In my youth group at church we all loved to sing songs of faith. One of my favorites was I have decided to follow Jesus. In the song, the phrase “I have decided to follow Jesus is repeated many times, but is followed by “no turning back, no turning back”. When we decide to follow Jesus, our way is not always easy. We all have had pitfalls along the way. This is where taking our cross comes in. This would be a daunting task if it weren’t for the fact that Jesus is there to remove the burden and carry it with us.Read Luke 9:23-27. Jesus tells us that the we need to lose our selves for his sake, if we do this we will gain his kingdom. Let’s strive to take each day’s challenge and daily move forward with Christ bearing the brunt of the load. Remember that God loves you unconditionally! 
Terry