The Final Countdown

Here I am on April 12th still pregnant. My due date for this little bundle of joy was back on April 4th. For those of us who have been given due dates in the past, we understand that they are a close guesstimate of when the baby should arrive. I was really hoping that things would go according to my plans and this little guy would arrive during spring break. Obviously that is not how things have played out.

I try to just breath every day which is a bit difficult with a baby inside of you who is hogging up your lung capacity. Yesterday, I actually broke down into tears. I am beyond uncomfortable. My body hurts and I am ready to be carrying this baby in my arms rather than inside of me. I didn't cry long, just a few exasperated tears.

I go to the doctor today at 4:10 to see how things are going. Because I am 48 years old and one week overdue, today I will also be hooked up to monitors and have a fetal stress test performed. My doctor mentioned last week that we are going to have to look at inducing if I did not go into labor on my own prior to this visit. While I truly wanted to go on my own, I have to admit having a true final date for this pregnancy is what I want.

It is times like this in life that I find it the most difficult to keep my focus on the LORD and His will in my life. I find I am like a child crying out instead of an adult waiting patiently upon Him. As my emotions have attempted to bubble over, I have tried to remind myself of things found in the word of God to calm myself. The one that comes to mind the most is found in my favorite Psalm, Psalm 46, specifically verse 10:

This verse reminds me that He is in control.

Today I urge all who are staring at the days ahead and losing their focus as I have found myself doing lately to also remember to put their trust and hope in Him. I keep telling myself that it is all in God's timing. Most of the time that does the trick. Like you, I am human and am prone to moments of tears and frustration. This is just one of many reasons we are called to pray for one another! Be blessed my sisters and brothers in Christ and continue to be a blessing in the lives of others.

Wendy, mom of many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2017

There is Always a Silver Lining

Most of us have heard the saying, 'find the silver lining'. It is one of the better worldly pieces of advice, but you don't have to look far to find this very advice written a little differently in God's word. A great example is found in Philippians 4:8.

The yuck in life is always noticeable. We have no trouble seeing it. Where our trouble lies is seeing beyond it.

A funny thing happens in life when you voluntarily decide to change your focus from the yuck to searching for the good; the bad doesn't seem quite as bad. You are able to reason that this too is just a moment.

For instance, yesterday was my due date for delivering this baby boy. It came and went without the arrival. Today I went to the doctor and discovered that I am not any closer to going into labor than I was last week. Now I could elect to focus on how miserable I feel. My back, my legs, my hips, my bones in general all hurt. As if that were not enough, I am having serious trouble getting a good night sleep as I have to go to the bathroom a million times a night. This line of thinking will only cause me to become distraught over my discomfort. Instead, I must find the silver lining in this situation. My silver lining in this situation is that I have another week to finalize all the things on my to do list that have yet to be finished.

That may not seem like a big deal but when you are already juggling a full load, it is!

I am certain that no matter what you are facing today that if you just concentrate on the things in your life that are good and pure and lovely, your attitude towards your life situation will brighten.

A key to ensuring that this change in attitude sticks would be seeking out what God's will is in your life. Seeking Him is the beginning of change. The last couple of presidential elections have been based on slogans revolving around change. The world doesn't ever really change, it goes through cycles, but with the help of the LORD, humanity can and does change. There is only one way for this change to take place permanently and that is to confess to God that you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness once and for all, accepting Christ as your LORD and Savior. When you do this, your heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Are you ready to live an abundant life? Are you ready to wake up every day looking forward to what lies ahead? Then begin seeking Him with all your heart!

Today I pray that you desire to live abundantly; that you search out the truths found in the word for yourself. I pray that your eyes are opened and that you grow in wisdom. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.

Wendy, walks with God, mother of many

© Wendy Glidden 2017

Name It and Claim It . . . The Meaning of Abundant Living

In today's age, we have so many leaders of faith telling people to "claim" it when discussing verses of abundance. I cringe when I see it first hand for I know the patience of most people. They lose faith in such circumstances as these.

Just because you want wealth and health does not mean that you can simply claim it and it will become your reality. If that were the case, tons of greedy people would be coming to God and there would be no doubt as to His existence.

In the end, those that proclaim their belief in the Son of God, accepting Him as their LORD and Savior and repenting with a Godly sorrow for falling prey to their flesh, will have complete health and eternal life lacking nothing. The floors of Heaven are paved in gold after all!

When Jesus made the statement that He came in order for us to not only live, but to live abundantly, He was not speaking of wealth and riches per say. He was speaking to being able to live freely, enjoying life regardless of the trouble that is also promised to come our way!

To be joyous in the midst of turmoil is indeed a form of living abundantly! Another interesting thing concerning abundance is that when you trust in the LORD for all your needs, He can provide for you in the craziest unbelievable ways. In other words, there is the world's economy and there is God's.

Allow me to share a story of how I have witnessed this working in my own life. When my birthday came around this year, I received $25 from my grandma. Wanting to make the most out of this gift, I decided to visit my local goodwill. You just never know what you might find there. As I walked through the store, I came upon a massage chair. Not just a normal one either. This has speakers built into it that recline back as arm rests but if you leave them up by your head with your arms down, the entire room fades away and you only hear the radio. As if that weren't enough, this chair reclines all the way back, almost into a flat position, so the massage balls actually massage your muscles. The controller allows you to pick what area you want massaged. On top of the massage, you can add vibration to your back and your legs. I sat in a chair in the mall like this over a decade ago. The cost was over $1200 back then. These chairs today cost that and even more, of course they have improved over time and the new styles are listed under the world's economy. This chair at goodwill is an old model and it was priced at $29.99! I could not believe my eyes.

As some of you know, I am pregnant at 48. My back hurts. Having access to a daily on demand massage would be nothing short of miraculous.

