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

Are You Dressed For Daily Battle?

Totally Tripping, Tremendously Thankful, Thoroughly Thoughtful Thursday! So makes sense that K-Love would have this as the encouraging word of the day:

Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. ~ Psalm 100:2, NLT 

All that the Lord does for us every day why would you not willingly almost without thought come before him worshiping with gladness and singing with joy in your heart. I find myself overwhelmed by God's Love for me. I haven't always been that way though. There was a span of almost 30 years where I felt completely unworthy of God's love so it was my own self that denied myself much joy and peace of mind and in return did not sing praises or worship my Lord. I was blind. I allowed the enemy to keep me in bondage, holding me hostage for the majority of my life. Me! A girl who was told in her youth by an angel that she WAS indeed a Child of God!! This is why it is so important to understand that Satan is REAL. He is the SOURCE of ALL EVIL. BIG Evil and Almost Unrecognizable Evil. Let me see if I can break this down so that it makes undeniable sense. 

Let us pretend that you have a child whether you do or not. Now, due to a divorce, you are separated from said child. From now on you only get to see this child when they call you and ask you to come get them because this is the way your visitation was set up. They must seek you for you to have a true relationship with them. Your child spends the majority of their time with their other parent who is always 'in their ear' with negative thoughts. Every day they are being told that they are a disappointment.  They are told that they are stupid, unworthy, a failure. They are told they are not really loved by you. They are told so many negative things about themselves and you, that when they finally do pick up that phone, their trust level is incredibly low. They long to be loved by you, they just don't feel enveloped in your love. All due to NOTHING you yourself have done to this beautiful child of yours that you long to lift, for you see the pain they are carrying in their heart. 

Would you not classify that other parent as both destructive and evil? I believe all of us would. Consider yourself fully introduced to Satan because he does this exact thing to EVERY CHILD OF GOD!!! This is why you must both KNOW the ENEMY is REAL and you MUST LEARN how to ARM YOURSELF AGAINST him, the Father of Lies!!!!

So, what is the real armor against such an evil unseen entity? It can all easily be found in Ephesians. This was one of the first Books in the Bible that I fully dove into with my small group. I find it priceless. Allow me to share the attire you should put on daily with you:

Straight out of my MacArthur Study Bible, from the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 6, beginning at Verse 10. My subtitle begins as: The Armor of God

verse 10: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

verse 11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

verse 12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

verse 13: Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm.

verse 14: Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 

verse 15: and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

verse 16: in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith which you will be be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

verse 17: And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

verse 18: With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

verse 19: and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in that opening of my mouth, to make known with the boldness the mystery of the gospel, 

Often when we read the bible, it is hard to make sense of what is meant to be taken from the text. This is what I get from these particular verses:

I need to read or listen to God's word EVERY day. The truth within the pages when read/heard every day, even if it is just a verse or two, will help to armor and renew your mind. You will have God's truth inside your head and it will be growing daily. As you learn more about your Lord and the Love He has for His children, your Faith will grow. It is your shield of faith that helps you when the attacks begin. I KNOW THIS FOR TRUTH because when the evil one came after me hard and strong this last summer, I KNEW, I mean with every fiber of my being I KNEW MY GOD Had me. I didn't understand the attack and the viciousness of it but I cast my own understanding to the side and I leaned on God and trusted Him with all my heart and even in the midst of one of the most brutal storms of my life, I managed to not only function, I was able to press head on! I could not have done that on my own strength for in my own strength I wanted to crumble to pieces and hide under my blankets. SERIOUSLY. It was my FAITH that allowed me to stand firm. A major part of your Armor is your Breastplate of Righteousness. This plate guards your heart. This righteousness comes from Jesus Christ. We can never become righteous through our own good works. IMPOSSIBLE to do! When Jesus died on the cross, his righteousness was credited to all who believe in him, through justification. Because of this, when you believe, God sees you as sinless. Accept your Christ-given righteousness and let it cover and protect you. This belief will keep your heart strong and pure for God. Do the Romans study if you are still unsure of who you are in Christ! Next we come to our foot ware. We must shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace. When in battle it is important to have the right type of shoes on. Any soldier knows this! So where do you find these shoes? How does one go about getting a pair to wear? First you have to discover 'True Peace'. True peace comes only by being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. That is salvation from sin and its consequences of condemnation by God. Since that reconciliation takes place because of God's initiative, God is called the God of peace. You can verify this by reading Hebrews 13:20 as well as Philippians 4:9. It is This good news that is the message of the gospel of peace. We are to stand firm in the gospel of peace and when we do, we can remain calm regardless of whatever may come our way. Regardless of any temptation we might face or any lie someone claims, even slander or any persecution Satan may bring against us. We are controlled by God's peace instead of fear. Satan operates through fear. If you are controlled by peace rather than fear, you my friend will win the battle Every time! Next we must carry the shield of faith as well as the Helmet of Salvation and the sword of the spirit. The Helmet of Salvation protects our mind. Jesus Christ said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31 - 32, NIV) The truth of salvation through Jesus Christ indeed sets us free. The shield of faith can be whipped out when you are under attack. Again, Satan's biggest weapon against you is Fear. With Faith you easily distinguish the fiery arrows he will launch at you during an attack. The sword of the Spirit is God's word. This is why it is wise to read God's word every day, even if it is only a verse at a time, within one month you will have renewed your mind with over 30 verses. There is something about picking up God's word and reading it. It becomes something you crave, even more so than food. Suddenly during times of trials and tribulations rather than pacing back and forth full of fear and anxiety, you are able to rest in peace and dive into God's word. Suddenly you will be floating through storms that you used to almost die in. This is the difference of fighting in your own strength and allowing yourself to rest and lean on God's strength. 

Just like with anything we do, don't think you are going to become well versed and full of faith in one day of reading a little bit of scripture. You must make this a practice. Kind of why it is called your DAILY armor! I promise if you truly seek God and His truth, your world will change. In all the things you do in your lifetime, getting to know your heavenly Father and building a relationship with Him is the most important thing you can do. It truly makes all the difference in the final outcome. 

