I am not a sporty or really a competitive person, but the words from St Paul in evening prayer last night reminded me that in some ways I am very competitive and I have on my armor for the battle! "Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called." I Tim 6:12
Then St Paul speaks these words in Philippians 2
"Hold on to the Word of LIFE, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even as I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrficial service of your faith. I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me."
When it comes to my faith and the fight against lies and evil - I am a fierce competitor! And I probably still run with all my might into the fence as I did in junior high... I was determined to run fast for once - so I got up from my starting crowch in a race and ran very fast with my eyes closed to really concentrate and ran into the fence! Shocking, embarassing, and humbling - suddenly I was knocked to the ground by this fence! I felt to be the most stupid fool in the world, and it is still a cause of laughter for my kids! I am reminded of the gene I passed on to them of incoordination, and poor skills except for swimming. Now in swimming my girls could compete, and some of them could make it to section swim meet, and got qualifying times! So we did find a sport that they could be in and contribute to the team! I guess that watching them and John in hockey and speech over the years has shown me that there is competition we can rise to! Then I also do enter pictures in open class at the fair and compete against other people to take a ribbon. I do have the experience of competing, and striving to the finish line!
I really look at a lot of sharing of my faith as a battle that I am engaged in... there are so many lies and deceit that are ingrained into the fabric of our lives. I do feel such a righteous indignation about some of the lies of Satan that are accepted as fact. The idea that before marriage or engagement a couple should cohabitate to see if they are compatible! Can you imagine the way this leads into having multiple sex partners before marriage as well as probably gets some couples so involved that they marry wrongly. It just muddies up the picture and does not allow for prayerful and honest discerning of whether we are being called to marriage to a person. By listening to HIS Word and the Wisdom of His Bride,the Church, we can see that premarital sex is a sin, and to remain pure allows us to give such a beautiful GIFT to our spouse on our wedding night! Also there is the lie believed in the world that we should limit our families to two children - Why? So that we don't overpopulate the world, bring children into a messed up world, or so that they can have everything that I didn't have. Can you see how lame all of these reasons to limit family are? I even was confused and wondered if we were being selfish when we were on our engagement weekend, and all the other couples were only having 1, 2, or none due to the mess the world is in. When I asked Pat about this - he did not hesitate one minute and told me this; "The world needs lights!" Wow! Talk about a Holy Spirit moment, and it carried through our entire marriage, and continues on now with our children! So much wisdom and so powerful not only in our openness to the children we were to have here and in heaven, but also the domestic church/family... praying and sharing the saints and mass and all the glorious wonder of The True Church! What joy we shared and continue to share, and how we are drawn together to love and share the "sacrificial service of your faith." 
Lord, families are under attack and we must put on the armor of God to fight for the victory! Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ..."Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Wow! I am a in shape and muscle bound ready for the fight warrior - fully protected with the armor of God! I have done battle and will fight to my last breath for HIM and HIS Truth! Use me,Lord, I am totally devoted to YOU and there is no turning back from Your Way, Your Truth, and Your LIFE! May your LIGHT shine forth for all to see and believe! Use me, Lord, I am totally YOURS! Jesus, I trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with servants subject to me" When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith...You may go; as you have believed, let it be done to you." And at that very hour his servant was healed."
Matt 8 The Gospel for today!
"He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases." Isaiah
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