Keeping Jesus in The Middle!

Today is Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday. As I say it's full name, it makes me inhale deeply as I close my eyes and send a virtual hug to my Heavenly Father. Perhaps it is the word Thankful I placed in it that causes the surge in my heart. I will forever be thankful to God for everything. It's where I am at. I think it's referred to as rest. I am so much better about not fretting. I KNOW my God has it. Whatever ails me, or haunts me, I give it to Him now and it is my Faith that allows me to see the mountains placed in front of me turn to dust. I am blessed for such visions.

Today I am also thankful that I put God in the middle of my marriage to Mike right from the beginning. You see, if you have previously read the blog "A shotgun wedding" you know I never wanted to marry Jeff. I felt like I was robbed. Once divorced, marriage no longer held as much significance to me. So much so that I married my next two husbands for all the wrong reasons. I divorced them without guilt. I had never gone before God and requested his blessing on any of those unions. I never prayed on or over any of those marriages.

When it came to Mike, he was the first man I WANTED to marry. So much so that it caught me off guard. I wanted to be good with God where we were concerned. I remember standing with him, holding hands, looking at each other as we asked God to bless our union and said our vows to each other. We were in his mother's condo. It was February 14th. The same day Michael was conceived. While it may seem weird, I had never felt more married in my life. There was no license involved. There was no witness in the room other than God and the twins. When we finished our vows, my heart soared.

I truly believe Mike and I were meant to be together. I feel blessed to be loved by him. The major factor in me seeking God for help when it came to our marriage honestly has to do with the lack of love Mike was showering me with. It's not that he stopped loving me, it was that his heart was hardening. At one point in our relationship you could say he was so miserable, living with him was overwhelming. I saw so many blessings in our life. I would often ask him, "Why are you so miserable. Look at where we are, what we have together. We are blessed. How can you not see it?" He would all but snarl at me.

At one point I put his oldest son's picture in a collage on our wall. I thought his hardening of the heart was connected to the loss of that relationship. Having his son taken from him had hardened his heart so much so I feared Mike would never find his way to to Faith, Hope and Love. I encouraged him to get in contact with the mother of his child again. Due to how things had abruptly ended between them, Mike's entire family had honored the agreement between Mike's step-father Larry and Sarah. They all felt Mike did not deserve to have any contact with his son. His brother refused to give Mike any contact information. Knowing what I did about Mike's parent's pasts, I was astounded by the judgement and lack of love and understanding from Larry more so than Marie, Mike's mom. Mike's brother refused to give Mike any contact information. He and Mike have a unique relationship for brothers. Mike then begged his mother for a number or an address to write them. His mom, after having Mike promise he would not cause any problems, provided him with a number for a parent or a step parent of Sarah's. She reminded Mike to stay civil in all conversations. Mike called a couple of times and left messages saying he just wanted a chance to build a relationship with his son. No one ever called back. I encouraged him to not give up, but Mike was more negative in those days. He felt defeated in the matter.  This greatly impacted everything. When all seemed hopeless, I turned to God for help. I prayed fervently over it. If you have read my blog, "Show me a sign", you know a little about where our relationship was heading a few years ago. By keeping my focus on Jesus, I was shown how to handle things with love.

This weekend, Mike is going to get to meet his son for the first time since he wrecked his car while in a high speed chase with the police. At that time John was a mere 18 months old. He was in the back seat, strapped in his car seat when that event took place. I find it ironic that he was arrested close to independence day and he will be reunited with his son a few days before independence day 12 years later.

I pray this will bring things full cycle for Mike where his heart is concerned. I know how deeply Mike loves John. He may have an inkling himself, but just like after the birth of our first son Michael, (one of the stories God inspired me with this week), Mike is going to be hit with emotions he has never experienced. All I pray is he feels God with him when the damn breaks and the water rushes forth.

Today Father, I come before You and pray that everyone realizes a marriage without your blessing is nothing more than a legal document. That is it. Nothing less, nothing more. I know this as truth for I have been married to 3 different men with a license to do so. All three marriages failed and in the same manner I was divorced by man's laws. However when I was at my wits end with Mike, I sought out Your blessing to leave him because I sought your blessing to be married to him in the first place. Having you in the middle truly makes all the difference. I pray you open the eyes of all who have curiosity regarding this matter of marriage. I also pray for protection over our trip and Mike's reunion with his son. May the evil one be kept at bay. May he find no entrance to enter into the situation. Fill both Mike and Sarah with a calm that cannot be denied comes from You Father. Allow John to see the love his father truly feels for him. I truly believe it is Your will for these two to be united again and I thank you for again always being Faithful Father. Your Grace is such a gift. Only you can pull of such miracles when it comes to the healing of hearts. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

I end with a song that touches my heart every time I hear it for the truth it reveals. Enjoy!

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

How I Fell in Love with Mike

Who knew when I called into the physic line I would really have part my future foretold exactly how it would come to pass. I never really believed in that stuff, but I had three free minutes and life was in an absolute upheaval. I was currently married to a man I'd been with for the previous 4 years. Because of his side business, our lives were turned upside down in a matter of a morning.

I knew in my heart that he had been cheating on me for the last year or so. I simply had no proof. I have never been one to jump to conclusions. I was more of a "give them all the rope they need to hang themselves" kind of girl. So, in a desperate moment, with my 3 minute free physic reading card in hand, I dialed the number listed. The girl on the other end asked me a couple of basic questions. When was I born was one of them for sure. I honestly don't remember what else she asked me. I can vividly remember watching the clock. Next, she informed me she was going to use tarot cards. I think she had me tell her when to stop shuffling. After a moment she said, "I see that you are married. Shortly after Christmas that marriage will be completely over. Before the next month ends, you will fall in love and you will be pregnant with twin girls. You will travel a lot in the first two years and things will be extremely rough on you. If you make it beyond these two years remaining together you will be together". I slammed the phone down. My three minutes were up.

 "TWINS!" I exclaimed out loud. Ha! I was not going to EVER get pregnant again. No way. My oldest two were teenagers now. I was a hop, skip and a jump away from finally being able to live my life for myself. The year was 1997. Rodney, my second husband, was currently on trial. His final court date was scheduled in March. He was looking at a lot of time but I had no grace where that was concerned. Had he listened to me, he would not have been in the situation he was in. I did take the time to locate the best lawyer for his case. I also took care of paying the lawyer. I battled his family regarding how they shunned him. I informed his mother that when you love someone you stand by their side through the mess not just the glory. I wanted to believe he had not betrayed me. Even more so when his lawyer said, "Tell me you kissed this girl. It only had to happen once and I can have this case thrown out.", and Rodney swore there was nothing ever between them. His lawyer did a great job and even though he could have been sentenced with a lot more, Rodney was placed on work release for 90 days and sentenced with probation for 1 year I believe. The probation may have been longer. I honestly do not know.

