Exchanging the truth for a lie… Part of being human and having free will is dealing with the constant challenges we face daily for our attention and focus. There are all kinds and types of never-ending noise around us attempting to grab our attention and take us hostage emotionally. We are led to believe by many tricksters, scammers, and false prophets that their product or service will fix us and make us complete. It never ends, or so it seems. ... The gift of free will is given to us so that we can consciously choose what we focus on and what we allow to grab our attention. The person, place, thing, or situation that we allow to dominate our mind will eventually invade our heart and drive our behaviors. It becomes our God. So the suggestion I want to make today is to take a long look in the mirror and ask ourselves, what or who is our God? ... Check your experience. ... "we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing." Big Book pg 53 Lord let us open our hearts and minds daily to turn our will and lives over to You to be free of the worldly false Gods, AMEN. "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator." Romans 1:25 Have a blessed Day y’all! We have not experienced a time, season, or situation like this in our lifetimes. How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! Free daily blog http://dailyhopeandinspiration.org/ Paperback and Kindle versions are now available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including Furniture Bank! Order today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Leading by example. ... It seems to be an American cultural norm that we all have to "make it to the top" of whatever work or career path we are on. The media and marketing that we are exposed to on all fronts seems to equate success with clothes, cars, and other material trappings far above what most of us can honestly afford. “More is Better!” seems to be the subliminal message of success. The truth is that more is not better. While we need to support ourselves and our families, true success comes from becoming great stewards of what we are given and how we support and serve those around us. Jesus came to serve, not be served. He came to show us that there is eternal life through Him. Our faith in God grows when we learn the truth in His word and become in tune to those people, places, things, and situations He puts in our lives. ...Check your experience. ... "How can I best serve Thee? Thy will (not mine) be done." Big Book pg. 85 Lord, let us lead by serving and let us measure our success through our stewardship of the blessings you give us, AMEN. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23: 11-12 Have a blessed day y’all! FURNITURE BANK IS STILL HELPING OUR CLIENTS IN NEED. Until we are clear from the world heath challenges, Furniture Bank is not accepting or scheduling pick ups of donated items. We are using our cash reserves to order new items that can be drop shipped and delivered to our clients. Please consider donating $$ today. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Choose your words. ... Words can either heal, help, or hurt, depending on how we choose to use them. One of the things we can't recall, rewind, or take back are the words that come flying from our mouths fueled by fear, anger, or other emotions of the moment. I have learned painfully over the years that it's best for me to not let the emotions of the moment inside of me fuel my words. I have found that when, instead of letting my emotions of the moment lead the charge of my “verbal vomit”, I quietly give the words to God and let the Holy Spirit guide my emotions and quiet my will, that I use better words for the situation. ... Check your experience. ... "Patience, tolerance, understanding and love are the watchwords." Big Book pg 118. Lord let the words we choose be fueled with love, kindness, and encouragement, AMEN. "The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl." Proverbs 25:11 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

All we gotta do is ask?!?... Maybe it’s different for you, but I have a real hard time asking for help. I am not talking about my ministry and all our volunteer projects, I mean asking for help with my personal flaws and shortcomings. It’s easy to help others but sometimes it’s hard for me to help myself, let alone ask for assistance. This is pride and fear at work. They block the Holy Spirit from helping by filling my mind with self-centered thoughts of fear and shame, preventing my heart from showing me the path to the truth. When I finally block the pride and quiet the fear to ask for help, things not only get better, but also I get to learn that I am not alone in my shortcomings. Jesus makes it easy for us to ask for help, but our pride, fear, shame, and even anger prevent us from receiving His grace and help…Check your experience… “We had to have God's help.” Big Book pg 62 Lord, let us drop the rocks of pride, fear, and anger to allow Your Holy Spirit to help and heal us, AMEN. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

We get out of it what we put into it. ... Here is a twist of thinking I learned long ago that has not only helped me to grow as a person, and as God's kid, but also has helped me to be more in tune to the needs of others. It’s very simple. Instead of seeing what I can get from every interaction I have with people, places, things, and or situations; I see what I can bring to it. The feeling is amazing, and the outcome is usually better than I expect, plus I have gotten to know people on a deeper level! It changed my perspective and now instead of having expectations of how I think things should go, I now have blessed peace just looking to see how I can help. Go on, give it a try and as always....Check your experience… "But be sure you are on solid spiritual ground before you start and that your motive in going is thoroughly good. Do not think of what you will get out of the occasion. Think of what you can bring to it." Big Book pg 102 Lord, let us see what we can bring to a situation instead of always looking to see what we can get from it, AMEN. "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” Matthew 7:12 Have a blessed day y'all!! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Charity begins at home. ...This is one of the best thought tools I have come to rely on over the years. The version I learned was phrased like this; "You can’t keep it unless you give it away." It's an action thought that has never failed me since I began my walk with Christ and in sobriety. Unless I am willing to help another, I am not in a true position to spiritually receive the gifts the Lord blesses me with. Now this doesn't mean we should give away everything we have, or start a crusade to end world homelessness, but it does mean that each day we should open the eyes of our hearts to see how we can best be of service to someone around us. ...Check your experience…. "Helping others is the foundation stone" Big Book pg. 97. Lord, please open the eyes of our heart daily to see how we can best serve another, AMEN. "…that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are pleased to share the newest free helping service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

There is one thing that doesn't change. .... Change is constant in our world. Styles change, seasons change, tastes change, and our preferences change too. Change never seems to stop, and it can be confusing. I still miss having a cassette deck in my car and my mullet! However there is one thing that will never change no matter whether we choose to participate or not. God is constant in our lives and is there for us if we let Him… Check your experience… "Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change …….We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." Big Book pg 84. Lord let our hearts take comfort in knowing that no matter what, You do not and will not change your love for us, AMEN. "For I am the LORD, I do not change" Malachi 3:6 Have a blessed Day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

The differences of will… It can get confusing at times and even hard at other times trying to figure out if we are seeking God’s will for us or merely doing our own will while thinking God approves. To add to this confusion, there are many examples around us daily showing us the illusion that we are doing the “right thing” by either throwing money or support to help with a common good. For example, just check out some of the larger mega charities and see how much actually goes to what they claim to be helping or, other than their own employees, what “jobs” does Goodwill really provide for the “local community”? Now maybe it’s different for you, but I tend to fall into the illusion that what I am doing is God’s will when it’s merely my selfish will hidden under false motives. My head wants me to believe I can pull one over on God by talking it up or putting on the ol’ “look good”. Nevertheless, the only true way that I know I am in God’s will and not my own is when I am focused on the action, task, thought, service, or deed in this moment and not thinking about the outcome and how it benefits me…Check your experience… “Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. “How can I best serve Thee-Thy will (not mine) be done.” Big Book pg 85 Lord, let us open our hearts to allow Your will to be not only what we seek, but what we know to be true, AMEN. “He said, Father, You can do all things. Take away what must happen to Me. Even so, not what I want, but what You want.” Mark 14:36 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

What does worry gain us? ... Maybe it's different for you but worry has never brought me anything good. It's a part of my self-will fed by fear, anxiety, pride, jealousy, and or anger. When I am consumed with worry I am blocking out God's will and His grace that can bring comfort and relief. How's that working out for you? Check your experience… "a spiritual way of living, thus relieving much worry and suffering." Big Book pg 159. Lord please remind our hearts that worry robs us of Your grace and peace. We can give our worries to you and be free, AMEN. "...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Try a little kindness. …. This is probably not seen too much these days and certainly not reported very often in the news media, but kindness covers a multitude of unpleasant thing like anger, hurtful, and just plain lonely feelings. Perhaps you have already been the receiver of an act of anonymous kindness. Just last week a friend shared how they were pleasantly surprised to learn as they picked up their daily Starbucks order at the drive through window that the unknown person in front of them had paid for their coffee. I dare you to give it a try! Do something anonymously for a random stranger or for a loved one. See how you feel afterwards. Remember, it’s not about being seen doing this, it’s about serving others with no expectation of a return. I promise you that the indirect return you get from this is better than you can imagine! Go on…You can do this! Then…..Check your experience… “Were we kind and loving toward all?” Big Book pg 86. Lord, let us show our love today through kindness to those around us, AMEN. “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 Have a blessed day y’all! Have a blessed day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Foreign gods of today. ... What do you worship? Believe it or not, but some folks blindly serve another god in the form of money, work, or a material possession. Heck, some of us might even worship another human; like a movie star, athlete, or even obsess on a personal relationship. Now don't get me wrong, it's great to have nice things and healthy personal relationships, but are we allowing those persona, places, and or things to become our gods? Do we spend a large amount of time focusing our thoughts, energies, and efforts obsessing over attempting to please or serve them? I am a firm believer of the spiritual principle that your heart exists where your thoughts reside. ...Check your experience. .... "God either is or He isn't. What was our choice to be?" Big Book pg 53. Lord, let us focus our thoughts on Your will and not fall into false worship of the people, places, and things around us, AMEN. "The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him." Deuteronomy 32:12 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