Father, today I pray that your children come to know the truth. May they seek you Father and find all that you have to offer. May they suit up for battle daily and begin to turn back to help more fellow brethren as they grow strong themselves. May we feed upon your word father. May we thirst for it. The other day when as a lady heard about my circumstance she said, "Oh honey you really have it hard. Even prayer won't help you." I laughed and quickly said, "Oh prayer helps me every day." May countless of us begin to pray and believe in the power of prayer Father. I truly know faith can move mountains. May this truth become more visible to countless across the world. May we get on our knees and pray as the spirit moves us. More and more often the spirit moves me to pray for others. May I get more in tune with this Father. May I not doubt where the draw to pray for someone comes from. May I begin praying in the Spirit with Full Faith in Knowing I am being used to help heal others. Please use me more often and in greater ways Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Wonderful Wild Wacky Weds . . . just a few thoughts

Wow! It is wild wacky wonderful Wednesday already! So much has happened since I last wrote. Where does one begin? I guess by warming up. Allow me to share the encouraging word by K-Love for the day:

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him ~ 1 John 4:9, NLT

That is some serious love! How do we allow the evil one to trick us into believing we are so unlovable. I mean when you study the Holy Bible, you realize that all along God planned to do just what he did. Time and time again we read about Jesus years before he appeared here on Earth. What a loving Father, what an incredible loving son. 

I must admit I loved it when I read in the bible that Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." I mean we all wonder who is this God of Wrath. What is He like? When I was growing up all I seemed to learn about was Hell, Fire and Damnation! Step out of line and that was it, prepare for the wrath of God. If you have read my story here on blogger that is broken into many posts, you know that I thought the reason I was molested was because I had planned to outwit God as a young girl. I thought He was showing me He would have His way one way or another. Such a foolish child I was! Honestly, to this day, I often think of myself as a foolish girl. If you'd like to know more about this story of mine, all of this can be read about in some of my first few blog posts, these are the titles for that portion of my story:

1. The Boy and My Plan to Outwit God

2. Face to Face with an Angel

3. Grounded for Losing My Virginity

4. Too Angry to Process the Assault with Love

5. Taking Control of My Destiny

The closest real life example we have to what God is like is via His son, Jesus. So, if you want to truly know how God feels about you, my suggestion would be to learn about His Son. After all as it says in 1 John 4:9, God loved us so much He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life. 

That whole 'might' gives us another picture of God. He allows us Free Will. He sent his son to save us but does not demand that we accept the life saver He has thrown us. I would like you to put yourself into those shoes. How many times have you done a big favor for someone and in return ended up with results that were not what you expected. How many of us have you thought to yourself, "What an ingrate?" Money and Time are one thing, but to give up your own child to save others, that is one heck of a sacrifice! Then to go one step further and say, "If you believe you are saved but if you don't, well that is your free will. Should you change your mind, I am always here. Keeping watch. Waiting for you to knock." To me that is such Love. 

I have so much yet to blog about. I need to be more disciplined in my time to write. Many that know me laugh when I say I need to step it up. I have a home full of children without a father in the home currently, They all arrive here at my full time place of employment and are here for the last hour and a half of my work day, I dedicate time to hang out with fellow believers to keep me encouraged on both Thursday and Sunday, as of 10 days ago, I began adding a full hour of exercise to my schedule and somehow in the mix of that, I write to encourage others with my own tales, sob stories and moments of triumph! 

I have started going to counseling twice a month. She suggested I get into the habit of trying to write something every day. So, here I am thinking I had nothing to write, writing. I am going to employ her tactic. At some point during the day before my day closes, I am going to write. It may just be in my journal but I intend to get better with my blog. I look forward to sharing much more about my journey with you for some of the coolest things that have happened to me, or what some one call "Only God Could Make that Happen" stories, I have not even gotten to yet. 

I had heard a great song on the radio the other day, but for the life of me I cannot find it with my feeble google skills. However, while searching, I did find a good song that I love. I end here leaving you with the video of the one I think my speak to those who need to know, Jesus came to spread the good news to those caught in the bondage of sin. You are loved. You are wanted back home!

Father, today I thank you for your never ending Love. I cannot begin to figure out everything and how you put it together but I know that you do weave a master piece in all your children. May I be willing to become all you intended me to be. Help me stay focused in all the areas of my life Father, starting with my focus on you. I am so grateful for what you are doing in my life as well as in Mike's. It seems that in leaving all of us behind the conviction process has begun. I thank you for speaking to him through the spirit. I never thought I would hear him say he was selfish. I knew then that he must finally be hurting enough to listen to the voice of righteousness. I thank you for never giving up on your children Lord. You know I was a mess a time or two myself. Continue to speak truth to us Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Love Does!

Good afternoon everyone! Today is Fantastically Fabulous Fun-Filled Family Friday! Let's take time to appreciate our families, our loved ones, our fellow brother's and sister's in Christ. Let's pause for a moment to give thanks for God's love. Forever enduring. If that doesn't fill your heart with a warm glow, I suggest you examine where you are in your walk with The Most High God. As for the scoffers of Christ, I simply ask you this, have you honestly taken the time to examine the gospels yourself? I have heard several people give their testimony about how they came to know Christ as their Savior. People that were once very firm in their religions and as such this made them non beleivers when it came to Jesus being the Messiah. Their stories have been riviting. I say if there is any element of your life where you feel a tug on your heart or a void in your life or you have this never ending search for something you can't quite put your finger on, perhaps, just perhaps you should give the gospels a spin. What do you have to lose? With that being said, here is K-Loves encouraging word for the day:

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. ~ Ephesians 4:2, NLT 

Yesterday was bible study and we are in Acts after Paul's sermon on Mars Hill. We were asked how we felt Paul was feeling at this point of his ministry. Not sure if you have ever read Acts or even know much about Paul, but he very much is an inspiration to me. We decided Paul was like us. Joyous for all he was witnessing, but he too was in need of encouragement. 

