Are You a Pawn or a Knight? (Revamped10:18:22)?

When I first awoke this morning I found God and His will on my mind. The song that came to mind was "Good God Almighty" by David Crowder. I grabbed my phone and looked it up on you tube, for my heart was overflowing and it needed to worship. Next I opened up my phone and sought out what others in my followersof Christ group had to share and instantly, I was shown this picture that referenced Psalms 150 which just so happens to line up with my heart song. Next I opened up my email searching for an encouraging word for the day from a devotional:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6 NIV

I read this and instantly grabbed my computer knowing the words were about to flow.

It was Abraham’s faith that allowed him to find favor with the Lord. It was David’s faith that the Lord would protect him that allowed him to show grace to Saul even as Saul was trying to kill David. It was by faith that Noah built an arc in dry land, where they had yet to see a single drop of rain!. It is by faith that you are saved through grace. Grace. It is a beautiful thing.

I think along with faith, one must have trust in the Lord. When we read another verse from God’s Word, we discover this:

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5 NIV

You see, we live in a fallen world. While so many of us are willing to consider the possibilities of vampires,  werewolves, zombies, along with other things that go bump in the night, the majority of us refuse to see the truth of our circumstance. We live daily in a world that is fighting a spiritual war. Whether we like it or not, all of us are participants in the war. Some of us are awake and see what is going on and we dress daily for the battle. Sadly because those of us that see are a minority compared to those of us that either don’t see and those that refuse to see, family and friends alike are being used against us.

Trust in the Lord is part of your armor. When you have trust in the Lord, you fight the world differently. In a way you rest through the battle compared to fighting the battle without the Lord on your side. You do work but it is work that is gratifying verses the type of fighting that leaves one exhausted and depleted. The work you do is prayer and giving things to God and NOT taking them back! Another part of your work is reading God’s Word daily so that you are prepared daily with words of both wisdom and grace. King David, known as a great warrior, dressed daily for the spiritual war he faced. He was a part of more than one monumental battle. Can you imagine having to serve a king who was out to kill you? Could you fathom having the opportunity to kill this foe, not once but twice, having found him literally delivered to you? King David had this happen in his lifetime and both times, he extended his enemy grace. He also spoke to his enemy telling him of all that had taken place while he slept. Saul saw that David loved the Lord and was not really  his enemy but sadly Saul was not dressing for the war he was fighting. He allowed his mind to be tormented with thoughts of jealousy and it was in all actuality the death of him.

David was not innocent of sin. None of us are. There is a story in the bible where King David wanted a women who belonged to another. He wanted her so desperately that he sent her husband off to war with the intention of getting him killed. King David paid a dear price for this sin. Rather than shout at the Lord angrily for his loss, King David owned up to his wrong doing and asked for forgiveness and again worshiped the Lord and stepped boldly back into the light for the darkness that was overtaking him was now overshadowed by God’s loving grace. Had David quickly grabbed his necessary armor when sin crouched at his door perhaps he might not have stumbled. I doubt it though for all of us stumble. We are human. Satan has been around tormenting souls for a long time. He even sought to tempt Jesus. He even tried to keep him from his purpose by weighing him down. Jesus though was without sin and dressed properly every moment of His life.  You are only fooling yourself if you think you are an exception when it comes to the ways of sin.

The evil one fights in various cruel ways. He sends negative thoughts to you and if you are not properly dressed, carrying your shield of faith at all times, you simply don’t possess the needed items to distinguish the fiery flames of self-doubt, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and worry just to name a few.  Even with being prepared the majority of the time, the evil one comes at you day and night. I wrote a blog that is featured on my home page about a time that the enemy was trying to convince me that I should stop writing for the Lord. He was mocking me and telling me that my writing was awful and that people saw me as a joke and even suggested that I destroy all I had written prior including my first published book. This took place as I was in the process of editing my sequel. Had I not been in the habit of beginning each day with a snippet of God’s word I would have been sucked under and who knows where I would be today. Instead, I knew I was under siege. An attack so forceful I told Mike, my significant other, what was taking and place and dashed to the kitchen to my special stash of brain empowering chocolate! The whole sequence of events just replayed in my head and admittedly I needed that dose of humor.

