Armor up!!

"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. 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 everything, to stand." Eph 6:12-13 (Emp mine)

I remember hearing these verses as a young child and hearing my parents and their friends discussing warfare and it scared me to death! Of course, in my little mind I could only see knights and dragons (the kind of images you get talking about armor). I spent a lot of my Christian life somewhat blind to spiritual warfare because no one around me seemed to be putting on a literal armor so I guess I just never really got it. Thank God for His protection! When God restored me to fellowship with him in my early 20's He placed a girl in my life that would FOREVER change how I saw spiritual warfare. She was in my singles group and had been rescued from the dark world of witchcraft - I mean like animal sacrifices and everything! She really enlightened me to how the "powers of this dark world" are so subtle to luring people in. I had my own "dark" experience while visiting my best friend at her college.

Some girls on her floor had been messing around with an Ouija board (ooo I don't even like typing that word!) and given the way I was raised - in church as a Christian - they were dying for me to come down and get on it. Now, it was taboo to me. My parents had warned me against it, but I'd never actually even seen one so when I got there and they began telling me all the weird things that had been happening my curiosity got the best of me. I don't want to share the details of what happened because I REFUSE to glorify any evil spirit but we'll just say that what happened frightened me to my core! I never touched another one - and never will as long as I live! (neither has my best friend!) So I'm sharing with the single friend about my experience and she just sits there nodding her head the whole time. I can still see her face and remember her words like it happened yesterday. "Yeah, Valarie, that's how they draw you in. They start with something that seems innocent and sweet, even fun and the next thing you know..." Well, I won't tell you what she said, but you get the point.

I share all of this with you today because let me tell you sister's a battle is raging over us!!! A battle to take our lost loved ones. A battle to break up our homes. A battle to distract us from leading the lives God intends for us. This battle is real! I think if God would open our eyes to it, we'd all armor up and get ready to stand. Instead, I think, like I did for many years, if there's no obvious signs of the battle we live life with our rose colored (worldly) glasses on completely naive to the war!

Please know that I'm writing this more for myself than anyone else - as most of my posts are! It's time to armor up! It's time to buckle on the belt of truth (which you can't know if you're not opening the Word to find the truth), snap on the brestplate of righteousness (practicing what we preach), slip on those shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (can't go into battle without peace in what we're fighting for), strap on those shields of faith (again, if we don't know WHAT we're fighting for, how can we have faith in it?), protect our heads with the helmet of salvation (without salvation thru Jesus Christ we will be defeated!), and pick up our Sword of the Spirit (can't just carry it around, we need to open it to know it!), and get ready girls!! My favorite verse in this passage comes after the description of the FULL armor of God.

In verse 13 it says "after you have done everything" and I admit that I used to think that this was after I had tried all of my own efforts in the battle - my last resort - THEN stand. OH BUT WAS I WRONG! (sorry for the yelling! haha) What God is telling us here is that our effort is in putting on the armor! THAT'S IT!! After you have done everything - putting on this armor - then comes verse 18 "And PRAY IN THE SPIRIT on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Do you get that? It doesn't say 'after you get all armored up, you run into the battle and start telling everyone how to fix their lives. Then you go sling the Sword and knock a few of their heads off. Then take that shield and spank them with it.' It says PRAY! Pray for everything. For all occasions. Bringing all kinds of prayers and requests. Be alert and KEEP ON PRAYING!

We're not to be sitting ducks out in an open field waiting for the attack, siesta's! On our own effort we need to armor up - then IN THE SPIRIT pray. Stand, be alert and pray. Don't bury your head in the sand. Don't be naive to what's going on around you. Pray! Know your Word. Know the Truth and pray! The Father will fight the battle for you. You need only "Be still and know" and pray!

Brighter Day

This seemed appropriate for how I'm feeling today! Thank you Jesus that you can bring me a "Brighter Day"!! I never knew....

Remember?

It seems like the older I get, the harder it is to remember things. That's scary considering I haven't even hit 40!! Still, I can go over and over things, even write them down and yet, I forget. Sometimes I even forget where I wrote it. Sad! My kids laugh at me because I look at them and say every name in my family, but theirs!! Including the dog! haha

This weekend I had a gut wrenching call from my mom. Her recovery truly has been a miracle straight from the hand of God. However, she's not treating it as such and not continuing the work she should. (that's a WHOLE other blog!) Anyway, she calls me Sat. crying her eyes out. She kept saying "'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...' I can't remember the rest, I can't remember another single word!" My mom is a singer and knows words to most every old hymn and you can walk up to most people and they can at least sing this verse of "Amamzing Grace" so the fact that she couldn't get the rest was just devastating. I told her to get a pen and paper and I'd give her the rest of the song, but she wanted to try to remember it on her own. Pitiful. It just about ripped my heart out.

I know her brain injury from all the trauma she suffered. I know this is most likely a temporary situation, however, it got me thinking about remembering. I know alot of people criticize "bloggy-ville" and that we do this because we think so much of ourselves that we need to share it with others but I'm realizing more and more that I'm grateful for the outlet to journal so many things. I have my personal journals but this outlet allows me to share my life with friends and family who aren't close (geographically) and it's a record of how God has and is working in me.