He was about 3 weeks into serving his 90 days when I informed him that I wanted a divorce. I had found and read the discovery report and I was positive he had indeed been cheating on me. He insisted we go to marriage counseling. He swore he had never cheated on me and we just needed to work out my feelings and emotions in a healthy way. I told him, albeit sarcastically, that since the issue seemed to be mine, I would begin therapy on my own and when he got out we could continue together. After a few sessions my therapist said, "You know Wendy, you have a really good intuition. My advice to you would be to listen to it quicker." I looked at her and she continued, "My philosophy is, "If it sounds like bull it usually is."

I took that line and went in to see Rodney at Goodwill in Noblesville where he was the store manager. I informed him that I knew he had slept with the girl he had denied sleeping with because his story sounded like bull. I said I don't want to hear anything else from you unless it's the truth. I am filing for a divorce tomorrow unless you confess everything. I turned leaving him in his office and headed back to mine. Rodney showed up at my office unexpectedly within an hour of me leaving him. He pulled me into another room, closed the door and confessed everything. I listened as I silently screamed in my head. I showed him not one ounce of Grace.This was the second time he had cheated on me. This cheating on me was made worse by the fact he had gone out of his way to beg me to be friends with this girl. That goes way beyond a little white lie. In my heart I knew it all along.  My mind did not want to believe it. The best thing about Rodney and I WAS our friendship. I had no idea how I would ever recover so, I refinanced the house, paid him the $5000.00 he demanded to set me free as well as gave him every asset we had collected together, minus the house, for my freedom.

While going through counseling, I was asked why I gave up basketball. I found it an odd question but Sue had a way of getting you to slide back in time. It was the first time I had slid back to that fateful day. The ball echoed in my head so loudly. I explained to her what had happened moment by moment as if in a trance. When I finished, she asked me why at 14 did I tell the man "Look there's my daddy"? I shook my head and said, "No", I said, "Look, there's my father.". She reiterated, "No", you said, "Daddy."  she then stated, "I think you were in a similar situation at a very young age and you reacted the same way you did the first time. Can you recall anything happening to you before say age 4?" I shook my head no, but was admittedly shaken by her analysis.

Seeing how I had no recollection of ever calling my father daddy, I went straight to him. I told him what Sue thought. He said he knew of nothing himself but thought I should live in the now and not ponder on things that may or may not have ever happened. You know how your mind works though. Mine did not stop attempting to recall.  Needless to say, this led to a flashback. An actual flashback. I was in the room. It was a single flash but it was enough. I was driving around 465 when it happened and I came to with the pedal to the medal aiming at an overpass. I managed, by the grace of God, to get the car under control. I was freaked out beyond words. I drove straight to Sue's and told her what happened. She said I needed to go see my family doctor to get a prescription. She was afraid with my type of recall I might accidentally hurt myself and she needed help with controlling my issues while we worked on my past. She mentioned that she would contact my family doctor herself to fill her in on what was going on with me.

My family doctor immediately placed me on Prozac. This little magic pill created a very nice warm fuzzy feeling at first. Kind of like a "life is good I have no cares" kind of high. I liked it. Sue, however, did not. She was visibly upset when she found out I was taking Prozac. That was not what she had wanted me on. I didn't know why it mattered. I was beginning to see Sue as a possible threat to my puffy cloud.

I had been on a bowling team that year with Kelli, my assistant office manager at the time, and her Aunt. They had a summer two person league opening up and Kelli's Aunt wanted to join it. Another couple that Rodney and I hung out with were bowling in it and I thought it would be fun. I agreed to be her partner. Rodney was still in jail at this time. Cassy and Billy had a couple more weeks of school left before they headed off to their father's for the summer. I thought this would be a perfect way to fill my time. Kelli's Aunt ended up getting ill and could not participate. Terry, the bowling alley's manager, had promised to team me up with someone. That is how and when I met Mark. I was without a care in the world. He seemed nice enough. He fed quarters to Cassy. Honestly, I thought he was a little on the feminine side. When that is your instant opinion, it causes you to put down your guard. I thought he was likeable enough. Over the course of the next few weeks Mark and I got to know each other a little better. He sold me a barrel of lies and I, feeling sorry for him, confessed my story.

Without knowing more than where I worked, Mark showed up at my office the weekend after we had participated in moonlight bowling with my friends that Rodney and I used to hang out with. It surprised me that he took the time to find my office. That was the beginning of our relationship. With my guard down and floating on a cloud, I began to feel sorry for Mark and the life he was living. He portrayed the picture of both a good father and a betrayed husband, a hard worker. He had 3 jobs when we first met. We had just begun dating when there was a close call in the family and the Brooks were heading to Virginia to pay Mark's grandmother a visit. Turned out they could really use my van and I could ride down with Mark and we could have a mini vacation. I went. I enjoyed the heck out of our time on the road. It was the first time I had taken two days in a row off work at Glidden Fence in 2 1/2 years. I was on such a high on the way home, I asked Mark to stay the night with me. He said, "If I stay tonight, I won't ever leave." I said, "That's fine with me." At the time Mark was working 3 jobs. I barely got to see him. I thought this would make things easier.

The next time I went to see Sue, I told her about Mark. She said, "Oh so you have found yourself a night in shinning armor to save the day." I denied what she said and left her office more irked at her than I had been prior. Prozac is a dangerous "cure" for those struggling with emotional issues.

I'm not sure what was the cause to my birth control not working. I often wondered if it had to do with the Prozac. After not conceiving a child through my entire time with Rodney, I suddenly found myself pregnant by Mark. I instantly recalled my fortune reading. I cannot tell you how badly I freaked out when I realized I was pregnant. After all, I left Rodney in March of 1998. I reasoned that March was shortly after Christmas. I had found myself entangled in another relationship by the end of July and granted it was more like two months later that I found myself pregnant, it still sounded eerily close to the truth. After all, I reasoned, those physics aren't exact to a T in what they tell you. As it turned out I was only pregnant with one girl. Not twins. Mark and I did travel a little in the first two years and I convinced myself that if he could just conquer his drinking problem all would be well. Sadly, I honestly thought if I could help him have Faith in God that I would be excused from all my sins. How I wish I knew then what I know now about "works".

Mark putting down the bottle and turning to God never happened. I imagine I will blog on those chapters of my life as well, but for now, I needed to set the scene for how my relationship with Mike came to be. As God led me to blog on both prayers and keeping your focus on Christ, He did the same with my life story. You see with both those blogs, when I sat down to write them, I knew in order to blog on what God had excited me about, I needed to go back a chapter to do justice to the verse. In this same way, God excited me with 4 titles: "Exciting, no doubt about it, God was there" chapters of my life with Mike. Only to discover that when I sat down last night to blog about one of them, I could not jump right in. I was going to have to start with chapters I did not care for. I must admit I am happy to have this part of my life's story mostly behind me. I am sure details will be added later. For now the above synopsis will suffice.

The first day I met Mike was August 3, 2003. He walked through my door with his father. I was informed I needed to get him an application form and a W2. He was our newest employee. Over the next few months we formed a friendship. I often gave him advice! I had no idea he had a crush on me.