While listening to the radio today and hearing how at one point he was on trial and no one was there to support him (This teaching was from Moody and I believe it was talking about something from Timothy) anyway, I next turned my radio to K-love and heard this song and thought I would dedicate it to all those who think they are not appreciated. God knows your heart. He loves you and loves you doing what you were created for. This one is for you 

I would be a liar if I were to say that this week has been a breeze. On one hand, I have been uplifted by so many awesome messages from readers of my blog. Great encouragement I have been given. Thank you to all of you who have shared my blog or written me letting me know your thoughts. 

On the other hand, I am greatly heart broken. I know Mike is in a struggle. I read bible verses such as today's from K-Love and I question myself, was I loving enough? I believe I was. I listened this last Sunday with tears streaming down my face as Rusty talked about a believer who was walking through a season in the flesh. I am going to add this clip here because I feel someone could be ministered to by listening to it. I know it spoke to me. Blogger is kind of picky with links so you may need to copy this and insert it in your search bar. May you be blessed should you take the time to listen to this:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sunday-worship-at-pinheads

I have had several confirmations this week that sometimes God separates couples for years and brings them back together at the right time. Twice I have heard accounts of 10 years of separation! I think to myself. Ten long years without Mike. It is all I can do to take my next breath. Even with how he treated me, I love him. He is and has been in a struggle for years. He knows who God is but I don't think he fully gets the message of the gospel. I think I have been praying more for him in these last two weeks than I have in all our years together. In letting him go, I have been able to love him like we are meant to love one another. When he was with me, constantly getting under my skin and irritating me greatly with his lack of compassion, well, admittedly it was hard to pray for him in a compassionate loving way. That is what anger will keep you away from. Truly, I would love nothing more for Mike to be convicted by the Spirit and begin to listen and follow the voice of righteousness. 

I know not where the Lord is taking me. I know not the people I encourage. I only know this blog of mine is something I feel I am meant to continue. If I only help one person in a desperate place then what a great deed I have been a part of. I cannot keep to myself the message of Grace. I must share God's glory for my life is so different knowing all I know. It is indeed the best news in the world. God loves you. You are His child. He came so that you could live your life abundantly. Do not think that this means you won't have trouble! Oh no!! Quite the opposite! Trouble will come hunting for you! HOWEVER, God always has you. He is your strength. Under His wings, while allowing Him to work through you, you will find rest in the midst of chaos. My body is tired but my spirit is full of energy. My eyes are swollen from crying so hard yet I have a smile on my face and joy in my heart. What a mix of emotions and feelings it is. I would love nothing more than to sit down with Paul and say, "How did you do it?" I know how I do it, I pray and I read a lot about Paul and his ministry! I am not being stoned or beaten to death or put on trial for sharing the truth about Christ. I simply cannot fathom the amount of Love God must have poured into Paul through his travels. What a marvel God is to me. 

If you have never read the bible. If you have never taken the time to know your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to begin. There are so many false teachers out there. I know. I have been to many churches over my life time trying to find a place that was teaching the truth. Leavener does that for me as does my small group I study with on Thursday nights. I encourage you to check out the link from ustream and if you feel your heart tugged upon, listen to more clips from previous Sundays. May you find your way back home. 

Father, today I am exhausted and happy I have made it through the week. I pray I am a light for others. I pray I only reveal your glory. May I be another story that reveals your love for your children. We are so blessed to have you for our Father. I am ready to lay down and it is only 3 in the afternoon. I pray I am energized daily by your word. Thank you for ministering to my broken heart father. I love you. Where would I be without your love? Lost and lonely. I would be the perfect prey for the evil one. Thank you for your protection. Please watch over and guide all your children who are lost and lonely without understanding of the truth. May they come upon it like I did Father. Please use me in greater ways. In Jesus name I pray.

Wendy, (walks with God)

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Better Off With God!

Super Silly Sing Song Saturday. I have been listening to a lot of songs today. I drove around aimlessly as I waited for my hotel room to open up for the night. Mike and his mom went to Chicago to watch a Cubs game so I know they will be coming through Indiana again to grab his jeep on the way back to Florida.

It breaks my heart that he is going to truly be removed from my life. I know it was the second part of my prayer to have him removed should he not be open to becoming a man after God's heart, but seeing him so at peace about leaving me and his children behind and going on with his life hurts so badly it is all I can do to not fall apart.

In the process of singing with the songs on K-Love earlier, as tears streamed down my face off and on, I heard the greatest song. It is by Sanctus Real. Here is the link to the you tube video I managed to find of it.

I decided to get a hotel room tonight so I could have a place to crash on a real bed and honestly so I could also have a place to lay down where I can finally cry my eyes out. I am human after all. I devoted almost 10 years of my life to loving this man that I once fooled myself into thinking was mine. I watch our children play and I just don't get how he couldn't love our life. It is painful to say the least. I would love to go home and sleep in my own bed, but I am afraid to stay at our home until I know he is not going to be coming back for good. I need to stay strong. He called me last night and asked if I would come spend the night with him. I told him no. I have had countless people come forward and comment how light cannot be with dark. I had several women friends share with me that they knew I was not supposed to be with Mike but mentioned they could not tell me for that type of truth one has to discover for themselves for it to be truly received. Deep inside I have known it for a while. I am stubborn. I thought with enough prayer God would intervene. Sadly there is this crazy thing God granted us with. Free Will. Mike has his own free will and it currently has no desire to listen to God's word.

I have also received messages praising me for my faith. Please know I am just a girl after God's heart. The more I learned about His Word, the more I longed to follow Jesus, the more my eyes were opened to the life I was living with Mike. It was out of a righteous anger that I spouted off my prayer late Thursday night before I went to bed. My grandma always told me, "Be careful what you ask for, you just may get it." Boy did I ever get it. I know this is right. I belong to Christ. I am His. Like this song explains, "Whatever You're doing inside of me, It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace." I would type all the words within this blog for they all hit so right on. It's as close as I can put my feelings into words. I don't think I have ever heard this song before today. I was surprised to see it was uploaded onto YouTube three years ago. 

