A Trustworthy Statement!

If you have read my blogs for any length of time, you know one thing is certain. I LOVE God. I have this enormous, can't put it into words, gratitude for the message of mercy and grace that you only discover through Jesus Christ, my LORD and Savior.

Recently, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and lead a Bible study group focused on faith in Jesus Christ. True faith. The kind that makes you stand firm in the face of death come what may. I led a Bible study in my past where I witnessed girls transform before my eyes. This took place in a mere 6 days so there is no doubt it had nothing to do with me or what I said, the Holy Spirit certainly spoke through me those days.

So, here I've been, basically stand still in my writing. I haven't felt led to write, which of course has left me in contemplation mode. When I contemplate, I contemplate on God and the things of God. As I ponder, my heart speaks to Him. For me this is a form of prayer. It is open and honest conversation. I know He loves this forthrightness for He answers me when I take the time to truly get to the heart of things.

That is exactly what I have been doing these last few days. I need to prepare for my next gathering and I want so badly for my friends to 'get it'. I mean to really really GET IT. 100% faith in Jesus Christ. Now I kind of know the answer; the truth of the matter is it is the Holy Spirits job to speak to them, however, it is my duty to invite them to stop long enough to take a listen and to pray over them requesting that their eyes and ears be opened to all He has to say and show. Outside of that, it is them themselves that have the free will to decide if this venture into God's word is worth their time.

You can't claim to have the desire to know God and not continually seek someone who is in the word of God themselves. That doesn't mean attending Sunday service and getting preached at. That is not how you learn about God! It means truly seeking to understand what God authored through 40 devoted servants over the course of 1500 years.

It is not hard for me to believe the history that is told in the Old Testament. I often say I got to cheat my way to faith. Don't get me wrong. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that every person born has a measure of faith. We also have free will. How we use our faith, if we chose to use it at all is up to us. However, I do know that it is from faith to faith that we indeed witness glory to glory. So, I had faith. Honestly when it came to knowing if God was the real deal I had no doubts at all. That is because I walked with God as a child. I talked with Him, He talked to me. All of this is shared in You Are Worthy Too: The Proof is in the Pudding!

Regardless of my faith in God, I had not one iota of an inkling exactly who Jesus Christ was outside of being told that He was the Son of God. Knowing and understanding EXACTLY what that meant in my life, I was 100% clueless. I know that I am not alone in that truth. Those are the things I was talking to God about; "How do I help people get to where I was in my understanding to where I am now?"

I have been known to say that I wished I could just take everything that I know to be truth in regards to God and Christ and transfer that knowledge to others. This morning the first verse I read thanks to K-Love was this:

Timothy 1:15, NASB): It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

If I told you that didn't make me laugh out loud, I would be lying. This statement is written by Paul one of the 40 known authors of the 66 books found in the Bible. He writes in a style that causes me to hear him speaking to the crowd almost as if I were actually sitting in the room with him. I love Paul for who he is in Christ. I get him. I too see myself among the greatest of sinners for the crimes I committed against God before I came to know who I am in Christ.

Paul titles himself as the greatest of sinners because of the things he did in life before he came to understand and know who he was in Christ. You see, prior to that, Paul, a Pharisee, was actually persecuting those whose faith was firmly found in Jesus Christ! He was actually present, influential and approving of the first recorded stoning of the believers in Christ Jesus. Paul was 100% devoted to God. He honestly believed he was doing God a favor by hunting down these believers in Christ Jesus. On his way to Damascus where he intended to persecute many more believers, all of that changed. It was then that Paul learned the truth of Christ for himself.

When you see yourself as the worst of sinners, and then discover the truth found in Jesus Christ, which includes the message of Love, mercy and grace, you become driven to share that truth with everyone in the world no matter their stature in life. You see the world and all humanity as God sees it and you just want all to understand the good news which is so good, it is often hard to believe.

I feel sorry for those that only accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in a moment of emotion but then get caught back up in the ways of the world; never taking time to study and grow in faith. I am certain this is why Christ explains that even though many could be saved, they are lost because believers in the world are not working as they are meant to. 

(Luke 10:2-3, NASB): Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead  of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

This is why I find myself here, longing to be a viable laborer for the LORD. One who truly takes the time to not only nourish myself, but to find others who are willing to hear what I have to share. It's life changing news, yet so few find the time to seek the truth for themselves. 

I am going to continue to pray on how best to go about this desire of mine, to help others find their way to an abundant life for that is the promise of God Himself, a life of abundance now as well as eternal life in the end. It is also my prayer that you stay tuned to my future posts as I am certain as I pray, God will deliver! Until then know that I am praying over you, that your eyes and ears may be opened to the truths found in Christ Jesus.

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2016

Growing Your Faith

It is Fantastically Fun Filled Friends and Family Friday!! Can I get a whoop whoop?!? I recently finished reading my third book from beginning to end. It is the first time I have had the pleasure of doing that. I proofed and edited the chapters and still found errors I had missed in my first proof. It does not take away from the story and I found myself saying, "WOW!" as I finished the last page.

