The Battle Continues...
Night after last I posted about Satan subtly attempting to steal my joy this Christmas. Luckily, after talking with a treasured friend a light went off in my mind and my Lord was able to steer me down the right path. Well, here is another chapter to the story....
Yesterday morning I awoke with the joy of the Lord! What a new day...throw off the old and on with the new...we have a plan and I am ready to get started! First, get dressed, leave the house around 10ish or so, take Cooper to puppy daycare (a 30 minute drive) and then Amanda and I have about 6 hour to shop and fit in a meal before taking Amanda's hair appt. at 6:30 (one of her Christmas presents). Simple, planned, and to the point...what could happen to such a simple plan?!
Amanda has been awake since 3:30 a.m. and is concerned about Cooper (her puppy). He has been doing this coughing and choking thing all night and she is concerned he has something caught in his throat. Could I watch him for awhile for her to go back to sleep then she will get ready? OK...throws us off a bit but yes. When Amanda gets up again (really didn't sleep), she puts in a call to the vet...bring Cooper in, he needs to be seen. Well, another hitch but I certainly don't want Amanda fretting and this choking thing does seem to be getting worse. I'm good, I'm good...at least I'm in denial about the stress that is starting to well up inside of me...I'm NOT going to lose the Christmas joy I regained just 12 hours ago! "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.." James 1:2. I finished dressing, gather up all the coupons for various stores, grab my address book and Christmas cards to work on in the car, and threw my list and cell phone in my purse. Okay...let's get this show on the road...take Cooper to the vet, run some orange juice to my daughter-in-law who is home sick, either take Cooper back home and crate him, or jump on the interstate and head to Augusta for puppy daycare. I Close the car door and realize I left my purse in the chair in the living room...oh no!...Amanda turns off the car, gives me her house key..."Mom, you will have to go in the back door, I don't have a key to the front door. You are the only one who has a front door key". "No problem, honey." OMG, the back screen door is locked from the inside...we can't get in the house! My purse, my money, my keys, my mobile phone, my list...all locked up tight sitting in the chair in the house!
To shorten this chapter, we try several things...can't get in and can't come up with a key. My husband is going to have to make a 60 mile round trip to get us in. Time is ticking away on the clock and patience is wearing very thin...I'm good, I'm good, I'm good...Santa's watching, Santa's watching...! Let's just head to the vet's and go from there. Okay, we have to go there anyway...so why is my stomach churning, why do I feel like crying, and where, oh, where is my Christmas JOY!? Amanda and I take Cooper to the vet, he has bronchitis so he can't go to puppy daycare so we head home to crate him which takes up time, but we have to go to the house anyway to get in to retrieve my purse. Remember that we were going to leave around 10ish? After all was said and done, meeting my husband, retrieving my purse, crating Cooper, and regrouping, we finally left around 1:00 p.m. Only 3 hours late, $50.00 spent on non-Christmas, and emotionally tired we finally get back on track.
But guess what..."Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12. And persevere I did because I remembered the scripture from the night before that told us to be ALERT! Satan's nibbling didn't work so he decided to take a big bite out of me but I was ready. Today I was paying attention and was ready for battle. I spotted his battle plan and used scripture and prayer to fight him off. Until Sunday I lacked wisdom, but God showed me what was going on and I was armed and equipped! "If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5. "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8. There is no part of me that wants to be biten or nibbled on for even a second by the devil... I want him nowhere near me. But I do so desire the joy of my Lord every second of every day, not just for myself but for His honor and glory...and my God knows that and He wants his joy for me. "...I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10b
So after crating Cooper, grabbing my purse, and getting a kiss in the middle of the day from my husband, Amanda and I headed off. "I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my hear; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me." Psalm 86:12:13. We had a great time, accomplished much, found time to stop for a late Mexican lunch, made it to her hair appt. on time and God gave us a special blessing...we got a long visit with my sister. She made a hair appointment at the same time as Amanda. The stress, the anxiety, the uncomfortable feeling...all gone...and replaced with JOY! And because I was alert and had my eyes fixed on my Father this go around, this battle was short lived and my Lord and I were the clear victors.
So to end this chapter, stay alert and be prepared for battle. Remember, the enemy is lurking around every corner nibbling here and there and every now and then when we challenge him he bites and bites down hard. But we have nothing to fear...we are covered by our protector and armed with His battle plans. We just need to battle together for JOY, pure and simple JOY!
