Category: Uncategorized

A PILLAR OF SALT

“Remember Lot’s wife.”

-Luke 17:32-

Three simple words with so much meaning. The scriptures before the one quoted above have been talking about the day of judgment. The verses before say “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.” 

“Remember Lot’s wife.” Out of about 170 women in the bible, this is the only one we are TOLD to remember. Why Lot’s wife? We are not even told her name! The story of Lot and his family fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah is in Genesis 19. These two cities had become so evil that God was going to destroy them. Abraham was told by God that these cities would be destroyed. Abraham knew his brother’s son, Lot and family, lived in Sodom. He asked God if there were 50 righteous, all the way down to 10, if He would still destroy the city. Two angels visited Lot and told him that the cities were going to be destroyed and told him to get his family and leave. His sons-in-law thought he was joking. Lot lingered and the angels actually had to take their hands and lead them out of the city. Lot, his wife and two daughters ran to the city of Zoar. “…the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind her, and she became a pillar of salt.”

The command by God, was simple “Do not look behind you…” (v. 17) But yet Lot’s wife turned her head and looked back. Was she reluctant to leave? Why do you think she turned back? I am sure when God destroyed those cities there was a lot of noise from the inhabitants and the actual fire that destroyed them. Was she just wanting to see what was happening? Was she remembering the friends she had that lived in her city? Was she thinking of all she had left behind? No matter what she was thinking, she disobeyed God. She was reluctant to leave. Her destruction was sudden. Nothing was left of her but a mineral heap. She was calcified and stuck right there, with no future.

 So, what can we learn from this? There are so many lessons we can take from this. I want to center on the fact that God does not want us stuck in our past but rather onward to our future! The verse we started out with in Luke, represents Lot’s wife as those who are attached to earthly things, those whose hearts are still in this world. Like Lot’s wife, such people will perish.

I have heard so many people say, before covid and after covid. People are stuck back in how they want things in this world to be, but we will never go back to before we had the crippling disease of covid. There are so many things that we can look back and keep ourselves stuck in past times. Maybe, you are like me and your mate has passed away, you wish you could change things you said to them or how you treated them-your child has grown up and has left home, you are at a crossroad of what to do now-you have had financial failure and want to go back and do things differently-your health has gotten worse because of bad choices you have made in your past-you have gotten older and cannot live the busy life you use to, you feel insignificant-you remember a time in history when there were not so many mass shootings and the fear out in the world today was not present. You look back to happier times, times of laughter, times of prosperity, a time you could get up in the morning and not feel painful.

We all look back and remember better times, but you can also look back and see that now, you are in a better place in your life-a better season. We can remember and use our past to propel us into the future! We can remember and use those mistakes we made to make a better future for ourselves and others! We can remember and help others- “…go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Second Corinthians 1:4 tells us that we can comfort those who have had the same struggles, just like God has comforted us when we go thru them. We can use our past, instead of being stuck there, to help others and make a brighter future for ourselves!

In a way, I can understand Lot’s wife. If my home was on fire, I would look at it and remember all the THINGS that were being burned up by the fire. But if my God would have told me to not look back, I hope I would have had the strength to not look back! Otherwise, I would be stuck in the past, like she was.

We can be haunted by the past or we can learn from it and go towards our future! Lot’s wife was not allowed that option. Some people are like her and just stay stuck. My husband was like that. During those ten years he was mentally and physically sick, he was stuck in his past. He blamed himself for our financial troubles, because of his illness. He became severely depressed because of this blame, which he put on himself. He did not remember the things of the past, when he was a preacher, elder, deacon, or leader in Boy Scouts. He did not remember the positives in his life or all the people who he had touched, from his past. He only looked at his physical handicaps and what we had lost, supposedly because of himself. He remained in that, stuck in the past handicap for the rest of his life. How sad! I tried so many ways and times to get him to realize that he should not be stuck in those past “failures” and that he still had a life to live, just in a different way. But not me-others-therapy could get him to become “unstuck” from those negative thoughts of his past.

