I took, there was one thing that was certain...God was always extending his hand to bring me back. I met so many amazing people, that I am still friends with to this day, and that I am very thankful for.

Life was great around this time. I graduated with my Associates in May, had a great job, was living in Pewaukee, doing well for myself, got a dog, and was enjoying being single and happy. Now it was time to address my mother and I's relationship. The thing is I didn't want to. I had so much hurt and anger built up from the past 4 years, that I didn't even realize it. I had been so busy getting myself back on track, that years passed, and I still hadn't made things much better with my mother. Her illness was getting worse, and it was that much harder to communicate with her.

I started volunteering a lot more, something I hadn't done for awhile, and noticed that I was still hadn't made all that much time for my family. Around this time is when I remember having my next "mental breakdown" if you will, or really intense prayer I would like to call it. I found myself starting to go out a lot again with friends, and not taking as much time as I had in the past to volunteer, spend time with family, and be there for those that mattered. I was scared to get too close to someone...and I didn't really realize it at the time. I remember crying and praying to God to help me get back on track. That very next morning my mother called. We set up a time to get together, and I took it as a sign, that now was the time to start making a change with her.

It has been a hard struggle the past few years... I decided to go back to college because I wasn't happy just doing graphic design. I wanted more, and wanted to pursue a marketing and business degree. Ultimately I wanted to teach or work in the study abroad offices of a college. I made the decision to do this The fall of 2008. I ended up selecting a Catholic Women's College located on 43rd street in Milwaukee. I wasn't sure what to expect, and to be perfectly honest... I wasn't overly excited. 

Alverno couldn't have been a more perfect selection for me. I developed so much as a person, a professional, and the friendships I have made during my time there have been life-changing and provided me insight with how to tackle some of these issues. I could write a whole page on this topic, but that is all that really needs to be said. This choice was NOT something I did on my own. God has a huge hand in it.

During my time at Alverno I entered a relationship with what I thought was a solid Christian. I was thrilled. For once I wasn't going to be trying to figure out how to lead someone in their faith. Things were great for awhile. We were in a distance relationship, which actually was a good thing because I was so busy. In other ways it took me longer to realize the things that weren't right. I learned how to be patient... with my mom, with my life, with everything.

During this same time I had a best friend of a few years, whom also was living at a distance in Hawaii due to the Marines. This friend was someone that I ended up confiding in a lot during and before my relationship. It was a friendship that helped shape me into the person I am today, and for that I am very thankful. This friend and I had thought about dating, however it never seemed to be the right time. We both prayed about it a lot, and knew in our hearts if God wanted the relationship it would happen in time. 

Patience wasn't something either of us did very well, and I was continuing to improve my skills in this area. Like I said,  I entered a relationship when I probably wasn't ready to. This at times was seen as the biggest mistake I could have made...and at other moments, could have been one of the best decisions I ever made. I made some poor choices, and let the relationship escalate to points it shouldn't have. During this time, I got closer to my mom than I had been in the last 8 years. I was able to look past her illness. To be selfless. To be happy she was here. Even if it was only part of her. I was able to love her for her. There were pros and cons, but I am thankful for the pros.

I still did not feel that my relationship was right, and continued to struggle with my feelings for this friend living in Hawaii. It caused stress on my relationship during the entire 10 months, and ultimately, I ended up leaving it. There was much discussion between my friend and I about what we we really wanted, and about the fact we couldn't not be friends. I talked a lot with my friends and family about the situation, and ultimately realized that I had and always would be in love with my this person.

In July, my friend came home from the military. I didn't see him until August, due to trying to figure out what to do with my own relationship. We eventually made plans to get together, and in an instant all my answered prayers, flashed before my eyes. I thought about each time I had a conversation with someone about him, I thought about how each time I prayed for guidance or an answer as to what I should do, he was it. 

Not but a few days later we were hanging out every day, and on September 2, 2010 we started dating. I could not be happier, and yes, I am still trying to get closer to God. There are still things I need to work on, but I can say that we're both on a much more clearly outlined path.  The relationship is more than I could have hoped for, and I know I have the support, love and respect I need from him. Any weakness I have he has strength, and I would like to think it is the same for him.