Today I could allow myself to be sucked under by negative thoughts. It would be easy in a way to lay in bed all day and bawl my eyes out over all that had taken place in the last 12 months. However that moment too has passed and today is a new day. I know with all my heart this very reason, the emotional heart throbbing, breath stealing pain that we all face at some point during our lifetime, is why we are also given the mandate to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. If he is our stronghold, nothing in this world will have the power to ultimately destroy us. Combine that with these words of wisdom:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:34 NIV, and you will always be able at stand firmly on your faith.

The evil one wants to pull us into tomorrow while he also jerks us into the past. The purpose of pulling us into tomorrow and next week and next year is so that our focus is ahead of us. This little trick of his increases our anxiety about the future. So much so that many of us seek to have it told to us. What on earth are we in a rush for? Enjoy this moment. You only live it once!  The reason he drags us into the past is to highlight our failures. This way he can fill us with self-doubt and self ridicule. That my friends is a vicious battle to fight without the right armor. If you were to read the bible you would understand that Jesus, both the son of God and the Son of Man, also battled against Satan while he resided on earth in the flesh. Interestingly enough do you know what Jesus used to defeat Satan? He used ALL of his armor EVERY DAY. He taught his disciples to dress for battle. There are incredible examples of solutions to all of life’s problems within God’s Word. People are always reading self help books and searching for the perfect recipe for success. If they spent half that energy on their relationship with the Lord they’d be much more joyous.  If we got real honest that is what we are all searching for; A life without worries of any kind so that we can live peacefully and enjoy life. That my friends is what happens when you discover the truth. I ask you this simple question, “Do you know who you are in Christ?”

When you read my story from the beginning you see fully the battle being waged. You see how not being dressed for war can affect your life and the abundant ways you live it. We live in a fallen world. We must recognize this fact and then arm ourselves the best we can. I’ve fought a lot of battles. I guarantee I have something in common with you. Come find the message in my books that is meant for you. For only $10 you can own my first three True Life books in paperback, and in electronic format, the 3 book set is only $3.99. A link to both of these formats runs on the right of this blog. If your device doesn't show them, click on this link for paperback purchase and this link for kindle version. See if my story speaks to you. If it does, support my ministry while helping yourself gain an advantage in this Spiritual War!

I am also currently in a major competition that comes with a brand prize that would help fund my ministry financially, it will provide me with an incredible marketing opportunity. Please consider taking 30 seconds to support me by casting a free vote via Facebook verification. Just click https:/votefab40.com/2022/wendy-glidden

Be blessed and be a blessing.

Father, today I come to you singing your praises. How glorious it is to be your friend. While daily life deals me blows I am able to not only stand firm, I am also able to continue in my purpose for it is by your strength that I do all things. I thank you for my many blessings. I thank you for the bouts of laughter that help heal my heart. I thank you for sunny days and beautiful views. I thank you for those who sing your praises through music for their lyrics and words help me in so many ways. I love the way they strengthen me and help to renew my mind with words of wisdom and truth. Please help me find those who are so in need of your light. Put me in their path Father. Use me for what you created me for. Help me rock this thing! In Jesus name I pray.

If you’d like to know me a little better before subscribing to my blog, check out this video: Marriage, Motherhood & My Moral Meltdown

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2014

A Prayer of Protection for the Children of God

It's Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday! I love this day. Honestly, ever since I renamed all the days of the week a year ago, I have fallen in love with every one of them. I am working on a calendar to go along with the renaming. There is so much work I have set myself up for this year! I am truly super excited to see it all come together.

As many of you know, I start my days out with K-loves encouraging word. Today is one of those days where you see or hear something and you just know it was created especially for you. Many of this years encouraging words have made me feel that way. Today's encouraging word comes from Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 26 - 27:

verse 26: Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

verse 27: And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

For me when I read this verse it was as if God was personally reaching out to me and reminding me that He always will take care of me. I will never go without. Therefor don't worry about things like, "If I am pregnant with another child, how on earth will I manage everything?"

As of today, I am behind schedule and very well may be pregnant. The old me, the girl who attempted to do everything in her own strength would be freaking out to the max right now. Instead, I see this for what it is. Either a blessing or a gentle reminder to remain firm in my faith. I have no idea what God has in store for me, but I have Faith it is all good.