So, what is the main point we can learn from “Remember Lot’s wife” in Luke 17? Do not let yourself be stuck in your past failures or wishes that you could go back! Sure, when I look back at my past, there are so many happenings-failures I wish I could go back and change. But I do not dwell on them in such a way that I cannot go into my future! I am not by any means perfect but have tried to learn from the past and live the rest of my life in service for the Lord, using the past to help (especially women) others to know that there is hope and they are not alone in their earthly struggles.

Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 tells us, “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul is one of those who could get stuck in his past. He had sought out and killed so many people who were serving the Lord. But yet he learned from those past atrocities and became a warrior for the Lord. He did not look back and become stuck. Rather he looked forward to his future, in which he could serve God and would be with the Lord one day in heaven.

When you are driving you cannot look back all the time or you are going to run into someone or something. You will be hurt! So, take heart- “remember Lot’s wife” and do not look back. She became a pillar of salt, forever in a pile of remembrances. Don’t become stuck in your past. It is human to look back and feel the pain, but don’t stay stuck there. Rather, learn from your past, and look forward, like Paul did to a better future knowing you are headed to heaven one day to be with the Lord! Respect the past, with eyes towards your future!

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-13, that He has a hopeful future for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

A pillar of salt. What a way to be remembered!

Till next time!                                                          Keela

ABOVE ALL

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (NKJ)

-Ephesians 3:20-21-

My mother’s favorited verse in the bible. What powerful, reassuring words!  This verse shows the majesty, the power, the actions above understanding, from our mighty God. The verse before it, tells us there is no way, in our limited knowledge, that we can understand the love He has for us. The word exceedingly, in the above verse, means: extremely. The word abundantly means: in large quantities, plentifully. Above all means: more so than anything else.

I feel like we try to limit the power of God. I feel God works in our lives every day in so many different glorious ways, whether we know it or not. There is no way we can understand the depth of that power. The Old Testament and New Testament tell us so many stories of men and women who experienced the unbelievable power of God in their lives. Let’s look at one of them.

In the book of 1 Samuel 17, is the story of David and Goliath. The Israelites were afraid of this giant. (verse 24) Manuscripts say he was 6 ft. 9 in. When David went up against Goliath, he did not wear any armor. It was too big and heavy. He could not even walk with it on! (verse 39) David only used a sling and a stone. Hit the giant smack in between the eyes and it sunk in and killed him. Did David all of a sudden pick up some stones and a sling and just hoped he met the target? How in the world could that have happened with just a simple, young shepherd? Well, you know the answer. God showed His power thru this young man in his life previously. So, David had the confidence that God would be with him now. The rest of the nation looked at Goliath and said he was too big to kill. David looked at Goliath and said he is too big to be missed! Verse 45-46 says, David talking, “…I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand…” How could David, a mere shepherd boy, have had such confidence? Well, let’s look at some reasons and then apply them to our lives and the confidence WE should have in the Lord being able to do more than we can even imagine.

David was a young shepherd. We sometimes think of a shepherd being meek and without strength. But in reality, a shepherd has to protect the sheep from all kinds of danger and predators. He loved his sheep. Looked for lost ones. A shepherds sheep hear his voice and recognize it. The shepherd guides them. Jesus is known as the shepherd. John 10:27-28 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them from my hand.” Jesus guides us, He protects us, He reaches out to us when we are lost and need help. In David’s case as a shepherd, this chapter tells us that a lion and a bear had come against his sheep. He had killed them with his bare hands! (verses 34-35) Thru the years before Goliath, God had been preparing David for this victory over this giant. He had probably used a sling shot and stones to kill off animals who were threatening his sheep. He would have had time to think, out under the stars, while taking care of those sheep and he grew in faith and confidence of his mighty God. David had time under those stars to think and prepare himself, realizing the mighty power of God. He knew that God was the reason for his victory over the bear and the lion. Verse 38 says, “…the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine…” Because David saw the works the Lord HAD done thru him, he had confidence and faith that God would help him NOW with this giant! He knew that God was working through him “…according to the power that works in us…”