That same year, Mark left me for another girl right after Christmas 2003. I honestly had no intentions of getting with anyone. Going from Rodney to Mark after Jeff, Jimmy and Bruce and a couple others I have yet to have even mentioned, had left me convinced men were all the same and not one of them was worth my time. It was January 14th when I awoke from a dream around 3 in the morning. In the dream, Mike had called out to me to give him a chance. He promised he would love me like I deserved. I literally sat up in my bed and said out loud, "Mike?" and went back to sleep. I could not get him out of my head after that try as I might. Every time I heard him in my head I would think to myself he is so much younger. I would tell myself I was delusional. January 17th, 2004, while I was waiting on William and his friend to come out of the hockey arena, I couldn't stand it another minute. I managed to work up 20 seconds of insane courage and I called one of the men to inquire if they knew how to get in touch with Mike. They asked me why I wanted to know and I simply stated I needed  to ask him a question. He told me to try Larry, Mike's dad. He thought he hung out there on Saturday night.

I called and Larry answered the phone. I asked him if Mike was there. He informed me he was and gave Mike the phone. As casually as I could, I asked Mike if he'd like to join me at my house to play cards. I told him we needed another player. He said sure but he'd need a ride. I told him no problem, I'd swing by and grab him on my way back to dropping William and his friend off. If he knew I was checking him out, he never let on. At the table our knees hit and I swear a bolt of electricity flew through my veins like nothing I had ever experienced. When the game ended, I offered him the couch. I walked him over to it and when I turned around he grabbed me and kissed me. I literally fell off a cliff. It was like nothing I myself had ever experienced. I swear, the ground fell out from below me.

When the first kiss was over,I asked him, "When were you born?" He replied, "Age does not matter."  I informed him, "I don't care about the year, all I need is month and day. He told me and then began kissing me again. I continued to fall. The next day, I looked up his date of birth in an astrology book and discovered his date of birth was one of six dates listed as being compatible with me. My heart was overjoyed. I continued to tumble for the next 10 months. Our relationship had begun. We were together every spare moment after that.

On February 4th, I knew I was pregnant. I had never felt so pregnant in my life. I took a test and sure enough it was positive. I called my OB/GYN and informed them. They asked me about my dates and suggested I come in for a blood test to make sure. The very next day, they called me and asked if I'd come in for an ultrasound. I thought this was premature but they explained it was a normal procedure due to my age and the dates of my cycle. I didn't think much about it and went to the exam myself. I was on the table and watching the screen in front of me when saw the heartbeat. The woman operating the ultrasound equipment move the instrument slightly and said as matter of fact and dry as possible, "That's what we thought. A second heartbeat. You are having twins." I was speechless. Suddenly I recalled my fortune. I knew they were both going to be girls.

I end here because I know what I am meant to share about this event. We are not meant to look in the future. We are meant to trust in God. My looking ahead changed things. I invested in an unhealthy relationship because I knew the first two years were going to be rough. The psychic had warned me about it. I mistakenly believed my fortune was coming true. I know now why we are warned against this type of activity in the bible. I did not know it prior but I so understand the importance today. When you peek into the future, you have no idea of what time frame you are peering into. That lady did not warn me about another failed marriage after the failed marriage I was already in. Who saw that coming? Not me. I considered her a fake by the time Mike walked into my life! After it was announced I was pregnant with twins it all came rushing back. She was dead on. That realization sent shivers down my spine. I no longer look at astrology books or call on psychics. I warn everyone to stay away from them as well. This is for your own protection.

Father, today I come before you and say thank you for so many blessings. I look to the heavens and am dumb founded that you take the time to pay attention to me. I am so grateful. So many of my fellow brothers and sisters are searching for an answer Father. I pray they are kept from searching it out through dark forces. I pray they turn to you Father. Keep them from temptation. Those who are battling past memories or overwhelming emotions, I pray they turn to you. I pray they stay away from these so called pharmaceutical helpers. You are the healer of emotions and heartaches. I pray more and more recognize the void they feel inside is the relationship they are missing out on with you. I thank you for Mike. I thank you for the life we have together. I thank you for his love for me. Even though some days he and I don't see things the same way, with you in the middle, we are stronger. Thank you for answering prayers. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Where Is Your Focus?

Simple Sincere Singing & Seeking Sunday! Are you enjoying fellowship today? That is what my post was this Sunday on facebook . . . well minus the singing part but God loves to hear us singing praises so I found it fitting! I was going to add what a great day to focus on what is important but honestly every day is a great day for that! I try to keep my focus on God and what pleases him every moment of every day in ever situation. Doing so seems to keep the enemy at bay. Don't think it stops him in his tracks. No no no. Not him. He never stops looking for a way to steal your self control & peace, kill your Joy & Faith, and destroy your Love for God, yourself, and your brothers and sisters in Christ.

I love where I get my fellowship on Sunday. I have blogged on it before, but it is worth mentioning again. Here is the link for anyone who is looking for a bible study of sorts. Rusty teaches straight from it. We are doing the study in Hebrews right now. Past recordings are also available via this link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sunday-worship-at-pinheads . . . I think you'll have to copy and paste that into your browser. Sorry. I have never claimed to be a genius when it comes to stuff like that!

So Chapter 12 in the book of Hebrews is where we are at. However once again, where I thought I would start begins with the word therefore. I have been led to start back at chapter 11. I know this is what God planned for me to share today. I am getting better at recognizing the direction I am being pointed in. Please Father help me to get better at sharing what it is you long to share through me quicker! How awesome it would be had I asked where is your focus on facebook as you put on my heart. Out of fear I deleted it off as I didn't want to be attacked for saying Sunday is a good day to focus on you when all moments are a good time. For had I only listened and obeyed, that would have shown more so that you do indeed lead me to share what I share. I pray I follow your direction without pause as the days pass. In Jesus name I pray! Amen.

With that being said, let's get to this. I was right when I blogged earlier on how God trained me for my position before. I had joked that my talent was not that I was a great writer but rather that God gave me the talent of being able to type quickly so I could be more efficient at sharing what I heard as I heard it! You see, here I am again having to type a large section of God's Word to get to today's main topic and it's importance. To do so, I must start all the way back at chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews, starting with the opening sub heading: The Triumphs of Faith:

verse 1:   Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

verse 2:   For by it the men of old gained approval.

verse 3:   By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

verse 4:   By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

verse 5:   By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

verse 6:   And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and the He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

verse 7:   By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

verse 8:   By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 

verse 9:   By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

verse 10:  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

verse 11:  By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 

verse 12:  Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

verse 13: All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

verse 14: For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 

verse 15: And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

verse 16:  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

verse 17: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

verse 18: it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED."

verse 19:  He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. 

verse 20:  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

verse 21: By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on top of his staff.

verse 22:  By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

verse 23: By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 

verse 24:  By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter, 

verse 25: choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

verse 26:  considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

verse 27:  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

verse 28:  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

verse 29:  By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

verse 30: By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

verse 31:  By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

verse 32: And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

verse 33:  who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 

verse 34:  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

verse 35: Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

verse 36:  and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.

verse 37:  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

verse 39: And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

verse 40:  because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

That brings us to Chapter 12: Jesus, the Example

verse 1:  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

verse 2:  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

verse 3:  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I know many of us know a lot of the stories about the Old Testament hero's. In Hebrews, chapter 11, the author seems to be making a point of how Faith was the common stronghold for all of them. It was their faith that saw them through their battles. We all have battles. This is an excellent reason to build your relationship with your Heavenly Father and find your own faith in Him, for He is Faithful! It is your Faith that will carry you through the storms you are sure to face. Not a single child of God has an easy walk. This is why the author of Hebrews took the time to write about the Faith of everyone he mentioned.