I pray that I remember. I pray that my mom can remember. Sorry for being a bit melancholy today especially after my "Jesus-jig" Friday but truth be told I'm really not feeling well - been up all night in pain - but God is faithful. Everyone is home today and that makes me happy, I just wish I felt better. BLAH! Anyway, ya'll have a great day and remember....

It's FRIDAY!!!

Did yesterday's blog just about make you wanna barf?! hahahaha My super-impressed man goes "Read your blog today babe, that was sweet." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I pour my heart out over the WWW and I get "that was sweet"?! Oh well. Par for the course when you've been together 16 years! hahahaha Really ya'll, I'm just teasin'! My man's a sweetie! Love ya babe! ;-)

First let me give a big ole shout out to my sweet friend Melissa!! Today's her birthday so pop over and tell her Val sent you to wish her a good one!! Melissa, I'm just so thankful the Lord has brought us closer the past couple of years. He knew I needed you to keep me in line, girl!! Thanks for being my friend, my prayer partner and my SISTA!!! I love ya girl!! Ok, enough with the love already!! hahahaah Just kiddin'!

My Bible study was last night - the 2nd week - and it's Valentine's day. I had several ladies ask me if I was going to cancel and contemplated it, but my sweet Debra C. reminded me that there were several single ladies in the group so we pressed on!! We had a good turn out and even had a new girl last night!!!! YAY GOD!!!! I just love how God is working in this. I know He's working in me and I have seen Him working in the ladies as well. He's so good that way!!!

It's funny that we've been studying Samson and Delilah during this week of love. Samson had it BAD, didn't he? Wow, not the brightest bulb in the room, wouldn't you say? Just another prime example that God can use ANYONE for His purpose. I love that about Him. Also, don't you love how He lays out the Word? Samson's story begins as he's born and then goes looking for a wife. Really. Shouldn't that be a RED FLAG to someone? haha You know he's gonna be a playah! Not that I even really know what a playah is, it just sounds cool to say! (I think I'm a bit full of myself today - now THAT is scary!!)

Anyway, the point here is that God can...! God can do...!! You can finish that sentence with whatever your situation is. You can fill in the blank with whatever it is you need or think you don't have!! Lately, there have been some REALLY great things happening around me and I'm just T-TOTALLY in the mood to celebrate!!! I just wanna go do a "Jesus-jig"!! So tonight I'm going out to do just that! Melissa thinks we're going to celebrate her birthday - but NO! It ain't about you girlfriend!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA Oh my word, I really need to just shut up!!

Ok. Ya'll have a great weekend and go celebrate. Even if there's a storm raging around you, lift up your head, let the wind blow in your hair and shout "GOD CAN"!!!
YYYAAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOO---JAH!!!!!!!!!!!

To my Valentine...

Ya'll are just gonna have to skip today if you're not the mushy type, but I gotta show some love to my man!!! ;-)

Jimmy, why in the world you put up with me I will never know but I just can't thank you enough for following the Lord and sticking with me!! (Guess me tellin' you I'd hunt you down like a dog worked, huh?! haha) Really, you are my love, my joy, my soulmate, my best friend, my partner, my life. I know there've been times when we didn't think we'd make it. Times when we BOTH wanted to just cut our losses and call it quits, but God had bigger and better plans for us and every time the enemy tried to distract us with that garbage His will won!! LOVE THAT about Him!!

I think back over all the Valentine's days we've shared and while there have been some INCREDIBLE ones and some that, well...you know, this one is so special to me! Special because not alot of men would sit home with their kids on Valentine's night so that their mate could go and answer the Lord's call. I don't take for granted one minute how blessed I am to have you. I'm so grateful that the Father saw me and then saw to place you as my earthly prophet, priest, protector and provider. Your crowns will be many, my love!

I'm so proud to be your wife and I love you with all my heart and soul. Happy 15th Valentine's Day Baby! (Aren't you proud I knew that?! haha) Thank you for being who you are. Always remember that I am "Forever Yours".
Me

Rewards...

We all like to be winners, right? Some of us are a tad more competitive than others, but when it comes right down to it I don't know of a single person that goes into any game, event, whatever saying "Oh boy, I hope I lose this!!" (Unless it's Weight Watchers! haha) The question is however, what is the prize? My son is deep into his basketball season and with tournaments just a few weeks away and his team having a pretty good season so far I can see their focus beginning to shift a little. I see them looking ahead to the tournaments with 3 games still to go in the regular season. How often have we seen this happen in sports? Teams begin to think on the "big" game going into a game with a team that should be an easy win only to suffer a major upset. It happens in sports. It happens in our Christian walk too.

