Links to "Some Carman Songs for Halloween" and Posts on Spiritual Warfare

 For some "fun" songs from my younger years: "Some Carman Songs for Halloween"

And here are some links to posts on spiritual warfare, from my post "War Rooms, Praying Scripture, and Spiritual Warfare":

I strongly believe that there are angels and demons.  That prayer matters.  That there is a spiritual battle going on around us all the time ... and that we need to get involved in it, actively and consciously.  (Something I haven't been doing lately.)  

Regardless of if we want it or not, we are constantly facing spiritual battles.  But if we don't acknowledge them - if we stick our head in the sand and refuse to get involved, to put on our spiritual armor, to use the spiritual weapons that are available to us - we open ourselves up to deceptions, to defeat, to being very vulnerable to the strategies and attacks of the evil one.

What I have done here is compile a list of posts on spiritual warfare, on praying Scripture, and on creating a War Room (or War Journal).


Have you ever seen War Room?

You should.  It's a great movie.  And it is so relevant to real life.  To the life that is most real - the spiritual life.

I've read through all these links, but I haven't checked out everything on each site, so you'll have to be discerning.  

... But Sunday's a Comin'!

A 3 1/2-minute encouraging (or alarming) video:  "It's Friday, But Sunday's a Comin'" 

(Apparently, that video was removed, so try this one or this one.  Or google the title to find the sermon clip by preacher S.M. Lockridge.)

For believers: "Hang in there, it's almost Sunday!"

For non-believers: "Take warning: It's almost Sunday!"  (See this post and this post)

Link to "Is Yoga OK for Christians? (Here's a hint: It's not!)"

I know many Christians won't agree, but this is an issue I feel very strongly about.  So allow me to get up on my soapbox and tell you why I think no Christian should participate in yoga:

Is Yoga OK for Christians? (Here's a hint: It's not!)

I know this isn't exactly Halloween-related, but it is demon-worship related.  So it fits right in with my "Halloween" posts.

Link to "Three Guidelines for Christians Regarding Halloween"

 Another "Halloween" post I wrote: "Three Guidelines for Christians Regarding Halloween"

Link to "Should Christians Watch Horror Movies?"

 Link to my post "Should Christians Watch Horror Movies?"

Of course, this is just my opinion, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me.

An Excellent Christmas Song

We just got the first snow of the year!  (I love snow.)  And so to celebrate this moment and to counter Halloween (I hate Halloween), enjoy this excellent, little-known Christmas song:

Hallelujah Christmas (Cloverton)

Link To "In 'Honor' of Halloween: My Story of Demonic Harassment"

Since Halloween is coming up, I am going to post links to some of my previous "Halloween" posts, standard ones that I would like to share every year, starting with: "In 'Honor' of Halloween: My Story of Demonic Harassment." 

"Ohio Sheriff Offers to Help Celebrities Leave The U.S. If Trump Wins, On One Condition ..."

I love this!

Ohio Sheriff Offers to Help Celebrities Leave the U.S. If Trump Wins - On One Condition: "You Can't Come Back"

Thank you, Sheriff Rick Jones, for saying what a lot of us have wanted to say to those celebrities who threaten to leave the U.S. if Trump wins (and who threatened last election).  I applaud you, and I add my message to those celebrities (and anyone else) who think they have the right to demand that everything be their way or who threaten to move from the country if they don't get their way: 

Psalm 5: A Prayer for Our Country and World

 Franklin Graham has called for a day of prayer and fasting tomorrow, October 25, for all believers to call on God for His help with the upcoming election.  I hope all believers will humble themselves before God, calling on Him for His help not just with the election but with everything - the moral condition of our country, the breakdown of our society, the fear that haunts us all, the brokenness all around us as we humans implode and race towards wickedness and destruction, etc.  Everything is going wrong all over the place, and we need more than ourselves to fix it.  We need God.  

Anyway, as I was reading Psalm 5 this morning, I realized what a fitting prayer it is for our country, our world, right now.  And so I am writing it here, altered slightly to be a prayer from all believers.  

"How to Keep Going When It's All Too Much Right Now" by Ann Voskamp

 I've heard the story of Cliff before.  And every time I hear it, my eyes fill with tears.  He's a living illustration for us all about walking in faith through the dark times, about how we all - no matter how tired and broken-down we feel - can reach victory if we just keep going.

