Thinking on the Truth

Dear Reader,

I want to talk about thought life again.  Back in May, I wrote to you about how the enemy encourages the spirit of fear.  Now I want to draw your attention to another powerful tool used against us that starts in our minds, but untamed, can damage our relationships with others.  It may begin as the simple question, "I wonder what she thinks of me?"  With continued thought and a few days without talking, it might become, "She obviously doesn't agree with me."  That opens the door to, "Well, I don't need an unsupportive friend anyway."  And there, a friendship dies without any words except in the mind of the thinker!

This may seem far-fetched, but it reminds me of a friendship of my own.  One day, I revealed a political opinion that hushed my friend quickly.  I didn't hear from her for awhile after that.  I kept thinking about the conversation, growing angry that she dared judge me.  But instead of immediately addressing my concern (that she looked down on me) by talking to her, I let my anger fester, assuming the worst.  Thinking she judged me, I started judging her.  By the end of each conversation I had with myself, our friendship seemed to make less sense.

I finally asked her what was wrong, to which she replied, "Nothing." 

Oh, that made me so mad!  Of course something was wrong!  She wasn't acting herself.  She must have been really upset with me!  So I tried to pry her open to see the truth.  She met me with stronger resistance, and I stumbled backwards and landed on my crobar.  That hurt.  So I finally decided to give her some room, and we stopped speaking. 

Later, she revealed that my opinion greatly upset her.  I held fast to what I believed, angry that she had lied to me.  She held fast to what she believed...and I don't quite know what she felt.  But our friendship never picked up after that. 

Let me break down what we did wrong, according to the Bible:

I did not take my thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  According to the Word, all of my thoughts need to be obedient.  As soon as I started thinking harsh thoughts about my sister in the Lord, I disobeyed 1 Corinthians 13:4,5, which says, "Love...thinks no evil." 

I did not think on what is true (Philippians 4:8).  Even sooner than I started judging my friend, I forgot to think on what is true.  The Bible says that if a sister is sinned against, she is to go to the sinner and reveal the fault.  Until my sister came to me, I could not assume she had anything against me. 

I claimed omniscience only attributed to God (Isaiah 55:9).  When I decided what my friend thought, I presumed I had the highest knowledge. 

My friend let the sun set on her anger (Ephesians 4:26).  Though she eventually told me that I offended her (as prescribed in Matthew 18:15), she stewed in her frustration first.

We couldn't get over the pride of our opinions (Proverbs 16:18).  Because of this, I didn't speak to my friend for a year.  Though the Lord led me to reconcile, my friend did not wish to pursue our once active friendship.  What had started in our minds manifested itself in our lives, and now each of us has one less companion.    

With the boom in technology, we hear about what a powerful tool the mind is.  Yes, absolutely!  But too many people underestimate how the enemy can use it to distract or destroy God's people.  What happened between my friend and I did not build up the Body.  I regret my immature thought life, and though we "split" years ago, I wonder how much I've grown in controlling my mind since then.  Recently, I realized how heavy my thoughts felt.  The pressure of impressing people with my words and actions began taking a toll.  It seemed like I relayed to my husband concerns about others' thoughts, perceptions and presumed opinions every week.  I had been focusing on another Bible study, so I put away Elizabeth George's Loving God With All Your Mind.  But the Lord reminded me of the importance of thinking on the truth.  So I picked it up again a couple of weeks ago, and it will be my focus until I finish it (or until the Lord leads me elsewhere, whichever comes first!).   

I want to encourage you to train your brain with me.  Our human nature dictates our thought lives unless we teach ourselves to think on the truths of the Word.  Each lesson in my workbook for Loving God With All Your Mind asks the same question: "What can you do this week, in obedience to Christ, to think on the truth?"  And each time, I remember the importance of knowing the truth in order to think on the truth.  We need to read God's Word!  If we don't know what is true, how can we expect to think anything but lies?  So be diligent to read the treasures of the Bible this week and every week, and together we'll learn to think on what is true. 

Blessings,
adguglielmo

 

A Modification

Dear Reader, 

Lord willing, this will really be my last post on feminism.  It wouldn't be fair to you to end as I did when I've since been enlightened with more truth.  A great thanks to my mother-in-law for shedding the light on something new.  

Over tea last week, she asked me, "When do you think feminism began?"  "It was the late nineteenth century, around the Victorian period," I answered, based on what I had learned from high school history classes and The Feminine Mystique.  Then we turned to the New Testament:

"Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.  For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn.  But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered... Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?  But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her"-1 Corinthians 11:5-6, 14-15.

What authority does Paul have over hairstyles?  Why do women have to wear hats while praying?  And what does this have to do with feminism? 

If we look back a few verses, we will see the natural, God-given hierarchy in 1 Corinthians 11:3: "I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." 

God

Christ

Man

Woman

Now look back at the word "head" in red.  Given the context, we discover that a woman does not dishonor the head balanced by her neck when she prays uncovered; rather, she dishonors her husband, who is the head of his wife.  Feminism dishonors men.  Further, a husband who assumes the submissive role (in this case, by covering his head) dishonors his spiritual head, which is Christ. 

These verses pertain to our lives now and to the lives of men and women around 57 A.D., when Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians.  That means feminism has been around a lot longer than we read about in our history books.  I hadn't recognized feminism as such a prominent, ongoing form of disobedience.  Of course, the word of God addresses everything, and there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  Again, I thank my mother-in-law for leading me to the Bible for answers.  

From further research, I discovered many debates on the meaning of the first 16 verses of 1 Corinthians.  I found a helpful resource here: http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1844

While I don't agree with everything (like the pastor's disrespectful comment about the church), this sermon debunks many a question about these verses.  He made a great point about the natural order, saying that Christian feminists who believe women are not meant to be in submission to their husbands must also believe that men are not in submission to Christ, and that Christ is not in submission to God.  Why, then, would Jesus hang on the cross if He were not in submission to His Father's glorious plan?

