Alert to Satan's Tactics

Finally, 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... in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-13; 2 Corinthians 2:11).
Comedian Flip Wilson made a fortune with this line: "The Devil made me do it!" And I...

for one will not deny that Satan seduces, captures, and enslaves people by his crafty schemes. He can seduce us into horribly bad situations.

What I can't accept is that he wreaks his havoc independently of our human wills. I don't grant the claim that he moves in and takes over a human life without an individual's "permission" — whether overt or, more often, implied.

I'm no expert on the Devil. (Who would want that distinction!) But I am convinced that his best work is subtle, indirect, and masked with respectability. He doesn't just work "out there" in the world but shows up in our churches more regularly than some of our members do.

He is there to remind us of hedonistic pleasures still there for the taking. He stirs up ego and initiates power plays. He tempts us to betray our covenant commitments as the bride of Christ and wants to spoil our relationship with God by luring us into a romance with the world that amounts to spiritual adultery.

Satan wants us to believe that church attendance makes us very religious, even though some may be deeply unspiritual as racists or sexists in the way we see and deal w

ith others.

I don't grant the claim that he moves in and takes over a human life without an individual's "permission"!

Old Scratch would like for you to be viewed as a dynamic and respected leader in your community while you are unloving, detached, or abusive at home.

Satan whispers the lie into Christian ears that we can teach and counsel others with Scripture and then justify ourselves for not living by it personally.

The Prince of Darkness loves people who can quote Scripture with chapter-and-verse accuracy but are oblivious to their bad tempers or harsh and judgmental spirit.

Beelzebub is never offended by the people who volunteer quickly and appear cooperative at church but grumble and complain the whole time they are following through.

Satan's wicked intention is the bad news. The good news is that Satan can't make you go there.

You have the choice to "resist" his advances — with the promise that he will then flee from you. Two things will always mark effective resistance to the Devil. First, all excuse-making and defensiveness ends. Second, passionate love for God compels you to draw near to the one who has already loved you enough to die for you.

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world (James 4:7-8 NLT).

Cinnamon Vanilla Whipped Body Butter

Jody Smith from A Cultivated Nest Blog has made this yummy sounding Body Butter and shares the Recipe with us...TUTORIAL 

Corned Beef & Cabbage Salad

(Serves 4-6)

3 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
3 cups baby spinach
1/4 of a small red onion, cut into very thin slivers
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish...

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked corned beef
2 ounces sliced Swiss cheese, torn
Croutons
In a large bowl toss together cabbage, spinach, and onion. For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, horseradish, and caraway seeds. Drizzle dressing over greens in bowl; toss to combine. Top with corned beef, cheese, and croutons.

***I make Corned Beef with Cabbage and Potatoes in my Crock-Pot for St Patty's Day and then with the left-over Corned Beef, I make this salad.  It is so good.

Rosie After the Vet - Day 8

Isn't this just the cutest picture of Rosie?  {it's a touch out of focus, since she was moving and it was taken yesterday}  

She and the other 2 pups had just finished eating their Treat this morning, before I could give her the anti-biotic pill she's still taking.  These treats are amazing.  They're healthy, the pups love them and they are...
downright inexpensive.  How does $1.05 a pound sound for a delicious treat?  What's the treat, you ask?  It's Sportmix Golden Biscuit Treats {they eat the 2 1/8" by 1 3/8" size {medium}.  Of all places, we purchase them at our local DO IT BEST Hardware Store.  They can be purchased in a 20# box for $19.99...several different biscuit sizes are available - click on the link above - or in a 1# bag for $1.05.  Our fussy pups would NEVER ever eat the biscuits/bone cookies from the bank, Vet or anywhere else...but one day when I stopped at our local Coffee House drive-through...they got these bisuits and chowed down so quickly, I had to inquire as to where they got these treats...and was given the name of them and where they'd been purchased {the local DO IT Best Hardware store} and the rest is History, as they say.

 By the photo above you can see that Rosie is doing so much better today - DAY 8 - after having a Sebaceous Cyst aspirated.  It wasn't looking very good Here on Day 1 or Here on Day 2 and both Vets she saw were almost certain that it would immediately refill with the same junk they had removed.  It did the first time, but since Saturday, it hasn't.  The swelling is gone and it's healing quite nicely.

Now...I do know that there is still the possibility that it could refill...but I'm hoping and praying it doesn't...because if it doesn't, she will need surgery to remove the cyst.  So, will you continue to keep her in your prayers {and me, too} - cuz I really don't want her to have to have surgery?  Thanks.

