Armor of God (Part 8)

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

Before we can get any piece of the armor, we need to be secure in our Salvation. We need to know and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, for without Him we will not get the armor, nor will we be able to stand up to Satan. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, I highly encourage you to talk with someone, be it to a pastor, a Christian friend, or parent (or you can leave me a comment). Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation and eternal life!

Here is what the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (pg. 1952) has to say about the helmet of salvation: "No matter how hot the battle, the Christian is not daunted, since he knows that ultimate victory is sure. Assurance of eventual deliverance preserves him from retreat or surrender. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)."

Matthew Henry's online commentary states: "Salvation must be our helmet; that is, hope, which has salvation for its object. The helmet secures the head. A good hope of salvation, well founded and well built, will both purify the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan, and it will comfort the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan, and it will comfort the soul and keep it from being troubled and tormented by Satan. He would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God, and rejoicing in him."

The sword of the spirit refers to the Word, that is the Holy Bible. I encourage everyone to read their bibles on a daily basis, and become familiar with the passages. Scripture memorization is also a great way to use the sword against Satan and his minions. When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights being tempted by Satan, He used the scriptures to do battle. He was able to quote the Word in the three instances that are mentioned. If we do not know any scripture, we will not be able to use it against the enemy to help defeat him in the battles in which we find ourselves involved. Part of the armour is the sword, and in order to use this item we need to do our part by becoming very familiar with Scripture. The Believer's Bible Commentary (pg. 1953) says that: "The word of God here does not mean the whole Bible, but the particular portion of the Bible which best suits the occasion."

We need to become familiar with the Bible; that is a fact.If we don't have a verse memorized that could fit to a particular temptation, sometimes just knowing where to look helps. If we recall a certain story that dealt with that particular temptation, we can at least turn to it and read it for comfort and reassurance. However, I strongly recommend memorization of "key" verses to be able to use them such as the way that Jesus used them.

Matthew Henry's online commentary states: "The sword is a very necessary and useful part of a soldier's furniture. The word of God is very necessary, and of great use to the Christian, in order to his maintaining the spiritual warfare and succeeding in it. It is called the sword of the Spirit, because it is of the Spirit's inditing and he renders it efficacious and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword...with this we assault the assailants. Scripture arguments are the most powerful arguments to repel temptation with. This, being hid in the heart, will preserve from sin, and will mortify and kill those lusts and corruptions that are latent there."

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you to become familiar with the scriptures and to be secure in your salvation in Jesus Christ. We are fighting an ongoing spiritual battle, and although Satan has indeed been defeated already with Christ's death on the cross, we still need to be prepared at all times for the onslaught of temptations and battles Satan has in store for us as God's children. However, keep in mind, that Satan too knows scripture, for he quoted it to Jesus when he was tempting Him. This knowing of scripture I am speaking of is more than just being able to spout off verses. It is knowing what verses to use and when to use them.

So now go with God, rest in His love and know that He will be with you in the battle, equipping you and giving you the strength you need. God bless one and all.

The Armor of God (Part 7)

Ephesians 6:16 "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

In this verse, we are to take up the shield of faith. Faith is a major part of Christianity. Hebrews 1:11 tells us "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Here is what Matthew Henry's online commentary says about this: "Faith and hope go together; and the same things that are the object of our hope are the object of our faith...Christ dwells in the soul by faith, and the soul is filled with the fullness of God...Faith demonstrates to the eye of the mind the reality of those things that cannot be discerned by the eye of the body."

It is our shield of faith which will extinguish, that is to put out, the firey, stinging arrows or darts that Satan sends our way. He does this to try to get our minds off God, to stop us from praying, from spending any time with God and doing His work, etc. When Satan sends his darts our way, if we have our shield of faith in place, they will be put out and will not be able to do any damage to us. The Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (page 1952) says this about the verse: "Faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. When temptations burn, when circumstances are adverse, when doubts assail, when shipwreck threatens, faith looks up and says, I believe God."

Matthew Henry's online commentary for Ephesians 6:16 has this to say: "This is more necessary than any of them. Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation. We are to be fully persuaded of the truth of all God's promises...such a faith being of great use against temptations. Faith, as receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, a sort of universal defence. Our enemy the devil is here called 'the wicked one'. His temptations are called darts, because of their swift and undiscerned flight, and the deep wounds that they give to the soul. Violent temptations, by which the soul is set on fire [by the fire] of hell, are the darts which Satan shoots at us. Faith is the shield with which we must quench these firey darts, wherein we should receive them, and so render them ineffectual, that they may not hit us, or at least that they may not hurt us. Observe, faith, acted upon the word of God and applying that, acted upon the grace of Christ and improving that, quenches the darts of temptation."

