Do You See What I See?

Recently I was driving a stake into the ground in order to place a tent out front for my grandchildren to sleep in. As I drove the stake in the ground, one of my grandchildren made the comment that it looked like I was driving the stake through some fabric. I took advantage of the moment and told him that sometimes things we see with our own eyes can be deceptive.

A great piece of advice I received as a child was that I should not believe everything I hear with my own ears, read for myself, or see with my own eyes. It took me some years before I fully appreciated that advice. Everytime I hear children playing the game 'do you see what I see?', I am reminded that our eyes don't see the same things as everyone else. We all have our own 'point of view'.

This morning, I found myself in 1 John, Chapter 4 and wouldn't you know it. That same type of advice is in the bible!

[1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; [3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. [4] You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. [5] They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

I am always intrigued by those who not only doubt who Christ is, but those that also doubt that the evil one is in this world. Not only is he here, he is active! When you pick up your bible and read it you soon realize that Satan is mentioned time and time again; almost as often as Jesus. Not only does Jesus talk about him, Satan engaged Jesus in the desert and tried to tempt him! What I find most interesting about this story is the way in which they spoke to each other. Allow me to take you back in time:

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." [4] But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD'."

[5] Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE'." [7] JESUS SAID TO HIM, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST'."

[8] Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; [9] and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." [10] Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY'." [11] Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. (Matthew 4:1-11, NASB)

You see, Satan quoted Scripture back to Jesus. Just let that truth sink in for a moment. We even have a story of a demon inside the church who sat in the pews and listened to what was being taught! We also have false teachers that twist Scripture in order to make the points that they desire to make. In some scary movies we are shown that people protect themselves with holy water or by holding up a cross.In the bible, we don't see Jesus throwing holy water at Satan or even holding a cross up. Instead, we read that he used a vital piece of armor as protection; the Word of God. If you don't know what your spiritual armor is, allow me to share that with you as well so that you too can stand firm against the schemes of the devil:

[13] Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH THE TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, [15] and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; [16] in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] And take, THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17, NASB)

We live under several truths, evil is in this world. Satan walks among us and his only desire is to steal, kill and destroy the children of God. Don't be fooled into thinking that you he can't reach you. He is the tempter, the evil one, the whisperer of lies. He is shrewd. For all of these reasons, you must dress in your full armor daily.

I know in times that I have neglected putting on my full suit of armor, I have been pulled into what I call the crocodile roll. Satan is quick and you can find yourself in a battle for your life before you even realize the first fiery arrow has been launched your way!

Take the advice of the Word of God; don't believe everything you hear and see. Test it all against the Word of God. If what you think you see and hear does not line up with the truth, ignore it. Keep your focus on the truth. Keep your thoughts on the things Paul suggests we all focus on:

[8] Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8, NASB)

Today I pray that you are fully dressed in your spiritual armor. I pray that you indeed focus on all mentioned in Philippians 4:8. I pray that your eyes and ears are opened to the truth so that you can indeed see the schemes of the devil and that they have no effect on you. May you be so well braced for the daily battle that you are able to help others who are not prepared for the fight. I pray that countless others begin to wake up and see the truth for themselves. May the body of Christ recognize the body of Christ and may we begin to function at 100%. In Jesus name I pray! Amen!

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden, 2015

Are You Ready for a Change?

This morning I awoke to another encouraging word that lead me to seek more understanding of what exactly was being spoken:

[13] Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? [14] But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, [15] but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:13-15, NASB)

Mike often says the problem he has with my writing and talking about Jesus Christ is how loud I get at times. By loud I don't mean volume, I mean that I don't hide my belief. Quite the opposite, I profess it daily. He is afraid of what others may do to me for my faith in the LORD due to how I express myself.

I tell him, when it is my time to go, it is my time to go. I am not going to stay quiet in fear that I may end up beheaded one day. I know the world is crazy. I know people are being beheaded for their faith even today. If that is the way I exit, then that is the way I exit. Fear of death enforced by man is not going to become my silencer. If I am meant to be a martyr then so be it. Until that moment arrives, I will continue to profess my faith in the LORD Christ Jesus. I simply cannot help myself!

As I read this mornings verses, my thoughts fell to Stephen and the defence he gave in the book of Acts. He was one I feel that was stoned before his time. He was an incredible speaker who did a great job at defending his faith in Christ! Where he went wrong in the end was in the way he called his accusers out. Perhaps that is why Peter advises us to speak with gentleness!

For those of you not familiar with Stephen or his defense, allow me to summarize it a bit.

[8] And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. [9] But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cicilia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. [10] But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. [11] Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God." (Acts 6:8-11, NASB)

Due to this, Stephen was brought before the council, which in today's time would be the same as being taken to trial only back in the day, one represented themselves! Stephen eloquently addressed his accusers by calling them brethren and fathers and instantly began his defence in the retelling of their history beginning with Abraham, flowing right into the story of Jacob, Joseph and onto Moses. Since it was Moses that he was accused of blaspheming, he eloquently retold his history. He continued the retelling of the Ancient Israel's own history by then speaking of Joshua and next of David and Solomon.He made mention of the fact that it was Solomon who built a house for the Lord. It was after this that he pointed out that the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. From there he quoted from Isaiah 66 and after having said all of this, he finished his speech like this:

[51] "You men who are stiffnecked and uncircumcised in the heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. [52] Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; [53] you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it." (Acts 7:51-53, NASB)

His accusers were deeply angered by the truth that Stephen ended his speech with to the point that they lost there minds and drove him out of the city in order to stone him. This is also the same moment that we are introduced to Saul. He was present at the stoning of Stephen. This is the very Saul who later was renamed Paul, who is also the very same person that wrote so many of the epistles we read to this day!