Paul indicates submission by citing distinct physical features in verses 14 and 15 (women have long hair; men have short hair).  The women who were cutting their hair short defied the conventional appearances of women; in order to defy the natural order, they were shorn.  We see another action resulting from the flawed feminist attitude dating back far before the "roarin' '20s."  A woman's shaved head represented her insubordination, while a man's long hair indicated his nonacceptance of his role as the head of his wife.  It's not really about the hair!  During those times, those hairstyles did relay an underlying attitude.  But these days, a woman cuts her hair short because it's convenient, and a man grows it long because he skateboards.  I would say that's fine and good as long as they each have an attitude of submission to the headship of a husband and Christ.

Paul further emphasizes the different roles by telling women to cover their heads and men to leave theirs uncovered.  Does that mean we ought to show up to church in our Easter bonnets every Sabbath?  I should hope not!  Instead, knowing our roles of submission, we ought to cover ourselves modestly to bring honor to our heads.

These verses on head coverings always threw me for a loop.  I wondered why so few women in the church wore hats, but if I should start wearing one, too.  I now understand how these verses pertain to the roles of men and women and the ways in which we ought to be in submission.  I highly recommend listening to the sermon I used for reference (I read the transcript on an external site before discovering the audio!).  One of the best ways I absorb the word of God is by listening while cleaning my apartment; it helps me remember Whom I'm serving as I scrub the counters.  

Thank You for this day, Lord.  I pray that You will enlighten Your people to understand the words of Your mouth.  Help us to be in submission so that we may glorify You in the order You laid out for us.  We love You and praise You for all that You are and all that You are doing in us, God.  Amen.

Have a blessed day of discovery!

adguglielmo        

 

The Flawed Feminist Attitude

Dear Reader, 

 A few weeks ago, as I read more about some of the first textbook feminists (those who earned women the right to their wages and the right to vote), I became conflicted.  I had just proudly voted in the primaries, so I wondered how I could possibly condemn the women who fought for that right.  And where would I be, had I not been allowed to keep my wages?  How could I have afforded to move to San Jose before my husband and I became engaged?  How would I have paid for my apartment before we made the commitment to get married...and then live together?   

At the same time, I noticed a certain tone in modern people and publications.  In women, I found an air of significance and superiority.  I found an example of this in a statement about the rise in persecution of men, which was gleefully dismissed with something wicked like, "Oh, how the tables have turned."  In men, I discovered weakness and complacency regarding their roles as protectors of the family.  A Mercury News regular commended the new kick-butt girl movies hitting theaters ("The Hunger Games," "Snow White and the Huntsman," "Brave").  Then he went on to say that he would be the one wiping his wife's brow as she wielded a bow, complaining that he was tired of climbing up tall towers to save princesses.  What a backwards world we live in!

Our society no longer rears men but overflows with boys in the adult life.  It begins with the feminist attitude that says, "Anything you can do I can do better."  If that's the case, then why would a man provide for his family?  Woman can do it better, so let her!  Women can also pay for their own meals, drive their own cars and open up doors.  Really, what good are men?  

See the flawed feminist attitude? It's the key difference between those first noted "feminists" who were fighting to rightfully obtain equal treatment, and today's feminists, who are fighting to be better than everyone else.   For awhile, I wrestled with the knowledge that prior to the twentieth century, women were treated as lesser people.  For some reason, I couldn't comprehend that our society has not always been on a constant downward slope.  But I realized that there are peaks, as when our country liberated the slaves.  One of those peaks belongs to discovering the equality of men and women.  A steeper slope belongs to the idea that men and women were not created equally in the likeness of God. 

Most of my discovery has come from observing the world, talking with wise Christian women and knowing the Proverbs 31 woman had enough on her plate to make her equal, but not superior to a man (her husband was known at the gates, remember?).  I am thankful to live in place that recognizes equality, because I can't wait to vote in the presidential election this year (Your will be done, Lord).  But I'm still sad knowing the enemy's abundant perversion of truth, which encompasses today's feminism.  

I'm not sure why I began my study or what I expected to discover, but I am so grateful to the Lord for allowing me to understand.  I pray that you will understand, too, and that He will guide us to those who are lost, so that we may teach them His everlasting truth.  

What a journey...
adguglielmo   

Whatever Things Are True

"Whatever things are true...think on these things"-Philippians 4:8.

Dear Reader, 

This week I started on the workbook for Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George.  A friend gave me the book and its corresponding study back in December.  I read a few chapters then, and it helped me realize all of the lies the enemy puts in our heads (as did The Screwtape Letters).  At the time, I needed to get over a hump, and just reading the first couple of chapters enabled me to do that.  Well, then came the final weeks before the wedding, then the honeymoon, then all of the settling...I just didn't pick it up for awhile.  I've had the intention, but I didn't make the commitment until the Lord brought the book into multiple conversations and Biblical messages last week.  

So I've been thinking about the first chapter all week.  It hones in on the verse above, and, let me tell you, exercising this command has proven unnatural.  That may appear to be a strong claim, but here's a little on just one of Satan's tactics that he has been using in my life:

He puts morbid scenarios in my head.  I've only told my husband about a few of them, but I have awful daydreams without realizing it.  I imagine a loved one dying, or an emergency situation (in a less than preparatory way).  I imagine being in a serious car crash, or an intruder marching through the door to take me captive.  I've always had a vivid imagination, and I found that writing my Barbie's stories in my head was always more fun than making her play them out.  But I've also had a lot of years of sudden emergency situations, and I think the devil has a hay day using my memory as a tool against me presently.  When I was growing up, I can't count the times that the police came out to my house.  The call would come from a family member, a neighbor or myself.  And these things would happen in the middle of the night as likely as they would in the middle of the day (it was never safe).  I would be asleep and have school or work the next morning, and explosive yelling would ring out.  One of the most dangerous times was only a couple of years ago, before my mom separated from her husband.  It seemed like something happened every day or night.  I carried my cell phone everywhere, including into the bathroom.  I tried to shower quickly so I would hear a fight start and be prepared for whatever happened next.  I slept in clothes I thought I could run in, if I had to.  

Now I sleep soundly next to my husband, knowing I'm safe.  I sleep in the arms of the Lord, confiding, "What can man do to me?" (Psalm 118:6).  

But the enemy knows what happened for all those years, and before I've been able to remember to think on whatever things are true, new wicked scenarios and untruthful images run through my head.  Sometimes they're upsetting, and other times, I am numb because of how frantic my life once was.  But I know they come from the evil one.  

