The god of Slavery

Recently someone was sharing their view on religion and how those in charge have been using it for binding people and they shared a few books they had been told to read. One of them was something like my blog post title. This particular book, they explained, insinuates that God enslaves his people by forcing them to worship him. In the midst of me saying how ridiculous that notion was, I was challenged on why my faith in the Bible should stand over these other books and they had to say on the matter.

I didn't reply immediately. I reached into myself and searched my own faith foundation. I started out with this:

"Often I feel like I got to cheat my way to faith. As a child when I say I walked with God, I mean I walked with God.

My home life wasn't the greatest when I was little. One day I found myself in a heap of trouble. In a moment of great duress, it was suggested that God was my only hope and I should pray to God to help me. That day I said my first fervent prayer and being true to who He is, he saved me from my punishment. I was so amazed I began talking to God every day. He was my best friend. He taught me a lot of things that today when I read them in God's Word, I can't help but sit back a moment as tears of thanks well up in my heart. Its in these moments of recall that I am overwhelmed in ways I cannot even put into words. It was in the midst of my next truly fervent prayer that God once again spoke to me, calling me by my name. Since then, God has allowed me to be part of a healing that I had prayed for in a very direct way.

I can't tell you what it is like to witness tiny miracles that are 100% undeniable.. He has sent angels to sing to me as an answer to prayers. He has brought me back to life when I should have died in a house fire and then sent angels to guide me through it all.

I KNOW God is Who He says He is and He is far from the god of slavery. That so called god is Satan himself. He is the God of slavery. He binds you and does everything he can to keep you from freedom. He is great at the game and he is the master of all the false religions and how to enslave people."

From there I shared what I had learned about the manuscripts through school among others things I had discovered while reading the Bible. I'm not sure if I realized just how strong my faith was prior to that or not.

I am in awe of all the things I have read in the Bible and the mere fact that they have stuck in my head without trying to make them stick into my head. I love the promises that God has made. I have come to know how faithful He is. I am blessed to see His hand moving in my life. I am blessed to read the Bible and have it come to life before my eyes like a movie.

Many people read things in the bible and they don't get the true meaning. They truly are blind to the message just like the Pharisees were blind to the truth. Sadly many who actually take the time to pick up the Holy Bible read things like; 'read His law, walk in the path of righteousness, don't sin, etc', and they see it as a binding kind of thing. In other words, life without fun.

That too is a trick by the evil one. Think about it like this; sometimes when reading a text from someone, without hearing their voice, you could take one sentence in two completely different ways. In some situations, you could even find yourself from one end of the spectrum to the other; being offended when that was not the intention of the author.

Sometimes our own feelings portray things in written form in a completely different way than the author meant for you to take. When I read things like "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, But finds his delight in the law of the Lord" (Taken from Psalms 1) I honestly know that even the wicked are blessed by God. So this is not saying if you are a 'sinner' you won't be blessed by God. You will be. I know because when He had me write my story, he revealed blessings I never saw the first time around. I was at moments as wicked as wicked gets and yet He was honestly keeping me from absolute destruction. He is true to his Word.

Matthew 5:44-45 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous!

We are blessed beyond measure when our eyes are open to our  blessings and we find great joy in all the Lord does for us. It is hard to get down when you feel the Love of God full blast. When you recognize all the amazing things he does on your behalf! The Lord loves for you to recognize your blessings. He loves songs. David sang to the Lord. It is why he is one of my favorite people in the Holy Bible to read about. My children love it when I make up songs for them with their names in them. Girls often swoon when a boy sings to them, let alone when he makes up a song for them.

If things like that touch our heart, don't you think the Lord relishes those things as well? He is Love afterall!

What everyone in the world needs to know is God LOVES YOU! He KNOWS you by name. I promise you; He is always trying to give us advice, to point us on the right path. All the way back to Cain, the Lord has been trying to get us to recognize that sin is crouching at the door. The one thing the Lord won't do is take away your free will. With that truth, how could He ever be called the god of Slavery. He came so you could have life and live that life abundantly!

NOW, the king of deception, the father of lies, he my friends is the god of slavery. There is one person that walked this earth that Satan could not conquer and place in chains. That is why there is power in the name of Jesus to break all the chains! He conquered death! He did that for you!

There is a song that spreads this message. I am not sure if you can view videos on the device you are using so the title of this song is "Break Every Chain" by The Digital Age. This is a link to a video so you can search it out for yourself: http://youtu.be/EtyVdC7E6Wo

I love it when they sing, "There's an army rising up". I am a part of the army and I am humbled beyond words to be a servant in the Lord. Their is honor in this fight. I am fighting for you and all those in the world. I pray in Jesus name that the chains of slavery are broken for all my brothers and sisters in Christ. I know full when how those shakels feel. I was bound by them for much of my life. I also get what it feels like to be free and it is impossible to fully put in words for words are interpreted by the reader more than the writer. We try to paint the scene but it is your imagination that is the true artist. I can only say, "I once was blind, but now I see" Amazing Grace. It is just that. Amazing. We certainly are not deserving and trust me when I say the enemy will pound that point till the end of days. You need to arm yourself with the Word of God so that you can hear what HE has to say about YOU! I promise you will like it much more than what the god of slavery has to say.  I ask, "Do you think of your children as slaves?" Then how could your heavenly Father think of you in such a way?

Today's word of encouragement is this: Proverbs 17:22: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.

It is true that negative people, negative media, negative thoughts can pull a person under and sap their energy leaving them depressed or angry. If God was a god that wanted to enslave his people, would he be an encourager? No, he would be an abuser. Wake up to the truth and be thankful we have the opportunity to worship a God of Love.

Father today I pray that you continue to shine your light on those who are lost. I pray they too find their way back to the truth as I did. I know too well what it feels like to not be close to you. Please use me Lord to be a light that others see. Allow me the opportunity to share my story with countless. I love to sing your praises for you saved me from the one who enslaves and I am so thankful for your grace and the true freedom you provide for all your children. Help me make your truth understood. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden, 2014

How Good is Good?

Today is Marvelously Magnificent Miraculous Monday. Have you considered the miracles that have taken place in your life? Many of us don't give credit where credit is due. We decide to instead believe in a thing called Karma. Bad things happen to good people so how does that work in the Karma formula? Do you believe that if you are good enough, good things will happen to you? If so, I ask you, "How good is good?"

Jesus once asked a man why he called him good; allow me to share that conversation with you:

From the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, verses 17 -

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother."

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

We all have heard the saying 'love of money is the root to all evil'. Some shorten it to just say money is the root of all evil but it is truly the love of it. Our God does not like us to worship false idols. Money is a false idol and it rules many lives. It is even said that God is a jealous God, but we think in human terms when we hear that word. When God is jealous it is out of a form of protective love. When we love or think of things, money included, and put more importance on that thing than on God we lose out big time. Not so much because He stops communicating with us. He is always chasing us. It is because we have stopped seeking, listening, asking. When this takes place, we also begin to lean more toward sin than righteousness because we are no longer walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

The truth of the matter is, you can't be good enough on your own. We are all sinners. I sinned just this morning by allowing impatience and irritation to take the wheel for a moment and I was not exactly kind to my husband. I should have immediately stopped realizing where I was headed but I did not. My morning started before I had a chance to read even a snippet of God's word and I read it daily! But today was a new day and mine began before I had even dressed for battle. This is how quickly we are capable of sliding out of our righteousness into our flesh. This is why we need Jesus and this is why we need to wear our daily armor. The plain truth of the matter is we are never going to be good enough without Christ at the wheel.

The devil hates Christ and he hates freedom. He wants to bind you up in sin and tie you down with laws. He wants to convince you that there is a chance you can be good enough but lets face the truth, for that is what Jesus teaches. In Galatians 5:1, we read this:

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

What does that verse mean you may be asking yourself. It means this; when you judge your brother by the law, you are also placing yourself under the law. We are not here to judge one another but to love one another. Not one of us is perfect and without sin in our lives. Don't be picking the speck of dirt out of anyone else's eye when most of us wake up with a few specks of our own each morning. Jesus covers all of this in the Bible as well. Just flip to the Book of Matthew, Chapter 7, verses 1-5:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Do you see how clearly it is stated that if you decide to govern others by the law, you are also yourself under the law and the law will bind you quickly when you are also seeking to please God with your life actions. Again, we will stumble, we will fail, we will have wicked thoughts, the evil one will use all this non good to cancel out your own good even in your own eyes and you will begin to have thoughts of doubt as to your goodness and the wheel of self doubt will begin. You of course will need to go out and do good to make up for your bad and soon you will discover yourself running in a senseless circle. Just realize today that no matter how 'good' you are, you are not good enough to enter into the kingdom of heaven on your own. Christ is the key to true salvation and an abundant life on earth.

I know this because in 2009, I began banging on God's door and as he is faithful, he opened the door and showed me many truths over the last 5 years. Now I am in college going for my degree in Biblical Studies. I am almost at the end of my first class which was 'An Introduction to the Bible'. When you ask God for knowledge, you just never know how he is going to give it to you!

God also has been giving me the desires of my heart as is also promised within the pages of the Bible. I did not seek him to have him grant the desires of my heart, I sought him because I was at the end of myself. Everything did not happen overnight. God certainly has things timed out and for a purpose that we may not always understand. I love what he has done through me. I love what he is doing through me. To date, I have written three books and I am working on my fourth one now. While all three can be read separate of one another, they are truly a wonderful collection that has a much deeper and fuller meaning when read together.

Today, I encourage you to help yourself by helping my ministry. Whether you prefer print books or e-books, all three of my published books are available on Amazon. In print, they will cost you $25.00 in electronic format, they only cost $13.00. My ministry receives the same margin of profit either way. In return, You will receive a priceless gift as you enjoy a true life story of a girl, her dreams, her failures and her finding her way back home. What are you waiting for? Buy your copies today!

www.amazon.com/author/wendyglidden

Wendy Glidden, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

What Do You Really Know About the Thief?

Today when I opened up the encouraging word sent to me from K-Love, this is what I found:

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
~ John 10:10, NLT

The thief goes by many names. No matter what you decide to call him, the fact remains,he exists and he indeed is here to steal, kill, and destroy. With thousands of years of experience under his belt, he makes quite a formidable foe!

One of his best tricks through out time has been to make people forget about him! I imagine this is due to the fact that a thief does not want to be seen! Things work out better for them that way!

Satan, the father of lies, the thief, the serpent, the devil, it truly matters not what you call him, is always on the prowl. He is sneaky. He is shrewd. He is all but silent and he is most assuredly deadly. He is on a mission to put out the light inside all of us. You simply cannot allow this to happen to you.

How do you recognize when you are under a spiritual attack? That is a great question. The closer you get to God, the better the relationship you have with him, the easier you will begin to see the truth. You will quickly recognize an attack for exactly what it is and you will be able to rest in the Lord. I know this is true because I have tangled with Satan just as you have. You may not even realize that is what was going on at the time. I know I didn't for decades. It's only been in my persistent seeking that I discovered amazing truths about my own journey in life thanks to what God showed me as He had me unfold my life onto paper. Through my books, I pull back the curtain and reveal Satan working his magic in my life throughout my personal story.

We live in a fallen world. Bad stuff is bound to happen to all of us. We must keep our focus on the truth and not on how we feel. Satan loves feelings. He can use them against you. Just look all the way back in history to Cain. He became jealous of his brother. Satan used that 'feeling' and took advantage of the situation. I can only imagine what he whispered into Cain's ear. I truly don't believe Cain intended to kill his brother. It is my belief that he acted out on his emotions and dealt a fatal blow. Once done, it could not be taken back. Next I imagine Satan comforted Cain with lies. After all, he is the father of lies. I believe this is what happened mainly because of the way Cain answered God when God asked him where his brother Abel was. All too often I have witnessed this same bravado defensive stance from my own children and embarrassingly enough, through my own story!

My heart goes out to Cain. He was used by Satan big time. I believe all of us are used by him. He's just that good at what he does. This is why we must recognize him for who he is. A very shrewd opponent.

This year I have published two books. They are my first two volumes of my personal story and it takes you from the beginning of my story all the way through my twenty third year. You wouldn't think much could happen to a girl in her first two decades of her life, but that is where you would be wrong!

All who have elected to take a look at this true life series have also taken the time to send me a note so this has been a most rewarding experience. As you will learn by reading my story, I am now doing what God and I talked about me doing as a child.

For those who would like to check it out for themselves, I am offering a FREE view at the first three chapters in both volume I & II! If you love them, buy the books and if you don't find my story captivating and encouraging, you are out not one dime!

I priced each e-book at only $3.99 and print for only $7.99 because I don't want cost to become an issue ever! God called me forth to share my story and He has led me along the way. The first weekend I released my second volume I offered a FREE download of each volume. In 72 hours, I gave away 200 books on Amazon!

I am blessed to have been given all the desires of my heart. You'll clearly see what those are when you read the book! Without further delay, here is the link to get your free download or to buy the books in either Kindle or Print! Happy Reading.

http://www.Amazon.com/author/wendyglidden

I am happy to announce that volume III will be on the shelves before the end of March 2014! It is going to be called: Angels, Answers, Signs and Wonders! Followed shortly behind by Volume IV: In the Midst of Spiritual Warfare. I pray you find my story strengthens your faith.

** Update: Volume III is available in both print and electronic formats. It is my goal to still have Volume IV out before the end of 2014. I have certainly learned a lot about the subject in the last couple of years ~ it's the amazing triumphs I am looking forward to sharing! Don't forget to like me on facebook for an encouraging word! http://www.facebook.com/youareworthytoo

 Be blessed and be a blessing <3

Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden, 2014

A Prayer of Protection for the Children of God

It's Tremendously Thankful Thoughtful Thursday! I love this day. Honestly, ever since I renamed all the days of the week a year ago, I have fallen in love with every one of them. I am working on a calendar to go along with the renaming. There is so much work I have set myself up for this year! I am truly super excited to see it all come together.

As many of you know, I start my days out with K-loves encouraging word. Today is one of those days where you see or hear something and you just know it was created especially for you. Many of this years encouraging words have made me feel that way. Today's encouraging word comes from Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 26 - 27:

verse 26: Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

verse 27: And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

For me when I read this verse it was as if God was personally reaching out to me and reminding me that He always will take care of me. I will never go without. Therefor don't worry about things like, "If I am pregnant with another child, how on earth will I manage everything?"

As of today, I am behind schedule and very well may be pregnant. The old me, the girl who attempted to do everything in her own strength would be freaking out to the max right now. Instead, I see this for what it is. Either a blessing or a gentle reminder to remain firm in my faith. I have no idea what God has in store for me, but I have Faith it is all good.

The other day. Sunday as a matter of fact. We were all getting ready for church. As often happens in a home with more than one child, various arguments were beginning to brew. I have been trying to get my children to realize how silly their disputes are to no avail.

However, something happened this past Sunday and I can only believe it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me to my children. I don't remember exactly what happened prior but what ever it was, it made me call an emergency family meeting with the children.

Once I had every one's attention, I began talking. "Do any of you know how sneaky the father of lies is?" No one answered so I wondered if they knew who I was referring to. I talk about him often but you never really know what your children pick up on and what they don't, so I continued, "The father of lies is Satan. He is so sneaky he can say things to you and make you think they are your own thoughts. The thoughts he plants inside of your head can make you angry or jealous and before you know it you are in a fight with one of your sisters or brothers." Now I had their full attention.

I have often wondered why when you have more than one child riding in a car one for any length of time one of them is always bound to begin crying out, "Stop looking at me!" I know I did this myself as a child. Today I truly believe this is one of many arrows the evil one launches at innocent minds; The feeling that a sibling is somehow making fun of them by simply looking at them even when they aren't even being looked at! So, I used that scenario to paint the scene of silliness for them. Using humor when teaching is often effective!

After that I asked them if any of them knew how they could protect themselves from Satan. Wide eyed and captivated they all looked at each other to see if anyone had a hand up. No one did. I told them I was going to teach them a prayer that would protect them and that they would need to say it every morning and every night and anytime they felt they might be under an attack. This is the prayer I taught them:

"Good morning God. I know that I am in a spiritual war. I am just a kid. I do not know how to protect myself. Please protect me in all your mighty ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."

Simple, sweet and right to the point. We said it together line by line. Then I asked, "Who knows the first line?" and continued until we had said the entire prayer. As they took turns saying a part of the prayer they either changed it a little or added words to it. I smiled and said, yes. That's it. You don't have to say it exactly the same every time, you just need to say the prayer how it comes out. You are praying for protection because you know that you are in a spiritual war. You are asking God to help you win the battle.

Next I asked them if any of them knew why we pray in the name of Jesus? None of them did so we talked about the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We talked about how He could have called out at anytime to stop it all yet He did not. We talked about how His blood had to be poured out for our sins to be covered and it was in His dying that He concurred death for us. We talked about how important it was to get to know about Jesus. We talked about how after He left, the Holy Spirit came and how we walk in the Spirit today. It seemed to make quite the impression on them. God never ceases to amaze me. I was surprised to hear myself speaking the words I was speaking but I continued to let them be spoken for I knew the source.

I have to tell you, the fights in my house have diminished tremendously since they all began saying this prayer. In all honesty, there has not been a fight between any of them that I can recall this entire week. Traveling in the car has even been peaceful. That my friends is amazing.

Satan uses whatever he can to disrupt your day in an attempt to put your light out. Don't think for one second he is not out to steal your joy, kill your dreams and destroy your family. Children are a great weapon for him to use against adults and use them he does.

God gave me that prayer to share with my children. This morning as I was spending time with the Lord, this prayer came full blown to me again along with the above title of this post and I knew what I would be writing about today.

I love that God gives me titles to write on. They seem to unlock writers block for me. This month I have been doing so much reading and researching and learning that I have not written a lot myself. Yesterday as I went to bed I was thinking to myself, 'It is already Wednesday night and I have written nothing new this week.'

I know it is silly but sometimes I fear no more words will come to me. That is a fiery arrow from the evil one! I know that because of the vision that God gave me last year.

I was in a meeting with my life coach, Cathy Padgett, and she was praying over me. I had my eyes closed and all of a sudden a whirlwind of post it notes were whipping all around me. Quickly they began sticking to the walls in perfect order. One right after the other, side by side, all blank. I told Cathy about the vision and how I was not sure what it meant. I was focused on the post it notes. I am not a fan of them. I thought it was odd that they started out in a tornado like fashion and then quickly got in order against the wall but I admitted I had no real idea what the vision meant.

It was on my way home that I got the second piece of the vision. I was in the process of asking God what the post it notes meant when I clearly heard, "You will fill them all."

Suddenly I knew! He was showing me that I would indeed have the desires of my heart. The whole thing was so abundantly overwhelming I cannot even put into words how big my heart expanded.

I hope in me sharing this amazing testimony you also are better equipped to recognize Satan's fiery arrows. I know he wants to keep me from writing. This is why he fires the thought at me. He wants to grip my heart with fear so that all I can think about is his fiery arrow: 'What if the words stop'. God gave me the vision so I could quickly distinguish that negative soundtrack from playing. The words will never stop. They belong to God and they are never ending.

I also know that Satan does not want me praying. He doesn't want any of us standing firmly in our faith. He will try with all his might to shake it. He never rests, he never stops fighting, he is relentless, shrewd and wise in the ways of war and how to best wage it against you. Don't for one second think you have defeated him! You must put on your full suit of armor every day. Pray for others always and when you think of someone out of nowhere, say a quick prayer for them. There are no coincidences. You thought of them for a reason.

I am learning more and more about God, His Word and how to protect myself from the evil one. However, I also know just how shrewd the evil one is and how quickly he can attack you out of nowhere. So, it is my suggestion that everyone say a daily prayer for protection. You can make it simple, you can use the one above and change it to fit who you think you are. For example, you could say: Good morning God. I know I am in a spiritual war. I am just learning about spiritual battles and the armor I need to protect myself. So I am here to ask you to please protect me in all your mighty ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Or you can say something like, "Good morning God. I thank you for all you do for me in the ways of protection. I thank you for always having my back. I am not the wisest when it comes to the ways of war and I have moments of weakness. I know that is all the evil one needs to come at me full force. When I put my guard down Lord I pray you shake me awake so that I quickly see my foe at work and understand all I need is to trust and rest in You. You are faithful Lord. I know that. I trust that. Help me be a mighty warrior so I can help more captives break free. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Prayer is incredible. It is a form of protection and one you should use daily! I used to fear saying prayers out loud. I was afraid I didn't know how to pray the right way! The funny thing is I have been saying prayers most of my life, I just never thought of them as prayers. I thought of them as talks with God. It is impossible to say a bad prayer. Satan wants to keep you from praying for he knows their is actual power in prayers. Don't allow him to keep you from praying. We all need to pray every day. We need to come to God with joy in our hearts knowing how incredible He is and thanking Him for everything. Next we ask for help with something. After I ask for the help I need, I thank Him again. He is the almighty God and nothing is too hard for Him.

I know when it comes to praying all of us have gone to God and asked for something and have felt like we didn't get it. The best example I can think of is those that ask for a loved one to be healed and instead of being made better, they pass away. This is a big reason many in the world have lost faith in God. I would like to remind all of you that our days on earth are numbered. We don't get to chose where we are born and we don't get to pick how we exit this life. We are born, we live and we all die a physical death. We should not fret over this. We can and should always pray for healing but we should not lose heart when a loved one does not recover. It is my belief that it was their time to die. The way they exit may indeed cause much heartache and despair so pray for the lives around that person as well.

It's been a few posts since I have added a song to a blog post. I am sure I am meant to share this song with you here on this post for it just began playing in my head. That is no coincidence for my son is sitting next to me watching a kid show on Netflix and there is a song playing that is nothing like this. Try thinking of a song on purpose while another song is playing. It's hard. With that being said, I leave you with Sanctus Real and their hit song, Pray: 

Father, I thank you today for all you have done for me. I am blown away by the visions I see now and all I can say is thank you thank you thank you. I am humbled to think you love me so much. After all who am I? Yes. I am a child of yours. Plain and simple. You love your children. How that knowledge explodes my heart. Help me be a bright light Lord. Help me be a mighty warrior. I want nothing more than to help my fellow brothers and sisters break out of captivity. Please use me Lord. In every way you see fit. I am so pleased to finally be doing what I have always wanted to do. Write words of encouragement. Thank you for using me in such great ways. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy Glidden, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

The Essence of Faith

It's Fantastically Fabulous Fun Filled Friends and Family Friday! Man oh man!! It is only 10 AM and I am on top of the world. So Joyous I feel like dancing! Starting your day with God is so the way to start.

I have gotten in the habit of checking out the encouraging word from K-Love each morning before I do much of anything else. This year, the encouraging words have truly lifted me up into the clouds.

The more you walk with God, the more supernatural things you witness take place. These events strengthen your Faith and I promise you, the stronger your Faith, the more supernatural events you will witness. It truly is an awesome flywheel to spark.

This morning on Facebook, I had this to say when I shared the encouraging word from K-Love:

I just love the encouraging word via K-Love today:

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. ~ 1 John 5:14-15, NLT

I am confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. My heart soars when I read truths like this. For within various chapters of my life are testimonials regarding answered prayers, some of them in the craziest ways. It pleases God for us to pray for each other. I just realized I need to get a blog going for my heart is overflowing. I leave you with a link to a story from my past regarding a prayer I said for my mother and the answer I received.  Be blessed and be a blessing 

http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/01/awoken-by-answer-to-prayer.html

I am truly blessed to have had my faith strengthened again and again. Faith allows you to drop to your knees and share all that is on you heart because you know He hears you. Even though the Lord already knows your every thought, He Loves to see your heart at work. Secretly I think He even gets a chuckle out of the fit prayers we throw for within those we reveal passion. God is Love in it's most unconditional form. 

Faith helps with your ability to stay in today and not fret about tomorrow for you know God has always got you. You may even have even taken the time to armor yourself with a bit of scripture to help you with anxiety regarding the future. This is my personal favorite reminder: From Matthew 6:34 NIV:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:34, NIV

Anxiety is a weapon the evil one uses. If you don't believe in spiritual warfare, you should! I dress for battle every day. Even though I know my God is bigger and I have nothing to fear, I am not foolish about such things. Even Jesus tangled with the Devil. If you don't think he is a formidable foe, well, you don't truly understand how he works. 

As children, we all quickly learned what silent but deadly meant and when someone said that we quickly exited the room. I promise you that the evil one is as close to silent and deadly as a paid assassin. You don't see him right away and often you are already in a fight for your life before you even realize he has entered the picture. 

I read a lot and I listen to great teachings on Moody Radio when I get the chance so you will have to forgive me for I cannot recall where I first heard this but the truth in it is undeniable. Forgive me for this is not the exact quote either. I have a way of compiling information and consolidating it. With that being said, in a gist this is what I took away from the lesson; 'If you think the devil hasn't come across the likes of you, your ego is too big. He has been at this war for a couple thousand years. To date, Jesus is the only one that defeated him. Don't you think you ought to get to know Jesus?' 

When I first started seeking God with all my heart and joined a bible study group, one of the first books of the bible we studied was Ephesians. That is where I learned about the armor to wear and how best to protect yourself against Satan. I would like to take you right to the book of Ephesians, beginning with Chapter 6, verse 10:

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 THE 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 with which you will 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.

Quite an impressive list of armor don't you think. Today I am mainly focusing on the shield of faith and how taking it up you are able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Flaming arrows, that paints quite the picture. The flaming arrows are thoughts meant to take you out. Don't fool yourself for one second. The devil is here to steal, kill and destroy. He will do that by any means possible. Including getting you to believe crazy lies. Think crazy thoughts. Do things you would not do without something, someone pushing you over the edge. These things all stem from you being bombarded with flaming arrows. Put up your shield of faith and protect yourself. Life is a completely different scene as you learn that you truly can make a difference in this battle. All you need is Faith. Don't let the Lord say of you, "Oh ye of little faith". Stand strong in the Lord, remain firm in your belief. He came so you could live this life abundantly. That my friends is some really good news in a world that longs to beat you down, you have a Savior. He is right here with you, waiting for you to call out so He can reveal more of His glory. It is never ending. It is a bright new day. Make the most of it.

Father, I come before you today with great joy in my heart. As a child entering into the age of consent, I knew nothing about armor. I have often wondered how different my life might have turned out had I known all the truths I know today. As you tell us not to worry about tomorrow or yesterday for that matter, I know in my heart that nothing that has taken place in the past was for waste. You use all events for good. You are faithful. Your love is unconditional and I am so grateful for that. I am thankful that I recognize evil for what evil is and that I am today fully aware of my armor needed. I am so blessed to have learned about it when I did. Your timing is always perfect. I know you would have protected me through all of my recent battles regardless. In that I am confident. I also know by wearing my armor, I was able to better withstand the onslaught of attacks I faced this summer. Not only did I withstand, with your strength, I persevered. Here I am, with your help, reaching back in hopes of finding others held in the chains of bondage. Help me with this task Father. Help me be a better leader, help me to be a brighter light, help me call out to the lost and lonely, as well as the overwhelmed. Help my fellow brothers and sisters find their way home. Help them to lift their heads and see the truth. You love your children no matter what! In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Be blessed my friends and always be a blessing to others <3

Wendy Glidden, walks with God
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

Photo Accessed on 1/13/2017 from: https://www.google.com/search?q=Free+Picture+of+shield+of+faith&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS711US711&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=557&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiYj57D4L_RAhWF2YMKHbM8AskQ7AkIKg&dpr=1.1#imgrc=PPcQRqWNRdLN7M%3A

Don't Let 'It' Get the Best of You!

"Don't let 'it' get the best of you."
"Don't let 'them' get the best of you."

It seems these last few weeks that is what I keep hearing in my head. Whenever something has gone wrong or someone has been a bit nasty, I have been reminded to not let it get the best of me. For instance, Mike and I have been under a lot of pressure since his return and I honestly cannot tell you exactly what happened the other day other than I recognized a ridiculous attack for what it was. I walked away from the situation after politely excusing myself. I went to the car, got in and pulled my phone out to see what the encouraging word of the day was. I knew I just needed to strengthen my armor.

