they ain't Jesus

Hey, hi, hello!!
I'm just going to be really real and say the past few days have been tough. like really, really tough. And I have been listening to lots of lies and letting them get to me, so today I sat down and had some quiet time with Jesus and He revealed to me how much stinking power I'm letting the enemy have, because this past week I started believing some of those lies!

My first week in the city was great. I was high on life- really and truly! But since that first week, I feel like satan has really tried to get at me in all kinds of ways: emotionally, financially, friend-wise, relationally, time-wise, work-wise, feeling like I'm too much, feeling like I'm too little, fear-of-the-future-wise, fear-of-the-present-wise, what-the-heck-am-I-doing-wise. You know. Just in all the places.

I feel I have been attacked even in the smallest of things.

FOR EXAMPLE: this past weekend, I bought a welcome mat because I think they are fun and home-y and make you feel all kinds of smiley inside before you even walk into your front door.

Welcome mats are great for this reason. However, if you walk on welcome mats without shoes, those little spriggly things (is this a word? is this a bad word?) feel like thorns on your feet and they track through your house and all over. Well, upon purchasing said welcome mat, the little welcome mat spriggly things shed everywhere all over my passenger seat on the way home, making whoever the next person is to sit in my passenger seat probably feel not-so-very-welcome (sorry next person.)

ANYWAYS. THE ENEMY HAS TRIED TO GET AT ME EVEN THROUGH THE SPRIGGLY THINGS.

Because this morning, I woke up and my thoughts went like this on the way to class...

Ugh. those spriggly things are all over my car still. I do not have a vacuum to vacuum those spriggly things. I do not have time to find a vacuum to vacuum those spriggly things. I should not purchase a vacuum to vacuum those spriggly things right now because I am on a budget. These spriggly things are a mess. You know what else is a mess? My laundry. I should do laundry as soon as I get home. You know what else I should do when I get home? Study. Because I haven't studied anything and I haven't had time to study anything because I have been working. Work. Work is hard and a lot and I am tired of working. But I have to work to go to school and learn. But I need to get stuff done so I feel like I am learning something. I haven't gotten anything done. I feel like a failure. I really truly do. I don't feel like I have done well in any areas of life lately. No one likes someone who is a failure!! Who are my friends in Dallas!? Are they going to think I'm a failure? No one wants to be friends with someone who is a failure! No one wants to marry someone who is a failure! I am a mess- just like all these spriggly things!!!

And all of a sudden- I realized satan was attacking me even through these dang spriggly things. & because of these spriggly things...I am not getting married.

LOL. LOL. LOL.

1 Peter 5:8 says...
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."


& this past week, he's been trying real hard. even in the dang spriggly things. 


The first week of class, I attended a meeting...and someone was just casually speaking on life and said... 

"Hey! Who are y'all trying to impress?! Where are you seeking affirmation? Is it your family? Your friends? Your work? Your schedule? BECAUSE THEY AIN'T JESUS. "

And that casual conversation has stuck with me so, so much. 

(also-shoutout to my roommate for having this cool coffee mug. this is actually how you should start off a morning)

Those spriggly things- they ain't Jesus. 
they may be everywhere and they may poke you and prod you and feel like thorns.
those little attacks- those are the weapons of spiritual warefare.
But God's truth is bigger and better because He IS Jesus, and so I'm writing these truths on sticky notes and placing them all around because I need these reminders this week and you should write them down if you need them too:

"Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

"I am doing a great work and cannot come down" Nehemiah 6:3

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" Matthew 6:34 

"brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8

So I guess I should end with- put on that full armor of God, stand firm, take up the shield of faith... and don't sweat the spriggly things- THEY AIN'T JESUS. Or something like that.  (: