Ding Ding Ding Ding

 At the first ding on my phone I thought perhaps it was my son leaving ... I usually get a notification of that.  I just haven't turned it off; ok, I haven't looked to figure out how.  Anyway, it isn't him.  It is the lawnmower of the landscaper running back and forth in the community part - and every time he passes our patio, my phone has dinged.  Why?  We had cameras put up a month or more ago. I originally bought the cameras because I wanted to capture the quail hatching in my flower pot.  Silly me.  They didn't get put up until 1) too late to send back; 2) my son-in-law got here to do it.  I didn't buy the subscription and the trial has run out so am not sure what I will be seeing, but for today, it was the lawnmower.  In our area, in fact, behind Ms. Diane's house - which is still on the market and to my knowledge, no one has been over to look at it - a neighbor found a homeless man sleeping on her back patio!  So we have decided to start putting our outside lights on in the back and side.  The front has a light that comes on whenever anyone comes in.  And I should be able to get on camera as well... but... again, I don't have the subscription so don't know.  Anyway - this gave me something to start off with, right?

I have a board meeting today.  Had a prep for another upcoming board meeting yesterday.  I wish I knew what the company is going to do with their 'reorganization'.  Sue doesn't think it will affect me, and it may not.  But I would be happy to relinquish the boards.  But then, what else would I have to gripe about?  Or do? LOL  Maybe I'm just 'afraid' they will give me tasks to do that 'get me out' and want to leave?  Or not. LOL Am I dreaming too much?  I have told Sue I'd love for them to offer me a severance package - I'd take it!!  But I've only been there 9 years in September so do not expect one to be much.  But then, it isn't so bad working.  I just shake my head anymore.  Of my siblings, I am the only one who works.  And I guess that isn't a bad thing, right?  It means I am healthy and alert enough to work, right?

I actually cooked a good dinner last night - herbed baked chicken, beets, green beans - and for an ending, yogurt with pumpkin seeds in it.  Filled me up!  Not sure what I'll fix tonight. I'm trying to use up 'stuff' I've had in the freezer for awhile.   I got a new cookbook yesterday and I need to go out to the mailbox and get it.  But I got another new one the other day.  It's the Taste of Home 'Cooking School' and it has lots of recipes in it.  I love the Taste of Home cookbooks for they are all simple recipes (at least in the books I have) and easy to put together.  I've used several of them over the years.  Always yummy. And even I can make them! LOL Just happened to remember when one of my granddaughters, before she was married, told me about fixing orange chicken for her fiancé.  I thought to myself then, "wow, she made orange chicken!' and it was something I hadn't dared to even try!  Now I try a lot of things!

Can you tell I'm grasping at things to share this morning?  I didn't get a good night of sleep.  But by 8:15p I couldn't keep my eyes open as I read so was in bed by 8:30p - which is nothing unusual.  But, I was wide awake before midnight and struggled to fall back to sleep.  Then it was one something, then dozed off and on, finally getting up about 3:50a, I think it was. Tried to sleep in here, but finally gave up. Not sure what was going on last night, but it may be a 'long' day today, needing to stay awake!

My bible reading today was finishing up Ephesians.  I am reading through the New Testament again during the week and will get to start on one of my favorite NT books - Philippians - tomorrow.  Now I read because I love to read the Word of God, but I do have some that are favorites.  James is another one.  John is another.  Well, I guess Matthew is too. Then there is.... LOL  Yeah, I love reading the New Testament because each book teaches me something I have forgotten, or a new thought will be revealed to me.  I've read these books over and over for the past 43 years or so.... you'd think I'd know them by heart.  But God likes to reveal a little bit to me at a time.  He knows my little pea-brain just can't absorb it all at once.  Ephesians is about putting on the armor of God.  It's also about how a man should treat his wife. And the wife the husband.  But Philippians, it's the book of JOY.  Why is that?  It's unique in that when Paul wanted us to have joy, he was sitting in a prison.  Could you write a book about joy if you were sitting in a prison?  Not so sure I could!

