So I was talking to a good friend of mine yesterday about spiritual warfare. This person happens to be a student. This person is developing a heart to reach out to their friends and make a difference. Which of course is very cool. As we were talking, God really impressed something upon me that concerned me. I told the person that I wasn't sure how to go about making a difference with their friends. Because this I've figured out. The enemy hates prayer. I think his goal is to keep us complacent. Comfortable. Bored. When we get excited and start praying for people that don't know Jesus, I've noticed in my life that that's when the temptations come. That's when I start feeling real resistance from the devil. Whenever we start becoming active in the spiritual world pressing against the kingdom of darkness, that's when the enemy rises up against us.

I don't think he has to get us even to sin. Sin will come. His job is to get us distracted. Sometimes with destructive things. Sometimes with good things. Things that are ok, but aren't him. A new activity that takes up a large part of our time and attention. A new girlfriend or boyfriend that monopolizes our time. A new job that takes us away from church or youth group. First we see our devotional life start to slip. Our bible reading drops off. Our prayer life diminishes. Then we start missing things that would build us up. It's like our enemy lulls us to sleep. I'm sitting here watching the Chronicles of Narnia where Lucy is sitting in the fawn Tumnus' house and he's playing his pan flute. He lulls her to sleep to make her susceptible to the White Witch. Had he told her when he met her by the lampost that he intended to turn her over to the enemy, she would have run away. But he didn't. He sweet talked her to come to his house. He bribed her with snacks and offered her wonderful company. The enemy isn't too much different. Sometimes the things that he offers seem so innocent and feel so good that, we can't imagine that there's anything wrong with them.

Anyhow, back to the conversation. I told the student that I wasn't sure that I wanted to turn them loose on trying to make a difference in the people around them. The reason was, the enemy knows exactly how to exploit our weaknesses. If we are starved for attention and acceptance, he will take advantage of us there. He is absolutely cruel. He has no compassion. If he can ruin us as well as stop our momentum and the momentum of the church, super! I look back at this last year. There were a few that really had a desire to make a difference in the people around them. I don't know whether that really ever happened. But I saw where the enemy perhaps took opportunity with the weaknesses in their lives and sent them off track. This has been on my mind most of the day. We really need to count the cost on our commitments. Those in positions of influence have a far greater responsibility. When I left my last youth pastor position, I purposely tried to separate myself from the students there because I didn't want to be in competition with the incoming youth leader. The downside was, there were a group of students that had begun relying on my input. And I let them down and left them stranded. I listened to distractions because I was young and wanted my own way.

I'm watching Narnia and to the point where the White Witch has invited Edmund into her sled and she's giving him Turkish Delight and hot chocolate. She's distracting him with promises and lies. The next time he sees her, she will imprison him.

Be careful if you are interested in leadership positions. You have a target on your head. Just as I do. He will take you out through good options. Things that feel good. Excitement or acceptance. Be wise. If your eyes aren't squarely on God, YOU ARE VULNERABLE! Beware.  Go Tribe~Beat Boston!

Sitting here tonight. The house is quiet, everyone is asleep. It's one of my favorite times of day. Tonight I finished at Mosaic and went to rent a couple movies. One for the kiddies and one for me. I got the movie The Cell with Jennifer Lopez. I've seen the tv version a couple times, never all the way through. I made it about :45 into it. Very disturbing. It's about a psychiatrist that has a way to get into the minds of other people and try to help them. In the process, she puts herself in danger in the mind of a serial rapist and murderer. I shut it off. The thing that stuck out most to me was, people who watch these kind of death and torture kind of movies regularly, yeah. I can't think it's overly healthy for their minds.

The enemy is so clever. There was some sexuality in the movie. Which was one of the reasons I shut it off. But when the enemy mixes sexuality with violence and hatred, I wonder what that does to us mentally and emotionally. I would think it most certainly takes the beauty and purity of the sexual relationship between a husband and wife. I'm sure it desensitizes us to... I don't know. It's just ugly. So I go to switch around and see what all is on. Yeah, 12:15am isn't the best time to find good family entertainment. So, how bout some Sportscenter?

