Good morning, After sharing with your my husband last night about our week, and our sentiments regarding it, a few things popped up that clearly were mind-traps or patterns of this world that rob us for from freedom, peace, joy, and the ability to be kind to ourselves and others. As a result we dug up counsel from known authors who love the Lord and found some amazing pieces that we found helpful. One of them is from CS Lewis: cslewisinstitute.org/... My resolve in sharing this is to encourage all of us to view the challenges of the present and the past as God’s mercy in his welding room. A place where the beating of the metal and the fire to make the medal malleable can be viewed with two different perspectives: 1. We can view it with AWE because we are so impressed by the master who has 100% success rate in making the finest of tools for the toughest battles. Or we can view it as: 2. We can view it in fear if we focus on what looks to be the destruction of what use to be “a useful” tool for war that is now being destroyed without hope of being restored. Today I am being reminded of why Samson said “let me fight them Lord for my eyes”. Samson, after being called out to be the defender of Gods people allowed his sexual appetite to be greater than his appetite for the Lord, who had given him the very look which made him appealing to the women. However, what he failed to SEE was that all of his skills, talents, abilities, good looks, and power came from above with a purpose: the protection of the people of God. When Samson finally realized this, it was too late. He had lost his eyes and now it was up to him to complete the purpose of God without any hope of enjoying a good future. He completed it as a statement of faith alone: It is not by power nor by might but by your spirit oh Lord. I pray you take the time to read this piece I have sent. It will give you, what it gave us, clearer vision to be able to see where God is leading us and where the enemy is wanting to trap us. I love you and encourage you to fight for your “eyes” so that you will not be led to destruction and be able to enjoy the blessings of the Lord as he fulfills his purpose in you.