I find myself now graduating from Alverno on December 18th, a changed woman. To make it even sweeter, I am graduating with honors. I'm coming out of Alvenro as someone who has a new focus, new set of priorities, and new outlook on life. This past year or two has been such an amazing blessing... and I have experienced SO much transformation. I don't know what is in store for me, and I am not sure what path I will be led down next. I fell in love with my new church home, Brooklife. I plan to become a member in the next month or so.  I have met the most amazing christian friends who encourage me daily, who love me like Christ loves. However, in the past year, the one thing that I have had a hard time letting go of, is CONTROL.

God made me perfect. God made me in his image. He loves me. God desires broken people. I'm going to make mistakes, and continue to learn from them. When I am weak, he is strong. We are never so vulnerable as we are when we trust, and now... I'm trusting in God. There are a few areas I am still struggling in, and working to do better with, but my heart is in the right place, and transformation is a continuous process. Transformation does not come from within us, it comes from CHRIST. It is NOT by self control, self discipline, self help books, from counseling that I find my strength and my healing. It comes from walking by the Spirit. I now have a new mind and a new heart. I am completely committing my life to Christ.

I truly believe that I have gone through all of these things for a reason. And as ridiculous as it may sound, I am glad that I went through these challenges in my life. It feels so incredible being able to get the skeletons out of my closet and expose myself to you. I don't feel the least bit ashamed to share this with anyone, because God has delivered me from all of this. Through all of my struggles, God has refined me, he has refined my faith, he has refined my relationship with Him.

Who knows... perhaps someone reading this will be encouraged. Perhaps someone reading this can reach out to me for guidance and support. Who knows the reason God pushed me to write this, all I know is that I trust he has a plan for this... and I am SO excited for the plan he has for my life!

God has tried all along to get my full attention, but I wasn't listening, and l wasn't giving him my everything. Thank you Father for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross and forgiving me of my sins. Thank you Jesus for delivering me. 

Love you all.

Important Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I want to take the time to reflect on what Thanksgiving means to me this year, and every year. Millions of Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving today, a holiday tradition that dates back hundreds of years. But some say there's an attempt to remove the religious significance from this great American holiday. President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving official in 1863. He proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be "a national day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens."

But for most of us, when we think of that first Thanksgiving, we think about the Pilgrims and the Indians. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. Weak and sick, they began to die. The Pilgrims needed help to survive and they got it from an English-speaking Indian named Squanto.

Although some would say it was just a day of celebration, historical records show it was a time to give thanks to God. They looked at everything as a gift from God, even the sorrowful things they saw as God allowing that to perfect their character. So they were amazing Christians and great examples for us today.

For a lot of people, Thanksgiving has become a day to watch football, eat turkey, and watch the Macy's Day Parade. In the comfort of your home, country club, restaurant. or at a large gathering...it is different for us all. While these are not bad things, some believe the most important part of Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for our many blessings is being down-played or left out altogether. We say our prayers, we give him thanks...and then the very next day we are pushing eachother in lines trying to get the next "tickle me elmo" or "150 dollar lap top at best buy" or a few dollars off an Ipad. We complain about the lines, the wait, the parking...yet we do it to ourselves. We think that if our gifts are the most expensive, or measure up to the ones that we are receiving, that we will be bringing joy to those around us. Those same people we weren't sure if we wanted to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with this year because they hurt us, or they hurt someone we love, or they embarrass us. Yes, we say we're thankful...we say we're blessed...and we are... but then we go back to living life as we have been...with ourselves at the center.

So I go back to the football, the parade, the Shopping Extravaganzas...and I try to figure out a way to put God back at the center, not everything else. I start to write my Christmas cards... the ones that specifically have a message to each of my friends... (you know you look forward to them each year)... I donate some of my time to a soup kitchen, I try to fix the problems my family has... not for me, or my benefit, but because I know it's what God would want me to do. Thanksgiving to me, is to be thankful, not just for what we have and our current situation... but to be thankful for the God-given talents we each possess, and the compassion and forgiveness we have in our hearts...that some of us don't even know we have.

