First Things Need to be First Things.

As many of you are aware, I have an interesting life. I say that because I live with seven of my youngest children who range in age from quickly closing in on 17 down to 18 months old. Both ends of this particular 'bookcase' are boys, not that this matters. Mathematically speaking my house is in perfect balance when it comes to the ratio of girls / boys.

Anyway, life with that many children equals interesting no matter how you slice it. I cannot recall the last 'dull day' I have had! Not often in life, do I get the opportunity to be alone without at least one child at my side. Today however, God provided me just that.

I could have elected to stay at home and concentrate on my 3 personal goals, but goal number one is about putting God first and today had arrived with the opportunity to do just that in a new way. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Westfield Friends, the church I now attend, was hosting a learn and go event on discipleship / evangelism. Seeing how I am always asking God to help me share my love for Him with others, this event was one I needed to attend.

In the end, I would say we had one really successful divine appointment where the timing was right on with God. I had an advantage in having already begun the relationship process with this particular mom, simply by saying hello to her and her daughter every morning on my way to the bus stop with my youngest three children.

It was incredible. We prayed for her and invited her to fellowship. She was given both a Bible and a bracelet with verses from Romans. I reached out to her by text tonight to again invite her to church tomorrow. We left there elated and singing the praises of the LORD for the opportunity to meet and love on this incredible single mom who needed to be reminded that God loved her.

Our next stop wasn't a complete mishap, we were able to pray for a person who is in so much pain that she wasn't able to accept all that God had for her today, but I felt like when we left things were calmer than they were when we arrived. Sometimes your just meant to be one of many voices pointing toward God in a person's life. In the end it is always the Holy Spirit that does the work in a person's life, we are just one of many He sends in an attempt to get their attention on what matters in life.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how God will flash Scripture across my head as He did for this lady of pain. She seemed to take in the first part of what was put on my heart to share, but when it came to the tie in, she quickly let go of my hands and walked away. She wasn't ready and that is okay. I know that I need to continue to pray for her. She's in bondage and I have been there. If we who are blessed enough to have been freed, remember that we at one time were also blind and unwilling to give up our lifestyle for the unknown, it will give us a greater heart for those who are wearing the shoes we once walked uncomfortably in. LORD knows I have a closet full of shoes I wish I had never walked in. However the flip side of that is God can use me to speak to a million people from a perspective of, been there.

Another incredible moment of my day just took place before midnight. I passed my Math III class tonight with flying colors. There are only 3 more days left until the end of my term and by the grace of God, I earned 32 college credits this term! I pray I move as fast or faster during my next term.

I need to close out the day officially and that saddens me a little because I did not get in my full workout today and I didn't get it in yesterday either. I have done various reps as the opportunities presented themselves, but I feel better about myself when I can say that I completed the workout video. Regardless, today I put God first and aside from not working out, I can say I sought Him first and He did grant me the desires of my heart, I made it out of math class earning my 3 well deserved credits for the course. Praise God!

Father, today I thank you for the opportunity to invite a fellow single mom to fellowship with you. You know I have the desire to help others discover the truth behind their broken relationship with you. I am truly looking forward to what you have in store for me. All I have to say is "Bring it on, LORD, Bring It on." In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, mom of many, girl after God's heart.

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

I'm Never Wearing Jeans Again!

As some of you know from keeping up with my blog, I am in the midst of a get fit challenge to myself. Prior to getting pregnant with Delilah, I was in size 7 / 8 jeans depending on the brand. As the years have passed I had two more children and due to a really bad fall, I never made it back to that size. In the end, I gave away all of that wardrobe minus one pair of size 7 Red Tag Levi Jeans.

As I was moving things around recently due to the season's shifting, I had come across the above mentioned jeans. As I looked at them, I decided it was time. No more excuses so instead of shoving them back into a box to be hidden, I set them to the side to hang up in sight so that I had a visible goal I wanted to reach . . . kind of like setting up a dream board. I never managed to find the perfect spot for the jeans before they disappeared from my shelf. I figured one of the twins had seen them and swiped them to wear. Confident that I would get them from the wash after they were worn, I never bothered to search for them. This brings me to yesterday's events.....