On the way to work that morning, I refused to be pulled into any argument. It truly is amazing what happens when you keep your focus on the Lord, read His Word daily, and put on your full suit of armor!

We all are in a spiritual battle. If you don't see it now, I pray you open your eyes to the truth of what is happening in this world!

Anyway, half way to work, Mike, who I knew was being used to disrupt my day in a feeble attempt to put out my light, apologized to me for trying to throw me out of balance. His exact words were, "I'm sorry for trying to throw you out of balance this morning. It seems I pulled my own neck while having my moment."

I smiled and told him no worries. I admitted that I had seen what was going on for what it was, so I was good. I then shared with him the wisdom that God had shared with me in reading Proverbs 26, verse 20:

For lack of wood the fire goes out.

Many times at home, when I am talking to one child, another will chime in with a much un-needed comment. I have implemented this phrase at home for those times: "Don't throw gas on my fire!"

Marissa asked me what that meant. In turn, I asked her, "You know how you can have a little fire going but if you add starter fuel to it, it gets crazy big?" She shook her head yes.

I then informed her that an angry person was like a fire and it was best not to feed that fire. Now, when a situation is on the brink of a melt down, all I have to do is quickly say, "Don't throw gas on my fire!" and the entire clan gets quiet.

I wish the only attack I have had disrupt my day was that single instance. However, I have been under a continual attack for almost three weeks now. I think all designed to steal any spare time for sure, but to also perhaps blow out my light.

Often you hear that a follower of Christ has a target on their back. I joke the brighter I get, the more I write, the more I am under assault. I consider it a compliment from the other side. The father of lies must see me as a formidable foe to come at me so often and so crazily.

I believe it is a combination of my confidence in the Father and the fact that I warn others about him that draws his ire. I see how he has worked against me and plotted against me for decades. Such a clever liar he is. I find it shockingly scary at times what thoughts he attempts to plant in my mind. I know he does this to every human being. He even tempted and toyed with Jesus. Don't fool yourself into thinking he doesn't do the same thing in your life! That belief is dangerous to your peace of mind!

So, as many of you know, Mike was facing some jail time in Florida last month. I had prayed for him, written a letter to his lawyer, left a message for the head of probation and talked to the State Attorney against her will, but in the end, I had truly given it all to God. Shockingly, Mike ended up only having to serve 4 days ~ 3 nights out of an original requested 60 days! Having found himself convicted by God during our separation and certain himself that he was a changed man, he arrived here in Indiana to ask for my hand in marriage.

I knew accepting him and allowing him the chance to be who he said he would be would land me in hot water where my father was concerned, but I could not help myself. I am happy that I opened the door and my heart up to him. Of course the father of lies does not care for us to be happy. He likes to throw God's children into turmoil and he certainly set out after Mike and I from the jump.

Mike arrived Saturday evening. The children were most elated. I myself was deeply moved. That next morning Mike went to church with us. He left his vehicle next to the RV. When we got in the car to drive back to the RV, I noticed I had missed a couple of calls from my father as well as a text that simply showed his number. I returned the call not sure if it was in regards to Mike or something he needed to let me know regarding work. As it turned out, it was about Mike. Since he was back and I was going to allow him the opportunity to be a man of courage, my father insisted I get everything off his property.

We moved that afternoon as the big storms that produced destructive tornadoes on November 17th moved in. When we were safely settled Mike looked at me and said, "So this is some of the adversity we will face for loving one another." I laughed knowing he was right. I smiled and said, "You know if it was easy, it would make for a boring story. Let's just keep our focus on the truth. We love each other. We both grew through the separation. We are stronger for it all."

Life with Mike back in the picture has been both easier and harder in the same fell swoop. When it comes to taking care of the home and the cars and the children, hands down EASIER! When it comes to problems and turmoil thrown in my path, it has been much more difficult.

Satan has gone as far as to try to whisper to me that Mike is bad luck for me. Thank God I recognize the difference between my inner voice and the father of lies voice today. Regardless, it is spine tingling when he attempts to bend your ear and plant such thoughts. You instantly realize that this attack, this belief, these words are going to repeat and sooner or later, most likely come out of the mouth of someone who's opinion you value. Simply recognizing and dismissing the initial lie once does not stop the evil one in his tracks. Life would be a lot easier were that the case!

In the last three weeks when it has come to vehicles, if I've been in it, it's overheated, broken down completely, gotten a flat or run out of gas!

It all began happening right after Mike's return. So did the whispering words 'You were better off before he came back.' I had to stop that loop more than once. As I have said again and again and again, the father of lies will talk to you so softly it causes you to bend in to hear better.

Through every mishap I have chosen to find the blessing in every situation. I looked for the silver lining and have found it each time.

It all started with a flat tire the Monday after we had moved. Mike quickly jacked us up, took the tire into town, plugged it and filled it with air and delivered it back and put it on and we were on our way. Best part of that day: He greeted me with a smile upon his return, planted a kiss on my lips and presented me with a cup of coffee he hidden behind his back!

When I ran out of gas with the children in the car, where we landed was off the road in a place I didn't have to worry about being in the way and within one block of a gas station. We were even blessed to be picked up and driven to the gas station and back in less than 10 steps from the car! Satan may be out to ruin my day but God always has me!

When we ran out of gas a second time, Mike was driving. Mike went walking by himself to get gas. We were MILES away from the closest station and it was below freezing. I said a quick prayer, asked the children to pray with me and before I could finish reading a child's book, a car with Mike riding as passenger pulled up next to us. He had been picked up, taken to the gas station and driven back! More proof that God had us even when we didn't have ourselves!

When my tire blew in the jeep, I was around the corner from the mechanic we use at Glidden Fence and was able to park the car there overnight without worry and even got a ride to the library to meet up with Mike and the children! We managed to find and purchase another tire for a mere $35.00!

When the car overheated, I still managed to get to the children to school one minute before the they would have been counted tardy. As it turned out, it was a problem Mike was able to fix for under $20.00!

When the car broke down on me again with all the children in the car, I landed in the only place for two miles in either direction that had an enough of an emergency lane for me to get completely off the road. Had I fallen just 20 feet short or puttered another 20 feet forward that would not have been the case! I was even blessed enough to have the local sheriff call me at work looking for Mike to see what his plans were for the car. They promised not to tow it as long as we got it off the road before nightfall. Mike did not get the problem fixed that first day, however, we were allowed by a kind person to move our car onto their property.

The next day, Mike and I prayed for help with the car. Amazingly it only cost us $160 rental deposit that was fully refunded for a tool that he rented to assist in tracking down the problem. As it turned out with running out of gas in that car not once, but sadly twice, we had built up air in the line. Once bled out, the car fired up and has been running beautifully. The entire time I chose to remain certain that God had me. For He is faithful.

Now, here comes the toughest part of this certain story. In between day one and day two of the last vehicle breakdown incident, my father came into the office and inquired about my car. When I told him what had happened, he went on a brutal attack. He said out loud the words Satan had been trying to get me to listen to. "Since Mike has returned you have had nothing but bad luck. Almost as if you've been cursed."

