Come as You are, But Don't Stay There!

Today's encouraging Word courtesy of K-Love:

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, (1 Peter 2:2, NLT)

God invites all of us to come as we are. He is willing to meet us right in the middle of any mess we may have made. He just doesn't want us to stay where we are. Just like any parent, God longs for us to grow and learn and to fully step into our purpose. Who in their life hasn't wondered at least once, "Why am I here?"

If you truly want that answer, then learn who you are in Christ. When we first begin to learn, we really are like newborn babies. Each day, we must nourish our minds and hearts on what God has to say about this world we live in and this battle we are a part of whether we have come to realize that yet or not!

Even those who don't study God's Word, know some of what he has to say because His Word has infiltrated in ways that some of us may not recognize as His Word, but it is. For instance, "The Golden Rule" comes from the bible. The funniest thing about the Bible though is not everyone gets understanding when they read it. That is because it is a living document. I cannot tell you how many times I have read something and then read it later in life and had it blow up for me in ways that give me understanding and I love it when that happens. You should always pray for understanding of the LORD's Word each and every time you go to read something from the bible.

As you truly grow, you will crave more than mere milk. You will be looking for meat because milk alone will no longer satisfy you, or at least it shouldn't. That is where these verses come in:

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. (Hebrews 5:12, NLT)

I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2, NLT)

The only way you can proceed from milk and milk alone to solid food is to grow. We all need a teacher when we first step into God's Word. There are so many layers to God's Word. I have been studying it in college for the last year and the more I learn the more I realize there is to learn. I don't think you could ever learn all there is to learn from simply reading the Bible. It is in seeking the LORD Himself, that the Holy Spirit comes along side as your greatest teacher. Even then, you must take on this task daily. In all honesty, it is part of your armor. Don't forget for a single moment that you do have a mighty foe in this world, yet more importantly you have a mighty champion who wants nothing more than to save you and teach you how to live in the midst of the trials and tribulations:

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

God desperately wants you to know Him. He did not send his son into the world to hang out with those who had it all together. He sent Him into the world in order for us who are sinners to be saved. Let us be honest, not one of us is without sin!

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. (1 John 1:8, NLT)

Now God knows all, He sees beyond our flesh and into our hearts. He does not want to condemn us, He wants to save us!

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17, NLT)

For me this news was both eye opening and exciting. I had lived my whole life thinking that God was indeed a God of Judgement looking to condemn me for every wrong move I made! I truly believed the only way to earn His love was to do things. This is not the case. While it is true that as you grow and learn the truth, you will be driven to do works, this is nothing like doing works in hopes of being loved!

I think James explains it best in this verse:

Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." ( James 2:18, NLT)

I want to leave you with this encouraging thought. When you discover who you are in Christ, you will truly be free. It is also true that as you grow, you will face the enemy more often. He does not want you to grow to the point that you are able to help others. This is why you must feed yourself daily. I think one of the most important things we can learn is how to amor ourselves for the fight. This verse clues you into that:

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinithians 10:4-5, NLT)

There is a war that is being waged against all humanity. We are called to be soldiers in this fight. If you are not a soldier today, you may realize you are a pawn. I don't know anyone that longs to be a pawn in life. Most of us recognize the truth that we are here for a reason. This is why I insist that you should wake up today and begin seeking to learn who you are in Christ. Become a milk drinker that in turns longs for solid food. Don't simply learn who you are in Christ, get saved and sit idle. Learn, grow and in turn go into the world seeking those who are lost and longing for something more and teach them all you have learned. This is our calling. This is the great commission. Yes, God wants you to come as you are, but His desire is not for you to stay put. You are being called into action!

God called me forth a few years ago. I have been in training ever since. I admit I get my butt kicked by the evil side on occasion, but I know where my strength comes from. My stronghold, my fortress is the God of Jacob. While I may stumble, I always regain my footing by opening up the Word of God. It is my prayer that you learn to do the same!

For those who are curious about my travels, God had me write much of it in a single book. It is full of true life stories and what I gained in hindsight. I know they were written with the help of the Spirit because no one in their right mind would reveal so much about themselves in a book. After all, who seeks to be judged lol? I did it because I no longer fear what man thinks of me. I share my life to reveal the glory of God and how He has worked in my life all along without taking away my free will. Please check out some of it for free by visiting my author page on amazon by clicking here

Be blessed in your reading. Be blessed in your life. Look for the silver lining in the midst of your strife!

