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As we move into a new year, I can promise you that we will face challenges and we will have reasons to celebrate. Either challenge or celebration can be a temptation to fail or an opportunity for victory. We choose. God provides us with everything we need for victory. Consider the “Armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-18. First, we buckle on the belt of truth, around our waist. Instead of focusing on the lies of the world, we surround ourselves with God’s truth. The second protective layer covers our heart with the breast plate of righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own. We all fall short. We are right with God only because of Jesus. The gospel of peace protects our feet and helps us move faster across the prickly earth. We can walk, run, climb, and even skip with the good news of Jesus’ peace. The gospel of

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11 Costume parties were always fun when I was young. I would spend all afternoon getting every detail taken care of, saving the mask for the very last.  As long as the mask was off, I was still myself; but when my face was covered, I became another person. The full Christian life may be masked and never seen. Some masks we wear are pride, deceit, false humility, discontentment, the devil’s schemes, unconfessed sin. We must daily peel off our masks and replace them with the full armor of God. Only when our human masks are shed and we don God’s armor can we stand against the devil’s schemes. This means we must put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, and we must fit our feet with

“Forget the store-bought ice cream sandwiches and make your own all-natural healthy treats.” 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt 24 vanilla wafer cookies 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips Prepare your storage container by lining with waxed paper. Put a small scoop of ice cream on a cookie; top with another cookie and flatten until filling reaches the edge of the cookie. Roll the side of the sandwich in the mini chocolate chips. Place in your prepared container. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place in the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes, or cover and freeze for up to one week. Serves 12 NOTE: Substitute your favorite sprinkle for the chocolate chips for variety. NUTRITION: 80 calories; 4g fat (38.1% calories from fat); 1g protein; 12g carbohydrates; trace dietary fiber; trace cholesterol; 42mg sodium. LIVE IT TRACKER: No trackable nutrition. but note the calories on your tracker for awareness. This