The other day. Sunday as a matter of fact. We were all getting ready for church. As often happens in a home with more than one child, various arguments were beginning to brew. I have been trying to get my children to realize how silly their disputes are to no avail.

However, something happened this past Sunday and I can only believe it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me to my children. I don't remember exactly what happened prior but what ever it was, it made me call an emergency family meeting with the children.

Once I had every one's attention, I began talking. "Do any of you know how sneaky the father of lies is?" No one answered so I wondered if they knew who I was referring to. I talk about him often but you never really know what your children pick up on and what they don't, so I continued, "The father of lies is Satan. He is so sneaky he can say things to you and make you think they are your own thoughts. The thoughts he plants inside of your head can make you angry or jealous and before you know it you are in a fight with one of your sisters or brothers." Now I had their full attention.

I have often wondered why when you have more than one child riding in a car one for any length of time one of them is always bound to begin crying out, "Stop looking at me!" I know I did this myself as a child. Today I truly believe this is one of many arrows the evil one launches at innocent minds; The feeling that a sibling is somehow making fun of them by simply looking at them even when they aren't even being looked at! So, I used that scenario to paint the scene of silliness for them. Using humor when teaching is often effective!

After that I asked them if any of them knew how they could protect themselves from Satan. Wide eyed and captivated they all looked at each other to see if anyone had a hand up. No one did. I told them I was going to teach them a prayer that would protect them and that they would need to say it every morning and every night and anytime they felt they might be under an attack. This is the prayer I taught them:

"Good morning God. I know that I am in a spiritual war. I am just a kid. I do not know how to protect myself. Please protect me in all your mighty ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."

Simple, sweet and right to the point. We said it together line by line. Then I asked, "Who knows the first line?" and continued until we had said the entire prayer. As they took turns saying a part of the prayer they either changed it a little or added words to it. I smiled and said, yes. That's it. You don't have to say it exactly the same every time, you just need to say the prayer how it comes out. You are praying for protection because you know that you are in a spiritual war. You are asking God to help you win the battle.

Next I asked them if any of them knew why we pray in the name of Jesus? None of them did so we talked about the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We talked about how He could have called out at anytime to stop it all yet He did not. We talked about how His blood had to be poured out for our sins to be covered and it was in His dying that He concurred death for us. We talked about how important it was to get to know about Jesus. We talked about how after He left, the Holy Spirit came and how we walk in the Spirit today. It seemed to make quite the impression on them. God never ceases to amaze me. I was surprised to hear myself speaking the words I was speaking but I continued to let them be spoken for I knew the source.

I have to tell you, the fights in my house have diminished tremendously since they all began saying this prayer. In all honesty, there has not been a fight between any of them that I can recall this entire week. Traveling in the car has even been peaceful. That my friends is amazing.

Satan uses whatever he can to disrupt your day in an attempt to put your light out. Don't think for one second he is not out to steal your joy, kill your dreams and destroy your family. Children are a great weapon for him to use against adults and use them he does.

God gave me that prayer to share with my children. This morning as I was spending time with the Lord, this prayer came full blown to me again along with the above title of this post and I knew what I would be writing about today.

I love that God gives me titles to write on. They seem to unlock writers block for me. This month I have been doing so much reading and researching and learning that I have not written a lot myself. Yesterday as I went to bed I was thinking to myself, 'It is already Wednesday night and I have written nothing new this week.'

I know it is silly but sometimes I fear no more words will come to me. That is a fiery arrow from the evil one! I know that because of the vision that God gave me last year.

I was in a meeting with my life coach, Cathy Padgett, and she was praying over me. I had my eyes closed and all of a sudden a whirlwind of post it notes were whipping all around me. Quickly they began sticking to the walls in perfect order. One right after the other, side by side, all blank. I told Cathy about the vision and how I was not sure what it meant. I was focused on the post it notes. I am not a fan of them. I thought it was odd that they started out in a tornado like fashion and then quickly got in order against the wall but I admitted I had no real idea what the vision meant.

It was on my way home that I got the second piece of the vision. I was in the process of asking God what the post it notes meant when I clearly heard, "You will fill them all."

