My Place of Grace

Meet the author of A Slow Burn, Mary DeMuth . Mary DeMuth is an expert in the field of Pioneer Parenting. She helps Christian parents plow fresh spiritual ground, especially those seeking to break destructive family patterns. Her message guides parents who don’t want to duplicate the home where they were raised or didn ’t have positive parenting role models growing up. An accomplished writer, Mary’s parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God. Her real-to-life novels inspire people to turn trials into triumphs: Watching the Tree Limbs (2007 Christy Award finalist, ACFW Book of the Year 2 nd Place) and Wishing on Dandelions (2007 Retailer’s Choice Award finalist). Mary is a frequent speaker at women’s retreats and parenting seminars, addressing audiences in both Europe and the United States. National media regularly seek Mary’s candid ability to connect with their listeners. Her...

In my current job I am taking care of a cancer patient. He is a lovely person and I have grown quite fond of him. In the past two weeks he has been having more and more trouble keeping up with himself and it has prompted the family to have someone spend the nights with him. He is in a really tough period of his illness. Still wanting to be independent and self sufficient, but unable to physically do so. I can see the struggle that is happening within him as he has to continually trust, humble, and surrender himself into the hands of those caring for him. This experience got me thinking about my relationship with God. I am a very independent person too. I like to handle things on my own. Thinking I should be able to do this or that. God tells me through His Word that He is my supply, He is my provider, He is who should be in control. I often find myself having to humble myself before Him. Especially after I've made a terrible mess of things trying to handle them on my own. My clien...

M. DeMuth – Media Release A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth. She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy. Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder. Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer-a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for? The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive. About the Author: Mary DeMuth Mary DeMuth is an expe...

Deception Prevention So many things try to pull us away From believing what's right and true. Deception abounds from the evil one Half truths set our minds askew. We have to be sure, we know God's word So we're able to discern, The subtle lies and urgings The enemy will have us learn. Satan does what he can to deceive us, Of this we can be sure. He'll make bad sound good, and good sound bad. He tries to dig into our core. His goal is to tear us away from God, In such a way that we're unaware. It is so important we guard our hearts, Lest we get tangled in his snare. God tells us how to do this Through the instruction of His word. Its so important that we know it, To put in practice what we've heard. In Paul's letter to the Colossians He gives us some advice. Do not handle, taste or touch The things Satan uses as his vice. It's best not even dabble In those things that lead astray. Before we know it, we're sucked in And carried right away. The way to s...

My fellow sister in Christ, Mary DeMuth has a new book coming out on Thursday. I am reading it now and it is excellent, beyond excellent! Mary has a gift of weaving words into story and story into mystery. She takes tragedy and shines the light of God's redemption into the bleakest of situations, she keeps you guessing. It is extremely difficult to put this book down. This is the second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy. Daisy Chain is the first book in the series and a definite must read! To blitz Amazon on its release date, click here . A Slow Burn releases Thursday. Oct. 1 A Slow Burn releases this Thursday! Consider this initial review: "The acts of forgiveness, denial, betrayal, love, humility and hatred are expertly examined in this Defiance, Texas sequel. It's almost as if Mary knows just what to write on paper to touch each of our souls, and then does so as if she is speaking to us as individuals. Her words make you feel what each of her characters are feeling a...

I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in thy way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared .- Exodus 23:20 Before God created the earth and us, He created the Angels, spirit beings made to help our Lord. Coming across this promise got me thinking of all the times God has put people in my path at just the right time when I needed direction. Yep...I bet those were his Angels in human form at the time. A few years back, my situation seemed very hopeless. My marriage was falling apart, my oldest son at 18, was involved with drugs and in and out of jail, My middle son was suffering as of yet undiagnosed mental illness and I was trying to hold my quickly deteriorating family together on my own. Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, I didn't know what to do or where to turn. At that time I didn't belong to a church and I had very few friends. My relationship with God was very one sided, I didn't know much about Jesus and salvation or what that meant. One Sunday my ...

