••How do we live, love, find faith, and grow old? The days ahead of us will be hard but, There Is Hope, If You Believe! My name is Thomas and I was born and raised in Charleston, S.C. family of nine children. Mother was a catholic, who loved her children. Dad was a hard worker, who forgot his children. The days ahead of us can make life worth living. Our hearts are the most important gift to life. Our hearts feel many things in life and memories. Why do we feel the things in our hearts? There are many answers but, we need to grow in faith. Faith is there for our hearts to grow. How do our hearts heal if there is no faith? I’m sitting at home writing on New Years Eve. after burying my little sister "Janice," the day after Christmas. My mother past away in 1996 and my dad past away in 1977. The New Year is 1998 and I feel alone here without my love ones. The tears run down my face at the age of 32 as I sit writing about, "Life." We never expect things to go wrong in our lives. I see life is not like a watch. You can’t wear it or own it so, time isn’t on our hands to keep. Many things in life has a price for keeps, except; "Love." The love left behind is ours to keep in our hearts. Faith is hard to find in a church but, we can find it in our hearts. We can grow in faith being in a church but, many people go to church with little faith in life. Faith can carry us through life with the things needed to live and "One day," we can go home to a better place called, "Heaven." Do you believe in heaven or do you believe all is here on earth? "We no-longer use our animal instinct to live!" How does a squirrel know to gather nuts in order to survive the winters? How does the birds know to fly south in the winter? There is a purpose in the animals survival and they do believe in their course. How do we believe in our course? We need to open our hearts to see our course in life. Prayer is the most important factor to find the faith. Our hearts give us more answers but, we have to believe. There is alot of mystery in life, however; "Life has a course to follow." Before my mother passed away she told me, "Life is nothing but, a cycle!" She watched her parents die and her children was watching her die allowing life to cycle. My mother prayed to "God" with her last breath. There is a course to follow in life so, we should pray with all our hearts. God will answer those asking for salvation. The greatest gift to receive in life is to believe in "God" and our savior, "Jesus Christ!" They filled my heart with faith, love, and happiness!" "Remember," Jesus Loves You! The material is written in memory of special people and their purpose in my life,"Thank You!" (Mother, Father, Sister, Niece, Family, and Friends) My life is wonderful with a special person who, has stood beside me in marriage over the past 8-years, "Sharon!" Our love grows with a special little 3-year old boy, "Dustin T. Zey!"

"God Bless You!"