Once establishing the results God's Faithful achieved, the author of Hebrews next suggests, with such proof, we must lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.

It is sin that separated you from your walk with God. The Father of Lies, Satan, will use every mistake you make against you. He will attempt to make you believe you are unworthy of God's love. He will trick you into believing you are a failure. He will lump upon your shoulders both shame and regret in an attempt to defeat you. In this life there is one thing you can be sure of; You dwell in the flesh. You will slip. Heck you may even fall and this is the warning:  Don't let your sin trap you into believing you are no longer worthy. Do not let your shame keep you from coming to the Father. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, for He endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider all He endured for you. Do not grow weary.

I know when I keep my focus on Jesus, it helps me handle myself better in stressful situations. Trust me, I am far from perfect with this. I have noticed a big change in the way I handle things though. I am slowly becoming a better parent. I am slowly becoming a better human being. Knowing Jesus better helps in every area of my life. If you are looking for more peace or joy I cannot think of a better teacher than Jesus.

So this Sunday's message was in a gist:; "Keeping your focus on Jesus will simplify life." Once you accept Jesus as your savior, you are saved. Your old heart is replaced with a righteous heart. You can't get any better than that. What you can do is improve upon what others see when they look at you. Allow them to see the Love of Jesus working through you. Allow them to witness the Glory of God. Share with them the message of Grace.

So, I end with this, "Get focused!"

Father, I come before you today singing praises. Thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for your Grace. Nothing brings me greater joy than my relationship with you. Knowing you love me, you hear my prayers, and as you promised you are Faithful, allows me to live in a state of rest that only you can provide. I am blessed beyond measure. I ask today that you help me and my fellow brothers and sisters keep our focus on your son, Jesus. Help us daily to be humble enough to sing praises to you for all things. Work through me Father. I am your humble servant longing to be used by you. Use my story you are so beautifully telling through me to reach all your children who like me were deaf to the message of Grace. Use me Father to call more brothers and sisters home. Shine a light through me so bright that they can see that even with all my failures you welcomed me back home as you will also welcome them back home should they turn back to you. Cause countless lost to stumble upon my stories of answered prayers and deliverance from the jaws of death. Help them build their faith in You. And Father, those who have never known you, I pray they are introduced to you through the hands and feet of your son, Jesus. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.


Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Have You Been Called?

Over the last couple of days, again and again and again I have heard "Go forth and Make Disciples." Ironically when I glanced at my alphabet picture on my wall today I realized I am on Letter G and it highlights The book of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 19. Taken out of my MacArthur Study Bible, it reads:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Now if you recall, anytime you see therefore you really need to go and read what was happening prior.

I jumped to the beginning of the segment which began at verse 16 only to discover that verse started with the word "But" meaning I needed to go a little further back only to discover to do this verse justice, I needed to start back in Chapter 27. It's such an awesome chapter and it thrills me to no end no matter how many times I read it that I am almost tempted to go even further but for now this will suffice! I am going to start off with Chapter 27 verse 45 and suggest if this intrigues you, do your own due diligence and read the prior 44 verses for yourself!

With that being said, again from my MacArthur Study Bible:

The sub heading is: Jesus Dies; Accompanying Signs

and it references The Book of Mark, Chapter 15, verses 33-41, The book of Luke, Chapter 23, verses 44-49; The book of John 19, verses 28-30

verse 45: Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.

verse 46: About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

verse 47: And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah."

verse 48: Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.

verse 49: But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."

verse 50: And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.

verse 51: And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

verse 52: The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

verse 53: and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

verse 54: Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

verse 55: Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him.

verse 56: Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

As we proceed on to verse 57, we have another sub heading: Jesus is Buried. (This part references Mark 15: 42-47; Luke 23: 50-55 and John 19: 38-42)

verse 57: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

verse 58: This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

verse 59: And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

verse 60: and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

verse 61: And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

verse 62: Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,

verse 63: and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that the deceiver said, 'After three days I am to rise again.'

verse 64: Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead', and the last deception will be worse than the first."

verse 65: Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how."

verse 66: And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone

Now we come to Chapter 28: The subheading for the first 7 verses reads: The Empty Tomb. This section references Mark, Chapter 16, verses 1-8; Luke, Chapter 24, verses 1-11:

verse 1: Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

verse 2: And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it,

verse 3: And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

verse 4: The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

verse 5: The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

verse 6: He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

verse 7: Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."

The next subheading is: The Appearance of Jesus to the Women

verse 8: And they left the tomb and quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

verse 9: And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

verse 10: Then Jesus *said to them, Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."

The next Sub Title: The Bribery of the Soldiers

verse 11: Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

verse 12: And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

verse 13: and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.'

verse 14: And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble."

verse 15: And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

The following sub heading is: The Great Commission

verse 16: But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

verse 18: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

verse 19: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

verse 20: teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

You see why I get so excited! Jesus conquered Death. His only request for those brothers and sisters that believe in this Truth is to spread the good news. Honestly, I don't know how you can know all of this and not  share it with others at every opportunity.

Since the beginning Satan has schemed, lied, stolen and deceived countless numbers. Jesus conquered him! The evil one, the devil, The father of lies, he has more names than anyone other than Jesus in the bible. I found this list that really lays out just who Satan is by name and book so that you can verify it all for yourself. http://www.markbeast.com/satan/names-of-satan.htm In all things when attempting to "win" against another team, business, person, you study the competition. You find their weakness, you recognize their strengths. How can you win over Evil if you don't understand the True source? The simple answer is you Can't!

When you realize who Jesus is and what He represents, you also begin to understand who the enemy truly is. Once you accept Christ as your Savior, you must accept Satan for who he is. It is foolish to think him nothing. Satan has been around for a VERY long time. He has had time to practice on countless beings. There is only one person on earth that defeated him and that is Jesus. Jesus Christ, our Savior, already won the battle for us. For daily protection we Must put on our armor each and every day as described in The book of Ephesians. I warn you though, even with dressing daily for the battle, Satan is scheming and looking for a crack in your armor. Don't grow weary for he never grows weary. On top of this you must alert your brothers and sisters. You must spread the good news. You must sound the warning. You are commended to Go forth and make disciples of All nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I only have one question for you, "Are You Ready to Answer the Call?"

Father, I pray my fellow brothers and sisters hear the call and answer. I pray more of my fellow brothers and sisters that dream of one day working for you, simply start right where they are. I pray we all seek your wisdom. I pray we become excellent students, who in turn, with Love, share what we learn from you Father. I pray we get bolder and brighter. I pray the lost seek the Light.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

On a side note, when you see all caps in a New Testament Book, it is a direct quote from a book in the Old Testament.