We Christians are engaged in a spiritual battle against two opposing kingdoms.  We must put on the full armor of God as it says in Ephesians 6.  We get six things to equip our self with.  

1) the belt of truth.  Victory in spiritual warfare starts with truth.  

2) The breastplate of righteousness.  This piece guarded the heart.  Righteousness protects the spiritual life of the Christian.  Our righteousness doesn't come from ourselves, but from Jesus.

3) Shoes for your feet - which is the gospel of peace.  Roman soldiers had heavy armored sandals that gave him traction and security in battle.  So our peace with God through Jesus gives us security in the face of Satan's accusations.

4) The shield of faith.  The soldier's shield was leather-covered and was often soaked in water to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. (no guns then, remember?)  Faith in God's promises deflects and extinguishes the lies of Satan.

5) The helmet of salvation.  The helmet the soldiers wore was armored to protect the brain.  The primary battlefield for a Christian is his mind, assurance of salvation defeats the doubts and accusations that Satan throws at us.

6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  This is our only offensive weapon, if you notice.  The sword.  And for us Christians, the sword is the Word of God.

Gratefully, our spiritual armor is to be used in a war that has already been won.  Jesus won the battle for us when He went to Calvary and died on the cross.  It is said of Napoleon Bonaparte that as he attempted to conquer all the nations of the known world, he spread out a map on a table and pointed to s specific place, and then said to his lieutenants, "if it weren't for that red spot, I could conquer the world".  The spot he referred to was the British Isles, the nation that met Napoleon at Waterloo in Belgium - and who defeated him with a group of nations.  

Think of it this way..... can you not just see Satan telling his minions that he could conquer the world, if it wasn't for 'that one red spot'..... and that is the hilltop of Calvary where Jesus' blood was shed.  But that red spot is what makes all the difference in our spiritual battle.  We don't have to fear the devil and what havoc he can throw at us.  We need enter only the spiritual battle that we have been called, and know that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us enough to die for us.

You can read all about the armor of God for you in Ephesians 6.  You can read about being more than a conqueror in Romans 8:37.  Yeah, I borrowed information from Dr. David Jeremiah in my study bible.  Sometimes it helps it sink in when we type it out, write it out, and believe it.

Wishing you a day full of joy and happiness.  Let's all pause and choose to look at life more differently than others.  Tough times come and go.... but our joy in the Lord lasts forever.

Blessings!

I really was tired yesterday morning!

 I realized this morning as I brought up this blog that I didn't even put a title on it!  Threw one on it - 'just because I can't leave a space blank!'  LOL  I know I was really tired yesterday morning... and this moring too, actually.  The night before hubby was bouncing all over the bed, I think... and last night, although he got up and went to sleep in the chair in the other room, I woke up when he got up so mentally was 'awake' waiting on him to come back to bed - which he didn't.  So I took a short nap jsut a few mintues ago.  Feels better, too.  The advantage of sitting in a recliner back here; and also the disadvantage of sitting in a recliner back here.  

We got a great surprise yesterday afternoon.  One could say it was a gift for me from God.  Seriously!  I have had some beef jerky I have been holding for my son for several weeks now and it has been on the bed back here.  It was even in a bag to keep it together.  I had just picked it up and mentally tried to figure out how I could get it to my son..... when my phone rang.  Yep, it was him.  He was in the area and asked to stop by.  Absolutely!   He did stop by, I gave him the beef jerky - and a partial bag of walmuts I had in the freezer (I had two bags, both opened), and he stayed for awhile and we caught up on things.  It was so good!  I took my phone where I could watch my emails from work and know if there was something I needed to take care of, and sat out in the front room with him and hubby so we could all chat.  I love that he stopped by; made my day.  We may be meeting up later this weekend for dinner to celebrate hubby's birthday.  

