Fly

How do we live when no one is watching? 

                    Are we quick to admit that Jesus is Lord? 

                                     How do we act around our peers or coworkers?

                                                       Do we talk today's language? 

It's easy to just blend in with the crowd and to not do anything to stand up for what we believe in.  I've been convicted about how I act in my work place.  I know that I should keep my mouth closed, so why do I open it?

Easy: Because it's the easy way out. 

So... What do you do when you've messed up? 

You fly to the Father.

Admitting what you've done wrong is most often the hard part.  But know that if you're truly sorry, the Father will welcome you with open arms.  Asking for forgiveness is the first step to getting back on track.  Unfortunately, after becoming a christian, the question isn't, "What if I sin?" but "When will I sin?"  None of us are perfect.  Only one man holds that title, and he happens to be the creator of heaven and of earth.  The good news is that after we've asked forgiveness and truly repent in our hearts, the Lord will not bring it up again... until judgment day.  Don't fret.  The only thing we can do is live our life as best we can.  Every day is a choice.  As soon as you wake in the morning, the choice is presented in which you will choose to live the day for the Lord or for man.  It seems as though too often lately, I've chosen man. 

Every morning we have the choice of putting on the full armor of God. 

Ephensians 6:10-20

[10] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  [12] 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. 

[13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  [14] Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  [15] and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

[18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for al the saints-- [19] 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, [20] for which I am ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

I don't want to be hokey or cheesy... but I have a feeling I'm going to be.

Taking a closer look at this passage, it's really like something out of a fairytale or a story.  When I read this passage I think of knights.. more specifically knights in shining armor.  smile... and not just any knights in shining armor.  The knights that I envision are everyday, poor men.  They work hard labor in the fields next to you, and yet they have something different about them.  They have a light that shines from within.  And their clothes, though made of the same material as yours, have a certain strength that cannot be reasonably explained.  You see, these men have put their faith in the Lord.  Every morning when they wake before dawn, they kneel to pray and they put on the full armor of God.  

The armor of God isn't chain mail, or metal plated.  It doesn't protect the flesh, but protects the soul which needs more protection than the flesh shall ever need.  The man that chooses every morning to pray and commit the day to the Lord is a righteous man.  

The book of Ephesians is actually a letter written to the saints in Ephesus by Paul the Apostle, whilst he was in jail. In verse 14 he talks about girding you waist with truth and putting on the breastplate of righteousness.  You see, when the enemy attacks, he aims for the soul, but must first penetrate the flesh.  An unprotected body would be relatively easy to demolish, but a body protected by the Armor of God would not.  The armor of God is a metaphor, but I think it's an almost tangible way for me to see where the cracks in my armor are.  

Questions to ask myself in the morning:

• Have I girded my waist with truth? (Am I ready to discern truth and lie? If so, am I ready to act on behalf of truth?)
• Have I put on the breastplate of righteousness? (Am I heavenly attuned?  Am I ready to stop and think about what my Lord would do in any given situation?  If so, am I ready to make a decision that would reflect God's wisdom?)
• Have I shod my feet with the preparation of the the gospel of peace? (Am I prepared to take with me wherever I go the peace and love of the Gospel?  Am I ready to put into practice all that I've read about and studied?  Am I ready to share my faith, and if not vocally, then through my actions?)
• Have I picked up the shield of faith? (This being the most important.  Faith is what will stop the attempts of the devil dead in it's tracks.  Do I believe in what I have learned?)
• Have I put on the helmet of salvation? (Salvation is the foundation of what we believe in.  If not for salvation, there would be no forgiveness, no redemption.  Do I acknowledge this choice that I have made?)
• Have I picked up the sword of the Spirit? (Being the Word of God, this too is of immense importance. Am I prepared to the best of my ability?  Have I committed the living word to memory?)

 Look at yourself in the terms of these bullets, these verses.  Have you been putting on the full armor of God?  Or do you find gaping holes in your armor?  I can see a few in mine.  A soldier would not step onto the battlefield without being prepared as best as he can.. with FULL armor.  So, why do we settle with less than acceptable?  Why do we step out in front of the lions without even so much as a stick to protect us? 

