Have You THANKED God for Jesus Today?

Today is Faith Filled Fantastically Full of Fun Fabulous Family Friday! Woo Hoo!!!!

Today on my way to work I was chatting it up with God as I do everyday and as sometimes happens subjects which I classify as titles began flashing across my mind. Today's title is the one that stuck the hardest and I was able to jot it down when I came to a stop light. Right after that, I noticed the song on the radio was saying "Thank you" I cracked a grin.

I was on a track of trying to blog on this alphabet picture of mine that sits above my desk at work this winter. I have not blogged on it forever and just yesterday I looked up to see that letter F was on John 3:16. If you don't know what John 3:16 says, you must not be a football fan of Tim Tebow. It was due to him having this written under his eyes that John 3:16 was the number one thing googled last year. I find that ironic because after the song ended it was announced that Tim Tebow was drafted by the Patriots and the coach made a comment regarding Tim Tebow's faith and how important it was to Tim and how that steadfastness was impressive to the coach. I smiled even bigger.

I put out a challenge to Renew your mind in a couple of previous blog posts and one of the items to help with this is to pick a devotional to read each day. Today my devotional was about God-Pleasing Faith. It references the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11:6 which taken from my MacAuthor Study bible states:

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I know many struggle with Faith. They feel God has let them down somehow. If you are someone who struggles, you should know, I struggled with Faith myself. If you have been following my own personal story you already know that. If this is the first blog of mine you have ever read, I'd encourage you to slide back to December and January and read a post or two. Many of them are about my own personal journey through this thing we call life. I'm sure I've worn a pair of shoes you yourself have traveled in. Nothing would please me more than to help you find your Belief and Faith in Our Heavenly Father. With that being said, Let's get to the heart of John 3:16.  This too is taken word for word out of My MacArthur Study Bible:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

As I often do, I am going to add verses 17-21 as well:

Verse 17:  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Verse 18:  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Verse 19: This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Verse 20:  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Verse 21:  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

In other words, the Truth will set you free! Seeking God with all your heart will cause you to step into the Light. The more you bask in the Light, the more you long for it. Before you know it you will wake up with Joy in your heart. It is a fruit of the spirit after all!

I have no idea where you are in your walk with God. I don't know if you currently turn to Him in times of trouble or moments of elation. I only know we all share the same Heavenly Father. He loves us all. So much so that He sent His one and only son to save us AND on top of that, He still allowed us Free Will. That means we get to decide whether we turn to Him or not. How much more gracious can a Father be?

Today I pray the lost are led out of darkness and into the light. I come before you today Father and say Thank you for sending your Son to save us. Thank you for your Grace that we don't have to earn. Thank you for walking with us even when we deny you are the source of our strength. You are so loving it boggles my mind but I am grateful you are. I know how long I sat in the dark Father. It was out of sheer desperation I called out to you. As you are Faithful, you answered me. I ask that you shine the light into the dark places of this world, into the hardened unknowing hearts of my fellow brothers and sisters. I sought you as a child and you spoke to me. I pray others will seek you daily. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

In closing, I leave you with the song I heard on the radio. Please pay attention to the words. Have a blessed day my friends!

Wendy,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013

Self Control is A known Fruit!

Good morning world! Today the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the day has started off with a blast. If you don't just love your life today, you are who I am praying for! Life. It can be brutal but much much much better than the alternative! I am saddened by the truth that people can be so mean to other people. Stress, depression, suicide, they are All on the rise. Spanning age ranges from the youngest to the oldest. How did that happen? One can't help but wonder, "How did we get to be such a rude, inconsiderate, hateful, uppity, better than, haughty human race?" We have steered so far from Grace it is almost scary.

