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 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! Furniture Bank has been nominated for non profit of the year!! WE NEED YOUR VOTES!!!!! AZ Foothills Magazine will be giving away a media sponsorship package to the winner! 1 vote per email address per day now through April 27 https://www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/nonprofit-of-the-year-2018/voting/227.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! THERE IS STILL TIME to get your 2017 AZ Tax Credit! YES for 2017! Come on now….MAKE A DIFFERENCE! $400 provides furniture to make a house into a home for our clients and families escaping homelessness and hopelessness. Furniture Bank is a 501c3 public charity and every penny donated goes toward helping our families, veterans, and individuals in need. We are in the hand-UP business and not the HANDOUT GAME! You can donate any amount for a tax deduction and tax receipt, BUT…. a gift of either $400 as an individual or $800 as a couple to Furniture Bank, Inc. a 501c3 public charity, can also reduce your tax bill to the State of Arizona by that amount dollar for dollar! Visit our website www.FurnitureBank.usand click on the PayPal button for a secure transaction and tax receipt that will follow within 48 hours. Please help us help others! We are in the hand-UP business and not the HANDOUT GAME! Please help us help others! http://www.furniturebank.us/arizona-tax-credit.html

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 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! Pastor Mark’s next book is here! Daily Devotions with passages from the Big Book and Bible as they apply to our daily lives. Amazon Kindle edition is available here Just $4.99 and….EVERY PENNY goes to our nonprofit 501c3 Furniture Bank! Please help us help other and grab a copy today! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520092403&sr=8-2&keywords=pastor+mark+farley

We gotta supply the mustard. .... There is a good story about prayer I learned long ago. Its a reflective question and goes something like this; If you sit in a dark closet all alone and pray for a hot dog, will God bring you one? Now unless you live under a rock you know the obvious answer is no. Hopefully your prayers give you the willingness to get up and provide your own action to go and get the hot dog. This concept is applicable other things in our lives. Prayer opens our heart to provide the actions and efforts on our part needed to bring about the changes we are seeking. When my actions and efforts match what I am praying for, good things happen… Check your experience… . "Faith without works is dead." Big Book pg 88 Lord, please remind us that You can and will answer prayers but we must supply the willingness in our efforts and actions, AMEN. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2: 14-17 Have a blessed day y'all! Pastor Mark’s next book is here! Daily Devotions with passages from the Big Book and Bible as they apply to our daily lives. Amazon Kindle edition is available here Just $4.99 and….EVERY PENNY goes to our nonprofit 501c3 Furniture Bank! Please help us help other and grab a copy today! https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Pastor-Mark-Devotionals/dp/1980273847/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520092403&sr=8-2&keywords=pastor+mark+farley

Looking away... 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 tend to do this every time I walk by my teenager's room when her door is open. I am sure it's a well-organized myriad of clothing, books, and life pertinent items to her, but it looks 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 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…" 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, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." Matthew 9: 36-37 Have a blessed day y’all! Have a blessed day y’all! Please check out my new daily devotional!! A daily dose of inspiration and good news! Paperback and Kindle versions! All proceeds go to Furniture Bank!! https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pastor+mark+farley&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apastor+mark+farley

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! My next book of daily devotionals combining the Big Book with the Bible is now available on Amazon Kindle for $4.99 Proceeds go towards funding Faith Though Works Fellowship and its many ministries including our beloved Furniture Bank!!! Please help us help other and grab a copy today! https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pastor+mark+farley&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apastor+mark+farley

Find the good and the blessings will follow. … Have you ever noticed both in yourself and in others that when love is added to the task, effort, or deed it not only goes well, but also brings a smile to those involved? Now it’s pretty apparent that we can’t do what we love all the time, every time, but we can bring our best efforts and attitudes. Some of the classes required for my MBA were not the most enjoyable, but because they were required, I made the best of it. Over the years I have learned to look for the good in every situation and to see what I can bring to it, instead of seeing what I can take from it. This mindset has not only got me through the moment but also given me a new outlook and attitude on things. It works when you work it!.. Check your experience… “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 use love and grace to not only be a part of the things we enjoy, but also to help us through the rougher waters of our lives, AMEN. “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” Proverbs 3:6. Have a blessed day y’all! Please check out my new daily devotional!! A daily dose of inspiration and good news! Paperback and Kindle versions! All proceeds go to Furniture Bank!! https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pastor+mark+farley&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Apastor+mark+farley