So, without faith we cannot stop Satan's attacks on us. Mind you, he will continue to attack us at any and every possible moment. We need to be prepared! If your faith is wavering, or depleted, his attacks will hit hard and strong. I encourage you to get on your kneees and turn to God. Ask Him to help you increase your faith. Our God is so amazing and powerful! He is here to help and protect us, to guide and use us for His kingdom's work. He has provided us with an armor of protection that we need to have on every single day...in fact, we should not remove even one piece of the armor, lest Satan sends an attack and it hits its target rendering us wounded.

I also encourage those with a strong faith to move in closer to weaker brothers and sisters to encourage them and guide them in their walk. We are all in this together, and the battle calls for unity and dependance upon God. Without Him, we are useless and will not be able to stand against this spiritual battle which we all face daily.

May the Lord our God, the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, guide you and protect you as you prepare for these spiritual battles that we face. May you turn to Jesus for strength, guidance, and protection. May you be blessed with the richness from knowing Jesus Christ, and may you be blessed as you help our brothers and sisters to stand strong in the battle against Satan. God loves each and every one of His children, and is here for us in these times of warfare, just as He is at all other times. He will strengthen us, guide us, and protect us, and He will not leave us! He will also equip us for our daily battles. I encourage you now to put on your shield of faith (along with the rest of the armor), for Satan is waiting just around the corner - don't let him have a foothold in the fight!

The Armor of God (Part 6)

Ephesians 6:16 "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

The next piece of armor tells us that we need to be ready (for our battles), and this readiness is what we receive when we delve into the Word - the Gospel. This is why it is important for us to memorize scripture. These passages can be called to mind when we are facing a battle. It is what Jesus did in the wilderness when tempted by Satan - He would give an answer to Satan by quoting Scripture.

Here is what Matthew Henry's online commentary says about this verse: "Shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of hte military armor. The use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were won't to be laid privily in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them being unfit to march. The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. It is styled the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another. It may also be meant of that which prepares for the entertainment of the gospel, namely, repentance. With this our feet must be shod: for by living a life of repentance we are armed against temptations to sin, and the designs of our great enemy."

From the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (pg. 1952), we read: "This suggests a readiness to go out with the good news or peace, and therefore an invasion into enemy territory. When we relsax in our tents, we are in deadly peril. Our safety is to be found in following the beautiful feet of the Saviour on the mountains, bearing glad tidings and publishing peace (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15)."

So, as in all of our battles, being ready and being prepared to fight is a must. I encourage each and every person to get into the Word, to study it, meditate on it and memorize it. The Word is Truth, the Word is from God, The Word is Jesus, and He is a mighty strong weapon when used in battle against the enemy.

May the grace of God rest upon you. May His peace fill your life, and may He bless you abundantly as you pursue Him through His Word.

The Armor of God (Part 5)

Ephesians 6:14 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place."

This installment of the Armor of God series begins the discussion of the actual parts of the armor. Keep in mind that when Paul wrote this that he was in jail and was around the Roman soldiers who were dresssed in their armor, and in turn he used this as an object lesson to his readers.

Truth is important; it is the foundation of the entirety of the armor. What is our truth? Jesus Christ of course. He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the life. In John 8:31-32 Jesus says this: "...if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." We read throughout the gospels where Jesus often says "I tell you the turth". With this foundational piece put on, we have the base of the armor set in place. Without this, the rest of the armor is no good. We NEED to know and believe the truth. We NEED Jesus Christ.

The following is what Matthew Henry's online commentary says about this verse: "Truth or sincerity is our [belt]. It was prophesied of Christ (Isa. 11:5) that righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it [holds] on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel."

The Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (page 1952) says: "Certainly we must be faithful in holding the truth of God's word, but it is also necessary for the truth to hold us. We must apply it to our daily lives. As we test everything by the truth, we find strength and protection in the combat."

The next piece of the armour we encounter is the breatplate of righteousness. A soldier wore a breastplate to protect his vital organs, including his heart. Here is Matthew Henry's take on this piece of the armor: "Righteousness must be our breastplate. The breastplate secures the vitals, shelters the heart. The righteousness of Christ imputed to us in our breastplate against the arrows of divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breastplate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. The apostle explains this in 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Putting on the breastplate of faith and love - Faith and love include all Christian graces; for by faith we are united to Christ and by love to our brethern."

The Believer's Bible Commentary states (pg. 1952), "Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), but he must also manifest integrity and uprightness in his personal life...If our conscience is void of offense toward God and man, the devil has nothing to shoot at. DAvid put on the breastplate of righteousness in Psalm 7:3-5. The Lord Jesus wore it at all times (Isa. 59:17)."

Do you know and have the truth?

The Armor of God (Part 4)

Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everthing, to stand."

Again, we are told to put on the full armor of God. To me it is seeming to tell us just how important we need the full armor, and not just a few pieces. The only way to stand against Satan, his minions and all of their attacks is by using the full armour. As a reminder, the Lord provides His children with this armor...all of it.

