We have lived in our current home for almost 4 years and this is the first spring in which we haven’t had a bird problem. On the side of our house there is a small slotted dryer vent that a certain mamma bird insists on building her nest in every year around this time. The first couple of years it wasn’t so bad. We could hear the baby birds chirping up a storm every morning when we went to our closet to get dressed, but we knew they would be gone soon, so we did nothing about it. But last year it got ugly.
Mamma bird came back, baby birds were born, chirping ensued, and our laundry room started to smell like a bird cage. I was a few months pregnant and my sensitive sniffer could hardly stand to be home. It was awful. Josh spent an entire Saturday morning up on a very high ladder “removing” the birds and all of the nests that had been accumulating for who knows how long. Like I said, it was ugly. After the vent was completely cleaned out, he installed a box around it that was designed specifically for keeping birds out, because we knew if we didn’t do something to block that vent the same bird would be back again and we would be dealing with the same problem again next year.
Just a few days ago I was on a walk with the kids when we saw a mamma bird feeding her baby birds in a dryer vent just a few houses away from ours. She came back, but she was forced to make her nest somewhere other than our house.
One of my first pregnancy symptoms this time around was a fear attack. I was sitting on the couch watching T.V. and out of the blue I was bombarded with thoughts of torment about my future pregnancy. I could see myself in the doctor’s office getting the bad news all over again. It was terrifying. I quickly displaced the thought with promises from God’s word. I told my husband about it and that I thought it might mean that I was pregnant. A few weeks later it was time to test and of course I was.
The devil is a punk. He knew I was pregnant before I did and he wanted to start my 40 weeks off with fear. Thankfully, I’ve learned how to install a guard around my mind to keep him from building a nest there. The longer you allow Satan’s worrisome thoughts to play in your head the longer he has to gather his sticks and grass and twine for his nest.
To put a guard around your mind you have to be full of God’s word. When the thoughts of fear came against me watching “Duck Dynasty” wasn’t going to make them leave, talking a cold shower wasn’t going to get rid of them, treating myself to a Snickers bar wouldn’t work either. The only way to get rid of those worry birds was to kick them out with God’s word. I reminded myself of specific promises God had given me when seeking Him on conceiving and it was those promises alone that sent the devil looking for someone else to nest in.
If thoughts of worry and fear come against you, don’t procrastinate, don’t ignore them, don’t wait for them to go away on their own. Kick them out and install a guard immediately or they will be back again and again and again.
Every morning I wake up and remind myself of God’s promises for me concerning this pregnancy and every morning a guard goes up around my mind, specifically designed to keep worry birds away.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIRV) The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy.
Use God’s word as a weapon to destroy the camps, the nests, the fear that the enemy wants to use to destroy you.
- The weapons God has given us have the power to destroy the camps of the enemy!
- The devil can’t build nests and keep coming back again and again if we put God’s word on guard.
- God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear but he has given us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
- I found SO many promises to stand on when seeking God’s wisdom and peace on conception.
- Ascension Day! Mark 16:19
- Slept great again, but so happy Josh will be sleeping next to me tonight.
- Had a sweet mother’s day breakfast with Gussy at preschool.
- The sweet card Gus made me about me. He said I love to cuddle, I weigh 14 pound, I’m 14 years old, and I’m the best teacher at church. He’s a sweet boy.
- When I picked him up from school he had a pretty bead bracelet for me.
- Fun morning at one of my favorite places- Hobby Lobby, with one of my favorite girls- Celia Beau!
- Found some cheap candy dishes that will travel well for Gus’ birthday party.
- Gus was blowing my mind with all the cool stuff he knows about caterpillars. He’s a sponge!
- Tomato soup and yummy grilled cheese for lunch.
- Let Gus pick the restaurant tonight and he picked wisely. Cowboy Chicken!
- Peach cobbler.
- Josh made it home safely.
- The kids were so excited to see their Dida!
- Loved talking with Josh and hearing more about the awesome men’s summit.
- Got my hair washed and dried this afternoon so I could just hang out with Josh tonight.
- Beau in her dress, pajama pants, green boots, and oversized stocking cap pushing around her grocery cart. She made the homeless look pretty darn cute.
- Awesome report from one of friends!
- So nice having Josh home to help put the kids to bed tonight.
- Tomorrow is Sabbath Friday!
- My nephew survived the long bus ride back to Tulsa to be reunited with his cute little wife.
- When Beau goes out into the garage and it’s dark she says, “It’s okay. Jesus is on my side.”
- Gus taught Beau that Jesus is on her side.
- My precious family of 5 sleeping under the same roof tonight. So blessed!
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