You know how you get older and some of your most embarrassing moments in life turn into memories that you and your family laugh deeply over? I am most certain that this will be one of them. I say that because as everything unfolded, I found myself laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

Imagine, here I am, sitting at the kitchen table with Zechariah and another little boy that I watch during the day as they were consuming their afternoon snack. Travis was the first one through the door as normal, followed by Marissa and Marie. By the time Michael arrived, Marissa was sharing the events of the day.

"Boys can be so mean mom. These two dudes were making fun of Michael's jeans. They were saying stuff like, "You look like a dork in those jeans." and the other one asked if Michael was wearing his mom's jeans. This is the moment that Michael walked in. Travis was at the fridge and Michael walked up next to him to grab something to eat as well. As he stared in the fridge, he stated how they wouldn't stop calling him a nerd and asking if he was gay.

Now, I must agree that this entire conversation is a form of bullying. That being stated, sadly we live in a world where less and less children are being taught manners, let alone morals. It is good to have a house that openly discusses how cruel others are and how we need not buy into it, but rather forgive those who don't seem to think there is anything indecent about picking on others. It has been going on since I was a kid and from what my grandmother has shared with me, cruel kids were around in her day as well.

As Travis and Michael exited the kitchen, I heard Travis asking Michael about the jeans thinking maybe they were a little to big and actually belonged to him. Next thing I know, Michael has changed out of the jeans and gave them to Travis. This is when I hear Travis ask him, "Ummm, Michael, these aren't mine, where did you get them?" Michael shrugged that he didn't know which is extremely believable more often then not, someone else puts the clothes they think belong to him in his room as Michael is always last to grab his clothes out of the basket and I don't allow clean clothes to just sit around in baskets. This is when Travis brings the jeans to me and asks, "Mom, whose jeans are these?" I took them, and looked for the tag to see what size they were. As my eyes focused on the 'size 7' written on the tag, I began to speak, "Ugh," and as I flipped the jeans so that I was looking at the back pockets, I couldn't stifle back the rumbling laughter that was bubbling up. All but choking back my laughter I managed to say, "These are mine."

"NOOOOOOO" belted Marissa, "How did those boys know?"

At this point I caught the horror on Michael's face and I fell back in my chair laughing till tears were literally streaming down my face. Travis was bent over due to laughing so hard. Michael, not finding any of it funny, stated, I am never wearing jeans again. To which I had to hold onto my stomach because it was beginning to hurt to laugh so hard. Today, as the memory has come back to me, I have found myself bursting into several bouts of laughter.

With that being stated, I feel bad that Michael was made fun of once again. The day before, several boys taunted him with remarks about how they heard from others at basketball tryouts that Michael wasn't any good. I guess the tormenting was so bad, he decided to not continue trying out the last two days. When he had come home with that I told him he shouldn't have let them have that power over him, after all, those making fun of him hadn't even tried out themselves. Alas, it was too late since tryouts began right after school and he had elected to ride the bus home.

This brings me to the truth that our children are surrounded by bullies who find enjoyment at the expense of others feelings. We must equip our children with a sense of identity so that when the attacks begin, our kids can withstand the assault. Michael has enough self esteem and confidence that these boys have not destroyed him. I thank God for that. There are certain truths that come from God that stick and it is those strongholds that keep the evil one's lies from having the impact they were meant to.

Today I'd like us to join in prayer for all the children in the world who do not know of God let alone those who don't know God. May a friend step into their lives who is able to introduce them to him. After all, as we read in the Gospel of Matthew 19:26: All things are possible with God.

My children have witnessed crazy unbelievable deeds done in the name of God, so their faith in Him is solid. In this way they are truly blessed, faith is a major cornerstone in  your relationship with God. Those of us who know him have certainly fallen short of sharing His love and His truths with others. We have not been good students nor good servants for how many of us are openly talking about our faith verses how many of us hold back in fear of being viewed as some kind of 'Jesus Freak'?

Not speaking of Him, is as close as a believer can get to denying Him without verbally denying Him. That truth should cause any believer to reflect upon this verse:

"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 10:33, NASB)

Recently a song has begun replaying in my mind and in my heart. It comes with the reminder that we believers need to get to work. That simply hanging out inside our homes and our places of worship is not our calling." The song is sung by Rick Stump and it's called "Calling All People".

