Observing My Senses

For Today, April 10, 2010...

I am seeing...another gorgeous South Florida day, and my new plants enjoying the sun and the breeze. It's so nice to have plants and flowers again after a cold winter.

I am hearing...an ambulance in the far distance, birds chirping, palm leaves rustling in the wind. A mixture of urban and rural sounds.

I am feeling...lighter. I've lost a couple of unwanted pounds, and it feels great!

I am tasting...pancakes and sausages.

I am smelling...the sweet smell of grass, and that smell in the air right before the rains come.

It just takes a moment to see what's going on around you. Won't you join me?

Thankful Thursdays

I'm posting this while at my son's Cub Scout meeting; hopefully my first mobile posting will work.

My sister called a little while ago to tell me she and my b-i-l arrived home safely. I'm thankful for their visit, I'm thankful they had a fun vacation, and I'm thankful they had a good plane trip home. What a blessing to get back together with family. Hopefully they'll be back soon! ;-)

Devotion on Subtlety

Soldiers going out into the battlefield are taught one important fact: Be on your guard. The enemy is looking for a weak spot, and can attack at any moment. For this reason the soldier must be alert and ready at all times. One slip can cost him his life.

Sometimes the enemy attacks head-on. The soldiers are poised and ready to defend because their target is in front of them, clear and in plain sight. Other times, however, the attack comes quietly, from behind, and catches the troop by surprise. These are the dangerous attacks, because they're unexpected. If the soldier hasn't prepared for this scenario, it can be fatal.

Ephesians 6:11-13 says we're soldiers in a battle too, only our enemy is hidden in darkness and evil. The devil is sneaky, conspiring against God's people and using both frontal attacks and subtle schemes. The frontal attacks are easy enough to see. It's the subtle ones that are harder to identify, and why the enemy prefers to use these maneuvers. One example we find in Scripture of just that kind of attack is the life of Samson.

Samson is known as the strong man of the Bible. I think of him as the Rambo of his day.

My husband loves watching Chuck Norris movies. Chuck Norris is The Man, because he can take out an entire Vietnamese army all by himself. I laugh whenever I see these movies, because we all know that's just impossible. Right?

Yet that was Samson.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

- Judges 15:14-15

Think about this now: the Philistine army was the strongest army of the day. How could one man kill 1,000 Philistine soldiers without any weapon other than the jawbone of a donkey?! Because the Spirit of the Lord was with him. Frontal attacks weren't going to work on Samson, and the devil knew it. Samson had already killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6) and had also killed 30 men on his own (Judges 14:19). To defeat Samson, a different approach was needed, and the devil knew exactly what to do. How do you bring down a man that can wipe out 1,000 men with a donkey's jawbone? With the strength of one very pretty lady.

Surely when Samson first set eyes on Delilah, he didn't think this was the weapon that would be used to entrap him. He was in love with her (Judges 16:4) and probably figured she was in love with him too. She was in love alright, only it wasn't with Samson; it was with the 1,100 pieces of silver the Philistine lords had promised her in exchange for the secret of Samson's strength. That's not 1,100 pieces of silver total. That was 1,100 pieces of silver from EACH lord. With that kind of money she'd be set for life. That's a pretty strong incentive for a woman, especially when women in biblical times depended on men to take care of them financially. This would make Delilah an independant woman. It's no wonder the devil chose Delilah to do his dirty work. She was beautiful, saavy, and had a heart for silver. How could Samson resist?

The problem, of course, was that Samson shouldn't have been looking at Delilah in the first place. Samson was a man who'd been set apart for God, a Nazirite, since before his birth (Judges 13:2-5). When Samson first fell for a Philistine woman (that's right, Delilah wasn't the first one), his parents were not happy (Judges 14:2-3). That marriage ended in disaster, as chapter 14 of Judges relates. Still, Samson didn't learn his lesson, and fell for Delilah hook, line and sinker.

Were there no signs that Delilah had bad intentions for Samson? Consider Judges 16:6 - "So Delilah said to Samson, 'Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.'" That you may be bound to afflict you? Seems to me that should have raised some red flags. But instead, Samson decided to play some games with Delilah, and give her false information in a sort of cat and mouse chase (see Judges 16:7-14). What Samson obviously wasn't prepared for, was the type of attack a woman like Delilah would bring against him. Samson was used to brute strength to fight off his enemies, but Delilah used feminine wiles to get her way:

"Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death."

-Judges 16:15-16

Samson never stood a chance. The Philistines got their prisoner, Delilah got rich, and Samson learned a hard lesson: not all enemies are easy to see and defeat.