Paul is one of my favorites people in the bible due to his never ending zeal for the LORD after his conversion. You see Paul was a mighty force for God all along. However, in the beginning, he did not have faith in Christ. He was actually the major persecutor of the Christians! It was upon meeting Christ on the road to Damascus that everything about Saul changed. The LORD renamed him Paul and as they say, "The rest is history."

If today you find yourself struggling with who Christ is, I encourage you to send me a message saying such. I have a beginners bible study that I can do with you over the internet that I did with the women I was in jail with over the course of 6 days prior to my charges being dropped.

During this study, eyes were opened and hearts were moved to accept Christ as their personal Savior. One woman inparticular pulled me to the side to share her amazing story that the bible was now coming to life for her and she was suddenly able to understand what she was reading. This will be one of the incredible things I share in my upcoming book "16 Days and Two Head Counts"

Until then, if you long for a change in your life that will provide you with a confident hope that no one can rob you of, consider doing this short bible study program with me via the internet! Father, one of the best times I had was diving into your word through this study with my fellow sisters behind bars. It has been my prayer to lead others to you in the same way ever since. Please expand my territory, please use me in multiple ways. I long to be a mighty seed caster! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many!

All You Need to Know!

'Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' (Jeremiah 33:3, NASB)

As I read this encouraging word this morning I found myself shaking my head. All we need to know about this world as well as our future can be discovered through the LORD.

Those of you who have read 'You Are Worthy Too: Angels, Answers, Signs and Wonders' know that I personally called out to God when I found myself pregnant for the 12 time. Indeed He did answer me. He called me by name. He told me to get off my knees. I was so shaken by His voice that I instantly stood up as instructed. He then did tell me things about my future that I did not know. Every time I look at Jeffrey I am overwhelmed by knowing that God called me by name! Me! Who am I? Well, I am just a girl. A girl who has stumbled, fallen, ran from God and truly I count myself among the biggest sinners in the world. Should you care to know my story in depth, save yourself some bucks and purchase the 3 part series in one that I published this year so that more people could read my full story at a marginal savings! This link will take you to my author page on Amazon and you can check out each book as well as make a purchase!

It is in God's promise that He will tell us things we do not know if only we will call out to Him, that I again reflected on how much worry and anxiety the world is full of today. We have physics on every corner and the reason for that is the demand. People long to know what the future holds for them. I get that. I once sought to know my future and that story is in my book as well. I will never seek to know what is ahead again unless I seek that knowledge from the one who knows all!

We truly are not meant to worry about tomorrow or fret about our past. We are meant to live in the here and now for we only get one chance at that! If we are focused on what is going to take place tomorrow or six months down the road, we are going to miss out on the blessings that are meant for today.

When it comes to tomorrow, Christ has this to say:

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Boy isn't that the truth! If I knew all the trouble, the trials and tribulations that were lurking around the corner in various tomorrows, I would most likely not be able to get out of bed! God promises that each day has enough grace in it for us to live through what ever comes our way:

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB)

I know a lot of people don't want to admit that they are ever weak. Congrats to you if this is truly the case. However if you have ever done something that you knew you shouldn't do, I must point out that in not being able to deny yourself certain things, you my friend are weak! If you have fallen prey to your emotions instead of rising above them, this too makes it clear that you are weak! Where I am concerned, I have no problem admitting that I am weak at times. Those are the times that I stand in my own strength. Please don't get me wrong. Over the course of my life, I have been stubborn, bull headed and have been labeled strong! What a joke, on my own I may have plowed through life appearing strong but behind closed doors, I let down my walls, shed my tears and recognized my own shortcomings. I had no idea how to get beyond them for I was lost in my own understanding of things!

I promise you this; when you get to know God and learn who you are in Christ, you see things clearer and you find a source of strength that will keep you on your feet in the most turbulent wind storms this world can throw your way! God has a lot of promises in His Word. Some think it is full of contradictions and if you read it without understanding, I suppose you can stake that claim. However, I would encourage you to step beyond that illusion into the light and ask God for understanding for in His Word there are no contradictions, there are promises, words of hope and inspiration and a fountain of wisdom that you will gain no where else. This world will kick your rear end if you are not prepared for the battle! Armor yourself against the powers of darkness by dressing daily in your suit of spiritual armor! To know more about your armor and how cool it is, check out this past blog "Are You a Pawn or are You a Knight?"

For today, I encourage you to focus on this day. Ask God what He has in store for you today. Ask Him to guide your feet, your heart and your tongue! I pray you are able to hear and see the things He has in store for you today and that you don't get carried into the past or the future but remain in the here and now!

Should you feel yourself being pulled under by fear of anything or worry or anxiety, I leave you with this final word from Isaiah:

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you , O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! [2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. [3] For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3, NASB)

YOUR SAVIOR! Do you know Him as such? If not, I pray that your eyes and ears are opened to the truth. I pray your heart is softened and that you are able to see the LOVE the LORD holds for all creation! I pray that you learn to call out to Him when you find yourself in trouble and that you thank Him at all times! In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Wendy Glidden, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2015

The House is on Fire!