Here is what the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald has to say about verse 13: "As Paul wrote, he was probably guarded by a Roman soldier in full armor. Always quick to see spiritual lessons in the natural realm, he makes the application: we are flanked by formidable foes; we must take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand when the conflict reaches its fiercest intensity, and still be found standing when the smoke of the battle has been cleared away. The evil day probably refers to any time when the enemy comes against us like a flood. Satanic opposition seems to occur in waves, advancing and receding. Even after our Lord's temptation in the wilderness, the devil left Him for a season (Luke 4:13)."

Be on your guard my brothers and sisters, put on your full armor, keep watch and don't give up or give in any of these attacks you may be faced with. Turn to God, for His is on our side and will help us get through these times, and He will offer protection through out it all. The Lord is faithful, and will reward those who are faithful.

The following two paragraphs is what Matthew Henry says in his online commentary: "Satan is the wicked one, and his kingdom is the kingdom of sin: to stand against Satan is to strive against sin. That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, in the day of temptation, or of any sore affliction.

"We must stand our ground. We must resolve, by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him and he will flee. If we distrust our cause, or our leader, or our armour, we give him advantage. Our present business is to withstand the assaults of the devil, and to stand it out; and then, having done all that is incumbent on the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, our warfare will be accomplished, and we shall be finally victorious."

The Armor of God (Part 3)

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

While we may have struggles against flesh and blood in personal relationships or in our business dealings, or courntries war against each other, this is not where our battles lie as Christians. These types of battles are human or fleshly battles and not spiritual ones.

As a Christian, our battle is with Satan and his minions. The 'dark world' refers here to those not of Christ's light, but Satan and his demons - those who follow him. Matthew Henry's online commentary says this: "The combat for which we are to be prepared is not against ordinary human enemies, not barely against men compounded of flesh and blood, nor against our own corrupt natures singly considered, but against the several ranks of devils, who have a government which they exercies in this world." Satan and his devils are roaming the earth in search of not only finding people to join their forces (in other words those who deny Christ), but also to make war against those doing the work of the Lord - God's children.

We need to be on guard for Satan's attacks. He is cunning and sneaky. He knows our weaknesses and where to hit during an attack and is not afraid to use whatever means possible to strike. He is subtle and will tempt us, try to twist God's word around to cause doubt in us, cause oppression in the church, and manyother things. Mr. Henry's commentary goes on to say: "The devils are wicked spirits, and they chiefly annoy the saints with, and provoke them to, spiritual wickednesses, pride, envy, malice, etc. Our enemies strive to prevent our ascent to heaven, to deprive us of heavenly blessings and to obstruct our communion with heaven."

The Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald states: "While it is true that the [demons and evil spirits] cannot indwell a true believer, they can oppress and harass him. The Christian should not be morbidly occupied with the subject of deomonism; neither should he live in fear of demons. In the armor of God, he has all he needs to hold his ground agains their onslaughts."

So, we need not fear Satan and his minions. We have God on our side and we have the protection of the full Armour of God, as well as God Himself. However, we do need to be aware and prepared for the attacks Satan will throw at us.

Satan will attack those who are doing God's work - we are a threat to him! If we aren't doing God's work we aren't a threat to Satan, and he won't bother us. However, doing the Lord's work will bring attacks that will be used to try to keep us from doing it. Satan wants us to be separated from God, to not be focused on Him and to not do His work. Don't let Satan have that chance with you.

My friends, as we are told, put on the full armor. Stand firm. God is with us, He is for us and not against us. God will equip us to fight the good fight!

The Armor of God (Part 2)

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's scheme".

Here we are instructed to "put on the full armor". We are told this for a reason. If we only include one or two items, or none at all, then we are setting ourselves up for defeat. God supplies this divine armor and by using it we will succeed in our battle and be invulnerable to Satan's attacks.

Matthew Henry's commentary online says: "It is called the armor of God because he both prepares and bestows it. We have no armor of our own that will be armor of proof in a trying time. Nothing will stand for us in stead but the armor of God." In other words, anything we use of our own power to shield and protect us from Satan's attacks will not work. We must have the armor of God on at all times!

The word 'devil' comes from the Greek word diabolos. Thayer's Greek Definitions defines the 'devil' as being a deceiver, lyer, slanderer and false accuser. These are the very ways that he will use to attack us. He will try to cause rifts between us and God, or between us and our fellow Christians. The Bible tells us in Luke 11:17 "...any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall". We need to be prepared for this - to know when he is using these things against us. He will be sneaky, he will cause doubt...the devil (satan) will use any ploy he can think of to attempt to destroy and divide us; to try to cause us to fall!

Be on your guard my brothers and sisters, but rest assured that this battle has already been won and satan has been defeated on the Cross. The victory belongs to Christ! However, this battle is still ours to fight on the spiritual realm. But with God on our side, and being completely dressed in the full armor of God, we will succeed!

The Armor of God (Part 1)

As mentioned in a previous post, I am posting a 9 part series on the Armor of God. I wrote this 2 1/2 years ago and had originally posted it on a Christian message forum. Hope you enjoy.