How to Keep Going When It's All Too Much Right Now by Ann Voskamp 

Justin Bieber Talks About Faith and Life

I don't usually watch interviews with celebrities, but this is such a great one.  It's so touching to hear about the journey Justin has been on over the years, going through such pain, to finding his way back to Jesus and healing and hope and wholeness.  

Those who have been to the lowest depths and back have the most meaningful stories to share!  

I'm really rooting for him.  God bless him and his wife!  (And say a prayer for them.)

Justin Bieber Talks About His Faith in Jesus (4 minute clip from the full video)

The full Justin Bieber - Zane Lowe interview (43 minutes, totally worth watching all the way to the end)  

Two of the comments in the comment section really summed it up well (I fixed a minor misspelling in one):

"I don't see a man that is losing his way.  I see a man fighting to find it.  Encourage him."

And "Billions may know your name, but nobody really knows your pain"

"Becoming a Christian" and "Steve McQueen's Christian Testimony"

 A great, quick video from Pastor Greg Laurie on "Becoming a Christian" (4 minutes long)

And a 2 1/2-minute one from Tony Evans: Salvation Through Jesus Christ

Yes, it's that simple!  Eternal life, salvation, is that simple to get.  All of the work has been done for you by Jesus Christ on the cross.  And all you have to do is accept it.

[Keep in mind that it's not the prayer that saves you, the words you say.  It isn't a "magic spell."  What saves you is your choice to believe in Jesus, your decision to make Him your Lord and Savior, to believe that He is God and that He came to earth to die on the cross and rise again to pay the price for your sins so that you can live, so that you don't have to pay the price for your sin.  You can live eternally in heaven because of what He did for you on the cross.  And all you have to do is accept it, believe it.  If you will believe (if you will accept it as truth, even if you don't "feel it" yet) that Jesus is God, that He died for your sins, that you are a sinner and that you need Him to save you, if you will turn from your old life and embrace Him as Lord and Savior, you will be saved.] 

Things My Calvinist Pastor Said #10: God Only Really Cares About His Glory

(This "Things My Calvinist Pastor Said" series is a breakdown on this much longer post: "We Left Our Church Because of Calvinism," which was written last year but updated July 2020.  They are almost exact quotes.  All memes were created with imgflip.)

10.  "God is all about His glory and being famous.  That is His main goal in everything.  He loves Himself and worships Himself above all."
            "God's main goal is to be famous among the nations" is my ex-pastor's stated reason for evangelizing.  He wrote about how he never could get into missions work (and it's no wonder, because Calvinists don't really think they can have a real effect on whether someone believes or not, because they believe God predetermines it).  But when he came to believe that God's main goal is to be famous, well, then he got excited about missions work.  Finally, it had a purpose.
            And so missions work, to my pastor, is not really about calling people to believe in Jesus (because that's predetermined, according to them) or about helping them start a relationship with Him; it's about "making God known, making Him famous among the nations."  (Anyone can be famous ... for all the wrong reasons!) 

If you wonder why God allowed Trump to be President of the USA ...

 Watch this 2 1/2 minute video to see one big reason why.

"The Candid Calvinist"

 My husband just found this "satirical" 6-minute video about what Calvinists say vs. what they hide.  It's called "The Candid Calvinist" and it's brilliant.  This guy does a great job covering some of the confusing contradictions and deceptive word-choices of Calvinism.  I hope he does more videos like this.  (And does he not remind you of a young Ben Shapiro?)

"Lonely" by Justin Bieber

I don't watch music videos often or go looking online for ones, but this one popped up on my feed and I was curious.

Lonely by Justin Bieber

I'm posting a link to it for several reasons.  

One is because it's so honest.  So heartbreakingly real.  So haunting.  My goodness!  (Well done, Justin.  My heart is aching for you.  I wish I could hug you right now.)  

Two is because I think many people can relate to it, to feeling invisible, like they don't matter, like no one really cares what they're going through or how badly they're hurting inside.

And three is because he uses some pretty heavy cuss words in it.  Yes, that's right, the "bad" words are one of the reasons I'm linking to it, why I'm suggesting that people - church people - watch it.  

Christian Testimony: Tatenda - "How I Met Jesus"

 Tatenda's ten-minute testimony: How I Met Jesus.

A simple, sweet testimony about being in the pit of depression and loneliness, and then along comes someone who sees you - who really sees you - and they pull you out and help you find healing and wholeness.

Thank you for sharing your story, Tatenda!  God bless!