So forgive that mother, uncle, grandmother, father, sister, brother friend. Tell your significant other you're sorry. Make an effort to see those people you haven't made time for. Give something to someone who has less than you. Spend time with someone who doesn't have anyone to spend their day with. The football game will come and go, and I guarantee you'll be able to catch the highlights later. (I am a HUGE football fan)

God was very much a part of that first Thanksgiving. All of our Thanksgivings, and all the days in between.
What's sad is that here in the U.S. the day after Thanksgiving is often more celebrated than Thanksgiving itself.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to rectify a situation that seems completely un-fixable. I would know first hand in dealing with my immediate family's situation with my mother. We all have broken familes. We all have hurt and anger and pain. We all have families. Families that are beautiful no matter how much they are messed up. People that care for us no matter how little or much they tell us. People who can be reached if you only take the time to figure out how to reach them. I have seen more beautiful and miraculous things happen in times of pain, suffering and turmoil than I have in an every day "normal" family situation. So for that I am thankful. I challenge you to remove yourself from the situation, take a step back, and love them. No matter what. Right where they are. Not where you want them to be, not where you're comfortable, or the ideal situation you want for your family. Love them just how they are. Just as God does. Be there. If you don't know how to fix it, at least do that. God can handle the rest.

This Thanksgiving and Christmas will be no different than any other I have had since my mother's illness, and parent's divorce. I will be trying to manage my time between two families. There will be hurt feelings, pain and sadness... from fights, losses, death, broken relationships, etc, and I'm going to surround it with love. Someone needs too. And I pray more people do the same. Because that love will bring out some other things... good memories, direction on how to be happy, how to be thankful, and a demonstration on what our family has to be thankful for. Hoping you can do the same.

So enjoy that football game, watch that parade, and eat some awesome food. But please do it with a happy, loving, and selfless heart.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Love you all

Tina

Starting a new Chapter - Reflection and Thanks

In looking back on my last 2.5 years of school at Alverno, I am able to look at how I have developed, where my skills are, and what areas I need to improve in. Joanne Mack, Assessor for AC 361 external assessment, writes, “Your business writing skills are a real strength for you Christina. You succinctly state your points and support your ideas and conclusions with evidence. An example of this can be found in your extensive SWOT analysis memo that you provided to Harriet. In addition your overall approach to problem solving is collaborative, which in many situations in business is the best approach to utilize. Your approach will facilitate communication and buy in with regard to solutions to the issues.” This statement shows my ability to not only communicate effectively, but the ability and desire to develop ways for employees within a business to improve their communication as well. I have found that in my personal life, and work experience I am always looking for ways to improve communication. I try to use active listening, and not focus on only what my perspective and goals are. Joanne Mack states, “You demonstrate your ability to see the big picture (a very important skill in managers) in emphasizing the connection between organizational culture and organizational performance. Good job!” This strength will serve me well in the business world.

