Broken

I've been viewing the world
through this distorted piece of glass
looking for purpose
beyond the web
will I ever see clearly...

Return of the Red Baron...

So I just enjoyed a surprise visit from one of my bestest friends on the whole entire planet - all the way from the sunny state of California! I walked into my sister's living room on what was looking like an average Tuesday, and there on the couch was Sarah...I HAD NO IDEA!!! It came at a time I needed "something" to happen...and was a great opportunity to take some time off and have a sounding board for the things that have been messing with my heart and mind. God has given me some really amazing friends in my life to encourage me and build into me. I am humbled at receiving such gifts and hope I can reciprocate the feeling into the lives of my friends.
Anyways...besides being crazy intense (she was only here for 4 days), we had the opportunity to just have "us" time. Married with 2 awesome kids, we haven't had "us" time since her early married days. WEIRDNESS! Time to let our hair hang out...
speaking of hair - I returned to my blazing glory days of a red doo...yeah - I can hear all my mockers in BC calling me Annie (death will ensue!) I needed a change, and that just seemed to be the easiest to make since there's no real prospects at the moment, and I can't afford to relocate at present. So yeah hair...it always takes the brunt of my mood swings!
Oh yeah...I've given up chocolate (I can hear gasps of horror echoing across cyberspace)...bad idea? We'll see...

Stomp on Satan...

If the title hasn't peaked your interest (I can already imagine the wide-eyed horrified look at my seemingly flippant use of the "S" word so many Christians forget is a spiritual reality!) hopefully you'll be able to take away something from my blog ramblings. I had this epiphany the other day (wonders will never cease) while at a worship service at Revolution. Tucked away in my usual corner, God reminded me of a verse I had read in Luke 10. I had first stumbled across it while praying for the Christian highschool, and had it not been for my freakish habit of underlining and jotting personal notes in my Bible, I probably would not have found it again.
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents, on scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (v.19-20)
Seriously...what an empowering verse. And in this verse I realized that when we are worshipping God with our lives (not just in singing, but in everything we do), we get to stomp on Satan. Our adversary is reduced to the bottom of our runners (or flip-flops...whatever your foot apparel preference may be!) The verse says ALL the power of the enemy we can trample! Not one can escape the justice executed by our feet.
So as I was jumping around feeling great about the fact that it was "down with the devil" time...the last part of the verse kicked into gear with my mind. God spoke to my heart "Stop looking at your feet...look up to Me!" As Christians, we can become so caught up with what we're doing we lose sight of WHO we're doing it for! God doesn't want us to be focused on our feet...He wants our eyes fixed on Him. He doesn't want us to become preoccupied with foiling the plans of the devil, He wants us to be drawing closer to Him. To look upon salvation...Our authority over the evil powers of darkness came with a ginormous price tag and cost the life of the Son of God. Sure He destroyed the work of the devil by doing it, but He did it so He could have a restored relationship with you! He did so eternity could be yours.
So jump around! Stomp on Satan all you want...but don't take enjoyment and fulfillment in anything but the presence of God and the salvation that is found in Him! And as we LIVE the salvation out in our lives - in song, in action, in words - we're leaving our footprints behind!