This morning started a little bit off. My husband walked into the garden with some lettuce to feed our 11 year old tortoise Leonardo. A minute later my husband came back in with his hands covered in dirt! He looked quite anxious and said to me: “Where is Leonardo?” I replied: “Is he gone?”

So my son and husband spent an hour looking for Leonardo with no result. Leonardo was gone, probably escaped from his prison cell in the flower bed. My husband even put up a ladder and climbed over to a neighbors backyard to look for our tortoise. I am sure Leonardo appreciates his freedom looking for dandelions which is his favorite food. I have to mention that he has escaped once before and we thought we had lost him, but he appeared suddenly after some months. At that time we were living in another area. My husband printed posts he hang out in the street with a picture of the tortoise: “Have you seen our tortoise?” Can you imagine, it’s not a dog after all, but he is very much loved. Leonardo has personality, he used to come running toward us when we talked to him and he stood on his legs and wanted us to lift him out of his prison cell in the flower bed.

Freedom is a sweet thing but there is also lots of traps out there. Not to mention the many hawks who soars this area. Oftentimes we all need protection from the soaring hawk and even though we don’t have a shell like Leonardo we can put on the protective shield of God. Do you know there is a spiritual clothing you can put on, even leggings, having shod your feet with the preparations, shield, breastplate, helmet… and even a sword. You can read more about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-17.

Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

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Leonardo please find your way home before you become prey for the hawk!!!