Are You in Search of a Better Life?

It’s Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday and today I am thankful that I got to a level of such great frustration regarding my circumstance that I sought God’s opinion on the matter. I knew I had tried everything possible. The only thing I hadn’t sought was God’s opinion in the matter.

I figured since He’d called me by name the last time I had found myself on my knees and after that when I had cried out to Him, He’d sent an Angel Band to sing a message to me that perhaps He’d have some great wisdom to offer regarding how to improve my relationship with Mike, the father of my last five children. In the process of my seeking, I ended up learning about Christ. Knowing God and talking to Him is VERY important. Getting to KNOW Christ will change your life and how you live it as well as what happens to you upon your ultimate demise here on earth. 

It was in following a one year study on the ministry of Christ that I was convinced that Christ was just who He claimed to be. He is the Son of God. He is the way, the truth and the life. John: 14:6 ~ Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” If you are wondering just who God is, you should educate yourself on Jesus. Many have bought into the idea that Jesus was a great moral teacher or a good guy, this is simply a baseless claim. I myself could not argue this misconception any better than the very words uttered by C.W. Lewis on the matter; “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 

That statement doesn’t leave any room for argument on the matter of just exactly who Christ is. 
Today’s encouraging word courtesy of K-Love is this: So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ ~ Romans 10:17 (NLT) 

I would have to concur that when I understood that Christ was exactly who He said he was, I was finally able to grasp the message of Grace. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and vowed to spend the rest of my life sharing the Good News about Christ. I made this committment not for fame or fortune but for the simple truth that in knowing the truth for the first time in my life I found myself completely free of bondage. All my chains were broken and I was truly free. Satan no longer bound me with fear, self-doubt, anxiety, or any of his other cruel chains of slavery. When you discover such a thing as true freedom, you are compelled to share it. You simply cannot help yourself. It’s exciting stuff. I guess that is why I love to read what Paul wrote. Admittedly, I have seen an angel who talked to me and gave me a message. I have also had angels sing to me; not once but twice. If you love music, you are going to be in awe at the instrumental sounds in Heaven. I fought a house fire with angels at my side. I couldn’t see them, but I heard one of them clearly. He instructed me on everything I needed to do. I actually inhaled a ton of toxic smoke and passed out, falling to the floor. I came to as I was given a fresh breath of air and I was advised to stay low as people died in fires. In the midst of desperate prayer, God spoke to me, calling me by my name and prophesied to me. All of these stories can be read in great detail in my third book; Angels, Answers, Signs and Wonders.

However, Paul, who was previously known as Saul, was at a point in his life where he had been persecuting the first Christians believing in doing so he was bringing Glory to God when he was suddenly blinded by the light of Christ and shown the truth. He went from being a murderer of Christians to an Apostle of Christ, bringing the good news to the gentiles and Jews alike. He spent the rest of his life professing the Good News. Talk about an intervention of sorts. Christ could have easily ended Paul’s life. Instead he transformed him into a new creation. This is truly what will happen to you when you come to KNOW who Christ is as well as who You ARE in Christ! I get why Paul was so devoted to the Lord. 

Today I would encourage you to simply start seeking the truth for yourself. You could begin by reading my books. God called me forth for a purpose. My purpose, much like Paul’s purpose was, is to get to know Christ and in turn reveal both the truth and the Glory of God to all who are willing to dive into my story. If you are a reader who enjoys a great story, or one who likes sequels, then my books are right up your alley. When I first began blogging, my call out ad I posted to sway people to read my posts was something like this: “I’ve been called out to share my story, from running away to being married off in a shotgun wedding, from becoming a high-school dropout to a teenage mom, from birthing babies to giving one up for adoption as well as both aborting and living through a miscarriage, being molested at gun point as well as finding myself in abusive relationships, to almost killing myself as well as using drugs, I have worn a lot of shoes that I would have preferred to never pull out from the recesses of my closet. However I cannot deny God’s request. Please come read all He has called me out to share.” 