The Armour of God

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."

How can we be strong in the Lord? We need to be sure of our faith, of our beliefs. We need to be sure that we have accepted Jesus Christ into our heart and that we have eternal salvation. Without this surety, we can not be bold for the Lord and we can not be strong. If we aren't sure, we can not be effective for His kingdom. Make sure above all that you are absolutely sure of your faith.

We need to fully rely on God. Only He can provide us the means to fight the battles, of the spirit realm, which are ours. To fully rely on Him means to turn our will and life over to God, and let Him take the reigns and control things. Without this, or by trying to control things ourselves, we will fail miserably. We need to allow God to work through us and to use us, but He can only do this if we surrender all aspects of our lives to Him.

God's power is mighty and strong. He can and will help us in these battles. The Bible is full of stories of how God has used His power and might, and how He has equipped His children for the battles they faced. Read it and see - His word was true back then, and it is still true to this day. We can most certainly learn from those men and women of the past, our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 tells us "For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

We need to be in constant prayer and petition, reading and meditating on God's word, and even fasting. These things will help us grow closer to God and to become equipped to fight this war we face.

My friends, become confident in our Lord that He will equip each and every one of us, His children, to do great and mighty works for His kingdom. And be confident that He will equip us with the necessary means to fight the good fight, and to triumph over the satanic attacks we will face.

May God bless you and make His face to shine upon you.

Please Visit The Link and Pray

Another little girl needs our prayers. Please visit her page and pray for her. Also, click on 'home' to read what she is going through. Let's pray for her like we did with Rebekah!

I'm Doin' Fine

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm doing fine, in case you are wondering. Have had a few days of feeling restless I guess. I think I am going through a little "rediscovery" of who I am and such which has been uncomfortable.

I'm in the midst of my mid terms this week. Thankfully I only have 2! I had 2 Samuel this morning, and I think I did ok on it. I have Communication Disorders tomorrow and I am really not looking forward to that one. I'm somewhat "overwhelmed" with it all. I only got C+ on my first test (it was only 1 mark away from being a B- though), and there is just so much that I'm not used to studying (It's a communications/psychology course) so many definitions and treatments and procedures and such...so, can always use your prayers.

I'm hoping to have a better post to put up in a couple of days. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still around. If I'm not here, you might find me on my knitting blog as well (listed under my profile or you can go right to http://kittenyarnsandcrafts.blogspot.com and see if I've posted there.

Off to get back to studying for my Communication Disorders mid term again!

Have a Christ filled day!

Spiritual Attacks

I just came from Hey Jules' blog, Faith or Fiction, where she speaks of a recent experience involving a spiritual attack and the realization that came to her. If you haven't read it, go and read...it gave me goose bumps.

As I have posted, in my previous post, that I have taken my application in to apply for the education program at school. Four or five years ago, I felt the Lord calling me to become a teacher and set out on the path in order to do this. It involved four years of working at my Bachelor of Arts, which I need before I can graduate with my Bachelor of Education. It has been a long and bumpy journey. I am now just mere months away from getting my BA, and as I said, have taken in my application for the BEd program.

Part of the application process is to write a three page letter that explains our call/passion to become a teacher. I prayed that the Lord would give me the words to say because I didn't know what I should say. I am leaving it in His hands that the words I wrote are the right ones.

Where am I going with this? What does it have to do with Jules' post on her blog? Well, let me explain. For two days leading up to my dropping off my application I felt under some sort of spiritual attack. At least that is what I feel it is. When the doubts would hit, when the "I'm not good enough" thoughts entered my mind, when I wondered if I really should be doing this...when all of these thoughts came to my mind, I would pray and tell God how I was feeling. I know He knew, but I told Him anyway. I asked His protection around me, I asked for Him to be with me during this. I confessed and asked forgiveness for doubting or not completely trusting Him...and then I would feel peace - until the next round.

Even as I walked into the school, into the office to hand in my application, even as I saw a prof dropping off a reference sheet and another girl submitting her application and thoughts of "look at this, more people applying - they'll probably get accepted and you wont" flooded my mind, I told God that this is all in His hands now. There is nothing more I can do, except pray. It has been two days now, since I dropped it off, and every once in awhile I get those thoughts. I am still praying, trying to leave it in God's hands.

The following paragraph is my comments (or maybe just part of it) from Jules' blog:

"I have been told before that if we are feeling great all the time about our walk with the Lord, that nothing is going wrong, then that is the worst thing that could happen to us. It means that we are stagnant in our walk, or we aren't doing anything for the Lord, we aren't being effective or affective, etc. for His kingdom. Satan and his minions will only bother us if we are a threat to him/them. Doing the Lord's work is a threat. Sitting on our butts contemplating life or doing nothing isn't a threat. The more we do for the Lord, the more we will be attacked. The more of a threat to satan and his minions that we become, the more angry and annoyed they will be and strike out at us. The armour is our protection, given to us by the Lord."