On a bigger side note, many argue over who Jesus really was. I did a walk through the gospels based on Luke as he goes chronologically in order with his gospel where I attend fellowship on Sunday. It was the most exciting, eye opening, undeniable truths study I have done to date. I, myself cannot recite all the messianic miracles Jesus fulfilled or where they are located, but I did take the time to find an article that lays it all out for you. If you are curious to discover the truth for yourself. Here is the link: http://lbcc.org/files/2012/03/prophesies_yeshua_fulfilled-1.pdf


©Wendy Glidden 2013

Are Your Prayers Awkward?

Hello! Today is Simple Sincere Seeking Sunday! Have you taken any time to sing praises to Our Heavenly Father today? Perhaps you don't even realize He enjoys such devotion.  I never really thought of it as devotion when I was younger. God was my best friend. I would chat it up with Him like a girl would chat it up with her best friend. Today, often this is how I turn and pray to God. When I'm in a desperate place however, I find myself on my knees. Yes, literally on my knees. Praying one on one with God is one thing. Praying out loud for others to hear, well, that's another!

Somewhere along in life, I developed a fear of  speaking in front of others. As I began hanging out in groups where people asked for others to pray out loud, my fear expanded to prayers. I began silently praying that no one would ask me to pray out loud. I felt my prayers would be juvenile. I began searching for a good prayer book. For a moment I had one. 31 days of prayer. I only got to read 4 of those 31 days before my book vanished into thin air. Unlike my study bible, it has never been found. Mike thinks a drink got spilled on it and it was thrown away. He's not positive about this, but I'm thinking it was the case. I love Goodwill and one Sunday, while searching their book shelves, I found another great prayer book, entitled Intercessory Prayer by Doug Sheets. AWESOME book! I was reading it and I am telling you this book had me laughing and crying all in the same day! This book has too vanished. I was about half way through it when I realized I had not seen it for three days. I at least know it is available via E-Book format. I must get a kindle. The old kind. I need to consolidate. When I carry more than one devotional and my study bible, things have a way of disappearing.

Regardless, I recognized my fear of praying was an indicator that Satan sees me as someone he does not want praying. For he is the source of fear. When you are full of trepidation over something, I encourage you to turn that fear into awe and ask God, what is your plan for me where this pertains? How can I best serve you in this way. For if the Devil is frightened by what you are capable of doing through me, then I want some of that action!

Honestly, I was afraid of praying out loud enough so that I confessed it to my life coach. I knew she would push me. It's why I go to see her. She loves me and she wants to help me reach beyond my wildest dreams. Never in a million years did I expect her to have me pray for her right then and right there. I confessed to her that I had committed to fill in for another woman I admire at our monthly meeting. When I hung up after saying I would be honored to fill her shoes, I panicked realizing I would be in charge of at least one prayer. I confessed this to Cathy. She laughed and said, "Oh Wendy, that fear is not from God, you know where it comes from." I laughed with her for I do know where that comes from. Knowing and overcoming are two VERY different beings!

I was so nervous but Cathy calmed me down. By listening to her gentle direction, I soon found myself praying for her from my heart. Asking God to fill her with more boldness and give her clarity in how to best direct those she serves. I honestly don't remember what all I prayed for for her but I do know when I got done praying it was not viewed as a childish prayer. I know if I can do it once, then with God I can do it again and again.

I knew I was going to be blogging on prayers soon. It has flashed across my mind too many times to not be a repeating topic. I have heard this one song that I heard recently 3 times today and it is so perfect when it comes to the topic of prayers. I am going to find it and place it here. Before I do that though, as part of my "Renew Your Mind Challenge", I read a devotional every day. Yesterday's topic covered prayer a little bit. The gist in the closing made me grin so big I can't even tell you. It said something along the lines that while your prayers may be awkward, it is not the person praying or how they phrase the prayer that matters. The power of prayer is in the One who hears it. Not the one who says it. I love that because it takes so much weight off my shoulders. The only thing I have to do when it comes to prayer is speak from my heart and listen to the voice that reminds me of my righteousness.

I recently read the following passage in the book of James found in the New Testament portion of the Bible: Chapter 5, verse 13 and it says this about prayers and their power:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Anytime you see a word like "Therefore" it means some details of what is about to be said and why it is about to be said can be found prior to this verse. Chapter 5 is full of wisdom. As I often do, I am going to share it here in it's entirety using my study bible, beginning at verse 1:

verse 1:    Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.

verse 2:    Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.

verse 3:    Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

verse 4:    Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your field, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

verse 5:    You have lived luxuriously on earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

verse 6:    You have condemned and put to death the righteous man, he does not resist you. 

verse 7:    Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it unit it gets the early and late rains.

verse 8:    You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

verse 9:    Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

verse 10:  As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

verse 11:  We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. 

verse 12:  But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you many not fall under judgment.

verse 13:  Is anyone among you suffering Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

verse 14:  Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

verse 15:  and prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven.

verse 16:  Therefore, confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 

verse 17:  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

verse 18:  Then he prayed again and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

verse 19:  My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,

verse 20:  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 Because all of our prayers for healing are not answered the way we long for, many doubt the power of prayer. I would like to encourage you to search your heart when you pray and to always pray for others before your self. When praying for yourself seek the fruits of the spirit. There is no magical formula for getting your prayers answered.

I leave you with this song I was telling you about. Enjoy. I love when he sings, "Father, I'm in a desperate place." Been there. Talk about belting out a song with heart felt emotion! Without further delay, I introduce to you "Pray" by Sanctos Real:

Father, today I come before you asking for more courage. Let me not be kept silent by fear of speaking out loud. Fill me with your wisdom and your strength. Fill my heart with love for others. Strip me of impatience, fill me with a peace so deeply that the angry cannot penetrate causing me to stumble from talking through love. Father, lift those in dark places into the light and fill their hearts with your love. No matter how fleeting their minds may turn toward you for an answer, answer them father. Let them feel your presence in such a way they cannot deny you Love them right where they are. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.


Wendy,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013

Have You THANKED God for Jesus Today?

Today is Faith Filled Fantastically Full of Fun Fabulous Family Friday! Woo Hoo!!!!

Today on my way to work I was chatting it up with God as I do everyday and as sometimes happens subjects which I classify as titles began flashing across my mind. Today's title is the one that stuck the hardest and I was able to jot it down when I came to a stop light. Right after that, I noticed the song on the radio was saying "Thank you" I cracked a grin.

I was on a track of trying to blog on this alphabet picture of mine that sits above my desk at work this winter. I have not blogged on it forever and just yesterday I looked up to see that letter F was on John 3:16. If you don't know what John 3:16 says, you must not be a football fan of Tim Tebow. It was due to him having this written under his eyes that John 3:16 was the number one thing googled last year. I find that ironic because after the song ended it was announced that Tim Tebow was drafted by the Patriots and the coach made a comment regarding Tim Tebow's faith and how important it was to Tim and how that steadfastness was impressive to the coach. I smiled even bigger.

