I am a Born-again Christian. I have some posts in my blog pertaining to my faith. If they offend you, don't read them. You can read them if you want to though.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I have nothing profound to say today.....
.....except that a 48 year-old should get at least eight hours of sleep per night.
Monday, March 12, 2012
~United We Stand~
You're a Roman soldier going into battle with your sword, shield, and body armor. As the enemy surges forward, you and your fellow soldiers push through them expertly wielding your shields and razor-sharp swords. As the battle rages on, however, you find yourself separated from your comrades and growing short-of-breath and weary. You are surrounded by the enemy, and even though your sword is sharp and your shield is sturdy, you could really use someone to watch your back. Finally, you spy a small group of your fellow soldiers and work your way over to them. Together, backs in the center and shields held outward, radiating like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, each of you finds the battle a little easier - a little less strenuous. You're watching each other's backs; you can each breath a little easier.
Now, picture yourself wearing the Full Armor of God as in Ephesians 6:14-17. Your head is protected with the Helmet of Salvation. You're wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Belt of Truth about your waist, wielding the Sword of the Spirit and the Shield of Faith, and last, but not least your feet are protected with the Gospel of Peace. Lately, though, you've been crazy busy and just want to sleep in on Sunday mornings. You don't have much free time, so you're not in a Bible study right now, either. Well, guess what? You're a Christian in a spiritual battle, and you've just separated yourself from your comrades. There's no one there to "watch your back," to come together with you to pray with you, and to worship God with you. You're alone, and the enemy is unrelenting. You need to meet with other believers regularly, so you do not have to fight this battle alone.
Unfortunately, I tend to isolate myself from other believers a lot. After a while, I can really feel the difference. God wants us to meet together with other believers to encourage each other: Hebrews 10:25 says, "not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other,and all the more as you see the day drawing near."*
After missing a lot of church services since last summer, I've finally gone to the last two in row. Sad, but true! Now, I'm just feeling a sense of relief at not keeping myself isolated, plus I really enjoy the music and worship time!
Please don't keep yourself isolated for your sake! And, if you feel so inclined, you can keep praying that I won't isolate myself either, anymore. I'd more than appreciate your prayers to God on my behalf for this. Now go fight the good fight with someone to watch your back. ;o)
*http://www.biblegateway.com/
Now, picture yourself wearing the Full Armor of God as in Ephesians 6:14-17. Your head is protected with the Helmet of Salvation. You're wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Belt of Truth about your waist, wielding the Sword of the Spirit and the Shield of Faith, and last, but not least your feet are protected with the Gospel of Peace. Lately, though, you've been crazy busy and just want to sleep in on Sunday mornings. You don't have much free time, so you're not in a Bible study right now, either. Well, guess what? You're a Christian in a spiritual battle, and you've just separated yourself from your comrades. There's no one there to "watch your back," to come together with you to pray with you, and to worship God with you. You're alone, and the enemy is unrelenting. You need to meet with other believers regularly, so you do not have to fight this battle alone.
Unfortunately, I tend to isolate myself from other believers a lot. After a while, I can really feel the difference. God wants us to meet together with other believers to encourage each other: Hebrews 10:25 says, "not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other,and all the more as you see the day drawing near."*
After missing a lot of church services since last summer, I've finally gone to the last two in row. Sad, but true! Now, I'm just feeling a sense of relief at not keeping myself isolated, plus I really enjoy the music and worship time!
Please don't keep yourself isolated for your sake! And, if you feel so inclined, you can keep praying that I won't isolate myself either, anymore. I'd more than appreciate your prayers to God on my behalf for this. Now go fight the good fight with someone to watch your back. ;o)
*http://www.biblegateway.com/
Sunday, March 11, 2012
~Faith is just believing.~
~I opened my eyes this morning, and one word popped into my mind: "Faith."~
I have been struggling with my purpose in this world. I was feeling like a failure as a mother just because my kids are having some tough problems. Also, my kids are about all grown, so I haven't had a clue about what the next 20-40 years of my life holds. I thought, "There was a reason I was born." I thought how I didn't feel it, but I knew it had to be true logically. Then, "Faith is just believing," popped into my head.
I got up and went downstairs to do something I haven't done in a very long time: I got down on my knees, all alone, and prayed first thing in the morning. I prayed that my family and myself would wear the full Armor of God as in Ephesians 6:10-17.
I made coffee and picked up my Bible study.* The study for today was on Faith. The Shield of Faith is a word that describes a large shield about 4 feet X 2-1/2 feet that was coated with a fire-extinguishing compound. Apparently, the Roman soldiers knew how to use those well in battle.
I have made a LOT of mistakes in my life. I've let the devil, the enemy, tell me that if I missed too much time helping in various ministries, due to illness, then maybe I shouldn't do them anymore, because folks are depending on me. When I'm absent, I'm letting them down. Yes, I need to be there when I volunteer, but I cannot help the physical problems that have popped up recently in my life, including ulcers in my intestines caused by my prescription, arthritis, anti-inflammatory medicine. I cannot help it, when I get the flu. But, Satan, the enemy, knows I feel guilty about it anyway, and boy does he use that to get me doubting, to make me afraid I'm failing - to get me to lower my Shield of Faith.
I've made some terrible mistakes in my life - in my Christian walk. I have hurt people. Yes, I'm fully repentant of what I've done, and I've asked for their forgiveness. But, still, I've felt so ashamed that I've been drawing into my "shell" and thought maybe I shouldn't volunteer with kids, because, well, I'm not a good example for them. That was the enemy telling me that. Not God. When God forgives, it's absolute forgiveness. The enemy wanted me to put down my Shield of Faith that I've been forgiven by God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and I am absolved of my sins - each and every one of them.