Isn’t that true in your life as well? When I prayed that we wouldn’t have to lose our home from foreclosure and we lost it anyway, I did not understand. I had truly prayed in faith and confidence that somehow this would not happen to us. Now as I look back, I see why God answered my prayer with a no. We had thirteen steps in and out of our house. My husband, as time went on, had trouble getting up and down those steps. When he passed away, we had been renting a one level duplex without any stairs. If I would have still had that house, my kids and I would have to dish out a lot of money to fix it up and go through the hard process of trying to sell a home. God DID answer my prayer! Just not the way I thought. We pray asking God for something. But this verse even says what we are thinking. Even in our thoughts, when nothing makes sense to us, God can take care of us for our future. Even when we did not know that we needed Him. God takes care of us, answering us, working for our future, even when we don’t know what we will need. “…Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…”

Sometimes we treat God as a means to the goal, but God is going to use the deficiencies and happenings in our lives to show who He is and to show He is all powerful and truly in control for our good and for His purposes.

God can lead us just like He did David. We may not understand. We might ask why. We are like a sheep that needs to be led, because God can see the whole picture of our future. I am so comforted in the knowledge that He takes care of me, even when I can’t see. The verses before the ones at the beginning, are talking about the mystery that was revealed. The fact that Jews and Gentiles, all men and women, no matter what race, have God’s power to serve Him “…to all generations, forever and ever.” Thank you, God, as we can stand in Your presence and feel the trust and confidence that you have for us.  God has all power and “…to Him be glory…”

Even if we have had God say no to a prayer we have fervently prayed for, we have to realize that God is still working for our good. We have to have trust and faith in God and look back at the things that have been answered no and actually see that God did answer our prayers. Just not in our human vision of the now and the future. God knows what our life looks like in the future. We don’t know what our future holds, but we know Who holds the future. He is preparing us in the past and today for our tomorrows. Don’t put your hopes and faith in this world. Romans 8:31 reads “…if God is for us, who can be against us.” Don’t limitin your human mind the power that God gives us. Remember that He is always for us.  

Do not put a limit on God’s “…power that works in us…” He can work through you, a follower of His law. We can be assured by His power because God demonstrated this power when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead and placed him in a position of excellence far above any other power. God is always helping us every day. Maybe you are struggling: financially-with an addiction-pain physically or mentally-as a tired mother changing, it seems like, millions of diapers- working at a job that you don’t like. God is right there. He is helping us learn through the struggles, to give us strength-to give us patience-to give us a brighter future, even if it doesn’t seem possible or make sense. He does so much for us above all we can fathom. He can cause things to happen in our lives, that we never thought possible or even dreamed of. He puts His power, through the scriptures, in us, to fight against the devil and this world.

Now as I look back on my life and the stressful-painful-unbelievable things I have been through, I thank God for them. He helped me to rely solely on Him. He helped me become stronger in the faith. He taught me patience. He taught me sympathy for others going through the same struggles and that I need to tell my story so I can help others. He has truly blessed me beyond comprehension. He helped me realize that He can do exceedingly abundantly above all more than I could ever visualize for my life, because of the past events that I went through. I can rest in the knowledge of my past, knowing that God has been working through my struggles, using them for my future.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and put your hopes and faith in the One who “…is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” To Him be the glory!

Till next time!                                            Keela

(It will be a few weeks before I post another blog. My daughter, my four grandkids and two dogs are headed to my house, (from Virginia to Missouri) Saturday and Sunday. Please pray for their safe journey. Her Navy hubby has been deployed for nine months! They will be here two and half weeks! I have not seen them for just a little over a year, so needless to say I will be in my happy place! Thank you, our God! After they go home, I will fill you all in about the fun we had!)

