Hello ladies, I thought I would post something that stemmed from a difficult week last week. <P>Last week I was becoming increasingly discouraged. I felt like what kept coming to my mind was the dark side of things. I felt so discouraged about myself and my spiritual walk and how far I had to go--how much I had to learn and in general dealing with myself. When one thing would surface, another thing would pop up and things I don't particularly like about myself were mushrooming in my mind and I was overwhelmed by so many things than I wanted to just sit down and cup my chin in my hands. I was beginning to feel hopeless to overcome things in my life because there were so many things.<P>I was confused. I knew of some of the issues I was dealing with, but I was still confused and in a swirl. This weekend I began to understand what was happening...I realized that I was being accused. What was the most discouraging about this whole thing was that I knew most of these things were true about myself. But I was reminded of the scripture about Satan being an accuser and a liar. Great and wonderful things are happening in my life and Satan wanted to come in and foul things up and stunt my growth. I was reminded of Job and how Satan stood in heaven and accused Job. But last week, Satan had decided not to go through the chain-of-command and to accuse me himself. While I do believe Satan is a liar and will accuse of falsehood, in my case last week, much of his accusals were true of me. I realized also that God does not condemn me and this was from Satan. When I understood what was going on, I still did not know what my response was to be!<P>Later in the weekend, I understood the answer. God is my high priest and He will answer for me. Satan needed to be sent to the throne of Jesus to accuse me and Jesus has a really good answer for Satan. Basically Jesus tells Satan to go jump in the lake which will eventually be the Lake of Fire-she's taken care of by my blood!!! God/Jesus have made it their own personal business to deal with me. <P>God bless!<P>HM

Melody,<P>Discouragement seems to be the mode of operation this week for the evil one. Some of us have been just caught "flat footed" and believed ever so briefly the LIE.<P>"And we, who with unveiled faces ALL reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" [II Corinthians 3:18]<P>That is my joy to day and I hope I can encourage you with the same. God says ALL of his children reflect his glory because they are indwelt by his Spirit. Nothing we do, just our postiton as his children. He is doing a work of TRANSFORMATION in each of us, with ever-increasing glory. He is making us into children fit for his Kingdom. <P>What a word to wrap our hearts and minds around in the day of discouragement. <P>I am convicted as well to begin to look for that glory in God's children.....its there, he says so. <P>May God encourage and strengthen you today with his mighty presence and give you hope that he is accomplishing much in your life.<P>Blessings, Taj

Taj,<P>Hello. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words Taj! Although I am mostly a reader in the women's area-I have really enjoyed it, been challenged and prodded at times by each of you here. I wrote my post hoping that it might help someone else too. Together, we can be interlocked to strengthen each other. This reminds me of Red Rover, Red Rover in grade school. When whomever it was tried to break through the unity of our interlocked bodies (and perhaps here interlocked spirits praying and interceding for each other), then it was much harder for that person to break through our line of strength.<P>The women's Bible study area is and operates that way--I've seen it here. Thank you for the role you have played and your committment here to helping ensure with others that this happens!<P>God bless and continue on my sister!<P> <P>Yes, what a challenge in that verse to drop our worries and cares which we even wear on our countenance so that with unveiled faces we could shine of Him!

Melody,<P>What a wonderful illustration of the power of the praying wife....Inerlocking of our spirits in prayer! What a wall of strength! I feel it, I've experienced it more times then I can count. Now you have defined it. PTL!<P>