God doesn't say, "Only Perfect People Need Apply". Thank Him! Because, I'm NOT "perfect people"! I just have to keep going and keep my shield up. I have to not let doubt and guilt plague me. I have to have Faith.
"Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,
and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.
In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is God’s word."
-Ephesians 6:10-17 HCSB**
*Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit
**www.biblegateway.com
I have been struggling with my purpose in this world. I was feeling like a failure as a mother just because my kids are having some tough problems. Also, my kids are about all grown, so I haven't had a clue about what the next 20-40 years of my life holds. I thought, "There was a reason I was born." I thought how I didn't feel it, but I knew it had to be true logically. Then, "Faith is just believing," popped into my head.
I got up and went downstairs to do something I haven't done in a very long time: I got down on my knees, all alone, and prayed first thing in the morning. I prayed that my family and myself would wear the full Armor of God as in Ephesians 6:10-17.
I made coffee and picked up my Bible study.* The study for today was on Faith. The Shield of Faith is a word that describes a large shield about 4 feet X 2-1/2 feet that was coated with a fire-extinguishing compound. Apparently, the Roman soldiers knew how to use those well in battle.
I have made a LOT of mistakes in my life. I've let the devil, the enemy, tell me that if I missed too much time helping in various ministries, due to illness, then maybe I shouldn't do them anymore, because folks are depending on me. When I'm absent, I'm letting them down. Yes, I need to be there when I volunteer, but I cannot help the physical problems that have popped up recently in my life, including ulcers in my intestines caused by my prescription, arthritis, anti-inflammatory medicine. I cannot help it, when I get the flu. But, Satan, the enemy, knows I feel guilty about it anyway, and boy does he use that to get me doubting, to make me afraid I'm failing - to get me to lower my Shield of Faith.
I've made some terrible mistakes in my life - in my Christian walk. I have hurt people. Yes, I'm fully repentant of what I've done, and I've asked for their forgiveness. But, still, I've felt so ashamed that I've been drawing into my "shell" and thought maybe I shouldn't volunteer with kids, because, well, I'm not a good example for them. That was the enemy telling me that. Not God. When God forgives, it's absolute forgiveness. The enemy wanted me to put down my Shield of Faith that I've been forgiven by God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and I am absolved of my sins - each and every one of them.
God doesn't say, "Only Perfect People Need Apply". Thank Him! Because, I'm NOT "perfect people"! I just have to keep going and keep my shield up. I have to not let doubt and guilt plague me. I have to have Faith.
"Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,
and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.
In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is God’s word."
-Ephesians 6:10-17 HCSB**
*Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit
**www.biblegateway.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sliding.....
There is nothing I love more than to have my child's book sliding back and forth and back and forth on the dashboard of my pickup truck, while I'm driving.
Traffic Hell
Bad Momma! Bad Momma! Bad Momma! Bad Momma! Bad Momma! THE one time it is so wrong to be late, for sure, is when one is picking up one's child from school! I was late picking up my daughter from school AGAIN! I try to make up for lost time in my truck/time machine. I'm so going to traffic/driving hell, I'm afraid.
Blogging and FaceBook
Ok. After years of deliberation, I woke up this morning and decided to delete my FaceBook account - for good - this time. I was on near the founding of FaceBook but decided it was too public and got off. That was several years ago. Then, when the company I was a consultant for encouraged us to put ourselves and our businesses on FaceBook, I found out how very easy it was to hop back on the FaceBook train. You see, FaceBook never really, entirely deletes your account when you do. They know you can't take it; you'll be back on. You'll yearn to know if Betty has baked another loaf of her fabulous banana bread or if Donna has planted a new veggie in her garden. You cannot sleep another night without knowing if Marina's baby made a big poopy today. So, to save themselves a whole lot of trouble and to make it very easy for you, they never completely delete your account.
So, I'm still on FaceBook, but to make it much easier for me to type as much as I want without driving my FaceBook friends crazy with multiple daily posts, I got this blog. Here, what you read is what you get, and, if don't agree with me, you don't have me in your face every day, when you log in to FaceBook. Oh, don't worry, I'll still post fabulous photos of my homemade bread, etc., on FaceBook. But, here, I think I'll write.....hmmm.....maybe more than write. We'll see. :o)
I initially thought blogging was a TERRIBLE idea. Why in the world would you want to give the whole world the key to your diary?! Today, I realized I don't have to write EVERYTHING in my blog. Wow. -a revelation. So, as terrible as I was about writing in my diary as a girl, I'll try to blog a few times a week. Probably because I didn't get enough sleep, but I am awake and too tired to be truly productive like washing my dog or something.
For now, have a great week!
Angie
So, I'm still on FaceBook, but to make it much easier for me to type as much as I want without driving my FaceBook friends crazy with multiple daily posts, I got this blog. Here, what you read is what you get, and, if don't agree with me, you don't have me in your face every day, when you log in to FaceBook. Oh, don't worry, I'll still post fabulous photos of my homemade bread, etc., on FaceBook. But, here, I think I'll write.....hmmm.....maybe more than write. We'll see. :o)
I initially thought blogging was a TERRIBLE idea. Why in the world would you want to give the whole world the key to your diary?! Today, I realized I don't have to write EVERYTHING in my blog. Wow. -a revelation. So, as terrible as I was about writing in my diary as a girl, I'll try to blog a few times a week. Probably because I didn't get enough sleep, but I am awake and too tired to be truly productive like washing my dog or something.
For now, have a great week!
Angie
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