"Let those who love the LOrd hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous andjoy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name." Psalm 97: 10-12
Yesterday morning I awoke with the joy of the Lord! What a new day...throw off the old and on with the new...we have a plan and I am ready to get started! First, get dressed, leave the house around 10ish or so, take Cooper to puppy daycare (a 30 minute drive) and then Amanda and I have about 6 hour to shop and fit in a meal before taking Amanda's hair appt. at 6:30 (one of her Christmas presents). Simple, planned, and to the point...what could happen to such a simple plan?!
Amanda has been awake since 3:30 a.m. and is concerned about Cooper (her puppy). He has been doing this coughing and choking thing all night and she is concerned he has something caught in his throat. Could I watch him for awhile for her to go back to sleep then she will get ready? OK...throws us off a bit but yes. When Amanda gets up again (really didn't sleep), she puts in a call to the vet...bring Cooper in, he needs to be seen. Well, another hitch but I certainly don't want Amanda fretting and this choking thing does seem to be getting worse. I'm good, I'm good...at least I'm in denial about the stress that is starting to well up inside of me...I'm NOT going to lose the Christmas joy I regained just 12 hours ago! "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.." James 1:2. I finished dressing, gather up all the coupons for various stores, grab my address book and Christmas cards to work on in the car, and threw my list and cell phone in my purse. Okay...let's get this show on the road...take Cooper to the vet, run some orange juice to my daughter-in-law who is home sick, either take Cooper back home and crate him, or jump on the interstate and head to Augusta for puppy daycare. I Close the car door and realize I left my purse in the chair in the living room...oh no!...Amanda turns off the car, gives me her house key..."Mom, you will have to go in the back door, I don't have a key to the front door. You are the only one who has a front door key". "No problem, honey." OMG, the back screen door is locked from the inside...we can't get in the house! My purse, my money, my keys, my mobile phone, my list...all locked up tight sitting in the chair in the house!
To shorten this chapter, we try several things...can't get in and can't come up with a key. My husband is going to have to make a 60 mile round trip to get us in. Time is ticking away on the clock and patience is wearing very thin...I'm good, I'm good, I'm good...Santa's watching, Santa's watching...! Let's just head to the vet's and go from there. Okay, we have to go there anyway...so why is my stomach churning, why do I feel like crying, and where, oh, where is my Christmas JOY!? Amanda and I take Cooper to the vet, he has bronchitis so he can't go to puppy daycare so we head home to crate him which takes up time, but we have to go to the house anyway to get in to retrieve my purse. Remember that we were going to leave around 10ish? After all was said and done, meeting my husband, retrieving my purse, crating Cooper, and regrouping, we finally left around 1:00 p.m. Only 3 hours late, $50.00 spent on non-Christmas, and emotionally tired we finally get back on track.
But guess what..."Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12. And persevere I did because I remembered the scripture from the night before that told us to be ALERT! Satan's nibbling didn't work so he decided to take a big bite out of me but I was ready. Today I was paying attention and was ready for battle. I spotted his battle plan and used scripture and prayer to fight him off. Until Sunday I lacked wisdom, but God showed me what was going on and I was armed and equipped! "If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5. "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8. There is no part of me that wants to be biten or nibbled on for even a second by the devil... I want him nowhere near me. But I do so desire the joy of my Lord every second of every day, not just for myself but for His honor and glory...and my God knows that and He wants his joy for me. "...I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10b
So after crating Cooper, grabbing my purse, and getting a kiss in the middle of the day from my husband, Amanda and I headed off. "I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my hear; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me." Psalm 86:12:13. We had a great time, accomplished much, found time to stop for a late Mexican lunch, made it to her hair appt. on time and God gave us a special blessing...we got a long visit with my sister. She made a hair appointment at the same time as Amanda. The stress, the anxiety, the uncomfortable feeling...all gone...and replaced with JOY! And because I was alert and had my eyes fixed on my Father this go around, this battle was short lived and my Lord and I were the clear victors.
So to end this chapter, stay alert and be prepared for battle. Remember, the enemy is lurking around every corner nibbling here and there and every now and then when we challenge him he bites and bites down hard. But we have nothing to fear...we are covered by our protector and armed with His battle plans. We just need to battle together for JOY, pure and simple JOY!
"Let those who love the LOrd hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous andjoy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name." Psalm 97: 10-12
Comments
Post a Comment