This book is a perfect, necessary read for anyone who has experienced trauma.  We get swept up in our thinking before we know it's all lies.  But we're not allowed to do that.  The Lord commands us to take every thought captive and put it under the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).  As He instructs us in Philippians 4:8 to think on eight virtues, He instructs us not to think on what opposes those virtues.  So we disobey God when we give in to thinking about things untrue?  Yes.  Like I said, especially for people who have undergone some form of abuse, it seems unnatural to think on what is true instead of our anxieties (powered by Satan), which direct our thoughts.  But it's unnatural to do any of the things the Lord commands us to do when we're in our flesh.  That's why we need to ask the Lord to help us to take our thoughts captive.  We need to ask Him to transform us by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  I looked up the Greek for "renewing" in Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, and came up with the word anakainosis, meaning "a renewal," which "stresses the willing response on the part of the believer."  This means it will be work.  We can't change our lifetime patterns of thought overnight.  But with the Holy Spirit working inside of us, we can think on the truth and leave Satan's lies in the dust.

Lord, I pray for forgiveness, because though I know what Your Word calls me to think on, I have forgotten and allowed my mind to run free when my thoughts ought to be captive.  Help me to take them captive, that they may be under Your authority, Jesus.  Help others who have been touched with trauma, that they may see that Your truths conquer the enemy's lies.  Direct us to Your Word when the liar starts speaking.  I pray that we will learn to always turn to You.  Amen.

I hope my anecdotes are helpful.  I don't feel sadness or anger when I relay them to you because I have forgiven those who created that past, and also because I long for the Lord to put to use that tribulation.  I want to comfort you as He comforted me (2 Corinthians 1:4), because He allowed the affliction for your benefit (verse 6).  

The Lord bless us and guide us together, 

adguglielmo          

Gratitude, Part Two

Dear Reader, 

This morning, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  I foolishly started the day without getting into the Word, and I ended up even grouchier.  Breakfast was a disaster!  I decided on waffles, but then the first one completely stuck to the iron, and there was no way to clean it off until the whole iron cooled.  Since I had the batter ready, I moved onto pancakes.  The first three flipped normally, but the fourth collapsed into a gooey mess as I attempted to flip it uncooked.  This flipping attempt followed a mess of veggie bacon that stuck to the pan like glue.  I didn't even get a chance to flip those.  At that point, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and cry.  Really, the situation was quite humorous, as my husband expressed, but I was in no mood to hear it.  

I don't know why some days start out grouchier than others, but I do know that there's an immediate way to change my attitude.  At a time when I endured near constant trials, I meditated on Psalm 118:24 daily.  It reads, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  I spoke that verse in my head over and over again so that I could remember to be grateful for what I knew would be another trying day.  I made it through that time, and only with His strength inside me (Philippians 4:13).  I sometimes forget how much my life has turned around, making it easier to take things for granted (how could I be grumpy waking up next to my best friend on a day that my Best Friend graciously provided for me?).  But then the Lord does something for me that I don't deserve, and I humbly change my attitude.

Today, He provided me with excellent customer service.  I worried that going shopping would make me even less patient, as it isn't my favorite chore.  But when we need something, somebody has to go get it! I asked just the right person about a certain product that wasn't on the shelves, as the brand was discontinued.  She hopped online and checked all of the stores in the country to find what I was looking for, and then spent 20 minutes on hold while someone in Utah checked the store's stock.  It turns out they had one!  So the clerk wrote down my information, waived the cost of shipping, accepted my coupon, and told me to expect it on my doorstep.  I had been looking for this product for months, only hearing from other clerks that if I didn't see it on the shelves, they didn't have it.  But someone went the extra mile to ensure that I got what I had been looking for.  I thanked her with much gratitude, and I let a superior know about her excellent service.  I would have felt so guilty walking out that door if I wasn't sure that employee would be recognized for her outstanding customer service.  

After I let the clerk know how much she blessed my day, I thanked the Lord for the woman's presence in the midst of my bad attitude.  I've been in a much better mood since.  God seems to put just the right people in our lives, even strangers, when we need them.  I am so humbled by the Lord's continual grace and blessings in spite of all of the things I do that make me undeserving.  He is so merciful, isn't He?  Thank You Lord, for always caring for Your children in spite of our ingratitude toward You.  There isn't a thing we shouldn't be grateful for, as You make everything work together for our good.  Please forgive me for starting the day blindly by neglecting Your Word.  Thank You for Your mercy.  Amen. 

I pray that you will be quicker to kneel before the Lord when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  He's given us this day, after all!

In His grace, 
adguglielmo     

Gratitude

Dear Reader,

In two days, I’m heading to my first women’s ministry event since I’ve been at Grace Bible Fellowship.  Since it’s my first time, I didn’t volunteer to host a table or speak (we’re having afternoon tea).  The focus of the event is gratitude (“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”-1Thessalonians 5:18).

Needless to say, I’ve been thinking on my thanks.  And I made an interesting discovery: Some of the things I’m most grateful for are the times God answered my requests with a “no.”  How strange!  Who would think that a denied request would bring the most blessing?  The Lord answered “no” when I so desperately wanted to go to a university after high school.  I flip-flopped between wanting to go to a Christian school and a secular school.  When I realized that I just couldn’t afford to attend a Christian college, I moved onto applying to other schools.  I started out of state, but that was too expensive, as well.  So I moved onto state schools.  Even then, I couldn’t make it work.  So I went back to my first desire to attend a Christian university.  I can’t tell you how many colleges I applied to in the two years after I graduated, or how many scholarships I wrote essays for.  I was desperate. 

Even after I started dating my husband, I wanted to live on campus at Bethany University in Scotts Valley.  I thought it would finally work out, and that it would be the way to get me down to the Bay Area where Josh was waiting for me…and then the school closed!  I was in shock when I got the notification.  Once again, my plans didn’t work out. 

Today, I can see just part of the work God needed to accomplish by saying “no.”  The first lead me to meet and move in with my father after nineteen years of separation (please pray that I will be a light to him).  The second allowed me to marry my husband when I did (had I gone to Bethany, I would still be living on campus; had I gone anywhere else, I wouldn’t have met my husband).  I can only imagine all of the ways the Lord protected me by not allowing me to have my own way.

