Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Lying Signs The Enemy Wants Us To Believe

Yesterday morning I finished reading a couple devotionals and having not quite 'got' them... (my mind was like a foggy battlefield) I quickly prayed that God would help me apply His word of truth to my life and then headed out on a praise walk... in hopes of stumbling across some inspiration and motivation for the day.

I'd decided to walk the same familiar path I most often take so the girls (our dogs Sparkles & Tilly) could go with me... across the back yard, around the grain bins, down a partially graveled dirt lane... on past the town sewage lagoon and thru the fields belonging to our neighbors...

...But just after I passed by the 'No Trespassing' sign hanging along side of the sewage lagoon fence, I was stopped dead in my tracks... I heard the Spirit Of God whisper, "Go Back". Without even turning around, I took 3-4 steps backwards… knowing inwardly that I was to look closer at that same familiar sign... and I mean I really looked at it.

Jesus; enemy; hope; iphone; lie; lying; no trespassing; promise; promise of God; sign; spiritual; truth


The sign was no different. A simple 'No Trespassing' sign that had been shot at numerous times by rebels of some sort not wanting to comply... but just above the sign I saw some words, as if written on the sky in clouds rather than ink, 'The Promises Of God… Are Not Far Away'...

And then in that moment He showed me numerous lying signs the enemy would have me, us to believe.

  • That laying hold of the promises of God is just too hard & probably requires wading through too much sewage... yet God's Word teaches us that 'He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire' - Ps 40:2b and that 'those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.' - Isaiah 40:31
    * In reality I've found that not taking hold of God's promises leaves us wading around in life's slimy cesspool without even realizing it more often than not… and certainly more often than I care to admit :-(
  • That God's promises are un-attainable and not reachable in the here and now... that they'll likely only become a reality later in the sweet by and by... and yet Jesus taught us to pray 'Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' - Matthew 6:10
  • That if we just fight hard enough (shoot the lying sign with guns and bullets repeatedly), if we try hard enough, do enough good things... etc., etc.... that we can (fill in the blank with whatever your striving or working hard towards)... and yet the Word teaches us in Zachariah that it's ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord' and 'though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does, that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.' - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and to 'be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, that the weapons we fight with are not guns and bullets but rather the full armor of God consisting of a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness to share the gospel, a shield of faith, helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit (which is the Word Of God) and prayer... all kinds of prayers.' - Ephesians 6:10-18 paraphrased
It absolutely amazes me how quickly in just the blink of an eye that God can show us something that seems so otherwise ordinary and familiar, and yet use it to reveal deep truths and bring a better understanding to my otherwise lifeless un-renewed mind.

So what are lying signs?
Any and every thought (negative or seemingly positive) that doesn't line up and agree with the Word Of God. It's almost as if every time we learn about a promise of God, the enemy immediatly throws up some sort of 'No Trespassing' sign in hopes of preventing us from grabbing ahold and believing it for here and for now, for us, for someone else… and especially for myself...

Better yet what are the promises of God that we believe on for ourselves and use to combat those lying signs?
His Word is full to overflowing with them. For Example:
  • The enemy tells us we're guilty & unpardonable • God's Word promises us grace and mercy and says that In Christ Jesus we are forgiven and are to put on His righteousness
  • The enemy leaves us feeling condemned and unloved • God loves us so much that He gave His son Jesus that we might know true peace and that In Christ I am free from any condemning charges against me
  • The enemy whispers of worry, chaos, fears & heartache • Jesus came that we might know His full measure of joy full to overflowing and that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
  • The enemy reminds me of past rejections, hurt and pain • Yet God's word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that I have been chosen, accepted and that In Christ I am a child of God.
  • The enemy says because I am a woman… Disqualified. Disqualified. Disqualified. • Wow... has this been a HUGE lying sign in my life, refuted greatly by the Word preached by Pastor Glen last Sunday at Pittsfield Assembly. If you are a woman I'd highly encourage you to go listen to the message and be encouraged. Thank You Pastor Glen!
  • The enemy / a thought / or sign says • But God's Promise Says!
  • The enemy / a thought / or sign says • But God's Promise Says!
  • The enemy / a thought / or sign says • But God's Promise Says!…

Growth Challenge: Consider more carefully every thought that comes into our mind & take it captive to the obedience of God's Word. What are some of the negative thoughts you have about yourself, others, events, circumstances, etc? What about positive thoughts? Take them all captive. If they don't line up in agreement, then know they are a lying thought or sign per say sent straight from the enemy... refuted not by bullets but by the power and truth of God's Word. Which signs will we believe?

My Walk Back Revealed A Nesting Wren Sitting On 4-5 eggs

I've been watching this momma (and I think the daddy taking turns) for a few weeks now as they carefully and meticulously prepared the nest buried deep within a barberry bush just mere feet from our RV door. As I stopped by to check on them I was reminded of yet more of God's promises…

Nesting Wren Sitting on 4-5 eggs, Co-Bear; baby; bird; bird nest; nest; new life; photography; wild life; wren

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:25-34

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Wishing You Love, Hugs & Laughter In Abundance,
Cindy Colbert ~ Co-Bear Photography

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

My God, My God… Where Are You?

Cindy Colbert; Co Bear; CoBear Photography; Jesus; My God; christian; creek; cry; dispair; hopeless; hurt; illinios; lost; nebo; pain; pray; prayer; spiritual

My God, My God... Where Are You?
Have you ever had one of those days? Maybe lots of those days? I have...

And Yet In Spite Of Bad Stuff... I'm Probably About The Happiest Person I Know. Seriously! :-)
Not because I've never experienced anything bad or because I don't... To name a few:

Raped, Molested, Beat, Hurt, Rejected, Anxious, Depressed, Lost, Angry, Hopeless, Confused, Afraid, Drunk, Drugged, Divorced, Broken, Didn't Want To Live, Experienced Heartache & Pain To The Very Depths Of My Core.....

And Yet… Because He Lives, I Can & Do. So Can You!

Just recently I had another one of those day(s). Several days to be more exact. "My God, My God... Where are you?" My heart cried. Note these recent days of torment weren't nearly as painful as the above to be sure, but still... I was un-done and having a downright inner painful fit.

You see we'd just recently returned to Nebo, IL after spending the winter in Florida and I did NOT want to be here. Don't get me wrong, I Love Nebo people but... I was crying out, "Anywhere but here Lord" because:
  1. It's to close to the deepest pain I've ever known or experienced and that pain was still grieving my heart furiously... and there was absolutely nothing I knew to do that could resolve it. This pain... Only God could resolve... and He wasn't moving.
  2. It felt as if my photography dreams were slipping further and further away. I mean really... It's hard enough to make a living as a photographer... but "Seriously God, in the middle of no where mostly poverty stricken Nebo land... where making any wage let alone a decent photography wage isn't just hard, it's super hard."
  3. 4. 5... I had lots of reasons for not wanting to be here...
But... as many reasons as I had for not wanting to be here, there were even more reasons to be... I Knew it, I just didn't like it and found myself becoming more and more down about it all.

I spent the first week back in Nebo re-making our Co-Bear Photography sign, hung it up... and then in mid April in anger, depression and utter desperation I walked to the creak literally bawling my eyes out... and then... began crying out to God... Now What? Where are you? What do you want from me? What am I supposed to do? I had a full out complete what I refer to as 'Coming Apart'!

And then I sat there... and cried, and sat there longer. The photo above is not real time but rather a slight re-enactment of how hideous I must have appeared in that moment. And then... then the wind began to blow... ever... so... gently.

The Spirit of God began reminding me of His calling for me, my true purpose, my passion, my inner dreams and hearts desires... And then He reminded me of my testimony and that He'd asked me years ago to begin sharing it and to write a book containing it so that others might be helped through it. With clenched fist I raised it to the sky and said, No. No God, you know I can't do that yet. Sure I could write part of it but my heart hurts to bad... there's a huge wide open gaping wound you've yet to resolve and heal... and God I won't do it... I can't... not until you've done what I am not able to do.

Even more frustrated then before, I pulled myself up out of the creek and walked back to the RV pondering... wondering... hoping... praying... still wrestling with the Spirit of God. Finally, I simply told God, that I didn't know how even He could do it, but that I was choosing to continue to trust Him in Jesus Name that somehow, someway, someday He not only could but that He would do what was only possible for Him, that He'd bring healing to the most broken crushed part of my heart... and that once He'd done His part, I'd do mine. And then I left it in His hands.

I spent the next week doing the only thing I knew to do... 'Praise Him In The Storm'. I went on lots of praise walks (walks where I do nothing but praise Him). Confused and hurting... but choosing to trust and praise Him anyway.

Less than a week later... when I least expected it, in a way I never ever dared to imagine would or could possibly happen... God Moved. The wound of course is still there, the pain still hurts, but God is faithful and in a split instant He not only did what I thought was impossible, He was able to change the direction this particular pendulum had swung for so far and for so long, He stopped the knife thrust that had been cutting me so deep and began pouring His healing salve on my raw torn ripped to shreds heart. True the further a pendulum swings in one direction... the longer it takes to swing back the other way... but swinging back the other way it is... and for that all I can say is: Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah!