I am ready for God to open up my world. There is a peace in knowing that Mike is not going to show up with his negativity. In the same breath my heart lurches for I know I will not be with Mike again and that fact hits my heart with such a force it takes my very breath away. How can it hurt so bad to know he will move on as if I never mattered. I guess that is my flesh. For my heart tells me in closing this door I am about to have my world open up in ways only the deepest recesses of my heart have been allowed to desire. I have always longed to be a servant of the Lord. I have always wanted to enhance the lives of others. I have always longed to be a ray of sunshine in the dark corners of the world for others to see. God must know this about me for it says he knows all of your heart. If it is true that the righteous will have the desires of their hearts I can only imagine how blessed my life is about to become. Better than anything I could have ever dreamed up. That is what I am trying to keep my focus on. Peace, Hope, Faith, Joy and Love. 

I had this back flash hit me yesterday as I was in the office. It was a memory from two decades ago of me reading a very detailed horoscope book. In a gist my horoscope claimed I would be better off alone as I was difficult to please, love and live with. It claimed I demanded too much out of a partner and few would be able to withstand me. It recommended I stay alone and never marry!

I realized yesterday that there was truth to what that book claimed but there was also a very big lie with it. This book was put together without God's word. It is another reason one should not dally in such things. The lies stick with you for decades. You see, I have come to understand that I may be difficult for those who are separated from God to love but those that live in his truth will always find me lovable enough. The sad thing is there are less and less men interested in being followers of Christ. The majority that are, are already taken. I feel I will be without a human partner for the rest of my life and I am okay with that now. I have given my life to Christ. I belong to him. He is sufficient. He loves me the way I deserve to be loved. The way I have longed to be loved all this time. I have spent so many wasted years showing man after man after man the love I have to offer only to have it be unappreciated almost as if it were unseen. I know with my desire to be loved, I have gone to lengths other partners would refuse to. I felt I had to, being so unlovable. I spent countless years of my life wondering what it was about me that made me so unlovable. Now I know, it is not me, it is the broken empty men that have been thrown into my path to keep me from fulfilling my purpose. My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ love me. God loves me. Jesus loves me. That will have to suffice for I have no desire to devote another minute to another male partner that needs a ray of hope. I will forever show them the love of Christ but nothing more. I will not be snared in a trap again. I will not be waylayed from God's promises ever again. My horoscope may have claimed I was better off alone but today I know I am better off with God!

Father, I do feel as if a tornado is whipping around inside of me. How is it possible to be at peace and feel like my heart is being crushed in the same breath. It is absolute chaos and I ask you to remove the pain. Take away this ache for I know it is aching for what never was. It is aching over the loss of time. It is aching due to being fooled for I have been a most foolish girl thinking I could fill the hole in my heart with a man. Only you can give me my hearts desires of my heart. I am tired of keeping busy trying to keep a man. Fill my life so full of your work that I have no desire to be sidetracked. Keep my focus on you Lord. Keep my hands busy and fill my life with work. Use me for what you created me for. I am ready Father. I am your humble servant. Prepare me for all you have for me. Reveal it. Put me to it. Please do not allow me to be idle. Thank you for removing the obstacles that satan has attempted to use to steal my joy, kill my dreams and destroy my purpose. Thank you for always having me. Thank you for my beautiful babies. I am so sorry I stumbled in my faith and did not accept three of those blessings. I have often wondered would I already have been fulfilling my purpose had I just trusted in you all along. Thank you Father for never giving up on me like I gave up on you. I wish I had known about your word in my younger years. I am blessed to have been enlightened now. Thank you for not allowing me to continue to wander in the dark. While I hurt today, I trust it will not last long. I love you Father. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many 

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Have You Ever Been 'Pancaked' ?

It is hard to believe it has been over two weeks since I last wrote. Who knew the evil one could knock the wind out of a person repeatedly? Who knew when I was praying for those held captive or in bondage to be released I was praying for my own children?

Prayers are answered my friends. If you have read my previous blogs, you will realize quickly they are not always answered in the ways you expect! The first time I prayed for those held captive, I was doing laundry and I was in the midst of reading an awesome book entitled "Intercessory Prayer" By Dutch Sheets. I am still only half way through the book. Regardless, I prayed for the chains of bondage to be broken over those held captive. The next day to my complete surprise I listened to the breaking news about 3 girls who had been held captive for almost 10 years. It was such an astounding story and I wondered, did my prayer help in their escape?

As I have continued to blog I have added this to my prayer at the end here and there. Never hurts to pray for those who are held captive. So, I had just published the blog, "So Let Me Ask You, Do you Have Hope?" late Sunday night. It was all I could do to finish it as my life was quickly spinning out of control. It had taken me 3 days to finish it and publishing it late Sunday night was my feeble attempt at keeping my focus where it needed to be. I was about to write my next blog which I titled the above title 'Have You Ever Been 'Pancaked' as that was how I was feeling on Monday, August 5th, 2013 around 10 am. Ironically, my assault from the evil one had just barely gotten started. Little did I realize what was about to hit me like a mac truck.

I have struggled with whether or not to share this, but that is what the evil one wants me to do, hide in seclusion. I cannot and will not do that. As I have learned from various readers, while what I have lived through in the last two weeks has been awful and traumatic in itself, many others are dealing with their own nightmares. It is my intention to share everything about my life and how I sail through the storms so that you too may discover the truth about life and death and the valley we often walk through. With that being said, here we go back in time to the last day of July for that is when the storm first began to brew.