 Lord, Your will be done (Matthew 6:10).  I pray that others will be quicker to thank You for saying “no” to their requests.  Thank You for showing me some of the work You’ve been able to do just by denying my selfish request.  You are good!  We know that all things work together for the good of those who love You (Romans 8:28).  Help us to be thankful for everything, especially our tribulation, as it teaches us to be more like Jesus.  Thank You, Lord.

 In His name,

 adguglielmo

Marriage Full of Hope

Dear Reader, 

This morning, I had good fellowship with a friend from church.  When my husband and I got engaged, she stepped up and offered to help keep us organized.  Anyone who has planned a wedding (especially in a short time period) knows the importance of being organized.  I got to know her as we met to discuss our progress, and she got to know a very cranky version of me.  Still, she pressed on, and in spite of the near arrival of her grandson (he was delivered four days after the wedding), she helped us to and through our "big day."  Needless to say, I was grateful to be able to sit down and really talk for the first time after the wedding.

Today, she and her husband are celebrating their 30th anniversary.  Where I come from, exchanging the wrong glance warrants divorce.  It wasn't until I moved to San Jose and started attending Grace Bible Fellowship that I really got to know people who carry out long and successful marriages.  Of course, that was my aspiration (and now my commitment) as I dated my husband.  But toward the end of our engagement, fear crept in and I started wondering if I would be able to accomplish anything but the cycle of divorce that runs generations deep in my family.  I knew that when I got married, that would be that.  After, the choice couldn't be whether or not to stay, but whether to allow myself to be miserable through our future trials together, or whether to accept everything from God with thanksgiving  (Ecclesiastes 7:14).  Obviously, the fear subsided and I realized that the Lord had provided this man to be my husband.  And I was able to step forward and make my second biggest commitment (my first being to God). 

Today, Josh and I have been married for three months.  Small potatoes, I know.  But anyone who has celebrated a 30th, 40th or 50th anniversary started out with one month, one year, one decade.  I so look forward to all of the milestones my husband and I will share.  Unlike the secular world, I am able to say that my marriage and my commitment before God will not fail.  Because Josh and I united on the foundation of Christ with the Holy Spirit dwelling within each of us, we will be able to live out our vowed love for one another.  We will struggle through the trials set before us together.  We must!  What is the alternative?  I know I didn't have one in mind as I vowed to love, honor and submit to my husband, til death do us part. 

I am grateful for my friend's openness about her marriage and the trials they have pushed through.  I admire her strength and will to submit to her husband in spite of his many years without the Lord.  Praise Jesus for saving Him several years ago!  It sounds like we're both working on the same things in our marriages, which teaches me that Josh and I will never be perfect.  But oddly, it's very encouraging to hear that even though my friend has been married for so long, she and her husband are still working together to be better.  I pray that I never reach a state of complacency in my marriage; I pray that I will always make growing together toward Jesus and glorifying Him my utmost priority.  And while that means we are bound to face trials and growing pains, I hope I will stumble upon this message again in the midst of that tribulation, and that I will be encouraged by my current vigor. 

I hope to encourage you, as well.  Always feel free to leave comments and let me know what you're thinking.  I pray that the Lord blesses you in your marriage as He has blessed me.  Remember today that intense hope and love you felt on your wedding day, and may you carry that through to an act of love (a simple kiss on the cheek will suffice) toward your husband.     

God bless you,

adguglielmo

Our Speech

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt..."-Colossians 4:6.

I just finished up the last lesson of my Colossians precept study.  I had never even heard of Precept Ministries before I signed up for the class.  But I had just been let down by the closure of the Christian university I had my eye on, so when I heard the class required a lot of homework, I, interestingly enough, couldn't wait to start.  My husband and I got engaged the weekend before the first class, and as we planned our wedding in three months, I didn't put as much effort into the study as I had hoped to.  However, I still yielded the great results of increased knowledge of the Word, as well as a more humble attitude before the Lord. 

This last day of study focused on our speaking to unbelievers.  Lately, I have been thinking about my speech.  If someone whom I don't know were to drop in on a conversation between my husband and I, between another saint and I, or between my mom and I, would he know that I follow Christ?  What if I didn't mention Christ at all?  Would there still be a chance that I would be set apart for my wholesome speaking? 

My guess is no.  Lately, the Lord has put it on my heart to watch the things that I say.  I don't mean curse words in particular, because those seem easy enough to avoid (I would certainly disagree if I were still in high school; thank You Jesus, for growing me every day).  I'm talking about content, the subject material of my conversations.  Are the things I say worthy of reaching the ears of my Father?  No, not always.  I think I've had a few conversations this week that the Lord heard and was pleased by.  But I know I've also had conversations in which words tumble out of my mouth before I can catch them, or worse, I speak in spite of the Holy Spirit's instruction to be quiet.  I cringe thinking about both of these, knowing that I can do better. 

For me, the struggle is a heart attitude.  What I have in my heart is revealed in my speaking.  If I have a bad attitude about something, it will inevitably show in my choice of words.  My first instinct is to wish that I could just keep it to myself.  But I know if I did, I would be without physical evidence of my heart issue, and likely hang on to it rather than address and demolish it.  I didn't understand this until I started writing. 

I asked my husband a few days ago what it means when he prays for the Lord to bless our conversation.  He asks this nearly every time we pray, but I never questioned what he meant by it until Tuesday.  He prays this so that our conversation will be glorifying to God, as I thought, but it wasn't until I heard those words that I felt convicted.  Is what I say glorifying to you, Lord?  I want all of my words to be seasoned with salt.  I want them to be flavored with the language of Your Word to bring glory to You and to teach others who You are and who Your people are called to be.  

In Ephesians 4:29, we read: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."  This is similar to the verse from Colossians above, which is preceded by this: "Conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity" (Colossians 4:5).  As believers, we have the responsibility of letting Christ reveal Himself in our actions and in our speaking.  And as you know, that is a really hard thing to do.  So I pray, Father, that You remind others as You reminded me that our speech is a way to glorify and honor You.  Bind the enemy who longs to push forth his thoughts from our mouths.  Let us speak only according to what You have revealed to us through Your Word.  Amen. 

