shadow

peace

Stinkin’ Thinkin’: Nervous Nelly

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Life and peace? Yes, please!

All around us things clamor for our attention, making peace a seemingly elusive concept just out of our reach at times. Paul tells the Romans a mind set on the Spirit leads to life and peace. That sounds great, but how do we do that? How do we take our minds off of our flesh and set them on the Spirit?

Stick around this week and see what God’s word has to say about it …

 

Nervous Nelly

Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6-7, NLT

praying_on_bible_redNervous Nelly is the “loving” nickname my family gave me years ago. Truthfully, it’s not the name that I would have chosen, but if the shoe fits?

See, I would never have considered myself a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty” kind of person. Instead, I would say I’m more of a “what if the glass spills” kind of person…and the liquid is hot…and it might burn someone…or what if the glass breaks…where are we going to get a new glass…what if someone gets a cut….

The nickname makes more sense now, doesn’t it?

It would be a struggle for me to put into words how the Lord has worked on me in this area over the past several years. He has done a mighty work on my anxious heart. However, the struggle is still there and worry is an old hat that I’m quick to put on. Diligence in praise and prayer is imperative to keep that old hat off my head!

Paul instructed the Philippians to worry about nothing but to pray about everything. He encouraged them to tell God what they needed and to thank Him for all He had done. Then, they would experience a peace that exceeded anything they could understand.

While worry is never an appropriate response, and praying about everything is imperative, another part is not to be missed. For too long, I just skipped over the thank Him for all He has done part. Because honestly, when life feels uncertain and my faith feels weak in the knees, my focus is on me and the storms around me. But when I’m able to take my thoughts off of myself and praise Him with thanksgiving, I gain some proper perspective as well as the peace I’m desperately needing.

But how do we do this when our weak-kneed faith collides with the storms of life? We praise Him. With great intention, we recall His works in our lives and we thank Him.

When our worries are turned into prayers and His goodness is recalled with thanksgiving, our hearts and minds are with His peace, exceeding anything we can understand.

With thanksgiving,

Traci

Stinkin’ Thinkin’: The Lord, a Root Canal, and Me

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Life and peace? Yes, please!

All around us things clamor for our attention, making peace a seemingly elusive concept just out of our reach at times. Paul tells the Romans a mind set on the Spirit leads to life and peace. That sounds great, but how do we do that? How do we take our minds off of our flesh and set them on the Spirit?

Stick around this week and see what God’s word has to say about it …

 

The Lord, a Root Canal, and Me

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Isaiah 26:3 NLT

DSC_0363 (2)Squeamish is not a word that has ever been used to describe me, but I must admit that the dentist can get me feeling a little anxious. My dentist isn’t the one to blame because it’s all me. Between the sounds of the instruments, the foreign objects crammed in my mouth, and trying to answer questions with said objects in my mouth, I want to just skip my appointment altogether. For the sake of full disclosure here, every time I leave the office, I wonder why I got myself so worked up. It’s never as bad as I think it’s going to be!

Now that you know this about me, you can probably imagine that when I needed a root canal, I was not cool as a cucumber. It wasn’t a bad experience physically, but mentally it was awful! I’m talking, somebody give me a brown paper bag! I’m hyperventilating over here! It wasn’t good.

As I was lying in the chair, my mind was trying to go into panic mode. I did my best to keep it all together because let’s face it, I was a 30-something year old woman who knew how to behave, and I really didn’t want to be THAT patient.

During the procedure, I remembered today’s verse: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! And so lying in my chair, with all the instruments crammed in my mouth, I began to think about the Lord. With intention, I shifted my thoughts from my circumstances to my Savior. I meditated on His character. I recalled His provision over me in the past and His promises for the future. I recited Scripture. I prayed.

There, lying in a dental chair, peace flooded my soul as I took my thoughts off of my circumstances and put them onto my Savior.

I realize your “root canal”— the situation occupying your thoughts and stealing your sleep, is likely much worse. You feel anxious and weary. Regardless of the circumstance that threatens to sweep you away, our God is a God of peace. Praise God, He is bigger than any circumstance we face.

He is there, His peace waiting to flood your soul as you take your eyes off your problems and fix them on your Provider.

Fixing my eyes on Him,

Traci

Our Great Shepherd: Stopping to Rest

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Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable passages of Scripture. Its words have been sung, prayed, and illustrated in countless ways, but if we’re not careful we can become so well acquainted with these verses that we forget the power these words hold. To recognize God as our Shepherd means we also have to accept that we are indeed like sheep: dirty, defenseless and helpless. Without a shepherd, the sheep are left to their own devices, which ultimately will lead them to starve, wander off, or be attacked. This week, let’s slow it down, remind ourselves that we are sheep in need of a loving Shepherd.

 

Stopping to Rest

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

Psalm 23:2

TuesdayOne of the things that sticks out to me about this verse is the word “makes.” He makes me lie down in green pastures. Sheep are pretty dumb creatures; if you don’t make them lie down to rest, they won’t do it on their own. The Bible referring to us as “sheep” makes more and more sense the more you think about it, doesn’t it?

We work, work, and work until we finally collapse on our bed to “unwind” with some mindless social media browsing and Netflix binges. We try to please one person after another and attempt to be everything for everyone in our lives until we break down. We don’t take a break until we are forced to, and even then we aren’t always thrilled about it. We may even feel guilty about sitting down to take a breath from our responsibilities.

But what a beautiful truth that our Shepherd never tires of creating spaces for us to rest and never tires of making us stop to enjoy that rest! As a part of God’s flock, we are safe under His care and freed from our anxieties because of His protection. Our confidence in His protection allows us to enjoy the simple pleasures He leads us into – the abundance of a green pasture and the peace and refreshment of the quiet stream.

God is constantly leading us into His peace, His rest, and His provisions. We don’t have to feel guilty when we take our rest seriously – because our Shepherd takes our rest seriously too! He has created it for us, and He leads us to it every single day.

Don’t simply pass through the green pastures, abide in them. There you will find peace and restoration you need for the journey ahead. Let the Shepherd lead you into His rest and His peace.

Chelsey