Day # 2 of promises. Oh there are so many, we are so blessed. Many of us don't realize all the promises God makes to us if we just know and follow His direction. Psalm 50:15 - Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me. Psalm 91:14 - Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him. The promise: God will deliver us! Take us from our troubles and set us on a rock high above our enemies. now this is not a literal rock, but rather a state of being. the outer circumstances of our troubles may not go away immediately, but the peace God brings to it helps us through. Our part: There are things we need to do in order to take hold of God's promises. In Ps . 50 He tells us we need to call out to Him. We need to share our troubles with Him, ask for His help and direction. In Ps . 91 , He says those who set their love upon God will be delivered. Setting our love on God means out hearts must be set on Him we need to give our hearts t...

Bunnies I pulled into my driveway And there before my eyes Stood three little bunnies I caught them by surprise. I looked at them, And they looked at me. When I opened up my car door, They darted wildly. One ran forward, One ran back The third little bunny Was frozen in it's tracks. I tried to reassure them, I meant to cause no harm. You need not run away from me. I turned on all my charm. From where they were, the two that ran Turned around to look. Their frozen little friend stared, As it's tiny body shook. I didn't mean to scare you I am friend, not foe Please continue playing It's time for me to go. So I walked up the driveway And as I glanced around, I saw those bunnies hopping A truce that day was found. I watched them from my window For a couple minutes more Happy little bunnies Frolicking on earth's grassy floor. It's just incredible to me how much joy these bunnies brought me and got me thinking that if I take so much pleasure in these bunnies, then ho...

I have a little box full of Bible promises. When I pull one out, it gives a promise from God. Today's promise tells me that I shouldn't worry when I am called to speak. He will provide the words when the time comes. When we put our trust in Jesus, He lives in us. We are hooked up, plugged in, and equipped. Abiding in Him gives us power to do all the things He wants us to do. He works through us. God will give us what we need, when we need it! They key...Keep our eyes and heart set on Him. The promise states in Matthew 10:19 -"Take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it is given to you in the same hour ye shall speak it." Another Promise just popped in my head, this one is from the book of Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Jesus works through us and we are strong in Him. What a promise, what a treasure! Dear Lord, Thank You for wanting to live in us. Help us to always remember You are there. When we find ourse...

I cleaned my sink today! Have you ever heard of The Fly Lady? She suggests we always make sure our kitchen sinks are clean. Then every thing else will fall into place as you clean around that central point, but the key is always start with a clean sink. I got to thinking about this. I thought about the sink being like our hearts. If the kitchen sink is full of gunk and food particles,dishes and all brown and yucky, then it affects the way the whole Kitchen looks, It is the heart of the kitchen. The only way to get it to sparkle again is to take out all the bad stuff and then scrub! If our hearts get caked with dirt and grime nothing else in our lives will look good either! We need to take our hearts to the master cleaner every day and ask Him to clean it up. As we get clean, our burdens seem less, the world around us is brighter and we are then able to reflect the light and love of Christ as we should. Does Your sink need a cleaning?

Philippians 4:8 - Finally brothers, whatever is true, what ever is noble , what ever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...think about such things. Our thoughts can get us in trouble. They are a stomping ground for Satan. When we allow our thinking to go to a place of negativity, let's face it, it affects our whole being. We feel anxious, grumpy, fearful, depressed, and our perspective usually gets blown way out of proportion. If this is where we let our thoughts dwell it's very difficult to feel good inside and everything suffers, especially our relationship with God and others. Our thoughts can also have the reverse effect when we choose to think about good things and reject those that bring us down. Thinking about what is true, noble , right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy will bring us peace and calm to our spirits. It lifts us up, and Satan has no place to get into our l...

God has a wonderful plan for me, I just don't know what it is... There are so many things I want to try, but those I succeed with are few. I guess through trial and error, I'll figure out what God wants I will try not to get frustrated with myself when I fail to follow them through. It doesn't mean I'm a failure, or that I'm not good enough. God applauds me for trying, comforts me when I fall and cheers when I get back up. He walks behind and before me and surrounds me on either side. When things don't work out and I'm empty, He is faithful to refill my cup. Maybe it's Gods way of saying, this is not the thing for me So let it go and try something else, don't let discouragement get in the way. Nothing I do will be wasted, though it may not be God's plan I'll keep seeking His will for the answer every time I pray. -Mary Drei...

The truth ...inner joy does not depend upon outward circumstances. Joy is a deeply rooted confidence(faith) that God is in control -- no matter how it looks on the outside. The waves on the ocean may be turbulent and choppy on the surface, but the depths of the sea is calm. Our lives can reflect this when we are able to put our trust in our Creator knowing He holds us in the palm of His hands, and looking forward to the joy set before us when we are finally called home. Jesus knew this joy and was able to endure the most horrific torture imaginable by keeping His mind heavenward. Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NIV) Eternal Joy God is in control... Don't you know? We're held in the palm of His hand. There is never a day That He won't show... The way for His children to stand. He's authored our f...

***This is my 18 yr old son*** Three teenage boys, who happened to be 2 of my sons and one of their friends, and I went to the funeral of one of their friends yesterday. The funeral home was filled with teens gathering to pay their last respects. My children are ages 16 and 18 and they are pretty much your typical, strong, self confident,can do all, teenage young men, as were most of the kids there that day; but as I took my seat in the back of the room, I saw them with fresh eyes, God's eyes. This day in their lives was probably a turning point for most of them. When we are young death is usually the farthest thing from our minds. Teens especially come at life with an attitude of invincibility . "It can't happen to me" thinking clouds their choices. On this day, though, that changed for many of them. Their walls of cockiness and self imposed strength came tumbling down. The minister directed his talk towards them and each one sat quietly and respectfully listening t...

Check this out...This is one of those books that stay with you long after the last page is turned. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=143567691299

I was thinking about my walk with Jesus. How I asked Him into my heart, wondering what would happen next. Really I couldn't imagine that He would want to invest all the time I thought it would take to fix me. I decided that day though, that I was willing to give my heart to him because I knew I wasn't getting anywhere on my own. I was like one of those fix it upper houses that you just never got around to because the work seems so extensive and overwhelming. So every time I'd start to tackle an issue, it would just be too big and I'd give up. By the time I let Jesus take over the renovations, my heart was in terrible disrepair, dilapidated, peeling, musty, and dirty. Well let me tell you. Jesus set to work immediately! It didn't happen over night, but little by little, my wreck of a heart began to actually look like a heart again. it's been about 3 years now since that day. I am amazed at the work he has done. I wrote this poem to remember from where I came, whe...

There have been so many times I've found myself on my knees before God. Lost would be the best description of how I've felt in those times. As I have spoken with others about their own life struggles I realize I am not alone. We all feel lost sometimes. Life can become so confusing,burdensome, chaotic, scary, and just plain overwhelming. In God's word, David The Psalmist, describes his despair and troubles from the depths of his heart. He lays it all before God, holding nothing back. David is considered a man after God's own heart. Why? I think because he was honest with God about who he was, He wasn't afraid of sharing his heart with God. He trusted That hi God would understand and take care of Him. David cried out to God in all situations. He praised God, he thanked God, he sought God and he worshipped God. David was far from perfect and yet God chose him as King over His people. God is not looking for perfect little robot people, He's looking for our hearts. ...

Busy, busy, busy this seems to be every ones status these days. Autumn days send us into a frenzy. Much like squirrels scurrying about collecting nuts for the winter, we two legged creatures do much the same thing. I guess being a mother, I will always associate Fall with back to school. The days get shorter, but our list of things to do gets longer. Gone are the long lazy days of summer. Our focus is on cleaning up, readying for winters chill, homework , switching clothes, school shopping, church and other social functions start back up and there just seem to be activities galore. It is so easy to get caught up in doing. I am the kind of person that likes to take hold of every opportunity. I don't want to miss anything. The only problem with this is...When I have my hands in too many activities I am never very effective in any of them. I begin to get frustrated and when this happens I can almost feel God's finger gently tapping my shoulder. "My child" He says, ...

