The Armor of God

What kind of sense does it make for us to be in the midst of a battle and to leave our armor over in the corner, collecting dust?? That's right, it doesn't. Yet, we do just that. 

We are in a spiritual war. You, me...every person.  Some of us are, without a second thought, doing exactly what the enemy approves of. 

(Living in and of the world. Choosing not to live for Christ. Maybe even refusing to buy-in to this whole "Jesus" thing. A very self-indulgent and self-centered mind set. A "What about ME?" mentality.) 

Some of us want to resist the enemies commands, but we had taken our armor off, leaving ourselves vulnerable. We are weak against him. 

(We have not kept the Word of God hidden in our heart and consistently spoken on our lips. We choose not to stand on God's Word and promises. Our armor may only partially be on; we aren't fully protected. We pray to God when times are tough, and "forget" to when times are better.)

Some of us choose to put our armor on fully. Our enemy doesn't stand a chance, although he wouldn't dare stop trying to penetrate the impenetrable. 

(We choose to read, speak, and release the promises of God over our lives. We refuse to walk in fear, because we know we have the God of Angel Armies battling on our behalf. We obey His commands and we trust in Him. We love Him, because He first Loved us. We choose to claim the victory over the battle, because He promised the Victory is already ours!) 

Ephesians 6:11-18 (NLT)

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

~I pray this encourages you to evaluate your spiritual life. I pray you find strength, because you turn to Him...to Jesus. His gift of Life is absolutely free!! 

If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and would like to know how to, leave a comment below or private message me. I would love to share a prayer with you to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior! 

Be blessed! 

~Rue

The Blessing

Hello out there...Jayley here. The holiday season is always a very stressful time for me especially with a blended family. Hurts haunt me from the past...New hurts are made..but through it all I try to stay positive.  The reality is I probably put too much emphasis on the holidays and have ideas I try to fulfill about what the day should look like.

Hello. ...me playing God once again.  :)

Knowing this is a time of weakness for me and a time I can really fall prey to the enemy has made me very aware of my need to stay in constant contact with My Lord.  In addition to my daily routines I like to kick it up a notch by occupying any free time I have with Godly wisdom. This helps fight off the depression which can quickly take me captive if I am allowed to mind wander the past.

I have been reading this really great book given to me by a friend. It's called "The gift of the blessing". Such great wisdom in here...it talks about t he elements of the blessing parents should strive to bestow on their children.  And they discuss what happens when the blessing is not given, or given partially.  I truly know my calling at this season in my life is to give this blessing to the children God has placed in my family. I see the holes in some of my children's lives right now and I recognize what those holes X an and will do if not addresses. I can see the damage to one's soul created by living without the blessing. It's blaringly obvious in my husband and I too have elements missing.

So what are these elements so vital to a child?
1. Meaningful touch. Have you hugged your child lately..held hands...petted their hair?
2. Spoken words...what comes out of the mouth plants seeds that can be weeds or flowers. What are you speaking?
3.Expressing high value. Our children believe they will be what we say they can be.
4. Picturing a special future. Teach your child to dream and believe the greatness they were created for.
5.An active commitment.  Bestowing the blessing is something a parent gas to commit to.  Not a one time act. A continuous,ongoing act of love. Get to it!

Raising a Child of God

Today is E’s 8^th birthday. Eight years ago today, God blessed me with a wonderful little girl!  She is so full of spit fire and spunk. Those qualities are both fun for me and trying for me as a mother. 

I pray circles around that girl, that God leads her to use her nature in a most holy way. It’s difficult being a mother and coming to terms with your children and their futures. I find it heart-wrenching to think about the trials she may face, but exciting to imagine how she will face them. As a mother, I know that my God given task is to instill in her a deep spirituality from which she can build.

Rue is really great at this sort of thing… I on the other hand still fall flat on my face-often. I listen sometimes to the conversations she has with her oldest child and am just amazed at the wisdom she has and how cleverly she imparts it.

 

It is in those teaching times that the building blocks of their future are laid and layered. I pray that God gives me many, many opportunities to grow and excel in this area and that one day E will be a holy example of God’s grace, his omnipotent, divine, grace.