In the end, since it was my birthday month and I have a rewards card for goodwill, I got my normal 10% off and a $5.00 coupon for my birthday. In the end, this incredible chair cost me $22.01!

I am not wealthy by far, but that has not stopped God from gifting me in such incredible ways. I live abundantly. I say this in the face of never ending storms that appear in my life. Not a month goes by that I don't find myself facing moments of trouble. The difference in the troubles I faced prior to accepting Christ as my LORD and Savior verses those that I have faced after is that many of my storms after have been more intense and crazy than those I faced and fought in my own strength. I certainly was not able to laugh and enjoy my day come what may. Today I do. That is what living abundantly is all about. As He says, don't fret, He has overcome the world! KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING what this means for you is LIFE CHANGING! Today I pray you seek Him; Name it and claim it. Jesus is the Son of God, He came so that we could be reconciled back to God. This is a gift, not anything we could ever earn on our own. Claim your gift today!

Reflect upon your life. Truly reflect. If anything in your past causes a twinge of guilt or regret, admit that even you are not proud of all your past. Confess this, admit your shortcomings, ask God for His forgiveness, ask for help, ask Him to teach you to listen to Him and so that you can walk in the spirit ignoring the desires of the flesh. The more you seek Him, the easier this becomes.

Today I pray that you begin to truly seek Him. In the end, He is the best friend a person could ever hope to have. Not many people in this world would lay down their lives in order to save yours. He is the treasure. He is the key to abundant living. Please step out of the shadows and seek to know Him. No joke, your very life depends on this! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God, mom of many

© Wendy Glidden 2017

Life is Too Short to Not Live it Abundantly!

Not many people in the world know that I gave a baby up for adoption back in 1991 on April 3rd. Giving her up almost caused me to lose my mind. This is something that I share fully in my book: "You are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding". 

If I had only understood then what I understand today, I would have never let her go. However that was then and this is now. Ironically as I am typing this out, K-Love began playing a song that is titled That was Then This is Now by Josh Wilson.

Today I am 48 years old and once again with child. My due date for this baby is 4/4/2017. To say that I am more than ready to deliver this child into the world would be an understatement, but I am hoping that I do not go into labor today.

Memories and mistakes of the past can often come forward to the present day and attempt to steal our peace. April 3rd is always a day of reflection for me. I once hoped that this child that I placed in another home would come find me. I would just love to see her and know that she is okay, alas, I must face the truth that that day may never come.

With that being said, I must remember that I am a different person today then I was back then. The major difference can be credited to my relationship with the LORD. Back then I viewed Him as my nemesis, today I know that He loves me and I know that He always has me. I don't have to fear what will come tomorrow for I am perfectly content in living out each day as it comes.

In Scripture we learn that even back in the days that Jesus walked the earth, people worried about what might take place tomorrow. This lets you know that the enemy has been pulling people into fearing the future as a ploy to steal their peace. He attempts to also get us to focus on our past so that we remain chained by guilt and shame. Both of these are ploys of the evil one. All we have to do to successfully avoid this snare is to remember what Jesus tells us:

"And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?" Luke 12:25, NASB

Today I encourage you to not look behind or beyond. Stay in today. Stay in communication with God. Ask Him every question on your heart. In the days that Jesus walked the earth, the Spirit was not something that resided inside of humanity. It was something that was poured out after He sat beside our Father in Heaven. Since then, life on earth has had the ability to truly live abundantly. It is one of the reasons He came.

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

I pray that you grasp the depth of that statement. First understand that Satan is your enemy, he is the invisible thief that has been working against you every day. He is shrewd and he has battled humanity for thousands of years. Next, grasp this truth, Jesus came here and walked among us, teaching and fulfilling the law so that we might not fall prey to Satan's ploys and instead live abundantly, full of joy all of our days on earth and then eternally therafter. That is certainly something to be joyful over every day regardless of all the enemy attempts to distract you with.

In truth, Jesus too battled Satan while He walked upon the earth. The craziest thing to think is that Satan knew who he was dealing with and this knowing did not stop him in trying to outwit the son of God! Jesus is the only son of man that did not fall into sin, instead, he battled and defeated Satan. He paid the ransom for all humanity, sadly not all humanity will recognize this truth. I pray that you do. I pray you that you accept Jesus as your LORD and Savior and then learn how to armor yourself spiritually.

Had I learned all of this who knows how far in my faith journey I would be today. What I do know is that I am forever thankful to know what I know today. I know God loves me. I read His word and I find myself on top of the world. Thankful and Joyous beyond understanding. He knows my name and He hears me. That is something to stand in awe of. Afterall, I am just a girl after God's heart. Nothing more, nothing less. What is even more incredible is this truth, while I spited him and committed deeds of darkness, cursing Him, He loved me.

Life is so short and it seems for many it is becoming even shorter. They are slaves to addiction in more forms than one would have ever thought might exist. Those of us that recognize the battle for what it is. Those of us that have come back home, those of us that are followers of Christ, we must pray for our fellow brethren. May the captives be set free. May they begin to hear the voice of God louder than the voice of sin.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

I leave you with one final thought for those who believe that they are unworthy of God's attention, He came because He found you worthy. Don't you find yourself becoming curious about what else His word might hold for you?

Should you be a person with questions regarding how one comes to faith, I invite you to read my life story. God had me write it in a way that should open your eyes to truths in your own life. Click here for a copy in print and click here for an electronic copy. Print is only $9.99 and electronic is only $3.99. If you are a fan of true life stories, may you find yourself inspired and hopeful in reading mine.

Be blessed my friends, but more importantly, BE a blessing.

Wendy, walks with God, mother to many

© WendyGlidden 2017