I put out a challenge to Renew your mind in a couple of previous blog posts and one of the items to help with this is to pick a devotional to read each day. Today my devotional was about God-Pleasing Faith. It references the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11:6 which taken from my MacAuthor Study bible states:

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I know many struggle with Faith. They feel God has let them down somehow. If you are someone who struggles, you should know, I struggled with Faith myself. If you have been following my own personal story you already know that. If this is the first blog of mine you have ever read, I'd encourage you to slide back to December and January and read a post or two. Many of them are about my own personal journey through this thing we call life. I'm sure I've worn a pair of shoes you yourself have traveled in. Nothing would please me more than to help you find your Belief and Faith in Our Heavenly Father. With that being said, Let's get to the heart of John 3:16.  This too is taken word for word out of My MacArthur Study Bible:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

As I often do, I am going to add verses 17-21 as well:

Verse 17:  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Verse 18:  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Verse 19: This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Verse 20:  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Verse 21:  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

In other words, the Truth will set you free! Seeking God with all your heart will cause you to step into the Light. The more you bask in the Light, the more you long for it. Before you know it you will wake up with Joy in your heart. It is a fruit of the spirit after all!

I have no idea where you are in your walk with God. I don't know if you currently turn to Him in times of trouble or moments of elation. I only know we all share the same Heavenly Father. He loves us all. So much so that He sent His one and only son to save us AND on top of that, He still allowed us Free Will. That means we get to decide whether we turn to Him or not. How much more gracious can a Father be?

Today I pray the lost are led out of darkness and into the light. I come before you today Father and say Thank you for sending your Son to save us. Thank you for your Grace that we don't have to earn. Thank you for walking with us even when we deny you are the source of our strength. You are so loving it boggles my mind but I am grateful you are. I know how long I sat in the dark Father. It was out of sheer desperation I called out to you. As you are Faithful, you answered me. I ask that you shine the light into the dark places of this world, into the hardened unknowing hearts of my fellow brothers and sisters. I sought you as a child and you spoke to me. I pray others will seek you daily. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

In closing, I leave you with the song I heard on the radio. Please pay attention to the words. Have a blessed day my friends!

Wendy,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013

Step It Up!

Wow! I can not believe it is already Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday. It really is still one of my favorite days. Just goes to show you the power of your mindset!

This week started out with a migraine from allowing the stress and venom of others to have it's evil effect on me. The best part of that day was when my headache faded as I chatted with my Heavenly Father. I couldn't help but crack a smile and say, "I just need more of you Lord. Soak me in your word. Let your Grace flow through me as my blood flows through my veins." When I bask in the comfort of God my whole outlook changes. Mountains disappear and become like vapor. Nothing is too big for God. How comforting that is. It fills my heart with joy. I know there is so much more to come. For those of you who have been reading my blog since last December, you know my travels have not been along the friendliest roads. My closet is full of uncomfortable shoes that were worn for miles. When God called to me and led me almost as if I was sleep walking to share about my life I was dumbfounded yet so enthralled with hearing him speak to me again that I had to obey. It was amazing to watch my life unfold onto paper. I have been shown things about myself and my past I never even saw while in the moment. I would encourage anyone who is in the midst of a trial and at a lack of Faith to read my story. I am only to age 22 chronologically. There are a few undeniable God Sign chapters in the mix that happened after age 40. I have a lot more to share. In the mean time, I have a crazy busy life and as we all know, life can have a way of spinning out of control!

I was getting caught up in the whirl wind and recognized it. I called out to my life coach and said, "I think we need to have a meeting. I need to get a grasp on this. Refocus." Cathy Padgett is my life coach and I love her. I showed up and she started our meeting with a prayer. She informed me that she had been given a word for me and she didn't want it to hurt my feelings. I said, "Okay". She said, "When I prayed on our meeting I was encouraged to tell you to 'Step it Up'. She then asked, "Does that speak to you?" I smiled. Oh yea, it speaks to me. I am overwhelmed at work. But that is work. When I leave that office all of that needs to stay behind. The rest of the day is mine. I need to embrace it and get busy. What job is out there that isn't rough some days? I have worked plenty of them and they all have there pros and cons. I honestly love my job. Sure some of the customer service conversations get crazy and people can be vile and hateful but it's because of their own fear. I need to recognize this and fight back with love, grace and compassion. I need to remember, if you throw no coal on the fire, the fire will run out of fuel and die down. Knowing this and following through on it can be tough if I forget to turn it over to God. I'm human. It's easy to get caught up in the moment. To call ridiculous and hateful by name can instantly enlarge the fire. It's not always the words we use, it's how we use them. It's not my desire to be petty or hateful so I must remember to guard myself from that behavior. The only true way I know that works against such evil is getting into God's Word. Seriously. I'm not talking about going to church on Sunday and listening to a sermon. No. I mean, "Get INTO God's word." Get into it In multiple forms.

I put out a challenge last week and I'm putting it out there again this week. If you honestly long to 'Renew Your Mind', I encourage you to change what you pour into yourself for 30 days. Ways to do this:

1. Make it a goal to read a devotional every day.
2. Make it a goal to read and grasp Acts in one month. It's a big book out of the bible. Read a Chapter a day. It won't take you more than 30 minutes each day to do both 1 & 2!
3. When it comes to the TV, turn it off. Yes. Turn it off. It's only 30 days. Some places in our country have been without electric for longer than that. TURN IT OFF! You will be amazed at what that alone will do for you.
4. Next, find a Christian Radio Station in your area and turn on the radio. Absorb yourself in it. Listen to the words. Get excited. I love music. There are some awesome Christian bands out there today. Great rhythms and the lyrics, talk about renewing your mind. Uplifting your soul.

I dare you to give it a go. By stepping it up myself, I am devoting One hour and twelve minutes each day to my relationship with God and my life's purpose. I was encouraged to say The Lord's Prayer daily. If you too would like to add this into your daily routine, here it is:

The Lord's Prayer

'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed by Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

 

** This prayer is taken right out of my MacArthur Study Bible from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 9:13. 

 

**After Jesus told them to pray in this manner explaining to them that the Father knows what you need before you ask Him, Jesus went on to explain, 'if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.' (When I read that I also receive that this truth is what it is Not because God's mean. But because your own heart will be hardened. You have to forgive to be forgiven. It's the first step in understanding Grace. If you don't understand it, how can you ever receive it?)

 

God HAS been calling me out. I already knew He was asking me to step it up. With Cathy saying it out loud there is no denying it. I laugh because I recognize my inner child that was pouting. I see it and there is no denying. God knows me too well! I know with Him I CAN step it up. No more cry babying about time and the hardness of my day. He has so much to share and I long to be his humble servant. I long to be used by Him in all ways. I pray He fills me with wisdom and love. I pray I stay still long enough to let His thoughts pour over and out of me to all my brothers and sisters. There is so much pain and devastation in the world. I pray all who are without hope begin to hear their Father calling out to them. I pray the white noise quiets long enough in each life for them to hear the call to come back home. I thank you Father for speaking to me when I called out to You. As always You are faithful. I pray we get out of our own way and let you step in. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Wendy,

Mom of Many

 

 

 

© Wendy Glidden 2013

 

 

 

 



Ever Have 'One of Those Days'?

