Are You a Pawn or a Knight? (Revamped10:18:22)?

When I first awoke this morning I found God and His will on my mind. The song that came to mind was "Good God Almighty" by David Crowder. I grabbed my phone and looked it up on you tube, for my heart was overflowing and it needed to worship. Next I opened up my phone and sought out what others in my followersof Christ group had to share and instantly, I was shown this picture that referenced Psalms 150 which just so happens to line up with my heart song. Next I opened up my email searching for an encouraging word for the day from a devotional:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6 NIV

I read this and instantly grabbed my computer knowing the words were about to flow.

It was Abraham’s faith that allowed him to find favor with the Lord. It was David’s faith that the Lord would protect him that allowed him to show grace to Saul even as Saul was trying to kill David. It was by faith that Noah built an arc in dry land, where they had yet to see a single drop of rain!. It is by faith that you are saved through grace. Grace. It is a beautiful thing.

I think along with faith, one must have trust in the Lord. When we read another verse from God’s Word, we discover this:

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5 NIV

You see, we live in a fallen world. While so many of us are willing to consider the possibilities of vampires,  werewolves, zombies, along with other things that go bump in the night, the majority of us refuse to see the truth of our circumstance. We live daily in a world that is fighting a spiritual war. Whether we like it or not, all of us are participants in the war. Some of us are awake and see what is going on and we dress daily for the battle. Sadly because those of us that see are a minority compared to those of us that either don’t see and those that refuse to see, family and friends alike are being used against us.

Trust in the Lord is part of your armor. When you have trust in the Lord, you fight the world differently. In a way you rest through the battle compared to fighting the battle without the Lord on your side. You do work but it is work that is gratifying verses the type of fighting that leaves one exhausted and depleted. The work you do is prayer and giving things to God and NOT taking them back! Another part of your work is reading God’s Word daily so that you are prepared daily with words of both wisdom and grace. King David, known as a great warrior, dressed daily for the spiritual war he faced. He was a part of more than one monumental battle. Can you imagine having to serve a king who was out to kill you? Could you fathom having the opportunity to kill this foe, not once but twice, having found him literally delivered to you? King David had this happen in his lifetime and both times, he extended his enemy grace. He also spoke to his enemy telling him of all that had taken place while he slept. Saul saw that David loved the Lord and was not really  his enemy but sadly Saul was not dressing for the war he was fighting. He allowed his mind to be tormented with thoughts of jealousy and it was in all actuality the death of him.

David was not innocent of sin. None of us are. There is a story in the bible where King David wanted a women who belonged to another. He wanted her so desperately that he sent her husband off to war with the intention of getting him killed. King David paid a dear price for this sin. Rather than shout at the Lord angrily for his loss, King David owned up to his wrong doing and asked for forgiveness and again worshiped the Lord and stepped boldly back into the light for the darkness that was overtaking him was now overshadowed by God’s loving grace. Had David quickly grabbed his necessary armor when sin crouched at his door perhaps he might not have stumbled. I doubt it though for all of us stumble. We are human. Satan has been around tormenting souls for a long time. He even sought to tempt Jesus. He even tried to keep him from his purpose by weighing him down. Jesus though was without sin and dressed properly every moment of His life.  You are only fooling yourself if you think you are an exception when it comes to the ways of sin.

The evil one fights in various cruel ways. He sends negative thoughts to you and if you are not properly dressed, carrying your shield of faith at all times, you simply don’t possess the needed items to distinguish the fiery flames of self-doubt, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and worry just to name a few.  Even with being prepared the majority of the time, the evil one comes at you day and night. I wrote a blog that is featured on my home page about a time that the enemy was trying to convince me that I should stop writing for the Lord. He was mocking me and telling me that my writing was awful and that people saw me as a joke and even suggested that I destroy all I had written prior including my first published book. This took place as I was in the process of editing my sequel. Had I not been in the habit of beginning each day with a snippet of God’s word I would have been sucked under and who knows where I would be today. Instead, I knew I was under siege. An attack so forceful I told Mike, my significant other, what was taking and place and dashed to the kitchen to my special stash of brain empowering chocolate! The whole sequence of events just replayed in my head and admittedly I needed that dose of humor.