Vegetable, Ham & Lentil Soup

Here's a yummy soup that's easy to prepare and scrumptious to eat.

Ingredients (12 - 10oz servings)

2 Bunches of Carrots with Green Tops (about 12 large carrots)
1 Bunch of Celery
1 Large Onion
4 Cloves Garlic...

2 pkgs of Diced Ham
2 large cans Diced Tomatoes
3 boxes (4 cups each) Chicken Broth
1 bag Lentils (2 cups dry)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Dry Ground Thyme

Instructions

• Chop the Carrots, Onion and Celery. Mince the Garlic, or put through a Garlic Press. Heat a Dutch Oven or Large Skillet with about 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil. Put all of the Vegetables and Garlic into the hot pan and stir occasionally, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and have begun to brown.
• In another pan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the Diced Ham and saute over high heat until it begins to brown. Do not over cook, the ham will be dry.
• Transfer the vegetables and ham to a much larger soup pot. (I used a 10 quart pan) Add salt and pepper to taste and 2 cups of Lentils. Pour in 3 cartons of Chicken Broth (12 cups). Add the tomatoes, juice and all. Put in the Thyme and Bay Leaves. Stir.
• Bring to a boil...and turn down the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check to make sure the lentils are tender...and that the seasoning is OK.  Serve and Enjoy.

To Print this Recipe, click Here and afterwards, check out other recipes!

Daily Devotion by Joyce Meyer

No More Excuses

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!  - 2 Corinthians 5:17
"I've always had a bad temper. That's just the way I am."  l'm a...
straightforward person. That's who I am, and that's how people need to accept me."  "I call things as I see them. I don't sugarcoat anything."  This list could go on endlessly, but the one thing these excuses have in common is that each is meant to justify the people being the way they are. It's a way of resisting change.

It's also a way for Satan to creep into our minds. The great deceiver tells us that we're not rude we are just being honest, and people need to respect that quality in us. We think we speak the truth as we see it, and we're not cowards or hypocrites. If the devil can convince us that we don't have to change that we're fine exactly the way we are he has won a serious battle in our lives.

In fact, the devil can give us a lot of excuses for not changing. That may be the problem. If he convinces us that other people are at fault because "they are just too sensitive" or "they don't want to hear the truth and face reality," we don't feel responsible, and we think we're all right.

Another thing is that no matter how negative we may be in our thinking, most of us wouldn't call ourselves "negative." We prefer words like logical, realistic, forthright, or candid. Not facing the truth about ourselves is part of Satan’s deceptive work.

When I went through a period of extreme negativity, I wouldn't have thought of myself as being negative. I was just being honest. If I saw something wrong, I spoke up. I offered my counsel on ways for people to change. I could see the weaknesses and problems of others, and I was quite happy to show them how they could overcome. On my worst days, I found things wrong with all my friends and everything they did. I didn't have to look for things to criticize-I did it without effort. I didn't consider it negative because I thought I was merely trying to be helpful. It never occurred to me in my prideful state that people didn't really want my help. They wanted acceptance and encouragement, not judgment and criticism.

As I said, I never thought of myself as being negative that is, until God dealt with me and convicted me.

I'm not trying to condemn anyone for being negative, frank, blunt, candid, or whatever term you may use for it, because condemning is in itself being negative. Instead, I want to help believers recognize their attitude problems and help them realize that God is able to deliver them.

We start the Christian life as new creations of God. Our past is wiped away. The Christian life is one of change-of growth-of moving onward.

The pathway to freedom begins when we face our problems, and face them without excuses. "Yes, I'm negative, but if you had come from the kind of family, I did, you'd" Stop! No excuses. We know what we were in the past, but we also know that we don't have to remain that way now or in the future. With the help of Jesus Christ, we can have our minds renewed according to the Word of God.

The most difficult part may be to say to God, I'm a negative person, but I want to change." Remember that a negative mind produces a negative life. You've probably tried to change yourself many times in the past, but it didn't work. Now you can begin to win the battle over Satan's stronghold by admitting who you are and acknowledging that you must depend on God to change you.

Holy and positive God, forgive me for all my negative thinking. You want me to be loving and filled with Your joy. Help me so that Satan has no stronghold over my mind. Please destroy every negative aspect of my thinking, through Jesus my Lord. Amen.

