Beware!

Twice in the matter of a second, my dog was bitten by a vicious rattlesnake. Now some folks may say the snake was scared, startled. They would reason, "That's why it bit Murphy." Maybe. Maybe that's true. But I know rattlesnakes. And from my experience they are aggressive, territorial. They don't give up their ground without a fight. Rattlesnakes don't retreat. Rattlesnakes attack.

God has an enemy like that. His enemy doesn't relinquish any ground without a full-on battle. His target: generally God's creation and  specifically God's people. People he considers a threat.

His purpose is to thwart God's plans and purposes. 

He aims to create chaos in the areas of relationships and health. He attempts to confuse in the arena of beliefs and behavior. Sex and sexuality have become a couple of his prime targets. He fights dirty. And...he is after that which we hold dear-our family.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could be prepared by seeing a red flag so we would know where an assault would come from? But usually there is little to no warning. Usually we are blindsided. 

But we can be ready. 

We can dress ourselves in the armor of God. But we must wear the entire uniform so we can stand firm. First we hold up our core with the belt of truth, cover our heart with the breastplate of righteousness,and get our feet ready to move with the gospel of peace. Then we go into defensive mode and put up the shield of faith and cover our mind with the helmet of salvation. Finally we move offensively and sharpen our double edged sword-God's word- and use it against our adversary.

Praying scripture is powerful.

Pick a piece of scripture and insert your child's name into the verse.  Pray your child desires to know God's truth, that his heart and mind are protected from evil Pray God woos him and grows his faith. Pray for a boldness and willingness to share his faith. Help your child to learn God's word so when trouble comes-and it will- he will be ready.

By the way, Murphy survived the snake's poison. And we can too. Because... we have a BIG God who calls himself- Savior.

In what areas has the enemy attempted to attack your family? How did you use God's word and prayer to fight back?

Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

Ephesians 6: 18b

The Short Cut

Just on the other side of the sink-hole is a driveway. In order to follow the road closure sign- it will take the owner an additional twenty minutes to access his lake cabin by going the other way. He could choose to go forward-take the short cut- and ignore the sign, but if he does his vehicle will end up nine to ten feet below the surface of the ground. My guess is he's pretty bummed about that sink hole and the inconvenience it is causing him.

However, if he is wise he will heed the caution in order to avoid an even bigger problem.

God gives us and our kids specific guidance too. Often we are tempted to ignore his directions and do what we think may be faster, better, or more fun. I guess it is in the human DNA. That is just what Adam and Eve did. They ignored God's directive to Adam, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when  you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2: 16-17).

Rather than avoid the tree, with the  serpent's clever tempting, Eve went right for the fruit while encouraging Adam to do the same.

Isn't that how sin often works?

We've been warned, we know it's wrong, listen to that little voice that says it's no big deal, then justify our behavior by dragging along another?

There is a saying that has been floating around that goes something like this: "I'm not the friend who will bail you out when you are in jail. I'm the one who will be sitting next to you."

Funny?

Not so much. Tragic really.

Encourage your child to find friends who will bring out the best in him and those he brings out the best in as well. These are life-time and live-giving friends. True friends.

Also train your children to recognize the enemy's voice. It often sounds like this:

You're only young once.

This isn't hurting anyone.

It's none of your parents' business.

It's not that big of a deal.

You're (insert age) you should be able to do it anyway.

Everyone else does it.

If no one finds out, no one will care.

Train your kids to listen to God's voice. God tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy and to put those things into practice (Philippians 4:8).

What lies has the enemy whispered to your child? To you? How do you recognize your Father's voice?

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice.

And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9

Let My People Go!

Friends,

Did you see the movie Taken? A sequel to that movie has just recently been released, Taken 2. It is one of Tom's favorite movies. Liam Neeson, former Special Ops, rescues his kidnapped daughter from being sold into sexual slavery.

Obviously this isn't a young family movie but it is one for adults to see. It brings the real issue of human trafficking to light.

This is evil at its worst. 
 

We are going to take a side step from parenting reflections and concerns today and talk about human slavery. This does relate to parenting  in the sense that we must continue to talk to our kids about safety, "Stanger Danger", and good and bad touches. Just the other day the eight-year-old son of a friend of mine was approached by a stranger. The man was even bold enough to drive into the family driveway, hold out some lollipops, and say, "Come with me. I'm not a bad guy." Thankfully, the child ran inside and told his mom. The man sped off but the police said he sounded like someone who had approached another boy earlier in the week. Jessica Ridgeway, a ten-year-old from Westminster, Colorado went missing on her way to school. Unfortunately her body was found about a week later. To date, her abductor-killer is still at large.

So sad. So scary.
 