I had just left work and was literally 10 minutes away from my office when my phone rang. It was my mother calling. I answered knowing the news would not be good. She hem hawed as she always does when delivering bad news and then she blurted, "You need to come to St. Francis Hospital in Monrovia. I am following your children who were placed in an ambulance by the sheriff who informed me he couldn't wait to take me to jail." I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I stammered, "What?!?" She then explained my oldest three that she watched during the week had decided they wanted to walk home and she had allowed them to try. A neighbor had seen and called the police and because they weren't wearing any shoes and their clothes were dirty they were being taken to the hospital to be checked out. I was astounded, angry and completely at a loss for words. I had no idea where this hospital was and she couldn't tell me anything other than it was the hospital my Aunt had passed away in. I managed to write down the name of it and turned around to go back to my office to map it. I tried to reach Mike to let him know what was going on When I arrived at the hospital, I found my mother also without shoes. It was my belief at the time that my children had stormed off from her so quickly she had been forced to dash to her van with my youngest two in tow. After feeling looked down upon by the hospital nurses on staff, I was called into the back room with my mother to talk to a Child Protection Services Representative. It was her opinion that perhaps my mother was a little overwhelmed by my children but that none of them had said that grandma was mean, just that they were bored. During the interview she questioned my mother about a lock on the door and inquired if she had ever locked the children in their room. My mother stated that she had never done that. She insisted the lock had been put on the door a long time ago and it was only used to keep the children out of the room when she didn't want them playing in there. She did mention that my youngest had shut and locked the door a couple of times himself when the older children were playing in there but promised that was the only time anyone was locked in the room. Our representatives name was Mary and she was approximately the same age as my mother. They discussed how in their day and age when a child wanted to run away the parents would pack a little bag and wish them well. She then explained we lived in a different world today and that is not acceptable any longer. My mother explained she knew that and that was why she was right there with them following them in her van. Mary held up her hand and smiled kindly letting my mother know that was not acceptable either. She then explained she needed to go to the home and do a safety inspection and we would need to put a safety plan in place. By the time all of this was completed it was after 11 pm.

In my heart I felt the sheriff had over-reacted and I called to file a formal complaint. I informed the deputy sheriff that I was not happy that I was not contacted by the sheriff on the scene himself. He stated perhaps he did not have my number. I informed him that he did have it as he had insisted my mother give it to him. He kind of said it wasn't absolute protocol that they contact me because they had contacted the department of children services and that was the only thing they needed to do. This shocked me but there was no arguing the point as the deputy sheriff dismissed this as a no biggie. I was honestly insulted by the his demeanor. After I also complained about the way his officer had spoken to my mother and insisted no matter what crime had been committed by any person I did not believe it was mature for an officer to tell a person he couldn't wait to take them to jail. I insisted his officer needed a class on mercy and grace. He chuckled and said he had never had a complaint such as that on this officer but he would talk to him about it. He then stated he was sure that my children had been removed from my mother and when I informed him that was not the case, he questioned what kind of parent I was to have my mother watching my children. I told him I believed in the traditional family of days gone by. Grandparents helped raise the children and the parents supported everyone financially. I inquired how I was to get a copy of this report and he asked if I had a case number. I reiterated that I had nothing of the sort as his officer never had the courtesy to call or speak to me at the hospital. The deputy sheriff then loudly asked if I had a pen when I stated I did, he rattled off my case number and informed me I could get a copy of the report the following Tuesday.

When I arrived at home Mike was waiting up for me. I filled him in on everything. He informed me that he had gotten awful news from his mother as well. His only remaining grandfather was on his death bed and it didn't look like he'd make it through the weekend. He told me he had never heard his mother cry so hard and he felt he needed to take the trip to Florida to go be with her. The next day he was approved to take a weeks vacation and he was going to head to Florida on his motorcycle after work on Friday. When he was about to head out, I received a panicked call from my mother informing me that Mike had been talking behind her back and that he had told my oldest son he was going to grab our children and run to Florida without me. I asked my mother who had told her such ludicrous things and she informed me of the source. I told her while Mike may have said things that were not the kindest about the incident, that what had happened on Wednesday did not make him happy. I promised to talk to him about his mouth and assured her that he was not planning on running off with our children.

Tia my 14 year old was spending this particular weekend with her father and she was supposed to go to church with me on Sunday but had sent me a text on Saturday letting me know she was not going to make it to church after all.  I spent the weekend with only my youngest five children and we had a good time. I braided the girl's hair on Saturday so that they could have curly hair for church on Sunday. We awoke early enough to undo the braids and then I braided princess rings around the tops of their heads and used butterfly clips to fasten them in the back. They looked adorable. After church I took them out to get their first official haircuts for the new school year. They all chose some form of a bob cut. Next we headed over to play at the park for an hour before we had to head to the store for school shopping. Everyone was getting new shoes and a few new outfits to celebrate the beginning of school. I was trying my best at this point not to worry about Mike. The last time I had heard from him was Saturday afternoon. He called to let me know he was almost to the Florida State line and he had realized his back tire had the wire showing. He was keeping his eye out for a tire shop and he had promised to call me when he made it safely there. 24 hours had passed without a word. I did not want the children to worry so I waited until they were off playing at the park to call Mike's mother. When she answered I asked if Mike had arrived yet and she informed me the last time she had heard from him was Friday night to let her know he was going to be heading her way. Now I was almost sick to my stomach with worry but Mike's mom promised she would check with the state police and the hospitals to inquire if he had been in an accident and she assured me she would call as soon as she knew something.

Trying to keep a smile on my face for the sake of the children, we loaded back into the car and headed to the store for our shopping trip. Delilah was in the midst of trying on clothes when my phone rang. I was not familiar with the number but quickly answered it. "Is this Wendy Glidden?" a male voice I did not recognize inquired. I managed to say yes as my stomach turned. "This is the Hamilton County Sheriff mam. I am calling to let you know we have your daughter Tia in custody. She was reported as a runaway by her father last night. It was all I could do to keep standing. He went on to inform me I was expected to be at the courthouse on Monday at 1 pm. In the meantime he requested that I stop in at the juvenile center and drop off some clothes for her. I thanked him for the information and hung up the phone. Right then I realized the most awful smell was permeating the dressing room. To my horror one of the youngest had had an accident and with nothing to clean up the mess I shoved her panties into my coat pocket and we dashed to the bathroom. I felt like my entire world was spinning out of control. I could barely think. I never even knew Tia was missing. Her father had never picked up the phone and clued me in. I was angry, upset and about to lose it. I managed to get my daughter cleaned up and somehow continued shopping for the rest of the school items we needed. I called my mother when we got settled in the car and let her know what was up. I informed her I needed to cut my evening short with the rest of the crew so I could take the requested items up to Tia. I also told her about Mike and how he was still missing in action. I thanked her for being there to save the day for me. Normally on Sunday I take the children to Golden Coral and we have our family dinner there. It is their favorite place to eat. This particular Sunday we ended up going through a drive through and they ate in the car on the way out to my mothers.