My communication strengths and abilities were also demonstrated in my MKT 361 course with Craig Miller. In this course, we analyzed our negotiation and leadership skills, as well as prepared for and executed a mock sales appointment. In reading my own self-assessment, I noted my ability to use reinforcing and opinion giving skills. I came to the meeting prepared, and with the facts that Rebecca Porter, my assessor, needed to hear for her company. During the sales interview, she stated, “you already sold me!” 5 minutes in. Receiving an S+ on my self-analysis of my negotiation style, Craig Miller writes, “You are a very effective writer. Your writing style is easy to read. Your writing makes logical sense and builds across your life and career. The student’s written plan meets and exceeds Alverno’s level four writing criteria.” I have always put my best efforts in at school in the past; at least I thought I had. However, upon attending Alverno I realized the bar could be set much higher. My teachers pushed me. Really pushed me. Through attending the Alverno on the Weekend program, I was fortunate to be surrounded by working women. I wasn't surrounded with new freshman who were all in relatively the same place. No, I was surrounded with women that there was so much to learn from. There was support to be found, insights to be given, and most important friendships to be made. Receiving excellent feedback at Alverno was important to me, but more importantly developing the skills, relationships and abilities I have is what I most appreciate. My past coursework, assessments, and feedback have led me to see many strengths as well as areas I would like to further develop and bring back a passion for. Jim Henderson writes, “You make excellent use of organizational structure throughout your paper—relevant, focused, succinct.” I intend to continue to write at the high level I write for my courses, as well as taking the time to read high level reading material to increase my vocabulary and improve my writing style. I have noticed that all of my professors have made note of my ability to effectively communicate within a group and to organize a project. Craig Miller writes, “From the semester that I have known you, you make your teammates and those people around you better.” This feedback stuck with me throughout my time at Alverno. My desire to communicate effectively is for that very purpose. My goal is to improve communication, and allow for a company and the people within it to be as successful as possible. With deciding to start my own small businesses, be actively involved in the community, and obtain a job I will love, the skills I have developed are going to continue to serve me well throughout my professional and personal career. I plan to take action to further develop my communication skills by allowing myself extra time set aside for practicing communication skills, meeting with a business coach, and continuing to ask for feedback from all clients whom I interact with. My learning won’t stop upon graduation, and I more than likely will be attending the Graduate program in the future. I will be ending this Chapter of my life come December 18th, and am looking forward to starting a new. However, the friends, lessons, skills learned, and memories will be forever a part of me. I'm fortunate enough and priviledged to have been nominated for and received honors at Alverno at Graduation. This is something we have all been striving for, and the hard work that I have put in has paid off. To each one of you who shared a part in that, and my time while at Alverno, thank you. Really, thank you.

Just some lyrics...

But so very applicable to my life the past few months.


Album: My Paper Heart
Artist: Francesca Battistelli

I wanna be the one who knows everything about you
I wanna be the one who’s always on your mind
I wanna be the one to get all of your affection and attention
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, for all this time

And I can’t imagine anything, anything better than

(Chorus)
Someday falling in love with you
Holding your hand
Making our plans all come true
Someday under a sky so blue
I’ll give you my heart
Our story will start
Someday soon

I wanna be the one who does everything with you
Watching stars, washing cars, taking walks, going to the store
I wanna be the one who gets to change her last name someday
To something that sounds something more like yours

(Chorus)

Yeah I’ll be telling you I love you
On a picture perfect day
And those words inside my head
They sound like angels singing praise
It’s what I was made to say

(Chorus)

Duck-Billed Platypus...

I found myself in discussion a few days ago with an athiest. Someone that the very thought of a God creating all things in the way He did, was completely absurd. Although their beliefs are much different from my own... (by billions of years... and many different aspects) I was encouraged to look back at how I really came to have the view I do have. I am the product of the public school system where I was fed a steady diet of evolution. Not the term, but the facts. I was simultaneously raised in the church and learned that according to Genesis, God created all things. When I was young, I didn't really make the connection that the two refuted eachother. As time went on, I struggled on what I really believed. What made sense to me. I tried to look at both sides. Since no mention of creation was made in school and no explicit teaching in my church either established biblical creationism or refuted evolution, I was forced to somehow reconcile these contrary positions on my own. For most of my life that amounted to a kind of battle where, on the one hand, I was inclined to believe the Bible, but on the other hand, I saw that evolution had the backing of science. Scientists were supposed to be smart, right? How could that many people be wrong? Then again, I looked at Creation the same way... What I did know, is that that these two views were not, in fact, compatible.