Terrific Testimonial Tell All Tuesday! Here's my tell all: Yesterday came picked me up and kicked my rear end . . . I staggered out of the office nearly blind in one eye and ready to call it quits. Seriously. It was the first migraine I've had in a couple years that I couldn't beat back with my counteract pain relievers! I was so over talking on the phone that I was home for an hour before I realized I'd left my own phone at work. I have honestly had my fill of venom from others. Last week my assistant left in hives over a phone call. In 30 years of answering these phones I have never witnessed the likes of what I am this year. Gives me cause to pray more fervently! Joan said to me as she was leaving, "All I can say is that blog of yours about the Glory of God must be touching lives . . . I'm certain you've caught Satan's attention." Well! If that's what this is, Praise God! What do I have to fear?! My God is Bigger! So first thing this morning what is the song I hear? Mandisa, "It's a good morning!" Indeed!! Here is the song. Take a listen to it for yourself! Enjoy!!

 

 

 

I don't have much time during the day to blog. I've barely gotten to scarf down something for lunch in the last 3 months. I took a real lunch break this Monday. Not to eat, I took it to learn a little bit about marketing via other forms of media. I have a mentor teaching me slowly! I have so much to learn.

 

I just wanted to say to anyone out there having a hard day. Take it to God. Have a conversation with Him. I talk to Him about everything. Just last night when I got home as I began organizing wardrobes. Going through the children's clothes. Keep. Goodwill. Keep. Goodwill. I don't have a lot of room to store clothes. Purposely really. My thought is, the less you have, the less time you will waste over taking care of your 'stuff'. Anyway, I was talking to God about my day. Confessing where I felt I'd let frustration win over grace. I ended up laughing for I'd come up with a brilliant idea. This is what I said to God, " Tomorrow, I am going into the office and I'm changing the recording. It's going to say, "Thank you for calling Glidden Fence. We will not be answering phones the remainder of this week as Wendy has been suspended with pay and is being sent to a 3 day retreat where she will be immersed in Ephesians. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you! Feel Free to leave a message after the beep. We will have someone return your call within 48 hours! Have a blessed day."

 

It made me chuckle. Did I do that? No. I'm back in here today with a better attitude. I am not going to let the chaos of the world get the best of me. If it tries, I will get on my knees and pray! No more letting it get to me so much so that I leave here with a pounding headache, going blind!

 

Today I pray for all public servants. Help us lean on the teachings of Christ when the world attempts to beat us up. Father, I pray that we turn to you quicker in our daily struggles. I don't know why I feel the need to drag my burdens up a mountain on my own while you patiently wait for me to turn to you for help. Could you help me with that!? Help my fellow brothers and sisters too. I'm sure I'm not the only one that 'gets' that we do all things through your strength, yet somehow manage to find myself fighting with all my might to do it on my own. I thank you Father for your mercy and grace. I thank you for your word. I thank you for the comfort you bring my way. In Jesus name I pray.

 

Wendy, Mom of Many

 

 

© Wendy Glidden 2013

 

 

 

Your Will Verses God's Will . . . Listening to God Can Save Your Life!

Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday! 

Today I am thankful that Mike is alive. If I am to be honest, he is in a struggle over his will verses God's and I can only pray for him and love him through the struggle. Trust me when I say this is not always easy. Just yesterday morning I was carrying on to God. I came to Him with something like this:

Father, I come before you at my wits end where Mike is concerned again. I am trying to follow the teachings of Jesus, Father, but I am angered by his indifference. I love him with all my heart, but currently he is being detrimental to my heart. I come before you in desperation for relief. Give me more wisdom and strength. Help snuff my anger and hold my tongue when I feel as if Mike has purposely gone out of his way to hurt my feelings. Teach me to rest in you through all storms. Please reach out to him Father and soften his heart. Open His Eyes. Awaken him. I know you Love him. Help him to see the truth. Help me find peace in the chaos. Help me trust that you have this. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

So, Last night after work, I headed off the the YMCA with Travis, my 11 year old. Mike was supposed to meet up with us there after he finished his work. By the time I was done working out I had still not seen Mike. I went to go find Travis and when I went to the teen room I could see our car. I looked to see if Mike's motorcycle was out there and it was not. Eerily enough I heard a very calming voice say, "Mike wrecked his bike". My first reaction was "No way." my next thought was, "He doesn't have a phone." and then I was like heck even if he did have one my battery is dead. I chastised myself for allowing my phone to be down. It happens more than I care to admit. I'm not someone who checks my phone all day long. I often forget it in a rush out the door. I grew up before cell phones were around and I work all day answering the phone. It hurts my head to talk on my cell phone without a headset so I find it most inconvenient to be quite honest.  Regardless of all that, I pushed away the thought that Mike had wrecked.

I found Travis down by the entrance and asked if he was ready to go. He informed me he was starving and ready. We walked out the door, got in the car and had just pulled out of the YMCA when we saw Mike coming around the corner on his bike. I chided myself for being so foolish as to have the thought he had wrecked his bike. He was just being Mike. It was a nice day. He'd most likely taken a ride in the country. I came to a stop and Mike pulled up. "I wrecked. I flipped off my bike. I didn't have a phone. I'm hurt." He lifted his right arm and it was ugly to say the least. He informed me he had stopped by the house and a neighbor had cleaned him up a bit. He said, "I tried to call you but it went straight to voice mail. All I could think was I needed to get to you." I was surprised to see him wearing his helmet. The last 3 days he has chosen not to wear it so he could feel the wind in his hair! Just last week he rode it in sandals as well as without his helmet.  I stared at him for a moment in disbelief. I knew it was God that had protected him.

As I doctored Mike's arm, we began talking. I looked at him and said, "I'm so glad you had your helmet on today. You would have most likely been killed without it. It would not have been pretty to say the least."

He said, "I know. I fought with myself over wearing it 3 times." He told me he really didn't want to wear it. He confided that he went to his bike 3 times without it but kept feeling like he should have it on so he gave in to the pull on his heart and put it on. It was God's WILL that Mike wear his helmet yesterday. It was Mike's will that he not. I'm so thankful God speaks His desire more than once.


Today I pray we all begin to listen to that soft strong voice when we hear it. Even more so when we resist it.  Sometimes, Father, I think the buzz of the outside world is so loud I don't take the time to recognize your voice. I push it off as my imagination or I find it in conflict with what I want so I deny it. Help me sit still. I have heard before everything, pray. I must admit, I am not to this point in my life but it is where I want to be. Help me grow Father. I am beginning to recognize when I am off kilter. It is directly tied to how much I have or have not focused on you. Whether I have turned to you with my troubles or held onto them myself. Sometimes in my anger, I become so foolish. Fill me with your Love Lord. Fill me with Your Wisdom. I am determined to put you first every day! Help me turn to you immediately in crises, fear and doubt. I pray for more Grace and Wisdom and Strength. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013

Bad Things Happen to Good People!