Today I have an hour's drive -thereabouts - to meet my boss for lunch at one of our favorite places in Tempe Marketplace - Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ.  REALLY good food.  We planned it a few weeks ago and boom - here it is today!  Which means I need to clean up today and put make up on.  But that's ok.  I'll do it for her.  Love spending time with her.   We usually do breakfast.... and I think we are actually scheduled for that in a couple weeks, but may cancel that one and wait until June.  July she will be in NY for 3 weeks so probably won't meet in July and looking at her calendar, we may not get to meet until late August.  I need to be thinking ahead - her birthday is October 1 and Boss's day is October 16th.  

I was reading in one of my books this morning and it shares how we need to be consistently praying for our children, our grandchildren (and our great-grandchildren).  I do pray for each one, many times calling each one out by name and praying a blessing or need over them.  Unfortunately, I don't always know their needs, but when I do, I know how to pray specifically for them.  How I wish I could see them more often - each one of them - but time and distance and now even age - all play a part in that.  No one's fault - it's all the 'circle of life'.  We all get busy.  I still miss them a lot, and long for the days long ago when we gathered together, but.... I still gather them close in praying for them.  I wonder if they know they can always call me if they have a prayer need.... specific prayer is always good, versus generalized prayers.  

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV):  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and have done all, to stand."

There are so many things out there that want to take us down.  Each morning we should put on the armor of God and ask Him to watch over us and our loved ones.  That He would guard our words and our actions, that they would be pleasing to Him.  That we would treat others with kindness.  That we would be His witness to this hurting world.  So many of our youth have gone astray. 

You may be the only witness for Jesus they will encounter.  You may be the one who leads them to Jesus and ensure they will go to heaven.  Are you living your life in such a way that they will want what you have (spiritually)?  

We can raise our children in church.... but unless we give them more than a head knowledge of God... they won't know God.  They need that personal knowledge, they need to see Christ living in you (and in me) that they will choose to follow Jesus.  It's more than a head knowledge; they need a heart knowledge.  And that is what I pray for each of my children and grandchildren - and great grandchildren.  That they will gain a heart knowledge of Jesus Christ.  He is the only One who can lead them and guide them.  Are we doing our part to teach them?  Pray the armor of God over each one by name.  Pray that their hearts will be turned towards Him.  He IS the only way to heaven.

As a reminder to myself to put on the armor of God each day, I bought myself a cup that has it on the side - even have my name on the cup.  I had ordered it through Etsy and I missed their email on the color of my hair... which is a a mixture of bleached blond, brown, and gaining lots of gray... so when they sent it, the woman kneeling with the armor on has blond hair.  Reminds me more of my sister who does have blond hair - but my name is on it - so I go ahead and use it.  But using that cup, I am reminded that I, myself, need to put on the armor of God each morning, that I may withstand the wiles of the devil.

Oh you do something right; you make amends with family, your put yourself 'out there' to help others - and the devil is going to do all he can to cause discontent, to cause discord, to create problems.  He doens't want you to put on the whole armor of God.  He doesn't want you to put on the helmet of salvation - he wants to penetate your mind and throw distraction in.  He wants to attack you where it will hurt the worst - your heart with which you love your family.  He doesn't want that breastplate put on you, nor the belt of truth, for then you can see the devil's hand when you have discord with a loved one.  What all is the armor of God?

Ephesians 6:14-20 (NKJV):  "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you willb e able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Pray without ceasing over your family; your prayers may be what saves them from an accident; from harm; may enrich their lives with friends who can mentor them and teach them, may change their minds about your influence in their lives (we all know our children generally reject us as they want to make their own decisions) - pray for them!  Ask God to give them wisdom, knowledge, and revelation in all that they do, that they make the right choices.  Just pray.  If you love your children, pray for them.  You may be the only link to Jesus they have right now - surrender that little one to Jesus and ask for His protection over them, that they will grow into a mature adult, full of wisdom.

Sometimes, just sometimes, we are their only link to Jesus.  Especially if the world has gotten ahold of them and they are rejecting Jesus.  Pray for them.  Start today. Ask Jesus to cover them with His hand and lead them back to Him.

Blessings!