In a couple of years, I found myself being read in countries I had never heard of. It has been a blessing to share the truth about myself. The evil one has attempted time and time again to keep me from my purpose and in telling my story, God revealed all of this to me in such a way that those who read my story also see their way to true freedom. Are you seeking an abundant life? If so, I encourage you to check out my books. I guarantee you they will open your eyes to things you never saw before. What are you waiting for? Buy the 3 book set today by clicking here! 

For a short encouraging video message, Click here! 

Until next time my friend, be blessed and be a blessing! Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many © 

Wendy Glidden, 2014

May You Learn to Live Before You Die!

My grandma gave me a book for my birthday somewhere around age 27 give or take a year or two. On the inside of the book, she had written a message to me. “May you learn to live before you die, Love, Grandma Rosie.”

I cannot remember for the life of me what the book was, but I never forgot her words.

This morning I awoke and wondered what God had in store for me. Since my computer is down, I found my so called smart phone and opened my email account and searched for K-loves encouraging word of the day. When I opened it up, I read this;

Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. ~ Psalm 119:144, NLT

When I read that, so many things flashed into me all at once. This is how I am led to write what I write. These flashes of insight are why even when I begin to doubt that this is my path, I remember the conversations God and I had about me writing one day and I know to my very core, this is what I am meant to do. I am a ghost writer for the greatest writer of all. He communicates things and ideas to me via the flashes and talking thoughts. It is my honor to share all he shares with me. I am blessed in doing so. I am humbled to be given such a task.

My wit, my patience, my kindness, my heart, everything that is good about me is due to Him in me. I absolutely love who I am in Him. When I walk on my own, things don’t often turn out quite so well. This is most obvious when you read my life story.

So back to the inscription my grandmother had written me. When I read it I was like; what? Live before I die? I’m living now. What does she mean?

I did not ask her outright that day. Instead, I pondered it over the years though. As I look back over my life and many of the things my grandmother has said to me I am sure that she was moved by the spirit to say them. I believe this to be the case because they have been one liners and they have been deep. Short, sweet and full of meaning. Often the spirit talks to me directly in such a fashion.

When I read that encouraging word, one of the things that flashed to me is that sin is death. When we chose to live outside of Gods laws, we often find ourselves deep in some kind of trouble that was brought on by our own doing. This kind of living is not living at all, it is simply surviving. Sure we are alive. We are breathing, moving, working or whatever but in all honesty we are not living at all.

We allow our actions to hold us in bondage. You see, it does not always feel good to walk outside of Gods laws. If you got real truthful with yourself, much of what you are doing when you are living outside of the law, does not make you proud. Meaning it is something you don’t want the entire world to know about. This is something the evil one relishes. As soon as you yourself are not proud of what you are doing, as soon as you begin to avoid certain people or places for fear others may see you ‘in the moment’, the devil has all he needs to begin shaming you into silence.

So, when King David says help me understand your laws so I may live, this is what he was talking about.

When you are on top of the world, doing what is right in all ways, you can stand proudly and you do. It is like the sun is beaming on you and life is good. It is abundantly good. Most of us have had one of those moments in our lifetime when everything was perfect and worry was not even a passing thought. We had nothing to worry about. We were on the right path.

On this earth it is so very easy to slide off of the right path, the narrow path, because so many temptations are lurking around every corner. Shame is a guilt that will chain you quickly. It truly is enough to keep one from their purpose in life.

If you are afraid of others discovering something from your past or present, you will not be near as bold about things. This is why it is best to come clean of everything. Leave the devil with nothing to shame you with. If you step forward and say; I did that and I did this and it did not feel good but it is part of my history, it is what it is. By doing this, those things lose their power over you. You will break the chains of slavery.

When you sin, you may not fully grasp in that moment that you have supplied the evil one with the tools he needs to enslave you into bondage. He will haunt you later in life with your shames. Don’t allow him that privilege. Don’t hand over that power. There is NO REASON to! Your heavenly father loves you so much; he provided you a way to freedom. He provided you with the law of liberty. Step out of the shadows and allow yourself to bask in the sun. Come follow the son of God and live an abundant life.