So how does one actually go about the task of raising a child of God? Here are a few ideas I have:

1.  Set a Godly example. Show the character of Christ to your children. You are their first hand example in this area. Be honest, prayerful, bold, creative, decisive, dependable, joyful, kind, and  patient. (Tall order I know, but this is the calling.)

 

-Deuteronomy 6: 6-9:

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

 

2.  Give them resources and teach them how to use them. We may not have the answer, but we know where the answer to every situation lies.

 

-John 1:14:

“Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

3.  Teach them God’s promises and how to claim them! Our children need to know that God isn’t big and imaginary. That our God loves and hears us and is faithful to His people.

 

-Joshua 21:45:

“Not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.”

Knowing God's Voice

Today, I want to share from a devotional our church offers each quarter. As I read it this morning, I was reminded of why KNOWING God's voice is so vitally important. 

Here are seven occasions when knowing His voice will protect and benefit our relationship with him and His plans for our life:

1.) Hearing from God before you entertain the ideas of others. 

-Why? Because their ideas are not His commands. Don't make commitments and end up bound by promises you can't keep. You must love others, but be led only by God's Spirit. 

2.) Hearing from God before you listen to the complaints of others.

-Why? Because you are not responsible for their happiness. Your need to "fix" others in order to feel good about yourself is called "co-dependency". Give them to God!

3.) Hearing from God before you consider the needs of others. 

-Why? Because their needs are driving them; only the plan of God should be driving you. 

4.) Hearing from God before you respond to the requests of others. 

-Why? Because you must discern what is behind their requests. Check the soil before you sow the seed. 

5.) Hearing from God before you share your dream with others. 

-Why? Because it's not enough to have a dream, you must have a team. You need people to help you, cheer you on and lift you to a higher level. The right people motivate you to grow stronger, think better, work harder, and risk more. They compel you to continue! 

6.) Hearing from God before you seek the approval of others. 

-Why? Beacuse people with an agenda will flatter and manipulate you. Hearing from God's voice will keep you from falling into their trap. 

7.) Hearing from God before you make significant changes. 

-Why? Because it's not your job to decide what God wants you to do, but to discover it and do it. 

"His sheep follow him because they know his voice."

-John 10:4

Eyes to See

"But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears."

~Psalm 18:6 (NLT)

In those moments when I realize I have been allowing past hurts and present fears to hold me hostage, Lord, I thank You for reminding me that You are nearby, and that I don't have to do life alone! 

My expectations of people frequently leave me saddened, frustrated, and disappointed. But You...You have never failed Your promises to me!  I know You will not abandon me, and in THAT, I find comfort and peace. 

I refuse to project my hurts caused by those I love here on earth, on to You, Lord.  I refuse to allow the enemy to convince me of his lies. Give me eyes to see from YOUR perspective, Father...so that I may not be deceived! 

Continue molding me into Your image...and to You be the glory!!! 

~Rue

Back on this Horse

So here we are in October, almost November, and our blog has kind of fell by the wayside. I won’t give excuses, but I will say that my life has been refocused some due to a lay off and the changes that occur from having your life uprooted unexpectedly. 

I really do want to get back to writing, I think it’s a good way to share my feelings with others and not just keep myself all bottled up. Bottling emotions will equal an exposition at some point I am quite certain.

So hang on everyone, Jayley ( and I’m sure Rue) are going to get back on this horse! 

Teaching our children the wholeness of Christ

My family watched Passion of the Christ the other night. I have to admit I did not make it through the movie, I cannot bear to watch it and my children’s eyes were wide as can be through the whole thing. I don’t know if showing them that movie was the right thing to do. Although it portrays the human path of Christ, I think the true lesson gets lost. It’s difficult to get adults to understand the spiritual and symbolic representation of Christ’s crucifixion and even more so for children. Or maybe it’s not the child/adult division that makes it difficult, but the level of spiritual maturity. I believe children come into this world with a strong spiritual understand which we slowly squeeze out of them and then as adult work to re-acquire.