Every day is a battlefield, in either big or small ways.  Every day matters.  I know what I need to work on, so what say you?  What can you do differently?  What can you work on?  Where are the weak spots in your armor?  Remember that the bigger the deficiency, the easier it is for the devil to attack, and succeed at taking a bit of you with him.  It takes much more work to recover what has been lost than to protect the whole. 

God orchestrated the writing of the Bible to help us.  So now we have the choice.  He's telling us to fly.  Fly straight down the narrow path of righteousness.  We were given a free will so that the choice of choosing Jesus would be all the sweeter.  Yahweh has given us the permission  to fly.  He's waiting for you to return though after your day.  He wants you to come back home and talk to Him, to share with Him your sorrows, and your joys.  Start and end your day with the King of eternity, and see how much your life is altered. 

Jesus loves you, and so do I.
God bless, and until next time!

~Katie

Summertime

I've had a bit of a holiday from this blog, but not on purpose.  For me, Summertime is the ultimate test of putting into practice what you believe.  I work as a wildfire dispatcher in a town in the Pacific Northwest.  I love my job.  This year, my schedule doesn't allow me to go to church.  I work Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 0700-1800..(that doesn't include overtime).  Because I live in a small town, our Youth Group doesn't run during the summer, and there aren't any church groups that have mid-weekly services. 

It's a good thing that it's Someone up-above who's running the show.  :)  I think I've mentioned before that I have the best friends on the planet.  I have my childhood friends, and my college friends.  Both groups encourage me to follow the Lord, and to do my best in life.  My childhood friends always can bring a smile to my face, and they can make me laugh.  There are 5 of us.  3 girls, 2 boys.  God has truly blessed us all with summer jobs this year, and even more, he has given my best friend two of the same days off as I have every week!  It's kind of a big deal because she's living about an hour away during the week fighting fire.

Because Kari (code-name for my best friend) and I work on Sundays, we came up with a plan to do a Bible study while she's home on Tuesday nights!  So, the 5 of us have spent our Tuesday nights digging into God's Word this summer. And it's been such a blessing :)  Before all of our jobs started we would get together at the end of the night, and just pray.  That's probably the last thing you would expect a house full of college kids to do (well, it's the last thing that would normally happen in my town).  It's been so good. 

We have all been given a choice.  I will freely admit that this has been a little bit of a stumbling time this summer for me.  I've just felt a little lost, and living with my family again has taken some additional getting used to.  But those are not excuses.  A relationship requires both parties giving their all.  I'm sorry, Lord, for not trying very hard so far this summer.  I make a commitment to take you into my workplace with me, to continue to read your word, and to continue to fall in love with you. 

One really odd thing that has happened this summer is that I have lost my Bible.  I still haven't found it.  It's hard to walk in the dark without a flashlight, and that's how I've felt.  I have a new Bible now, but all my notes, all my underlines and bookmarks are gone.  I feel like I've lost an arm.  The Bible is one of a believer's only tools that will light the path of this life.  If you don't have one, I would encourage you to purchase one.  It doesn't matter what version it is, or what color the cover is.  Be prepared to take a pen or pencil to the pages though! :)  The words will come alive once you've accepted Jesus as you Lord and Savior. 

The summer of 2010 isn't over yet.  August is just beginning.  If you've had a rough start like me, don't hesitate to dig in.  Just like anything new, reading the Bible is something that takes practice.  The Bible is like a piece of God, and understanding God would take a million years.  Each verse that is underlined in my old Bible was like a facet of God's character that I especially wanted to make my own.  It's going to take perseverance and patience to read the Bible on a daily basis.  Being a Child of God isn't for the faint of heart.  I know that I am not capable of doing it on my own.  I am daily carried in the arms of Christ. 

I hope you are all having blessed summers, and I pray that you're having a great time recovering from a full school year!  Jesus loves you and so do I! :)




p.s.
I know some of my friends are almost ready to head off to college again (like on Friday!), and I pray that their Freshman year will be a fantastic one.  I pray that God would draw near to them, and that they would discover their faith like never before.  I pray that they would make friends, and that the temptations of a brand new world would not take root in their skin.  Protect my dear friends, my Lord.  Love them and cherish them.  Draw them closer to you and guide their paths. :)