FINGERPRINT OF GOD

Isn’t it amazing that we can be identified by our one and only fingerprint! I have only been fingerprinted once. That was when I took my cub scouts to the police department and they fingerprinted each one of us. (Were you thinking it was not as innocent as that?) Every person has a different fingerprint and the police can find a criminal by the fingerprint they have left on an item. God made each one of our fingerprints different, just like He made each one of us different. We are unique. We have different skin tones-different eye colors-different talents-different voices-different personalities. Think about that. There is no one like me. There is no one like you. (Of course, if you are an identical twin, you may have many physical traits that are the same. Maybe even acting the same.) But God created you and me as one of a kind.

There are many instances in the bible where it talks about the finger of God, the one and only God. Here are just a few.

1. Psalm 8:3 says “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.” He is the only creator!
2. Exodus 8:19 reads Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.” This was said by Pharaoh’s magicians during the third plague, which was lice. These magicians had been able to produce water to blood in the first plague and frogs in the second plague, but here they realized that these lice were a product of the one and only God.
3. Exodus 31:18 tells us “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 32:16 reads “Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.” The finger of God here shows the 10 Commandments were not the product of man, but the revelation of the Lord.
4. Daniel 5. Read this interesting chapter about Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar. He had a feast. He gave the gold vessels that had been stolen from the temple, by his father, to his guests. V.4-6 reads “They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.” (I laugh every time I read that! You, younger ones won’t know who I am talking about, but it makes me think of Don Knotts. He was on the tv show in the 60’s, called ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ and one of my favorite hilarious movies of that time called ‘The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.’ He is trying to impress a girl and stays in a haunted house. The end of the verse above, reminds me how he acts. ‘His hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other,’ when he becomes scared. Look it up some time!) The king calls for his wise men to come interpret what the finger of the hand wrote on the wall, making promises to them. They could not interpret it. The queen, told him about Daniel, who was able to interpret. He tells the king what the words mean and tells him that “…the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him…” Daniel tells the king that the one and only God sent this message.

All of these verses, point to the fact that there can only be one God. There are so many gods that people worship. There are so many objects of this life that we intertwin within our lives and hearts, that we start worshiping them instead of God. We spend more of our time thinking, watching, reading, taking part in, other things than we spend thinking, watching, reading, taking part in, of our God. There are many, many verses that tell us there is only one true God. Here are a couple. Ephesians4:6 reads “…one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come the Almighty.” 1Corinthians 8:6 “…for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

The finger print of God, is in our scriptures, our bible. The finger print of God, is in our everyday lives-directing us-loving us-pointing us in the right direction that we need to go. Pointing us to our future, for His best purpose of our lives. If we would realize that there is only one God and follow His laws that we read in scripture, our lives would be more peaceful, joyful and we would have more hope and trust in our one and only God.

Unlike our fingerprints that are all different, God has put His one and only, fingerprint on you and on me, making us one of a kind. We must follow the one and only true fingerprint which is of God.

Until next time!                       Keela

(The picture above is a handprint on my door going into the house from the garage, of my grandson, Owen, when he was little. My daughter and I were having a garage sale. He crawled in my garage and had black hands and knees from crawling on the floor. He pulled himself up to the door, leaving that little hand print. I drew a square around it with his name, so it won’t get cleaned off. I know that is crazy, but us nana’s do crazy things when it comes to our grandkids!!)

DEFINING OURSELVES

DEFINING OURSELVES

Recently, two sweet friends and I, went to the Women Walking with God conference, in Hartman arena in Wichita, Kansas. Once again, a beer sign was behind my booth. But it is an arena where so many events are held throughout the year, including ones they sell alcohol. So, before long I forgot that it was even there, because so many women came to my booth wanting to hear what my published books were about. I was able to tell them part of my story and several started to cry because they could identify with being a caregiver and the difficult road that involves. I would go around my booth, hug them, talk to them and pray with them. That is my purpose in having a booth there; to tell others my story and give women encouragement to keep on keeping on and not to give up hope in the midst of trials. (If you have never been to this amazing ladies’ conference, always held in the spring, go with me next year. It is a time to get away from everyday life-to find encouragement-be uplifted-participate in beautiful arena singing-a hilarious comedian, and an a carpella group. It is a time to refresh and renew our hearts and spirits for God!)

