Awakening My Inner Spiritual Warrior

We are witnessing something powerful. 
Can you feel it?

I feel an intensity of two distinct powers. 
One of which causes me exhaustion, hopelessness, and fear.  And the other awakens my inner spiritual warrior, reminding me I chose to enlist in God’s army in a premortal realm. I agreed to face and faithfully fight on the hard days, riddled with inadequate and restless feelings and dotted with unknown paths that lie ahead. I promised to battle the adversary fiercely and fearlessly. 

The truth is: I’ve been training for this day for 50 years…

When I was young, a group of girls from school were talking about a flyer we all received. It was information on a summer softball team.  I had played plenty of kickball in my backyard as a kid with my dad and the neighborhood kids.  I understood softball to share the same general concepts so I showed up at the school fields on the first day of practice.  I was introduced to new skills such as proper techniques for throwing, catching and batting. I was undersized and seemingly slow to catch on but I knew I would improve. 
At the end of practice, following the final huddle, Coach asked me to stay back for a minute.  I nervously approached her as she gazed at her clipboard.  She simply said. “I don’t think you can succeed in this sport and I’m asking you not to come back.”
I felt devastated, embarrassed, and defeated. 

However, I fought those feelings of inadequacy and focused my efforts on the community’s summer swim team.
Our first meet was just a few weeks after the initial practice. I felt unprepared as I was still learning stroke techniques, shallow diving, and flip turns. 
Nevertheless, I had a piece of paper with my name and event and I was standing in a line with a group of girls I didn’t know from teams across the region, waiting for my turn to race. With each fire of the starting gun, another race began and all 8 of us followed our lane lines and slowly moved to the front towards the pool.
Soon- it was my turn… 
The starting gun sounded, startling me, and I hesitated – eventually joining the other 7 swimmers in the water, imperfectly splashing our way down the lane. We were doing our best- with the resources we had to battle self-doubt and swim hard.

These, and countless other seemingly inconsequential experiences over the years, coupled with accompanying choices have brought me to this very place and time. 

The world is enduring a high level of chaos. 
There is exhaustion in meeting demands in the family as roles and proximity to help have shifted.  There’s anxiety regarding financial burdens – those realized today and those projected for the future.  There’s the pain of loneliness and loss. 
And I feel like I’m at the front of the line, it’s my turn to climb up on the starting block and shed the doubt of previous disappointments and self-defeating thoughts of being unprepared, or insufficient.  It’s time for me to realize I’m here at this time, for a purpose and all God wants from me is to reach out with faith and do my best.
If my strokes are flawed and my turns aren’t sharp, it’s ok. I just need to keep my promise and try my best to help God in any way I can. He will accept my imperfect efforts and count them for good. 

I testify He is here. He is with us. We are not alone.  He sends aid in the form of angels- seen and unseen. He extends comfort and tender mercies to show us of His perfect love. And He sends His Son to help us carry the burdens that seem overwhelming and discouraging. 

How do I know?
As I silence the clamor in the world around me, I hear Him. I feel His love. I know Him. 

It’s my turn to step up to the front lines and fight for truth, fight for Christ. My inner spiritual warrior is ready to battle the adversary who is the source of fear and anxiety, and dispels faith. 
I’m ready…
One step at a time- 
One day at a time…
Choosing to know Him.  
Choosing to testify of Him, my Savior- my source of enduring peace. 

-JC

Lemon Cream Frosted Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies
1 cup soft butter
½  cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, oil  and sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs, vanilla extract; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Add 2-3 Tablespoons more flour for high elevation. Scoop out approximately 24+ 2” balls of dough. For a richer flavor and smoother texture, form cookie dough balls, flatten slightly and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet.   Bake at 350 degrees for 12+  min. Let cool. Frost with Lemon Cream Frosting. Garnish with fresh lemon zest if desired. let Set. Share!

Lemon Cream Frosting
8 oz. softened  cream cheese
½ cup soft butter
Zest of two medium lemons
Juice of two medium lemons (¼ cup)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3+ cups powdered sugar
Dash of salt

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in lemon juice, lemon extract, 1 cup of powdered sugar and dash of salt. Mix until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar and whip on high for 3-5 minutes. Place in freezer strength Ziploc until ready to use.

Not a fan of lemon? Simply frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.