What does the cross mean?

To me the cross means security. Knowing that I have an advocate who went before me to save me from myself. The cross has nothing to do with religion. The cross is life. The cross is hope. The cross is the largest symbol of love that ever existed on this earth, above, and below.
I know this in my head. Sometimes I know it in my heart. I want every ounce of my being...body, soul, and spirit to take this in and be more aware of what the cross means than ever before. It is so over my head how Jesus did what he did for sinners...to turn us into saints. That is amazing to me. I can't even begin to fathom that kind of love. I want to understand that love better. Jesus, make me understand.

Keepin' the Faith

God is always working behind the scenes on our behalf. Our job is to remain in faith that he can do what His word says he can do. When we begin to doubt, it not only hinders our relationship with God and others; it also prevents us from getting our breakthroughs that much faster. So we must keep believing, expecting, and hoping for the best. God is able and he will do if we let Him.
I have had many issues with doubt. Especially recently with the economy. I have started to loose hope. Recently my friend reminded me that faith is not just a warm fuzzy feeling. It is a choice. That really put things into perspective for me. I needed to hear that. So now I choose to stay in faith and expect miracles in my life from God. If you think I am crazy, then that is your deal. This is the choice I choose to make. Actually if I don't make it, then I will be even more miserable. Who wants to be feeling like there is no hope all the time? It is better to be miserable and have faith in what God can do, than to be miserable and have nothing to hope for! That's my take on it anyway.

Is true centering possible?

when I am stressed, worried, and anxious the first thing I want to do is escape my current emotional state. now weather that is a healthy or unhealthy form of release it depends on my mood at the time.
I want to have more healthy forms of escape. I want to be able to get to a point where I can just breathe and recenter. Meditation has always been a struggle for me, but now I'm finding that I need it more. My struggle is to focus. My mind is always going a million different directions at one time. I have always been like that. I can be listening to a converstaion and still not be present. I want to learn to be present. I want to learn to focus on the task at hand without being so distracted.
I can't always hop on a plane and go on vacation when I need to de-stress. Even so, my problems would still be there for me to deal with. Help. what can I do to relieve my stress and focus better if meditation is such a challenge? I need to re-center me! :-)