Suddenly I knew! He was showing me that I would indeed have the desires of my heart. The whole thing was so abundantly overwhelming I cannot even put into words how big my heart expanded.

I hope in me sharing this amazing testimony you also are better equipped to recognize Satan's fiery arrows. I know he wants to keep me from writing. This is why he fires the thought at me. He wants to grip my heart with fear so that all I can think about is his fiery arrow: 'What if the words stop'. God gave me the vision so I could quickly distinguish that negative soundtrack from playing. The words will never stop. They belong to God and they are never ending.

I also know that Satan does not want me praying. He doesn't want any of us standing firmly in our faith. He will try with all his might to shake it. He never rests, he never stops fighting, he is relentless, shrewd and wise in the ways of war and how to best wage it against you. Don't for one second think you have defeated him! You must put on your full suit of armor every day. Pray for others always and when you think of someone out of nowhere, say a quick prayer for them. There are no coincidences. You thought of them for a reason.

I am learning more and more about God, His Word and how to protect myself from the evil one. However, I also know just how shrewd the evil one is and how quickly he can attack you out of nowhere. So, it is my suggestion that everyone say a daily prayer for protection. You can make it simple, you can use the one above and change it to fit who you think you are. For example, you could say: Good morning God. I know I am in a spiritual war. I am just learning about spiritual battles and the armor I need to protect myself. So I am here to ask you to please protect me in all your mighty ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Or you can say something like, "Good morning God. I thank you for all you do for me in the ways of protection. I thank you for always having my back. I am not the wisest when it comes to the ways of war and I have moments of weakness. I know that is all the evil one needs to come at me full force. When I put my guard down Lord I pray you shake me awake so that I quickly see my foe at work and understand all I need is to trust and rest in You. You are faithful Lord. I know that. I trust that. Help me be a mighty warrior so I can help more captives break free. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Prayer is incredible. It is a form of protection and one you should use daily! I used to fear saying prayers out loud. I was afraid I didn't know how to pray the right way! The funny thing is I have been saying prayers most of my life, I just never thought of them as prayers. I thought of them as talks with God. It is impossible to say a bad prayer. Satan wants to keep you from praying for he knows their is actual power in prayers. Don't allow him to keep you from praying. We all need to pray every day. We need to come to God with joy in our hearts knowing how incredible He is and thanking Him for everything. Next we ask for help with something. After I ask for the help I need, I thank Him again. He is the almighty God and nothing is too hard for Him.

I know when it comes to praying all of us have gone to God and asked for something and have felt like we didn't get it. The best example I can think of is those that ask for a loved one to be healed and instead of being made better, they pass away. This is a big reason many in the world have lost faith in God. I would like to remind all of you that our days on earth are numbered. We don't get to chose where we are born and we don't get to pick how we exit this life. We are born, we live and we all die a physical death. We should not fret over this. We can and should always pray for healing but we should not lose heart when a loved one does not recover. It is my belief that it was their time to die. The way they exit may indeed cause much heartache and despair so pray for the lives around that person as well.

It's been a few posts since I have added a song to a blog post. I am sure I am meant to share this song with you here on this post for it just began playing in my head. That is no coincidence for my son is sitting next to me watching a kid show on Netflix and there is a song playing that is nothing like this. Try thinking of a song on purpose while another song is playing. It's hard. With that being said, I leave you with Sanctus Real and their hit song, Pray: 

Father, I thank you today for all you have done for me. I am blown away by the visions I see now and all I can say is thank you thank you thank you. I am humbled to think you love me so much. After all who am I? Yes. I am a child of yours. Plain and simple. You love your children. How that knowledge explodes my heart. Help me be a bright light Lord. Help me be a mighty warrior. I want nothing more than to help my fellow brothers and sisters break out of captivity. Please use me Lord. In every way you see fit. I am so pleased to finally be doing what I have always wanted to do. Write words of encouragement. Thank you for using me in such great ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy Glidden, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

Don't Let 'It' Get the Best of You!

"Don't let 'it' get the best of you."
"Don't let 'them' get the best of you."

