I love living in a rural area. Things here are mostly quiet, and we get to enjoy things like wildlife and starry night skies. We have a lot of freedom out here, too. We can build buildings and burn trash without permits. We can shoot fireworks, cut our grass when we want to, and sit on the porch in pajamas without worrying about neighbors judging us. I know, most of that may sound silly. But I love to look for positives.

The term “church hurt” has grown in popularity over the years, I think, because so many people have realized that others have been hurt in the church. When we suffer something, we can often isolate ourselves and think we are the only ones who have gone through those situations. But being hurt in the church is, unfortunately, not a rare situation.

Jesus said doctors were for the sick and not for the well, indicating that ministers and churches were for broken people, not perfect ones (Matthew 9:12). Those who are broken can be the very ones who lash out in hurtful ways, and they may cause others to retreat from them.

Exercising has never been one of my favorite things. I was the kid in school who attracted every flying ball in every game once I walked into a gym or on a field, and I usually caught them with my face. Even the balls knew I was a defenseless target.

This past Saturday, I traveled to Mobile Bay for a day of hanging out in the sun. Nope, not the beach, although it was a beautiful day for sand and swimming. 

This particular Saturday, I visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, just minutes from Downtown Mobile. Every two months, volunteers put on a reenactment complete with blank rounds and planes that buzz the ship. It's a great show, and the history of both the USS Alabama and submarine USS Drum is hands-on and fascinating. The Aircraft Pavilion, the grounds, and the ships themselves are dotted with planes, tanks, monuments, and more. I love the history and pride that is evoked there.

I love my Apple watch. Why? It gives me the time and all sorts of other information, too. I can measure my walks, check the weather, and even remind me to take a few minutes to breathe and relax. And the best part? I can talk into it like a secret agent, turning regular phone calls into adventures in communication.

My iWatch isn't the most intriguing timekeeper I have, though. That honor goes to my great-grandmother's Seth Thomas shelf clock. Standing just over two feet tall, it has a glass and wooden door that allows the user to set the clock and wind it with the key. These clocks were very popular in the 1800s, and the company lasted into this century.

When you think of Southern flowers, you may think of magnolias or azaleas. But one of my favorites is wisteria. A beautiful blooming vine, wisteria's white or lavender blooms drape over gazebos, roadside trees, and abandoned homeplaces all over the South. The scent of the blossoms is sweet and enchanting, and it can be difficult to get close to the flowers without dodging bees, which are also attracted to the pleasant smell. Many people take time to train their wisteria, shaping the woody vines into trees or arches.

Most Southerners either love or hate wisteria. There is no in-between. Me? I'm a wisteria lover! I love the smell, the drape of the vines, and the delicate colors. I even like to hear the bees buzzing around my wisteria-shrouded fence. 

According to the website www.expertgps.com, there are nearly 13,000 churches in Alabama. There are two ways to look at this. One is that there are many churches of many designs, and there should be one to suit everyone. Another way to look at it is that many people can’t get along, so they create more churches.

from Cossondra

As springtime creeps in shyly and maybe furtively into the Gulf Coast Region, azaleas bloom, and flowering grasses creep up from the ground. Garden Centers open with plants outstretched like bait hanging from racks and spread out on the sidewalks in front of the store. The siren song of life and beauty calls, "Buy me! Plant me!"

I quite often do. Sometimes I buy vegetables, sometimes bedding plants. This year it was a hanging basket that reminded me of my grandmother. She always had this type of plant, a spider plant, whose tendrils fall from the mother plant with baby sprouts searching for soil so that they, too, can thrive and bring life.

I love hearing someone tell a good story. Storytelling is a craft in which foundations are laid, characters are developed, and conflicts can come from anywhere.

When I taught high school poetry, we always brought in songs that told stories when discussing narrative poetry. We discussed the differences between what made a narrative and what was simply descriptive (or nonsense). I found that letting students present songs they knew and liked opened up discussions and brought other students understanding about narratives, music, and their classmates.

The significance of the armor isn't where Paul's teaching of preparedness ends. He states that after we put on our armor, we need to pray. But realize that they aren't separate actions. It is part of the same process, and putting on the armor is just a step. See, our prayers are made more powerful through each piece of armor we have reviewed. By examining and tending to our beliefs in and interactions with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and the Word of God, we are preparing ourselves to go into battle, a battle of prayer.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Other than the secondary use of the Shield of Faith as a bashing weapon, the Sword is the only offensive weapon we are to include in our armor. It’s the only weapon Paul says we need. None of us would reject the fact that it is powerful. But it won’t do anything lying on a shelf. We must use it.

Many teachings about the Helmet of Salvation regard protecting our thoughts. Frequently used in those teachings is Romans 12:2, which says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Taking control of our thoughts is, indeed, highly important. Corrupted thoughts can lead us down the wrong roads. Dwelling on something like fear or temptation can lead us to sin, changing our minds and causing us to compromise our choices and our faith. We will talk more about fear later.

Our loving and powerful God is described as many things in the Bible. He is our rock, our fortress, our salvation, and our light, to name a few. And additionally, I found more than a dozen references declaring that God is our shield! He provides Himself as protection for us, but the material that strengthens that shield is our faith.

Throughout history and cultures, military shields have been different sizes and made of various materials. Small shields could be carried on the arm, and larger versions, like the one referenced in Psalm 91:4, were curved and large enough to be placed on the ground and used as a protective cover. Shields could also be used as weapons. Many had spikes on the outside to damage enemies when pushing them back.

Most people probably wouldn't include shoes in a list of armor, or they might add them as an afterthought. But that's not what Paul does here through the Holy Spirit. He includes shoes before the shield, helmet, and sword. As a result, they must be considered a significant, integral part of our armor. Let's look at why.

First, let's look at how they are described in the Armor of God catalog. Paul says in Ephesians 6:15 to have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." So, we will initially look at preparation, Gospel, and peace, and finally discuss the shoes themselves.

The largest piece of God's Armor is the breastplate. The military breastplate was crucial because it covered vital organs like the lungs, heart, and liver. However, when I was looking for a modern equivalent, I decided against Kevlar, worn our soldiers and police officers. Unlike a breastplate, those vests have both a front and a back. The most common comparison we have today would be baseball/softball umpire's chest protector. They aren't designed to stop modern weapon strikes, but they do help protect the wearer from hurtling fastballs and errant bat swings.

Perhaps you have read or been told that there is no back protection because we aren't supposed to run from a battle. Although I have been taught that since Sunday school, I have come to doubt this interpretation. I find it seasoned with judgment from people who are likely not in a current battle. I believe God protects us when we sit down from fatigue and when we make a quick, overwhelmed retreat. And don’t doubt that the enemy will launch sneak attacks from behind. God still defends in all these situations. But that is a topic for another blog. Let's look more at the breastplate.

You may be familiar with championship belts worn by professional wrestlers. They are usually enormous and shiny -- difficult to miss. And, unlike typical belts, they aren't usually worn around the waist. Instead, professional wrestlers often sling their massive belts over a shoulder as a symbol or message. The belt tells the world that the carrier is a powerful champion who has won difficult battles. Our belt is a symbol, too, but it is more than that. It is foundational to who we are in Christ. The Belt of Truth is the first piece of armor that Paul tells us to put on in Ephesians 6. That makes the belt significant for a couple of reasons. 

First, it was crucial to the rest of the armor, helping hold the heaviest piece of armor, the breastplate, in place and serving to hold the sword. I have read that soldiers also tucked their long tunics into the belt to allow them to run with less encumbrance. Just as the belt is foundational to the soldiers' armor, knowing God's truth is the basis of every piece of armor. None of the other things will work without truth.

Over the next several weeks, we will reexamine a subject that has been frequently taught in classes and studies. However, The Holy Spirit can always reveal new facets of God's Word, and I want us to pursue something together.

People acquainted with prayer and spiritual warfare are usually familiar with the Armor of God. The Apostle Paul compared needed Christian qualities to different pieces of Roman armor so that his audience could better understand their importance. Each piece represents qualities Christians need to engage in a victorious battle. We know that we need to suit up in our armor daily to fight a good fight. Like perhaps some of you, I have often gone through a ritual of "putting on" the armor to remind myself of the ways God supports me. But lately, God has been dealing with me not about wearing the armor but about maintaining it.