Faith is one of the most commonly mis-used words of all time. The true meaning of faith is to jump and know you'll be caught. Any, and I mean any, apprehension means a lack of faith. The willingness to see the end of a thing in a positive light regardless of the present circumstance.
There are challenges. You may be facing some of your hardest at this very moment. The outcome depends on your outlook.

This weekend in NY we had a pretty heavy snow storm, which for me meant quite a bit of reading. I'm reading this book that (God bless this guy) tries to intellectually explain the bible. There is a deep danger in trying to grasp Spirit with mind power,
1 Cor. 1:14. An easy way to recognize this is by what we label intuition, and premonition. When we know something spiritually (in our gut) , we act we don't try to explain.
I'm not saying to abandon your books, I'd never say that. Just be careful. There are tons of false teaching out there, especially now that the internet is in place. But your greatest teacher will always be what the bible calls the "Still Small Voice".

Ps46:.10,11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The ancients have a philosophy of "non-attachment" that at least deserves some consideration. It seems that we, in a world of fast cars and moving billboards, want to get more attached to things daily. The chant of "I want" is one of frequent use in most of our lives. Is it not strange that the same car, cell phone, or television we wanted a year or two ago now irks our very nerves? I'm not implying we don't need things, I am saying attachment to anything other than things of the spirit eventually lead to dissapointment. Pick up your bible.

I'm often heard saying the only illusion in the known universe is man (the species, not the gender) thinks he can in some way seperate from his creator, God. I describe it as a young child in a room with a closed door, thinking her parent is not in the house. How she rants, and cries, and bellows thinking of an absent parent. Only to find out by opening the closed door, her parent never left.
There is no spot that God is not. Never allow your circumstance or surroundings to trick you into thinking God is an absent parent. He will never leave you or forsake you. Open the door and stop crying.

Exactly what happens when we fall out of our "spiritual" character? I believe if we are trult striving to be Godly, we feel guilty. That, is the miracle of Godliness! The ability to re-examine, re-emotionalize, and correct. It hurts to lash out at someone and then wanna take it back. Wrong decisions hurt. However, broken hearts He can mend, shattered dreams... He'll put 'em back together again.