Giggle Translate #13: Drunk Airport, Ice Cream Lions, and Death's Eyelashes

I wrote about a bunch of injuries I got when I was young, and then I translated it into many different languages with Google Translate, just to see what happened.  First I will share what really happened, and then I will share how Google Translate reported it.


Original paragraph:

I have had my fair share of injuries as a youngin’.  I was probably a mother’s worst nightmare.  I broke my arm twice in the same spot, once from a cheerleading stunt gone wrong (they threw me too hard) and once from being pushed while on roller skates.  With that one, my arm actually had a big arch where it’s not supposed to have an arch.

Another time, I jumped off the back steps of the same roller rink where I broke my arm and landed right on a metal pole that was sticking out of the ground.  I could tell something wasn’t right, so I pulled my sock down to see.  And when I did, I saw a bunch of skin all mushed up in a place it shouldn’t be.  So I pulled my sock down further and saw no skin where skin should be.  Apparently, the pipe ripped the skin off of that big boney-bump on the inside of my ankle.  And instead of seeing skin, I actually saw the boney-bump.  It took 26 stitches to sew me up.  Eight on the inside, eighteen on the outside.  It was my thirteenth birthday party!  (I also got a pony for my thirteenth birthday!  A real pony that I got to walk from the barn to my backyard so I could give my friends rides.  So cool!)

Our Favorite Pot Roast in Gravy

This is such a simple dinner.  The pot roast basically makes it's own gravy.  Just make some corn and mashed potatoes on the side, maybe some rolls, and you have a dinner that pleases almost everyone:

In a large pot, add 4-5 pounds beef top round (or chuck roast, but I prefer top round because it's not as fatty, chop it into large chunks if you need to)

Then sprinkle this on top:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lawry's)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 -1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Pour 3 cups of water over the top, bring it to a boil on medium-high then turn it down to a low-boil, covered, for 3 to 4 hours.  You know it's done when you try to pick it up with a fork and it falls apart.  (Add more water as necessary if too much water boils off while it's cooking.)

When it's done, mix 3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water (or more, if too much evaporated), pour right into the pot while it's on low boil and move the meat around with a spoon so that the cornstarch water gets spread throughout.  Let it return to a boil for about a minute so that it thickens up into a gravy.  Turn off heat and serve.

Things My Calvinist Pastor Said #9: God Shows His Justice By Predestining People To Hell

(This "Things My Calvinist Pastor Said" series is a breakdown on this much longer post: "We Left Our Church Because of Calvinism," which was written last year but updated July 2020.  They are almost exact quotes.  All memes were created with imgflip.)

9.  "God shows His love by saving the elect.  And He shows His justice by damning the non-elect to hell."  (From my pastor's adult son, not my ex-pastor himself.)
            That's strange, because my Bible says that God shows His love by saving sinners (Romans 5:8), that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and that God shows His justice by sending Jesus to the cross to pay for our sins (Romans 3:25-26). 

Super-Short Version of "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"

I recently edited my post on identifying Calvinist churches, pastors, and websites to make it as short as I possible could.  Click here to see this new, shortened post on my other blog.  There are links on that post to the longer versions of it.

I also added this to the bottom of those posts, just for fun:

Two videos I love:

Hitler and Calvinism - (4 minutes long) Love it!  Love it!  Love it!

Greg Boyd - Calvinism Refuted in 10 Minutes - Excellent!  MUST WATCH!!!  And he makes a great point about how Calvi-god is basically worse than the devil because at least the devil is honest about who he is, and so you know what you're getting with him!  But not so with Calvi-god!

Christian Testimony: Catharina - "How I Met Jesus"

 This is Catharina's 19-minute testimony:  "How I met Jesus: The Moment My Life Changed Forever."  (It's hard to hear, so you have to put in headphones or get in a quiet spot.  But it's worth it.)

She's been through a lot - dealt with judgmental Christians, bullies, bad relationships with her parents, hated her life, faced the "Why Me's," dealt with repressed pain, etc.  And she learned that sometimes God might take away the things we rely on in this life, but He does it to save our souls, to drive us to Him.  And that's what she did, she let the pain drive her to the Lord, instead of away from Him.

Her testimony is very real and very touching, and I think a lot of people can relate to it their own way.  

It's okay to not be okay .. because that's where Jesus meets you and takes over, if you let Him!

Why I Hate Calvinism So Much!

 Wanna know why I hate Calvinism so much?

Watch a few of these songs.  Listen to the words.  Think about how much Jesus sacrificed for us.  The incredible price He paid.  The love, grace, forgiveness, help, healing, and salvation He died to give us.  How true hope and life is found only in Him.