How does this apply to us today? Very simply: the enemy still uses subtle attacks against God's people. After all, if it worked on Samson it'll work on anyone. The enemy still uses lust to woo the hearts of Christians away: lust for the opposite sex, lust for money, lust for material possessions, lust for power, popularity and acceptance. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Lions are very sly; they hide in the brush and move in slowly, so that when they attack, their prey has little to no chance of escape.

Sounds like a losing battle? It isn't. God has given us an arsenal to keep us protected against the enemy.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

- Ephesians 6:14-18

When we stay alert by immersing ourselves in God's word, we strengthen ourselves with wisdom, righteousness, truth and faith. Prayer keeps us in constant communication with God, and helps us stay vigilant. Then, and only then, can we stand and defeat the enemy in this war.

Move It Mondays

Kristilea over at The Lord's Path has started Move It Mondays, to get people looking forward to Mondays rather than dreading the first day of the week. I have to confess, I needed to think about this one alot. So much so, that I waited till Tuesday to get my first post in :-).

See, it's like this: I actually like Mondays! It's the start of a new week, a new beginning, a clean slate so to speak. After resting on Sunday, I feel recharged and ready to go on Mondays. I plan for the week and look forward to each day the Lord gives me.

I know many people dread Mondays, and for different reasons. Some people like to sleep in, which they get to do on the weekends, and hate having to get up early again on Monday. That's not a problem for me; I'm a morning person. Others hate their jobs and don't even want to get out of bed on Mondays. I enjoyed my job and my co-workers, and now that I'm a stay at home mom I love my job even more! I guess I've been blessed more than even I realize.

But of course, the idea of this meme is to encourage one another into finding a reason to look forward to Mondays. So, I'll be thinking of something to make me say, "I can't wait till Monday!" Let's see how that works out.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, April 5, 2010...

Outside my window...the sun is still shining even though it's almost 6:00pm. The weather has been so perfect, warm and sunny with just enough sunshine. Love it!

I am thinking...about a tree in our yard that's gonna have to come down. My mother-in-law gave it to us and it's the cutest tree, but we've just found out it's a rubber tree that gets very large and is invasive to plumbing. Not a good thing.

I am thankful...for a Savior who gave His life some 2,000 years ago for my salvation.

I am going...to have my car checked on this week. It's been acting weird, and I'm concerned it may be transmission trouble. I sure hope it isn't.

I am wearing...a t-shirt, jeans and sandals.

I am remembering...a good deed I saw yesterday. A car was stopped at a traffic light, and a woman in a wheelchair was trying to cross the street. A young man jumped out of the car, helped the woman across 6 lanes of traffic, and jumped back into the car. It totally warmed my heart.

I am currently...planning for the week.

I am reading...1 Chronicles for morning devotions, and Having a Mary Spirit for personal study. Finished Sherlock Holmes, so a run to the library is in order.

I am hoping...I can squeeze in some scrapbooking time this week.

On my mind...I need to spend more personal time with God. As in, not letting other things get in the way. Getting my life in balance.

From the learning rooms...it's back to school tomorrow after a week of spring break.

I am noticing...the enemy loves using busyness to get our priorities out of whack. Thankfully the Holy Spirit is whispering in my ear, reminding me what's really important - time in the Word.

I am pondering these words..."Give me a revelation, show me what to do, 'cause I've been trying to find my way, I haven't got a clue. Tell me should I stay here, or do I need to move? Give me a revelation, I've got nothing without you." - Third Day, Revelation.

From the kitchen today...spaghetti and meatballs.

Around the house...there's plenty to do, but I'll start tomorrow when the boys are in school.

One of my favorite things...is ice cold lemonade on a hot day.

A few plans for the rest of the week...housework that didn't get done last week.

Wanna join in the fun? Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook. God bless.

The Week in Review

And what a week it was! I don't think we stopped for a second, but we enjoyed every minute of it. My sister and brother-in-law came for a visit from New York - a long awaited visit that should have happened last year, but didn't because my brother-in-law was hit by a car. Praise God for His goodness, my b-i-l suffered no broken bones, but he did have a concussion and lots of bruising, plus a badly banged-up knee. He's getting stronger each day, and was able to enjoy all the activities of this week.

My sister and b-i-l arrived Saturday afternoon, just in time for my son R's birthday cake. My son is 23 years old now, officially half my age. We were thankful for R and for sis and b-i-l being on hand to celebrate such a special day. We were also thankful because my daughter came down for the weekend, so we were all together like my sister wanted. It was a real blessing.

Sunday we went to church, then to Denny's for lunch. We chatted, laughed, and had a great time catching up with everything going on. Then we came home and relaxed with some board games. My sister complained that she never wins at board games, but she did really well. The only reason she didn't win was because we were helping E get some of the answers which pushed him ahead. We had a blast! We said goodbye to my daughter A as she went back to school, but thanked God she was able to join us for the weekend.

