Don't Be Devoured!

Many in the world are familiar with quote John 3:16. Some I imagine have heard it mentioned but don't know what it is about. I, myself have seen the Book, Chapter and verse posted on sites all across the United States of America in my travels. I often wonder when I see it, "Will people know this is a Bible verse and search it out on their own?"

I have to admit, we live in a fast paced world and often a soundbite is all one can get out in a crowd. Obama is by far one of the best sound bite machines I have ever watched in my life. I know there are some big fans of his out there. I am only a fan of God and I see man for man; we all fall short. Our president is no different, nor were any of the previous ones so please don't take me the wrong way. I was pointing out how influential some soundbites can be depending on how they are introduced. 

I am not certain that random signs with John 3:16 written on them are delivering the power of the truth in that message!

For those who have never taken the time to search the actual message out, this is what John 3:16 tells us:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NASB)

My question for you is this, "How can you believe in someone or something that you have no knowledge of?"

My next question is this, "If you are seeking life after death, wouldn't you at least be curious enough to search out this Son of God on your own time?" 

Searching Him out on your own time does not mean going to church once a week. While that can be helpful; surrounding yourself with others who love God, not all churches teach. Sadly, the majority preach. I don't like to be preached to, but I love to learn! That is what my home church does. Honestly at Leavener, I often feel like I am sitting in Bible College because you learn more than just the words in the Bible. You are taught about the setting in history and the original context of the words themselves is often broken down. This adds massive flavor and color to the books in the Bible and gives one so much greater understanding as well as a personal desire to learn on ones own. 

Now, if I were to post soundbite signs across the USA, I think I would pick John 3:17 as my soundbite shout out to the world:

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:17, NASB)

You see, we have a mutual enemy in this world, evil. Evil lies to us about who we are and labels us as unworthy to be saved. This is a lie. God obviously found us worthy enough to send his son after us! It is so important for us, especially at this time in history to come to know and understand what is truly against us in all things in this world! You will only discover the depths of shrewdness and how to best protect yourself against such a foe in the word of God!

It irks me to no ends when people say, "God has already decided who gets saved." or "There are only 144,000 people that God is going to save" or "The Bible says those who are saved are predestined already so what's the point?"

While there is some truth in these statements, they are far from absolute truth! The enemy always uses partial truths to snare us. It is why he is so effective! We need to KNOW the truth in order to defend it. How can you know it if all you do is stand on others soundbites?

In reading God's word for myself, one thing is certain, we all fall short, we are all sinners in need of help!

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:23, NASB)

Now granted these 3 verses I have shared today are indeed soundbites, but they are statements of absolute truth. These also are VERY important truths in the fight against the lie of evil that tells us that its already been decided who gets saved and who does not! Allow me to build the case for truth:

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3, NASB)

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. (Matthew 5:44-45, NASB)

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving, be mad on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all . . . (1 Timothy 2:1-6, NASB)

I have a boatload more to share but let us connect the dots with these:

• God sent his son to save the world (all creation, not just mankind but the world as well, remember that it to is in a fallen state!)
• He did not send His son into the world to judge us, but to save us! ALL of us!
• If only some are predestined to be saved, why provide all of us with a measure of faith?
• Obviously God blesses all of His children and creation with sun and rain. (Karma is a misnomer. good and evil happen to those who are both good and evil. Those who thank the LORD daily also petition for more blessings and He is a faithful God, my advice; "Get to know Him!)
• God makes it obvious again and again and again that He wishes all of us would turn to Him and be saved. It is our FREE WILL to do so as it is our FREE WILL to ignore the life line He so lovingly provided to ALL!

I did not come to where I am today overnight. I truly sought to understand God's word. Today, I know who I am in Christ and it is what that knowledge did for me that drives me to share the truth with others. Yes, I will have eternal life, but on top of that, I am living an abundant life in the midst of a fallen world. I cannot tell you how FREEING that is. How joyful I am in spite of all the junk that the evil in the world tries to throw in my path. This is the good news! Another great thing my church has done is to compile a list of verses that share who you are in Christ. Check them out! 

Be blessed my friends! Life is worth living abundantly. Discover the truth for yourself and stand firm in your faith! The enemy is indeed a roaring lion and it is us that he longs to devour! Don't get eaten!!

Wendy, Mom of Many, Walks with God!

© Wendy Glidden 2016

The House is on Fire!

