Let me get on my soap box for a while......

I find myself getting more and more infuriated as Halloween nears. Last week I drove up to a local restaurant to get a coke and noticed that they have decorated their establishment with the sights of blood and horror, it made me sick to my stomach and had to switch slots so that my children would quit asking questions about what happened. We went to Sam's couple of weeks ago and our little Avery who is three was hiding her eyes because the scary infaltables that were in the aisle scared herand walking into our local grocery store I see that the scenery had changed to haunted houses and goblins. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for the kids dressing up as princesses and cowboys and attending a carnival ( I thank God that my church offers my children an alternative to celebrate the life of Christ instead of the evil works that really do happen on this particular night). But, when we live in a society today that is suing people over the display of the Ten Commandments and nativity scenes, come on people...get it together. It seems that we have no problem displaying frightful images to burn into the minds of our innocent children but have a problem with displaying the birth of the man who SAVED YOUR LIFE!!! The spirit of fear is alive and grabbing everyone it can get its hands on. You don't have to be a certain age for Satan to sink his claws into you....it starts when we take our first breath of life on this earth. Satan is walking this earth just waiting to lure you in and this is his prime season and oh how he loves to attack our children. Just this last week my daughter was invited to attend a Halloween party. Frank and I were not comfortable with letting her go, knowing that more than likely with some things we heard from her that were going to take place ex: taking the kids to the cemetery to scare them. Now for us, the cemetery is not a place of horror for us, it is a place of hope and peace. My brothers body is at rest out there and we take our children out there teaching them that one day we will see him again and we don't want them thinking that they should fear when we go out there. But, I felt the nudge of God telling me to let her make this decision for herself. She battles with the spirit of fear a lot, it is a spirit we know will be broken off of her...soon!! So, we told her she needed to pray about it, maybe ask her children's pastor for advice and make a decision. And she did! She chose not to go because she felt in her spirit that God told her not to go, it was not right with Him. But,she told me she was so afraid that the people who invited her would not be her friend and hate her. Well, she told these people and what do you know....some of them told her even if she did get an invitation she was not invited and anyone who played with her was not their friend as well. Well, that left her all alone. After many big crocodile tears (not only from her, but from her momma as well) we knew that this was a lesson for all of us to learn. It hurts so bad for us to see our children get her and the first thing I wanted to do for her was to attack back. But, I have to teach my children that they have to first rely on God and what choices they choose for Him may not always be the most popular but they are right and that is what our family stands for. I think God used this time to show Frank and I that we are raising our children right, in His word. God used this time to show me that my daughter is so close to Him and that He cares for her, He is going to speak to her and give her the answers she desire to know. She is such a kind-hearted girl, pure of heart, who loves to worship Him. It also gave us a time to teach her on persecution and to not return hatred with hatred, but with kindness and love. I am grateful that I found God in time to raise my children under His word so that they in turn will have such an astounding relationship with Him and know Him. I pray that everyone who reads this understands that the spirit of fear is real and so powerful....it attacks our innocent kids and without them knowing that the only way to battle this is with the sword of Jesus it will continue to attach them all the days of their lives.

Romans 8:15
15 You didn't receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear once again. Instead you received the Holy Spirit, who makes you God's child. By the Spirit's power we call God "Abba." Abba means Father.


I pray that everyone will start taking a stand and stand for what is right and not what is popular. I pray that the stance that my daughter took at 10 years old will affect someone at her school and let them know that it is okay to stand for Christ and not succumb to fear of peer pressure. People just don't see to understand that this is where peer pressure (drugs, alcohol, pre-marital sex) starts to factor in. I told Frank, can you imagine when she is in high-school, if she will continue this walk with God how powerful she is going to be in her spirit. We will never have to wonder if she is falling to peer pressure, knowing that she walks with Jesus everyday of her life. I cannot praise my Jesus enough for giving such a wonderful first born and I praise Him for the lessons He has taught our family during this time. I praise Him for the little eyes that live in our house and look up to their big sister and see how she relied on God at such a difficult time in her life.


On a side note.....The night of the party, she had a friend who attends church with her spend the night and I left to go get cokes and popcorn for them and when I returned, they were watching Hillsong Kids DVD and were jumping around and worshipping the Lord....oh how He tickles my soul with images of that....

Psalms 100:2
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.