Each struggle we face, every single conflict, and the tough stuff of life give us opportunities to grow. I know this. But somehow this realization, I thought, would keep me from the pain of them all. For whatever reason, I was sure I could handle more because I knew God was going to use it to grow me and to glorify himself. Silly me. Knowledge is good. Wisdom is great. Understanding is vital. Nowhere in God‘s word does it say we will skate through life pain-free just because we are saved by His grace. As a matter fact, the opposite is true. Depression, persecution and the enemy attacks are to be expected. There is still a temptation, even as a believer, to take the wheel and try to go it alone; to push through on our own strength.
 
God does not, however leave us alone in these battles. His Holy Spirit remained with us when Jesus left the earth, and comes into each and every battlefield of each and every war in which we are engaged. I remember the first time I heard about the full armor of God. I was a new believer. I was teaching Sunday school to preschoolers. One of the kids came with a costume, the full armor of God, and we reviewed the scripture. I thought it was cute. I had no idea at the time what power that scripture held or how much It would be needed in my Christian walk.
 
 Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
 
Being strong in the Lord and in his mighty power is quite different from doing it alone with internal fortitude and a “hear me roar” mindset. That will never be enough. Be confident. Be strong. Be mighty. But acknowledge that you are those things because of who you are as a child of God. The world says bigger, stronger, and faster; blaze your own trail and look inward for strength. But left to our own goals and our own power sources, we will fall short. God calls us to look to him for strength. God says we are fearfully and wonderfully made and to do all things as if you do them for him. He really does have a plan to prosper us. We need only call on him and seek his will.
 
The full armor of God will help us fight the real enemy, Satan. Think of every conflict, bump in the path and road block you have or are experiencing. Look at how Satan is using people and circumstances to undermine and destroy. Look at any conflict or negative in this world, and realize who is behind it all. Only God can defeat the Devil at his games. Only love will drive out hate. We can stand firm in truth, righteousness and readiness without fear because we have the gospel of peace as our end goal.
 
The shield of faith and the helmet of salvation protect us from the enemy’s attacks. The sword of the spirit and prayer are the only weapons we need and they are always available to us as we face challenges, big and small. Praying earnestly for God’s will in our lives, for his strength to face adversity, and his power to be all we were created to be is the basis for success. That is real power. Supernatural power! So it’s ok to be a rockstar warrior, to blaze a trail, if it’s for the right reasons and with the right motives, giving glory to the one who made us able.
 
I praise Him daily for moving me forward, out of my comfort zone and sometimes right into battle. I remember that His Power is at work, His armor shields me and His weapons protect me as I fiercely drive through the battlefield of this life. The victory is His-It’s Mine-It’s Ours. I share in it because He loves me.
 
Let prayer preface every day so you are battle ready!
 

The white water hurries noisily across the rocks drowning the sound of people, music and cars. The sweet spot in my day. There is something about water that brings me peace in the midst of pain; calm in the chaos. Scripture reminds us to be still and know God, to feel his presence. To be still is a verb; it requires deliberate action. I’m pulling away from the turmoil to rest in him. Like the deer pants for the stream, I come into this place longing for God‘s presence; aching for his healing balm and needing to drown the voices in my head.
Solace enters in when distractions are removed. My focus is on my unsettled soul. My desire is peaceful joy. I cannot achieve it on my own. I can look at my home and envision a new style,  but it does not come to fruition without action. Likewise, I can imagine a day without anger and frustration, but without a move into the Word, it’s a fantasy. The cyclical regret of frustration, resentment, anger, and guilt is never ending unless it’s interrupted by a force stronger than itself. Scripture tells me to be anxious for nothing. It is a command from God, not a suggestion; A tried and true solution, not an idea. We sometimes act as if the Bible’s title is  “A Helpful Guide to Get us Through the Rough Patches.” It is so much more! “ How to Do Life for Dummies” is more fitting! The Bible is life. It gives life where there was a death, it creates life where there was none.
 A deep sigh and a recommitting to His way not mine. His word, not my feelings; contentment not contention. I find him in His creation, his Word, and always deep in my heart and soul. Sometimes I just can’t hear Him for all the static. So grateful for these still moments that bring me back to Him.

Friday until Sunday….it must have seemed like a lifetime to the followers of Jesus. They didn’t understand the joy that was to come. Yes, they knew he was the Messiah, but they misunderstood his kingship. He spoke of leaving them, but they were not prepared for the sudden loss. The void His death left was almost unbearable. The joy they were about to experience, though, was unspeakable!
 
I have lost loved ones, as we all have. This was different. He was the hope of the nation.  He was the promised one. He was carried away, ridiculed, beaten and died a criminal’s death. To say his followers were devastated is such an understatement. They were lost and grief stricken. Hopeless.Until they understood....

The absence of Jesus then and the absence of Him now are equally devastating to a follower. The difference now is that He does not leave us. We do distance ourselves from Him. Sometimes to the point that we don’t even look like a follower. I’ve been there. It is lonely, devastating and almost unbearable. Can you relate? But when we understand that the joy He promises is eternal,that He waits for us to come to Him for the first time, and to return to Him when we stray, we have hope.  Maybe you haven’t been to church in a while. Maybe you’ve been hurt by the institution. Maybe you, like myself and the early followers of Jesus misunderstood God’s promises. Things didn’t turn out like I thought they would. I have let distance get between me and God because of that..... Those were some lonely roads to walk. I am grateful that He never let me stray so far I couldn’t return. He had me…and He has you. 

Let me assure you that Jesus is waiting for you to return. The church is not a building. It is not dynamic Sunday sermons. It is not a once a week production. Church is people…people who are sick and need saving. People who need love and who love one another. People who gather together to worship in small groups, even in homes. Church is the bride of Christ. He desires for all to come to Him now and into His kingdom for eternity. Come as you are.  Receive His grace and forgiveness. Experience true joy now and forever.
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If you are in a Friday funk, believe that Sunday is coming! Praise the Risen Lord!

John 16:20-22 (NIV)
20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

I was greeted bright and early this morning by a grinning,brown eyed boy who could barely contain his excitement. Today is his 10th birthday! And birthdays are his favorite! He’s been waiting quite patiently for 364 days. After I told him happy birthday and I squeezed his adorable little 10 year old body, he smiled and said,” I’m all my fingers,” and he held up his 2 hands. My heart melted and my eyes leaked a little. This boy, this amazing little man stirred up such mommy love, I cried. I cried as I reminded him that he is loved, that he has always been loved, and that he always will be. I reminded him that I love being his mom and that God gave me a gift 8 years ago when he brought us together. I cry as I write this because the past several months have been rough. There has been so much focus on school stuff, attention stuff and growing up too soon stuff, that this small reprieve, this little glimpse of my tender sweet boy redirected my focus. I am missing too many moments rushing through this life. I am spending too many hours in frustration instead of thanksgiving. I am too preoccupied with conformity and forgetting to celebrate his distinct personality. So, as we gingerly await the next birthday, I promise to welcome every, “ How long til my birthday, again?”  I vow to see the innocence above the mischief. I plan to celebrate the little victories, and be ok with where we are, as well as resist the temptation to make him a cookie cutter kid. He isn’t and that’s perfectly ok with me! Happy Birthday, little Jay...you are loved!