It is pretty cool when you find yourself captured and your faith growing as you read your own story. I guess its one way you know that you truly allowed God to write it.  I am in the process of notifying my publisher of the minor errors I found in print today and they should be taken care of quickly for the final print and any orders off Amazon over the weekend. I truly pray that word of this particular book gets out. I think by reading all three one's faith would surely grow by leaps and bounds and even the way you look at things will shift and all for the good. I am super excited to watch the words for my next book 'In the Midst of Spiritual Warfare' to fall on the paper. By encouraging others I have blessed myself 10 fold :D I truly get Paul's desire to encourage and share the good news. With that being said, here is a little something written by Paul. Taken out of Colossians, Chapter 1, beginning at verse 17:

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[g] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Have you ever wondered if you are 'good enough' to get into heaven? Have you ever questioned how you could have an abundant life? If you answered yes to either question, I highly encourage you to check out my third book: You are Worthy Too: Angels, Answers, Signs and Wonders. I guarantee it will change your outlook. After you read it, share it. Should you love it, buy my other two books and keep your eyes open for my next book that will be out before summers end!

I like to share songs in many of my blogs but some of my readers cannot hear or watch them due to the device they are using at the time. Today I heard this song on my way to work, it is sung by Sara Groves and I think the title is 'The first song that I sing' ~ anyway, I love the melody as well as the message. These are the lyrics:

In the morning when I rise
Help me to prioritize
All the thoughts that fill my day

Before my schedule
Tells me that my day is full
Before I'm off and on my way

I want to praise you
I need to praise you
Let the first song that I sing
Be praises to my God and King

Before the curtains part
Before my day is starting
Before I make up the bed

Before the snooze alarm
Reminds me that it's morning
Before the dreams have left my head

I want to praise You
I need to praise You
Let the first song that I sing
Be praises to my God and King
(Praise the Lord, Praise Him)
(Praise the Lord, Praise)

Before my feet hit the floor, I'll praise you Lord, I'll praise you Lord
Before I fill my cup, I'll lift you up, I'll lift you up
Before I start my day, I'll sing Your praise, I'll sing Your praise
Before I start my car, before I get too far....

I want to praise You
I need to praise You, oh
Let the first song that I sing
Be praises to my God and King
(Praise the Lord, Praise Him)
The first song that I sing be praises..
Let the frst song that I sing be praises..
(Praise the Lord, Praise )
Let the first song that I sing
Be praises to my God and King

(First song that I sing)
Sing your praise to the Lord
(First song that i sing)
Come on everybody
(First song that I sing)

First song that I sing be praises..
(First song that I sing)
Come on everybody
First song that I sing be praises..
(First song that I sing)
Let the first song that I sing
Be praises to my God and King
(Stand up and sing come on, Hallelujah)
Let the first song that I sing be praises..
Come on everybody
(First song that I sing)

(Come on sing, sing, sing)
Before my feet hit the floor 
(Come on sing, sing, sing)
I am going to praise you Lord
(Come on sing, sing, sing)
First song that I sing
(First song that I sing)
(Come on sing...)
First song that I sing
(First song that I sing)
(Sing, sing, sing)
(Praise the Lord)
(First song that I sing)
(Come one sing, sing, sing)
(Praise the Lord)
(Praise the Lord)
(Come on sing..)
(Sing, sing, sing...)

Below for those who can listen and watch, here is her music video as well!

In the mean time, be blessed and be a blessing,

Wendy Glidden, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

Do You Want To Be A Champion?

Totally Tripping Tremendously Thankful Thoroughly Thoughtful Thunderous Thursday! Can I hear a boom boom! Oh I am so in love with Christ. I am so in awe of what He has done for me. What a friend! What a Savior! What a King! What a Lord! I mean when you consider that He didn't just die for us, He allowed himself to be hung on a cross for our sins when He was sinless. Before his sacrifice, we all faced a Certain death. A Finality. Sure, there are various ways we all die. Some of them seem so wrong and cruel and vicious and unjust and truly many times they are just that. What we need to remember is that this death is no longer our Finality. Thanks to Christ, when we believe we are saved and while we die here on earth that is not our final hour. What an amazing blessing to be bestowed with such Grace.

For me it gets even better than that. You see before Christ died, He Taught. He taught us a better way to maneuver through this life. A way that would allow us to live abundantly! Abundantly!!

We are not capable of living out the Law. No human can live all their days here on earth without stumbling when it comes to the Ten Commandments. Jesus took that law handed down and expanded it's meaning to show us that without Grace we would never make it. Today I am so thankful for Grace, especially when I read today's encouraging word from K-Love:

Don't sin by letting anger control you. 