I don't know a single person who has not at some moment or another either found themselves angered by another or found themselves being the one that stirs up anger in another by mere words that are spoken.

God's Word has a lot to say about anger and its effect. In Proverbs, which are considered to be words of wisdom, we find these three verses:

Proverbs 15:1, NASB says: A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 26:20, NASB: For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.

Proverbs 26:21, NASB: Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

I have shared them with the children and explained the meanings to the point that when one of them is angry and the others decide it is time to whisper something, I simply say, "Don't throw wood on my fire!" It quickly lets them know to be quiet without me having to say anything else.

The other day though, my entire house erupted into arguments and I yelled out, "My house is on fire!" Instantly I had the children's attention only to have my husband call out from the back, "I don't want to hear stuff like that." To which I called back, "Not literally, metaphorically."

Over the years, by pointing out the fire in the room, I have managed to have quite a success record when it comes to extinguishing fires before they get out of control. However, when it comes to Mike and I, this has not worked quite as well. He does not have understanding regarding these verses and to top that off, he can whip some wood around pretty darn quickly. Recently, he has taken to throwing rotten wood at me and I have truly struggled with my own anger towards him.

He mocks me a lot for going to church, for my faith, for the degree I am seeking in college and for blogging and writing regarding God. It's a lot for a person to take. When you consider all the other things I have on my daily plate, its a wonder I don't combust into flames!

Regardless, I know that the Lord is where I find my strength and I also know there is strength in numbers. I don't go to church to be preached at. I go to church to learn, to be encouraged and to stand in worship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I need that food. I need that time. I need those hugs from my fellow sisters, and I need to hang with others who understand this fallen world!

This Sunday, we had a guest teacher from Detroit come and speak. At the end, they called those of us that felt we were cloaked with something that was keeping us in chains, something we needed delivered from to come forward. I came up. While I have tried with all my might to rid myself of anger and resentment towards Mike, I was still struggling with them both. As I stood in the front praying for help with these, tears began running down my face. Someone put their hands on my head and began praying in another language for me and suddenly I fell backwards and found myself on the floor. Now I have seen this happen on TV, but I have never felt it happen to myself. After a moment I got back up and began praying and thanking God and again someone put their hands on me. It was a lady and she said to me, "Its okay, let it go. He is all over you, just accept all He has to offer." and wham I fell back harder and I truly thought someone had turned the lights on full force for such brilliant light exploded behind my eyes. That time I remained on the floor and basked in the Son's light and wept with gratitude. I truly believe God removed my resentment of Mike from my heart for my eyes see him differently now. It will be interesting to see if he can give me rise to anger with his words in the near future or if they will fall uselessly to the ground. What I do know is this, something inside me changed and for that I am grateful. Anger is a rotten emotion. It only grows much like jealousy grows. It is no wonder our world is in the shape it is in. How many angry people seek God for help with their emotions? Not enough, that is for sure!

Too much has happened in my life for me to lose my faith. Too much has taken place for me to quit writing just because Mike gives me a hard time about it. I have told him more than once that it is God that called me forth to write and I am listening to that call. I also understand that I need to surround myself with others that have true faith in Christ Jesus.

Mike fears the church. After taking both the History of Ancient Israel as well as the History of Christianity, I understand his fear. False teachers abound. We are warned by Paul time and time again to be on the lookout for them. This is one of the reasons that you need to read the Word of God for yourself. As you do, pray for understanding. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful teacher. While the Word of God will help you come to know God, it is in seeking Him directly that you will grow by leaps and bounds. The LORD wants you to get to know Him. He has countless promises for those who seek.

For today, I encourage you to put into practice the advice found in proverbs, "Don't throw wood onto the fire!" and should you find yourself enraged by someone else, kindly utter the phrase back to them. Perhaps it will halt them long enough for you to calm your heart and recognize your own wood throwing skills!

I would like to leave you with this last little tidbit. Satan LOVES for you to become angry. I am fully convinced that he is a whisperer of evil thoughts. From the very beginning, he has been at the root of sibling rivalry and so much more! Most people know that Cain killed Abel, but did you know that before that murder took place, God came to Cain and counseled him? I promise you , this is true. It is in Genesis that we read this:

Genesis 4:1-10, NASB: Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." [2] Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [3] So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. [4] Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; [5] but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. [6] Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? [7] If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." [8] Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

There is a lot to this story that I am not going to get into right now, for today our focus is on anger and the truth that sin is always crouching at our door desiring to capture us. The LORD's advice for us is the same as it was for Cain. We MUST master it!