I don't know a single person who has not at some moment or another either found themselves angered by another or found themselves being the one that stirs up anger in another by mere words that are spoken.

God's Word has a lot to say about anger and its effect. In Proverbs, which are considered to be words of wisdom, we find these three verses:

Proverbs 15:1, NASB says: A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 26:20, NASB: For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.

Proverbs 26:21, NASB: Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

I have shared them with the children and explained the meanings to the point that when one of them is angry and the others decide it is time to whisper something, I simply say, "Don't throw wood on my fire!" It quickly lets them know to be quiet without me having to say anything else.

The other day though, my entire house erupted into arguments and I yelled out, "My house is on fire!" Instantly I had the children's attention only to have my husband call out from the back, "I don't want to hear stuff like that." To which I called back, "Not literally, metaphorically."

Over the years, by pointing out the fire in the room, I have managed to have quite a success record when it comes to extinguishing fires before they get out of control. However, when it comes to Mike and I, this has not worked quite as well. He does not have understanding regarding these verses and to top that off, he can whip some wood around pretty darn quickly. Recently, he has taken to throwing rotten wood at me and I have truly struggled with my own anger towards him.

He mocks me a lot for going to church, for my faith, for the degree I am seeking in college and for blogging and writing regarding God. It's a lot for a person to take. When you consider all the other things I have on my daily plate, its a wonder I don't combust into flames!

Regardless, I know that the Lord is where I find my strength and I also know there is strength in numbers. I don't go to church to be preached at. I go to church to learn, to be encouraged and to stand in worship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I need that food. I need that time. I need those hugs from my fellow sisters, and I need to hang with others who understand this fallen world!

This Sunday, we had a guest teacher from Detroit come and speak. At the end, they called those of us that felt we were cloaked with something that was keeping us in chains, something we needed delivered from to come forward. I came up. While I have tried with all my might to rid myself of anger and resentment towards Mike, I was still struggling with them both. As I stood in the front praying for help with these, tears began running down my face. Someone put their hands on my head and began praying in another language for me and suddenly I fell backwards and found myself on the floor. Now I have seen this happen on TV, but I have never felt it happen to myself. After a moment I got back up and began praying and thanking God and again someone put their hands on me. It was a lady and she said to me, "Its okay, let it go. He is all over you, just accept all He has to offer." and wham I fell back harder and I truly thought someone had turned the lights on full force for such brilliant light exploded behind my eyes. That time I remained on the floor and basked in the Son's light and wept with gratitude. I truly believe God removed my resentment of Mike from my heart for my eyes see him differently now. It will be interesting to see if he can give me rise to anger with his words in the near future or if they will fall uselessly to the ground. What I do know is this, something inside me changed and for that I am grateful. Anger is a rotten emotion. It only grows much like jealousy grows. It is no wonder our world is in the shape it is in. How many angry people seek God for help with their emotions? Not enough, that is for sure!

Too much has happened in my life for me to lose my faith. Too much has taken place for me to quit writing just because Mike gives me a hard time about it. I have told him more than once that it is God that called me forth to write and I am listening to that call. I also understand that I need to surround myself with others that have true faith in Christ Jesus.

Mike fears the church. After taking both the History of Ancient Israel as well as the History of Christianity, I understand his fear. False teachers abound. We are warned by Paul time and time again to be on the lookout for them. This is one of the reasons that you need to read the Word of God for yourself. As you do, pray for understanding. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful teacher. While the Word of God will help you come to know God, it is in seeking Him directly that you will grow by leaps and bounds. The LORD wants you to get to know Him. He has countless promises for those who seek.

For today, I encourage you to put into practice the advice found in proverbs, "Don't throw wood onto the fire!" and should you find yourself enraged by someone else, kindly utter the phrase back to them. Perhaps it will halt them long enough for you to calm your heart and recognize your own wood throwing skills!

I would like to leave you with this last little tidbit. Satan LOVES for you to become angry. I am fully convinced that he is a whisperer of evil thoughts. From the very beginning, he has been at the root of sibling rivalry and so much more! Most people know that Cain killed Abel, but did you know that before that murder took place, God came to Cain and counseled him? I promise you , this is true. It is in Genesis that we read this:

Genesis 4:1-10, NASB: Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." [2] Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [3] So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. [4] Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; [5] but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. [6] Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? [7] If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." [8] Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

There is a lot to this story that I am not going to get into right now, for today our focus is on anger and the truth that sin is always crouching at our door desiring to capture us. The LORD's advice for us is the same as it was for Cain. We MUST master it!

I have tried myself to bite my own tongue, to calm my own angry heart, to get hold of my emotions and trust me when I say, "It is no easy feat." Even when I have been able to stifle it, I have not been able to fully put out the coals. It was only until I went before God and admitted that I wanted to be rid of it all, that it was taken from me. I pray that this remains to be the case. I know that it is only with the help of the LORD that it will remain so for I am under no disillusions that the evil one will not continue to whisper into the ears of those that are close to me. I know if he can't get my attention directly, he will use others in an attempt to pull my from my 'happy zone'. That my friends is part of Spiritual Warfare. Our nation is at war but the biggest war is the one being waged against humanity as a whole. It is my prayer that more soldiers for Christ wake up and begin helping bring the Kingdom of Heaven here to earth.

