‎3 questions...

1: Does cold exist?

2: Does darkness exist?

3: Does evil exist?

-Lee C.

A friend posted this on his facebook status. I found these questions intriguing. not sure where he got it from or if he was asking them but my initial answer to all were: YES!

But then I thought about it a bit more... I realized that the answer is sooooo not so simple...

The truth of the matter is that

1:in the absence of heat, cold exists.

2:in the absence of light, darkness exists.

3:in the absence of good, evil exists.

So then I began to think about how just becasue its cold out, it wont snow. The clouds have to form, the sun has to be covered up and then the land can be cold enough to hold the snow.

When children are after of the dark, we get nightlights for them. This ensures that it will never be completely dark in their room. The only reason this is true is because the nightlight is lit all night.

This holds true for our lives. When we set God aside or dont engage with Him at all, we allow the evil to exist. Aside from existing, it can also form a stronghold in our lives.

My pastor this morning said there are 4 types of faith that show up in John 6.

-pessimistic faith

-questioning faith

-materialistic faith

and the only one that matters

-childlike faith

The first 3 of course are the ones that still exist in this world even among 'Christians.' However, the one that counts and is important is the childlike faith.

If this faith of believing that good exists and God exists is hard to form then the evil in our hearts will continue to form and grow.

I LOVE IT WHEN GOD CONNECTS LESSONS FOR ME!

Love God and the rest will follow!

Its been a while. A friend asked me the other day when I had blogged last and sadly I couldn't recall the date. That made it clear that I had to blog ASAP. Of course that was like 3 weeks ago. BUTTTT i finally made it here.

I am close to completing my work at UCF. I am 2 weeks away from completing all the work. 3 weeks away from officially graduating. sigh! last time i ran away from being responsible, this time i am so confused as to what i should do. part of me just wants to go back home to my folks and friends and what not BUT the other part wants to stay here.

I hate living "alone" anyone who has been around me long enough knows that. even being in the same apt with my brother still feels like i live alone because we never hang out. There are so many factors at play here that I am not sure if i am coming or going half the time. ALL this being said, God is still in control and on the throne! I know He is working out a master plan and I will wait patiently for what He has in store.

Vishwasa has been a fun blessing to me. All these youngens give me hope that there are some good people left in this world. To see their struggles saddens me but I know that if/when they come out of these trials, they will be that much stronger against the enemy. I just wanna shout to them to hold on and not to run away from God's plan for them. I know in my heat of hearts they have to fight it on their own. They have to see God working for/with/in them. They also have to see how the enemy is/will continue to attack them. Only they can learn the lessons, I can learn it for them. I pray that God is more prevalent in their lives than the enemy so that they can grow stronger against the enemy.

In the last month or two, I had some visitors. One from Jersey and one from Weston. Times spent with them have made summer fly by and i loved all of it. I also was able to take a road trip out to NOLA. We had the best people taking care of us, the pastor and his wife cant be beat. (can i get another burger with a side of mac-n-cheese pllllllease!) Memories to last a lifetime with my walkie talkie buddy/bff from college/sister in Christ! Love ya maverick! July 4th weekend and my buddy Gabriella!! Good times all around!

In all this I grew. My time in NOLA showed me how lost people are in this world. Soothsayers, tarot card readers and fortune tellers surrounded the courtyard of a church and it blew my mind. I was surrounded by vodoo shops and my gut shivered. I felt something in my soul when one of them stared me in the eye. These experiences showed me that this world isnt just what i deal with on a daily basis. Its so much more than that. I heard a testimony of a friend who joined other Christians who decided to "visit" during mardi gras. The experience of meeting God blew my mind but then hearing of the stories of meeting other spirits threw me off my axis altogether. The world we live in is not our own, friends.

I know I probably sound like a crazy woman but the thing is I have seen and experienced things in the recent months that can not be explained and/or ignored.

I want you all to know that ONLY GOD CAN KEEP YOUR SOUL SAFE. Only He knows who/what/when/where to battle the spirits and I promise you that if/when you tap into that world it is not something to tread lightly about. I do pray that all of you will come to see the promises of love and safety that God provides.

Also as a Christian family, my family at home found themselves in prayer for a baby's life. My IV and Vishwasa family here joined in as well. God has stayed true to who He is and blessed us through the trial. Please pray for this baby to continue to gain weight and grow strong after her surgery. Once again I have learned that He is in control and all is done for His glory!

Love God and the rest will follow...




p.s.
my prayer for my brother continues. God has shown favor on his life and saved him from injury during a recent car crash. My prayer is that my brother doesnt ignore the value in this. The prayer continues for him to find his TRUE self and that he finds his identity in God and not in people around him. I claim him/his life for Christ and will wait for the Lord!

Today on verseoftheday.com was
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. - Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)

In the show How I Met Your Mother, the character Barney always says "suit up!" Right before he goes out on any of his "all important dates" Everyone cracks up when he says it. For a while I did it too. Barney means that a guy must put on the best suit he has and of course everything that goes with it so that he may make that perfect impression on the woman of his choice.

Interestingly "suit up!" can be applied to Christians as well. We are to put on a suit of armor that the Lord has provided before we go out into the world everyday. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and of course the sword of the spirit (the Word of God.)

Wherever we go, we are to wear our sandals of peace and not strife. Wearing the breastplate of righteousness makes sure of the fact that we will be truthful and righteous towards everyone we deal with in our path. The belt of truth makes sure that we are truthful thus making sure that our righteousness is not ruined. All of this is possible of course because we are wearing a helmet of salvation. Since we are saved, we know that our paths are different from someone who is not saved. Now the shield and the sword of course are for the war that the enemy who will attack. He attacks all the time and with anything he can. As believers, we are hopeful to be able to stand up to any and all attacks. The truth of the matter is that we are still human and we fall.

When we fall, its the armor that saves us from getting "hurt." We must be careful not to lose faith. God makes promises that we are to hang on to. Above all we must rely on the fact that God is the only one who does not lie, cheat or steal. God is peace, righteousness, salvation, the truth, and faith. God is love! God is reliable! God is... well... God!

Love God and the rest will follow!