And so... With all that said... I'm committed, No... I am compelled... by the Love of God to begin writing that book for Him, for you... now more than ever to follow wherever He leads! LoL... I have no idea how to write a book, but again and again He's proven Himself trustworthy and faithful throughout my life... I trust He'll give me the words to say and to write and guide me to the right people to do whatever it is He wants to do through this vessel in which He Lives. :-)

Will I still be doing photography? Of course :-) My camera is practically a body part, an extension of who I am. But now I know why I'm in Nebo where there's not as much photography work to do... in Nebo I'm photographing, healing, praising & writing. In Nebo I am totally abandoned to Him! :-)



Today, If your struggling with life, If your having one of those days…
  • I pray you'll choose to 'Praise Him In The Storm'…
  • I encourage you to seek His Face…
  • I implore you to become totally abandoned to Him…
  • If you have no idea what I'm talking about & would like to, please do ask. I"m more than happy to share!
  • I leave the following video to help you along your way.
  • Please, Feel free to comment below or email me privately via the contact page if I can be of any help whatsoever for you.


Wishing You Love, Hugs & Laughter In Abundance,
Cindy Colbert ~ Co-Bear Photography
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Friday, May 2, 2014

Shout Out 4: Pittsfield Assembly & Southern Fried Sunday • Pittsfield, IL

Danny & I had been visiting Pittsfield Assembly off and on some soon after we married in 2011, but while spending this past winter in Florida... we found ourselves struggling to find a church we really liked and turned to watching their sermons via internet every chance bandwidth speeds would allow.

Since returning back to Illinois a couple months ago… one of the things we most looked forward to was getting back to church… specifically back to Pittsfield Assembly and I must add that I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone better there and super excited to see what God's got in store for this amazing group of people. I cannot say enough good things about this church -> Love, Love, Love.

Shelby (our youngest daughter), her fiancee Duane & grand-daughters Annie & Allie have also recently started coming & told me just a couple weeks ago that this might very well become their home church. So… When the church recently held a 'Southern Fried Sunday' complete with an egg hunt for kids, I decided to invite our daughter Ashley from St. Louis, MO. She as well as her boyfriend Dan & grand-daughter Kaydance came.

The following is Pittsfield Assembly's Facebook Page announcement &
my not so good iPhone pic showing Chicken inviting everyone back for Southern Fried Sunday!

Pastor; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; chicken; iphone; iphone 5; southern fried sunday


What follows is some images I captured of the egg hunt & some amazing fun times the girls had splashing in the parking lot puddles following the hunt. As you can see by the smiles… We all had a phenomenal time!

Calling The Line Up To Start A Fun Filled Egg Hunt At Pittsfield Assembly Of God

Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; southern fried sunday

The curly red headed doll below is our grand-daughter Annie and the long light brown headed doll wearing a blue dress to Annie's left is our grand-daughter Kaydance. :-) Yes, I absolutely adore these sweet beauties!

Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; southern fried sunday
Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; southern fried sunday

Shelby's balancing our grand-daughter Allie & a bag for Annie's eggs,
while Ashley balances on heels helping Kaydance to gather her eggs.

Allison Paige Hawkens; Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; Shelby Utterback; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; southern fried sunday Ashley Johnson; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; southern fried sunday

Both girls were absolutely overjoyed with their treasures...



...But what happened immediately following this brought tears of tremendous pride to my heart. You see another little boy didn't have quite the success as my grand-daughters and began crying. The second they heard him, both girls rushed to his side asking, "What's the matter?" Sobbing, he lifted his bag to reveal it was mostly empty with only 2 eggs. It was as if no words were needed, the girls understood immediately and began digging their own prized eggs out and happily gave the other little boy several eggs for his own… they never even hesitated to consider what they might be giving up… but instead were overjoyed to share and bring a smile to his face. *Sigh*… If only the whole world could be 1/2 as caring and compassionate as these little young ones were that day.


Danny, Dan & Duane might growl at me for sharing this image…
but we gals had a good giggle over the 'Chicken Shack' scene :-)


Who Can Resist A Good Hardy Puddle Jump?
Not These ~> Pretty Girls Just Gotta Have Fun &
Splish Splash My Dress Is Gettin A Bath =
A Great Time Indeed! :-)

Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; puddle; southern fried sunday; splash; water
Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; puddle; southern fried sunday; splash; water

Thank You Jesus 4 Pittsfield Assembly & Fun Filled Days & May God Bless You Each Individually As Well As Corporately With Love & Hugs & Laughter Full To Overflowing!

Annie Mae Utterback; Co Bear; CoBear; Easter; Kaydance Marlene Sneed; Pittsfield; Pittsfield Assembly Of God; church; egg hunt; event; illinios; photography; puddle; southern fried sunday; splash; water

Wishing You Love, Hugs & Laughter In Abundance,
Cindy Colbert ~ Co-Bear Photography
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