Today if you realize you are holding onto anger and resentment, I encourage you to ask God to help you be rid of it all. It is my prayer that you do this. It is my prayer that you feel the change in your heart. When it comes to others, it is my prayer that you begin to recognize your own 'wood throwing skills' and begin to teach yourself to grab a salt shaker instead ;-) ~ blessings to all who do!

Wendy Glidden, Mom of Many, walks with God.

Out of Gas ~ Anything Helps!

The other day I went to do a load of laundry only to discover this sign in my laundry basket:

I have no idea who walked by and left it in my laundry basket in exchange for laundry detergent but the exchange proves one thing for sure, "Anything Helps".

As my day proceeded, I kept chuckling to myself over the slogan and how much truth it held. I cannot tell you how many times I have found myself 'OUT of Gas!' I think I said the phrase in my head about 100 times during the day as I laughed and shook my head.

Those of you who read 'For Reals' know moments this year took a toll on me and I did find myself 'Out of Gas' several times. Each time this happened, I found renewed strength in the Word of God. I thank Him for sending me back to college as an answer to a prayer. It was due to the weekly assigned reading, discussions and assignments that I read books of the bible that I can promise you I would not have dove into on my own. As I read and gained knowledge, I found a renewed strength.

As I write this, I am listening to K-Love and this song by the band Finding Favor comes on and Wow does it ever speak to me right now. Perhaps it will resound with you as well. After all, it is Silly Sing Song Saturday!

This life is a journey we walk by faith
And there will always be the mountains in our way
But right here in this moment, may our strength be renewed
As we recall what God has done and how we've seen Him move

If there's anybody here who's found Him faithful
Anybody here who knows He's able
Say Amen
If there's anybody here who's seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Just say Amen!

Sometimes through the darkness, it's hard to see
So just be brave and follow where He leads
Greater is the one who's in us, than he who's in the world
So child of God remember, the battle is the Lord's

If there's anybody here who's found Him faithful
Anybody here who knows He's able
Say Amen
If there's anybody here who's seen His power
Anybody here brought through the fire
Say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow
And seen time and time again
Then just say Amen!

Even in the valley of the shadow when you feel alone in the unknown
Just say Amen, just say Amen
Even when the storms are raging, stand and know your not forsaken
Just say Amen, just say Amen

Is there anybody here, tell me is there anybody here
Come on and say Amen

If there's anybody here who's seen His power
Anybody here brought through they're
Come on and say Amen
Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow
Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow
And seen time and time again
Then just say Amen!

Often, I find myself so overwhelmed with gratitude that the word Amen says so much. I am thankful that God called me forth to put so much of my life into a book. It is in sharing our own testimonies that we find greater faith as well as inspire it in others. Recognizing the glory of God at work in your life does so much for your well being. 

As I reflect on that truth and just what sharing my story with the world has done for me, this song begins playing. Colton Dixon, "Through All of It"

"Through All Of It"

There are days I've taken more than I can give

And there are choices that I made

That I wouldn't make again

I've had my share of laughter

Of tears and troubled times

This is has been the story of my life

I have won and I have lost

I got it right sometimes

But sometimes I did not

Life's been a journey

I've seen joy, I've seen regret

Oh and You have been my God

Through all of it

You were there when it all came down on me

And I was blinded by my fear

And I struggled to believe

But in those unclear moments

You were the one keeping me strong

This is how my story's always gone

I have won and I have lost

I got it right sometimes

But sometimes I did not

Life's been a journey

I've seen joy, I've seen regret

Oh and You have been my God

Through all of it

Through all of it

And this is who You are

More constant than the stars up in the sky

All these years of our lives

I, I look back and I see You

Right now I still do

And I'm always going to

I have won and I have lost

I got it right sometimes

But sometimes I did not

Life's been a journey

I've seen joy

I've seen regret

Oh and You have been my God

Through all of it

Oh and You have been my God

Through all of it

Oh and You have been my God

Through all of it

I cannot imagine this life of mine without the LORD's help. I truly cannot fathom the mess I would be; the hopelessness I would be doomed to wallow in. I know this truth, the enemy came for one thing. To rob you of life, both here and for eternity to come. 

John 10:10, NASB: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

It is in discovering who you are in Christ that you will indeed discover a well of strength that never runs dry. 

[13] Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; [14] but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14, NASB)

In Christ you will indeed find a hope that you will find in nothing else. How often I pray to take what I know to be truth and transfer it into others. To be able to transfer my faith to them. We all have to discover the truth for ourselves; I ask you, "How can you discover what you don't search for?"

We are promised the desires of our heart in the seeking of God. It is a PROMISE! Here is the catch though, God knows your heart. You cannot out fake God. There's great power in knowing Christ, but you should not seek to know Him only in hopes of gaining said power. Christ's power is not a destructive force designed for profit or gain. Christ's power reaps the fruits of the Spirit. Christ's power heals. It is a life changing force that transforms one from the inside out. It is in knowing who YOU are in Christ that you will find renewed strength and despite this fallen world and all it brings your way, you will be able to run and not get tired!

[28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. [29] He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. [30] Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, [31] Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:28-31, NASB)

Today, should you find yourself running out of gas, I encourage you to fill your tank up with God's Love. Get to know who Christ was and is; for He never changes! I think the Gospel of John will reveal the Love of God for you. As you read those chapters, I pray for you the prayer that Paul said for the church in Ephesus:

[17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Amen. (Ephesians 1:17-19, NASB)

May your day be blessed

May you find peace if stressed

Wendy Glidden, Mom of Many, walks with God.

© Wendy Glidden 2015

And All the People Said, "Amen"

As many of you know, I subscribe to K-Love's encouraging word; it is also one of my favorite radio stations. This morning the song 'All the People Said Amen' by Matt Maher began playing and my heart was overjoyed to have all my children sing and dance to the song. It is a catchy tune you know! If you've never listened to it, click on this link and get ready to bust a move!

The more you get to know God, the more you see Him moving in your life with your 'faith eyes' and the more often you find yourself uttering the praise, "Amen". Psalms is one of my favorite books in the bible; who am I kidding lol. In going to college I have taken so many classes, I have been blessed in reading and understanding parts of all 66 books. Regardless, this is the verse I am sharing today:

Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100:3, my alphabet picture)

I think one of the most interesting things I have read in the last year came from a book called, 'The Fear of the Lord' by John Beverre. In it he shares the truth that in man are the very elements found in the earth. Seeing how man was formed from the earth, it makes perfect sense that this would be the case. However, until I read it, I had never thought much about it. Today I think about it every time I till the soil.

I bring up God alot in my daily conversations with others. I can't help it. Often when someone is sharing things about their life and why they are stressed or worried, I ask them this simple question, "Where are you in your walk with God?"

When you begin walking with the Lord and building your relationship with Him, the biggest thing you will notice is that you are able to find peace in the midst of turmoil and stress no longer holds you in slavery. This stems from the promises He makes His children:

1. Romans 8:28: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
2. Psalm 91:15: "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 

When it comes to worry, Jesus lays this to rest with one simple challenge:

Matthew 6:27: "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"

These verses, these truths, speak volumes to me for I have seen them play out in my life. Those of you that have read my book know that I did not create an easy path for myself, however, God, true to His promises, has indeed used all of what I thought was rotten and useless and has in turn allowed me to see others blessed by it. I promise you when stuff like that happens you are often left in utter joyful tears. I blogged on such an instance once. I still cannot read this post without crying! Lost or on a Mission?

When it comes to trouble, I often joke that it is my middle name. I know I am not alone in that thought for I have had others tell me the very same thing. As I have built my relationship with the LORD over the last few years, trouble has come barreling down my door. Through it all I have managed to stay positive and at times I have even flourished through it all by leaning on the promises of God. Indeed, He has not only rescued me, he flipped the situation and I have found myself redeemed if not at times honored. Knowing the LORD is FULL of blessings, I encourage you to join a bible study group or better yet, read my past entries and build your own personal relationship with the LORD. It will truly enhance your life no matter what you get sidelined with.

I still have moments where worry tries to grab hold of me, but I have gotten pretty good at raising my shield of faith. I have found humor helps in the midst of worry and that is what I find in the advice Jesus gives on the subject of worry. When it comes to adding an hour to my life, I know that God alone is responsible for that. I say that because I died in a house fire and I was given breath and brought back to life. It is one of the stories in my book You Are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding!

I know many people have prayed for something and have not seen it come to fruition, I have been in that boat as well. I have also witnessed my prayers being answered and when I read that when I call on Him, He will answer, I also know that this has been the case. I have several stories about answered prayers in my book. Often I read my own stories because oddly enough, they remind me of who I am to God. They remind me of who we all are to God. We are His children. His creation. You can fight against that truth all you want to but it is a fight you will never win. 

I think the most confusing things about God for many are tied directly to the biggest gift he allotted to mankind; free will. God knows your heart, while He may try to reach you through circumstances that take place in this fallen world, one thing He will not do to reach you is strip away your Free Will. 

So, as I have asked many in person, I ask you today, "Where are you in your walk with God?" If you are in a place of doubt, I encourage you to go to Him with that. As I wrote recently in a post titled Come as You are, But Don't Stay There!, God will meet you right where you are. The true question is, "Are you ready to meet God?"

Today I say for you the same prayer said by Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 1:17-19: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the surpassing greatness His power toward us who believe. Amen!

May you be blessed in your travels with the LORD.

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2015

Blessed by Curiosity!

This morning my encouraging word from K-Love began with the word 'rather' according to my personal study bible the word mentioned is 'but'. The verse was such that curiosity rose in me to see what came prior to that conjunction. Curiosity is said to have killed the cat, but I am human and when it comes to the Word of God, curiosity is often blessed! The verse they shared came from 2nd Peter. I was curious enough to get out of bed, grab my bible and check out what preceded the advice given in the shared verse. Before I knew it, I had read most of 2nd Peter! I am always amazed when this happens. It is like the book jumps to life before my eyes and I find my soul on fire for the LORD. I wish I could simply take what is in my heart and brain and transfer it all into each person I meet in life that is lost and lonely. The best I can do is use the talents that God gave me and pray that the seeds I cast out land on welcome soil. With that being said, this is the full encouraging word that I felt led to share with the world today:

[3] Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, [4] and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." [5] For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, [6] through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded by water. [7] But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 

[8] But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. [9] The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

[10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up. [11] Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12] looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the elements will melt with intense heat! [13] But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. [14] Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, [15] and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, [16] as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. [17] You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, [18] but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. ( 2 Peter 3:3-18, NASB)

I know that is a lot to bite off, but I could not simply share the last verse and expect you to get full understanding! This chapter has a lot of helpful advice as well as warnings in it. For instance, how many of you don't attend church because you feel in your heart what is being preached is designed to control you or manipulate you in some way? How many of you feel that the church is full of hypocrites who say one thing and do another? How many of you believe their is no point in reading the Word of God because you have been told that it is full of contradictions? All of this is easy to believe if all you have ever done is step inside of a church. We go to church to find other true brothers and sisters in Christ because in them, we find encouragement. I spent years of my youth going to church only to be taught things that made me feel bad about myself. Some churches pound home the message of sin and while we all must admit that we are sinners, God does not want us to focus on that aspect! He actually wants us to walk with Him and grow. He wants us to discover the truth, for the truth as we know will set you FREE! It is this exact FREEDOM that drives me day and night to want to share all I have learned with others. 

I have a lot of parts of the bible that I would consider favorites. This conversation between Thomas and Jesus would be one of them:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. [3] If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And you know the way where I am going." [5] Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. [7] If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also, from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."

If you truly long to know God. To understand His nature, His thoughts, His LOVE for all, you should truly get to know Jesus. We are blessed to be able to get to know Jesus through the Gospels. Jesus is loving, compassionate, clever, witty and so much more than all of that! 

You cannot say that you long to know God yet never pick up the book He had written for all humanity through 40 writers with the help of the Holy Spirit over a span of 1500 years! As I have mentioned before, you could spend your entire life reading the bible and never learn all the truths and mysteries it holds inside. It is in reading His Word thought that you begin to understand how He communicates and in that aspect, you will begin to hear Him for real. 

All relationships take work; that includes your relationship with your Heavenly Father. When you work on this relationship, it actually will enhance all of your relationships. You cannot get to know God and remain stuck in who you are today. You will evolve, you will grow and you will love who you are in Christ. I tell people that if you were to meet me without Christ, you would not always find a kindhearted person! It is only Christ in me that guides my footsteps as well as my tongue! If I did not know Christ and understand God's Word, I would be capable of unkind acts left and right. However, in knowing who I am in Christ, I am reminded that I am here to love, not to hate. Christ in me, keeps me in line, convicting me of the truth, and protects me from the ways of the flesh.

[19] We love because He first loved us. [20] If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 

(1 John 4:19-20, NASB)

Life will become abundant when you seek the LORD. It will become more colorful and you will become more joyous, not being constantly dragged into depression, worry, anxiety or fear. That is not to say that you won't have days where life comes to kick your rear end; no, quite the opposite. This is why as you get to know the Lord, you also learn about your armor. Your shield of faith is vital to your well being. I encourage you to learn about all of your armor for as you learn who you are in Christ and discover true freedom, you may be driven to share the truth with others. As you do this, you will be attacked by the enemy, but fear not, Christ already conquered Him. While we may be engaged, it is our faith in Christ that will keep us safe. As King David famously said, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?" (Psalms 118:6, NASB)

One of my favorite songs to this day is "Whom shall I fear?" by Chris Tomlin. It speaks volumes to me. At one point in my life, I did believe the very things He sings about and in more recent days, I have come to understand the truths he also mentions in this song. For those not familiar with the tune, this link will take you to a YouTube video with the words included. May you be lifted and blessed in your listening! 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my post. I am simply a girl who sought and found and truly longs for all others to find as well for I know the FREEDOM that comes with the truth. It alone is worth the effort! May you be blessed today in all you do, in all you read, in all that you understand. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2015

Come as You are, But Don't Stay There!

Today's encouraging Word courtesy of K-Love:

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, (1 Peter 2:2, NLT)

God invites all of us to come as we are. He is willing to meet us right in the middle of any mess we may have made. He just doesn't want us to stay where we are. Just like any parent, God longs for us to grow and learn and to fully step into our purpose. Who in their life hasn't wondered at least once, "Why am I here?"

If you truly want that answer, then learn who you are in Christ. When we first begin to learn, we really are like newborn babies. Each day, we must nourish our minds and hearts on what God has to say about this world we live in and this battle we are a part of whether we have come to realize that yet or not!

Even those who don't study God's Word, know some of what he has to say because His Word has infiltrated in ways that some of us may not recognize as His Word, but it is. For instance, "The Golden Rule" comes from the bible. The funniest thing about the Bible though is not everyone gets understanding when they read it. That is because it is a living document. I cannot tell you how many times I have read something and then read it later in life and had it blow up for me in ways that give me understanding and I love it when that happens. You should always pray for understanding of the LORD's Word each and every time you go to read something from the bible.

As you truly grow, you will crave more than mere milk. You will be looking for meat because milk alone will no longer satisfy you, or at least it shouldn't. That is where these verses come in:

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12, NLT)

I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2, NLT)

The only way you can proceed from milk and milk alone to solid food is to grow. We all need a teacher when we first step into God's Word. There are so many layers to God's Word. I have been studying it in college for the last year and the more I learn the more I realize there is to learn. I don't think you could ever learn all there is to learn from simply reading the Bible. It is in seeking the LORD Himself, that the Holy Spirit comes along side as your greatest teacher. Even then, you must take on this task daily. In all honesty, it is part of your armor. Don't forget for a single moment that you do have a mighty foe in this world, yet more importantly you have a mighty champion who wants nothing more than to save you and teach you how to live in the midst of the trials and tribulations:

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10, NLT)

God desperately wants you to know Him. He did not send his son into the world to hang out with those who had it all together. He sent Him into the world in order for us who are sinners to be saved. Let us be honest, not one of us is without sin!

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. (1 John 1:8, NLT)

Now God knows all, He sees beyond our flesh and into our hearts. He does not want to condemn us, He wants to save us!

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17, NLT)

For me this news was both eye opening and exciting. I had lived my whole life thinking that God was indeed a God of Judgement looking to condemn me for every wrong move I made! I truly believed the only way to earn His love was to do things. This is not the case. While it is true that as you grow and learn the truth, you will be driven to do works, this is nothing like doing works in hopes of being loved!

I think James explains it best in this verse:

Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." ( James 2:18, NLT)

I want to leave you with this encouraging thought. When you discover who you are in Christ, you will truly be free. It is also true that as you grow, you will face the enemy more often. He does not want you to grow to the point that you are able to help others. This is why you must feed yourself daily. I think one of the most important things we can learn is how to amor ourselves for the fight. This verse clues you into that:

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinithians 10:4-5, NLT)

There is a war that is being waged against all humanity. We are called to be soldiers in this fight. If you are not a soldier today, you may realize you are a pawn. I don't know anyone that longs to be a pawn in life. Most of us recognize the truth that we are here for a reason. This is why I insist that you should wake up today and begin seeking to learn who you are in Christ. Become a milk drinker that in turns longs for solid food. Don't simply learn who you are in Christ, get saved and sit idle. Learn, grow and in turn go into the world seeking those who are lost and longing for something more and teach them all you have learned. This is our calling. This is the great commission. Yes, God wants you to come as you are, but His desire is not for you to stay put. You are being called into action!

God called me forth a few years ago. I have been in training ever since. I admit I get my butt kicked by the evil side on occasion, but I know where my strength comes from. My stronghold, my fortress is the God of Jacob. While I may stumble, I always regain my footing by opening up the Word of God. It is my prayer that you learn to do the same!

For those who are curious about my travels, God had me write much of it in a single book. It is full of true life stories and what I gained in hindsight. I know they were written with the help of the Spirit because no one in their right mind would reveal so much about themselves in a book. After all, who seeks to be judged lol? I did it because I no longer fear what man thinks of me. I share my life to reveal the glory of God and how He has worked in my life all along without taking away my free will. Please check out some of it for free by visiting my author page on amazon by clicking here

Be blessed in your reading. Be blessed in your life. Look for the silver lining in the midst of your strife!

Wendy Glidden

© Wendy Glidden 2015

"For Reals!!?"

I sit here this morning shaking my head. Time Flies! I mean I know it flies, but I am surprised that it is already July 14th! Over half of 2015 has flown by and I have not accomplished near as much as I had hoped, yet in the same hand, I have done quite a bit.
The thing is, I realized today, had I just managed to lean on the strength of Christ more firmly, I would have been able to get more of my work done. That is not to say I hope to achieve anything by works but more so that I have not been available for the Spirit to work through me!
Alas, today is a new day! As a matter of fact it happens to be Totally Terrific Testimonial Tell ALL Tuesday! With that in mind, let me catch everyone up on some of what has taken place thus far in 2015:

• January 1 ~ I turned myself in on a felony warrant on January first around lunch time. 
• January 1 ~ 16th, I remained behind bars. Never saw my children and only talked to them 3 times.
• January 14th ~ met with the criminal investigator and gave my statement.
• January 16th ~ all charges were dropped and I was released after the 2nd head count that day!
• End of January: We were forced to relocate within hours due to unfortunate circumstances.
• End of January: Someone with a vendetta filed a false report with the Department of Children and families regarding me.
• February 1 ~ We moved into a park designed for 50+ with five children without knowing it was 50+.
• February 7th ~ I was interviewed live on good deeds radio while taking care of 5 children! Listen to it by clicking here
• February 11 ~ I received a phone call from 50+ park stating due to children we would need to pay an additional $750 for the month. With prayer and allowing the Spirit to talk through me, that fee was waived but we were not going to be able to stay longer. 
• February 28- March 4th ~ moved from Florida to Pueblo, Colorado where we knew no one.
• March 3rd ~ Got caught in a winter ice storm while driving the RV pulling a load and the limo: The RV pulls Mike's Jeep and the trailer loaded with all the bikes and Mike's motorcycle. Scary on a good day!

• March 4th ~ Found a place to rest and paid for a month's rent.
• March 5th ~ Registered 4 oldest children into new school.
• March 6th ~ 13th: Mike and I both searched for work.
• March 14th ~ Mike is hired at a fence company making only $10 per hour, no guarantee of 40 hours each week.
• March 21 ~ We discovered our elderly neighbor does not care for kids and move to other side of park where there is no WiFi available for the next two months. (I'm about to begin school and need the internet on a daily basis!
• March 23 ~ My two spring college courses begin: (1) Public Speaking in a Digital Age & (2) The History of Ancient Israel.
• April 5 ~ cannot get my YouTube video for my college class assignment to load up due to the WiFi service having issues at the office. Click here to watch it Did manage to get it to upload the following day by going to McDonalds and using their free WiFi.
• Mid April ~ Mike leaves the house saying he's going to quit his job unless he gets the raise he was promised would come. He did not get the raise, quit and arrived home at noon to let me know he had landed a welding job making more money.
• End of April ~ Mike is not acting like himself.
• Beginning of May: I begin fighting against powers of darkness by trying to bind demons for Mike and two of my friends all at the same time.
• May 4th ~  I wake up running a fever and hurting but I took CounterAct Ibuprofen and Aspirin and successfully complete my daily chores regardless and this included washing folding and putting away 12 loads of laundry and grocery shopping.
• May 5th ~ I wake up in pain feeling like my arms have been ripped off my shoulders and my hands hurt so bad it kills me to type and my eyes begin giving me serious problems.
• May 11 ~ I start a new college class: New Testament, as I complete my finals for my two Spring Classes all while having trouble focusing my eyes.
• May 15th, I am in so much pain I schedule a doctor's appointment.
• May 15th, Mike does not come home but calls me at 9 PM to tell me he's partying with a friend from work. He informs me he really needed a night out and that he'll see me tomorrow.
• May 23th, I manage to finish both finals as well as all assignments and reading due in Summer class
• May 28th, the school year comes to an end for the children.
• June 1, while in a serious dispute with Mike, it comes out that the night he didn't come home, he almost left me for an 18 year old girl that he had been working with for the last few weeks.
• Beginning of June, I finish the New Testament class and being taking the History of Christianity.
• Middle of June, Mike and I almost end it for good. He has become paranoid I am going to leave him for someone else and begins going through all my social media platforms and calling numbers in my phone that he doesn't recognize.
• End of June my car breaks down and I have no transportation for 3 weeks!
• July 1st Jeffrey ends up with pink eye and nothing seems to help until I learn about Organic Virgin Coconut oil! I will never use pharmacy drops on any of my children again!
• July 11th, I finally get out of school for my summer break and I am half way through my degree! I am still waiting on my grade to come in for my final but so far unless I really bombed the final, it looks like I have managed to get this far with straight A's.
• July 12th, my toilet breaks, overflows, ruins the floor and all has to be replaced. The bathroom is ready to have the new floor put in today. We have been without a home toilet for almost 48 hours!
• Today, July 14th, 2015: I have resolved to get back to basics, blogging. You could say blogging helps me get myself fully dressed in my protective gear! You see, one thing I have learned about life is we live in a fallen world and bad stuff can happen to anyone at any given moment. The other thing I have learned is that by putting on my full suit of armor completely changes the game when it comes to living life as we were meant to live it; ABUNDANTLY!!

I began today by getting into God's Word. It is truly what I read this morning that helped me shake off the negative darkness that was trying to envelope me and step back fully into the light.

I admit, this year has taken a toll on me. I went through a Spiritual battle literally from hell and found myself physically hurt. I warn all who are out there attempting to bind evil Spirits, you can truly be hurt in a physical way. There is even a story in the bible about such a case! I received some great advice in this area and it is way simpler than trying to fight the enemy yourself. All you actually need to do to be successful in Spiritual Warfare is pray for blessings over everyone as well as everywhere. Keep it simple and you will never have your arms darn near ripped off your body as well as your eyes knocked out of your head! That is what happened to me! Both of my thumbs were dislocated, my wrists had been yanked so hard that the bone going from my elbow to my wrist had dislocated, my shoulder tendons had both been ripped and my shoulder muscles were also torn. I don't know what made me think attempting to bind the demons my friends were being influenced by would be a good idea, but it is what I thought. While I was going through this, Mike was falling for another girl who he saw as more fit to be a physical partner. He began calling me weak, both physically and mentally. He also began attacking my faith on a continual basis. To say I felt like I was in hell would be an understatement. I have truly just now began getting my feet back under me.

If I claimed that life was perfect today, I would be a liar. As a matter of fact I am not sure I will ever have a perfect day. What I do know is this; I am capable of having peace in the midst of turmoil as long as I remember to dress daily in my full armor. I also know that I must fight the good fight. God's Word holds all kinds of encouragement and promises for all who do. These are the Words that I filled mind with today:

(9) And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (10) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

(10) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. (12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. (13) But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-13)

If you were to look at how many blogs I have written this year, one could easily say I have grown weary. It was in remembering this morning that with Christ, I can be renewed that I found a wealth of strength today that I have been unable to find until now. A gentle reminder was exactly what I was meant to receive. 

I still have so much I had planned to accomplish this year. I have two books on the table. I want to get into prison ministry. I truly need to blog and inspire more. For as Paul reminds us, encouraging one another matters. It is in filling my mind with the Words of God and in turn sharing my life, that I do find encouragement from those who write me thanking me for sharing my life and in turn share their stories with me.

I have yet to have met anyone who is living a perfect life. I have however met others who are living in the midst of trials and tribulations that are full of joy and hope in the LORD. Those are my fellow brothers and sisters and I am so thankful to have such family in this fallen world.

Today I pray that me sharing a snippet out of my life has helped you in some way. It is my prayer that my blogs become a bit more inspiring in the days to follow. I also pray that these next four weeks that I am blessed to have to spend with my children while all of us are out of school are full of life long memories of laughter, peace and joy. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God and sometimes stumbles along the way!

© Wendy Glidden 2015