Today my friend and author, Kathi Macias, is my guest blogger. She is passionate about raising awareness regarding human trafficking. Did you know this even happens in the U.S.? Her realistic, fiction Freedom series deals with this horrible but important topic. 

                                                       Let My People Go!

                                                       By, Kathi Macias

Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go.'

 (Exodus 5:1, NKJV)

The term “human trafficking” or “trafficking in persons” (TIP) often draws raised eyebrows and skeptical expressions—until statistics are laid out to show that approximately 27 million people are enslaved today,whether for the purposes of slave labor, prostitution, or involuntary organ “donations.”

The United Nations describes TIP in this way:

“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

In a nutshell, human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

          

Many people naively believe human trafficking happens only in faraway countries—Thailand or Cambodia, but it also takes place right here in the United States, to such an extent that some states are instituting task forces to try and stop it. Another myth about human trafficking is that it only involves adults. Millions of children around the world are crying out in pain and terror over the heartbreaking error of that statement.

Can there be anything that grieves the Father’s heart more than the forced enslaving of people made in His own image—by others bearing that same divine imprint? I believe each time anyone becomes aware of such evil and cries out against it, that cry is spurred by the Father’s own pain. If ever the Church needed to be involved in helping to right a human wrong, it’s now. Human trafficking must stop! And each of us who names the Name of Christ must ask the Father what He wants us to do to help make that happen.

In my case, that includes writing about it—every chance I get, including blogs, letters, articles, and a new fiction-based-on-real-life “Freedom” series: Deliver Me From Evil (Fall 2011); Special Delivery (March 2012); The Deliverer (August 2012). Will you pray for these books to be effective in reaching people and calling them to action? And will you also pray and ask God what you can do to answer His heart cry of “Let My people go”? Millions of enslaved human beings, including precious children like our own, are depending on you to respond.

 

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com; www.boldfiction.com; www.thetitus2women.com) is the award-winning author of nearly forty books, including the Golden Scrolls 2011 Novel of the Year and Carol Award finalist, Red Ink. She is also a popular speaker at writers’ and women’s conferences and retreats. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Al.

Don't Drink the Water

Well...you don't have to tell me twice. Actually you don't have to tell me once. Seriously, who would drink toilet water? Okay... besides Murphy (my dog).

Like a splash in the face, it hit me. I do. I drink toilet water. I pour all kinds of tainted things into my heart and mind. My thoughts, the things I view, or what I listen to can be poisonous.

Why do I do this?

I am a sinner.

But...I am a saved sinner. There is hope for me. God has given me the power to turn from sin, to run from it. I just need to tap into His Holy Spirit power, drink it in, and let it flow through my veins.

 On my own, I'm parched, dying but His Spirit is the life-giving, pure water-waiting to be consumed.

I pray my children will drink living water.

The college years are filled with toilet water, beckoning the kids to take a sip, next a gulp, then consume a gallon, finally it is their beverage of choice. They can't even taste the poison. (This can make a parent sick, heart-sick.)

If you find yourself in this position of hurting due to your young adults choice of beverage,

PRAY.

My prayer for my kids is any activity that does not honor the Lord leaves them thirsty. I pray they desire clean water. I pray that only Jesus can can quench that thirst.

The enemy may have won the battle but he hasn't won the war.

Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.

John 4:14

What to do if your child is being bullied.

The Lie

It is better to deal with dirt and grime immediately rather than later. Don't you agree? I find waiting means tougher scrubbing, built up scum, and possible stains.

 Life is like that, too. Dealing with our mistakes or sins or dealing with our children's mistakes or sins should occur sooner rather than later. The mess is  contained, easier to address.

There are times we may want to look away, not tackle the issues at hand.

Denial, lack of time, fear... all play a possible role in avoiding a problem.

I love how Jesus dealt with the woman at the well (John 4). He went out of his way to speak with her, met her where she was, demonstrated love and concern, and spoke truth. He timed it perfectly. He talked with her privately. No one else was within earshot. What a tender moment.

This is a tough thing to do, to love by showing mercy and grace while speaking truth. But that is what our kids need and frankly that is what we (by we... I mean I) need.

Our kids need us to take the time and to be brave. They need us to treat them respectfully during a hard conversation. If issues, big or small, are dealt with in truth and love there is a better chance of altered behavior and character growth. This approach will keep the relationship intact.

Don't listen to the enemy's lie, "If you address this problem you will lose your child."

PRAY.

Pray for your child's faith to blossom. Just as with the woman at the well, this is the main focus.

Then follow Jesus's example. Be truthful and loving in the midst of a challenge. And ...remember to be respectful so the relationship isn't damaged.

...keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

1 Timothy 3:9