Have a blessed weekend of wholesome speaking,

adguglielmo

About the Will of God

Dear Reader, 

Bear with me as I wait for further instruction and inspiration from God on The Screwtape Letters.

I want to talk about something inspired by the message I heard last Sabbath at church (http://www.gbfsv.org/).  The key verse Pastor Cliff used was James 4:15, which reads: "You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"  This made me reflect on what I know about the will of God.

First, we are to understand that everything is in the will of God.  Nothing happens that isn't allowed by Him.  This can be difficult to believe when we suffer hardship.  We wonder, How can the Lord expect me to endure?  How could He allow this for His precious child?    "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose," says Romans 8:28.  Even the hardship.  Especially the hardship.  It seems I asked myself for so long, Why do I have to suffer?  How come my family doesn't act like all the other families?  And as I grew older, resentment grew, and I just couldn't figure it out.  Even after I became a Christian, I looked at my friends' lives, at their parents who raised them in the way they should go, and I felt jealousy over the guidance and love they grew up with.  How come they have You and they get to have functional lives, Lord?  I've come to realize now that Jesus saved all of His people in the same way (by dying on the cross in the place of each of us sinners who accept His grace), but we don't all find salvation in the same way.  For some, it takes a lifetime of a willful attitude and sinful action before they see the Truth while lying on their deathbeds.  Murderers find Jesus in prison as they serve their life sentences.  Paul came to know the Lord after actively persecuting those who believed.  For some, it takes a lot of sinning to realize the abounding grace of God.  But for others, it takes the Biblical formula for how to live.  It takes parents who learn the Lord's commands and then teach them diligently to their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-7).  But maybe if I grew up in a Christian home, I wouldn't have the relationship I have with the Lord today.  So I am grateful for God's knowledge of my soul (Romans 8:29), and the blessing of enduring hardship in order to know Him.  Amen.

James 4:15 indicates that we ought to want His will to be done (also refer to Matthew 6:10). This can be tricky.  I am no expert on wanting anyone's will but my own.  My grandma kept a journal for me from the time I was a year-and-a-half old.  Her first entry, dated September 12, 1992, reads: "You...are very strong willed and aggressive.  You very much want your own way...I like to hug you or sing 'Shine Jesus' when you are especially naughty.  Sometimes I just laugh and tell you that someday Jesus will break that strong will of yours.  He certainly delights in making us gentle."  At such an early age, I showed my sinful nature and pride in my own way.  Now, when I seek to fulfill my will, I see that I am just acting like a toddler.  Just in the months since I've been married, God has been working to teach me to honor the will of my husband.  In my women's precept Bible study, we just learned the Greek for the word "submit," or be subject to, in regard to our husbands.  What interested me is that the key is willfulness.  This kind of submission is a developed will of a wife under her husband.  We are to desire to do the will of our husbands!  In the same way, we are meant to long for the implementing of God's will.  Again, we do not wish hardship on our families or ourselves.  But truly longing for the will of God allows us to accept with gratitude these trials ("In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"-1 Thessalonians 5:18).  

  

Father, I pray that you crucify our selfish desires today.  Help us to long for Your will, knowing that our submission brings glory to you.  Fill us with the truth that abiding by Your will brings us closer to You.  Thank You, Jesus, for your ready forgiveness for when we stumble and long only for what we want.  We praise You for Your grace.  Amen.

As always, may God bless you in everything you do today.

adguglielmo

On Forgiveness, Part Two

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth"-Colossians 3:2.

Last year as I was working my way toward marriage, I thought it would be a good idea to see a Christian counselor.  I knew the importance of preparing for such a permanent life choice because I had seen the results of what happens otherwise.  I wanted to get over my "coping mechanisms" and learn to be at peace in Christ, so I went on a hunt for someone who taught Biblical principles and instruction as a method of healing from abuse.  I didn't want anyone to tell me, "You look great!  I can't believe you overeat" (which was a similar response from the first counselor I saw), or "I'm impressed by you.  You've really overcome your tribulation" (which I've heard from people who view the choices I've made as petty in comparison to what some do as a result of abuse).  I wanted to tell someone exactly what kind of a sinner I was, and I wanted to hear what the Bible had to say about that. 

It only took two consultations before I found my guy.  He was a pastor for nearly a decade, had a counseling practice for over two decades, and a wife for even longer than that.  He had eight children (the youngest being my age), and when we weren't talking about me, we were talking about his kids.  I appreciated his emphasis on family, as that is what I couldn't wait to build.  So we met and talked for about three months.

I promised myself that I would be completely honest.  I truly wanted to "heal" and move away from the resentment I had built up over the years.  I didn't want to start a family on the foundation I had grown up with, but on the foundation of Christ.  We looked up a lot of Scripture, and I was assigned a lot of homework.  It started with dissecting Bible verses, but it turned into a lot of writing about events from the past.  I had always liked journaling, so I had plenty of records.  But the point wasn't to disclose to my counselor what had happened.  The purpose was to draw out my feelings about my family and the hurt I felt by the choices my parents made.  I have documents called "10 Things Being Robbed Of My Childhood Did To Me" and "List of Ouchies" (literally a compiled list of all the wrongs my parents had ever done that affected me.  Well, I had started with my mom, and by the time I was finished, I was too exhausted and upset to attempt to think about what John had done). 

This is where we went wrong. 

When I moved to San Jose last summer, part of me thought I had left all of my troubles behind.  My counselor had warned me that would not be the case, but I couldn't imagine carrying all of my baggage with me.  In reality, I just couldn't blame my family for my actions anymore, because they were all of 682 miles away. 

I started going to a Bible study a couple months after the move, and that's when I heard the truth I needed to hear.  Colossians 3:1,2 directed me to Christ rather than myself.  The chapter continues, "For you died, and your life is hidden with God in Christ" (v.3).  What does this mean?  I am not to go on dissecting this life, because it isn't my true life.  I am not to be inward-focused on how my parents made me feel.  When my counselor had me do these activities, I couldn't figure out why "letting myself feel" didn't stop me from hurting myself anyway.  I would cry during our session, but they weren't healing tears.  Rather, they turned to hot anger the next time my mom and I spoke, preventing my heart from forgiving. 

I praise the Lord for opening my eyes to His Word.  Oh, how opening my Bible has opened me to true life with God in heaven!  I couldn't have forgiven if my thoughts had remained on my hurt.  But knowing what Christ has done for me, finally having the eyes to see it relate to everything, has allowed me to forgive.  Praise the Lord! 

People can't heal people.  God heals people.  He does it in different ways, through different Scripture and experience and study.  I thought I had done everything I could possibly do to heal, and I felt hopeless against my habits.  But one day, the Lord showed me something different, and everything changed.  Oh Lord Jesus, thank You for Your work in my life!  I praise You for the blessing of eternal life with You, and the knowledge that in You, my true life lies.  I pray today that everyone who reads this will know or come to know this truth.  In Your name, amen.

May the Lord bless you as He has blessed me,

adguglielmo 

Screwtape and I, Chapter Five

I don’t know much about war, but that it results from sin, and therefore seems a playing field for Satan. However, in this chapter, Screwtape urges Wormwood not to become too excited over the approaching World War II. He tells his nephew that war draws people to think of death, taking away from “contented worldliness,” which the devil works to cultivate in people in order to gain followers. If we’re content here, what vision of the future could we possibly wish for? Will our eyes be set on the things above if we’re living for the perpetuation of the earth?

 Again with that distraction! I’m coming to see what a powerful tool it is. Back in chapter four, Screwtape writes, “It’s funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds; in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” If we don’t know the truth of eternity, what else could we live for but each day? War brings to mind the possibility of the end of a life. Whether you’re thinking about yourself or your spouse or your brother, you’re enabled to see life’s frailty (this life’s frailty). But the devil doesn’t want us to think about that! He wants us to seek every pleasure to our fulfillment, having no vision of consequence. But when we seek those pleasures, we are never fulfilled. We will not be satisfied until we reach eternity with the Triune God (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

While it seems that war would be the devil’s ultimate tool to drag people to hell, God works even in the utmost evil. Because war opens eyes to the potential of death, we have to address the inevitable question of the afterlife. Where are you going to go? Let’s think like those in combat, and ask the biggest question of life: Where will you be once this short life is over and we begin in eternity? Where will our friends and our families be? While it is truly up to God who is written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5), it is our responsibility to ask the question. It’s not something worth waiting for. As those who face the very real potential of death in war, we need to ask, Where am I going? and Where are you going? Let’s not allow Satan to withhold things from our minds. Yes, it seems as though there’s always tomorrow to ask your friend where she’ll be in eternity, but that may not be true. Give her a chance while she still has one. Pray with me today that we will have the courage to ask others the most important question they will every answer. Do not fear the reaction of man more than the fate of their eternal lives. Let’s stand together in our evangelization!
God bless,
adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter Four

In Screwtape’s next letter, he encourages Wormwood to drive praying for a feeling into his patient.  Screwtape writes, “When they meant to pray for courage, let them really be trying to feel brave.  When they say they are praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to feel forgiven.  Teach them to estimate the value of each prayer by their success in producing the desired feeling.”  Have you ever done this?  Have you ever felt heavy laden with sin, turned to God in repentance, and still felt guilty?  Did that continued guilt seemingly indicate a failed prayer and unforgiveness from the Father?

We well know that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).  Have we thought about how he tries to enter our prayer life with these lies?  If he can’t prevent us from praying, he will try to push his way into our conversations with God by encouraging us to pray the wrong way.  When we pray for forgiveness, we want our sin to be wiped clean, but our human nature calls for that pacifying feeling in order to know that we’ve been forgiven.  The truth is, though, whether we continue in guilt or we feel that our sin has been washed, if our hearts truly repent, we have been forgiven.  Sometimes I am glad to quickly move away from my sin, and other times, the guilt lingers.  But that lasting feeling that I’ve done wrong serves the purpose of reminding me not to do it again.  

Speaking from my own walk, I think sometimes Satan has an easy time of focusing our attention inward on our emotions.  He teaches us to think of our present state of mind as “reality,” calling us to focus in on whatever we feel at present, tricking us into seeing only a brief moment in time rather than the whole picture.  When we think thusly, we don’t always see impending consequences for what we say and do in these moments.  Do you find yourself reflecting on the devil’s strategy, only to fall into the easy snare the next time you’re upset?  I do.  After an argument or a short temper, once some resolution is made, I feel so silly!  Tricked into believing in feelings again.  That’s not to say I don’t believe in the value of emotion.  The Lord created us to emote and connect with others because of feelings in common.  However, feelings leave us, and the Truth doesn’t.  Remember this.

Keeping the perspective of what feelings are in relation to everything else will help us stand against the devil when he tells us our prayer is ineffective because we don’t feel better.  Remember, he doesn’t want you to pray.  He wants you to think that your prayers mean nothing so that you will stop praying.  But don’t stop!  Don’t stop, even when you think God can’t hear a thing.  He hears everything, and He wants to hear more.  Please don’t be deceived.  Pray with me today that we will keep praying in spite of how we feel when we pray.  Pray that we will be able to keep our emotions in perspective, and always see beyond to God’s true Word.  

God bless you today and every day, 

adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter Three

The third chapter addresses “domestic hatred.”  A common phrase denotes this equal-opportunity attack: “Familiarity breeds contempt.”  In households lacking Christ, this often leads to a ripping apart of husband and wife, toppling what was not built on a firm foundation.  Or we end up living at odds with our natural family, picking apart tiny offenses.  Screwtape encourages Wormwood to focus his “patient’s” attention on those annoying habits his mother has, teaching him to believe that she does them to spite him.  

I can say I’ve easily fallen into this trap.  My sister keeps singing that song she knows I hate!  My mom knows it bugs me when she doesn’t answer her phone, but she never seems to pick up when I call!  These seemingly harmless actions can turn a family upside down for a time.  How silly it is to think so highly of ourselves that everything everyone does has anything to do with us.

