Getting hot

After a while of English type weather, cool 70's in the day, 50's overnight, and low humidity, our normal weather will soon be here. Our Canadian friends loaned us their weather for a couple of weeks but now the hot plains air is coming up from the south. I can hardly wait.
I can also hardly wait for something to happen, I feel God is doing something new. The snag is He hasn't told me what it is. I can only guess. Work has been difficult in the sense that I find it hard to concentrate and get focused at the moment, my mind is often in la-la land and often I'm confused. I was at the dentist's on Monday, and something happened that is typical for us multiples. I must have been to the office dozens of times, and know it's on the 9th floor. I get in the elevator, and b-l-a-n-k. What floor is the dentist? What's his name? Err.....blank. I vaguely remember it's the 9th floor, and go there. Where is the office? Err......I find it eventually and arrive mercifully just a few minutes late. "Hello, err, err," I say to Sharon, who I have know for 6 years and now can't remember her name. I think I call her Gail, who is another lady who works there. I later recover after the agony of teeth cleaning and remember Sharon's name at least on the way out. Another time I was visiting the clinic I have been attending every 3 weeks for a year and a half at least for treatment on a foot wart that will soon be big enought to cover Chicago. One time I got in the elevator, and what floor is the clinic? Err, err, I get off on 3, and walk around for some time, realizing eventually I'm on the wrong floor. I eventually find a floor chart, and see it's on four. I get back in the elevator and find myself on the 2nd floor, why? No idea. I then go to four, and look for the clinic. Clue; there are only two on this floor, cancer and dermatology, and I think mine is "Derm" as they call it. So, I walk towards Derm and it all seems unfamiliar, even though I've been there 20 times already. Why is it so different? Have they changed the layout, or what? (Of course not). The desk lady is a little brisk, and I can't even speak, so I give her my appointment card and let her read it to get details.
These are the kind of occurences that happen not every day, but a lot of days in one form or another. Tuesday night I had a meeting and my speech was terrible, and it was important I spoke out. Aaaaah.
Then there is never being able to trust yourself very much. What part of me wants something now? A healthy part wanting good things, or a messed up or perpetrator part wanting to hurt me or someone? Why do I often feel nothing good happens for me, even though good things do happen.? Why am I afraid to want anything good for myself, even a nice guitar like I'm thinking of at the moment? My most common thing to do is to "put out a fleece" for the Lord and see what happens. Other times if I know I'm calm, thinking clearly and rationally (about 10% of the time I suppose) I feel better about hearing from the Lord or making decisions. Rest of the time? Err, err, err.
For the moment, I've prayed for the money for a guitar, so watch this space. My fleece is that it would be obvious and I would know it's from the Lord, or it won't happen. Err, err, err......I think.

Wild weekend

The annual midsummer family party is this weekend in Wiscon-sin. The fleshpots of Egypt beckon. It's good to know that we are protected and sealed by God at times like this. Mrs E's sister lives up north and the midsummer party is the highlight of their year. Having once been a total drunk and obnoxious person, I now look on from the outside at the many drunks who are the only ones who think they're funny. I feel sad for them, and sorry for them that they don't know the true meaning and purpose in life that only God can give them. My prayer every year is that I can introduce them to the Savior who can save them, not only from their empty lives, but from eternal punishment .
Some interesting prayer times this week. I pray a lot when I walk my dog in the early morning before I come to work. I've been doing high battle for Mrs E and my family, taking authority over all the powers of darkness and it feels really good. I've also noticed a greater freedom when I lead a group at church who are trying to free themselves from addictions. I feel like I'm getting my anointing back after many years in the wilderness. Thank you Jesus, I wonder whether the powers of darkness are trembling.

