Our Only Offensive

I'm not going to lie. I'm TERRIBLE at reading my Bible and getting things out of it. I know what the problem is, too. I'm lazy and selfish. I want to watch "Gilmore Girls" or read one of my several crazy YA books (for the umpteenth time). But I really need to get back into reading the Bible. So the other day I read the section in Ephesians 6 about putting on the armor of God. I've read it many times before, but something stuck out to me this time. I wanted to go through each piece of armor in depth and really 'get' what it was about. Now, I'm sure that these revelations for me will be 'duh' moments for you. 

The body armor of God's righteousness: God's holiness is what covers us. The body armor protects us from the blows the Enemy throws at us. It's main purpose is to prevent amputation and decapitation in battle. Without God's righteousness covering us, we don't even stand a chance.
The belt of truth: We should secure His righteousness around us with the truth and the knowledge that He is the holy Lord. When we doubt the absolute truth of it, His righteousness slips. He continues to cover us, but WE feel less secure in Him.
The helmet of salvation: Let's face it, without a head, we're pretty much useless. And without salvation, we can't fight in the unseen war. The salvation through Jesus is what protects our mind from Enemy intruders. We have to be careful what we see, hear, say, and think.
The shoes of peace: I imagine going into battle is scary. You don't know for sure if you'll survive it. The peace of the Good News should guide our steps so that even if we should (and do) fear what's up ahead, we can go forward knowing God is in control. Without that, I'm not sure we'd ever move.
The shield of faith: Armor is necessary. So is a shield. It is the closest thing we've come so far to a weapon in battle. Granted, it may not be a great weapon, but it can protect for sure. If our faith is strong, so is our shield. If our faith is weak, it might as well be made of plywood. The battle is continuous, and the Enemy knows just how to attack us. We have to always be on our guard, and part of that is being strong in the faith.

**The sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word** This is the part that really got me.
So far, all of the pieces of armor have been for defense. They have helped us survive. BUT, without the Bible, without being fully immersed in His Word, we are always being attacked. We never gain ground. We are just trying to make it through another day. God's Word is our offense - our sword. If we are ever going to feel like we are gaining ground, defeating the Enemy, and not just being bombarded, we have to read the Bible and use it as our guide. I wouldn't go into a battle without a weapon, so why am I walking day by day into a spiritual, unseen war against me with the ultimate enemy leading the helm WITHOUT a sword!? I want this revelation God gave me to change the way I read the Bible and the frequency I read it. 

Many Plans

I've had many plans recently. Big plans and little ones. I've wanted to make a tree skirt, make a cushion for this old rocking chair in the boys' room, make a cushion for the glider in the backyard, make a "ghost garden" for Halloween, finish the attic, take the kids to Disney World, and adopt. I'm sure you can sort the plans into big and little on your own. Eric and I have been talking about adopting lately. I love my boys, and I wouldn't trade them for anything, but I still don't feel like our family is complete. I would really like to have a daughter.

Call it motherly instinct or whatever, but there are things I'm sad about missing out on with only boys. And as Eric pointed out, most of them involve dresses or accessories. I always envisioned myself having a house full of girls -4 to be precise- and ended up with a house full of boys. I want to buy those adorable little dresses and headbands. I want to be able to take prom pictures of my kids (since they're always at the girl's house for the big reveal). I want to go wedding dress shopping. I want to paint fingernails and cook together. Yes, I know that boys can cook, too, but it's different. God calls his children to adopt and care for those in need.

The thing is, the house we just bought has only 2 bedrooms. I love our house. It's cute and charming and amazing. But it only has 2 bedrooms. Not really any room for another child. Thus the idea to finish the attic and turn it into 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom. It's not a terribly big attic, but I think two smallish rooms would fit up there. If we did that we'd also have to make a staircase. This seems like it's going to add up pretty quickly. We don't have an estimate or anything yet.

As I was thinking about all of these things I want to do, I realized that even though there is a lot up in the air concerning some of these decisions, someone already knows what's going to happen. God is already 5 years down the road in my future. He knows if I have a job in Jones County, if we have another little one added to our family, if our attic is finished or if we're even in the same house. He knows it all. And while I still struggle with my personal timeline, it's comforting to know that nothing is going to be a surprise for God. That He's going to see our family through everything.