It seems these last few weeks that is what I keep hearing in my head. Whenever something has gone wrong or someone has been a bit nasty, I have been reminded to not let it get the best of me. For instance, Mike and I have been under a lot of pressure since his return and I honestly cannot tell you exactly what happened the other day other than I recognized a ridiculous attack for what it was. I walked away from the situation after politely excusing myself. I went to the car, got in and pulled my phone out to see what the encouraging word of the day was. I knew I just needed to strengthen my armor.

On the way to work that morning, I refused to be pulled into any argument. It truly is amazing what happens when you keep your focus on the Lord, read His Word daily, and put on your full suit of armor!

We all are in a spiritual battle. If you don't see it now, I pray you open your eyes to the truth of what is happening in this world!

Anyway, half way to work, Mike, who I knew was being used to disrupt my day in a feeble attempt to put out my light, apologized to me for trying to throw me out of balance. His exact words were, "I'm sorry for trying to throw you out of balance this morning. It seems I pulled my own neck while having my moment."

I smiled and told him no worries. I admitted that I had seen what was going on for what it was, so I was good. I then shared with him the wisdom that God had shared with me in reading Proverbs 26, verse 20:

For lack of wood the fire goes out.

Many times at home, when I am talking to one child, another will chime in with a much un-needed comment. I have implemented this phrase at home for those times: "Don't throw gas on my fire!"

Marissa asked me what that meant. In turn, I asked her, "You know how you can have a little fire going but if you add starter fuel to it, it gets crazy big?" She shook her head yes.

I then informed her that an angry person was like a fire and it was best not to feed that fire. Now, when a situation is on the brink of a melt down, all I have to do is quickly say, "Don't throw gas on my fire!" and the entire clan gets quiet.

I wish the only attack I have had disrupt my day was that single instance. However, I have been under a continual attack for almost three weeks now. I think all designed to steal any spare time for sure, but to also perhaps blow out my light.

Often you hear that a follower of Christ has a target on their back. I joke the brighter I get, the more I write, the more I am under assault. I consider it a compliment from the other side. The father of lies must see me as a formidable foe to come at me so often and so crazily.

I believe it is a combination of my confidence in the Father and the fact that I warn others about him that draws his ire. I see how he has worked against me and plotted against me for decades. Such a clever liar he is. I find it shockingly scary at times what thoughts he attempts to plant in my mind. I know he does this to every human being. He even tempted and toyed with Jesus. Don't fool yourself into thinking he doesn't do the same thing in your life! That belief is dangerous to your peace of mind!

So, as many of you know, Mike was facing some jail time in Florida last month. I had prayed for him, written a letter to his lawyer, left a message for the head of probation and talked to the State Attorney against her will, but in the end, I had truly given it all to God. Shockingly, Mike ended up only having to serve 4 days ~ 3 nights out of an original requested 60 days! Having found himself convicted by God during our separation and certain himself that he was a changed man, he arrived here in Indiana to ask for my hand in marriage.

I knew accepting him and allowing him the chance to be who he said he would be would land me in hot water where my father was concerned, but I could not help myself. I am happy that I opened the door and my heart up to him. Of course the father of lies does not care for us to be happy. He likes to throw God's children into turmoil and he certainly set out after Mike and I from the jump.

Mike arrived Saturday evening. The children were most elated. I myself was deeply moved. That next morning Mike went to church with us. He left his vehicle next to the RV. When we got in the car to drive back to the RV, I noticed I had missed a couple of calls from my father as well as a text that simply showed his number. I returned the call not sure if it was in regards to Mike or something he needed to let me know regarding work. As it turned out, it was about Mike. Since he was back and I was going to allow him the opportunity to be a man of courage, my father insisted I get everything off his property.

We moved that afternoon as the big storms that produced destructive tornadoes on November 17th moved in. When we were safely settled Mike looked at me and said, "So this is some of the adversity we will face for loving one another." I laughed knowing he was right. I smiled and said, "You know if it was easy, it would make for a boring story. Let's just keep our focus on the truth. We love each other. We both grew through the separation. We are stronger for it all."

Life with Mike back in the picture has been both easier and harder in the same fell swoop. When it comes to taking care of the home and the cars and the children, hands down EASIER! When it comes to problems and turmoil thrown in my path, it has been much more difficult.