He is a major reason I first felt convicted to share what I was learning about Christ with others. I couldn't help but thinking how different my life might have turned out had someone who believed stepped out of their comfort zone to share their faith with me.

This Saturday, the church I now attend, Westfield Friends, is hosting an event focused on sharing Jesus with others. This is just another reason I know I am right where I am supposed to be. If you are local and love Christ, it would be great to see you there!

Father, I cannot thank you enough for all the amazing things you have done for me in front of my children so that their faith has been strengthened throughout the years. How blessed we all are. Thank you for allowing me the time to write about my walk with you and thank you for bringing an actual audience forth to read and share what you put on my heart. Your ways will forever amaze me. I look forward to all the things you are going to do through me! Thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, girl who walks with God, Mom of Many

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

A Little Less of Me.

Today is the first day that I looked in the mirror and could see the beginning of my efforts finally reflecting back at me in the mirror. I am so looking forward to seeing less and less of me as the days pass by. I really needed the boost today. When looking back, I began this journey, this commitment to sticking to 3 specific goals 3 weeks ago. When it comes to the weight loss / exercise goal, it took me two full weeks just to build up enough endurance to complete 45 minutes of cardio. While I have yet to complete this workout for a full seven days straight, I have managed to exercise every day since I began.

Yesterday, my knees hurt for the first time in forever. They were so bad I dreaded going up and down the stairs so I took that as a solid indication that I needed to rest from my video and instead just do some ab and bicep reps. Along with that while it might not seem like much, I completely removed everything from one of the children's rooms, cleaned the carpet and rearranged it all so that they now have more room, not to mention a more organized system so that they should be able to keep up with putting away clean clothes as well as taking out the dirty ones! I feel like that should almost go down in the category of weight lifting as moving beds and dressers around takes some serious strength!

When it comes to my goal of focusing more on God's word, I am pleased with my changes in this area as well. I had originally thought I would begin in the book of Ephesians, but in reality, I have begun in the gospel of John. It is my favorite because it shares so much of the conversational language of Christ. Never have I read a book where a character has exempted more wisdom and humor in the midst of persecution. You really get a deeper perspective on the heart of God by reading this gospel slowly, taking it all in.

I also made the move from K-love back to Moody. There was a little grumbling from the children, but I stood my ground. All day long as I move in and out of the kitchen / dining room area I get valuable teaching straight from God's word. I am telling you it is like I have more energy and focus in doing this. I had all but forgotten how much I loved listening to this station. Talk about feeding your mind all day long.

I think the one area that I am still falling short on is my blog. While I have written more this month than I have in the last two years combined, I am still falling short. I need to get reorganized with my pictures so that I can add them into my blog posts. Without a picture, I cannot share my posts in places like pinterest. As always, there is plenty of room for growth where all 3 of my goals are concerned. However, I am rejoicing over my victories. In reflection, I have come a long way baby! In the end, the secret to my success lies in my relationship with Christ. With His help, I can do all things.

Before I close out today, I must share a little bit how my brain works . . . this way, should you decide to purchase my book, you'll have a little glimpse into my weird sense of humor. When I got dressed today, I felt like the outfit I put on was much roomier than it had been when I put it on last winter. Sure enough as I looked in the mirror, I realized my shape was shifting ever so slightly. Some of me was missing! Immediately I thought about the verses in the Bible that talk about longing for less of me and more of God and it made me chuckle.

John 3:30, (NASB): "He must increase, but I must decrease . . .

Now shrinking in size is not what the Bible is speaking of when it speaks of less of ones self and more of God, but irony comes with a good chuckle sometimes . . . this was one of those times.

With that being said, it is my prayer that God bubbles forth from inside of me. I pray I see others with His eyes and His heart. Help me be a better servant to you Father. Thank you for your humor, your love and all of your daily blessings. In Jesus name I pray!

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God.

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

It's Good for Your Soul . . .

