So You're Not Dabbling In Darkness, Right?

" ... God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."   --- 1 John 1:5

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Still here!

Just needed another vacation from blogging and this time only rarely did I think, "I should write something today." Progress, indeed, not succumbing to 'the tyranny of the oughts and shoulds' (even encouragement ones) and just following the wisdom of rest, instead. 

Yet I did also have 2 1/2 'fiery darts' thrown at me (half a fiery dart? Yeah, I'd never heard that before, either.).  ツ  You know, situations sent to keep you distracted and your mind empty of peace. So upon the front porch (and the red couch and here upstairs) I spent much time retraining my brain to think consistently like this--

" ...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

That half a fiery dart? A nightmare one night in which I dreamed this--

 I was staying with a family, then at midnight a demon resembling a woman ghost, knocked on the guest room door, entered, then began taunting me. I knew enough to use the name of Jesus and she disappeared.

Then I got up, stepped into the living room, and a different ghost-like demon entered by the front door with more provoking to which I replied with more speaking Jesus' name after which one last demon entered when the second disappeared. When I believed it done, all 3 reappeared, fading in and out and laughing at me.

There was more, including where I awoke the woman of the house, told her what was happening and she didn't much care because it often happened there. But then the friend traveling with me, joined me and I felt better, stronger, and together we stood firmly against the demons, used the name of Jesus and poof! They disappeared for good.

Oh my. Nightmares are rare-ish for me, but this one felt different. Like a spiritual attack and not one my mind was inventing.

When I awoke I asked myself if I'd been dabbling in questionable-tending-toward-darkness videos, books or movies, but nothing came to mind. If I open doors to dark-spiritual stuff, well, I deserve what I step into.

That's something I've known all my life. 

(Did I ever tell you what I did when 6-year-old Naomi came home from school saying her teacher had read a couple books aloud about witches? I contacted the teacher and asked if, next time, Naomi could be excused to read her own book in the hallway. Yes, 38 years ago I did that and Naomi seemed totally fine with it.)

Anyway, perhaps that nightmare happened so I could share, especially as we near Halloween, this recommendation from the Bible, itself:

“... you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices  ... anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord."  "Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them..."He ... practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger."  

From Deuteronomy 18, Leviticus 19 and 2 Chronicles 33

Sometimes my favorite booktubers, especially this time of year, recommend books with the above themes and I'll whisper, "Oh Honey, you don't really want to read those books, do you?" And then I pray for them and if God nudges, add a comment or 'like' one someone else made.

But yes, always it's an individual decision to avoid what God says avoid. May each of us choose His light, His good ways, and slam shut the doors which open to anything else.

I mean, who wants to unnecessarily face the darkness beyond those scary doors?

These gone-wrong days in which we live? We need all the light we can get and to avoid all the darkness we can.

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."   --- Ephesians 6:16

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Oh! A vintage trailer rally. Tom and I enjoyed this much, being fans of most things retro.

And these two tiny houses! (Well, they're like 600 square feet which many folks would say is not officially tiny. But hey...) Very expensive to create, yet I loved how, especially in the first one, we felt like we'd entered an old house rather than one built in 2020.

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Need a few good movies to watch? Here are some of my recommendations--

Fly Old Bird:Escape to the Ark  (it started and I was like, "Hmm... I'm not sure." But both Tom and I are grateful we finished it. Wow.)

Sight

Accidental Texan (if you can handle a small amount of 'langage', this movie was very worth it. Had an old-fashioned feeling to it.)

The Long Game

Mr. Holmes

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This could apply to many situations!


"Better to admit you walked through the wrong door than spend your life in the wrong room." ---RealTalkKim

Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15