A few years ago, one of the speakers said she had talked to someone who felt like God would never forgive her for her thoughts, her sin, because she had done so much furthering the devil’s mission here on earth. She was defining herself by her sinful life. The speaker pointed out Paul of the Bible who committed terrible sins, but yet he was forgiven, which took away his definition of himself thru his sin and he went on to do amazing things. Saul, later called Paul, in Acts 8:3, “…he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” Acts 9:1 tells us “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord…” In the same chapter, the scriptures tell us that, God told Ananias, who was to teach Paul, that “…he is a chosen vessel…” And then later in that chapter, “Immediately he (Paul) preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Paul was a sinner, yet God forgave him and chose him to preach about Christ and go on to write some of the books of the New Testament. Paul was forgiven and went on to fulfill his God given purpose for his life.

God is a God of forgiveness and He has redeemed us. The meaning of redeemed is: to purchase. Jesus with His death on the cross, He paid the price to release us from the bondage of sin. Eph. 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” We are not defined by our weakness, but we are defined by the redemptive blood of Christ. We are defined by the fact that what Jesus did for us, gives us the fact that we are no longer a victim, but rather have victory and freedom from this world.

The lady above was defining herself by what the world called her: unworthy for God’s love and salvation, she thought she was unable to change, and was unforgiven. We look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves these lies making us believe God cannot accept us back into His arms. These lies make us feel defined by relationships of the world we have and what people think about us; surrounding ourselves with those voices we listen to, thus giving the definition to ourselves, like the lady above. The only true one who can define us is the one who created us, our Creator, God. The negative definitions the world give us are not what God defines us by. He calls us: worthy of God’s love and of the redemptive power that His love has-we are forgiven-we are beautiful in God’s eyes-we no longer have to live in fear of our future. We are defined by what Jesus did for us on the cross.

So many stay in that box of their past sins, also defining others by the definition they have of themselves. The world gives them their definition of themselves. These are the work of the devil. We are saved from hell by a new life in Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:17 tell us “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Romans 12:2 reads “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” My last blog, I talked about guarding our minds. Change starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world will produce a life tossed back and forth by culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time. We have to rest in the scriptures to help us thru those trials. Colossians 2:8-10 tells us “…put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth…put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge…” How do we renew-change our minds? We renew our minds, by reading the scriptures that give us knowledge of what types of people we need to be, in order to change our hearts and the definition we have of ourselves. Verse 11 of the same chapter, tells us some of the qualities a new mind should define ourselves with. “…put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another and forgiving one another…”

How are you defining yourself? Do you linger in the past sinfulness of the world’s definition or are you defining yourself by the promises that only our God can give us, knowing we are His child, and with that comes so much definition of who we truly are defined by. Today is the day! Change your mind and realize that the world’s definition, is Satan’s definition of who you are, and leave all that behind you. We need to reach to God’s definition of ourselves, which is full of promise-a new life in Him.

I hope that what she said, was a help and comfort to those in the audience who had told themselves the same lies. I pray that they realized that with setting a new mind towards God, through reading and meditating on scripture, that they could renew their definition of themselves. We must put away all the sins of the past and follow God’s definition of ourselves. Praise God, for Your promises and Your love!

Till next time!                         Keela

GUARD YOUR MIND

During those rough years when my husband was mentally and physically sick, he got angry about something. Usually, his reaction would be to go back to bed, but this time, he walked out the door and down the street. I thought, ok, he will be back soon. But after an hour, my mind started to imagine all kinds of things and I started to worry about him. I thought: what if he fell and is in a ditch where no one can see or help him-what if he got lost-what if he had a heart attack. My mind went to so many ‘what ifs.’ I got in my car looking for him, but I could not find him. I called my son and daughter-in-law and also called precious friends from church, who were always there for me. I stayed home, in case he came home, pacing back and forth and my anxiety grew with each step. My daughter-in-law found him walking, a few miles away. She tried to get him to get into her van, even opening the side door while she crept along. He refused to get in and just kept walking towards home. At least, he was going the right way. Once he got home, I lashed angrily out at him letting him know how worried we all were about him. Telling him to never do that again! He went back to bed. Was that the right reaction I should have had when I met him at the door? Probably not!