On the way to her home my phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID screen to see it was Mike's mom calling. Holding my breath and praying for good news, I answered the phone. She informed me they had just heard from Mike and he was just outside of Naples. I said, "Thank God. I am having the worst day ever. Could you please have him call me as soon as he gets there?" She promised to have him call me as soon as he arrived.

Three hours later after I had dropped off the items for Tia, my phone rang. It was Mike on the caller ID this time. I answered the phone. Before I could say a word he said, "Hey babe! I just got baptized. My phone is dead. I'm charging it now. I'll call you a little later." It sounded like a party in the background. I barely got out the word "okay" before he hung up on me. Another three hours passed. I had just published my blog and checked my stats and it was 11pm. I shot a text off to Mike asking if he was going to call soon as I had had an awful day and was wanting to go to bed soon. He texted me back telling me to go to bed he'd talk to me the next day. I was so hurt and angry I fired off another text asking are you serious? You aren't going to call me? My phone rang and I answered. I began telling him my feelings were hurt because I had been waiting for a call and he had never called and his mom actually got on the phone to inform me that he had only had time to call her earlier and that he had been busy since and I said, "Are you freaking kidding me? You have me on speaker?" and I hung up on the both of them. Mike accused me of playing games which just heightened my fury. I informed him I was tired, emotional and had simply wanted to talk to him and that I was not playing any games. I told him before I said things I couldn't take back I was ending our conversation and I'd talk to him the next day. He did call me the next morning to wish me a good day. While my feelings were still hurt, I filled him in on the news of Tia. I hung up and headed to work. I managed to get my morning tasks done and felt the need to try to write a blog before I headed to court. Of course I never managed to plug in more than the title which was the way I was already feeling when time got away from me and I found myself having to head off to court.

This story is just beginning and what happens next is so overwhelming I need to end this particular blog here. I promise to finish the rest of this story . . . at least up to where it currently is for this storm is still rumbling. I am holding onto my Faith, hanging onto my hope and trusting in the Love my heavenly father feels for me. I know He has me as He always has me. Until the next chapter, I leave you with this final thought that I posted on Weds of this week on my Facebook page:

Today is Wild Wacky Wonderful Wednesday. I am still super raw and capable of bursting into tears at the drop of a hat. I feel as if I have run a marathon through hell, literally, and I still have miles to go until I reach the finish line. 

Today's encouraging word from K-love is the first one I have read in days. I find it ironically fitting for the first part hits the nail on the head as to the source of trouble . . . the second part . . . well, it too is true . . . however I am in turmoil when it come to forgiving the people responsible for the acts of hatred . . . that will require another verse and much praying. Stay focused on Jesus my friends. Had my foe's had him in their sights, none of what has come to pass would have ever formed.

Wednesday 8/14/2013

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

~ Proverbs 10:12, NLT

To all my readers, I promise to get back to blogging as I know in my heart the evil one loves the fact that I have been unable to write lately. I am praying for strength among other things . . . for those who never have read anything I have written, if you are wondering about God, Angels, Miracles and other such things, I invite you to take a peek into my closet. I have traveled many roads. I have been through hell and back and while I seem to be on another journey through the valley of death, I still shall fear no evil. Please come check out my story. If you find it helpful, all I ever ask is that you share it with someone you think could use a little, Faith, Hope & Love! Pick a title that captures your interest! There are currently over 80 posts.

Today it is Fantastically Fun-Filled Family Friday. I am currently at work with my 5 youngest children! Try working with your children under your feet. Talk about a challenge! Thank God the oldest are in school for the majority of my work day. I am blessed to have made it through another day. I find it funny that on Weds I mentioned I would need some time to work on forgiving my foes. The last two days, the encouraging word from K-Love has been about Love. I find it fitting to list both Thursday and Friday's encouraging word:

Thursday 8/15/2013

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

~ 1 Peter 4:8, NLT

Friday 8/16/2013

This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

~ 1 John 4:10,  NLT

I know God is telling me to keep my focus where it belongs. On Him. On His Son, Jesus. On Love. I am still licking my wounds. I am only human. I am in the process of healing. I am still in the storm and don't even know what is to come next. I will have a better idea of how long things will be brewing come next week. Stay tuned, I promise to share it all with you. What I hope you get from this is that it is only by the Grace of God, by His strength alone that I have not fainted by all that has transpired. I am trusting in the Lord with all my heart and I am not leaning on my own understanding for my understanding is nothing more than confusion of all that has transpired. 

Father I come before you today thanking you that my children are safe. While my life is an absolute upheaval I know you have this. I felt you moving me before all this took place. I have no idea where you are leading me but I absolutely trust you. I know you are faithful and I am trusting in that. I ask that you wrap your arms around all those that are hurting for whatever reason today. Let them feel your loving embrace. Speak to them Father. Give them a sign to let them know you love them as you love all of us, even the wicked. Help me Father to forgive my foes. I know they are not aware of all the ways of sin. How the evil one works against us. Help me to let go of my hurt and anger Father for I know it does me no good. I again pray for all those held in captivity to have the chains holding them hostage broken. May they fall useless to the floor never to be able to be used again. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Clear the Clutter

It's Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday. Tonight I am going to the send off for The women's Cross Roads Great Banquet # 46. How the memories come rushing back. I will forever be thankful for how I grew that weekend.  It cost me nothing to go yet it was priceless. Pardon the pun! With the event coming up this week and in knowing I was going to be attending the send off, my heart has been overflowing with elated emotion. There is nothing that can compare to knowing God LOVES you. There is nothing that can compare to understanding His Grace and Mercy. There is nothing that compares to laying it all at His feet, accepting Christ as your Savior and understanding forgiveness. When these things take place in your life, you truly do become a new creation!