Wendy Glidden

© Wendy Glidden 2015

Turmoil Tornados

I started this week out in a panic. The children are off on spring break I signed up for two more college classes that both began this Monday! By day one I was overwhelmed by all of the reading and assignments that were looming ahead. On top of that, we moved to the other side of the RV park and it turns out that the WIFI doesn’t work over here yet. Talk about making life a little harder when it comes to online classes, not to mention blogging and marketing on Social Media!

I am grateful that my classes are focused on the Word of God so that in the midst of my personal panic, I have to fill my mind with the LORD’s words! As the week progressed, my anxiety levels decreased. It is funny what happens as you renew your mind with life breathing words. Yesterday I even managed to stay ahead of the game concerning school and have now completed every assignment with the exception of one paper that is due on Sunday and here I sit today calm as a cucumber sharing a post!

I had a fellow student ask me how on earth I manage to get everything done that needs to be done in a day. I still need to go back and answer her on that one. When I read it, I was honestly in the midst of my panic and thinking to myself, “Get everything done?!?” That is truly humorous because there is never a day that goes by that I manage to check off every single item on my to do list!

The truth of the matter is, when it comes to making it through each day, I have a checklist of must do’s, need to do’s, and want to do’s. I also apply self discipline telling myself each day that I can play once all my work is done. Some days I don’t play at all!

I will be honest in saying that even though I have a plan in place, I still find myself swimming in the midst of anxiety at various moments; especially as the end of the day approaches while tasks on my must do list are still looming ahead!

I have found when it comes to chaos, anxiety, fear, panic, waves of overwhelmingness, it is God’s promises that calm my heart and settle me down. It has taken me years to learn that I am truly not in control of much! The rest I must give to God. So let me share what I tell my friends when they are in the midst of their own individual “Turmoil Tornado”.

(1) I ask them if they know what Jesus had to say when it came to the subject of worry?

I usually get a blank stare if this is the first time we have talked about it. I then smile and say something like, ‘He actually asked what one of us could do something as simple (SIMPLE!) as adding an hour to our own lives! Like adding an hour to your life is simple! He basically asked us why do we worry over anything when our own limitations to perform the tiniest of miracles are so blatantly obvious.

“And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?” ~ Luke 12:25-26 (NASB)

I also go on to share with them that God’s mercy and grace are sufficient each day. I remind them that we need to live in the here and now not in yesterday or tomorrow. That is a trick of the evil one to keep us tied up in our inner turmoil; shaming us with the guilt of yesterday and worrying us about the events of tomorrow. God’s word advises us to live each day accordingly.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:34 (NASB)

Even with me being a student of the Word, even with me seeking His input daily, I find myself in various spiritual battles. Some so intense I often pull out a devotional or turn up the music on K-Love. As revealed in a chapter out of my latest book, sometimes I even use chocolate as part of my defense!

I don’t think one of us out there has the perfect life full of perfect days. We all face various trials and tribulations. It is the weaponry that we use that differentiates how the battle ends! If you don’t know all the armor God has provided you with, I invite you to read past posts of mine regarding the subject. I will leave a couple of links at the end of this post for you to check out!

Hopefully this has helped someone somewhere with their own anxiety and worry. If you are not a student of the Word, I highly suggest you open up the book of John and learn about Christ. It is my prayer that your eyes are opened to the Truth, The Way and the Life in such a way that you dive fully into the River of Living Water and find yourself refreshed each and every day! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

Wendy, Mom of Many, walks with God

http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/10/are-you-dressed-for-daily-battle.html

http://youareworthytoo.blogspot.com/2013/07/take-up-shield-of-faith.html

May you find yourself better dressed for battle by reading these two posts. May you find yourself blessed in sharing them with others in need of armor!

Your sister in Christ, Wendy

© Wendy Glidden 2015

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

Can the Bible be Trusted as the Word of God?

