Lies, lies, lies

James 1:2-4 Trials and Temptations (NIV)

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

7 things that Satan wants/would like to us to steal from us:

1) Joy- He doesn't want you to be happy with yourself, with your life. He doesn’t want you to have your eyes fixed on the LORD.

2) Peace- He doesn't want you to have any assurance. He wants to place doubt in your mind about everything from your appearance to your friends to your trust in God and anything in between.

3) Enthusiasm for the things of God - If he can get you off track, he will, and he will always try to do so. However, God's love is everlasting and HE has the power to keep the songs in your heart and keep you on track (your choice).

4) Vision- he doesn’t want you to do the Lords work or have you follow the Lord. He wants to make you stumble and fall.

5) Relationships- The devil tries to put wedges between people. He will try to make you jealous, envy and anything possible. He wants to make your relationships miserable and worthless.

6) Tenderness (tender-heart/spirit)- He doesn't want you to have compassion for others, or see through God's eyes. He wants you to have a rock hard heart.

7) Love- He wants to steal your love for God, your family, your friends and love for yourself. He does not want you to love anyone.

These are just a few of the things that the devil wants to steal from us, if you feel like any of these are things that he has either stolen or is trying to steal, rebuke him. Ask God to help you, surrender everything to him.

Look at it this way: Sky diving: Really think about it. Think of God as your parashoot. He never ever leaves and when we need him all we have to do is pull the cord. So when you start going down, your own path, you and only you can pull the cord for the parashoot. And in our darkest times and when we are falling to the Earth and full speed we have to make the choice. We have to choose to pull the cord and call on to him or fall to the ground. So make your choice. God has the power to restore these things to you. We cannot take them back on our own. God is in control and loves us with an unfathomable love and it is a love that we do not deserve, but God's grace and mercy were given to us at the cross. How truly blessed we are!

Ephesians 6:10-18 talks about the Armor of God: and how it is useful to us. It says:¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Things are difficult sometimes because a Christian life is not an easy one. But if we let them poor out into other areas of our life, they make a lot more things difficult. Don't let Satan steal from you, always keep God with you and in you.

Hebrews 4:12-13 says:

¹²For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Ask God every day to fill you with HIS Spirit, and to dress you in the Armor of God (Ephesians 6.10-20). Without God's Armor and Protection everyday, we are more vulnerable and at a greater risk of being attacked by the devil. So stand firm in your faith and cling to God.

A real home

So we finally have a REAL HOME. Home cooked meals, beds to sleep in and hot showers. After being squatters in our own home for a night. We only had a change of clothes and blankets.

The Arequipa, Puno and the Cusco group all moved at the same time to different places. The Arequipa and Puno group moved to a new home and the Cusco group loaded up the moving truck. P.s. things may be left behind….

So the first day we got here we got cleaning products and cleaned and just hung out because there wasn’t much to do.

We now have everything in our house. Items in our cupboards, a full fridge, real beds to sleep in and most importantly hot showers.

Our house is equipped with toilet seats that are too big, tons of empty and full suit cases, a bookshelf full of bibles, a washing machine, couches, table and doors (some that close and some that don’t). All in all it is home.

All work no play.

With all work and no play we have learned a lot about each other and we are still learning. In a situation like this our relationships are accelerated and I learned more in a month about some body them I learned in a year with my best friend.

All in all this is my new family. We don’t always see eye to eye, we don’t always agree and we all do things differently. We find out what things drive each other crazy, we know the little corks, we know who snores and who doesn’t. But we were all meant to be here as a family.

We moved beds, painted beds, moved couches, mattresses, tables…ect. The boys shoveled dirt for hours, the girls shopped and cleaned and cooked. It was a long week but we learned even more about either other. It was like a free bonding experience.

It was all work and no play.

Shop till you drop literally……

Ok so when I signed up to come live in Peru I didn’t know that manual labor was included when moving into a new house.

We have been waiting for EVER and we are finally here. But here in Peru when you move into a new house not all things are in order. And that is when we start making trips all over town.

First trip

Cleaning supplies. To mop, sweep, wash and scrub.

Second trip.

Mirrors, toilet seats, shower curtains, table, couches, or kitchen supplies.

Third trip.

Food. So we either go to a market or what they call a “super market.” But I wouldn’t call them “super markets” they are neither super or a market. So we walk 5 blocks to a big out door market and bargain.

And why buy a chicken that has the feet, head, bones and skin for one price. When you can get feetless, headless, boneless, skinless chicken….. I just don’t get it. And I will never EVER take boneless, skinless chicken for granted.

Forth trip.

We get toilet seats!! Hurray!!! but they don’t fit the toilet. Too small.

Fifth trip.

Plastic, plastic, plastic.

Just go to a store that has EVERYTHING plastic! And not only is there one plastic store there are a ton all in a row! Ballin!!!!

Wood cheaper then plastic…. Never!!! False. Cusco has real wood (nice wood things) is cheaper then plastic… for example a plastic storage boxes, the ones with three draws, cost s./115, the same but wooden is only s./85.

Sixth trip.

Toilet seats are either too big or too small. We’ll take the big ones.

And who know that toilet seats would cost so much.

Seventh trip.

Kitchen items.

Eighth, ninth, tenth….

Small markets, big markets, stores…. every where possible.

Needless to say I am sick of shopping.