Satan has gone as far as to try to whisper to me that Mike is bad luck for me. Thank God I recognize the difference between my inner voice and the father of lies voice today. Regardless, it is spine tingling when he attempts to bend your ear and plant such thoughts. You instantly realize that this attack, this belief, these words are going to repeat and sooner or later, most likely come out of the mouth of someone who's opinion you value. Simply recognizing and dismissing the initial lie once does not stop the evil one in his tracks. Life would be a lot easier were that the case!

In the last three weeks when it has come to vehicles, if I've been in it, it's overheated, broken down completely, gotten a flat or run out of gas!

It all began happening right after Mike's return. So did the whispering words 'You were better off before he came back.' I had to stop that loop more than once. As I have said again and again and again, the father of lies will talk to you so softly it causes you to bend in to hear better.

Through every mishap I have chosen to find the blessing in every situation. I looked for the silver lining and have found it each time.

It all started with a flat tire the Monday after we had moved. Mike quickly jacked us up, took the tire into town, plugged it and filled it with air and delivered it back and put it on and we were on our way. Best part of that day: He greeted me with a smile upon his return, planted a kiss on my lips and presented me with a cup of coffee he hidden behind his back!

When I ran out of gas with the children in the car, where we landed was off the road in a place I didn't have to worry about being in the way and within one block of a gas station. We were even blessed to be picked up and driven to the gas station and back in less than 10 steps from the car! Satan may be out to ruin my day but God always has me!

When we ran out of gas a second time, Mike was driving. Mike went walking by himself to get gas. We were MILES away from the closest station and it was below freezing. I said a quick prayer, asked the children to pray with me and before I could finish reading a child's book, a car with Mike riding as passenger pulled up next to us. He had been picked up, taken to the gas station and driven back! More proof that God had us even when we didn't have ourselves!

When my tire blew in the jeep, I was around the corner from the mechanic we use at Glidden Fence and was able to park the car there overnight without worry and even got a ride to the library to meet up with Mike and the children! We managed to find and purchase another tire for a mere $35.00!

When the car overheated, I still managed to get to the children to school one minute before the they would have been counted tardy. As it turned out, it was a problem Mike was able to fix for under $20.00!

When the car broke down on me again with all the children in the car, I landed in the only place for two miles in either direction that had an enough of an emergency lane for me to get completely off the road. Had I fallen just 20 feet short or puttered another 20 feet forward that would not have been the case! I was even blessed enough to have the local sheriff call me at work looking for Mike to see what his plans were for the car. They promised not to tow it as long as we got it off the road before nightfall. Mike did not get the problem fixed that first day, however, we were allowed by a kind person to move our car onto their property.

The next day, Mike and I prayed for help with the car. Amazingly it only cost us $160 rental deposit that was fully refunded for a tool that he rented to assist in tracking down the problem. As it turned out with running out of gas in that car not once, but sadly twice, we had built up air in the line. Once bled out, the car fired up and has been running beautifully. The entire time I chose to remain certain that God had me. For He is faithful.

Now, here comes the toughest part of this certain story. In between day one and day two of the last vehicle breakdown incident, my father came into the office and inquired about my car. When I told him what had happened, he went on a brutal attack. He said out loud the words Satan had been trying to get me to listen to. "Since Mike has returned you have had nothing but bad luck. Almost as if you've been cursed."

The attack went from Mike to my children to this blog and it didn't stop there. I don't know how I managed to stay as calm through all of it as I did, but it is my belief that being able to keep my focus on the truth was my saving grace. I was blessed that this assault took place with only 15 minutes left of my work day. I had no transportation that night as Mike had not gotten back yet and I had all the children. My father had not only yelled at me, little Jeffrey had heard him yelling and had gone in to give him a hug. I think how he was treated by my father was the hardest part of the entire assault.

The blessing in all that would be that the children and I left promptly at five pm walking down the road on our way to the library to meet up with Mike. As I approached the light a block from my office, a woman driving a van on her way to mass got my attention and offered to give us a ride. Turns out she is a follower of Christ, has five grandchildren that she drives back and forth to school three times a week so, not only did she have enough room for all of us, she even had the right car seat for Jeffrey and Delilah! Knowing once again that my heavenly father had provided all my needs was a gigantic comfort. She and I agreed that my father needed some prayers.

