Armour Up!

I have learned over the last year or so that sometimes when I feel out of sorts whether it is feeling anxious or just physically blah God is trying to tell me something.  Usually it is to be still and listen.  A lot of times it is so that He can speak peace into my heart and soul through a situation I am going through.  Then there are the times He wants me to armour up on behalf of someone else to stand in the gap for them.  It is called spiritual warfare.  I believe that there are times I can physically feel the call to battle.  Today has been one of those days already.
After I drop Megan off at school and drive home the sun is rising and a lot of times it is where I begin my prayer time for the day.  This morning I was pondering something a friend said Monday about how sometimes we talk too much, we know all the Christian words to say.  I know that I talk waaaayyy too much and this morning I knew God was telling me to Be STILL!!!

I have been unsettled all morning.  I chalked it up to a couple of different things.  I knew I needed to get in God's Word and He spoke to me right off.  I was reading in Exodus 14.  The Israelites are leaving Egypt they are coming up on the Red Sea.  God has just delivered them and already they are afraid and grumbling.  Moses tells the people in vs. 13
"Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU;YOU NEED ONLY BE STILL. vs 19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them.  Coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.  Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side so neither went near the other all night long. Exodus 15:7 In the greatness of  your majesty you threw down those who opposed you.

 God fights for me!!!  He surrounds me!  How awesome is it that?!? He left the front of the army where He was so He could lead them to go to the back so He could protect them!  He brought darkness to the Egyptians so they could not see the Israelites and light to the Israelites so they could see where to go.  He stood between them and death and pointed them to life.
I began to pray trying to not bring anything from my list of prayer needs to Him, but only to be thankful for who He is and that He is my mighty warrior.  I knew though that this wasn't just about me I needed to pray these verses for some specific people.  Saturday morning I felt the same way.  We had so much to do and I felt horrible.  I began to pray for peace and then began to pray consistently through the day for our youth group outreach event.  God used Black light doge ball as an opportunity for our youth to reach out and our youth pastor to share the Gospel to over 100 kids.  43 were saved!!!!! God had called me that morning to enter into battle for those souls.
This morning I feel off and realized He is calling me into battle again.  I have a couple of things I feel strongly that He wants me to pray for today. I am cranking up the worship music and I am praying all day.  I'm praying God will fight for these people, He will surround them, protect them from Satan.  That I will have a clean heart so that I can be effective for Him in my prayers and however He would use me in each situation.  I may not see the immediate result of today's battle and maybe I will.

All I know is Ex 15:3  The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name. James 5:16...The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
 "Oh Praise the Lord our Mighty Warrior.  Praise the Lord the Glorious One.  By His hands we stand in victory.  By His name we overcome."
 The only way to find peace and calm in my day is to armour up and enter the battle.  Sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it??  It's not, I promise.

Sticks And Stones

One of my biggest pet peeves is people being mean/disrespectful to other people; whether it is to their face or behind their backs.  It happens on facebook everyday and it isn't just teenagers (or younger kids who really shouldn't even be on fb).  Grownups can be the meanest of all.  It starts at such a young age and carries on into our adult years.  This idea that if I make others feel small it will make me feel bigger/better. What are we teaching our kids????


I can not tell you how many conversations I have had with my girls in this last week about things people have said about them or things they have said about their sisters or other people.
I will be honest I have my moments. I can cut to the jugular with my words and maybe that is why I get so upset with others who do it.  I don't like that side of me.  When I am in the flesh I can hurt others.  When I am in The Spirit it hurts me to see people hurting others with their words.

The little song we all have sung as kids.."Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me."  It is the biggest lie out there.  Words hurt....DEEP.  Those hurts last a lifetime. We can't ever seem to get them out of our heads. 

It makes me angry to have conversations with my girls about things people say to them.  It leaves scars.  As their mom my words of encouragement and affirmation may help, but will never overcome the damage their peers have done. 

It makes me angry that my girls say hurtful things to each other as sisters or to their parents.
It makes me angry that my girls believe the hurtful lies people throw at them.
It makes me angry that society says if someone hurts you, hurt them back.
It makes me angry that peer pressure says its funny to make fun of other people...even in our church groups.

It makes me angry that females are the worst at doing this.
It makes me angry that I have done these things too.
It makes me sad.

Sarcasm, mean-ness, taunting, belittling, joking about how people look, act, talk...it hurts, it's mean, and if you (I) are a Christian it is damaging to your (my)testimony.