Life is full of so much hurt and pain. We are born into it. For some it started from the moment they emerged from the womb and for others it's been a more subtle exchange. Those things that entangle us are just lurking, waiting to pounce and destroy our very being. God's word tells us point blank that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion waiting to devour us .(1 Peter 5:8) So what can we do? Do we have to be sitting ducks? NO! That's what Satan wants us to think. He wants us to feel defeated, he wants us to give up, throw in the towel. Everyday that we give in to the things that hold us back is a victory for him. Think for a moment about this...whose team do you want to be on? who are you routing for? Where are your loyalties? It's up to us to choose. Sometimes the trials we go through seem too big, to hard, too impossible to face. Think of some of the things that are part of your life that may be dragging you down. Things like the past, abuse, unfrogiveness, rejecti...

Amazon is gearing up for the release of Leslie Vernick's new book "Lord, I Just Wat To Be Happy" I received this 20% off offer in my e-mail this morning and thought I'd pass the information on. I want to let my bog readers know also that Leslie has not asked me to promote her book, this is a ministry that I wholeheartedly believe in and it is my privilege to spread the word. My hope is that people be blessed and helped in their relationship with Jesus through gaining a better understanding of who we are in Him. When we can embrace our relationship with Jesus it becomes a trickle down effect in all of our other relationships as well. Blessing to you all! Mary Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy Leslie Vernick List Price: $12.99 Price: $10.39 You Save: $2.60 (20%) Release Date: October 1, 2009

Thanks to all who responded to my giveaway of Leslie Vernick's new book, "Lord I Just Want To Be Happy" I have sent emails to the winners. I hope you will be blessed by it! I will be holding more give aways in the future so please check back often! Thanks for being part of my blog family! Blessings, Mary

I've often wondered(I do a lot of that) why God let's so much trouble come to His world. Before I became a Christian I had in my mind that in following God everything would be OK. Obviously these fantasy thoughts of mine never materialized and after accepting Christ, Satan brought this disillusionment of mine front and center. Now why is it that I should think life be all rosy for me? In the Gospel of John Jesus is trying to tell his Disciples that he will be leaving them and they will be scattered from there comfortable surroundings, from all they know. Jesus further and very plainly states point blank, "In this world you will have trouble" The things He says directly before and after this somewhat distressing statement creates a buffer for us, Jesus gives a promise and an explanation of His promise. Lets Look at this passage in John 16:33 - "I have told you theses things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I h...

Christian Counselor , Author and Speaker, Leslie Vernick has a new book coming out on October 1, 2009. The book is called, "Lord I Just Want To Be Happy". How many times have we sent up that prayer to God? What exactly does happiness mean in a Christian's life? Based on her own experience and the experience's of those she counsels,Leslie has felt called to address this very common plea. Chocked full of practical biblical wisdom, Leslie addresses this topic with gentleness and compassion, and her desire to see others grow in their walk with Christ. So here's the deal! I am going to be giving a free book to the first 3 people that e-mail me with the titles of all 5of Leslie's previous books. You can get this information on her website at: http://www.leslievernick.com/ E-mail me the titles and your mailing address @ sqkyclean67@aol.com . I will let you know if you are one of the winners! Thank you...I know you will be blessed by this book! Mary

Here is a short mission statement taken from IJM's web site: International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. I recently attended a conference where this Justice organization was introduced and my heart just broke at the horror of Human Trafficking. Can you imagine being taken away from your family and sold as a sex slave to be used 20-50 times a day by men in any way they want. Can you imagine sleeping on the floor of a brothel just waiting, knowing whats coming and the terror that must go through these young girl minds. I am writing this today to make you aware. This actually is happening as we speak. Please pray for these girls and this organization. Please take the...