Reviewing the Evidence Found Regarding the Manuscripts

To Verify the Validity and Purpose of the Scriptures

Wendy Glidden

Introduction to the Bible: Block 2

Session I

Colorado Christian University

I decided to select Manuscripts as my evidence because
studying God’s word has helped me in my daily defense. We all live in a fallen
world and whether we choose to recognize it or not, we are in the midst of a
Spiritual War. I have found that having God’s word fresh in my mind helps me
recognize when I have been pulled into battle. By preparing myself first thing
each day through reading God’s word, I am able to stand firm in my faith and
not faint when trouble comes looking for me. Instead, I lean on God’s word, the
sword of the Spirit, and I wield it in my defense.

Ephesians 6:17 : Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I found it interesting that the first video recorded
by Dr. Yohn was on the topic of faith and how for it to be of sustenance, it
must be based on evidence. It is hard for an honest person to deny that the
Bible truly is a collection of 66 books that hold one basic concept built
around one basic theme. Again and again, as Dr. Yohn mentioned in his You Tube
video, it is a story of redemption.

Learning about the validity and history of the
manuscripts is a large part of why I enrolled in this course. I am new to
studying the Bible and  I have quickly
recognized the importance of knowing both the history of the time during which each
book was written as well as the background of each author.

Being a writer myself, I recognized the styles of
writing in the various books that Dr Yohn highlighted in the fist video:

1.     Biography

2.     Prophecy

3.     Romance

4.     Song

5.     History

6.     Satire

7.     Parable

However, I did not know there were 40 authors who
wrote these 66 books over a 1500 period of time! I also learned that all of the
manuscripts were written in 3 main languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek.
Another fact I found intriguing was the short span of time between copies of
both the Old and New Testaments as well as their accuracy levels. When you
couple that with the fact that the few words in question do nothing to change
the message, I am elated that I am left with no doubt regarding both the
validity and the purpose of scripture.

Regarding the accuracy of the Bible, I am quoting Sir
Frederic G Keyon, the director and principal librarian of the British museum who
writes, “In no other case is the interval of time between the composition of
the book and the date of the earliest manuscripts so short as that of the New
Testament.”

When it comes to understanding that truth as a
follower of Christ, I love being that much more confident in the fact that the
Bible alone is indeed the Holy Word of God. It warmed my heart to read what
Ravi Zecharias had to say regarding the New Testament, “In real terms, the
New Testament is easily the best attested ancient writing in terms of the sheer
number of documents, the time span between the events and the document and the
variety of documents available to sustain or contradict it. There is nothing in
ancient manuscript evidence to match such textual availability and integrity.”

After reviewing all of this evidence, my faith in the
Bible being God’s word has only been strengthened.

References

Josh McDowell, 1986, The New Evidence that Demands a
Verdict, Nelsonword          Publishing
Group, p.35

Dr Yohn, You tube videos, Men of the Word L1.1 &
Men of the Word L1.2

Ravi Zecharias, 2004, Can Men Live Without God?,U.S.,
Thomas Nelson Publishing,   p.162

Less is Often More!

Today is Thursday, May 15th! On my calendar it is clearly marked as Tremendously Thankful, Thoroughly Thoughtful Thursday. Today I am thankful for having less.

Last weekend was Mother's Day. The best part of that day is getting the cards the children made me while at school. My second graders filled in balloon prompts on a card. My favorite line on Michael's card was the one that said, "My mom likes smaller houses."

I literally laughed out loud when I saw it. He must have overheard a conversation I had had with his father while driving in the car. I was chatting away explaining to him how much time I saved by us living in a smaller house. I said I loved living in a small house because it didn't take me anytime at all to clean the place and have the rest of my day.

On Marissa's card she had said she enjoyed watching me read the Bible everyday. That made me smile but for a completely different reason. Recently since we downsized from a three bedroom apartment back into the house that God gave me, we donated the majority of our books to a laundry mat as well as a Goodwill. Each one of them is responsible to read for ten minutes each night. I decided rather than check out books at a library, that it would do the children good to read out of the bible. I have selected certain Chapters and verses that I pray cause them to become curious for more of what God has to say about things.

Recently we have read out of Ephesians, Timothy and Philippians just to name a few. I think one of my favorite readings was from Philippians, chapter 4. The children discovered that the phrase 'whatever' was used in the bible. I shared with them that the phrase 'As if' can also be found in the bible. I used that to explain how many think the bible is old school and there is nothing in it that applies to our age. Sadly that is a lie spread by Satan through those who either don't take the time to read God's word for themselves or those that are simply too self involved to recognize the truth within the pages.