Today I could allow myself to be sucked under by negative thoughts. It would be easy in a way to lay in bed all day and bawl my eyes out over all that had taken place in the last 12 months. However that moment too has passed and today is a new day. I know with all my heart this very reason, the emotional heart throbbing, breath stealing pain that we all face at some point during our lifetime, is why we are also given the mandate to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. If he is our stronghold, nothing in this world will have the power to ultimately destroy us. Combine that with these words of wisdom:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:34 NIV, and you will always be able at stand firmly on your faith.

The evil one wants to pull us into tomorrow while he also jerks us into the past. The purpose of pulling us into tomorrow and next week and next year is so that our focus is ahead of us. This little trick of his increases our anxiety about the future. So much so that many of us seek to have it told to us. What on earth are we in a rush for? Enjoy this moment. You only live it once!  The reason he drags us into the past is to highlight our failures. This way he can fill us with self-doubt and self ridicule. That my friends is a vicious battle to fight without the right armor. If you were to read the bible you would understand that Jesus, both the son of God and the Son of Man, also battled against Satan while he resided on earth in the flesh. Interestingly enough do you know what Jesus used to defeat Satan? He used ALL of his armor EVERY DAY. He taught his disciples to dress for battle. There are incredible examples of solutions to all of life’s problems within God’s Word. People are always reading self help books and searching for the perfect recipe for success. If they spent half that energy on their relationship with the Lord they’d be much more joyous.  If we got real honest that is what we are all searching for; A life without worries of any kind so that we can live peacefully and enjoy life. That my friends is what happens when you discover the truth. I ask you this simple question, “Do you know who you are in Christ?”

When you read my story from the beginning you see fully the battle being waged. You see how not being dressed for war can affect your life and the abundant ways you live it. We live in a fallen world. We must recognize this fact and then arm ourselves the best we can. I’ve fought a lot of battles. I guarantee I have something in common with you. Come find the message in my books that is meant for you. For only $10 you can own my first three True Life books in paperback, and in electronic format, the 3 book set is only $3.99. A link to both of these formats runs on the right of this blog. If your device doesn't show them, click on this link for paperback purchase and this link for kindle version. See if my story speaks to you. If it does, support my ministry while helping yourself gain an advantage in this Spiritual War!

I am also currently in a major competition that comes with a brand prize that would help fund my ministry financially, it will provide me with an incredible marketing opportunity. Please consider taking 30 seconds to support me by casting a free vote via Facebook verification. Just click https:/votefab40.com/2022/wendy-glidden

Be blessed and be a blessing.

Father, today I come to you singing your praises. How glorious it is to be your friend. While daily life deals me blows I am able to not only stand firm, I am also able to continue in my purpose for it is by your strength that I do all things. I thank you for my many blessings. I thank you for the bouts of laughter that help heal my heart. I thank you for sunny days and beautiful views. I thank you for those who sing your praises through music for their lyrics and words help me in so many ways. I love the way they strengthen me and help to renew my mind with words of wisdom and truth. Please help me find those who are so in need of your light. Put me in their path Father. Use me for what you created me for. Help me rock this thing! In Jesus name I pray.

If you’d like to know me a little better before subscribing to my blog, check out this video: Marriage, Motherhood & My Moral Meltdown

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

© Wendy Glidden 2014

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

Are You Dressed For Daily Battle?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

My Craziest Dream Doesn't Come Close to The Beauty in My Life Today!

Wild Wacky Wonderful Wednesday! Wow!! If you had told me a year ago that I would be in the midst of sharing my life story with the world via a blog, I would have literally laughed out loud. No way would I open my closet for the world to see! I mean, who in their right mind looks for critics and judges?

If you would have claimed that within 7 months of me stepping out in Faith and following the direction God was pulling in, my story would have well over 40,000 page views and I would have been read in 75 countries, I'd of told you that you should be writing a story! Yet, here I am. In absolute awe of our Heavenly Father. He is Faithful.

Were you to take my craziest dream and throw it up on a 'dream board', it would not even come close to comparing what is happening in my real life today. If that isn't absolutely mind blowingly wild, well, I don't know what is!

Recently I prayed for a way to create an income from nothing so that I can fund my ministry. While that prayer seemed like one that had little chance of being answered, I said it regardless. After all, with Faith anything can happen! So, I have the idea, the core of it, and I am super psyched to get started. All I am waiting on is for the 'so called clutter' to begin arriving in the mail. It is my prayer this happens before next month ends. If you missed that blog "Clear the Clutter" and you have no desire to go and read it for yourself, I am asking for donations of all broken crayons as well as all empty vitamin bottles. Any donations of either are greatly needed and appreciated. Simply mail them to Wendy Glidden, PO Box 481, Westfield, IN 46074.

The coolest thing about what I am doing right now is the messages I receive from readers. Money, no amount of it, could ever hold a candle to the encouraging and thankful messages I have received. They warm my heart and give me the courage and strength to continue. I do receive nasty insults from some. I know where that comes from. I just smile and think to myself, "I must be encouraging many for such attacks!"

I am firm in my faith and I will not waiver. Decades ago when I did not wear a full suit of armor the evil one was able to commit acts of connivery that in all reality were 100% cruel. I pray my fellow brother's and sister's in Christ learn about all the armor available to protect themselves from the daily battle we all face. Without using it all, we leave ourselves vulnerable. I now recognize the battle we are in and I am thankful for such clarity.

Speaking of clarity. I have been praying for it recently. The other night I had the craziest dream. You know, one of those where it seems so real, you believe it is happening in real life. That happened to me last week. In my dream, I couldn't 'see' who was with me as everything was slightly fuzzy, almost like being in a hospital under the bright lights undergoing surgery yet awake. Anyway, they were looking into my eyes. Next thing I know, they pulled out this whitish film but it was thick. I was shocked it had come out of my eye. Then I heard them say, "There, that should help you see clearer." When I woke up my eyes felt rough. I got up and went into the bathroom to wash my face. As soon as I splashed that first handful of water on my eyes, I stood straight up recalling what I had witnessed during the night. I am still blind as a bat but I am seeing things clearer.

I came to work and shared my dream with Joan at work. She said, "Wow, sounds like you had scales taken out of your eyes!"  I am not sure what transpired exactly. What I do know for sure is I am now praying for my ears to be in tune with truth! I will be sure to share any other crazy dreams I have in the future!

The highlight of my day thus far would be when I went into the break room to heat up water for my oatmeal. I found my 14 year old daughter curled up reading her bible. Her Ipod and my laptop are sitting on the table for her to use and yet she is entranced in God's word. I don't think anything can top that!

Today I pray eyes and ears are opened to the truth. I pray countless lost are found. I pray the hands and feet of Jesus move into action all across the world as one. I pray my brothers and sisters begin coming home in the thousands. May the evil one lose his hold on countless held in bondage. I pray all learn about the war and the armor needed to win. I pray they take advantage of all the armor available. I pray I begin to receive countless packages of broken crayons so I can begin my fundraising idea that makes me giggle like a child every time I think about it. I thank you Lord for all you have blessed me with. I am blessed beyond measure. I pray I continue to receive insight on my next steps. I pray I am always able to see an attack and recognize it for what it is. I pray that while sin crouches at my door it finds no entry into my heart and mind. Protect me from harm Father. Protect my family from harm. Strengthen the Faith of all my family. In Jesus name I pray! Amen.



Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013