joecarter - Just Doo it, do it-

Having a beard is a beautiful thing and I just want to start by encouraging everyone, man woman and child, to nurture this wonderful growth into existence. I'd like to give a special shout out to those participating in No Shave November, way to be. Also, thanks for continued support in my adventure with God and his calling. I am striving to continually be in tune to his voice in different directions-even ones that make me extremely uncomfortable. The other day Caleb and I were sitting on the sidewalk, enjoying our chocolate bananas (which amazingly are 10 cents a piece), and we noticed an elderly woman that was struggling to walk. Her knees would buckle and she depended on crutches to hold herself up. We both felt like we should pray for her but we didn't. Later that night, I found myself praying to God that he show me his awesome power and use Caleb Spitler in an amazing way. "I will follow!" I prayed. Apparently, Caleb was praying a similar prayer!

The next day, we again found ourselves buying those amazing bananas and on the way I told Caleb that "God is going to use you in an amazing way today, I just want you to know that I will follow you so do whatever." As soon as the words left my mouth, bam my eyes shot to the same woman, except this time she was on our side of the street and right next to us. Wow, Caleb saw the same thing but we still kept silent, bought our bananas and actually got led by this excited father to his backyard. Pretty crazy, there was a huge wooden fighting ring and he showed us all his vicious chickens that were getting prepared to fight to the death. He invited us to watch on December 13^th or something and that would be phenomenal. After, we stepped outside the door and Caleb looks at me and says something like, "I don't want you to feel any pressure or that I am copping out or anything, but I really think you should pray for healing for that lady." I feel like God was speaking so clearly to both of us so I immediately said, "Yes, lets do it." I was so nervous I was shaking but I asked her if she wanted to get better and she said yes. Then I prayed with my hand on her legs for God to demonstrate his power and heal this woman. When I stood up my legs felt like I had just given my first kiss to a girl and it was all romantic. We said good day to her and immediately left. Now, I don't know if God healed her at that moment because we didn't ask her to stand and we haven't seen her since, but let me tell you: It is such an honor to do this and serve God the way he wants. If you feel his voice, hear his voice, or just get a feeling in your stomach, follow this feeling and first make sure that what you feel lines up with the Bible and if it does, DO IT! Anybody seen Starsky and Hutch? "Just Do it, c'mon man, do it, do it."

Man, there is so much knowledge about the Bible and truth that I feel like really needs to be tapped into. The other night I was praying to God that he would cast out darkness in our house, it was a little weird, but I felt like there was something weird and an eerie presence in the house. I woke up J.D Russell and Spitler up and we prayed against this darkness. It was at this moment, recognizing that there is actually a dark spiritual power in this world that I realized that I needed to recognize the truth and weapons we are equipped with from God.

"J.D, isn't there a verse about the armor of God poking and jostling around in the Bible somewhere?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah Ephesians 6 I'm pretty sure." J.D coolly answers from his vat of Biblical knowledge.

So, I found the verse and it actually begins in Ephesians 6:10. This highlights a tremendous knowledge that we must have to, "Take your stand against the Devil's schemes." The Bible says that our struggle isn't against someone in the flesh, but "the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." If we don't recognize what we are equipped with, like I have decided to do for quite some time, the next time the great deceiver decides to tempt us or to use his lies to make us feel bad about ourselves we wont hold the shield of faith up and it will be SO much harder not to sin. Many times I have fallen and continue to fall into the lies, yet now it is simply because I have been caught off guard. We are to recognize God equipped you and I with the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

To be honest, I was going to write about something completely different today and had my blog half completed until I was hit with a verse right before I decided to go to bed last night. That verse reminded me of what I had learned and spoke to me in yet another way. In Solomon 22: 29-37, it says, "You are my lamp, O Lord; the lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand of the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."

Therefore, our stones, our sin, or anything we are holding onto has no power over us. The more we recognize what we are entitled to and what God gave to us as soon as we accepted him into our hearts we can fight with renewed strength against the temptations of sin because we know that he is our "Shield of victory" and he will make us great. One more verse, John 10: 10, promises us a full and rich life if we follow God and put these weapons into practice! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

ew, really good stuff I think. Here is an update of how our week looked: All week we carried around giant rocks in our bags that signified the sin that we are still holding on to-secular music, lust, self image, security or whatever. It was a terrible thing, I could not run-which was cool because I really should run for anything without God-and we could not sleep without our bags on. The only thing we could do was shower without them. By the end of the week we were allowed to take our rocks and cast them out if we felt free! I threw mine at a giant wall. Also, we put on the Biblical play of Lasareth for all the kids that help us with trash clean up. What a great idea of Laura Olvers and company. Also, we went to an amazing lagoon yesterday! There was an 800 ft. deep lake in the middle of a volcano and we spent the day swimming in its warm waters and relaxing in hammocks. Awesome day! I thank God for showing us his beautiful creation!

Hey, I have a special shout out to Jen. Jen-you are a huge answer to prayer! I have been trusting in God and praying that he will provide for my financial needs and what are the odds that your last name, Liscio, would be in my title of my blog! Crazy, I think I am going to start writing last names in my titles every time, ha. Anway, thank you for the encouraging comment. Church family and friends, I am getting really eager to get back, I cannot wait to experience snow and skiing and hot chocolate! Bam, I hope you enjoyed reading my blog today, please pray that I will continue to listen for Gods voice and I will continue to thank God for all of my supporters!

-Jose Cartier