This poem was sent to me by a dear friend, and I felt the need to pass it on. * Life can easily feel like it's piling up on us, but God's word tells us not to fear. Psalm 27:1 says... The Lord is my light and my salvation -whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid. * We sometimes feel frustrated,anxious,and worried over things we need to face or are going through; but God's word says in Philippians 4:6,7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. * There are days we feel our burdens laying heavily on our shoulders. The weight of them slowly crushing us into the ground. But guess what? Gods word has something to say about this too! in Matthew 11:28-30 , Jesus says: "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ...

In comemmoration of 9/11 I would like to invite you the change the world...let's combat evil with good. Please read on... One of my favorite movies is "Pay It Forward" The concept of blessing some one and then having that person bless 3 more people is a great way to share the love of God with the world! One person's kind gesture can have a great impact in God's kingdom. So often we think things like "what can I do? I'm only one person, I can't make a difference!" This is so not true! Think how wonderful it makes you feel when someone gives you a compliment, an unexpected gift, a genuine smile or hug. Now you take that warm fuzzy feeling and bless other's and they bless the people in their circle and before you know it we have a whole bunch of people feeling God's love and sharing it! You don't need to be a bible scholar to spread God's message. His greatest commandment is to Love...To love Him and others. We can do this people!!! ...

Every day seems much the same. Wake up, read my Bible, get kids to school, off to work, dinner, evening activities, and back to bed! This is the scenario of most of my days. Recently though I've felt somethings been missing, and it has in a big way! What's missing you ask? Intentionality, purpose, relationship. If I'm not careful I find I'm living life on a hamster wheel. Oh, I'm always busy doing stuff, but it's like I'm mindlessly going about my day, just like that hamster running round and round on it's wheel. This can easily become a hard to break pattern if I don't catch myself. So today, after I read my Bible, I reflected on Jesus' life. He lived everyday with purpose. He reported for duty to His Father each morning in prayer and spoke with Him throughout the day to know what God wanted Him to do next. Jesus purpose was to fulfill God's will and that should be ours too! I am stepping off my wheel today, I've been called for duty a...

Sing praise to the Lord when you're feeling blue, Though it goes against what you want to do. Thank Him for all the battle's He's won, And the hurdle's you've already overcome. Try not to dwell on the problem at hand, But on learning to live by God's command. Hiding His word deep down in your heart Will give you the perfect place to start. Don't let your feelings define who you are. For you are God's child and He'll search wide and far, To bring you into His loving arms; Where He'll shepherd and shelter and keep you from harm. So let's practice the principle of opposites. When down,practice up to stay out of life's pits In fear display courage; when angry, you bless. And when you are sad, proclaim happiness. Becoming aware that you feel as you do, Instead of the feeling becoming you, Is an insightful key to emotional health, And a skill we must master, then share the wealth!

Recently I went kayaking with my girlfriends to celebrate my birthday. As we floated down the Delaware River, we came upon an island calling for us to explore. At the edge of this island there were large rocks and the way they sat it created a pool of water, calm and crystal clear. Paddling our kayaks and securing them between the rocks, we gazed into the beautiful pool. I immediately noticed perfectly smooth, round river stones at the bottom of the pool and so being the adventurous spirit I am, of course I had to check them out! Scrambling out of my wobbly kayak was no easy task, but I managed, and soon found myself wading in the cool clear water. Bending down I began to collect the choicest stones. My girlfriends all looked at me and asked what I was doing? "Collecting river rocks" I replied. After I had gathered what I wanted I threw them in my kayak and off we went down the river. We had a wonderful morning together. God blessed us with great fellowship and perfect wea...