Wild Wacky Wonderful Wednesday! Thank you Father for stations like K-Love and Moody Radio. Stations that cause my heart to leap with joy. Songs that hit home so close at times I find myself crying through my joy. Tears of Joy. I shed them more now than ever. I don't really know how I let the evil one trick me for so long. Me! I consider myself somewhat intelligent! How did I not recognize what was going on? I know the answer to that question now. I never got into The Word of God. I did not have a bible close by and I certainly did not go out of my way to pick one up. On the few occasions I did take a peak, I was checking out the last book. Revelations. Man was I ever missing out!

It's no wonder those that hear about Jesus and all He did for the first time get so excited. The gospels are awesome but the book of Acts, Romans and Hebrews are mind blowing. They are get up on your feet and get excited about life books. I am getting ready to find and go through "The Romans Study". If you want to know who you are in Christ, I've been told this is the study to do! Let me know if you are interested in doing this study as well. I think if you've been reading self help books this may just be the best one yet! What do you have to lose? Way less than you have to gain!

This week I have been under attack at every turn. My car broke down. I have not made it home before 9:30 either night. Does not leave much time to be still! Regardless last night I was trying to find the verse in the bible in Isaiah regarding honesty. I had heard a lesson on Moody Radio. It had to do with not destroying the city should God could find one honest man. Forgive me for I know not who was talking on Moody nor the program I was on. I think it was the financial one. The topic was honesty. This man said there were over 100 accounts in the bible where honesty is mentioned.  I did not find the one in Isaiah quickly, so I flipped to the back of my bible to see if there were verses listed under Honesty. I found only 3 listed in my bible and one of them happened to be in Job. I don't know why I get so drawn into Job but this is the second time I have gone to look something up in that particular book and have found myself reading chapters of it. I can almost hear Job. I have yelled out at the Heavens in such a manner and it makes me smile a little. Just knowing that I am not the first to get angry at God for my never ending trials. Particularly what I read last night. I brought my bible with me . . . let me find it.

I just have to type it out. It is so awesome. I am in my large print MacArthur Study Bible, Job, Chapter 6 & 7 in its entirety:


Job is a hard book for many. We struggle with the thought that God does not always leap in to rescue us from something. Prior to Chapter 6 and 7, Job's Friends suggest that the Innocent Do Not Suffer, therefore they assume that Job must have done something truly awful. Chapter 6 is Job speaking to his friends and chapter 7 he is directing his words to God!

With that being said, Let's Jump into the Book of Job, Chapter 6:

The Chapter Heading is: Job's Friends Are No Help!

Then Job answered, "Oh that my grief were actually weighted
and laid in the balances together with my calamity!
For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;
Therefore my words have been rash.
For The arrows of the Almighty are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
My soul refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.

Oh that my request might come to pass
And that God would grant my longing!
Would that God were willing to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and cut me off!
But it is still my consolation,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain.
That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should endure?
Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
Is it that my help is not within me,
And that deliverance is driven from me?

For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
My brothers have acted deceitfully like a wadi,
Like the torrents of wadis which vanish,
Which are turbid because of ice
And into which the snow melts.
When they become waterless, they are silent,
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
The caravans of Tema looked,
The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
They were disappointed for they had trusted,
They came there and were confounded.
Indeed, you have now become such,
You see a terror and are afraid.
Have I said, 'Give me something',
Or 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'
Or 'Deliver me from the hand of the adversary',
Or 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?

Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.
How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
Do you intend to reprove my words,
When the words of one in despair belong to the wind?
you would even cast lots for the orphans
And barter over your friend.
Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face.
Desist now, let there be no injustice;
Even desist, my righteousness is yet in it.
Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my palate discern calamities?

My study notes include this: Job rebuked his friends with sage words. Even if a man has forsaken God (which Job had not) should not his friends still show kindness to him? He described his friends as being about as useful with their counsel as a dry river bed in the summer.

The Chapter Heading for Chapter 7 is: Job's Life Seems Futile

** Remember this Chapter Job is speaking to God.

"Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man?
As a slave who pants for shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,
So am I allotted months of vanity and nights of trouble are appointed me.
When I lie down I say, 'When shall I  arise?'
But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.
My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt,
My skin hardens and runs.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
And come to an end without hope.

Remember that my life is but breath; My eye will not again see good.
The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
When a cloud vanishes, it is gone,
So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.
He will not return again to his house, Nor will his place know him anymore.

Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
If I say, 'My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint',
then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me by visions;
So that my soul would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pains.

I waste away; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
What is man that You magnify him,
And that You are concerned about him,
That You examine him every morning
And try him every moment?
Will You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle? (another way of saying "catch my breath")
Have I sinned? What have I done to you,
O watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?

"Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me, but I will not be."


My study bible paints the Background and Setting of Each Book. Within this information, I found this, "This book begins with a scene in heaven that explains everything to the reader. Job was suffering because God was contesting with Satan. Job never knew that, nor did any of his friends, so they all struggled to explain suffering from the perspective of their ignorance, until finally Job rested in nothing but faith in God's goodness and the hope of His redemption. That God vindicated his trust is the culminating message of the book. When there are no rational or, even, theological explanations for disaster and pain, trust God."

I love this. You see, I think many of us go through this. I find it comforting to know I have not walked this road alone. Let us not forget the true way to treat a friend when they are going through their own trial. Let us not judge. Let us be thankful the burden is not ours and let us love our friends through all that comes their way. Let us pray for one another. Showing true sisterly and brotherly love.

Bad things happen to good people all the time. Satan wants us to believe it is Karma. You get what you deserve. My question is, 'Who decides what we deserve!? and 'What harm has an innocent baby ever caused?'

I know one truth, God loves us. Plain and simple. I don't know what could be more comforting to hear. My God loves me! Me!!! It's not hard for me to fathom He loves those I see as more deserving. It dumbfounds me that He also loves me. It's why the song Redeemed causes me to cry. When he says the line "All my life I have been called unworthy. Named by the voice of shame and regret. But when I hear you whisper 'Child lift up your head' I remember Oh God you're not done with me yet! I am redeemed." I am filled with so much abundant Joy I want to shout from the mountain tops! It really is good news my friends!

Father I come before you today singing your praises. I too felt like Job more than once. Wondering what I might have done to deserve such torment, such overwhelming pain. When I came to the end of my own strength and was weeping to you on my knees and you spoke to me, I have no words to express my gratitude Father. I was dumbstruck. After all my trespasses, you would answer such a foolish girl as myself. Just thinking about your love has me tearing up with streams flowing from my eyes. Thank you for your Grace. Thank you for your overwhelming love. Thank you for finding me worth answering, worth comforting. I am so very grateful. I ask today that you also go to my brothers and sisters who are facing their own battles. Those who are on their knees praying for help. Answer them Father. Speak to them as clearly as you have spoken to me. Speak to me again! Speak to me daily. Life is not the same without your presence. I know you are with me always. It is nothing compared to Hearing your calming voice. I love you Father. May my fellow brothers and sisters find their way home. Won't you call out to them loudly Father. In such a way as they cannot deny. We all need to feel your presence Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy,
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013