Some good news, the Tribe is, how shall I say, EN FUEGO! They just swept the Tigers in a three game series. Since I live 1 hour from Detroit, you can imagine how many Tigers fans live around me. Well, the result this evening was much like the last several Ohio State-Michigan football and basketball games. Simply beautiful. Time to stop and watch the Sportscenter highlights. It was so good, I think I'll take it in again.

Haven't had a whole lot to say. Which means I'm getting stale. Not learning much of anything new. No amazing discoveries. Just treading water. What a year this has been. Many good things. Much adversity. Many, many new challenges. But not much learning. This is one area I'm really looking forward to over the summer. I'm not planning very much, so there will be lots of reading time. Lots of studying. I've been looking forward to digging in to Mere Christianity and The Case for Christ now for many moons. So many a day will be spent laying under the sun and reading these two books. I'm looking forward to a real growth spurt over the summer. It's been quite some time since I've disciplined myself to just sit and read a book cover to cover. Mix church camp, a leadership conference, Spirit Song, a family vacation and church softball games in there, there shouldn't be much boredom.

On top of that, we're looking at some minor changes in our personal life that should be very positive. Life is good. Very rarely is it easy, but it's good. Which is a testimony to a good God that has so certainly taken care of us. Mikaela has her 6 month MRI and it came back that her tumor is shrinking. How cool is that? Still benign, non cancerous. And shrinking. Our septic system is in and all is flushing smoothly. No more pee water on the floor. The exercise is becoming less and less painful. And I just got challenged last night to a race at the end of the summer. If I win, this student will bow and kiss my feet and put a crown on my head in front of the group. I can't lose this bet. I really love it when kids think they're invincible. I just let them talk. It's more fun that way. Well, the kiddies will be getting home soon and I have a bit more studying to do. So, I'll say, adieu to anyone who might be reading this.

So we stayed overnight with our wonderful neighbors last night. I wake up at 4 and can't sleep anymore. So I have an awesome quiet time this morning. I've been very distant from God over the last 3-4 weeks. So yesterday afternoon, I have a great worship time with God and this morning I have the best devo time I've had in three weeks. It was great. So as I'm finishing up my quiet time, I get to thinking, I wonder if the water level in our toilet and bathtub has raised overnight. Then I remember that I didn't scoop out the septic pee water that has been backing up last night. Ruh roh. So at 5:10 I come over to 1/2 " of pee water on my bathroom floor. YES! That's what we were hoping for this morning! An interesting thing happened, though. I didn't get angry. This is completely out of character for me this last three weeks. God is enabling me to laugh again. What else can we do? Next week by this time, hopefully these problems will be behind us. They're just distractions. I can continue to get caught up in these distractions, or, I can laugh. I think I'll laugh.

Besides, the Tribe is on a winning streak! They're tied for first in the AL Central. In fact, had they not been swept by the Skankees, they would be challenging for the best record in baseball. And on top of that, the Cavs are up 2-0 in their first round playoff series. Cleveland sports are really fun to watch right now. It was neat watching the game last night. The Tribe went into the 11th to beat Texas. Fans who were watching the Cavs game came over to the Jake to watch the end of the baseball game. So this year, we've watched the Buckeye football team play for the National Championship, the Buckeye basketball team play for the National Championship and now both Cleveland pro teams playing great. It's an Ohio sports fan's dream. Now, if the Browns have an ultra-successful season and finish 8-8, it will be an awesome sports year.

I'm working with my trainer and I feel better than I have since I was in j hi track. God spoke to me this morning and to my bible study last night. We had like 16 people there last night! It was great! We studied about the Temple of Solomon, performing circumcisions with tree bark and how the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. Great study! God is great, God is good, and I am at peace this morning. It's been awhile. Welp, back to the pee water. YESSSS......