I sit back today reflecting all that has taken place in the last 6 months or so. I moved out of my small home as winter closed in and moved into a gigantic apartment that was always cold and much too spacious in all honesty. I used to joke that I had to walk to another state to hang the girls clean clothes up in their closets. It literally took me the entire weekend to organize and clean our home each weekend. In those few short months, I somehow managed to publish three books in both print and e-book formats. The apartment is something I should have never been approved to move into. As it turns out, when it comes to apartments, the federal rule states that you can only have two heartbeats per room. For those of you that have followed my blog, you know that when I first went to apply for this apartment, I had recently left Mike or rather he had actually left me and moved to Florida. You also know at the time, I had six children with me; four of them were girls and two of them were boys. Any way you slice that pie, not only did I have more than two heartbeats per room, I also had more than six on my original application. I knew God had moved me to go to that apartment and I also felt He was in the process of moving me again before things went into motion. By the end of February, the maintenance crew had done an inspection of my home and had discovered that we had one heartbeat too many living in the apartment and they gave me a 60 day notice to vacate. I was not formally evicted through the court system, I was simply sent a letter stating I had to be out by April 29th.

I guess some people in my shoes would have been caught up in a whirlwind of emotion. I on the other hand have gotten much better at praying for direction and then waiting for an answer. I always believed that God gave me my home on wheels for a reason so that is where we went back to. Winter is over, although tonight it will dip down to a chilly 37 degrees, so the mobile home truly is a great place to go back to. Now, while I do not have Internet or even 24/7 electricity, I have all I need. A bed for each child, a warm shower, lights that run off of our battery power and a very small house to clean! While I lost space, I gained massive amounts of time, including quality time with the children. We hang out at the library or the park more now because our day is not gobbled up by constantly cleaning floors! Less truly can be more. It all depends on how you look at it.

Today, seeing how it is Thankful Thursday, I am going to leave you with the advice found in Philippians 4, beginning with verse 4:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What you focus on with your mind will alter how you go about your day. This is certainly why we are advised to renew our minds. Make sure you renew yours daily with a bit of God's word which has much encouragement to stay focused on the truth. That being said, Mercy Me just came out with a new album which is titled, "Welcome to the New". It is full of wonderful songs but I really really love the words sung on the song also called 'Welcome to the New' for those that can listen online via my link, enjoy. For those that cannot view it on your electronic device, take the time to search them out on You Tube when you have the opportunity!

I would also like to invite you to read my full story ~ well the parts that I have published anyway. I have many more books to follow. I think I could write everyday for the rest of my life and still have stuff to share. For now, you can find all of my books in both print and e-reader formats at www.amazon.com/author/wendyglidden for less than $13 you can own all three on your e-reader and if you prefer print over electronic, you can own all three for less than $25. With each purchase you are supporting my ministry. I truly appreciate each purchase!

Be blessed and be a blessing <3,

Wendy Glidden, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2014

Today Has Enough Trouble of It's Own!

Last Tuesday night, December 10, 2013, was the final night we HAD to spend in the RV this winter! What a crazy week this last one has been. We had counted down the last thirty days until we were going to move in to our new apartment which Jeffrey calls 'The Castle'. He cracks me up. I have explained to him that we will only be living in a tiny section of the castle. His excitement has not been phased.

Monday morning, December 9, 2013, I had called over to verify my time for my walk through and to make sure they'd gotten confirmation of my renters insurance and the fact that the utilities were in my name. All was going smoothly and we set my appointment at 11:30.

At three that afternoon, I received a phone call letting me know there was a slight problem with my new apartment. Sometime between Sunday night and Monday afternoon, a water pipe had burst and there was so much water on the floor that they were going to have to replace the carpet and padding in the bedrooms and the flooring in the 2nd bathroom where the leak had happened.

They told me it would be completed by Friday. I admit I was a bit sad. I had seen the weather forecast for the week and it was not pretty. We have been below freezing for over a week now and it was only going to get colder over the next couple of days.

