365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 352

Halloween. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love to dress up and be someone else for a day. It frees you of the inhibitions and fears you normally have and allows you to be whatever you want without the fear of rejection. Today I am the Dark Queen with black lip stick and all. Have fun, be safe and enjoy the treats with self-control. Happy Halloween!

1Corinthians 15:40-44 There are bodies in the heavens, and there are bodies on earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the beauty of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their beauty and brightness. 42 It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. 43 Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. 44 They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so also there are spiritual bodies.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 318

It is very common at this time of year to struggle to maintain control of what and how much you eat. It starts with Halloween and the plethora of candy. It is everywhere! If you are a candy lover, like I am, you understand how dangerous this time of year is. They only way to get a handle on this is to prepare for this danger. Write a prayer and pray it every day. This becomes an affirmation and a positive for your mind to focus on. My prayer this week and the coming holiday weeks will be straight from scripture.

1Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 341

Happy Halloween! It is the one day of the year, you can dress-up and be someone else for the day. For those of us who are introverts, this can really be freeing. It gives you the confidence to speak up and be the extrovert you just aren’t normally. Dressing up as someone or something else does give a sense of freedom. As children of God, we have been given guidance in God’s word on how to dress for success and put on the armor of God. We can be a soldier for Christ, a saint, a witness for the gospel and more with the armor of God. Here is a link to a bible study I found on the internet about the armor of God.

http://www.acts17-11.com/armor.html  Praising God for this day set aside for fun and freedom and praising God for giving us the guidance and what we need so we can dress-up for Him everyday.

Ephesians 6:10-17 ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 338

We made our annual trek to the Boo at the Zoo event for Halloween. It is a safe place to take your kids to run around getting treats, seeing some animals and the best part the mini haunted house. This year the hours were extended so we took off early and actually did it with daylight to avoid the cold that would set in after dark. The first year we took our daughter through the haunted house, she screamed bloody murder. She wasn’t so sure about going again the following year but we managed to coax her into it and she survived. This year she went in with the attitude of “it’s all fake” and got through without a scream, although she jumped a little here and there with the surprise monsters coming out. As awesome as all that was the one thing that caught my eye this year was a tombstone in a fake graveyard that said “He loved bacon”. It just made me think of how we so easily can put other idols in place of God.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think we can love bacon or watching movies or chocolate or whatever but if it gets on your tombstone or if it is what people are left with remembering you for than you have missed the mark on truly worshiping and loving God. When all is said and done, I hope people will remember me as someone who loved God. What can I do, say or be that will make the love I have for God shine? Praise you Lord for this reminder of you in the midst of all the Halloween stuff!

"...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment." Mark 12:30