We’ve got friends in low places…. It’s obvious that Jesus came to save the lost, and they were all drawn to Him, but the religious establishment of the time complained about this constantly. If they had their way, the religious people would have driven the sinners far away, but Jesus did not allow this to happen. He came to seek out and save the lost. Jesus had and still has friends in low places. Today we see His statue in beautiful churches, but we will still experience His presence in the streets and in our daily encounters. He still wants to speak with you today. He needs us to help Him reach others. Don't give up, and know that it is not Jesus that is driving you away when worldly clamors get in the way. Using our hands to touch them, and our voice to speak to them, He can and will reach folks right where they are. …Check your experience… “There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me -- and He came.” Big Book pg 12 Lord, please continue to use us to reach others in the same way You were first introduced to us, AMEN. “The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain: "Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them." Luke 15:1-2 Have a blessed day y'all!! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

There is a plan for each of us. … A common discussion I have these days with my daughter, Miss Kai, is what she will do with her life. I am an open book with her and freely share that I still don’t have a clue about what I want to be when I “grow up.” I share with her to keep her feet on the ground with training and education while encouraging her to chase her dreams and follow her passions. She understands this as best as an almost 22 year old can. The good news is that while we may be searching for what it is that we think we need to be doing, God has the plan for us. My experience has shown me that even though I cannot label what I am with an earthly work title, like tech guy, manager, or professional whatever… I can claim with 100% certainty that through my many jobs and duties I have had here on Earth over the years, I have been and will always be one of God’s kids and He employs me daily to help Him. …Check your experience… “Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs.” Big Book pg 63. Lord, let us find comfort and security in knowing you have a plan for each of us, AMEN. “I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.” John 15:11 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are pleased to share the newest free helping service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

Catch someone doing something right today! .... Have you ever noticed how much our news and all forms of media are filled with negativity, fear, and doom? More importantly, how our eyes and ears are drawn to it? Come on now, be honest, what magazine do you stare at in the checkout line at the grocery? It's our cultural norm based off of our instinctual self-willed human nature. We are trained from a young age to look for the bad and the wrong. It's even a large part of corporate leadership training. No one gets sent to H.R. for good deeds! ...There is hope however! Using our spiritual growth and God's Word we can teach our hearts and train our minds to seek out the good in people places, and things. I promise that when you do, your day will go better and your world will change. Try it and then... Check your experience… . "We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him." Big Book pg 46. Lord let us look for the good with the eyes of our heart, AMEN. "…let us encourage one another." Hebrews 10:25 Have a blessed Day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Hearing and doing equals action… Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just absorb information and have it instantly transform us? I would love to buy the CD of whatever product is selling on TV promising me incredible life changing results and just plug it into my listening device and have the words bring the transformation instantly. Heck, I could be healthier, wealthier, and wiser! But… most of us know that is not how it works. Work is the operative word here. We have to provide not only the WILLINGNESS to CHANGE but also the ACTION and WORK… Check your experience… “To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self-sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.” Big Book pg 93 Lord, let us hear and act when Your Holy Spirit and Word give us direction, AMEN. “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Luke 8:18 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

