Captivating!

If you know me, you know I don't like to read(except Junie B. Jones). Reading puts me to sleep. However, I know that I need to read, since I was a reading teacher and so I bought a book back in September. The title is CAPTIVATING,Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge. I bought the book while we were in Colorado at Focus on the Family. I knew my Stacey had read Wild at Heart and loved it, so I thought it was a pretty safe bet. I haven't spent the time to really read the book, a little here and a little there, I love the book...and then there was this morning. Parker is sleeping a little later due to his medication, so I took the opportunity to read a little before I needed to start getting ready, and can't wait to share what I learned. Hang with me, I may jump around.

The part I read this morning is called A SPECIAL HATRED. It is about the assault on Femininity and that it cannot be understood apart from the spiritual forces of evil we are warned against in scripture. The mean old Prince of Darkness. Who did Satan go after...EVE!

In Ezek. 28:12-14,
"you were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones."

Lucifer was gorgeous, and it was his ruin. Pride entered his heart. He craved the worship that was being given to God for himself.
"Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor." Ezek 28:17.
Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty. He destroys it in the natural world wherever he can. Strip mines, oil spills, fires, Chernobyl. He wreaks destruction on the glory of God in the earth like a psychopath committed to destroying great works of art.
But most especially he hates Eve.
Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God.

The Evil One also hates Eve because she gives life. Women give birth, not men. Women nourish life. And they also bring life in to the world soulfully, relationally, spiritually- in everything they touch. Satan was a murderer from the beginning (john 8:44). He brings death. His is a kingdom of death. Ritual sacrifices, denocide, the Holocaust, abortion- those are his ideas. And thus Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life. She is a lifesaver anda life giver. Eve means "life" or "Life Producer."

Okay WOW! I haven't ever heard this part! The part that touched me the most is about Eve being the "LIFE PRODUCER" and that he singled her out, not Adam, but Eve. He destroys all things beautiful. In our bible study, we have been talking about being intentional. Satan is intentional. I can't wait to share more as I make time to read (I know this doesn't sound like me) and hear more about what the Eldredges' have to say about the woman's soul. As women, we need to pray for our hearts, and our beauty. Satan is attacking us daily, he is seeking us out. He uses men to break our beauty, oh, that was another part of the chapter. You guys should really read the book! Don't wait on me to give you a summary!

We had a great Thanksgiving Feast tonight at church. I love my church family and am very thankful for my friends there!