Due to the children, I listen to a lot of K-love during the day. It stays on the radio in the kitchen / dining room area; Baby bum plays in the living room during the day on the tv for the toddlers in the house. However, occasionally I switch the kitchen station over to Moody radio for the great teachings. That is actually where the title of this blog comes from. There is one man, I cannot recall his name, but he has a recorded snippet on a piece of passage and when he gets done discussing his share for the day, he ends by saying, "Read the Bible, it's good for the soul." There is an immense amount of truth in that. I cannot begin to mention all the verses that speak to this truth metaphorically but here are a few of them, not verbatim, but the passage is listed so you can search it out for yourself:

Man cannot live by bread alone. (Matthew 4:4)

Whoever drinks of the water I give, shall never thirst. (John 4:14)

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it (Psalm 81:10)

I notice the difference in my daily life from when I take time out to feed my soul compared to the days when I don't. It is like being out in the dessert and finally finding a source of water. That is one of many reasons that I go to church on Sunday. We all need to be fed with a dose of truth, faith, hope and love.

So here I am' another week has gone by and its time to take my personal inventory. Those of you following my blog know that I recently gave myself a thirty day challenge involving 3 goals: (1) Get better at my walk with God (2) Blog more regularly ~ no less than three times a week (3) Get myself back into physical shape.

Here is what I charted: sleeping in as long as possible is still a bad habit . . . I am waking up but not getting up in order to read the Bible, just enough to squeeze in K-loves encouraging word (2) When I am not reading and focusing fully on the word of God, my blogging rate slows down. (3) When it comes to the physical fitness part I'm actually happy with my progress. I did my full Taebo workout on 5 of the last 7 days and even on the 2 days that I didn't do the workout video, I was focused on my abs and stopped to do several reps on various exercises that are included in the workout video. This activity of course has begun to spill over into my eating habits and since I am working so hard physically, I am beginning to have the self control to turn down sweets and various treats.

The reason I take a personal inventory at the end of each week is so that I keep myself accountable and on track. I mentioned at the start of my challenge that anything we do consistently for 21 days straight becomes a habit. That being said, anyone can see that I have fallen short of doing any of my 3 for 21 days straight . . . even when it comes to my blog and allowing myself every other day off basically, anyone can check and see that the last time I wrote was back on the 16th of this month. The coolest thing about God's word outside of being nourishment for the soul is the messages inside regarding not being perfect. For instance, He reminds me that his mercies are renewed each day. (Lamentations 3:23, NASB) In honor of Super Silly Sing-Song Saturday, which I had intended to blog upon a song each Saturday, I would like to share this one that reminds me that each day comes with a brand new start and another opportunity to advance in the direction I long to. Matthew West, Day One:

Day One

Matthew West

Well, I wish I had a short term memory
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can't stop looking back

Yeah, I wish I was a perfect picture of
Somebody who's never not good enough
I try to measure up but I mess it up
And I wish I wasn't like that

I wish I wasn't wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody's keeping score
I'm tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin'

It's day one of the rest of my life
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one

Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don't have to stay there

See my hourglass is upside down
My someday soon is here and now
The clock is tickin'
And I'm so sick and tired of missing out

It's day one
And here comes the sun

Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy's new
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, I will fix my eyes on You
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy's new
Every morning, every morning
Sun's coming up, the beginning has begun

Starting over, I'm starting over
Starting over, I'm starting over, starting now
I'm starting over
Starting over, I'm starting over
Starting over
Starting over, starting now
I'm starting over

No matter where today ends, tomorrow you get a fresh slate. This is just another aspect of grace, something I have come to be extremely thankful for. So, I feel like I have done great during my first 19 days of my 30 day challenge, with that being said, I also recognize I have fallen severely short of where I longed to be in all three areas.

Since the word proves that there is a restart button, I am going to hit the reset button and count today as day one of my renewed 30 day challenge for myself. . . The reason for this is because I feel like the last three weeks were a prep period, a working out of ideas, a planning period of sorts where one works out the kinks.

I now know what I must do, the question is, am I going to be disciplined enough to do what I need to do when and how I need to do it. Before nights end, I will take an actual measurement to chart my progress where physical fitness is concerned. The blog for the day, I am in the midst of already . . . reading God's word, I have done a little, but starting tomorrow it is back to the old adage, early to rise in order to bask in God's word.

To all who pray, please lift me up in prayer. I long to be a servant of the LORD. One who does His will and His will alone.