The consequences of free will… We have speed limits that suggest how fast we should go. We have warning labels on products to help us understand their intended use. We even have instructions on other things to help us use them correctly, like “rinse, lather, repeat.” Even though we are free to do what we want, ignoring these suggestions can lead to consequences. It’s the same with our free will. While we can choose to behave any way we like we are still accountable spiritually and morally. I have made enough poor choices in my journey to learn that I GET what I GIVE. These days I try to follow the speed limits and align my will with God’s instead of doing my own thing. How’s it working out for you?.. Check your experience… “Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us?” Big Book pg 68 Lord, let us enjoy the blessings and grace of seeking Your will and not be blinded by the illusions of self will, AMEN. “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Get rid of the stinkin’ thinkin’… Perhaps it’s different for you, but there is a magic magnifying glass in my mind that loves to try to increase the size and focus of the negative side of life. Heck, it even tries to grow the size of fears as they attempt to crop up in my mind. Thank God that though His Spirit living in me that I can quickly shift the focus of this magnifying glass onto positive and productive things and away from the things that my fear based and prideful self-centered will wants to dwell on. I have found that when changing my thoughts and attitudes to more positive things, better actions and behaviors follow. How’s that working out for you?.. Check your experience… “When I focus on what's good today, I have a good day, and when I focus on what's bad, I have a bad day. If I focus on a problem, the problem increases; if I focus on the answer, the answer increases.” Big Book pg 419. Lord, thank You for your Holy Spirit residing in each of us that helps us to focus our hearts and minds on things of Your will and not be held hostage by our own fear based self-will, AMEN. “Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.” Philippians 4:8 Have a blessed day y’all! Have a blessed day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

The difference between knowing and doing… Until I got honest and joined SCAA, this was my daily dilemma… I was supposed to be losing weight, yet I had dessert. I needed to make healthy eating choices yet I found myself at the Taco Bell drive thru …AGAIN! Is it because I am weak willed and cannot control my sugar addiction? Nope, it’s the fact that I continued to choose my selfish and self-centered will over seeking God’s will. My heart KNOWS what I need to do, but my head does it anyway. This is not only the difference between knowing and doing, but also why my character defects left unchecked keep me unhealthy and in self-will. Do you have things you are doing that you know you should not be?... Check your experience… . “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character” Big Book Step 6, Pg 59 Lord, let us give you our weaknesses and temptations in return for strength and support to stay in Your will for us, AMEN. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7: 19 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Is your battery fully charged? … 20 plus years ago when cell phones were new, they were an oddity and not accepted yet as a necessity, rather just an expensive “toy” if you will. Now days they are in everyone’s hands. They are our time keepers, personal assistants and sadly in ever growing numbers, our main form of communication and connection with others. What is funny to me is that with all this technology in our hands, we are now a society dependent on electrical outlets! Tour any airport for the best example of this! We are reduced to depending on the electrical outlet to give us the power we need to run our lives electronically. I am sure this will change in a few years but it’s a great example of where our dependence for power rests. What about our spiritual lives? How and where are we drawing our power from? Red Bulls are great but I am not receiving the spiritual boost I need from the little metal can. Self-help books are great supplements, but alone by themselves, the needed power is not there. God is our power source when it comes to things spiritual and especially when we face life’s, twists, turns, trials, and temptations in our daily lives. Plug into His Word and Promises and recharge. … Check your experience… “Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power.” Big Book pg 85 Lord, thank you for being our never-ending source of power, energy, and life, AMEN. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29 Have a blessed day y'all!! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Thought battles... Perhaps you don't experience this type of thought, but this thought still tries to negatively influence me from time to time. It's a thought born of self-will and fueled by fear, and lack of faith. The thought comes and tries to convince me that I am not good enough and or I don't have what it takes. Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit living in my heart! It reminds me that faith overpowers fear and if I just seek God’s will and not my own, it will turn out just fine. Guess what? It does! How do you handle your doubts? Are they fueled by fear and self-driven thinking? ... Check your experience. .... "I had needed and wanted God. There had been a humble willingness to have Him with me-and He came." Big Book pg 12 Lord thank you for you Holy Spirit residing in our hearts to help us quiet fears and doubt, AMEN. "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love” 2 Timothy 1:7 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are pleased to share the newest free helping service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/