I was reading in Galatians this morning about how Paul was called by God, from being a persecutor of Christians to a promoter of the Gospel of Christ. Paul was writing to the people of Galatia, describing the transformation that God made in his life. He told them that he was set apart from birth by God for this specific time. This got me thinking. God has so very uniquely created each one of us. we are ALL set apart for something special by God. Something that he has planned for us before we were born. Picture this for a minute. Every single person was fashioned and designed for a purpose. Every person plays a role in shaping God's kingdom. We were intended for something, each one of us. So how will we know what our purpose is? It struck me that life floats by so quickly, and if we are not careful and we get too caught up in life's flow, that we risk the chance of missing our very purpose of being here. It also hit me that when God finally got Paul's attention, Paul re...

There is a special kind of birth that I have had the privilege to witness. It's not the birth of a baby, or an animal or anything like that. The birth I am talking about is the birth of a book. I have had the honor of watching as the idea was conceived , and the growth of the content was written and the labor of the final printing in book form came out. It is a long, tedious , painstakingbut worthwhile process and when it is finally finished it feels as though you have given birth to a beautiful baby. A book of this nature is not just a bunch of words slapped together on pages, pasted between two covers. This type of book has been carefully prayed about before, during and afterwards. The words have been lovingly written with God as the mentor. They were crafted and honed to say just the right thing. This book is a living expression of God's love written through the hands of it's author. It's a masterpiece of God's handiwork. I am in total awe of what can happen w...

I am finding that social networks on the Internet are very useful tools for staying in touch and even witnessing the love of Christ to those who are lost and hurting. I have a Face book account and I love how I can hop on-line and see what's happening with all my friends. People share all kinds of things and I like the fact that I can comment on the things they say. I've been able to keep up with relationships that otherwise would have fallen by the way side due to changes in lifestyle. Another great use for these networks is to get information out to a vast number of people in a short efficient amount of time. Sharing upcoming events, prayer requests, book releases, or celebrations have never been easier. Face book and other networks afford us the opportunity to share more of ourselves. God calls us to love and encourage one another, and Internet social networks when used responsibly are useful venues to do just that. Dear Lord Jesus, Help me to always be an encouragement to t...

Question's Lord? Lord how can I ever thank You enough, for bringing me through all the rotten stuff? How can You love me after the bad things I've done Yet over and over You forgive each one? Is there anything Lord that I can do To show my undying thanks for You? Is there any way that I can pay You back For shining your light where all was black? When will I learn that You're always there Watching over me with Your loving care? Lord, why do I doubt You when life gets hard when You faithfully heal the parts of me that are scarred? These questions I ask, though the answer is clear, I'm Your child, You love me and You count me as dear. The only way I can ever repay Is to live my life for You Lord, each day.

Leslie Vernick has a new book coming Oct. 1, 2009...Woo Hoo !!! It's Title... "Lord I Just Want To Be Happy". I am very much looking forward to reading this book and seeing what God has put on Leslie's heart to share with us. I have read all of Leslie's previous books and each one has held practical biblical truths for living and coping with difficult situations. Leslie draws on her own experiences and of experiences of those she counsels . She has a true servants heart and it comes shining through in her writing. Leslie uses easy to understand concepts and uses the wisdom and gifts God has given to her to help others draw closer to Him. I highly recommend checking out this new book if you want to gain a better understanding of true happiness through Jesus Christ. You won't be disappointed I am sure... Here is a short more in depth introduction to the book that I took from Leslie's Web site http://www.leslievernick.com/ (which is also a great resource, pa...

Holding on to past hurts, unforgiveness , insecurities,can surely leave a gaping hole for Satan to work his way into our lives. He's just prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour. How can we close that gap? For me it's a combination of prayer and obedience . When I am feeling weak, if I go to God first thing, He gives me the strength I need to be obedient . And of course i trust he will do this for me. It's times when I try to take things on by myself, that the hole grows. I hesitate, procrastinate, ignore, rush, hurry, or try to cram 24 hrs of activity into 1 hours time. Let me tell you this does not work. What happens is I crash, get crabby, prideful, self righteous, and just plain self centered. This is the perfect stomping grounds for Satan to dig right in. My point in all of this is to say if we become aware that this is whats happening, all we have to do to get back on track, is believe God is bigger than our problems and take them to him pray. He's w...