The enemy can wreak havoc on a family, if we let him.  The difference between a marriage of believers and a marriage of non-believers is the foundation (whether one exists or not).  Those who marry under God have the foundation beginning with the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22).  At times, it may seem like there’s nothing they can agree on.  But then they’ll agree on Christ!  And if Christ is the agreement, everything is settled.  Unfortunately for a couple who doesn’t believe, there may be a time when there’s nothing they can agree on, and that’s where it ends.  There’s no Mediator or commonality between them.  

“Familiarity breeds contempt,” but the Lord Jesus Christ triumphs beyond selfishness and human nature.  Scripture commands us to “be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on [our] wrath” (Ephesians 4:26).  While sinful people grate on sinful people (therefore binding us to some annoyance resulting from our sinners surrounding), we are told to resolve our conflicts before the day passes.  When we take our time to forgive or ask for forgiveness, we give the devil a longer deception period.  He wants us to have time to think so that he can inject his own thoughts, sometimes slyly enough for us to believe they belong to our minds.  When my husband sees a conflict forming, he immediately wants to resolve it.  It takes me a little bit longer.  My natural family was never quick to address issues, so I carried that with me.  But I so appreciate my husband’s diligence in not allowing the enemy any time to warp our thoughts.  When I look back on family arguments lasting any time span, I can see where the enemy took the liberty of including his paragraphs in our speech.  Often, the original conflict got lost in Satan’s injections. 

As believers, we don’t want to give place to the enemy in our lives, but he’s very good at creeping in, especially into a family.  He wants to tear us apart.  He wants to deceive us into thinking that we are, in fact, fighting flesh and blood (contrary to Ephesians 6:12).  But we must realize that, yes, our family of sinners will do something to make us angry.  It’s best to catch this at the beginning of an annoyance, realizing that Christ’s followers are too distracted by Him to be doing anything to intentionally bother us.  If the annoyance gives way to open conflict, be aware of the devil’s purpose (go back to 1 Peter 5:8).  Don’t let too much time pass before you remember.

Pray today that we may remember our family is made up of sinners, including you and me.  Pray that we may get to a place of repentance quickly if we offend our sister; pray that our heart easily forgives our brother for his offence.  Let’s walk humbly before the One who humbled Himself on the cross.

In His name,

adguglielmo     

Screwtape and I, Chapter Two

The second chapter of The Screwtape Letters brings to light our need for humility in regard to the church.  Mr. Lewis uses Screwtape’s guidance of Wormwood to call into question our thoughts about fellow Christians.  I know that my thoughts have been turned away from the Word being preached in the pulpit by each of these: What I think is inappropriate clothing to wear to church; voices singing out of tune; the breath of the person sitting next to me; that weak handshake; that lack of note-taking; the Starbucks cup of the attendee who walked in late…the list continues.  Oh, how easy it is to be of a raised mind!

But we’re called to “esteem others better” than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).  However, we know very well, because of our fallen thoughts toward our brothers and sisters, that Satan does not want us to consider others better.  Satan’s division starts in the minds of men.  Once he gains a foothold and is able to control our thoughts toward the people of the congregation, he can dictate our thoughts about the Church, which would, at its worst, determine our thoughts about the Lord (if we despise the Bride, how highly do we think of the Groom?).

As in “Letters,” a romantic notion of what the church body ought to look like can distract and discourage us.  The unnamed temptee finds himself subconsciously disappointed by the common garb of believers when he first goes to church.  I have found myself not only distracted by clothing I deem inappropriate to wear to church, but also by clothing I find exactly appropriate.  I have looked at an unknown member of the Body in admiration because of her pristine dress, and formed an ideal of a Christian woman based on that appearance.  How fleeting these wicked thoughts are, but they are present.

Reading this novel brought to my attention the countless lies that stream through my subconscious every day.  Because hatred and sin begin in the mind, we must bring all of our thoughts captive in the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Humility is defined as humbleness of mind (Greek: tapeinophrosune), a mind in which we cannot exalt ourselves above the Saints.  I pray that today we are able to see not the faults of the sinners whom we abide with, but that we see the sins of our flesh, praising God for His grace.  I pray that we ask God for humility of mind, taking each thought captive, growing in the ability to visualize the beauty of the Bride.  We are the Bride!  Praise the Lord for our journey toward glory and perfection. 

In His name,
adguglielmo

Screwtape and I, Chapter One

In the first chapter of the C.S. Lewis novel The Screwtape Letters, Uncle Screwtape, a seasoned tempter, begins his guidance of his novice demon nephew, Wormwood.  Wormwood’s mission is to keep his “patient” out of the Kingdom of Heaven by way of seducing him toward the destructive and away from the spiritually beneficial.  The first mention of this man being led astray amounts to Wormwood’s guidance of his reading.  

What can we say about our reading?  What about our TV consumption?  Are we under the influence of a Wormwood when we seek entertainment?  Before I dedicated my life to Christ, I had a great taste for teen and gossip magazines.  In fact, I had fantasies about moving to New York City and writing for one of them.  It all seemed so glamorous.  But now I think about how the material influenced me, and I look regretfully at the past before I knew Jesus.  Satan wants our minds to be full of the words of men and not the Word of God.  The enemy knows the truth of his inevitable defeat, but he doesn’t want us to know that we’re coming with him if we don’t accept the Truth.  So he distracts us with the shiny objects of entertainment.  

After I became a Christian, my grandma asked me how I could still watch horror movies.  I had always been a fan, and that didn’t change with my dedication to Christ.  Nearly five years later, I don’t even want to think about them.  If a commercial comes on advertising the latest thrasher, I have to turn it off.  I’ve even had to turn off my radio because of an ad.  While there were some things I was glad to throw off my old self, most of it was-is-a process.  And of course it is when Screwtape stands at the ready for an opportunity to consume us!  Very occasionally, I’ll suggest to my husband that we watch a scary movie.  That scares me most because I know that urge didn’t come from me.

The Word tells us to set our minds on the things above, not on the things on the earth (Colossians 3:1).  This is in order to avoid temptation (if we see the treasures of heaven, what heart remains on this earth?).  The Scripture continues to say “you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:3).  If our life is in Christ and not here, what value are the things of this world?  