Have you ever had something happen to you, that caused you to get so worried that you started envisioning all kinds of bad things? Have you ever let your mind go to places that there was no way of getting your thoughts back? Have you ever reacted in such a negative way, by lashing out? I dare say, that everyone has at one time or the other. Philippians 4:6-7 is one of my favorite verses in the bible which has helped me through so many trials in my life. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus.” The mind, which God created, is such an amazing creation. It is said, we have 30,000 to 60,000 thoughts in a day. We let so many negative thoughts filtrate through our minds every day. We have to learn to clear our thoughts of negative reactions and not let them land there. Kinda like, when an airplane is cleared for landing or take-off. Sometimes, planes are redirected because of weather or a malfunction with the plane. We have to learn how to redirect our minds from all the negative “what ifs.”

In the Philippians verse above, Paul chooses to use a military term: guard. Our mind is a battle zone. We have to protect it from the forces that the devil tries to penetrate into our minds. Paul tells us in 2Corinthians 10:4-6, “For the weapons or our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” Our thoughts are at war! The media today is so toxic, feeding so much negative information into our minds, telling us we are too fat-too thin, too smart-too stupid, too ugly-too beautiful, not loved because of who we are and look like. The media tries to make us believe that we are not good enough for God to love us. These thoughts become our beliefs and are now part of our core, making them hard to push away from our minds. These thoughts hold us captive, causing many to turn to things of this world to make them feel better, even going so far as to lead to suicide, eating disorders and depression. These thoughts can cause us to spiral into the darkness.

Romans 12:2 tells us, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” How do we renew our minds? We have to allow the truth of God’s word to wipe out anything contrary to it. In Ephesians 6, God has given us the armor of God. “The helmet of salvation” is one of the forces we have to help us. This helmet protects and guards the brain. It protected the soldier from certain death. As the helmet protects the head, our hope in salvation protects our minds from Satan’s lies. The power of the cross through Jesus’ death, is our defense from Satan. We have to make the choice to defend our minds from all the negativity that Satan feeds us every day. We have to set our minds towards the hope we have through Jesus’ death on the cross, that we will leave this earth, with all its hopelessness, and live with Him eternally in heaven one day. The cross transforms how we think.

So, what should I have done when I could not find my husband?

1. I should have spent more time in prayer. I should have reached out to the One who can truly help me: my God and my protector.
2. I should have turned to God’s word. Read some of the scriptures that give me peace when my life was in turmoil.
3. I should have taken some deep breaths and tried to relax in the memory that God had always helped me through the trials in my life before.
4. I should have focused more on the fact that I had family and friends who were always there to help me and were helping me right then.
5. I should have remembered that there was nothing I could do at that moment. I had no control over the situation.
6. I should have not let that anxiety get such a root in my heart, that when we did find him, I lashed out at him.
7. I should have taken my thoughts captive and guarded my mind, realizing that it was a beautiful day and it was a good thing for my husband, who was normally in bed, to take a walk even if it was because he was angry.

    I am going to close with one of the verses I turn to during my hard times.

Psalm 27:11-14 “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies, do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries’ for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!”

The next time your mind wanders to all those “maybes,” bring it back into focus centering it on God’s truth. He is always there for you-God’s word holds peace if we just put our focus on it- take a deep breath and focus on talking to God. If you have let your mind wander to all the negatives, like I did, you are not guarding your minds with the tools God gives us in His word. Like I did, it is so easy to lash out at this world and its trials if we do not center our minds on God. God is true to His promises. We just have to fill our mind with God’s truth. It will guard your mind!

Till next time!                                                 Keela