Have you ever felt like everything was going wrong with those that you love and that Satan was coming against your family, trying to destroy it? This topic has been coming up alot lately. I'm sure we have all experienced this in one way or another, whether it was our marriage, our children, or even extended family members. I don't know about you, but when this is happening, I want to do something to stop it! I want to tell Satan to get back! I want to fight for my family. We want to do whatever it takes to keep Satan from destroying our family. The Bible tells us that Satan is like a lion, seeking to devour us. Have you ever tried to go to the person, with the best intentions and talk with them about what is happening, only to find yourself in an argument and leaving angry and frustrated?

How exactly do we fight for our family?

Well, first, let's look up the word fight.

1. To engage in a quarrel

2. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.

3. To strive vigorously and resolutely

4. A discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed.

5. The power or will to fight.

Look at the synonyms for Fight: argue, bicker, contend, dispute, spat, war,debate,disagreement

I would say that the word "fight" might not be what we want for our family! We don't want to argue, dispute and be at war with the people we love. Look at the antonyms for the same word.

peace, retreat, agree, surrender, believe, support, yield

That's more like it! I think we all want peace in our homes and in our lives.

So, what do we do? Do we sit back and let Satan have his way with our family?

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The weapons we fight with, have the divine power, to demolish strongholds, arguments, and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God!

One thing I believe will help us, is to remember what Ephesians 6 10-20 says, I'm not going to put all the of those scriptures in here. But here are some key statements:

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.

We do not fight with the people we love. We wage war against Satan himself. Love the person, hate the sin. What weapons do we fight with?

Well, the rest of those verses tell us exactly that.

belt of truth buckled around your waist

breastplate of righteousness in place

you feet fitted with he readiness that comes from the gospel of peace

shield of faith (extinguishes the arrows from the evil one)

helmet of salvation

sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God)

PRAY on all occasions

and again, Keep on praying

Remember this as well, the battle belongs to the Lord! He fights our battles for us!

Worldly fighting produces arguments, heated discussions, debates, war

Godly fighting produces belief in God and in the person, agreements, surrender, yielding, and peace.

May we all stand firm against the devil's schemes, with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace and allow God guide us to the path of peace.

New Beginnings

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is settling into the New Year! I love the New Year because it gives me the sense of new beginnings! Speaking of beginnings, we began the new Esther Bible study by Beth Moore yesterday! I love Bible Study! I went to bed last night, wore out, but HAPPY! I think I fell asleep smiling! If you have the opportunity to take this study, I think you will enjoy it. I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to facilitate and participate in this. Another new beginning for me is that I've had no coffee for a week and half. Those of you that know me, know that this is a GOD thing! When I do start drinking it again, I am going to switch to decaf. For spiritual and physical reasons, this has been something that I've worried and whined about for the last year. So... decaf it is. Again, I'm thankful that God has helped me through this decision. I'm sorry that I've been away for so long. We've had some computer problems but I'm up and running again. I do have a few things I've been working on that I will post very soon. I pray that your New Year will be blessed and that all is well!

A Decade of Change

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to my Father n Law's house for dinner. Before we ate, we all gathered in the kitchen, held hands and one by one, we each said something we were thankful for this year. What am I most thankful for this year? Well, as I stood there, I looked around at this small portion of our rather large family, I thought: CHANGE. Wow, change! It's not something that we typically embrace with a happy heart. However, change is good for us! If you will allow me, I'd like to share a story of change that occured within my family. About 10 years ago, my Father n Law, married a wonderful lady named Rita. He started to go to church with her and he accepted Christ and was baptised. He and Rita started praying for their children and grandchildren. Kim, my sister n law, started taking her children to church in January of 1999. In February, the next month, Kim's daughter, Tara Lynn, accepted Christ and wanted to be baptised. I believe she would have been 9 or 10 at the time. So, then, I went to church with Kim, to see Tara be baptised. The following week, I accepted Christ. Kim had already accepted Christ and was being baptised in March. I was supposed to have been baptised on the same day, but my husband worked at the airport and could not be there, and I really wanted him to be there. So, we scheduled my baptism for the following month. I hated waiting, but I really wanted him there! Well, in the next month, he too, accepted Christ and so we scheduled his baptism for the same day as mine, and we were baptised, arms locked together, husband and wife, as one. I will never forget that day. We were changed the moment we accepted Christ, we were changed the day we were baptised, and we continue to change this very day. Some of it has not been an easy road, down right hard for that matter! But as I stood and listened to each of us give our thanks, I realized that in ten years, God has done a lot of changing for this one family. Jimmy and Rita, took their family, layed them at Jesus' feet, and prayed for them. Prayer changes lives. Jimmy and Rita were coming over from Birmingham every month from that point forward, because someone in their family was being baptised! Their children and their grandchildren! God continued to work through us and our prayers to reach many others in our family that year. My parents, my sisters, our friends, my Mother n Law, my family who lives in Houston! 800 miles away, and God is changing them as well! God is about change. He doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But he is continually changing us to become the creation that He meant us for. He changes our hearts and our relationships! I am so thankful that He changed my life and continues to do so. Ten years ago, I would not have known that these things were possible in our family. This next year, 09, will mark the ten year anniversary for many of us in our family, a decade of change! I cannot wait to see what change God will bring for the next decade! So, as we experience change, even when it is hard, even when we're not sure how it is going to all work out, let's have a humble spirit and embrace it! Remember, that God knows! He is changing our hearts and our relationships! Remember to Pray! Pray! and Pray some more! Our God can move mountains, and he has given us the power to move mountains as well! Our prayers are heard and they do make a difference!