The birthday wish my grandma gave me approximately 17 years ago is the same prayer I say for all my brethren today. “May you learn to live before you die.”

My computer is in the hands of a friend. I do not yet know if it can be saved but I do now have in my email both of the chapters from book III that I feared may be lost. I still have 4 chapters to polish off to finish my book and I am certainly behind schedule at this point but I am not going to stress over any of it. This is Gods book. He put it on my heart to share with the world. It will hit the shelves right when it is supposed to.

Should I need a new computer, then a new one I will find this weekend! I hear there is a mighty storm headed our way. I wondered when I heard it was on its way for sure if it was perhaps going to be enough to allow me to stay home toasty warm and finish this third volume God put on my heart to write. We will see won’t we?

Father, today I come before you with such gratitude. As I read all of King David’s 119^th Psalm I found myself crying. I am so thankful that he too was willing to share all you put on his heart to share. His words and songs to you have lifted me so many times lately. I find him and his love for you very inspiring. To know that I am not alone in any way. To know that you love us regardless of anything we may do. It is such a gift to understand the depth of your love. I thank you for never giving up on me and for sending others my way to minister to me over the years. May I be a hand or foot for you as well. May my words lift and encourage and shine light into the darkest corners of the world. I have so much to be thankful for my Lord. Please fill my heart with your love so that I may reveal your glory to all I manage to touch in my lifetime. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God,

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden

Stretching, Shrinking, Growing, Thinking ~ Are You Ready to be Renewed?

Marvelously Magnificent Miraculous Monday. Mike Lincoln has come under the realization that he is madly in love with me. He is speaking a language I have never before heard him utter before. I know he is being stretched. I know he is growing. He is in the process of waking up, of allowing himself to be convicted and my heart soars because of it. God is AMAZING in how he works. During our separation we have both begun changing. God will never work on just one of you. No if you think it is all your partner, probably better take a deeper look into that mirror. Just being honest. Not one of us is perfect. I think that's the whole reason Jesus said, "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone." I'm sure it's where the saying, "Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones.", came from. It is what it is. I'm happy I don't have to pretend to the world that I am perfect. Wow. What a prison that would be!!  This brings me to K-Loves encouraging word of the day: 

I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~ Psalm 119:45, NLT

Freedom. My father always quotes Janice Joplin and says, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." There is a ton of truth in that. When you become a follower of Christ there is nothing you can lose. You have salvation. True freedom that never goes away. I am a follower of Christ. I am blessed beyond measure for I was shown the truth. You see just like gaining or losing weight, it doesn't happen over night. Oh we all want it. Instant success, instant understanding, instant solutions. Life just doesn't work that way. I do know this though it all begins with a renewing of something. To lose weight it begins with a new diet and exercise routine and when it comes to following the Lord, well, that begins with a renewing of ones mind. Which I truly think stems from a desperate call from the heart for change. At least that is how it worked for me. When my heart truly longed for a relationship with the Lord, when I banged on that door and said, please, help, your will not mine, I don't have a clue how I will do this but I do know if I'm going to do it, I'm going to need your help, well, He spoke to me. He told me to get off my knees and then shared a few things with me. You could say that was a pivotal moment in my life. After that he worked on my faith a little further by stretching me through a house fire that by all rights I should have died in. You'd think that would totally wake a person up to God's love and grace and mercy but no. I was still thinking I was unworthy. Next I was on my knees praying again and again and again over my relationship with Mike and God sent a human messenger to me. That honestly rocked my world. I was in awe of what had happened and I shared this story with all who would listen, but I myself still did not understand salvation, grace or any of that. I was beginning to search for it though. A renewing in me had begun. It was through finding Moody radio and then through the death of my first love, finding fellowship and studying the word that the renewing has continued. Speaking of Moody radio, finding that station is a story all in itself. I must tell it soon. I have so much work to do. So much to share. Stories about wisdom being bestowed upon me through prayer, and so much more.