---

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Chicken & Dumplings

Ohhhhhhh My Goodness...The Picture I am going to share with you today, will "warm the cockles of your heart".   What does that mean...warm the cockles of your heart?  I associate that saying with a "warm and fuzzy feeling" someone or something gives us...a reference to something pleasant that makes our heart beat faster and makes us feel good.  Well, today, it certainly means it will warm you and give you a fuzzy feeling.  Look at that!  Doesn't that look delicious?  Oh it is...
I made this recipe yesterday and it was so good and it wasn't difficult either.  All done in one pan, too!

Cathy over at the cute My 1929 Charmer Blog posted this recipe in late February...and it's been moving to the top of my "To Make" List...and reached there yesterday.  And I can't tell you how glad it did.

Pop on over to Cathy's Blog for the Recipe Here, you'll love it. 

Rosie Went to the Vet Today

Three weeks ago today, Rosie went to the Vet because of a "mole" on her hip.  Our Vet drew fluid from it to test it and it came back as a a non-cancerous Cyst.  So, we were told to watch the spot and if it healed up and went away, we'd be OK.  If, on the other hand, it reappeared and filled again, we may end up having to surgically remove it.  Last night, after being very quiet all day long...

Rosie jumped up in my lap and laid down for a massage.  I gave her a "once over" and felt a hot spot near her hip.  Then I touched it...and found about a 5" pancake sized swelling around the cyst.  Of course it was around 8pm, long after the Vet's office was closed.  In the meantime, I decided to do Reiki on it (I'm a Level II Reiki Practitioner} and then I did some Acupressure too.  She went to bed and sometime during the night, the cyst burst, leaving her with a crusty mess when she woke up this morning.  I got ready early and called when the Vet's office opened for an appointment.  At 10am we were there.

First off, the Vet sounded surprised at how quickly this thing had swelled and then even more surprised that it had burst within several hours of the swelling.  I guess normally, it either has to be aspirated or it takes a couple to 3 days to burst on it's own.  So, we talked about the Reiki and acupressure and the affect they had on her cyst and swelling.

The Vet shaved the area, so I can keep it clean and keep a watchful eye on it. It's draining still.  It is infected and she is taking anti-biotics for the next 14 days.  Hopefully that and continued Reiki, Acupressure and Essential Oils to reduce inflammation and clean the wound will help with a quick healing process.

Please say a prayer for Rosie.  I'd appreciate it.  

Tom Since his Cancer Diagnosis...Final Update

On January 12th, Tom went to the ER for a cough he'd had for quite some time.  It wasn't getting any better...actually, it had gotten worse overnight.  After being at the hospital for about 5 hours, having tests and seeing doctors...he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and Metastases to the Liver.

We saw an oncologist within a couple of days and that got the ball rolling with tons of tests - Cat Scans, MRI's, blood work and then...
a biopsy.

Well, to make a long story short - it took 6 weeks in "real" time - but Tom does NOT have cancer anywhere in his body!  Yes, that's what I said - NO CANCER!

Everything they found in the scans in the ER that made them diagnose Lung cancer with Mets in January, was still there in his lung two weeks ago, when the biopsy was done.  So was what they saw on his liver.  But, the biopsy showed massive infection and NO cancer.  The liver has some lesions that are called hemangiomas, which are not cancer.

...FINAL UPDATE...

So for the past 2 weeks Tom was taking anti-biotics for the lung infection and then he had another Cat Scan done to see if there was improvement and that the infection was gone or going away.  The doctor's office called back later that same day to let us know that the infection was gone and that he was healing nicely and wouldn't have to be re-checked for at least a year.  He's got the all clear from the doctor!

What happened that the ER could so wrongly diagnose Cancer?  We don't know.  There is nothing we can do about it.  I wish we weren't left with the mountain of bills from all of the testing.  But, our attorney is helping us out there.  {No we're not suing - that is left for cases who are wrongly diagnosed the other way.}  We're glad that it wasn't cancer and that the infection is gone.

Thanks for all of your prayers.

Keep Walking on the Water

by Joyce Meyer

And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.  - Matthew 14:25-28 

Let's focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept waiting on...

top of the waves. The disciples were afraid, and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, "Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!" (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can't walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let's make no mistake here. For Peter to say, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You'll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter's great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of God. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of God that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, "Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You." But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I'm not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make yo feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I'm simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, "Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: '0 you of little faith, why did you doubt?"' (v. 31). But think about it: Jesus didn't say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words "you of little faith" to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! (v.30).

What if you saw this as Jesus' great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, "You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink."

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circumstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

---

From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.