I try to remember to put on my full armour everyday. Sometimes it isn't until the day has progressed several hours, other times it is as soon as I wake up. The point it, we need to put on the FULL armour...ALL of it, and not just one or two pieces!

I did a nine piece "study" of sorts on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) on a Christian message board a couple of years ago and I will try to look for it later and put the posts up here. I think spiritual warfare is real and it is something that needs to be addressed and it is something we need to be prepared for. Please pray that I can find these articles and use them on my blog to help minister to others.

Have a Christ filled day!

Prayer Request

I have a prayer request that I would love for you to pray. Tomorrow I am taking in my application and letter to the school to apply for the Education Program. Please pray that all goes well and for my acceptance into the program.

In other news, the headaches that I had on Saturday were gone by very late in the evening and I was fine on Sunday, though the sinus one did come back briefly in late afternoon. I was able to take something as soon as I felt it coming on, so I didn't have to suffer through it for long until the sinus pill kicked in.

We did get that blizzard yesterday. A lot of snow fell, but I'm not sure on the final tally. They were calling for something like 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) though. There was also heavy winds and blowing and drifting snow. My classes did not get cancelled, though. The school was closed though until 11 this morning and had my class(es) been prior to 11, I wouldn't have had any. However, my first class was at 11:50 and my second one wasn't until 6:45 tonight.

Sorry it's a short post tonight. Have to update my knitting blog (www.kittenyarnsandcrafts.blogspot.com) as well and then do some knitting before bed. Just wanted to mainly come on and thank you for the prayers regarding my headaches, and to request the prayer about applying to the education program.

Have a Christ filled day!

Days Like Those

I've been feeling out of sorts today, and I don't know why. I don't think there is any real cause to why I was feeling like I did though. It was a sort of restless feeling where I just didn't feel like doing anything, I mean I wanted to knit and do some studying and go over my Psalms for Bible study (I got 3 done), but every time I tried to do something those weird feelings came over me and I couldn't do anything...I was restless doing things, and restless not doing things. I also felt sleepy for the majority of the afternoon even though I had had enough sleep (slept til I woke up without an alarm or anything waking me).

I also had a sinus headache today and it turned into a migraine for awhile, and finally to a "normal" type of headache. It is gone now, but I feel it coming back. They (whoever they are) say that when storms approach that can affect migraines. We are expecting a blizzard tomorrow afternoon/evening and I wonder if that might have something to do with it.

I'm feeling a little better now, but still not 100%. I hate this feeling - especially since I can't pin point why I was feeling this way today (aside from the headache which made me also feel not "all there" in the head...if that makes sense). I did my bible reading this morning, started the book of Mark and did my devotion and the whole time it felt like I was forcing myself to do it because I honestly just wanted to throw it across the room. That was what the feeling was like inside my head/chest...to just throw it down or away. It was like that with everything today, not just my readings. Maybe I'm just having an off day.

Tomorrow will be better. I'm thinking positive.

Rocking Chair Thoughts 2

Thank you all for your comments and prayers with regard to my previous post. It makes a lot of sense that a passion isn't something that happens immediately, but is the result of something that builds up over time.

I have still been praying that the Lord would give me a passion for something; not simply an interest but a passion. It doesn't have to be for some famous organization or popular cause, in fact, I think I would rather it not be popular because so many people are involved in those already.

Anyway, I have also been reading through my copy of "My Utmost For His Highest" devotional (by Oswald Chambers) and the readings for the last two days have basically been about being willing to be a sacrifice for His kingdom. The key word here is willing. I think that just might be my problem...

While it is easy to say "I am willing to do such and such for the Lord", it is not always easy to do. I think that maybe what it comes down to is "I am willing to do such and such for the Lord IF it doesn't take me out of my comfort zone" or IF it won't cause pain, etc. To me, this willing (or lack thereof) stems from fear and maybe even pride and lack of humility/humbleness. Wow...that's a shock (and I'm not being sarcastic about this either). This last part just hit me know as I was mulling it over in my mind, and thinking of what to write next.

What does this have to do with having or finding a passion? Well, I want a passion for something that shows Jesus, something that will help to further the kingdom of God, something where His light shines through to others...that sort of passion. How can I do that if I am not willing to sacrifice for Him? Am I willing to give up my spare time, am I willing to talk to others I might not normally talk to, am I willing to step out of my comfort zone - step out of the boat so that I can walk on the water?

Fear. That will stop anyone from doing anything. Fear does not come from the Lord, but from our enemy satan. He does not want us doing anything for the Lord - not leading others to Christ, not showing His love, etc. So, he presses our buttons and whispers in our ear that we will fail at whatever task we set out to do, that others will laugh at us or our beliefs, or even whatever it is we are wanting to do or attempting to do won't be beneficial to the Lord. He'll tell us anything to stop us.