I have tried myself to bite my own tongue, to calm my own angry heart, to get hold of my emotions and trust me when I say, "It is no easy feat." Even when I have been able to stifle it, I have not been able to fully put out the coals. It was only until I went before God and admitted that I wanted to be rid of it all, that it was taken from me. I pray that this remains to be the case. I know that it is only with the help of the LORD that it will remain so for I am under no disillusions that the evil one will not continue to whisper into the ears of those that are close to me. I know if he can't get my attention directly, he will use others in an attempt to pull my from my 'happy zone'. That my friends is part of Spiritual Warfare. Our nation is at war but the biggest war is the one being waged against humanity as a whole. It is my prayer that more soldiers for Christ wake up and begin helping bring the Kingdom of Heaven here to earth.

Today if you realize you are holding onto anger and resentment, I encourage you to ask God to help you be rid of it all. It is my prayer that you do this. It is my prayer that you feel the change in your heart. When it comes to others, it is my prayer that you begin to recognize your own 'wood throwing skills' and begin to teach yourself to grab a salt shaker instead ;-) ~ blessings to all who do!

Wendy Glidden, Mom of Many, walks with God.

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

May You Learn to Live Before You Die!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wendy, walks with God,

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden

Do You Feel Like You Are Missing Something in Life?

Wild Wacky Wonderful Wednesday What Whimsical Wonders Will you bring my way today?! I awoke this morning to an extra child in my bed. Delightful Delilah is under the weather. Currently her and Jeffrey are laying down in the other room watching a movie. Somehow last night I managed to help everyone with their homework, reading and book reports. Yes. Book reports in the second grade. I don't know who school is more stressful on the children or me! It is tough to squeeze in quality time in three hours after work when you have to help with homework, have 3 children read books to you, serve dinner, clean up, make sure everyone takes a shower and put them all to bed after a 9 hour work day with a 3 year old assistant for the entire day and 4 additional helpers for the last hour and a half! I have also implemented a workout routine into my day that I do at night after all of that! It's crazy, it's hectic but I am finally getting into the full swing of it. Or at least I think I am. This morning I discovered one child's homework was not successfully packed away into her folder and it is now sitting on my desk. It will be late. I have no help today so taking it up to school to save the day like a super hero mom is just not going to happen. Life. It is what it is. Thank God I know I am not perfect or something as small as that might put me right over the edge!

Last night I went to my monthly meeting with mom's who are seeking God's heart, so dinner was already prepared for us. I have been getting more and more back into the mentality of a more organized mom. I have turned Sunday into my prepare for the week ahead day. I make sure we have enough folded socks in each drawer. I reorganize drawers and closets as well as shoe and coat bins. The most awesome thing I do to make the week easier is I prep the meals we are going to have for the week. I purchased a little mini oven and have it in my back office. Now at 4:30 pm I take out the meal we decide on that I prepared on Sunday and I throw it in my oven. At Five when I get off work, dinner is done! This simple little change in the way I do things gained me an hour of meal time each day of the week. There are countless things on the Internet to help with this. I just simplified it for myself. I brown all the hamburger I will need for my five meals or cook some chicken, then I divide it all up into the daily portions and prepare the individual meals. I let them cool off and then I pack them up and in the freezer they go. Each day I grab what meal the kids vote on and that is what we have for dinner that night. It truly has made a difference in how smoothly things run through the week. If you too are a single mom in the midst of craziness, I encourage you to try this for just one week and see if you find it helpful at all. If you aren't into this style, I would highly suggest working in a crock pot meal or two each week. I did that when I was younger and only had two children and two full time jobs! Like I said, there are countless moms out there that have taken the time to put up websites full of tips just like this but in much much much greater detail. A friend of mine just sent me a link to a great site the other day. Here is the link:  http://lifeasmom.com/2013/10/freezer-cooking-will-save-you-time.html

As I do each weekday morning, I check out what K-Loves encouraging word of the day is. Here is what I found:

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty  ~ John 6:35, NLT

I am blessed to understand the truth in this. For me, before I came to know Jesus as my Savior, I would have days when I knew I was missing something but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Those are the days I would go shopping looking for that certain something that would somehow simplify my life or bring me a little joy. Sometimes those are the days I would go out to eat because I was looking for something better than what I had in the refrigerator. I think that emptiness we feel is the call to come back home. We just don't have anyone pointing in the right direction. Somehow in our society we have come very far from even mentioning God. Even more so openly talking about Jesus. It's almost still okay to openly discuss your thoughts on God but you have to be schooled on how to approach the whole Jesus subject for fear of how you may be taken. To label yourself as a Christian can get you killed in some places in the world. The united States is not too far from getting a little on the crazy side with the whole same sex issues. When you listen to what the Supreme Court said as far as the opinion one might hold regarding same sex marriage, well, it just sends chills down your spine. His basically said if you have a problem with same sex marriage, you are an enemy of the human race. An enemy of the race! That is a bit scary. I mean let's really get down to this whole issue of what is labeled as sin in the bible and take it to it's most extreme basic idea. We are even warned to not get angry. Allow me to share with you Matthew Chapter 5, verses 21-22:

verse 21: "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'

verse 22: But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

So, if I warn others that getting angry is a gateway to hell, pardon the pun, am I too an enemy of the human race? I beg everyone, please let us not use the word of God and twist it into a court battle. It is the word of God for crying out loud. How can mere men pass judgement upon it? Why on earth would they believe they are so grandiose? It truly baffles me. I believe that mindset is the work of the evil one, Satan, the father of Lies. By following Christ and walking the narrow path we are in a way helping ourselves stay out of the clutches of the evil one. Think of the bible as a safety manual set up to help you walk through this life with as little theft as possible. Remember the evil one's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. God wants you to live life and live it abundantly. Jesus came to complete the law and He did just that. This is the message of Grace. God, His Son, His word, it is not something for us to debate over. It is just what it is. It is meant to encourage us not to tear us apart. The evil one is the one that gets in your ear and bends it saying you can not believe in this Most High God for you are '_____' whatever he has labeled you. You must remember he is the father of lies. Protect yourself daily with the proper attire. Trust me what ever really is sin will begin to not feel right to you. You will be convicted by the voice of righteousness that reminds you that you are a holy redeemed saint, you are a child of God and you just simply will begin to know and recognize when you are walking in the flesh. You will begin to mature spiritually. It will happen. However if you put up walls and say that is not for me because I prefer this, well, in the flesh you will continue to walk until you take those walls down. It is a choice. You can talk Gospel and truth to a non believer until you are blue in the face and as it says in the bible, they are blind and deaf to it. It just does not penetrate. All you can do is pray for that person. That way when and if they should seek, others have already intervened on their behalf and it is my belief that they can instantly be 'blinded by the light' so to say. People really can and do change. When they become believers and followers of Christ, they simply become a new creation. You will witness their fruit. It becomes undeniable that they indeed are different. 

Like I said, it is wild Wednesday and I never know what the day will bring. We never do. One of my favorite things (laughing because there are too many favorites to count) is when God suggests that today has enough trouble of it's own so don't fret about tomorrow. Stay in the moment. Great advice. Today I encourage you to stay in the moment. Enjoy life. Seek God. Read a bit out of his word. Get hungry for it. It truly will pump you up and fuel your days and sustain you through the rough times. 

Father, today I pray more and more of us realize what that emptiness inside of them is. A call to come home. I pray that we begin to shake off this slumber and wake up fully. May we crave your word Father and thirst for your direction. Oh Father what a glorious Life we would all live were we to invite you into our lives. I know all you have done for me even when I had walls up Father and you amaze me. I understand the footprints picture even more today. Thank you for carrying me so many times. I am thankful that I have sought you for you are Faithful. It is true. All your promises are true. May countless brothers and sisters seek you Father. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Wendy, walks with God,

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Have You Ever Been 'Pancaked' ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 8/14/2013

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

~ Proverbs 10:12, NLT

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

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

Thursday 8/15/2013

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

~ 1 Peter 4:8, NLT

Friday 8/16/2013

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

~ 1 John 4:10,  NLT

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

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

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Walking By The Spirit

Hello everyone! I hope the day has found with with a smile on your face and a song in your heart! Today I find God's love for me miraculous. His desire for me to live overwhelms me some days. In the realm of it all I am here but a moment just like you, yet He sent his son to save us all. What a gift. What a blessing.

I have these flash cards that my church printed up and I flip through them sometimes when I am trying to get in the mood to write. I found these three fitting for the mindset I am in this afternoon. This next weekend is the Women's Cross Roads Great Banquet #45. I attended #44 back in February. My small group is going to attend the send off this week.