Today I would like to encourage everyone to pay attention to their emotions! Were you aware that self control is a fruit of the spirit? Did you know that you are warned to steer clear of anger for your own protection? The more I learn about Jesus, The Lord of Air, The fruits of the Spirit, and my armor needed to live the abundant life I was promised, the more aware I am of the evil we face daily. I know I have blogged before on how important it is to realize we are indeed in a spiritual battle and therefore how vital it is that you understand the force you are fighting. I think it is in my blog titled "Why you need to know Scripture". Please do not mistake me for some great teacher when it comes to God's Word. I only know what He wrote on my heart. It was written on yours too. Just because it is there does not mean we all pay attention to it. If that were the case I don't think we'd be instructed to seek God. The more you understand God's Word, the more you will long for it.

One of the first books of the Holy Bible I studied with a small group was Ephesians. I will openly admit I really struggled with my tongue at this point in my life. For that matter, I struggled with the whole "Submit" issue. That was a year ago. Literally. Now I submit to Mike but not how I first thought that meant. When you "get" the beauty of what The Word is actually speaking to you, submitting to your spouse is an awesome thing. That is not to say that Mike and I don't occasionally disagree over something. What it does mean is we know how to communicate now. I submit to Mike because He submits to me. After 9 years I am in awe that we are like newlyweds again. We appreciate each other. I could weep due to the amount of gratitude I have for God's Grace. The Word saved my marriage. The Word is helping me with every element of my life. It is the number one book when it comes to "Self-helpers".

I imagine that fact alone is why the evil one has blocked it's use at every opportunity. It's why he created so many false religions. He is so darn sneaky he will have you convinced you need to work on your sin. Have you ever heard you can only concentrate fully on one thing at a time? It is true. It is why Lamaze works as well as it does. When a woman is concentrating on how to breath that is her focus, not the pain itself. With that in mind, when Satan can get you busy "working on your problem" you are not paying attention to your righteousness. You are focusing on the problem which will always result in making you stumble again and again. Giving the evil one more ammunition to use against you. There is no need for you to live that way. You see, you are already sanctified. If you pay attention to your righteousness and not your sin, you will sin less. Instead of beating yourself up or putting yourself down, listen to the positive voice inside of you.

The Lord of Air came here with one purpose in mind, to steal from you, to destroy you, and to kill you. Jesus came so that you could have life and live that life abundantly. Jesus came here to live out "The Law" perfectly. He was able to do what no human could. He did not have an earthly father. He is God's only begotten Son. He came here to save us. He too was messed with by Satan. He understands our pain, our confusion, our fight. We have an ally in Heaven. Through is fleshly death and His resurrection, we have nothing to fear. Stop crucifying yourself for past mistakes. Not one of us is perfect! Stop asking for something you already have. Forgiveness is already granted for all past and future sins. There is nothing you could do today or tomorrow that has not already been forgiven. Instead of asking for forgiveness, ask for strength!

The Holy Bible warns you about the enemy and gives amazing advice for how to get the most out of life. Stop thinking of it as a Religious book. The Holy Bible is the Word of God. Nothing More. Nothing Less. If you desire a better life, if you long for happier days, if you wish you could become a better person, there is only one book you need to check out. It holds all the secrets to abundance!!! I highly encourage you to get into The Word and to find a small group to study with. We were not meant to walk through this life alone my friends, don't help the evil one seclude you from relationships with fellow believers.

I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to share a song yesterday. No sooner than I had posted it in various groups on Facebook a dear friend of mine replied that she had added it to her play list. She stated that it was right where she was in her walk. With that in mind, I am sharing it here too.

Today I pray for all who are lost, lonely and without hope. Father, I ask you to go to them. Get their attention  like you got mine Father. I know I sought you as a child and I thank you for your Grace. We both know how far I ran from you. Father, those that have never turned to you and those that have run from you, they need you more than ever. I ask you to go to them Father. Lift them up. Speak to their hearts Father. I come to you asking that you turn up the volume. So many of us hear the Lord of Air much clearer and louder than we Hear the voice of righteousness. Teach us to be still Father. Tune in our inner ears. Magnify your word that you wrote on our hearts. Make it clear and undeniable Father. I am so grateful that I know you. I only long for my fellow brothers and sisters know you too. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

© Wendy Glidden, published 5/15/2013