Oh, What Love by The City Harmonic

I Am by Crowder

Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle  (God draws everyone to Him.  He calls everyone to come out of death and into life!  Will we listen?  Will we respond?)

Secret Ambition by Michael W. Smith

Fell Apart by The City Harmonic

Confession (Agnus Dei) by The City Harmonic  (Calvi-Jesus did not take away the sins of the world, but of just a few people.  But the Jesus of the Bible did!  And that's why I love Him!)

Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North

And then think about how Calvinism destroys all of this.  

Standing on the Solid Rock in these troubling times!

I know I could use this song right about now.  How about you?

Solid Rock by The City Harmonic

What are you standing on right now, hoping that it holds you up when everything else is falling apart?  

(Also see "Starting Your Own Relationship With Jesus")

Giggle Translate #12: Butterflies and Dandruff Head

For the newest Giggle Translate, I wrote about a less-than-pleasant day I had when I injured myself gardening.  Here it is:



The Original Version, in a post under the heading of "Things I've Actually Said":


“Hi, Honey!  I did something stupid.  I’m alright, but can you pick up some butterfly bandages on your way home?”

            
I had just said good-bye to my husband and sons as they left for a store.  And I called out to my husband as he pulled away, “Are you sure you don’t need me to go with you?”

            
But I really preferred to spend some time home alone, so I was relieved when he said, “No, I’ve got it covered.  You stay home and enjoy your time alone.”

            
About a minute after they pulled away, I was trying to hang up a stupid, little, $1, plastic wind-chime.  I was standing on a log and reaching through the side of the trellis to hang it on the outer most rung at the top of the trellis.  Just as I got it into place, the log slipped out from under me and I landed on the ground on my feet.  But as I stood there with my arm still stuck in the trellis side, I knew something was wrong.  I thought I had reached through one of the diamond-shaped holes on the trellis side and that the bottom of my upper arm was being pinched in the bottom of the diamond.

A Video To Brighten Your Day: "I'm Blessed" Baby

Oh my goodness, this singing baby is so adorable!

I'm Blessed Baby

Someone is raising that little boy right! 

Things My Calvinist Pastor Said #8: Man Is Oblivious To Sin, Lydia Was Not A Believer

(This "Things My Calvinist Pastor Said" series is a breakdown on this much longer post: "We Left Our Church Because of Calvinism," which was written last year but updated July 2020.  They are almost exact quotes.  All memes were created with imgflip.)

8.  "Man is oblivious to his sin.... People have tried over the years to make up for their sins in their own way, giving sacrifices to gods, following laws, etc..... God is not pleased with our attempts to make up for our sins on our own. "
            Question: If "unregenerated" men (as Calvinists define it) are so oblivious to their sin, how on earth could unsaved people try to make up for their sins on their own, when they are supposedly completely unaware of their sins to begin with?  (Calvinism is a self-defeating, contradictory theology!)
            And Calvinism believes that God causes everything that happens ... for His glory and pleasure.  So how can God be "not pleased" with the people's attempts to make up for their sins when He Himself is supposedly causing them to do it ... for His pleasure and glory?
            How can God be not pleased with anything we do, when He supposedly causes it all for His pleasure and glory?  

Christian Testimony: Joshua - "How I Met Jesus"

This is Joshua's testimony about meeting Jesus (25 minutes long).  And it's a really good one.  It's not extremely dramatic or out of the ordinary or anything like that; it's just very real and touching.  From the heart.

In his testimony, he takes us on his journey from being an aimless young teen with no sense of purpose or fulfillment or joy, trying to fill the void inside with drugs ... to how he found purpose, fulfillment, and joy in Jesus when God reached out to him in his pain, calling him to draw near.

And he urges people to remember that one day we are all going to die (unless Jesus comes back first).  Do you know what matters most?  Do you know why you're alive ... who made you ... who your Father is?

Finding God is not about religion; it's about relationship.  And no matter how lost you are, God knows where you're at.  He's calling you.  He's pursuing you.  He's been trying to get your attention.  Because He loves you (enough to die on the cross for you, so that you could live) and He wants a real relationship with you.

Do not resist Him or ignore Him too long.  You might not get another chance because you never know which day will be your last.  But even if you do live a long time, if you resist Him for too long, He may hand you over to the hardness of your heart, finally giving you what you want - a life without Him!

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..."  (Hebrews 3:15)

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."  (Isaiah 55:6)