My father is not a follower of Christ, he doesn't wear any armor for a spiritual battle and he was being used against me. Please, don't think for a moment I was not hurt or that I did not cry, for I wept silently like a baby for almost 24 hours.

That following morning, Mike had dropped us all off at the office. I had accidentally kept the keys to the limo after I unlocked the front door, so I called him to let him know before he drove too far. When he returned I was having a moment of human weakness and it was obvious to Mike that I had been crying.

He asked me, "Why are you crying?" I said, "When it comes right down to it, I'm just a girl. Sometimes we cry." He gave me a hug, told me everything would be okay and he headed off to work on the limo. As my father had accused the day before, Mike indeed turned out to be the hero when it came to figuring out the problem.

I love how well my heavenly Father had been preparing me for this latest attack. For the last three weeks, He has been reminding me to not let whatever outside circumstance was going on in this world to get the best of me. The best of me is Christ in me. He is the source of my inner light. Satan must truly love the dark for he was out with a vengeance when it came to trying to put out my light.

As long as I keep my focus on Christ and His love as well as God's word, I am wearing the protection I need for such assaults. With the proper attire, Satan can't blow out my light.

I'll openly admit, the father of lies fooled me once. He tricked me into believing God had it out for me. What a liar he truly is. He should be ashamed of himself. Instead he tries to fill us with shame and guilt so we live in fear. I will not allow that to happen again. I now know and understand my purpose. It is to serve my Lord however He sees fit. He is the provider of all my needs and the source of my strength. After all, I'm just a girl!

Father today I pray that all your children are able to keep their focus on the truth. I pray they don't let outside circumstances steal their light. I pray that they don't let it get the best of them. I also pray for more strength for myself. In three weeks I was kept from being able to write. I pray for protection for myself as well as anyone under a spiritual attack from the dark side. I want to thank you for how you provide me with all that I need, including rides from here to there or the perfect place to park my broken down cars! You never cease to amaze me with all your blessings. I know full well that you loving me does not mean I won't experience trouble or pain. I thank you for how you comfort me through it all. Thank you for your faithfulness and your never ending love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Do You Want To Be A Champion?

Totally Tripping Tremendously Thankful Thoroughly Thoughtful Thunderous Thursday! Can I hear a boom boom! Oh I am so in love with Christ. I am so in awe of what He has done for me. What a friend! What a Savior! What a King! What a Lord! I mean when you consider that He didn't just die for us, He allowed himself to be hung on a cross for our sins when He was sinless. Before his sacrifice, we all faced a Certain death. A Finality. Sure, there are various ways we all die. Some of them seem so wrong and cruel and vicious and unjust and truly many times they are just that. What we need to remember is that this death is no longer our Finality. Thanks to Christ, when we believe we are saved and while we die here on earth that is not our final hour. What an amazing blessing to be bestowed with such Grace.

For me it gets even better than that. You see before Christ died, He Taught. He taught us a better way to maneuver through this life. A way that would allow us to live abundantly! Abundantly!!

We are not capable of living out the Law. No human can live all their days here on earth without stumbling when it comes to the Ten Commandments. Jesus took that law handed down and expanded it's meaning to show us that without Grace we would never make it. Today I am so thankful for Grace, especially when I read today's encouraging word from K-Love:

Don't sin by letting anger control you. 

Think about it overnight and remain silent. ~ Psalm 4:4-5, NLT

Not sure about you but I have moments of anger rise. It is only by my desire to walk in the Spirit that I am able to follow in Jesus teachings. This is not to say I never get angry! Sadly I still have my moments. However the Voice of Righteousness convicts me of my emotions and reminds me who I am in Christ. 

That transformation did not happen overnight. It has come about over time by the renewing of my mind. I am happy I read today's encouraging word before coming to work this morning. No sooner than I sat at my desk, I had a phone call from an angry person that wasn't even our customer. I felt truly sorry for the person on the other end for anger was in control of them. You could literally feel it coming across the phone. I tried to get them to see that while they were angry and threatening me that all I was capable of doing was listening to their rant but in the end the result would remain the same. 