Pride. I'm not talking about the "good" or "positive" pride such as being proud of a job well done. I am talking about the pride that the Bible speaks about, that we should not have. Pride also stops us from doing things for the Lord. Pride stops us from opening up to others, to our fellow brothers and sisters of the Lord, to let them know we are hurting or need help. So often we want to do "it" on our own, we don't want help from someone; so often we don't open up because so and so might gossip to others about our situation.

Humility/humbleness. Is a lack of humility or humbleness the same as having pride? I don't know, but to me it seems to go hand in hand. If we aren't humble about something chances are it is because our pride is getting in the way. That is just my thought on the matter, and I'm still trying to figure out exactly how that fits in with passions...I'm sure it does, but I haven't formed an adequate explanation to put it into words just yet.

I need to be willing to let the Lord use me. I need to be willing to step out of my comfort zone I think. I'm totally fine with doing for the Lord providing I can stay in my comfort zone but really, what does that do? Sure, I can keep to myself and pray for others, I can knit for the mitten tree, I can talk on the internet to others about Jesus...I'm not placing myself in situation where I might have to be put in the fire to be tested. That is scary.

So, anyway, I think I might have also found my next topic for my next post in my thoughts tonight...we'll see. Anyway, I think that maybe if I become more willing to step out of my comfort zone, maybe the Lord will place me in a situation where I will develop a passion for something...who know's. I'm just thinking aloud, or rather thinking in type I guess you could say. But I do strongly feel that after praying last night my answer to "why don't I have a passion for something" is that I need to become willing...

Hope this all makes sense. Have a Christ filled day!

I'm On A Mission...

...to find out who I really am. I want to know who I am.

My best friend K and I were talking briefly yesterday about knowing who we really are. She mentioned some things that the Lord had revealed to her and it was similar to what I have been thinking about lately as well. While these things might not be exactly what the Lord spoke to her about, I feel that maybe the Lord was using her and her revelations to nudge me as well.

So, I need to find out who I really am. Yes, I am a daughter of the King, a follower of Jesus the Christ, but this is more than that. I mean, I hear of people being passionate about someone or something or a particular cause - I don't know what, if anything, I am passionate about. I have things I like or really like, but is it strong enough to say that I am passionate about it? I don't know. I don't feel that I am passionate about anything, so I am praying for the Lord to give me a passion about something. Now, before I go on, you may be thinking "We just need to be passionate about the Lord." Well, I am - maybe not as much as I should be, and maybe this is where I need to concentrate and put all my energies.

I am not really talking about this passion. It is more about other passions. For example, I know of a woman at my church (she is also a prof at school, though I don't have her for any classes) and she is passionate about poverty and women's rights/issues, that sort of thing. She is VERY passionate about these things and she is active in these issues. I am not comparing myself to this woman (or anyone else), but I wonder who do I get passionate about something, or what do I get passionate about?

There are so many causes and such 'out there' that people are passionate about, that they are striving to end or make others aware of something. There are so many people fighting for, say breast cancer. That is great and I applaud them. It's not something that I would like to see any woman get or have to deal with, and I support it wholeheartedly (the research, the finding a cure, etc.)...but I'm not passionate about it. The same goes for so many things. I might believe in the cause and support it, but I'm not passionate about it.

What does this have to do with finding out who I am? Well, by finding out who I am I might be able to discover something that I am passionate about, something that I am not willing to give up on or let someone try to deter me from doing something about...does that make sense?

I am not even sure where or how to begin at finding out who I am. How can I serve Him and know Him if I don't even know me. It is something I have begun to pray about, asking the Lord to give me a passion, to help me find out who I am (and that might include finding out negative things like selfishness or something which I need to change so that I am not like that)...I fear this is one of those "it's going to take a long time to discover" things, or "what if I find out that I don't like who I am, or that I am not the woman I thought I was?" things. I guess only time and the Lord will tell. I've just started this process, so I don't have any answers yet but if I continue and honestly seek to find out who I am, I am sure He will reveal things to me.

My questions to you are:

1. Do you know who you are?
2. How did you find this out?
3. Do you have something you are passionate about, if so how did you develop it?
4. What does one do to search at finding out who he/she is?

Blah.

I'm beginning to feel blah. I feel a cold coming on and my throat has been a little 'raw' for the last couple of days. I'm doing what I can to try and ward it off and hope it doesn't last long, but none the less I think it is starting to kick in. That is, at least once the cold pills wear off...

School is going fine so far. I had a mini paper (5 pages) and an essay that was to take the place of a test, both due on Thursday, both for my World View class. Both reports also involved the movie "The Truman Show". I really don't feel I did them right or focused on what I was supposed to, but I did them, and now it is just a matter of time before getting them back and seeing the results. I did pray before working on them, as well as during the writing, so God was in the picture. I am really trying not to worry about this class with all the reading and mini papers we have to do, plus the major paper and a presentation on it. I am praying about it, but still there is that little voice in the back of my head trying to get me to stress out and worry over it. I can say that I won't worry and stress over it, but I might. So, I will just continue to pray and ask the Lord for His help through it and do my best.

