Grief

I know Grief.

Or, I THOUGHT I knew it.

If you're a parent, a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, or simply... 

and most importantly... a human being,

Your heart is breaking for the people in Newtown, Connecticut.

There is NO justification for such horrific actions,

But I believe that at the root of every crime, lies EVIL.

A few days ago I ended the 40-Day Prayer Challenge with another challenge.

The challenge to continue pursuing God with all of my heart, mind and soul.

During the 40-Day Prayer Challenge, I was able to memorize Ephesians 6:10-18, 

the known "The Armor of God" passage.

And OH HOW IT RINGS TRUTH right now!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For 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. Therefore 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And 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 Lord’s people."  Ephesians 6:10-18

Yes, as a parent, I hugged my children a bit tighter today.  

But as a follower of Christ, my calling is to "put on the FULL armor of God",

not only for me and my children, but for my neighbors as well.

That means putting on Truth, and Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit, "which is the Word of God."

The more I see and experience God in my life, the more I am convinced that the Evil one is real, and frantically attempting to steal every soul toward destruction.

Evil is real, y'all!  

And that is exactly WHY we are called to "put on the full armor of God."

And as a parent... I am challenged to stand in the gap for my children.

I pray, intercede, and weep for them.

I love them with all my being... and then surrender them to the Lord.

HE is in control.

Today I grieve with the parents of the victims in Newtown.

I can't even get close to the full understanding and how they must be feeling.

So my heart breaks for them.

This Christmas won't be the same for them... 

... and I hope the birth of Christ brings a new meaning to all of us.

"Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you, he is CHRIST the LORD." Luke 2:11