The Battleground of the Mind

"Blessed be God, who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight..."

~King David

Our warfare is not against people - it is against untruth.  We must defeat, overcome, overpower, outspeak, deal with every haughty and lofty untruth that exalts itself against  the knowlege of God. 

Is this mindset I am encountering in myself or someone else - is it in line with the ways of God?

Is this mindset I am encountering in myself or someone else - is it in line with the words of God - His words, rightfully divided,  with the all-important New Covenant perspective?

If the answer in either case is "No"...well...

It's on.  Let's get it started, devil.  (He is the source - the father - of all lies, see.) 

Here is what the Holy Spirit said to me, last night, as I was on the very front line of the front lines:

There is no spoil without a battle...and through Me, there is no battle without spoil.  Get ready to come out of this with more than you had when you went in. 

The whole "battle" thing is real.  It is not some ethereal, mystic putting on of imaginary armor.  It isn't merely addressing demon spirits through prayer -  demonic spirits are defeated foes who have to resort to deceit to succeed.  Demons plant the lies, and either you, me, or someone else believes them.  When you encounter a stubborn refusal of Truth - you have to battle that thing.  You gotta OVERCOME.

Denial isn't overcoming.  Retreat isn't overcoming.  Putting your little spin on reality isn't overcoming - God only deals in reality.  Getting real is not even first base - it just means you've finally left home plate, and are started in the right direction. 

And can I say something that sounds so foolish, but is actually profound?

Defeat isn't overcoming.

Neither is passivity overcoming. Ignoring the problem isn't overcoming.  Going shopping isn't overcoming.  Starting a hobby isn't overcoming.  Compensating for your depression isn't overcoming.  Checking out isn't overcoming.  Losing your temper isn't overcoming.  Quitting isn't overcoming.  Leaving your church isn't overcoming.  Emoting isn't overcoming.  Being cool, calm, and collected isn't overcoming - if you don't have passion, you aren't even IN a fight.

Engaging the battle and winning - that is overcoming.  Dadgum hanging in there is overcoming. 

What are the ways of God?  Believe them so deeply that you apply the Gospel to your Present Situation, and you act accordingly.

What are the words of God?  (He has spoken to us in these last days in Christ - Heb. 1) Believe them so deeply that you apply the Gospel to your Present situation.  Act accordingly, with pure stubbornness...well, others will call you stubborn.  The Bible calls it "faith".  Being "unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

What is the work of God?  Believing on the Son whom He sent.

You stand.  Even when the nontruth is coming out of the mouth of your dearest friend - be immoveable.  You stand, and you don't take one step back.  Fight for their soul, and in the process, your own.  (Remember Paul's words?  "You'll save both yourself and those that hear you...")


  

Cinco Bambino is Here!

Reese and I...

May I introduce you to Matt and Kelly Bailey's fifth child - Reese Bailey!  He got here by surprise this past Sunday.  We didn't expect him to come this past Sunday - we expected him come about Monday or Tuesday, but we sure are glad he is here.  He is the lightest and the longest of all the Bailey Babies.   Every Bailey Baby has been cute and adorable, but I did hear someone just today remark that they thought Cinco Bambino is the cutest one yet.

Welcome to the world, sweet baby boy!  Trust me, there is enough love in all our hearts to go around.

The Best Kind of Day...

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it

~ Margaret Thatcher

How did ya'll spend your "extra day" today?  I finalized some trip details, perused an antique store, played with my grandson, caught up on some much needed research, filled out forms related to my youngest son and his education, did a rather in depth teaching (via Facebook letter/private message) on the baptism in the Holy Spirit - answering the questions of a young college student, cooked a simple dinner, did about ten pages of editing a friend of a friend's new book...

...and made art.   Oh, that...the art... so filled my tank.  It was the art-making that was the homage to my very own extra day of The Good Life.  I had thought about getting a pedicure, but our weather turned very nasty, and I didn't want to risk being out in it.  So I came home from the antique store, and sat down with guache and watercolors and all manner of mixed media, to work on an altered book that I am creating for a special someone.

I'm not the only high achiever.  My daughter Hannah crocheted an entire owl.  (Pictures, hopefully tomorrow...)

And I have ended my Extra Day by watching an absolutely rockin', slammin', breathtaking, ridiculously powerful DVD teaching by Louie Giglio, followed by writing this blog post.

During the DVD teaching, I shouted (and raised my hands in pure wonder and praise).  Ask The Preacher, he was with me.  Heck, ask my daughter and son-in-law, they were in the other end of the house.

Our God is a good God.  And my Extra Day has been grace-saturated. 

Pray for Our Injured Soldiers

Some of you, especially Harvest members, might remember our "extra Marine" we ended up with, for the Easter holiday last April.   He's the young man on the right in the above picture.  He was such a delightful guest, and we shared the Gospel with him, with all our heart.  He was part of our family for one long weekend of leave.  We took that seriously, and enfolded him into our hearts and lives for the short time he was here.

He is alive, but he was injured a little over a week ago, by an explosive - he was in deployment, I won't say where.  When I saw his picture on Facebook, sitting in his hospital bed, he was smiling that same big smile, and doing his "thumbs up".  Just like what you see up there.  That made me teary-eyed.

I'm thinking of him tonight, and I'm thinking of another Army soldier injured a few days ago.  I got the email and request for prayer for this young soldier with a wife and babies - a "GI Joe" whose name and location I've been asked not to reveal.

Please pray for these two soldiers.  God knows exactly who they are.  Please pray for all our injured soldiers.   

(For Real) It's A....

(celebratory brownies)

Please allow me the privilege of introducing you to....

Little Miss Princess "Aidyn Esther Howe".  When the ultrasound tech announced her precious gender, pure bedlam ensued.  Hannah squealed and I think I shouted.  (Jonathan quietly smiled, of course.  We aren't sure what Sarah did, we weren't paying her any mind.  She may have passed out.)  We have Miss Aidyn's ultrasound on high definition video, and I hope Tim can help me post it.   Just so you can hear the "sounds of joyful shouting and salvation".  You probably do have to hear it to believe it.  Thing is - it wasn't planned.  It was entirely spontaneous and could not be helped.

The ultrasound tech "shushed" us.

And I ain't been shushed since I was a five year old.

...we all gathered at The Crack to celebrate.  (Cracker Barrel) Our oldest son Josiah had to work his job at TGIFridays, and Hannah's husband Justin was teaching school.  But the rest of us had Crack.   Here, you can see our youngest son, daughter Hannah and grandson Timothy, Poppy (checking his i-phone for messages),daughter Sarah and husband Jonathan on the left side of the table...

Momma and Daddy...

Poppy and Timothy...

As for me, I've already been shopping tonight.  I bought babygirl her first denim, and her first book, and her first tiara (to decorate her nursery - not to wear or play with).  The tiara was the really important purchase.

Our Princess is having a Little Princess. 

And she shall reign, I dare say.  The Little Princess, that is.

Our Next Grandbaby Is A....

...we don't know yet.

We find out Monday.

Please don't kill me.  I had to pull the ol' bait and switch on you.  Had to.  Sorry.  I promise to spill the beans, come Monday.  I'm in such suspense I can't stand it.  Another boy would be so fun.  But...I need some pink in my life. Sugar, spice, and everything nice.  I'm drawn to girl stuff like a bee to a flower.

I've missed you!

Just got home a mere few hours ago.  I've been in the Franklin/Brentwood Tennessee area with The Preacher and our son.  Youngest Boy had his regional basketball tournament, and in one particular game, he shot a buzzer-beater for three to send it into double overtime.

I laid down on the bleachers, kicking and screaming like in the movie Kicking and Screaming.  You think I am joking, but I am not.  The drama was too much.  We went on to lose the only game we lost (don't think...just go with it.  I am exhausted.  Let me babble.  Just.  Let.  Me.) and we only lost it by one lousy point.  We won all the other games.

The Preacher and I made it some Time to Remember by attending Youngest Son's Games (of course) and by dinner, just us two.  (Hot dogs in a gym were good enough for us when we were 18, they were good enough for our son.  But not us. We gave him $5 and left his butt with his buddies.  We ate steak.)  We explored downtown Franklin, met a new friend in the music industry (a lead guy in the country band Bad Horse!) caught a movie and took lots of power naps in our motel room, between speeding back and forth to the (very, very nice) A-Plex sports center in Brentwood.

In a few weeks, are National Tournaments.  One whole week, in Springfield Missouri.

May God have mercy on my soul.

Until then, I am back, and I've missed you, and please leave a comment!  ::sniff::  I think this is the first time I've had to go a week without posting, and I need to know you are all still near and dear.

Have a blessed and highly favored Sunday.  You and me?  We live in the F.O.G., baby.  The Favor of God.

It is thick all around and over me, these days.  Amazing things are happening in my life, in the lives of my children.  Things I'll tell you all about when the particulars get nailed down.

Thinking Spring Fashion

Love this dress. As is. I would wear this each and every week, from April through September. I think God wants me to have this dress.  ::smile::

This skirt is cute on the model, but for my forty-plus years, it needs to be longer, and hit just above the kneecap.  Otherwise, I intend to copy this look down to the details.

See the before and after?  Before:  blah.  After adding the necklace and large bag and sandals (flats for me, please) this outfit is taken from nondescript to gorgeous.  I would definitely pair the distressed denim, cuffed shorts with  the navy blazer.  It's bold and different, without being strange.  Love that.

Stripes are a big deal this spring.  The right size (width) of stripe, even horizontal, can actually be slimming, if your shirt is body-skimming and not too tight.  I could have worn this outfit today, what with all the rain we got.  I need really, really want a trench coat like this.  My rainboots are pink.  And take note:  this outfit would not be what it is without the red flower on the coat.

I love the detail on the back of this sweater.  I plan on finding an inexpensive boatneck T-shirt at Target, and adding a small bow.  You'll see me wearing it this spring and summer with a straw cowboy hat and simple denim skirt.

What sort of spring fashions are catching your eye?