Is it time for "Spring Cleaning"? ... January has come and gone, perhaps the "resolutions" we made followed suit too. When March arrives thoughts of Spring Cleaning begin to fill our minds. Have you ever considered a spiritual spring cleaning? Sure we can pray for changes in our life circumstances and trust me, God is ready, able, and willing to bring the needed changes in our lives... BUT ....He cannot bring about these changes until we roll up our sleeves and participate in our own "spring cleaning. We must willingly look at and take action to rid our lives of toxic behaviors, actions, and thoughts. ... Check your experience… "There has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking." Big Book pg 50 Lord please help us be willing to provide the needed efforts and actions to bring about the needed changes in our lives, AMEN. "So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." James 1:21 Have a blessed Day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

Walk your talk… In today’s world of social media you can share your every activity with the world on Facebook, post photos of your meals on a host of public sites like Instagram, and even broadcast your workout routines and progress for all to see on MyFitnessPal and other aps. What is weird to me is that we all want to look and see! I mean, really, I love my friends and family, but I could really care less what their gourmet healthy salad looks like, or that they are… whatever their current Facebook status is! It seems our lives have become broadcast material for all to see. In some ways, I feel this is a good thing. Leading a transparent life is a Spiritual principle and helps us to be accountable for our actions and deeds. However, with the ability of social media to show our lives to others instantly, we now must be aware that we live in a fishbowl and others can see our actions and measure them against our words. Now more than ever, it’s important for us to walk our talk!.. How’s this working out for you?.. Check your experience… . “As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action.” Big Book pg 87 Lord, let us live transparently through seeking Your will for us daily, AMEN. “You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public;” Luke 12:3 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Are we producing good fruits? ... We are the product of our thoughts, actions, and behaviors. Actors play roles and assume traits of the characters they are portraying. I think I began to learn this when I realized that the 6 Million Dollar Man was not real when I was young. We are who we are and even though we can be tempted to hide behind a work role or a hobby role, God sees and knows us no matter what. We become the product of our actions, thoughts, and behaviors. If we are full of anger, resentment, and tend spout negative words, we become that angry miserable person that others avoid. If we look for the good and continuously focus on helping others then we tend to have the transparent life that others see and trust. What kind of fruits are you producing? ...Check your experience. ... "He was on different footing. His roots grasped a new soil." Big Book pg 12 Lord help us to produce your spiritual fruits of kindness, trust, and grace, AMEN. "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." Matthew 12:33 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

Is your heart attractive? …It’s fun living with a teenager. Watching our daughter spend time attending to her looks made my heart smile to see that she is now at that age where she wants to put her best appearance forward, no matter what the occasion. I still do not totally get the outfits, but thank goodness her mother does! Miss Kai is so appearance conscious that I even get tips on how I can dress better. I am glad to know that while it’s good to pay attention to our outward appearance, it’s even more important to pay attention to our internal and spiritual appearance. Is our heart attractive and full of good thoughts and God’s will or are we trying to hide our selfish desires there and keep them covered in false words and deeds? God can see our hearts and knows us better than we can ever imagine. … Check your experience… “Here was something at work in a human heart which had done the impossible.” Big Book pg 11 Lord, open our hearts for a spring cleaning to rid us of selfish wants and desires that can guide us away from Your grace and peace, AMEN. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Have a blessed day y’all! Have a blessed day y’all! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

The heart of the matter… It’s always nice to get encouragement from others. Maybe it’s different for you, but it gives me strength and confidence to carry on. What about those times when either no one seems to notice, or no one is around to notice? Self-talk is good and it can get you through a difficult time or unfamiliar moment, but what about those giant internal struggles of fear, worry, and negativity that no one else can see or feel that our head tries to convince us of daily? Over the years I have finally learned that those giants (my committee) will always be there and they are invisible for a reason, because THEY ARE NOT REAL! The Holy Spirit living in my heart tells me daily that those giants can stay tucked away in the library of my mind and I have no need to allow them to influence my day. This is the encouragement that comes from my heart and never goes away. How are you facing those giants?.. Check your experience… “We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions.” Big Book pg 88 Lord, let us look in our hearts daily and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to defeat the giants of fear, worry, and negativity, AMEN. “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart” Colossians 2:2 Have a blessed day y'all! Did you know that your financial gift to Furniture Bank is not only tax deductible but also qualifies you for up to $800 in AZ Tax Credits? Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. Please help us continue to help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html   