Hot again

The heat has returned, after a lull of cooler temps. Humidity too. Did I make a mistake building a deck onto my house? Will we only be able to use it in spring and autumn (fall)? I do have a back up plan, the gazebo I built a couple of years ago. That is screened in, to protect us from the state bird, the dreaded mosquito. These mosquitoes are satanically trained to inflict the most damage to a person, they can also carry Lyme's disease, which can be fatal. Such is life here. In Britain, we don't have a single dangerous creature, only man. There are a few vipers that can bite and cause sickness, but not usually fatal. Here, we have bears, moose, elk, wolves, racoons just north of us, and rattlesnakes to the south. Where we live in the city is mercifully free of death dealing animals, except the mosquitoes.
We can't say the same about demonic entities, which present themselves everywhere. I'm not a person who sees a demon under every tree, but I was always interested in the story, apparently true, of Alistair Crowley, who was Britain's biggest satanist by all accounts. Crowley was in London, in a house, and looked out of his window, screamed, and ran out of the house. He ran down the path and stopped a man walking by. "Who are you?" Crowley asked. "You are the first person I've ever seen who does not have personal demons attached to him."
"My name is Oswald Chambers", the man replied.
One thing I've been seeing recently is more of the spiritual realm. I was unsure of the things I was seeing, so I started testing them, and have been surprised how accurate they have been. It seems so easy for us to do or say something and open ourselves up to demonic interference. That's not to say we should be afraid, but it's to say we should be careful what we say and do. I am guilty about being too casual about this. As one preacher said, "Don't be surprised if satan comes to your house to check on, or take his property."
If we don't walk in God's ways, and keep close to Him, we are walking around with our defenses down in dangerous country populated by demons who love to torment and harm us. If we keep walking in the Lord's will we know whatever happens to us, it is in His will and control. It doesn't mean we will be safe, just under His care at all times.

Weekend warrior

Started off the weekend by taking Friday off and going fishing. A nice relaxing day with many a fish on my stringer. Saturday was a training day at a Lutheran church many miles away, but it was worth the trip. We had a great day learning much about spiritual warfare so it was wonderful.. I was bold and wore my tallit (prayer shawl) all day. It feels good and keeps me focussed on the Lord. Sunday we had a good prayer time and focussed on Mrs E's illnesses, one of which is a debilitating bowel disease that we're suspicious of, we feel it's a demonic attack. We made good progress and learned some new information, so we can keep praying for clarity.
I'm dostressed, as usual by the Israeli and Palestinian issues, now a family have been killed whilst on a beach. Hamas has ended it's truce. How sad that Israel will doubtless have to keep fighting for its existence until the Antichrist comes to make peace. Can't be many years away can it?

Monday again

I've noticed that Monday seems to appear at the start of every week with alarming regularity. Not being a morning person, I'm still shocked at being up at 5.15am, showering, then walking our dog, then leaving home about 6.40am to be in for 7am. You would think that the roads would be quieter then but au contraire they are mad busy. We even have friends who are up at 4am to feed their children, take them to child care etc and get to work at 7am. Such is the USA, where, contrary to most of Europe, it is an early society. I mean early in the day. Go to London, Liverpool, or any big British city and the streets are busy until 1 or 2am, and on the weekends 3 to 4am, then there's a short lull until 5.30am when the bus crews start going to work, then the rush is on from about 7.30am. I remember walking the streets of Budapest, and Bucharest in the middle of the night and it was teeming with people. Vienna and Frankfurt are the same. No, I'm not boasting I've been to these places, I'm just astonished that in the suburbs where we live, go out after 8pm and most places are empty or closing. That's because, I suspect, everyone has to be in bed by 9pm as they have to be up early for work. Ha! I thought it was just old age. The other thing is that I think I'll write to the Governor and get the phrase "Rush Hour" changed to "Rush Most of the day". This is because here, Rush "Hour" is from about 6am to 9,30am, then 2.30pm to 6pm. Whoever called it Rush Hour?

Tonight we see some friends, the wife has been similarly treated like me, and is so disturbed she's going to live in a community where they can care for people like her and I that society and the church either forget, or can't deal with. The four of us will have pizza, pop and ice cream, then maybe play some games for her to relax. How nice it would be if society and churches helped really hurting people more. The shame is that although they are a lot more work, they always seem to be multi-talented, and creative. Those in church also often become great prayer warriors that have the discernment to topple hugh satanic strongholds with a few words. How much society is missing. Most of the women are in hurtful relationships, or in mental institutions. Most of the men are in prison or dead. Such lost giftings and potential.