Father, I recall the days where you and I laughed and chatted for hours, oh the plans I had . . . its funny how my ideas have changed through my own travels. . . all the things you have taught me in regard to my dreams. Thank you for removing obstacles out of my way, thank you for giving me my hearts desires. You are the King of dreams and you have certainly brought my dreams into reality. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to honor you through my writing. I am honored and humbled for all the ways in which you have taught me and prepared me for my destiny. You are amazing Father and I just want to say thank you for all you have done for me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God.

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

Have You Heard of the Thief?

Another day has come and gone. I am thrilled to say that I did get my full workout in again. It has taken 12  days for me to build up enough endurance to do the full workout. Honestly, completing it two days in a row makes me feel really good about myself. I am finally at the point where I need to note my measurements. It is going to be painful but often when we take an inventory of where we are at in life, pain is part of the growing, or in this case, shrinking process. It is so important to recognize victories because they are part of what fuels us to keep going. One thing I learned long ago when it comes to losing weight is to take that initial weight ~ another painful part of documenting weight loss, but after the initial documentation, avoid the scale at all costs for at least 30 days from the first time you record your weight. There are a couple of reasons that I make this suggestion, first and foremost is if you are exercising, you are going to be adding muscle and in turn, adding weight. The last thing you need to see in the midst of trying to shrink is the scale to stay in place or worse climb up a pound or two. The other reason is because your weight fluctuates throughout the day, the scale is not your friend, often it is the main cause for people giving up. This is where main measurements come into play. When you take your initial measurements and then retake them a week later, you are going to see some kind of movement in the direction you are after, especially if you are working your core. Throughout my life, I have used many digital workout videos, but nothing ever gave me the results that Taebo has. Billy Blanks has several videos on YouTube, but it is this particular one that will get you results like nothing you have ever seen. You might be like me and need to take several days to build up endurance to be able to make it through. Try to just go back to marching in place or butterflies if you get to a point where you can't do anymore of the reps. I promise you will get there. This video has a ton of positive messages throughout it as well so listen to his advice.

With it being October, the month of Halloween, I thought it might be apropos to touch on a subject that many in the world either don't buy into or due to their lack of knowledge regarding God simply are unaware of. It is the subject of spiritual warfare. I find it crazy that people get into watching shows that revolve around vampires, zombies, demons and witches, yet when it comes to the subject of Satan and his many minions, eyes begin to roll.

It would be great if Satan showed up looking as he does in the cartoons; red suit, tail, pointy ears and a pitchfork in hand. It would be a no brainer to be on the defense. Rather though, Satan works through family, friends, strangers and even ourselves. While he is not omnipresent like God, he has a network of fellow demons who all have one desire, our end.

Believe it or not, in life, when we are down and depressed, losing the battle whether it is weight loss or life's relationships, you will discover that he is at the root of all the negatives in your life. The cool thing is, there is another person who is at the opposite spectrum who longs for you to not just live life, surviving through the storms, he longs for you to live abundantly and rest during the battle. That person is Jesus. We find this truth in the following passage:

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

The thief is Satan and all his minions. They don't want you to achieve your goals. They don't want you to be successful in your life's purpose. They want you caught up in the world, fretting and worrying about both the past and the present, as well as every mistake or wrong you have done. They want you to doubt yourself and your worth so that you are unable to help others find themselves. It is only when our own chains are broken, that we begin to see just how enslaved we were by the enemy. When this realization dawns on you, evangelism becomes something you can't help but be a part of. 

I personally was enslaved for almost 3 full decades. Throughout my story, I unveil how by not knowing that I was in a spiritual battle allowed Satan to fool me time and time again. It is almost unfair the advantage he has. In Ephesians, much emphasis is placed on dressing daily in our full suit of armor. Even when fully dressed, Satan attacks. You have to admire his bravado, for he even came after Jesus in the desert. Not only did he attempt to end Jesus' purpose, he used Scripture as part of his argument. In my mind that takes some balls. It is also interesting to note that Jesus defeated Satan in the desert by sticking to Scripture himself. You can read this exchange for yourself by clicking here.

Today, if you find yourself down and out, or in the midst of some trial or tribulation, I highly suggest you take a timeout and read my book. It will open your eyes to many things that you most likely have never known to look for. $9.99 is a tiny amount to pay in order to discover your path to freedom and joy come what may. My life is not easy, but I laugh everyday. I am not depressed or without hope ever. I fear nothing and that is all due to discovering the truths that are revealed through my life story.

Father, thank you for your word, how encouraged I find I am after reading just a few verses. Man truly does not live by bread alone. You are my substance, you are my stronghold. With you at my side, I fear nothing. I will never be able to thank you enough for answering me when I called out. I pray that you use me in greater ways in the near future. I want others to read my story and find their eyes opened to the battle being waged around them. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

Come As You Are!

Due to a series of events yesterday, my eight year old son, Jeffrey, ended up with his first stress induced migraine. It was so horrific that he ended up wrapped around the toilet. Due to this, I was certain that he was not going to feel up to going to church this morning. However, he was the first child to rise out of bed today and low and behold his first question was, "Aren't we going to church Mom?" Rather taken aback, I asked, "You feel good enough to go?" He answered, "Yes, I just have a tiny headache now, but do you think it would be okay if I just went in my pajamas?" To which I replied, "Absolutely!" I've had my share of migraines over the years and from experience, I know movement amplifies the pain. I was simply overjoyed to know that my kiddo even when he was down and out wanted to hang out with God. I didn't even make him slide on shoes, barefoot clothed in pajamas is how he entered God's house.

I guess I am silly in some ways because to me it doesn't matter how one is clothed when they enter into God's house, what matters is that they showed up. Some people worry about their outer appearance and they forget that God is not focused on your outside, rather, His focus is upon your heart.

As service progressed and worship began, my little tike moved from sitting in the first pew to laying on the floor, I knew why and silently asked God to help his head feel better. I too was in the front so I was unaware of the looks and the gossip that would proceed. After the initial singing, the children leave to go to their own rooms according to age and Jeffrey got up and went with his siblings. At the end of service, I went down and collected everyone. It was as I was filling my cup of coffee that one of my older children approached me with the news that I was the subject of gossip due to Jeffrey and the fact that I had allowed him to come to church without shoes and in pajamas no less. It was also mentioned how disapproving they were of my parenting skills in allowing him to sprawl on the floor when there was a person of high importance that had come to speak that morning.

Luckily for that person, I did not know who they were by name. Knowing my tongue I did not ask that they point them out, instead, I went to the Pastor and asked if he had a problem with Jeffrey arriving as he was. I was reminded that in every church there are those who lean toward legalism and I know this to be true, regardless, my feelings were bruised. I took that negative energy and used it to push myself all the way through my taebo workout. I punched, kicked and processed my emotions all the way to the end.

The cool thing about holding one's tongue is that it allows God time to show you things. As I worked out, I reflected on serval points in Scripture that had almost seemed to play out in real life this morning. In James, we are reminded to reflect upon how God views both appearance and stature:

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. ² For if a man comes into your ^[a]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in ^[b]fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, ³ and you ^[c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” ⁴ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil ^[d]motives? (James 2:1-4, NASB, Bible.com)

Now granted, no one told us where to sit due to how we were dressed and funny enough, Jeffrey chose to be on the floor, the fact remains that we were being judged by someone who truly has not taken the time to get to know me nor my family, but rather who is too busy criticizing what they view as wrong.

Another thing that I realized is that this person needs prayer. If they hope to be a worker in God's army, they are going to have to take a look at their own interior motives for why they even show up at church. It is my belief that God wants us to 'Come as we are'. He does not care about our outer clothing. If you truly believe He does, then find me two places in Scripture that speaks to such things. I can find countless Scriptures that tell me otherwise. As proof, here is my second one:

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full ^[a]of robbery and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. (Matthew 23:25-26, NASB, Biblegateway.com)

I would rather be viewed as poor and misdressed by those who count themselves among the elite, than to be counted dirty on the inside by Jesus. When we place more value on perfection and performance than we do on simply having a heart for God's people and loving them right where they are, we are not living out the Christian life we are called out to live.

This morning, thanks to Jeffrey, my family put God first before anything else. While evil tried to ruin that today, I did not allow it to triumph. Instead, I came home, changed into my workout clothes and finally made it all the way through my 45 minute workout!!!!! Which brings me to one of my favorite Scriptures of all for I have seen this one play out in my life again and again:

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. (Romans 8:28, NASB, biblehub.com)

and from the book of James:

² Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various ^[a]trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[b]endurance. ⁴ And let ^[c]endurance have its perfect ^[d]result, so that you may be ^[e]perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, NASB, Bible.com)

I have to laugh, which has healing elements of its own, because today is the first day since I gave myself a 30 day challenge that I hit all three goals in order. (1) I placed God first, went to church, had fellowship, and contemplated his word in depth (2) I worked out physically and for the first time made it all the way to the end of my workout! (3) I blogged on my life with God and how He keeps me on the straight and narrow path come what may!

Father, today I thank you that my children have a heart for you and even when they are down and feeling bad, they long to seek you. How incredible that is. I know they have a love for you because they have witnessed the love you have for us. I cannot thank you enough for all you do, nor all you have done. All I can do is share my love for you with others. I pray that is enough. All I want out of this life is to end it with you telling me 'Well done, good and faithful servant'. I want to be remembered as a girl who was after your heart. Please if you see something in me that needs work, then help me work on it Father. Help me to be kind to those who talk about me behind my back. It is in my flesh to strike out, but it is in your teaching for me to hold my tongue and allow you to do my fighting for me, help me be obedient to your instructions always. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Wendy, girl who walks with God, Mom of many!

(c) Wendy Glidden

My Biggest Fear

Recently I joined a book club. Really its a Bible Study Group, but the book we are studying right now isn't the Bible, its a book titled "the Circle Maker" and its all about circling your prayers. The book comes with a study guide and one of the assignments last week was to name our biggest dream and our biggest fear.

When it comes to my biggest dream, that has been consistent since childhood; I have always wanted to be a wealthy author who was known for bringing people into fellowship with God so that they could learn about how much He loved them.

According to this book, I need to circle around this dream of mine in prayer. I need to come boldly before Him in thanks and sing His praises and then I need to share with Him my hearts desire. I need to speak it out loud and clearly.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:16 (NASB).

Again and again in Scripture, we are told not to fear but have confidence. If there is one thing I have learned while studying the Bible at Colorado Christian University is that God reminds us again and again during battle to have confidence, to be courageous, because He has us and He is faithful so there truly is no reason not to be confident when He says something is going to happen. 

The other thing that we were prompted to share was our biggest fear. I am humbled to say I don't have a biggest fear. That is not to say that I don't cry or have moments of doubt but more to say that very quickly my mindset is focused upon the fact that God is my stronghold. I KNOW He has me. There is nothing that can be done to me that could shake my faith or cause me to stop feeling loved or loving God at this point. Part of that is due to how far I walked down into the pit of hell before I received my wake up call. When I came back home, I came back demanding answers to countless questions. The education I received is noted throughout my book. It is why I know God has great plans for it. I know He is going to use it to free millions from their chains. It is going to be a gigantic call out. 

How can I be so confident about that when it hasn't touched the lives of millions yet? Timing; it's His. It has been from the beginning of time. I know this to be the case because He called me out, told me to share my life story. I am in awe what He wrote through me and how he used all the junk of my life to highlight incredible truths about Himself. Through my story you are guaranteed to see truths about your own life and in the end, if you get all the blessings that were written for you, you are certain to discover the key to living an abundant life. To think, all of this is possible for a mere $9.99 in print and $3.99 for the Kindle version.  

If in life, there really are things you fear, you simply must purchase my book. A life full of fear is a life not fully lived. I long for all to discover the path to true freedom. I stepped way out of my initial comfort zone to share all that God asked me to share and in the end, due to feedback from those who have read my story, I will be forever thankful that God called me forth. 

Father, I love my life. I am blessed to know you as I know you. Thank you for being faithful. It is discovering all you did in my own life as well as all you have done for countless others in Scripture that makes me feel so full of gratitude. When considering how short our mortal lives are, I find it amazing that you know my name, some random girl born in the midst of ages. How in awe of you I am. How blessed I am to have caught your attention. Please expand my territory, Please place my book in the hands of those who can bring it to the forefront of the industry. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, girl who walks with God, Mom of many

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

Not Allowing Life to Side Track One's Goals.

Today is officially the eighth day of my 30 day challenge. For those just joining me, I recently made the commitment to change a couple of things in my life. First and foremost, I committed to spending more time contemplating God and the relationship I have with Him. Second, I committed to working out. 

Thus far, picking up the Bible itself, or my latest read on prayers, has seemed to be next to impossible. It is adamant that I figure out how to be more consistent in this area of my life. It is times like these that I miss taking Bible classes. 

My second goal is to get back into shape. This part of the challenge I have done well with. It is easy to fit in a set of squats here and there as well as to work in some ab exercises or various stretches. Yesterday, I not only skipped adding in any Taebo, I skipped both my video journal and my blog post.

It was one of those crazy days where time seemed to get away from me. With a cub scout outing planned that evening, I had prepped dinner ahead of time. The outing was a 20 minute drive away so I knew we'd be getting back at bedtime to boot. As we headed out the door, I found myself being asked to take along a couple of extra children. What's two more when you already have 7 in tow? 

Things were moving right along until my car stopped running right in the middle of a one way road. I managed to pull over so that traffic could get around me. Just as I jumped out to lift the hood and see if there was a quick fix, a sherriff pulled up along side me. The last thing in the world I needed was to be towed. I knew the issue was with my battery. Where it sits is falling through and I had recently used a bungee cord to try to lock it into place. Unfortunately the street I turned on had rail road tracks going across it and in the process of bouncing over them, the battery had shifted enough to hit other metal and ground out. I was afraid I might have fried it and LORD knows I don't have a dime to my name right now so there would have been no buying a new battery. I prayed that it crank over but when I turned the key, nothing. Thankfully instead of calling a tow truck, the sherriff actually offered to help push us over to a side area so that I could work on the car. The kids were amazed at his act of kindness and even more amazed as several other people jumped out of their cars to help. Another kind man offered to give me a jump to see if that would help and sure enough the van fired right up and we were back on our way. There is nothing like being stranded with 9 children in tow!

We ended up being a mere five minutes late to the event and the kids had a fantastic time. Our den is responsible for the trunk or treat games this year so the gist of last nights meeting was to scout out the 4-H's event and see what games we might like to host for our event. The 4H people really put on a great event fully loaded with a haunted house and hay rides. By the time we left, I was beat. 

When we got home, we finished the few things that had to be done before going to bed and I shut the house down, fully intending on getting back up to record my video journal as well as to write. Those two things never happened as the next thing I knew, my alarm was going off and it was time to wake up the children. 

Today I have been more successful. I managed to get in a 30 minute workout this morning and when I put the babies down for a nap, I read a little bit out of my book on prayers. I even managed to check on my insurance plan and verify that they had received the documents that they had requested for renewal. I even managed to get both my athletes scheduled to take their physicals at the doctors office. Currently it is 7 PM, the chores are done, the children are out playing. Three of them need to get in a shower before bedtime, but all in all, today has been a success.

With that being said, I still have trouble looking in the mirror (smirking). If you've ever been overweight and have begun working out, I am certain you know what I am feeling. After a week of flexing all of my muscles, I can feel them again. Some feel better than others (ha ha). So when you feel like you are shrinking but the mirror stares back at you as if nothing has changed, it is tough. I know from experience that it takes about 30 days for your appearance to begin to catch up with your effort. This is why it is so important to stick with working out for a full thirty days. Anything less, is almost a waste of time and energy.

I am thankful to have friends that are in the process of working out and losing weight for their posts encourage me. Which brings me to todays encouraging word:

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. ~ Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

Wouldn't it be great if we all listened to that advise? Today I encourage you to reflect upon the way you interact with others and for the rest of the week attempt to let nothing negative come out of your mouth. Until tomorrow ~ be blessed and be a blessing!

Wendy, mom of many, girl who walks with God.

(c) Wendy Glidden 2018

Today I did take off from attempting to do the Taebo Cardio workout. It has been so long since I've been active, I know I need to take baby steps. In the end, I would like to do this video in its entirety twice a day. Thus far I'm up to 30 minutes. Yesterday I pushed it and did the routine twice. Once in the morning and the next time before bed. Sleep is definitely another thing I need to work. I fell asleep again and it about to happen again.

Drife