In order to fully accept evolution, I would effectively be concluding that the God of the Bible was a myth. Evolution was unable to provide satisfactory answers to a number of my questions. For one thing, evolution did not have a good enough answer to how matter came into existence. The Big Bang, the idea that everything in the universe was the size of a dot on this page and then exploded to "create" everything in the known universe, always struck me as utterly ridiculous. The same reaction that this person I had the discussion with had about God. Unrealistic. It seemed far more plausible to me that God was involved in the creation of matter. I looked at nature... and I saw a creator. I remember thinking to myself... for every piece of artwork, there is a maker...and look at this beautiful place in which we live, and the uniqueness of every person here... how can you tell me that there isn't a creator of these masterpieces. But I must be honest, I equally could not reject science, for I felt that doing so would be throwing away what I thought to be established fact. It seemed growing up, I had the desire to follow God, to fully believe, but this theory of evolution as a young teen had the upper hand and I lived life accordingly as most of us have seemed to.

Later on, at the age of twenty-two, that all changed. I was loaned a book called for than a carpenter, among many others in the past.  In the book, an intelligent man, who was formerly an evolutionist, compiled evidence commonly used to support evolution and placed it in the context of creation and the flood. He went out searching to prove Christianity wrong. However somewhere in the process, he did the opposite. He proved himself wrong. Basically, what he established is that the square peg (the evidence) fits this square hole being creation and the flood far better than it does this round hole of evolution. I did not have to read very far before I found myself agreeing with him. One discussion I remember having and contemplating was about the duck-billed platypus. Crazy, I know.  I knew however from this discussion  it could not have merely evolved. It is a creature that incorporates features found in mammals, birds, fish, and even reptiles. From which of these could it have evolved? And if from one, how could it have obtained traits from all the others? For me, Evolution could not ever provide an answer for the platypus.

The realization concerning the physical world and its origins had a sudden and profound spiritual impact on my life. Having the door now opened to understand things in creation meant that the door was also now open to the Bible as a whole, and to Jesus! I then became a born-again believer directly as a result of settling the creation-evolution debate in my mind combined with needing to turn to God in troubling times in my teenage years and early twenties. My morals and character had an immediate upgrade, and I have had a passion to study and live God's word ever since. Thanks can be given to many people I have talked to, people who have served as a good example, authors of books I chose to read, and keep reading, and mostly to God and to that strange little patchwork creature they call the platypus, a clear "creation" if ever I saw one.

I am convinced that many others are in the same predicament that I was in: rejecting God because of the belief that evolution was "scientific" and therefore true. Just as in my case, many people will not listen to anything said about God, Jesus, the Bible, etc., while in this state of mind. If Christians can get them to see the implausibility of evolution then they may be able to share the Gospel effectively with these people. I hope to stress the importance of confronting this issue and to equip others with the knowledge I now have. There's much more to learn, but I'm working at it. Evolution needs to be confronted, because it is preventing so many people from finding salvation.

"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;" (Romans 1:19-20)


Just thoughts going around in my mind


God Bless,


Tina

Love

The Lord Jesus Himself is our example. He was thoughtful, gentle, self-sacrificing and patient. True spiritual love is above all faithful to God and uncompromising towards all that is evil. Christian love is giving to others those things that you would want them to give you if you were in their situation and it's doing so even if they can't pay you back. In fact, it's doing so especially if they can't pay you back. Christian love is respect for others. It's mercy. It's charity.

When the King James translators came upon the Greek word agape (God's Love) in addition to using the English word "love" they often chose the English word "charity." Love should be a selfless, giving love. God's Love is unselfish and unconditional. Let's strive for this.

Trust

Trust means to rely on the integrity of someone who is being true to you (you can't have one without the other, at least not for very long), "true" meaning both honest (speaking the truth) and faithful , hence the origin of another English word which is based upon trust and truth, truce. Trust, truth and truce are all are based upon The Ninth Commandment.


Trust in God vs. Trust In Man
From a religious perspective, trusting in man means to rely upon humans as though they were the ultimate power. Trusting in God means to "trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men"

So often we put to much reliance on others for the good and bad things to happen in our life. We place blame, guilt, and shame on people when it shouldn't be the case. God is in control. God is the one you need to trust, and put your faith in. Treat those as you would want to be treated, as the Golden rule says... but don't expect it. Expect this only of yourself. Realize that we need to be trustworthy, and still love when people let us down. We are in partnership together.

"Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him." (Proverbs 30:5)

"In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." (Psalm 56:4)