Profession of Faith

As a Christ follower, I believe there is a loving God whom also punishes, but He has a plan for each of our lives and each decision we make He will use to get us where He wants us. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe that His father in Heaven is also my father in Heaven who watches over me every day. My God is my comforter, protector, strength, life planner, my hope, my joy, my everything. He has given me my family, my friends, my life, in which all of these things make up who I am and who I will become.
I have doubted God and what He has planned for me and I have questioned why things have happened. But during this I felt no better about the situation. When I am weakest is when I feel the strongest because I seek Him for guidance of what is right. He uses those close to me to tell me what I need to hear. When I am weak, I learn the most and appreciate more the smaller things in life.
I do not understand some things and some things I just do not know. Like how can an all-loving God detest a man loving a man or a women loving a women? Or why does a sin as great as the rape or murder of someone mean the same to Him as us feeling jealous of what someone has? Things like this, I question, but it doesn't change the faith I put into God. If I knew everything and the reason of everything what else would there be to look forward to and learn from life?
The people God has blessed me with in my life are the ones who mold me. The spiritual conversations over dinner, runs, or coffee are the conversations that can be life altering or changing. The relationships built around God are life lasting friendships. These people are the ones that will always be there for you, always offer the best advice, always pray for you, and always be there to support you in your walk with Christ. God speak through these people on Earth to guide and support  us as He would. Sometimes when I've not been in prayer with God or not been living the way I should, a close friend will say something (with or without knowing my thoughts) that will remind me that God has a will for each of us and anything we go through, God has it planned. If He brings us to it, He'll bring us through it.
You hear people say, "Oh yeah, I'm a Christian. I go to church every Sunday." My old youth leader used to tell us, "If going to church makes you a Christian, does going to the garage make you a car?" It's what is in your heart that makes you a Christ follower, what you believe, how you continue to build your relationship with God, how you worship Him in your daily life, and how or what you choose to live for.