Monday was the only rainy day we had, so we went to see the movie "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." What a nice movie! The main character, Greg, starts middle school, and is intent on becoming popular - so much so that he forgets about his friend, about being truthful, and about being himself. There are lots of great lessons to be learned. My son E is reading the books and the movie was very accurate in following the storyline. I recommend this movie for older kids; the younger ones might not understand it as much. Afterwards we came home and played more board games. Yes, we're a game loving family!

Tuesday we went to visit my aunt and uncle. This is my mother's older sister. It was great to see them and their oldest daughter. My aunt made lunch for us which was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!! My cousin barbequed the steaks - I can still taste their juiciness! My son E was the only one to join us, since R had classes and daddy had to work, but E had fun playing with my aunt & uncle's dog. I'm glad we went to see them. My aunt and uncle are getting up in years, and they really appreciate having people come visit. It's an hour drive to their house, but well worth the trip.

Wednesday we went to a local outlet mall because my sister wanted to find a pair of sneakers. She's been to this outlet mall before and knows prices in Florida tend to be much less than New York, so off we went. She was looking specifically for some Skechers Shape-ups, a new kind of sneaker that helps with posture and is a good walking sneaker if you're walking for exercise. She had seen them in NY for $130 but couldn't find them in her size. Before we left she mentioned she couldn't buy too much stuff because of the weight limits on luggage at the airport, so I figured she would buy one pair of shoes at most. Sis was totally thrilled to see a Skechers store at the outlet mall that had the shoes she wanted for $99. Before I knew it, she'd picked out 3 pairs of shoes for herself and 2 for her hubby! She assured me she would fit them in their carry-on luggage, but she couldn't pass up the prices at the store. I was able to get sneakers for E who has an aversion to shoe shopping. Every shoe he tries on is too tight, or feels strange, or has some problem or other. He found a pair that fit right and that he liked, which made me happy because his current shoes desperately needed replacing!

Thursday R had no school, so we went bowling. Boy, did we have a ton of fun!! My b-i-l is in a bowling league in NY, so he gave us some pointers. R had bowled before, but E never had, and I hadn't since I was a teenager. Sis didn't play because of a bad shoulder, so she was on camera duty. My b-i-l said he enjoyed this game so much more than usual. I pointed out that we weren't playing as a competition but instead it was just for fun. That made all the difference. Of course, playing with people who love you doesn't hurt either, and my b-i-l is one in a million. I thank the Lord my sister married a man who is so loving and considerate. He is a model husband.

Friday we went off early to the western side of Florida to visit a zoo. R had no school or work so he joined us for that also. I love trips that are fun and educational, and this trip didn't disappoint! We got lots of exercise, and the day was splendid. The skies were blue, the sun was shining, and a cool breeze with no humidity meant the animals were up and about, and we were able to see many of them up close. What a treat! Seeing God's creation emphasizes that only an Intelligent Creator could have made all these amazing animals. Especially when we realize how they live together, how each animal has its own habitat, its own way of finding food, of preserving its life, it's pretty clear this couldn't have happened by accident.

This is the leopard - see how close it was to the glass? I was totally in awe of its beauty.

Friday night we said our goodbyes :-( but I'm still thankful that we were able to spend such a fun week together. Now they're off to Disney World and a weekend with my daughter and her best friend, so rather than selfishly wishing they were still here, I praise God that my sister and her dear hubby are able to continue their vacation.

Today my son E and I washed the car. Driving to the zoo we encountered many a bug head-on, and they were all over the windshield and the front of the car which was rather disgusting. While we were at it we washed R's car too. The weather has been phenomenal (thank You Jesus!). I'm also preparing for tomorrow - I am grateful to the Lord that He chose me to teach the children the story of the Resurrection tomorrow. This is what it all comes down to: He is Risen! To be able to tell the children about Jesus' death and resurrection is an honor that I don't take lightly. If you think about it, please pray that the Holy Spirit would give me the right words so that the children understand the importance of Easter Sunday. Thank You Lord Jesus, for the greatest gift of all - forgiveness of our sins, and life everlasting with You!

God bless, have a beautiful and memorable Resurrection Sunday.

Observing My Senses

For Today, April 3, 2010...

I am seeing...an absolutely gorgeous day through the blinds in the windows. Sunshine, baby blue sky, puffy white clouds...God's creation is amazing!

I am hearing...the birds chirping, and the swish of the neighbor's pool.

I am feeling...so many emotions this day before Easter. Thank You Lord Jesus for the best gift anyone could ever receive - forgiveness.

I am tasting...buttery biscuits and my morning coffee.

I am smelling...laundry detergent. It never ends.

It just takes a moment to see what's going on around you. Won't you join me?