I think sometimes we get so focused on our eternal reward that we lose sight of the fact that God longs to reward us on this earth too. I spent alot of my life believing that God didn't want the best for me. That He was just waiting for me to go one step too far and then He'd zap me with a lightning bolt or strike me dead. IMAGINE?! UGH! Praise His blessed, holy name I'm not that person anymore!! He has shown me that He "who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with GOOD THINGS" (Ps 103:4-5 emphasis mine) really does want the best for me. He's shown me that when I delight myself in HIM, He will give me "the desires of my heart". No, He's not gonna give me that new GMC Yukon (in white please -haha) that I've been wanting, but He'll change my desires to HIS will for me. THAT is a reward!!

Smack in the middle of the "Hebrews Hall of Faith" is a little nugget that the Lord showed me a few years ago and it truly changed my life. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that HE REWARDS those who earnestly seek him." Heb. 11:6 emp. mine Now it doesn't say that believing in God brings a reward. Satan believes in God and we know what his reward will be. It's believing AND having faith in Him AND earnestly seeking HIm. He said that if we seek Him, we will find Him and that He is at the door knocking so it's not like we've got to go to the ends of the earth in our seeking. It's going right to the door of your heart, opening it, asking Him in and then giving Him free reign once He's there. THEN you get the rewards. Reward of His Presence in your life. Reward of hope, in spite of life's worst circumstances. Reward of peace in raging storms. Reward of eternal life with Him in heaven. Now THAT'S a reward worth focusing on!!

And the winner is.....

Don't you just hate commercials? hahahaha Before I get to the big winner I just want to thank everyone who entered and I hope that you'll visit my blog again. Not because I have anything profound to say, but because I love hearing how the Lord is moving in my Siesta's in Christ!

So the winner is Dionna!!! Go check out her blog!! YAY!! Now, ya'll be happy for her!! heehee

Now, let me tell you guys that God is still in the miracle business. As if you ever doubted, right?! I do think that sometimes in this day and time we wonder about that, but I'm telling you that He is!! My mom is proof! Also, my marriage is proof! Me leading a Bible study is proof!! There's also been an answer to a prayer that is proof! It's a HUGE one and I can't really give out details, but I can say that God is WORKING people!!! WWWOOOHHHOOOOOOO!!!

If you're in the midst of something that seems impossible. Job situations, marriage problems, kids who won't obey, failing health of yourself or a loved one, whatever it may be, I PROMISE you that God is WORKING.

Yesterday when I got to church my sweet friend Lindsay sang Mandisa's "God Speaking" (I think that's the title, but you know what I mean) and since I have to get there at 7:00am with Jimmy I get to sit thru everyone's warm ups. I used to think that was my time to offer my expertise on what they need, but God let me fall on my face, skinning my knees, elbows, chin, nose and everything else I could on the way! Now I use that time to sit quietly and pray for the person singing, the group leading worship, the band, our music Minister, whatever He lays on my heart but mostly I keep my BIG MOUTH SHUT!!! When she did her warm up yesterday I felt that battle with my old man begin. I began thinking of how this should be done, and where she should stand that would look better, and how she should have them turn on purple lights while she sang because it would match what she was wearing!!! I KNOW!!! Can you believe what a COMPLETE doofus God is working with here?!!! Stick with me. There is a point to this.

So anyway, I stopped right then and there and asked God to forgive me and to NOT let me go back to that critical spirit. Then He gave me a little glimpse into what He had in mind for that song. You know the lyrics "He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to. To tell us I love you". During one of our services there was a woman who came to the altar with a friend and they were in fervent prayer together - being in choir I have to end my prayers a little early so that I'll be ready to stand - and the woman was obviously in GREAT distress. She was in a RAGING storm!! I have absolutely no idea what it was but her emotions on that altar even got the attention of our pastor. He was coming down the stairs as she was standing to leave and he stopped and called her back to him and he spoke with her, prayed over her and just hugged her like a daddy would do for his hurting daughter. I tell ya, I was DONE!! I have grown to love my pastor more and more each year because He shows me Jesus ALL THE TIME!!!

So the service goes on, the choir finishes singing and I go put my robe away - YES we still wear robes - I KNOW - and my man is waiting for me at the top of the steps. We usually walk outside so we don't disturb people in the service but we were chatting and we just turned and went thru the side doors and started thru the sanctuary. Lindsay was about 1/2 way thru her song and I usually don't stay to listen - I'm on my way to Sunday school - but I heard God tell me to stop, so I did. I looked between the pillars and there was the woman from the altar. Ya'll, bless her baby heart, she was ballin'! I don't mean a little tear trickling down, I mean, full out snot slingin' ballin'! Like I said, she is in a RAGING storm! I felt the Father whisper to me, "You see. It's not about how it sounds or looks. It's not about the lighting. I told Lindsay to pick THIS song to tell THIS woman 'I love you'" Ya'll, I was DOUBLE DONE! I just stood there staring at her and praying for God to give her some peace. I don't know who she is. I don't know what's going on with her, but I know that my God loves her every bit as much as He loves me!! He loves you too!! I promise that if we'll stop and just listen, He will speak. He will move. He will work. Will you slow down enough to hear Him?