Where am I going with this ramble, I’m not sure. I guess what I want to discuss is what we are feeding our children spiritually. I grew up with a religious background which emphasized the loving aspect of God. I was not raised fearing God, nor Hell. I always knew my Father/Mother to be a loving God, a healer and a supporter. I am bothered somewhat by the teaching my children are receiving, they lack spiritual depth and my children are, I believe, missing the mark of Christ’s teachings. I have this overwhelming desire to attempt to explain what I believe to my children, but my fear is its too abstract for their young minds. My son was telling me about something he had heard in class at Church. I can’t remember exactly what it was about, but he was very confused because he had been given a story from the bible which to him didn’t make sense because he was looking at it purely from a human presepctive. I had to explain symbolism to how Christ spoke in parables at times. I tried to help him understand to look for the lesson and not focus so much on the seemingly concrete story line.

I really don’t know why, but this whole subject lays heavy on my heart.  I want my children to grow SPIRTUALLY and not get stuck in that age old box of doing good deeds to earn a tick mark in the “good” column. Our God gave us so much when he put Jesus into human form, but Jesus was so much more than a MAN. I pray that my children’s spiritual eyes and hearts be open to Christ and that I am given the wisdom and means to give them even a spark of the wholeness of Christ.

Back at it!!

Ohhhh, wow- how time flies! It's safe to say that Jayley and I have been busy being...well, busy! This month has been very full, and I'd imagine that as summer approaches, we'll be going even more. Both of our families will be vacationing together in May!! We can't wait!! =D

There is so much to share, but it is late...so, I will post again soon!!! (Jaylee too!) ;-)

Fortify their minds!!

As an adult I have battled negative talk my whole life and continue to. I am blessed to report though that God has revealed to me through his means the untruth and sinful nature of those thoughts. They are not of God, but of the flesh/ego. As parents we have a responsibility to speak God-ness into our children everyday so that they learn to hear of the goodness and love that they come from. We have to fortify our children’s minds against attacks of the ego. Children especially have a hard time with this because they are constantly impacted by outside influences. If the good coming in isn’t more than the bad and falseness- what will they believe? I have a son who has battled with depression for several years. I cannot fix him, but my part is to speak truth and wisdom into him.

When was the last time you spoke God’s word into your child? Looked deep into their eyes and told them they are not who the world defines them as, but ARE who God says they are?

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

New years prayers.......

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

One of my new year resolutions/prayers was to become a better parent and to approach issues with a more biblical and/or spiritual approach.  Much to my delighted (grimace) I have had the opportunity… and I did say “opportunity”… to work on this aspect of my parenting.  One of my children has been having an issue with speaking ill words and another is dealing with speaking politely child 3 is working on treating others as you would like to be treated, another is dealing with overcoming desires of the flesh, and well let’s just say they all are human and have human issues.

 

The interesting and blessed part of all of this is that God has given me the words and direction in each instance to address it from a godly perspective. Oh how wonderful it is! I have been going to a bible study at church and got a bit behind so I have been trying to play catch up. The amazing thing is that I am behind and just started a section on the power of the mouth. Ahhh, God at work. All the words I need to help guide my children and help them to understand the power of words and the destruction words can cause, be that through impolite or ill words.

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

 We recently started ridding our house of the not so healthy things we had, such as inappropriate video games, music, movies. One of my kiddos was caught playing call of duty on his DS (a.k.a. the fleshly desire). I did not even know he owned that game, I am assuming his biological father let him own it. When I caught him I asked him if he knew why I didn’t want him playing that game and he just shrugged like kids do. We then discussed the how it desensitizes you to your true nature.  This idea is not new to me, but is fresh in my mind from another class I am attending at church. It was such a good conversation and I felt so aligned with God as I was able to bring home the truth that we are not to pollute that which God has charged us to care of. Not our bodies and not our minds. Ahhh, God at work. Right time and right place.

Psalms 11:5

The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

A Mother's Prayer

A prayer, inspired by Lysa TerKeurst. It reflects my heart as well, so I personalized it and hung it on my fridge.


Father God,

Being a mom is the toughest privilege I've ever loved. I don't want to mess this up! So, I simply offer my willingness to be a great mom today. That's all I have to give, Lord.

I trust You to fill the gaps and give me the wisdom, patience, and discernment that will be required of me. I love these children I call my own, but in reality, they are Yours first and You know them best!

Thank You, Father for the honor to join You on this journey of walking these precious kids toward physical, emotional, and spiritual maturity.

I pray these things in the name of Jesus.
Amen

Just a thought...

A friend of mine posted a question on FB that got me thinking. He asked,

"If the Creator had a specific purpose in mind when He made the created, how does that intended purpose clarify success? Could it be that success for all believers is summed up in Ephesians 5:31-33?"

Now, I've read those verses before, and have taken from them principles to apply to my life. But, I suppose just like any scripture from the Bible, we can receive many "layers" (if u will) from reading the same individual scriptures, over and over; according to the season we are in with the Lord.

I read those verses and as I prayed for God to speak to me through them, Verse 33, stood out to me.

Vs 33 says: "Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

Every year, I pray about and focus intently on a few specific areas of spiritual growth for the year to come.

One of those areas for this past year was to not focus so much on controlling or changing my kids' attitudes, but to focus on MY responses to their behaviors. (This was a tough one for me!--- an area that realllllly needed to be addressed.)

At our house, there can be lots of chaos! We have a teenager. We have small children. We have quarreling siblings! We have moments of defiance!!

Well, last year is over, and I surely haven't mastered those sought after fruits of the Spirit, but God certainly taught me a lot about myself! :)

Sad to say, it comes easier for me to have grace, mercy, respect, and love for nearly everyone...but my kids (not in general, but certainly when they are being disobedient or disrespectful). Disrespect is a peeve of mine-- it can get under my skin so quickly! :-/

And yet, if I were to be honest with myself, I know that my kids could be displaying "said" behavior when it's just us at home and I could lose my cool...but, if we had company or we were in "public", I know I could maintain almost complete control. THAT'S PATHETIC! =(

The Lord has been reminding me (convicting me) that it is my CHOICE how I choose to respond. Just like it is my choice to follow Him. (Yes, yes...thank you, Father!)

He also revealed me that, as I sought to obey His word to respect my husband, I commonly would zip my lips and say nothing in times that I felt unloved by him. I suppose I was afraid to blurt out something disrespectful or over react.

In turn, I was only stuffing my feelings and not saying things that NEEDED to be said. This was creating sub conscience frustrations that I would release on the kids in moments of being disrespected by them. How unfair!

Ughhhh! I hate to see this "on paper", but it's the truth! I am so thankful to God for correcting me in this area!

I talk to my friends and we all seem to struggle with the same things-- it's so easy to have love, compassion, and patience with people (to operate in the Spirit), but sometimes- when it comes to our family, it can be so easy to be unloving, impatient, and totally lack compassion (to operate in the flesh).

The bible is full of instructions to live a God-pleasing life. They are not forced on us... if we TRULY want to be obedient to His Word, we will have to make the daily choice to obey them! His instructions go against the grain of everything the FLESH wants to instinctively do.

So, I read Eph 5:33 and I am convicted! He tells husbands and wives to love each other and respect each other. It's seemingly easy to do that for others when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and at the same time, it can be so easy to lash out at the ones we love. (Why, why, why?!?)

If we, as husbands and wives, can achieve this command to love and respect each other, I believe it will require intent. We will certainly have to demonstrate it on purpose!

In turn, we will be living out the example for our children. If we can demonstrate this love and respect at home--where it is the hardest place (for me) to be consistent in, then SURELY we can demonstrate Love to the world, which is certainly a purpose God created us to fulfill!

"Could it be that success for all believers is summed up in Ephesians 5:31-33?"

My opinion? I don't know that this verse "sums up" our created purpose to be successful, but I do believe it's certainly a piece of the foundation of success in Christ's purpose for our lives.

I thank you for taking the tome to read my thoughts on all this! I pray all this rambling made sense to you on some level, and blesses you in one way or another!!

I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts and comments!!

~Rue <3

A Jewel For My Jar

My good friend Jayley turned me on to a great rewards system to use with the kiddos. A jewel jar system. The "rules" are simple- you may (key word: may) earn jewels for taking initiative with extra chores, handling sibling disputes with love, grace, and mercy, and what ever else I deem worthy of earning jewels (ie- "first kiddo to fall asleep tonight earns 2 jewels!" Lol).

This rewards system is a win-win! It encourages the children to set goals (fill your jar= choose money or reach in the "grab bag"), learn how to achieve goals, builds Godly character by making better choices---and for me, this system requires me to pay special attention to each child and be on the watch for opportunities to reward jewels. **I do not give jewels for EVERY situation, They may just earn a compliment and some mama lovin's!! :)

As far as discipline goes, this system has also been very effective! For instance, if the kids are fighting/arguing, I'll remind then that if they do not settle in love, grace and mercy, I will take (said number) jewels from their jar. Again, very effective. Lol

My four and six year old's have asked for jewels and I've told them , "No, no...you can't ASK for jewels for good behavior/choices, I will take notice and OFFER them to you." As I explain to their little minds the concept of the jewel jar reward system is to build good character in them (to do what's right...even when no one is looking), this concept of character growth is strengthened in me too!

Although sometimes it would be nice to get (immediate) "rewards" for the "good/godly/right" choices we make as (Christian) parents/wives/friends, as adults, we know that just isn't gonna happen. Because we aim to please and obey God, we CHOOSE to do what is righteous.

I do what's right, because at the end of the day, it really does feel good! I don't lose sleep and I know I am be a living example to my kids. This is the sacrifice I make for my children, my family, the people I influence in my life, and MOST importantly, for Love. Capital "L"...for my Love for God. He died for me...it's the least I can do. :)

<3 Be blessed!

Power of the mouth

My husband and I were watching a movie last night and towards the end he turned to me and said, "do you realize there were no bad words in that whole movie!". How nice that was. Recently it seems that God is working in our family to clean up our language, not that any of us are filthy mouthed, but we all seem to slip into old habits occasionally. I was watching a Beth Moore sermon the other day and she was discussing the importance of speaking out loud and the power it had. She said something that really related to our current situation. She talked about sanctifying your words and your mouth. So why is cussing such a problem?... it’s just a word right?.......wrong!! When one speaks negativity from your mouth you are taking a holy tool given by God and using it in a way which takes away from your power, your holiness. It’s time we all sanctify “literally "to set apart for special use or purpose,"” our mouths and use them to add to the beauty of life.

  

James 3:8-10... But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

“Grace is the beauty of form under the influence of freedom.” --Friedrich Schiller

Had a conversation with one of my daughters last night about extending grace and the effect it can have on the other person. We are a blended family still in the steps of learning each other so issues arise. One issue that seems to keep resurfacing is communication. While my husband and I both have similar goals for our children, our methods and modes aren’t always the same. As we adjust and put new tools in our belts our children also are learning to adjust. So back to the extending grace conversation….

My husband and our youngest had gotten in a battle of the wills…needless to say E is a bit like her momma and is very independent and out spoken. Not bad qualities to possess in some situations… this was not one of those situations, so the battle was on. At the end of it, they both were upset and in their rooms. Here is my take away………you cannot, not matter how much you try, change the way someone acts. You cannot yell them into submission or guilt them, but you can extend them grace. Let go of your pride, choose your reaction, and apologize even if you don’t FEEL like it but it’s the right thing to do. By extending this loving principle to those we are frustrated with we show them another avenue, another way to communicate. Do it over and over and its benefits are two-fold.. ONE- The grace extender gets to reflect the grace and love we receive from our God and TWO- The grace receiver gets to see love in action and benefits from the act of acceptance. Who knows over time things just might change.

Have a blessed day- Jayley

Welcoming 2013...

Rue here!! While many people were preparing their New Year's resolutions, Jayley and I were prayerfully focused on this whole Blog Duo journey the good Lord placed before us.
We humbly come before the blogosphere community and offer you a peek into our world of parenthood, marriage, friendship, and our intention is to, most importantly, invite you into our hearts!!!
We'd like to leave a trail for our children to see and (hopefully) one day have a better understanding of the journey we lived in our life pursuit to be a fully devoted follower of Christ...and survive parenthood!! HA!!!

Welcome!! We are both super thrilled to get this blog party started!!

The First Step...

Rue and I have been procrastinating. Is it out of fear? Sometimes the first step is all it takes to squash the obstacle. One step…so I’m taking it Rue. With this post I officially open our blog. We pray that through our ramblings and postings words of grace, peace, love, and strength will fill lives and draw us all closer together. Have a God filled glorious day everyone!!