On my way to work I heard a couple of awesome songs I had never heard before. I am including this one today for it is so fitting to how I feel, what I desire. It's by Addison Road and it's a newer song of hers I believe "My Story"

I truly desire to serve the Lord. I honestly long to help my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ lift their heads and understand there is nothing, NOTHING God doesn't already know about them. All He is waiting for is for you to come to Him. I was lost for so long myself. While I believed in God, I did not believe I was worthy of saving. The evil one had me fooled. Even with all the signs and wonders God had made visible in my life, I was blind in a way that was detrimental to my well being. I know that place so well. I lived there for years. I finally get to do what I always wanted to do. I get to help God's children, my brothers and sisters in Christ. By allowing Christ to work on me and through me I am able to be a light for others.

I have been praying for a way to raise money for my ministry that won't take money from others. Recently God helped me recall a funny idea he had given me in my twenties. I shared my idea with my 14 year old daughter and she laughed. While she says I embarrass her with my thoughts, actions and dance moves, I know she loves me just the way I am! Last night, God clicked it together for me. Today I am here asking if you would clear out the clutter and help a girl with her mission! I am asking for donations of all broken, useless, unwanted crayons you may have. I am also asking for any and all empty vitamin bottles. If you would kindly collect these items and send them to me I would greatly appreciate your much needed donation! Simply address your packages to: Wendy Glidden, PO Box 481, Westfield, IN 46074

I can hardly wait to unveil the items God gave me to create as gifts. I promise, I have a smile on my face and laughter bubbling inside of me as I envision the laughter, joy and hope they will deliver.  

I love the road I am set on. While I understand I live in a fallen world and chaos is bound to cross my road, I will not be driven from my purpose again. I am keeping my focus on Jesus and I know I will be just fine through all my future storms. I am Free. 

Father today I come before you with laughter in my heart. Oh how good you are to me. I am blessed beyond measure. Others may see my life as full of hardships, yet as I look back I see loads of laughter. I would not change my shoes with anyone. It is my prayer father that those who too have had a bumpy road and have been fooled into believing they are not worthy come to find Joy in you. I pray the evil one's connivery is counted as useless against my fellow brothers and sisters. Trials and Tribulations are a given. They stretch us, they prepare us, they strengthen us. Thank you for always holding me up through the storms I have lived through. It saddens me that so many are blind to just who you truly are and what Grace and Mercy truly mean. The world is so upside down Father. It must break your heart for I know it breaks mine. I pray your light shines through me. I pray it shines through others. I pray we begin to act like one body. I pray we discover our true purpose. I pray the blinders come off. I pray eyes are opened and ears begin to hear, understand and recognize the truth when it is spoken. I pray for broken hearts may they find you Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden, 2013

My Savior Lives, My Savior Loves, My Savior's Always Been for Me!

Hello! I hope the day has found you with a smile on your face, a light in your eyes and a bounce in your step! If not, hopefully what I have been given to share today will change that! I was on my way to work this morning listening to K-love and as this song began to play, big as day, I had my alphabet picture blow up in front of my eyes enlarging the next verse I needed to write on. If you have been following my blog you know that I have written on A - H to date. I have read what is under letter I a couple of times over the last few days and wondered when I would be inspired to blog on the verse. Today is that day. I am thrilled to introduce to you first the song that inspired the flash. It is "My Savior My God" by Aaron Shust.

And next, today's bible verse from my alphabet picture above my desk. It is taken from Psalms, Chapter 4, verse 8:

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.

With the world being in the state it is in, I find much comfort in this verse.  A couple of years ago, when there was much talk about the end of the world as we know it, on a few occasions I found myself in a discussion group with several people.  They were discussing the best ways to ensure their food supply as well as safety should the worst come to pass. In the midst of all these great provisional ideas that were being shared, I would chime in with this: "All that sounds great should we be able to stay close to where we currently are. The likelihood of that being the case is not certain so I'm just going to pray that God throws me some manna from heaven. He's the only true protection I can count on." 

Throughout all the various conversations I have been a part of over the last two years, some have chuckled. Someone once stopped talking and stared at me as if I was speaking in another language. The best response in my mind was when I had a guy high five me and say, "I love that. That's what I'm talking about." He was a fan of Ron Paul. I have been a fan of Ron Paul since I first researched him during the 2008 presidential election. He has written several enlightening books on what goes on behind the curtain. If you are into politics he is hands down someone that should have caught your attention for he stands apart from the majority of representatives we are presented with as candidates especially when you take a deeper look at what he stands for. I find it absolutely hilarious that our news crews called him a kook among other unkind names when he was a Presidential Candidate during the 2008 election. However, once the election was over, they had him on as a knowledgeable source for questions regarding our economy! The irony of the situation did not escape me!

We turned off the TV in our household in April of 2008. Mike and I came to the certain belief that 96% of what came out of the TV had a negative tone to it. Not a good percentage to win 'front and center time' in any household, let alone mine. Today I have no idea how I ever had time to watch it. I know one thing for certain, I don't miss it. You would be amazed at how much your children don't know they 'need' when they are no longer being feed soundbites every day. I often refer to the TV now as white noise. I would encourage you to turn it off for one month and see for yourself if anything changes in your home. 

With all that being said, I end today's post with the acknowledgement of how freeing it is to KNOW 100% that God has this. I don't need to understand everything about God. I don't have to defend his existence. I simply am blessed to have testimonies to share with my brothers and sisters. I too know how dark some of the roads we walk down can be. I've walked many of them myself. I am so blessed to have sought God and His advice, for when you seek, you will always find. The more you seek, the more you find. The more you find the more you seek. Until one day you see things shrouded in Heavenly lights so bright it takes your breath away and leaves you in a state of awe. When you get here, you will experience such a freedom, you will finally understand rest! Brace yourself though for Satan does not want you to remain in that state of mind. He will come at you in ways you have yet to experience. Remember to lean on your Heavenly Father. He is faithful. He will always see you through. 