Going to the Great Banquet helped me completely get the concept of Forgiveness, Grace and Agape. It is an experience I will never forget. In the simplest form, attending the Great Banquet was Life Changing.

It was while in reflection upon that weekend I found myself reading these flash cards. These 3 spoke to me and I have decided I must share all 3 of them with you.

Beginning with Galatians, Chapter 2, verse 20:

verse 20: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Next we go to Ephesians, Chapter 4, verse 22 - 24:

verse 22: that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

verse 23: and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

verse 24:  and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 

And we end with 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 17:

verse 17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.

It is my opinion that if you are not seeking God with all your heart, you are not reading His word. It is by reading His word that you begin to understand exactly what walking in the spirit feels and looks like.

I think many people believe that once a person accepts Christ for their savior they should no longer sin. It is also my belief that Satan planted that lie to cause confusion within the church as well as separation among believers. After all if you are saved and then you stumble how well does that represent God working in your life?

Satan convinced us to hide our shames and failures from one another. My sisters and brothers, we are flesh. We wake up day after day and go immediately into a spiritual battle. As soon as you spread gossip, as soon as you say something with a sarcastic tone, as soon as you react in anger, you have sinned. I don't know about you, but on occasion these fleshly characteristics have a way of making an appearance in my life.

These actions never leave me with a good taste in my mouth these days. My righteousness convicts me of this behavior. It is not what I desire to be and it does not sit well with me upon reflection.

Walking in the spirit means I try to resemble Christ in all ways. Satan knows this. He also knows my faults as well as my weakness in all areas. I am convinced the more one tries to walk in the spirit the harder the evil one attacks in all forms.  Last Sunday one of our members made mention of how he envisioned Satan checking his database for the best way to attack us. I know he is a smooth operator and quite capable of seeing through the cracks in my armor at any given moment. This alone is why it is so important to dress daily for battle.

My life belongs to Christ. I begin my days with preparation. Some mornings I read out of a devotional first thing. Every morning I listen to Christian radio. Singing praises and laughing will always put you in a more joyous, hopeful mood. Each day I have devotionals I read, I go through my flash cards, I check out my alphabet picture with Bible verses on it, I carry my Bible with me and I pray.

It is my goal to walk by the Spirit always. Jesus is my focus. With that being said, there are days when I stumble. Today I no longer convict myself of being unworthy of God's love. I know that is another lie from hell. Now, I get on my knees and pray for more strength, wisdom and understanding. I thank God for sending Jesus who died Once for All sin, including mine. I know I don't need to pray for forgiveness when I have occasion to stumble for I am already forgiven of all my sins for all time. The evil one wants me to focus on my sin and my fear of my sin being too big to be forgiven. God wants us to focus on our righteousness, understanding forgiveness because in doing so, we will actually improve our walk!
I find it ironic that the perfect song just came on the radio to tie up this post. I have been interrupted countless times and it has taken all day to put these thoughts down on paper. I hope they are an encouragement to you.

Father, today I pray more of my fellow brothers and sisters wake up and begin seeking you. I pray they do not allow the evil one to convince them they are not worthy of your love. I pray they discover what your grace is. I pray they come to realize how special they are to you. I pray more and more of my fellow brothers and sisters begin seeking you in greater more devoted ways. I pray together, strengthened by You, we as the body of Christ become bolder. I pray we begin to move as a body moves when agile and healthy. Father I thank you for the strength and understanding you have blessed me with over my lifetime. I thank you for all I have lived through for living through such trials and tribulations has taught me to find the silver lining that always exists in the midst of all storms. I pray that all my brothers and sisters come to realize there is nothing more special about anyone of us when it comes to you and your love for us all. I pray they realize the difference in the relationship between you and all your children merely lies in whether they are seeking you or not as well as how often they seek you. I pray they come to know in their hearts that You are Faithful. You have provided us with a handbook for survival. Today I pray that more and more and more of us begin to get into Your word Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

It's All in the Soundbite!

Tonight while working out at the YMCA I was trying to piece together what my next blog was supposed to be on. I have had so much flash across my head today. So many topics. I was climbing on the Olyptical (I think that's what it is called.) The machine says I'm climbing but I feel like I am jogging without impact. I like it a lot! Anyway, I was on the machine and I was talking to God as I often do these days. All of a sudden I heard "Be Still and Know that I am God". I thought I KNOW you are God. Why do I keep hearing this verse? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Knowing that He is God means knowing when it is Him speaking to me. I need to listen closer. It dawned on me, I recognize the voice of the enemy quicker than I recognize the voice of God!

This realization came at me so hard and quick I actually laughed out loud. How funny God must think I am. Takes some of us a little longer to hear what is being said! There is a big difference in hearing and listening. So now that I was focusing on listening and knowing when God was trying to tell me something, I voiced to God, "You have flashed so many things to me today. What am I to focus on? What is my next assignment?" I then heard, "It's all in the soundbite."

As I often do I questioned. . . is this me thinking about one of my favorite catch phrases at Glidden Fence? I tell someone every day, "You know, It's all in the soundbite." and then I'll explain a little deeper what I mean. This is usually brought up when talking about Cedar.

Again, I heard, "It's all in the soundbite." and then I had soundbites from the past that I no longer 'buy into' flashed to me. God was showing me some of the 'Lord of Air's' soundbites that had been whispered across my own mind just a few short months ago. And I was like, "Oh! Wow!! Right. You want me to share this again."

Next I heard "The Top Ten Soundbites God Wants To Share With You" and I thought, "Is that to be the title?" and again clear as day I heard the title of this Blog, "It's all in the Soundbite" and I saw the top 10 list as a subtitle inside this blog.

Again I laughed out loud. You see all my life my big dream has been to work for God. If you have read my story you know as a child I thought it would be awesome if He made me into a well known author. I reasoned I could be wealthy enough to change the world and how people felt about life and themselves.

Today, I AM working for God. I am thrilled every time one of my blogs receives 100 page views or more in one day. I am positive at least one of those 100 strangers have read something that resonates within them. I am simply a tool for the Holy Spirit to begin to work in others. Glory be to God! All you need for this to begin is to be open to taking a look into the word of God for yourself! I am not going to give the Devil his due by quoting his soundbites. I will simply say if it is not good and it is not from Love then chances are pretty darn good what you are hearing are the 'Lord of Air's' soundbites. I promise you they are lies! Recognize this for Truth. If you find yourself doubting what I proclaim, I challenge you to take a look at God's Top Ten Soundbites for yourself. Don't just look up the scripture I quote, give each one a thorough glance. Read before and read after. Read as long as the words make sense. You see, God's Word will leap off the pages at you. Like a good book that you can't put down. To understand that and know it as Truth, you will need to first pick it up!

Here are this weeks Top Ten Soundbites from Our Heavenly Father.

1.  Be Still and KNOW that I am God *Found in the book of  Psalms, Chapter 46 verse 10 **  Seriously         cool Chapter. I would advise reading the whole thing it's short but Wow!

2. Little children guard yourselves from idols * Found in the Book of 1st John, Chapter 5 verse 21     ** Again wild chapter. Worth reading!!

3. Beloved do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. * Found in the Book of The 3rd Epistle of  John, Chapter 1 verse 11   ** Sounds like common sense doesn't it?!?

4. The Thief comes in the middle of the night to steal and to kill and to destroy, BUT I CAME so that you may have life and have it abundantly.  * Found in the Book of John Chapter 10 verse 10. ** If that doesn't give you cause to take notice at what God has to offer you, I honestly don't know what will!

5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and Lean not on your own understanding  * Found in the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 3 verse 5 ** This was my scripture for last year. It really helped me.

6. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.  * Found in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 13, verse 2

7. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. * Found in the Book of Philippians Chapter 4, verse 8

8. Grace to you  and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  * Found in the Book 1st Corinthians, Chapter 1 verse 3

9. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you Free from the law of sin and of death.  * Found in the Book of Romans, Chapter 8, verse 2. ** Romans is an awesome Book!

10. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. * Found in the book of Philippians Chapter 2 verse 5

I don't know about you but I personally think those are some fabulous soundbites. Worthy of one's attention. I am 100% positive no harm will come to you should you do a little reading on each one of these soundbites! What you gain from it is up to you!

Tonight my prayer is that more people who have never given God an honest chance will begin to open themselves up to the Word of God. I pray that more and more and more people looking for an answer to their purpose turn to the one book that has been around longer than all of the self help books ever published. If you are looking for "the key" tonight I pray you find yourself a study bible and invest a little time in learning what God has to say about life here on earth and how to survive the death trap. Today I pray for the seeds of Hope, may they land on fertile ground. I thank you Father for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me. I thank you for allowing me to be a tool in your hands. I thank you for allowing me to witness your never ending love for others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many


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