Think about it overnight and remain silent. ~ Psalm 4:4-5, NLT

Not sure about you but I have moments of anger rise. It is only by my desire to walk in the Spirit that I am able to follow in Jesus teachings. This is not to say I never get angry! Sadly I still have my moments. However the Voice of Righteousness convicts me of my emotions and reminds me who I am in Christ. 

That transformation did not happen overnight. It has come about over time by the renewing of my mind. I am happy I read today's encouraging word before coming to work this morning. No sooner than I sat at my desk, I had a phone call from an angry person that wasn't even our customer. I felt truly sorry for the person on the other end for anger was in control of them. You could literally feel it coming across the phone. I tried to get them to see that while they were angry and threatening me that all I was capable of doing was listening to their rant but in the end the result would remain the same. 

Sadly this only made them angrier and they began calling me things. I recognized that this was their feeble attempt to get me upset. I was wearing my armor and their words dissipated into the harmless vapor they were all along. 

Anger is one of the evil ones best weapons. He gets in your head and can spark that rage to ridiculous heights. Just think of Cain and Able. He has been playing this game since the beginning. Anger and Jealousy are two of the top weapons the evil one uses to get one person to hurt, harm and even murder another. 

Realizing that anger in itself is a sin. Knowing that sin separates you from God, can you imagine a life without grace? It would be short lived! We would all be toast for real in the end no matter how we made our exit. Today that is not the case and that my friends is the good news. These are the words you should repeat to yourself every morning and night and reflect on just what they mean for you. 

Jesus. Grace. Saved. Redeemed. Saints. Rest. Fruit of The Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self Control. Walk in The Spirit. Convicted of Your Righteousness. 

Now many false teachers believe if they tell the world all about Jesus and help others actually see the truth, then those that listen and get it will go crazy thinking they have no cause to be or do good. 

The truth is, when you realize the truth, the Holy Spirit convicts you of your righteousness and you will Want to walk in the Spirit. You will understand and truly feel the difference. Walking outside of the spirit will not feel good. 

It is true some accept Jesus and walk in a moment of darkness. After all the evil one is not going to let you go simply because you accept Christ. Oh no. No. NO. He is going to come after you with a vengeance. You see, the father of lies cannot allow you to accept Christ and proceed to easily walk the rest of your life on cloud nine knowing the truth and sharing it with others. Nope. He is going to throw everything at you. This is why it is so important to renew your mind daily with the word. It is why our Lord went to such lengths to leave us with such great writings of advice and council. You are blessed and protected in the reading of the Word. It truly is armor. 

Should you wonder how I can be so sure of such protection you should go back and read just one of my blogs from this summer. I will highlight it at the bottom. It is a timeline of when and how the evil one came at me with two barrels fully loaded. I felt the blows. Trust me I did. The more he came at me, the more I turned to the Lord and dove into His word. 

The armor we are advised to wear makes a GIGANTIC difference in how well we dance through the battle being waged upon us. Every day you wake up, you should dress for battle. We truly are in a spiritual war. The evil one is quite the adversary. He has had thousands of years to watch us. You think he hasn't come across the likes of you before?

There is one person who walked this earth in a human form that lived out the law and when He was crucified and His blood was poured out, everything changed. The most important thing you can do in your life is learn about and understand just who Jesus was. The next most important thing you can do with your life is spend it sharing what you have learned with anyone and everyone. 

I love that this verse comes before the teachings of Jesus and I love Psalms. We are taking a deep dive into four Psalms at my home church on Sundays. King David, the same David that defeated Goliath, was truly a man after God's heart. I am indeed a woman after God's heart. So it makes perfect sense that King David's words make my heart leap with joy. I feel my blood race through my veins when I read various Psalms written by King David. Honestly, I get the same feeling when I read some of the things written by Paul as well. They remind me of champions for the Lord. I want to be a champion for my Lord. I want others to understand and feel the Love the Lord holds for them. I want them to experience it for themselves. There is no greater feeling in the world then knowing your Heavenly Father is smiling upon you. 

Father I come before you today with songs of praise. What a loving Father you are. What a foolish child I was. I am so thankful for your Grace and your Faithfulness. What a blessing they are. I truly love how much you care for me. Your ways are amazing and I am often left in awe for the the many blessings you bestow upon me. I am unsure what I ever did to earn such favor but I am sure thankful for it! All I long for the rest of my days is to be a champion for you. A mighty warrior. Use me Lord to reach out to others. Please use my fingers to say what it is you want to say. I love all the words you have left for me to read through others. They make me sing and dance and laugh and leap with joy for I know they are all true. You love your children. You desire for us to live abundant lives. I pray that others feel your love to such depths as I Father. May their hearts sing praises to you. May we glorify you in all we do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

* As promised, here is the link for the timeline blog: http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/god-is-always-good.html

On a final note, I just watched the new Mercy Me video for their new song called 'Shake' put on your dancing shoes and get ready to bust a move if you have a device that will allow you to listen / watch! Be blessed and be a blessing!

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 

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