The attack went from Mike to my children to this blog and it didn't stop there. I don't know how I managed to stay as calm through all of it as I did, but it is my belief that being able to keep my focus on the truth was my saving grace. I was blessed that this assault took place with only 15 minutes left of my work day. I had no transportation that night as Mike had not gotten back yet and I had all the children. My father had not only yelled at me, little Jeffrey had heard him yelling and had gone in to give him a hug. I think how he was treated by my father was the hardest part of the entire assault.

The blessing in all that would be that the children and I left promptly at five pm walking down the road on our way to the library to meet up with Mike. As I approached the light a block from my office, a woman driving a van on her way to mass got my attention and offered to give us a ride. Turns out she is a follower of Christ, has five grandchildren that she drives back and forth to school three times a week so, not only did she have enough room for all of us, she even had the right car seat for Jeffrey and Delilah! Knowing once again that my heavenly father had provided all my needs was a gigantic comfort. She and I agreed that my father needed some prayers.

My father is not a follower of Christ, he doesn't wear any armor for a spiritual battle and he was being used against me. Please, don't think for a moment I was not hurt or that I did not cry, for I wept silently like a baby for almost 24 hours.

That following morning, Mike had dropped us all off at the office. I had accidentally kept the keys to the limo after I unlocked the front door, so I called him to let him know before he drove too far. When he returned I was having a moment of human weakness and it was obvious to Mike that I had been crying.

He asked me, "Why are you crying?" I said, "When it comes right down to it, I'm just a girl. Sometimes we cry." He gave me a hug, told me everything would be okay and he headed off to work on the limo. As my father had accused the day before, Mike indeed turned out to be the hero when it came to figuring out the problem.

I love how well my heavenly Father had been preparing me for this latest attack. For the last three weeks, He has been reminding me to not let whatever outside circumstance was going on in this world to get the best of me. The best of me is Christ in me. He is the source of my inner light. Satan must truly love the dark for he was out with a vengeance when it came to trying to put out my light.

As long as I keep my focus on Christ and His love as well as God's word, I am wearing the protection I need for such assaults. With the proper attire, Satan can't blow out my light.

I'll openly admit, the father of lies fooled me once. He tricked me into believing God had it out for me. What a liar he truly is. He should be ashamed of himself. Instead he tries to fill us with shame and guilt so we live in fear. I will not allow that to happen again. I now know and understand my purpose. It is to serve my Lord however He sees fit. He is the provider of all my needs and the source of my strength. After all, I'm just a girl!

Father today I pray that all your children are able to keep their focus on the truth. I pray they don't let outside circumstances steal their light. I pray that they don't let it get the best of them. I also pray for more strength for myself. In three weeks I was kept from being able to write. I pray for protection for myself as well as anyone under a spiritual attack from the dark side. I want to thank you for how you provide me with all that I need, including rides from here to there or the perfect place to park my broken down cars! You never cease to amaze me with all your blessings. I know full well that you loving me does not mean I won't experience trouble or pain. I thank you for how you comfort me through it all. Thank you for your faithfulness and your never ending love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

When Anger Rises, What is Your Game Plan?

Fantastically Fun-Filled Family Friday! I awoke today to discover the place I get all my health food and cleaning, laundry, bathroom necessities, first aid, cough, cold, fever relief, and beauty supplies is offering their annual membership for a mere $1.00 . . . all new customers also get $20 worth of free items to try when they come back for more goodness in their second, third, fourth and fifth month!!!! That's $100 worth of free items to try that I already know you will love. I switched to this store in March of 2011 and have been a more than happy customer ever since. As my friends know I'm a penny pinching momma. The money this store has saved me is mind blowing. The best part about shopping here has been the peace of mind knowing this manufacture cares about health and wellness. Also this is where I have purchased my 'weight loss supplies' so tasty my children won't keep out of them and yummy enough that you actually enjoy consuming them yourself! Oh and if teeth matter to you, they have the best tooth polish on the market, and all their dental and skin care is safe for those going through chemo or anything like that! Switch stores, save money, provide better health for your entire family. Let me know if you want more details! This is the best gift one friend can give to another. I already did my shopping this morning and threw in the items I need by next week. Upon checkout I was offered buy one get one free items and two of them are my favorite 'candy bars' with purpose! I am so excited!! I am telling you this company should have been called the Rocking Fireworks Health and Wellness store because their sales are so spectacular!.

I am looking forward to my weekend with the children. Michael has his first basketball game tomorrow. He is so excited. He woke up today thinking it was game day! I had to deliver the bad news that today was another school day.

When I got into the office and was finally able to check my email, I read K-Loves encouraging word for the day.

A gentle answer deflects anger. ~ Proverbs 15:1, NLT

I had to giggle to myself as I read this truth. If the bible is not a handbook for how to best walk through situations in life, I don't know what is! When I have a child that is angry and another child steps in to comment on the situation, I have gotten into the habit of stopping them short by simply saying, "Please don't throw gas on my fire!" Meaning the situation is obviously volatile and I do not need any of them increasing that intensity. Dealing with someone who is angry is almost as difficult as dealing with someone who is intoxicated. Anger, in my belief clouds the mind and keeps us from making wise decisions. I know this is also why we are advised to steer clear of anger. Hands down, anger is one of the evil one's best ways to get a foothold into your heart and have more control over your thoughts. When you find yourself getting angry you need to have a game plan to calm yourself down. You may even have to have a basket full of ways to deal with your emotions. One for when you are in the car may not work so well out in the public eye! In the car I call for a moment of silence or singing, their choice. I tell the children I need a moment to calm down and I turn the Christian music up a little so that they know I'm serious! At home, I have even put myself in a time out! It's amazing how little ones will quit what they are doing when you tell them you don't trust yourself because you are so angry so you are going to put yourself in a five minute time out so that you can have a conversation with your heavenly Father! When getting angry at a spouse I refuse to fight it out in a moment of anger. I openly admit I cannot think rationally and I don't want to say something I can't take back. I also have threatened and followed through with prayer as many of you know from the blog post 'Convicted by God' that I published in September. Should you find yourself curious to see how that all played out, here are the links to the three posts that play that entire scene out: 

1. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/convicted-by-god.html
2. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/dont-fret-god-is-faithful-he-always-has.html
3. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/09/better-off-with-god.html

As my grandma said to me when I was younger, "Be careful what you pray for you just might get it." To which I asked, "Why would I pray for something unless I wanted it?" Which she replied, "God has a sense of humor Wendy, you never know how what you desire will be delivered!" Boy was she ever right about that! My advice don't pray in a moment of anger!! I will admit God is wonderful and he uses everything to work good. I have witnessed it time and time again. Even what I am going through right now. I am amazed to see the changes that have occurred in my life over the last two months. I'm like, pinch me. Is this really my life? I know it is. Even in the midst of turmoil I am dancing in the rain. This is the major difference in living life with your own strength and only for yourself and giving your life to Christ and following Him. I prefer an adventurous life. Of course if you have read my blog posts from the beginning you know that much about my story already! The crazy thing is my life has been MORE adventurous since I got on my knees and said, "Your will not mine".