Towards the end of the day, I saw a post asking for help with a chain saw crew being called to give a helping hand in Texas where they had been hit by a massive ice storm. I knew Mike would be great help so I quickly got in touch with him and asked if he'd be interested. Seeing how we weren't going to be moving now until Friday, the biggest need for Mike to be home was taken care of. Our money is really tight this month and we both agreed that him helping out would be a beautiful way to tithe. I gave him Rusty's number and Mike was the final man they needed to be able to go.

They were heading out Very early in the morning so we set our alarm for 4:20 AM and the next day we headed out before the sun came up to get Mike to one of the meetup locations on time. Once he was dropped off I made my way to work.

At eleven that afternoon, the apartment complex called me with great news. They were ahead of schedule and as it turned out if I wanted to, I could begin moving in anytime after 4:00 pm on Wednesday! The irony did not escape me! I was super thrilled that we would be in the new place right before the coldest night of this winter arrived.

With Mike being gone, I knew I could only do so much as far as moving everything was concerned so Tuesday night I packed up the majority of food, all our dirty clothes, all of our clean linens as well as the entire bathroom including all of our clean towels! All I could think was, 'I get to do laundry IN my home and everyone can take a shower!'. It truly is the little things in life that make me the happiest.

Wednesday came and after work I headed over to the apartment complex to sign my new lease. I thought I had help lined up to move the three beds I had been given along with a few odds and ends. As it turned out, my moving help was a no show and we ended up sleeping on the floor the first night! Thank goodness I had thought to grab the one cot with the 1" foam mattress and a really thick sleeping bag.

The funniest part of our first night was when I had two children in the two tubs only to realize I had nothing clean to put them in when they got out. I quickly went through all the dirty clothes and picked out things for everyone to change into and got my first load of laundry going.

Bonus things I did not know came with my apartment. A microwave above the stove, a dishwasher and an ice maker! Life is good!!

Thursday night, my help arrived and I got the few things I had been given moved into the apartment and placed in their spots. Jean, one of my many sisters in Christ, kept the children for me while another sister in Christ, Ana, helped me get the items I had been gifted into place.

When we arrived back to Jean's we discovered she had made dinner for all of us. We ate, joked that we should take a picture to post to Facebook with the a note about how all that was missing was our Pastor and his wife for our old Thursday night Bible study. Weirdly we have not gotten together since the night Ana and I were baptized. We were left hanging in the midst of Acts.

Friday night in the midst of the approaching winter storm, the chain saw crew made it safely back. I picked up Mike and we headed home. We caught each other up on all that had transpired.

The gist of this post originally began to show that the best laid plans are often disrupted. I was being led to blog on the verse regarding the fact that each day has enough trouble of it's own. Allow me to share that here, from Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 34:

So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of it's own.

The entire chapter has wonderful wisdom. I love reminding myself of this final thought for I have found it to be so very true. There is no sense in getting all wrapped up in tomorrow.

As my mind often does, while I was typing the above sentence, I recalled something I heard on Moody radio the other day. It was on a Friday around 5 PM and they were playing a series of voice mails that people had left. One of them stuck out more than the rest to me and it was about 'I Am.' In a gist the guy was talking about how you shouldn't focus on the past for God has said His name is I Am and while He is in the past and the future, it was never the past and the future when we found Him on any given day, for His name is always in the present and that was where we should be ourselves. That's not exactly how it was phrased. In all honesty, it was stated in a much more impactful way. Regardless, this has seemed to be the lesson I was being taught this past week. Stay in the here and now for this is the moment we are living.

I pray that this rambling blog has lifted your spirits, given you something to smile about or perhaps even caused you to seek a little more from the word of God Himself.

Father, I come before you today singing your praises and giving thanks for what a wonderful Father you truly are. You never cease to amaze me with your ways. I love living this life of mine under your terms. No longer do I feel the need to control everything for the illusion of me being in control of anything has long gone! Thank you for that!! I love where you have placed me. Close to work and home and surrounded by many brothers and sisters in Christ. How blessed I truly am. Thank you for loving us and always being faithful. My life is so colorful and bright and I truly look forward to each day. I pray that I continue to grow spiritually. I pray you lead me in the direction I am designed to go in. I pray I am able to see and hear all you have for me to see and hear each day. I pray that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ grow closer to you as well. May this season that we celebrate the birth of Christ in be full of your love. May more and more and more of us come to see the Glory of God. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013