Attacked

*sneaks in*... SURPRISE! I'm back after *gasp* 11 months of not posting on this little useless blog of mine! Well, now I am back, with things to share with all four of you my followers! :D I have just been so encouraged and full of real, real, joy this past week that I am literally bubbling over! To God be the Glory!

Now, for the title of this post. :D Daddy has often called us together as a family on days when the kids are acting up, when somebody (or three) is sick, when he's dealing with allergy stuff, when the house is a wreck and everybody wants to hide in their closet and do nothing,... etc, to pray. Now, this is a typical day around the Howard house, but there is something different about these times that usually come in the evening. We all feel it and dread it. We're drained and unhappy. And usually it comes after a spurt of real productiveness, happiness, and encouragement. Daddy calls it "Spiritual Attack" from the Evil One and that's what it is. Its a test. But I can't get an "A". So we pray. Hard. As a family. Against this pressurized, draining attack.

For the first time in nearly 3 weeks we were attacked. Seth and Elsie actually weren't that bad, Mommy, Josiah, and Willa were sick on the couch, Daddy was feeling awful, Emma's plans for finishing school kept getting interrupted and it made her upset, and I had a major headache and was very disappointed about something. The house was a mess, the kids needed tucked in, and nobody wanted to do anything. So, we sang "Leaning on His Everlasting Arms" and prayed for strength to stand, endurance, peace. Even Elsie prayed. Things went back to normal (er, spiritual attack normal) and at least I was encouraged to not just wallow in myself but fight hard against this. I took a moment to journal about the situation (uh.. no... I'm not one to journal out my thoughts to make them clear- normally I don't bother to write it down until weeks afterward... :P)and while I was, it hit me- we're going through this because we were doing something right!

Why would the devil hit us if we aren't doing any good? Then I started remembering all the encouragement I had given and received the last couple days- over 50 emails and chats, things in person, and over the phone. If these things had brought this trial, I want to encourage times 50! Bring the spiritual attack! If it means I'm doing the right thing and pointing others to our loving, gracious, most holy God, then I am willing to suffer much! No doubt this thought was God-given- I hate trials, persecutions, having to make an effort. I'm lazy, oh so lazy. But with Christ's cloak and sustaining grace, I will do it!

I have no idea if that even made sense... but I wanted to share. I adore my Savior and want to glorify Him. I am just so happy its almost ridiculous. Sure, there are trials, temptations, tears. And I fail miserably. But I am thankful for the cross. Thankful for life. Thankful for the way He shows me things. And I don't have time to edit this post... it was typed while making pancakes. :P

*happppppy sighhhh*