I hope I have peaked your curiosity enough to get you to at least read those 3 linked posts and even more so to dive back to the beginning of this blog and read it all. There are miracles and all kinds of crazy stuff inside! I have been blessed to have been allowed to be a witness to God's glory in so many ways. I still have so many things to share. I am excited to get back to it as what the Lord has been flashing to me takes me back to after the adoption and my near death to some seriously crazy events. I was fearful on how to share and as with all the rest God is giving it to me in flashes and has me laughing. This weekend as my children go to bed, I will begin drifting back in time! I hope you decide to stick around and read more of my life journey!

Father today I come to you with childish wonder. What an amazing Father you are. How blessed I am to have woken up and returned home. How blind I was. How far I ran. Yet when I got on my knees crying and wailing you opened the door again and welcomed me home. Since then you have saved my life, sent me a witness, allowed me to see my current home shrouded in crystals and so much more. I love how you work. Even through pain you flourish me. I love who I am in Christ. Thank you for grace and mercy. Thank you for your son whose name I pray in. It is my prayer that many more of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ also get on their knees and give in to your will. Had I only understood that your plan is so much more for me than I could have designed on my own. I am sure I am not the only rebel in the family! Call my fellow rebel brother and sisters home. Break them down Father. Stretch them until they know they can only make it through on your strength. While the process may at first feel painful, I know the beauty on the other end and I pray they are able to glimpse it early on so they are not hurt and confused by the events that will take place. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

I Am FREE!! Do You Know Who You Are in Christ?

Today is Terrific Testimonial Tell All Tuesday! My tell all testimony is this. KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!! It will completely change life as you know it. I was reminded of so many things this morning as I opened my mail and checked out a status update from a few of my uplifting friends out there on Facebook. I started out by reading a status update from a special friend of mine. I will be seeing her tonight at the monthly meeting for her ministry 'Hagar's Fountain of Hope'. Interestingly enough I met her by going to an event she was putting on last year. I went because the girl that had returned my wallet to me with a message from God had invited me to it. Funny enough, they are sisters. I didn't even know that until I went to my first monthly meeting this past January. I have attended the meetings every month since then. It's awesome to have a strong group of God loving women to surround yourself with. It truly helps to keep your focus on the things that are important. I'm super excited to share with them how I have shed 23 1/2 inches of fat off of the main areas of my body since the last time we hung out! I still have to double that loss to get to my final goal but you could certainly say I'm busting a move toward that goal!! I will share this, it's truly about nutrition and after three years of marketing in the wellness field, I have learned a boatload about nutrition. Add that with my experience with various types of exercise and I am absolutely killing it. I must openly admit that this all began with a heartfelt prayer for my health to be given back to me. I truly believe that as long as my passion is for the Lord, He will indeed honor His promise and give me the desires of my heart. I have been witnessing desire after desire come to fruition. It is very hard to deny the truth of God's word when it manifests itself around you constantly. Honestly, it makes me feel like I'm getting a constant edge on this faith thing! My faith overflows. I love our Father for he is always Faithful, even when we aren't 100% faithful ourselves. His love is amazing. His grace is amazing. He IS AMAZING. My heart breaks for all who have not found their way home. For all who are longing for a relationship with the Lord but don't know where to start. Start in His word. Start with simple prayer. Talk to Him as if you would a friend. When trouble smacks you in the face, before you pick up the phone to vent or discuss with a friend, I encourage you to get to your knees and connect with God. The more you seek Him, the more you will recognize Him. You see, He is already around you, watching and waiting for you to invite Him in so He can better help you. The Father of Lies will always be working on destroying that relationship for when you draw close to the Lord, he loses more of his power. This does not make him happy and he will work harder at taking you out of your happy zone. Don't allow him to take that from you. Make sure to put on your proper fighting attire every day. If you are not sure what this is, I covered it pretty well last week. Check out my blog entitled 'Are you Dressed for Daily Battle? Here's the link:  http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/10/are-you-dressed-for-daily-battle.html 

So back to where I started, my friend was talking about how she did not always use her title 'minister'. She commented that when someone else introduces her they mention all her titles and she is thinking, "Dang, I want to meet that girl!" and then she realizes it's her. So today she mentioned all the titles she is described as when others are introducing her and it reminded me of this song by Matthew West. You know I went and found it for you! Please take the time to listen and understand this is who you are in Christ:

I love this song. When it comes on the radio, every one of my children sing it LOUDLY with me!! Great words to hear from the mouths of your babes!! Count me loving life and living it abundantly just the way my Savior intended me to!! Speaking of my Savior and all He has taken care of for me, here is today's encouraging word by K-Love:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

~ Acts, NLT 

Many people will say oh you will be saved as long as you believe in God or you do more good than bad or what ever it is that they come up with. It's right there in God's word that the only way you can be saved is through Jesus Christ. I would encourage you that if this topic is a struggle for you that you seriously give Jesus a true look. I encourage you to pray for wisdom on the matter and read the gospels. Follow the gospel of Luke for the first one you read. You will realize all four gospels share the life of Jesus from a slightly different angel for they are writing to different sects of society. Many of the things the four share are almost word for word. What makes the gospel of Luke the best to follow for the first one you read is that he is the only one that writes it all in chronological order. As you read it, you will come to understand that Jesus fulfilled messianic miracles prophesied about in the Old Testament and your belief level in who He is will grow. For a mere human to complete just 8 would be phenomenal. However Jesus completed many more than that. To save me a little time, I cheated and found what I think is the best written article of facts regarding this. Feel free to check it out for yourself. http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

It is my prayer that you recognize the truth and become a follower of Christ yourself.

Father, today I pray that the evil one is bound from those in search of the truth. May his lies be kept silent from the ears of all who are searching for salvation. May they come to know your son, our Messiah, Jesus Christ. May they too begin to follow Him and share the good news with others. May the workers grow, may the fields be harvested. May we work as the body of Christ as you intended us to. I want to thank you for all you have done when it comes to strengthening my faith and all my many blessings. You are so kind and loving and your grace amazes me daily, hourly, minute by minute. I am so blessed to have the relationship I do with you. I never want to be disconnected from you again. Thank you for clearly laying out the armor I will need every day to protect myself from the dangers of this world. Thank you for the wisdom you have shared. Thank you for the freedom I have. To be able to openly read your word where ever I am. So many of my brothers and sisters do not have such freedom. Go to them Father and lift them in your loving arms. Shine your light so that doubters are changed into believers. May the truth be so clear even the blind are given perfect sight. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

** For the full story of my wallet being returned these are the links to the two blogs that cover this testimony. May you find yourself blessed in reading them.

1. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2012/12/show-me-sign.html
2. http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/07/unpacking-treasure-show-me-sign-part-ii.html

Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

I AM a Daughter of the Most High!

Terrific Testimonial tell all Tuesday. Today my tell all is this. KNOW who you are in Christ. Sometimes when you put your foot down all the way, God intervenes for you. Keep praying and listen to the voice of truth. It will never steer you wrong. 

This was part of my morning post on my "You Are Worthy Too" page on face book. If you are wishing there was a way you could follow my blog without having to subscribe, you could always hop on face book and like my fan page (hint hint here is the link should you feel so inclined! https://www.facebook.com/YouAreWorthyToo ) Anyway, this morning, I woke with so much joy. I just knew my blog was going to rock today.  I could feel the spirit moving me. All day long, what I felt I was being drawn to share, has been built upon with a teaching here and a word there that I caught on Moody radio and then a song on the radio kind of helped tie it off. With that being said, here is what I learned today:

My day started out with hearing several directions for all believers to follow. I was so cracking up by this lesson. It was about 10 AM. I do not know who it was teaching it and I'm sure I won't do it complete justice, but here is what I caught. When you become a follower of Christ, you are called into ministry. When you answer the calling, life is not going to be all roses. Much the opposite. You see people are busy. They are not interested in what you have to say. They are hard headed, set in their ways, it is hard to get their full attention, and even when you do succeed at gaining their attention, many will call you names, make fun of you, you will even be taken advantage of. I encourage you to answer the call anyway! I laughed out loud. He went on to say something like this:

1. When you go about doing good, there will be those that accuse you of doing so for personal reward. Do good anyway.

2. When you go about your life being kind to others, no matter how kind you are, you will often be treated badly. Be kind anyway.

3. While helping others, you will be accused of doing so for some type of personal gain.  Help anyway.

4. When you succeed you will make false friends and real enemies. Succeed anyway.

These all made me laugh. While sad, these claims bear much truth. I have been accused of having false motives. I have caught the ire of complete strangers while doing no harm to them. I have even collected a few false friends. It is what it is. However, I am going to keep doing what I am doing. Sharing my story. Testifying about Jesus, my Savior. Spreading the message of the good news. I am a follower of Christ and I simply have no choice. I honestly cannot help myself. Nothing brings more joy to me than receiving a message from someone touched by my writing. I love to be an encouragement to others. I love to inspire and give others hope. This life is full of pain. There are always moments of joy for all who live but it seems the daily grind wears us down quicker than the good moments lift us up. When you concentrate on the "things of this world" you lose sight of the real cause of joy. Most of us have fallen into this trap. The evil one is a clever liar. Usually you don't even realize he has your ear until it is too late. Fear not, there is a way to protect yourself better. All you need to do is build your relationship with the Lord. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying you need to become religious. Much the opposite. Just read God's word, pray and knock on that door. Build your relationship. He is your Father and he has a message for you. "Come Home, you are loved."

As I look in the review mirror and see how far I have come on my own journey back home, I am amazed at not only God's grace, but His amazing timing. Many place blame on Him and say He put me through this to help me grow. I don't believe that for that would take away from free will in a way. I believe the evil one is always on the prowl watching for those he can force to stumble and he is the true cause of destruction and pain. Many times when bad things or pain enters into our life, it is of our own doing. By not following the narrow path we subject ourselves to much of this and then there are the various players we come into contact with in our daily walk. They all have their own free will and the evil one can use them against us even when we are walking the narrow path. What we must remember is that God will use all evils for good for those who trust in Him. I get how crazy scary letting go and letting God, trusting in Him when the whole world seems to be falling apart, but that is the biggest illusion. That is the devil's game. Having you believe you can do something to save the situation on your own, in your own strength. Think of it as an awful dream. It is just this world. It's already fallen. It's going to continue to fall. The good news is we have eternal life after we leave behind this body that Satan can attack. On the other side, the father of lies cannot touch us. Let him do what he may in the here and now. Profess the love the Lord has for you and you will begin to see it more evident in your day to day walk. I encourage you to step out in faith. Read my story. Hear my joy. I have not led an easy life. The majority of hard times were of my own doing. When I do what I want out of fear or jealousy or pride or whatever, man things just go wrong. When I do what the Lord puts in my heart to do regardless of how crazy it may seem at the time, it always turns out good. Take this blog for example. You have no idea how blessed I am in sharing my story. Blessed beyond measure. Does the evil one still come at me? Are you kidding?!? DAILY! I just know he is out there and I put on my full suit of armor. 

I had really meant to post this blog on Tuesday but time simply was not on my side! I attend a fellowship meeting with a few awesome, God seeking woman every 3rd Tuesday of the month. If you are in Indianapolis or anywhere close by, you should check us out. This is my challenge / dare to you, if this affirmation we say every day and meeting speaks to you at all, I dare you to come and hangout with us. We have dinner together, discuss goals and plan ways to help and encourage other women!!

Hagar's Affirmation

I am a Daughter of the Most High. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am beautiful, whole, and complete. Everything I need can be found in and provided by my Father. I don't have to beg for anything or any one's attention. I realize that I am the prize, the good thing to be found. I will not beg for scraps when I know that my Father has prepared a table for me. I am empowered, encouraged, educated and edified. God has opened my eyes to see that I can do all and be all I've been called to be through Christ who strengthens me. I will allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me as I begin again the kingdom way and receive all that my Father has for me. I am beautiful and whole and perfectly me. I am a Daughter of the Most High, just who I've been called to be!

This is K-Loves encouraging word from Tuesday

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. ~ Galatians 6:9, NLT

Indeed! I just love it. Here I am on Thursday finally back to my blog post I began Tuesday to finish it up. Busy would be a good word for my life. I do manage to post an encouraging statement everyday on my face book fan page, so if you desire to see what the Holy Spirit has me sharing on a daily basis, just like my page and you won't miss a thing! Here is my post for today. 

Totally Tripping Thoroughly Thankful Tremendously Thoughtful Thursday! How my heart lept with joy as I read this truth from God: 

There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:4, NLT

In the last 45 days I have done all of these to the most extreme forms! There is healing in crying and letting go of past hurts and laughter, well it truly is the best medicine . . . and grief . . . it let you have a taste of true total overwhelming engulfing pain and then you dance because you realize you made it through the storm and you are more alive than you were when you went in. No matter what is going on, hang onto your faith, call upon your Father, you will survive . . . after all, You're an Overcomer! I dedicate this song to you my beloved friends  

Father, thank you so much for the life you have blessed me with. I am so amazed at how you work and move and take the bad and flip it to good. I am humbled to be adored by you. Me, a beloved. I only desire to please you Lord. To say thank you and sing your praises. Teach me how to be a fisher of men Father. Move me, work through me. Allow me to be an extension of you. Help me to burst forth with so much fruit that those around me have no choice but to witness your Love. I am super excited today for I am being baptized. Not a requirement by law but a symbol of my belief and choice to follow Christ. I am so elated my Lord. So overwhelmed by my journey. Thank you, thank you, thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

** On a side note, I think it is so cool that this morning I received a message from a fellow believer with the following scripture to read. Mark 16: 15-20. My study bible is in my car, so I googled it on the Internet. Here it is:

Verse 15: He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Verse 16: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Verse 17: And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

Verse 18: they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well."

Verse 19: After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

Verse 20: Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

I am telling you, that really fired me up. I often wonder how many people would be reading the heck out of their bibles were they to understand the incredible thrilling stories inside. Stories from those who witnessed the Lord and those who listened to God before the arrival of our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you find yourself interested in God's word today. May you be moved by the spirit. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God,

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013