My 2 Samuel class is going good. Lots of good discussion. The prof usually asks someone to pray before class (sometimes he does it), and on Wednesday he got me to pray. At the end of class he thanked me again for praying and said that whenever I pray we seem to have a really good discussion. Then he told me I was a good servant. Well, I take no credit for any of the conversation because I think it is the Lord who is working in that. I prayed for us to have open minds, to help us to learn and grow from His Word...things like that. Anyway, the compliment felt good.

My third class in Communication Disorders is also going good. It seems like the topic is interesting, though the class itself can be a little slow...mainly because it is lecture with some questions by the students thrown in. The prof is great, explains things well, willing to answer any and every question raised by the lecture, and he is also a speech-language pathologist by day, so he definately knows his stuff. He also goes to my church and is a great person in general. And no, I doubt he'll see this so I'm not saying it to get brownie points LOL! Our first test in that, I believe, is coming up in the not too distant future (Feb. 9 I think) and I there are a lot of notes so I am going to have to start studying soon for it, a little at a time, so that I can do well on the test.

So far this semester, after two full weeks, I haven't been or felt stressed out and that's great. Though with the World View papers, I was more frustrated than stressed. However, I think part of the reason for this is that I'm only part time this semester, with only 3 courses instead of my normal 5. That can cut down on the stress. I figure that it is probably good that I am only in 3 since I'm taking World View. With so much work for that class, if I were in 5 courses I would be more stressed out no doubt.

Anyway, I praise the Lord that I've not been stressed. I thank the Lord for helping me with school (as I believe He is doing). I praise Him because He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and because He most definately deserves it!

I will leave with a couple of prayer requests: please pray regarding this cold I'm catching, that it doesn' t last long and that it doesn't drain me out, etc.

The second request is for this coming Sunday...there is a baptism at church, and I know of 1 man for sure getting baptised, and I think his girlfriend is as well. I'm not sure if there are others or not, but regardless, please pray for these people and that the Lord will work through this and that satan won't stop it (he tried to stop me from getting baptised and if you haven't heard the story I can tell it...not sure if I posted on it in the past or not)...anyway, please pray for this.

Have a Christ filled day!

Just A Little Fun

Well, I seem to have hit a brick wall with regard to my posting. I'm not sure what I should write tonight.

I wanted to write something thought provoking, but my thoughts are absent. I wanted to write something full of wisdom, but my name is not Solomon. I wanted to write something poetic, but aside from nursery rhymes I don't know any. I wanted to write something that would pull in tons and tons of comments from people all over blogland, but that could be dangerous. So, I thought I'd simply pass on another email I received. This one is cool and I have no idea why it works out this way, but it does...trust me, I tried several times and it worked the way the email said it would. Why not give it a go and let me know how it worked out for you and what ya thought of it...just keep your comments nice LOL.

How Smart Is Your Right Foot?

This is funny and it will boggle your mind, and you will keep trying at least 50 more times to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't . Mind control does NOT work either!!

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so...and there's nothing you can do about it!!

Voting Day (Updated)

Today is voting day here in Canada. We are in the midst of electing our Prime Minister. The race seems to always be between the liberal party and the conservative party. There are a couple of other parties (The NDP or New Deomcrate Party and the Green Party, not sure if there are others as well or not and quite honestly I don't really care because politics does not interest me). So, in a few short hours, or at least I think in a few short hours, we will either have Paul Martin (Liberal) re-elected as our Prime Minister, or Stephen Harper (Conservative) as the new PM.

I am refraining from saying which party I support or don't support, because quite frankly I don't think it really matters to anyone, nor does it make any difference to anyone or anything who I voted for.

And that reminds me. My friend K is a good patriotic Canadian girl (Yeah K!), not that I am not mind you, but she is vocal about pledging her love of the country and I am not - though I will be vocal about it now and say that I do love my country!! Anyway, she asked me today if I was going to vote. I told her that I would not because one doofus in office is just as bad as the next doofus. She gasped at me and nearly fainted...ok that is exagerated, she just gasped. Anyway, she made mention of the fact that whichever doofus (quoting me) gets in will do so because God allows it (like it says in the Bible) and we are supposed to pray about this. I told her that I have been praying some (I admit that it is only some times and not nearly as often as I should have) about the election for PM. Anyway, I think she was a little flabergasted at my response with regard to the whole voting thing.

Anyway, I was a good girl and went to vote. That's right K, I voted! Man, was it fun goading you about this...hehehe. Should have seen the look on your face when I said the whole 'doofus' thing...classic! Don't think I've seen you that shocked...ever! Anyway, I just wanted to publicly (if this is considered publicly) tell you that I did vote. Not saying which party I voted for (see reason above), but rest assured I did vote so now I will have the right to complain no matter which doofus gets in...ROFL!!!

**Updated to add: The votes are in...Stephen Harper, Conservative, won the election in a minority government.

It's My Birthday!