The enemy tempts us with wicked forms of entertainment because it’s so available.  It’s common to want to see that box office hit rated R for strong sexuality and crude language because, well, everyone else saw it.  But be aware of Screwtape and his nephew behind that desire.  Remember that Jesus did instruct us to “pray, lest [we] enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).  He knows that Satan prowls “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  So today, pray with me to avoid temptation.  Let’s acknowledge that we are not left alone with our thoughts, but that Satan’s minions await an opportunity to take our human desires and put them to work for his kingdom.  But be of good cheer!  Jesus has overcome the world.

In His name,

adguglielmo

About "The Screwtape Letters"

Dear Reader, 

I recently finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and immediately wanted to start reading it again.  The Lord gave Mr. Lewis a wealth of insight regarding the extent of the enemy's influence on our lives.  I thought it would be beneficial for me to reread Letters while taking notes on how some Screwtape has personally lead me astray.  I want to publish this reflection with Scriptural commentary to offer anyone reading an opportunity to delve further into the specific temptations mentioned in the novel (if you haven't read it, find a copy and do so!).  

Please pray that the Lord will provide me with insight so that I may encourage you.

Have a blessed day, 

adguglielmo

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

We All Need The Seed Of Truth

Dear Reader,

I don’t want anything more than what anyone else has, so it saddens me to see such great deprivation in my neighbor, in my peer, in my kin.  What’s lacking is the presence of Christ. 

We each have a heart that will either be filled or remain unfilled by the presence of the Holy Spirit at the time we perish.  As Christians, we are called to evangelize so that unbelievers will become filled with the Spirit, leading to eternal life with God in heaven.  Not every man will be saved, as Scripture indicates.  So I wonder:  Do unsaved people feel empty?  Do they know that something (Someone) is missing?  

When I am in the Spirit, communing with my Father, I am full.  But in myself, I am incomplete. I feel unfulfilled.   This is not an indication that Christ does not fill me, but rather a revelation that I am not enough.  Christ is enough.  He is Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

How can anyone outside of this hope and fulfillment live?  The answer is distraction.  Satan uses it as a powerful tool of persuasion for those who don’t yet know the Lord. Unbelievers live in a constant state of ignorance about the spiritual battle that is continually won against them.  It’s hard to see our friends and families turn to substances and ill-suited people as a means to satisfy the longing they unknowingly have for Christ.

Our Christian duty is to plant the seed of truth, that is, Jesus’ death and resurrection and His resulting Spirit which is to dwell in us, guiding our actions toward that which will glorify God.  Without this knowledge and without the care of we who walk in Christ, and mostly, without the salvation that God grants those who believe in His Son, there is no hope for an unbelieving soul.

It is painful to look at an unbeliever and know the riches he misses out on every day when I wake up to the presence and fulfillment of Christ each morning.  So I pray that the Lord will teach me how to represent Him on earth, so that others will long for eternity.  And that is also my prayer for you: That God will give you the desire to plant that seed of truth.  

In His name,

adguglielmo

Truth

Dear Reader,

Below is an edited excerpt of something I wrote in 2008, early in my Christianity.  I had forgotten about it until my grandma drew my attention to it this morning.  I went back and reread, editing for clarity and the truths that I’ve since found.  I hope this blesses you. 

 

"My Papa has told me countless times that as a journalist, I have a duty to mankind. That duty is to teach truth. Truth is not always the tip of the iceberg, but it is always present, with a little seeking. At times it is completely submerged underneath the waves of false truth and imitation, and it takes more than a little seeking to find; it requires the complete will ("Come near to God and He will come near to you"-James 4:8). Some find this difficult to comprehend. Many times I’ve heard, "I'm trying to find God but I don't know where He is." My answer? It's hard to see the sun through the clouds. Sin darkens our beings and shades our sight of the Lord. In other words, one cannot continuously sin without a repentant heart and expect to be close to the sinless One. Our Spirit is strong inside of us and will send a pang in our hearts when we sin.  But after repeatedly ignoring instruction from the Lord, His voice starts to seem quieter. In no time, it can even appear that God is no longer present. But He is; He’s there waiting for us to heed His instruction on how to live. (He lived perfectly, remember?  The One who lived a sinless life is the One who truly knows how to live.)

 When I came to Christ, I experienced something so unbelievable that I wish I could feel again.  It was an incredible humbling. I kept thinking, how could He die for me? How could Christ love me so much that He would die for ME, sin-soaked and confused and imperfect as I am? That was when I really grasped for the first time the love that God has for me. 

My most passionate love for God unveiled itself when I had to let go of someone I loved. I experienced heartache that could have overpowered me and carried me away. Instead, the Lord’s presence became intoxicating, and Jesus was my best friend.  I would ask Him why He took away the one thing I thought I had a right to.  He showed me that I don't have a right to anything but to worship my Father and glorify Him in everything that I do because of all that He has done for me. Life’s unfair.  I don't deserve unconditional love, and yet, God continually fulfills His promise to love me. Thank you, Lord.

 Having an intimate relationship with God makes me certain that His Word is true. He wrote the Bible through man and blessed us with His guidance through this life toward the next.  He is a lawgiver, but He is also a friend, a lover and a ceaseless forgiver (oh, He is so full of grace!).

 I have seen so many things in the mere year that I've known the Lord. I am not capable of loving without God, because God is love. When I read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, I realize that there is no way that anyone can ever love in the flesh; God’s standards are unmet in our humanity.  But Jesus embodied love as He lay dying on the cross. He thought of us who were to be saved, and He gave up His body to be broken.  For love!

Because of this perfect love, we are able to love through Him, and because we love, we will live."

  

-adguglielmo 

 

Life in Christ

Dear Reader, 

This blog is devoted to recording life in Christ.  I have lived long enough to graduate high school, marry my husband and, most importantly, realize that there is no life outside of Christ.  Because this rich blessing has been bestowed on me (that is, an intimate relationship with Jesus, our Savior), I am inclined to share my walk with you as a source of encouragement and fellowship.  

I will close with Scripture that made my heart long for eternity this morning.  Have a blessed day.

-adguglielmo

"The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words"-1Thessalonians 4:16-18.