On Friday, I blogged about my modern day princess and the pea issues. Last night, I moved my bed back to its original position. When I removed the mattress, I was relieved to see no pea nesting on the box springs. After sliding off the mattress and box springs, I moved the bed frame with attached headboard (not an easy task by myself). Once the frame was in place, I slid the box springs back in place and covered it with the dust ruffle that matches our comforter. I remember thinking how firm the box springs were when I kneeled in the middle to put the fabric in place. The firm foundation is needed for the mattress to serve its purpose appropriately. Without that foundation, my mattress would sag on the frame, dipping in the middle and causing an even worse night’s sleep.

Yesterday our pastor used the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an sermon illustration to remind us of the importance of a strong foundation. If the foundation is not secure, the building will fall. Areas hit by earthquakes are experiencing crumbling buildings due to the foundation being shaken and damaged.

In her blog post today, Rachelle Gardner talks about the importance of perseverance. Writers seeking publication often dream of getting “the call.” They spend years laying the foundation for their writing–learning the elements of story crafting, creating memorable characters, upping the tension, adding story world, etc. Sometimes writers are too eager to get that publishing contract and rush to submit work that is not ready–their foundations are shaky. Writers can strengthen their writing foundations by learning the craft, attending writers conferences and retreats, submitting entries to contests for feedback.

Foundations are not limited to buildings and writing. We need a foundation for our lives–our values, identity, goals. Life is crazy enough without having a firm foundation to support us. So what is that firm foundation? Not what, but who.

Jesus.

Believing in Him gives us peace and strength to get through those crazy life moments that bring us down. Jesus needs to be our firm foundation. If Jesus is not your foundation, what are you waiting for? Believing in Him is as easy as ABC.

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa