Timing, Joy, and More!

Six days and counting until my due date for Zechariah James arrives. Time flies so fast. In reflection, it is amazing to see God's timing through all of it. For instance, I began seeking my Associates Degree in Biblical Studies in 2014. This came about because I prayed for God to give me more knowledge regrading His word. You can only imagine my shock when I realized He was pointing me back to school! Yet here I am in 2017 with that degree in hand! I managed to finish my last course for that degree on March 19th, just 3 weeks before I was due to give birth!

I certainly never expected to be pregnant at 48 years of age, but I have come to understand just how big of a blessing a child is. I have no idea what God has planned for me next but I certainly am grateful for these last couple of weeks prior to childbirth to get everything in order prior to delivery. I could have never planned things out so beautifully.

It is certainly something to be joyful over! Recently it seems my heart has been pulled by songs that speak to the truth that in life we hit bumps in the road that often leave us momentarily paralyzed in a way. This is why it is so vital for us to wear our spiritual armor every single day. When we fail to get properly dressed, we risk falling from a momentary state of not being able to move straight into full blown depression where one has trouble getting out of bed.

The reason this takes place I believe is that much of the world has been connived into believing that happiness is the same as joy, just as they have been manipulated into seeing lust as love. These are tactics that the evil one implemented long ago. While he was filtering that belief into society, he began working on humanities disbelief in an active and caring God. 

Of those remaining in the world today, not many know God on a personal level. They do not see Him as their Father, which is interesting to say the least. I say this because in Scripture when Jesus was asked by his disciples how we should pray, He began by saying "Our Father who art in Heaven". 

Think about that! OUR Father. OUR. To know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us, who actively seeks us. Who has taken the time to write out in multiple genres who He is and all we need to know to live an abundant life while here on earth. When you take into consideration that the average human lives to be 80 years of age, it is something to know and understand that He even takes the time to consider us at our worst! 

Yet He didn't stop there. When humanity fell, God did not give up on us, He made a way for us to get back home again. To be in fellowship with Him now and for all eternity. I think the saddest thing is so many are blind to this truth. It truly makes me want to kick the Father of lies right in the shin. I feel like everyone should be able to see the facts and make a choice on where they stand. I say they should be able to see because Satan has the power to blind us to the truths found in Scriptures. This is another reason we must wear our armor. 

I have battled Satan in various ways ever since I accepted Christ as my LORD and Savior. He has attacked me straight on, he has attacked me in my dreams, he has attacked me through loved ones and even strangers. I know he can blind people from the truth because I have witnessed this first hand. I believe he can even make you see things that are not real. 

This simple instruction found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 is major. 

1. Always be joyful: Joy is what you feel when you realize that your hope is in the LORD come what may. Your hope lies in Him because you have come to understand that He is faithful even if you don't always get your way in life. He has a plan for you and He is the source of Joy and Strength in times of trouble. 

2. Never stop praying: just as there are multiple ways in which the evil one attacks, there are even more forms of prayer. If you never stop praying, in essence, you never stop talking to God. EVERY Morning before you even place your feet on the floor, open up a dialogue with your heavenly father. This is vital to your well being. It is why it is part of the instructions!

3. Be thankful in all circumstances: This may seem difficult but even in the worst of situations, you have something to be thankful for. That one thing is that you are a child of God. If you cling to nothing else in the midst of the storm, tell yourself this continuously by saying, "I am blessed to know that I am a child of God." It will change things. 

Today if you find that you have trouble getting out of bed, then today is the day you need to begin a new routine. You need to get plugged into the word of God. While there are many ways to do this, I personally invite you to read my life story. God called me forth in 2012 to open my closet and share my life with the world. I have not had an easy or pretty life. I was held captive by the evil one for decades. While I am not proud of my past, I am thrilled to share how God saw things that I was blind to. I believe that this may prepare you for your own personal relationship with the LORD. If you are one who prefers to hold an actual book, you can purchase my story for only $9.99 by clicking here. If you prefer to read books on an electronic device, you can purchase my story for only $3.99 by clicking here. I will be praying for your eyes to be opened to the truths found in God as well as to the tactics employed by the evil one. 

Father, I want to thank you for my abundant life. For so long as you know I was blind. I was bound in chains of guilt and remorse. I viewed you as my foe not my father. How shrewd the enemy is. I pray that more and more and more and more of your people begin to wake up and seek your truth. As we talked when I was younger, I pray that my story inspires hope in others and causes them to turn to you as I did. We live in such dark times. I am often shocked about all that is going on but I am not afraid. I am thankful that I know You. That I realize we live in the midst of a battle that most do not recognize. Today Father I petition you to touch those who are bound by depression. Fill their lives with a beam of light so bright they are stirred by curiosity to seek where that light comes from. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God, mom of many

© Wendy Glidden 2017

Seek Wholeheartedly to Achieve All Things.

If you asked me what my favorite song was today, hands down I would reply Even If by Mercy Me. It simply speaks to my soul.

So often, people will give up on God because He does not perform the way they think He should. They question why things happen to some and not others. They want answers where there simply are none.

This song touches on mountains that God sometimes leaves unmovable in our lives. It speaks to heartache that doesn't come to an end immediately upon request.

In truth, we should not be so surprised when loved ones pass regardless of our prayers for healing. We live in a fallen world. We all will face death. On top of that, we all face moments in time that we don't think we'll live through. Moments in time that leave us broken and blue.

We must remember that in all of that, we live in a fallen world, but bigger than that we serve a God who has offered us a life line. All we have to do is seek Him. It is amazing what happens when you get to know God. The world itself doesn't change, but the life you live does.

To truly stake a claim at wholeheartedly searching, one must seek God out everyday. In building a true relationship with the LORD, you will begin to see Him moving in your life. You will learn to trust Him even if you don't like how things in life are going. As the lyrics of Even if state, your hope will be in Him alone. You come to understand His promises are true and He is and has always been faithful and true.

Today, I invite you to listen to this song. Drink in the words. Get to a point in your life where from the heart, regardless of all this broken world is throwing your way, you can say, "It is well with my soul.".

Father, please help my fellow brethren get to this stage in their life where their hope is always found in you. I know that my strength and joy comes from you, may they come to learn this truth as well. May I become a mouthpiece that speaks to these truths. May I be used in all ways by you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2017

In the Midst of Spiritual Warfare's Introduction

Dear Reader,

Think of this book as nothing more than Basic Training 101in the matters of spiritual warfare.

When you play sports later in life, often your coach will share information with you regarding the other team. You study them. You find their weakness. This is how you build your strategy against them.

The same theory works in a way when dealing with the father of lies. He is a formidable foe. Even Jesus credits him with deceptive intelligence:

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16, NASB)

Satan has been prowling this earth for a very long time. We witness his activity against humanity almost from the beginning. However, in all that is recorded about him, we know of only one weakness of his. He knows all of ours. On top of that truth, he has had countless years chalked up in the game of spiritual warfare. Humanity on the other hand has not passed down the information regarding such things. The majority of us don’t even have a clue that it is going on around us, or that we are being used to advance the side of darkness. We are going through life without learning how to actually live it. This needs to change.

The one weakness that Satan has is Jesus Christ. You see, the enemy comes at us for one thing; Jesus Christ is the key to escaping that fate and so much more.

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

There are a few steps one must take in order to become successful in living abundantly. The most important one is that you fully believe and accept that Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and the son of man. You must believe that he died on the cross for all your sins. You must come face to face with the truth that you are a sinner and you must repent from the heart with a Godly sorrow asking God to change you into a new creation. From that point forth, it is vital that you seek His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. It is not enough to be saved yourself. We are all called to a higher duty. We are meant to be representations of the glory of God. How on earth can you fulfill your purpose if you never take the time to educate yourself in His word? It is while seeking and searching out these truths, that you grow in faith; that you grasp fully the concept of grace; that you come to know that you have been forgiven and that you are truly free. To escape the chains of bondage, to know that at one time in your life, the enemy had successfully connived you will become a driving force in your desire to free others from captivity.

When you become a warrior for Christ, you are stepping onto the battlefield against an army you cannot see, against a foe with more experience than you could ever gain on your own and in your own understanding. Your only defense lies solely on your faith and trust in the LORD your God.

There are a few other things you should know. The enemy never sleeps. He will attack you directly, in your dreams, through family, friends, enemies and even strangers. For decades, he had me completely outwitted. Today I know where my strength comes from. I know even fully dressed, Satan is capable of side swiping my feet out from under me. I understand the importance of prayer as well as the vitalness of reading Scripture daily. It is my hope that as you read this book, you too begin to dress fully for battle; that you become willing to step onto the battlefield. That you become a part of the army fighting against darkness.

Grab a Bible, or pull one up on your electronic device of choice. There will be sections in this book that may cause you to want to research the Scriptures on your own. You should never take another person’s word on such important matters as these. Be willing to investigate things on your own. Remember, always pray for understanding before you begin reading. Petition the LORD to open your eyes to the truth.

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God

Father,

What a journey it has been. The battles you have seen me through! The biggest blessing in my life is finally knowing You. Knowing that You are faithful, that You hear me, even bigger that you know my name. Me. I am just a girl but you love me. This knowledge, it is major in this day and age; a complete game changer. I pray that countless become witness to such a game changer in their own lives. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

© Wendy Glidden 2017