Yup, it is officially my birthday...though only for another 1 1/2 hours. I am old...well, ok maybe not old but I'm slowly getting up there, which is something to be thankful of right - because there are people who don't even live this long.

I'm 37 today. I can't believe it...well, maybe I can believe it but it doesn't feel like I am 37. I don't feel any different than I did yesterday or the day before, or even six months ago. The hair is getting a little more grey in it (time for a dye job), and I am thankful for that because I have hair. Many people who are going through chemo treatments or have some genecti thing don't have hair.

Though I am not married and have no children (I had always thought I would have been married in my twenties with kids), I am not alone. I have my family, my friends, and my Jesus. Not everyone has all of this - some have none of it.

I am living at home with my parents. Yeah, sounds weird doesn't it? I am thankful for that because I have a warm place to live, a roof over my head, food to eat. Not everyone has that. I quit my job of 12 years, 4 years ago, to go back to school to follow the calling I felt the Lord leading me to - teaching. I am in my final semester (as you all know) of my BA, and will be sending in my application next week for the education program. I am thankful for this because not everyone has the opportunity to pursue something like this, nor to be able to move. I am at my parents' home due to financial reasons (I have no job) and could not afford to live elsewhere. Besides, I keep telling myself that it's not forever - only a couple more years, and I am thankful that my parents were willing to allow me to do this and support me in this.

I went to my friend Kristina's tonight; she invited me over for supper and to hang out because it was my birthday. Another one of our newer friends, Kim was over too. We ordered pizza, ate cake that Kristina made (can you say 'yummy'?!) and she even had a gift for me. She got me one of those Willow Tree Angels - the courage angel - because I was courageous in quitting my job and going back to school. I love those angels and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for it. She's my best friend and I love her to death. I am so thankful that God has brought her into my life, and that we continue to build up our friendship. I haven't had a best friend probably since high school, if I even had one then. I've had good friends, and somewhat close friends, but not a best friend. I am very thankful for her, and that I had a chance to get to know Kim better tonight. Kim's a great person too, and we're just really getting to know her.

A quick prayer request: please pray for Kristina's daughter who isn't feeling well. I'm also thankful for this little girl. She's a real sweetheart!

So, as you can see, I have a lot to be thankful for. I need to remember this during those low times when I feel loney, or when I feel like I'm weird or whatever for living with my parents again at this age (yes, in case you were wondering, I have been out on my own before and had to move back in). I am blessed that I have people around me who love and care about me, who don't want to see me out on the street, who want me to succeed...I am blessed that I have a loving God who thought enough of me that He sent His Son to die so that I could have eternal life with Him. I am blessed because the Lord loves me and wants to have a relationship with me (and I with Him). So you see, because I might not have much materialistically or monitarily, I have so much more than others have. I am blessed.

It's my birthday, I am 37 years old - and I have so much to be thankful for!

Back Into The Swing Of Things

Well, as you know, school has started back up for me. It is only the third day however. I would expect that it will take a little bit of time to really get back in the swing of things - though last semester (as I was discussing with a friend of mine toward the end of last semester) I don't feel that I really found my groove for studying. Usually at the beginning of the school year it takes a few weeks to a month for me to really get my groove of studying and doing homework, after being off for the summer (even though I work) since the end of April. But, as I said, I don't feel like I had really got into that.

I am hoping this semester will be different. I am hoping that the groove will be found rather quickly, especially for my World View class and my Communication Disorders class. Both of these classes have a lot of reading, plus a lot more for WV (such as papers).

One 'fear' that I have is that since I don't have a lot of classes this semester, leaving me with more time at home, is that it will be far too easy for me to put off doing homework/studying til later. I am a procrastinator. I am in the mood for knitting, and would rather sit and knit. But, I know where my priorities lay. The thing is, I need to adjust my attitude or whatever and make myself study instead.

I was able to do that tonight. I read about 20 pages for Communication Disorders for tomorrow's class (thankfully the class is only at 4:10 pm). I still have about 30 pages to go, but I have tomorrow morning and part of the afternoon to read. I will do it though, because I am determined to do well in this class...well, all my classes really.

I am also determined to remember to include Jesus in my school work and studying. A lot of time I will start out doing this, and then part way through the semester I tend to 'forget' this and attempt to do it on my own. As I have found out, when this happens I tend to get more stressed out than need be. However, I must mention that I was not nearly as stressed out last semester as I have been in the past. Part of this, I am sure, is due to the pastor at my church praying for me to enjoy tests and look forward to them. While that didn't happen, I do know that he is also praying that I won't feel as stressed out, etc. I don't necessarily want to enjoy writing tests, but I do want to do well without the stress.

Anyway, I will be praying that I will keep Jesus in my school work. I will be praying that I don't procrastinate at doing homework/studying/doing papers. And, I will be praying that I find my groove early and get back into the swing of things school-wise. I would appreciate if you could pray for these things for me too, whenever you think to.

Have a Christ filled day!