This Sunday our talk was on finding your passion. Mine is for sure my love for the Lord. He called me forth to tell my story and I have been sidetracked and am now committed to getting back to it this week. I am ready to 'bust a move' where my writing is concerned. 

I started this blog out by saying that God works on both partners when He is asked for help involving a marriage He was asked to bless in the beginning. He has stretched Mike and He also is stretching me as well as helping me shrink. My grandma always warned me be careful what you pray for, you just might get it. With Mike being removed, which my prayer was, 'convict this man or remove him from me.' I needed to focus my pent up energy on something. What better something than exercise. After all, I had also prayed for God to give my health back to me which included my body before my twelve pregnancies. Through fasting due to what I went through this summer with my mother and my children, as well as the turmoil I was in over Mike and I separating after almost ten years, I was prepped for diet and exercise. So, I began a diet and a workout on September 15th, Tomorrow is my thirty day mark but for fun, I am going to share my results after just 29 days of renewing my body with both better nutrition and a devoted workout. I must admit, I have not paid one bit of attention to the scale. I believe the evil one likes to use this evil device to torment you, so I avoid it. Instead, I pay attention to what I see in the mirror and I take measurements. Something you can truly track progress with. I am thrilled to announce that in twenty nine days, I have lost the following:

4 full inches off my chest!
1 1/2 inches off each arm!!
5 1/2 inches off my waist!!!
5 full inches off my hips!!!!
3 full inches off each thigh!!!!!

That is a total of 23 1/2 inches in the major places. We all know you shrink around these zones as well. I still have two full weeks of this diet and exercise before I hit my six week commitment mark. The only thing I'm changing is busting a move with a little more umph for my endurance, strength and determination have grown massively over these first four weeks. It is amazing what you can change in a mere 30 days if you truly decide to 'renew yourself'. 

My challenge to you, start with your mind. It is the most powerful part of your human side. It is the place that Satan attacks so put on your fighting gear and join my army. I'll help you in every way I can by sharing what the spirit leads me to share. I will fully reveal my wellness secrets and anyone wanting to truly know exactly what I have done to rock this diet of mine, send me a message. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to help you get results like mine. I Love my Life. God truly set me free and He is wanting to do the same for you. All that you need to do is start out by giving Him 30 days. That's it, 30 days. If you're up to it, write me and let's do this together!!

Father, today I come before you with laughter and praise you are so Amazing. I love you. I giggle like a child over how you are changing me. No wonder you sent a lovely angel to tell me I am beautiful! I am beginning to see what you see and I want nothing more than to resemble to the world how you see me. Let me be a mighty light Lord. Help me shine to the darkest corners. Let my story be heard. Let others see your Glory. Oh it is so breathtaking my Lord. Thank you for allowing me to see what life is without Mike. I truly love him Father. Thank you for not allowing me to be deceived from this truth. Through our separation we have become wonderful friends again and for the first time since I fell on that ledge Father, I feel Mike's love for me. Thank you for working on him and stretching him. Thank you for our time apart where you have stretched and strengthened both of us in the ways we each needed work on. How do you do it Father? Oh to know your ways. To be able to implement them. Thank you for all my blessings, so numerous I don't know where to begin in thanking you for them. You know my heart father. I love that. I truly do. Please lift all my lost brothers and sisters Father. Send them your hand and foot servants to touch their hearts and open their eyes. Allow me to serve you in greater ways Father and help me with time management. I have so many more God stories I must get to sharing. Help me be more efficient. I love you in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

** Footnotes: Previous blogs that are touched on in this post:
(1)  Face to Face with an Angel (being told I was beautiful by a true angel) 
(2)  Saved by an Army of Angels (The house fire I should have died in)
(3)  On my Knees (Praying over a pregnancy I was not ready for)
(4)  Show me a Sign ( Praying about Mike and I where I received the message from God from another believer) 
(5) Unpacking Treasure, show me a sign Part II ( The believers letter to me almost a year later ) 

Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013