Today I pray countless begin to seek you Father. I pray they seek you daily. I pray they sing your praises morning, noon and night. I know how faithful you are. May they come to know this as well. How blessed I am to have felt so tangibly your love for me. I thank you for that. I am in awe of your love for me. How I am counted as righteous still baffles my mind. How loving and gracious you are! Thank you. I pray more of my sleeping brothers and sisters awaken and step into action. I pray they hear your voice and recognize the signs you send them. I pray I recognize the signs you flash before me. I pray for more signs! I thank you for past signs. How they caused me to lift my head. I pray for your protection when it comes to those the evil one and those unfortunate souls he has connived, deceived and lied to. As you promise the enemy is crushed under my feet, let me never fall victim to him. Protect my heart and my mind Father as only you can. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden, 2013

Remember, With God, ALL Things are Possible!

It's Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday! As I look back at the blogs I have written, and ahead at those still left to share, I am awe struck at the strength the Lord has given me through my journey. As many of you know I listen to Christian Radio, Read my Bible, Read devotionals as well as countless posts from other believers. They all fuel my fire and renew my mind. The more I learn, the more I love. The more I seek, the more I find. It truly is a vicious cycle!

I subscribed to K-loves Encouraging Word this year. They say the encouraging word throughout the day on the radio itself, but they email it as well. This was the one from Tuesday and I just love what it says. For I know the truth behind the words. Without further ado, I introduce to you from Isaiah, Chapter 41, verse 10, taken from my email quoting the NLT:

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Doesn't it just warm your heart to know that this promise is true! No matter what you are going through, what travesty you are facing, what mountain lies before you, Don't be afraid or discouraged. He will hold you up. I can't help but smile for I see so vividly how many times I have been held up and strengthened. There is no denying it.

This morning I heard the testimony of a man on K-Love who said he had the most amazing revelation almost as if Jesus was in the truck with him and he just knew even if he were the only human on the face of the earth Jesus would have come for him. I know that feeling myself. I smiled. The man made the comment about how personal the feeling was as if Jesus had reached out to him right there and filled him with that knowledge. It is my prayer that all my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have this same revelation regarding themselves when it comes to the Love Christ has for them.

Sometimes I feel guilty being so joyous in my confidence of God's love for me. I know no matter what happens tomorrow, God will still love me. When it all boils down to nothing if you have a relationship with God, you are going to be just fine. It reminds me of Janice Joplin when she sang, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose" there is an element of truth to that. Many people add stress and fear into their lives due to the things they don't want to give up or lose. Possessions and belongings and even relationships can imprison you. When you have nothing there is no fear of what you may lose. I am free today for I know I have everything I need. I have God's love. 

Last night after I read Mike the blog "Dissed, Disowned, Disgraced and Darn Near Destitute" I asked him what he thought. He said, "Scary". I laughed and asked, "What do you mean by scary? What all we went through?" He laughed and said, "No, your memory of it all. Amazingly scary." I asked him, "Okay, aside from that what did you think?" He said, "I liked the ending." I was surprised, "The prayer?" He said, "Yea, it was really good." That made me smile. At one point in time Mike was not impressed by the prayers of others for others. That is obviously not the case today. Don't think a person can never change, it truly begins with the renewing of one's mind. Put in positive and positive will begin to flow back out. 

He ventured to ask me what my next title was that I was hoping for healing from and I said, "Landing on a Ledge". He shook his head and repeated what I had said as if asking a question. I said, "Yea, here I have been for the last couple blogs commenting about how I was tumbling straight down a mountain I couldn't stop long enough to get my footing. I was so confident that because you had asked God for me and had won me that you would always be for me. I felt we were so in love then I never saw what happened next coming and when it happened it was like wham, I landed on ledge so hard it took my breath away." 

As we carried on our conversation, Mike made the statement that we had really been through a lot. I said, "Yes, you are blessed to have a girl like me. You look at all of that and how calm I was through it all, even when I was 28 weeks pregnant with twins. You do realize all that I blogged about in that last chapter happened within the first 6 months of our relationship?" He said, "Wow." I said "I know. I never freaked out on you once." I may not have realized it fully back then but I was held strong by God's victorious right hand. Jesus Christ died for me. He died for you. Grab a hold of that truth. Recognize that Love and hold tight to your Faith. I promise you, He will see you through. 

I am encouraged to share a song, hoping you enjoy it. Sung by Brandon Heath "I'm Not Who I Was"

I am blessed to have Mike know both who I was and who I am today. I went to God when I needed help with our relationship and I was shown how to manage and today I stand with Mike and am thrilled to announce that January 18, 2014 we will be renewing our vows and for the first time saying them in front of family and friends as well as praising God as we share how we went to him alone the first time we said our vows. It will be exactly 10 years from our very first kiss. It was only do to my following Jesus that we are where we are at today. 

I just want to let you know, what ever you are facing today, whatever obstacle seems to large to overcome, with God all things are possible. Trust in that and walk in Faith my sisters and brothers. You will LOVE who you become and how your view of things will change. You will discover Joy in the midst of madness. 

Please leave me a comment on this post or any post you read. We are meant to encourage one another and comments lift me like I cannot even put into words. Nothing stokes me more than being an inspiration to someone helping them find their way home. The most awesome gift one can give to another is "The good news". You want to truly help a friend out, help them build their Faith. Through Faith they will find hope and when they stick the course they will discover Love. God is Love. Love is God. It truly is as simple as that!

Father God, Today I come before you and ask that you strengthen me when judgement from non believers strikes. I thank you for filling my life full of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They help with their encouraging words. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your council over the years. I love who I am in you. I pray I am a light for others. I pray you use me to call others home. I pray I am a mighty warrior in your army of saints. Use me Lord in ways I can only imagine. Allow me to be a voice in the darkness. Let my story of triumph be heard. May my testimony reveal your Grace and Glory to all who stumble upon it. May it inspire others to not only seek and find you but to in turn share the good news so that a wave of triumph becomes louder than the news of dark deeds. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013