What style of clothing do you wear?.. We have gear for all types of weather, events, sports, hobbies, and seasons. I just learned, and pardon my fashion backwardness, that there are even special shoes just for driving your car! While it’s nice to have all of these choices to clothe ourselves properly according to weather, activity, and such….how are we covering, preparing, and protecting our Spirit for all situations we encounter? Our Bible teaches us to clothe ourselves in love which covers all things. While I’ll admit that sometimes that this is really hard to put on for certain situations, it generally goes much better when I do. …Check your experience… “…asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.” Big Book pg 83 Lord. Let us clothe ourselves in love to handle all people, places, and things that we encounter, AMEN. “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 Have a blessed day y'all!! Start your day on a positive note! Daily devotions from the Big Book and Bible combined! Paperback and Kindle versions available!! Every penny goes to support Faith Through Works Fellowship ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank! Please order yours today and help us help others! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss

So if it's on the Internet it must be true. .... Hopefully you know that statement is not correct. We can find “information” on just about anything we want with many sources of information instantly available to us in many ways telling us many things. The danger is that if we are not careful, we could be filling our minds with junk information much like our tendency to fill up on junk food. We should always check the source our information. I will never call myself an expert, but I do rely on the Bible as well as the AA Big Book for the information i need to guide my life… Check your experience… "Well, that's exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem." Big Book pg 45. Lord let us look to Your Word for truth and the light we need for our souls, AMEN. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 Have a blessed day y’all! Hey friends please check out Servants Hearts! It’s a free site to help connect folks with volunteer and helping opportunities! Furniture Bank, Spiritual Solutions Group, and Advocate Phoenix are pleased to share the newest free helping service from Faith Through Works Fellowship! Its Phoenix based for now. Pray for its growth to provide helping hearts and willing hands to our organizations that need help! http://aservantsheart.us/      

Looking away or looking to help..... Sometimes when we see uncomfortable or unpleasant things we divert our eyes away so our mind won't focus and our hearts won't feel the situation. I used to do this every time I walked by my teenager's room. I am sure it's a well-organized myriad of clothing, books, and life pertinent items to her, but it looked like remnants of a hurricane to her mother and me. It's easier to just look away and move on. What about those times when we are at work or out and about with a group of friends and we see someone noticeably upset or hurting. Hopefully it's our natural reaction to seek to learn the situation, offer comfort, and help if possible. Now what about when we see that out of place person trying to deal with something that is obviously unfamiliar for them? I know that it's easier to look away and pretend we don't see that older person in the store trying to figure out how to lift that case of water. Or its "better to ignore" the dirty looking person on the street with the shopping cart full of weird stuff. I am not suggesting we stop and try to change their whole life, but what about looking them in the eye and saying hello? What would Jesus do? Check your experience. ... "Helping others is the foundation stone of our recovery." Big Book pg 97. Lord, let us open the eyes of our heart to see where You would have us offer compassion and help, AMEN. "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." Philippians 2:4 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html          

Check the thoughts that reside in your heart. ... Have you ever considered the differences between the thoughts in your head and your heart? In my head my thoughts tend to be focused on myself. They race wildly about jumping from emotional wants to materialistic and other self-centered actions. If these were left unchecked by my heart, they would cause me all kinds of grief like they used to before I gained sobriety and began walking with Jesus. For instance my head will say "go ahead and tell them what you really think right now!" Where my heart says, "Wait until your anger goes away and pray on this before you respond with words you will regret." I find when I listen to the thoughts in my heart my day goes much better!.. Check your experience... "His change of heart was dramatic, convincing, and moving." Big Book pg 55. Lord let us first give our thoughts to our heart to let Your Holy Spirit guide our responses and quiet our emotional need to react, AMEN. "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?" Matthew 9:4 Have a blessed day y’all! Did you know a donation to Furniture Bank gets you an Arizona state tax credit up to $800? Earn yours today. The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Furniture Bank. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $800 and get it right back on your Arizona tax return. Furniture Bank works directly with Phoenix based social services, programs, and faith-based communities to assist families, Veterans, seniors, and other folks with a hand up to regain self-sustainability as they work to escape homelessness and helplessness. Please help us help others! Donate today! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html