Sadly this only made them angrier and they began calling me things. I recognized that this was their feeble attempt to get me upset. I was wearing my armor and their words dissipated into the harmless vapor they were all along. 

Anger is one of the evil ones best weapons. He gets in your head and can spark that rage to ridiculous heights. Just think of Cain and Able. He has been playing this game since the beginning. Anger and Jealousy are two of the top weapons the evil one uses to get one person to hurt, harm and even murder another. 

Realizing that anger in itself is a sin. Knowing that sin separates you from God, can you imagine a life without grace? It would be short lived! We would all be toast for real in the end no matter how we made our exit. Today that is not the case and that my friends is the good news. These are the words you should repeat to yourself every morning and night and reflect on just what they mean for you. 

Jesus. Grace. Saved. Redeemed. Saints. Rest. Fruit of The Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self Control. Walk in The Spirit. Convicted of Your Righteousness. 

Now many false teachers believe if they tell the world all about Jesus and help others actually see the truth, then those that listen and get it will go crazy thinking they have no cause to be or do good. 

The truth is, when you realize the truth, the Holy Spirit convicts you of your righteousness and you will Want to walk in the Spirit. You will understand and truly feel the difference. Walking outside of the spirit will not feel good. 

It is true some accept Jesus and walk in a moment of darkness. After all the evil one is not going to let you go simply because you accept Christ. Oh no. No. NO. He is going to come after you with a vengeance. You see, the father of lies cannot allow you to accept Christ and proceed to easily walk the rest of your life on cloud nine knowing the truth and sharing it with others. Nope. He is going to throw everything at you. This is why it is so important to renew your mind daily with the word. It is why our Lord went to such lengths to leave us with such great writings of advice and council. You are blessed and protected in the reading of the Word. It truly is armor. 

Should you wonder how I can be so sure of such protection you should go back and read just one of my blogs from this summer. I will highlight it at the bottom. It is a timeline of when and how the evil one came at me with two barrels fully loaded. I felt the blows. Trust me I did. The more he came at me, the more I turned to the Lord and dove into His word. 

The armor we are advised to wear makes a GIGANTIC difference in how well we dance through the battle being waged upon us. Every day you wake up, you should dress for battle. We truly are in a spiritual war. The evil one is quite the adversary. He has had thousands of years to watch us. You think he hasn't come across the likes of you before?

There is one person who walked this earth in a human form that lived out the law and when He was crucified and His blood was poured out, everything changed. The most important thing you can do in your life is learn about and understand just who Jesus was. The next most important thing you can do with your life is spend it sharing what you have learned with anyone and everyone. 

I love that this verse comes before the teachings of Jesus and I love Psalms. We are taking a deep dive into four Psalms at my home church on Sundays. King David, the same David that defeated Goliath, was truly a man after God's heart. I am indeed a woman after God's heart. So it makes perfect sense that King David's words make my heart leap with joy. I feel my blood race through my veins when I read various Psalms written by King David. Honestly, I get the same feeling when I read some of the things written by Paul as well. They remind me of champions for the Lord. I want to be a champion for my Lord. I want others to understand and feel the Love the Lord holds for them. I want them to experience it for themselves. There is no greater feeling in the world then knowing your Heavenly Father is smiling upon you. 

Father I come before you today with songs of praise. What a loving Father you are. What a foolish child I was. I am so thankful for your Grace and your Faithfulness. What a blessing they are. I truly love how much you care for me. Your ways are amazing and I am often left in awe for the the many blessings you bestow upon me. I am unsure what I ever did to earn such favor but I am sure thankful for it! All I long for the rest of my days is to be a champion for you. A mighty warrior. Use me Lord to reach out to others. Please use my fingers to say what it is you want to say. I love all the words you have left for me to read through others. They make me sing and dance and laugh and leap with joy for I know they are all true. You love your children. You desire for us to live abundant lives. I pray that others feel your love to such depths as I Father. May their hearts sing praises to you. May we glorify you in all we do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

* As promised, here is the link for the timeline blog: http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-is-always-good.html

On a final note, I just watched the new Mercy Me video for their new song called 'Shake' put on your dancing shoes and get ready to bust a move if you have a device that will allow you to listen / watch! Be blessed and be a blessing!

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden