There is Power in the Peace

     Between miles during my regular work out this morning, I stopped to get a drink, wipe the sweat, catch my breath and soak in the gorgeous view. As I sat down and watched the geese swim, I felt the Lord say to me "There is Power in the Peace".  As a person who has battled anxiety at times in my life over the years, this statement had my attention even though I felt I did not have a full grasp on its meaning.  Never the less, I was listening as I continued on my work out.
     So many people are in a frenzy and making statements of fear.  If you don't know what I am talking about just scroll through social media.  There is zero peace in panic statements.  The truth is that peace and panic (fear) cannot exist in the same atmosphere.  When you make statements of panic, you add that to the atmosphere, and the same goes for statements of peace.  I believe we are a people created for peace, but some of us, who have faced challenges in life sometimes grow accustomed to basking in the opposite, assuming that is "just how life is".  I do not believe for one second that God created us to live a life of panic or fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 clearly states that "For God does not give us the spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind."   
Please ask yourself this question:  If you are basking in fear, panic and chaos, do you feel that your mind is sound?  Do you feel powerful?  Are you quick to love others while you are feeling those things?
On a personal level I can honestly say NO.  When my mind is consumed with fear,  or when my mind is racing with anxious thoughts that I struggle to manage....I do not feel powerful....I feel the exact opposite - weak.  I want to hide, crawl in a hole, cover up and isolate to get away from the noise.  I become grouchy and short tempered or worrisome,  which then begins to affect those around me through the words and actions that come out of me that reflect it.
I realize that some of what is going on in our lives we cannot control and that is what causes tremendous anxiety.   Let me honest......you cannot control your next breath.  You have no idea when your last breath will be.  You also cannot "will" your heart to beat....it is also out of your control.  I may not be able to control my next breath or heart beat, but I can do things that will help the health of them by working out and taking care of my body and what I eat etc.... 
You may not be able to fully control what is happening in the world around you, but you sure can do something about how your thoughts of them consume you and cause panic, and how you speak of them.  Ask yourself what are you thinking on, what are you speaking on?  Did you know that your mouth is a weapon?  I think I just may have thrown some of you off by saying that.  Keep reading.

Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

 Our mouth is a weapon. The words of our mouth produce life or death, blessing or cursing. We use our words to create, just as God did.

We speak forth the Word of God and darkness has to flee. We tell the devil to go and he must obey. 

2 Corinthians 10:4 says in the Message Bible: We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 

No, our weapons are not worldly - but they are mighty. And they are to be used to defeat every enemy in our lives. But to do that, we must know how to use them.

The Bible gives us full instructions on how to use these weapons. We only need to study and begin to practice using those weapons. 

Psalm 18:34 tells us that God will teach us to battle. If you seek His face, He will teach you to wage war against your enemy - but you must seek Him.

Remember in the Old Testament, King David always sought God for strategies before every single battle. He didn't assume that the same strategy that worked last time would work the next time. No, he sought God for each battle. And God gave Him specific instructions every time. God is no respecter of persons - He will do the same for you.

You may find yourself in a battle today - the good news is you have all the weapons you need to win! The better news is God will show you what weapons to use and how to use them, if you ask. 

Your weapons are more powerful than anything the enemy can bring against you – you have God’s word on that.  Your God-given weapons are enough to bring victory every time….use them.

If you need peace in your life, you need to seek it in your thoughts by recognizing their origin.  If you have thoughts full of fear and panic, those are not of God,  He is not the author of fear and panic....Satan is.  God is not the author of confusion.  My "go to" to, speak out loud verse when I have those thoughts, is the very first verse I typed in this reading: 2 Timothy 1:7.  It is a reminder every time that God is not the author of fear, and if I am afraid I know to rebuke the author of fear, Satan himself, and do it in the Name of Jesus.  Then I may use a verse like Jeremiah 29:11 that tells us that God knows the plans He has for us, ones to prosper us and not to harm us and one to give us a hope and a future.  

Another favorite is Isaiah 26:3  You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

     As I sat and looked at the water during my work out break and felt complete peace from looking at that scenery, God reminded me of the power in the water scene I was looking at.  In one area the water was gushing down a bank.  It was beautiful.  The sound was mesmerizing, but it would have been dangerous for me to jump into it because of the power of the water gushing.  The same with the area of the scene where the river looked like glass.  It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful, but again the underlying currents are incredibly powerful. 

 When my mind is at peace it is powerful.  I am effective in my walk.  I can speak life to others and encourage and build up. My mind is clear.  I can look at things in a positive manner and see others perspectives. I can trust Him with the things unseen. When my mind is at peace I am great at my callings.....it's the LAST thing the enemy wants.  Think about it.  If the enemy has you in fear, anxiety and panic then you are of no threat to him.  There is power in the peace.  What you speak and think on matters not only to your own peace, but to others you project to. 

Pressing On With Your Thoughts....First!

     One thing I have learned in this quarantine time frame is the constant need to refocus when my brain starts to go one direction or another.  I remember sitting on my best friends deck after a full day of biking with our families and finally getting to chill out and enjoy the sunset.  I remember telling him that the weather seems to have a serious affect on my moods. When it is sunny, I am all about smiling, getting outside, being active, soaking in the rays and the peace, and spending time with family.  On the rainy days, however, I just wanna wrap up, hibernate, and I'm bummed out a bit, with a side of being susceptible to depressed thoughts.
     I coached athletes for years.  Any good coach knows that a physically conditioned athlete is a good athlete, but a great athlete comes from those who are also conditioned mentally.  How you set you mind, sets your drive, sets your attitude and can launch a mediocre athlete into one of greatness. I used to tell my varsity teams that  "I would take a group of mediocre athletes with great attitudes willing to bust their tails, over tremendously gifted athletes with crappy attitudes - ANY DAY!!!"  Why??  Because attitude matters, and honestly, not just on the field.
As a teacher and an extrovert, I can tell you that remote teaching along being isolated from people I love has been HORRIBLE.  I did not handle it well at first at all, my closest friends and family can tell you that. Remote teaching is not meant for long term, it is flat out hard for everyone.  I have honestly put in double and triple the hours I would in a normal week.  It took my husband to remind me that it was okay to set boundaries for myself in my hours. We were given  9-3pm availability hours via phone and email, but I struggle with sticking to those, I always have because there is so much to do.  If you are a teacher that understands that education is really about relationships...that kids actually learn amazingly with a teacher they connect with, then you will understand that I will do anything to help my students be successful.  This includes trying to help them at all hours and just be there for them to listen, to explain and re-explain the same thing a million times over if needed.  That, however, along with the isolation from my loved ones...was wearing on me and on my mood.  Now add the crappy weather and you've got the perfect storm for disaster of sadness and of bad attitude. Why?  Not the weather, not the circumstance...but how I set my mind, and how I set my thoughts.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

  My daughter, the last few weeks, has been given the opportunity to train with the high school cross country team.  Although not meeting in person but though video and email etc...  she has been training and adding to the team mileage tracker.  She is an athlete, but this is new for her so she is working at conditioning to run miles at a time.  It takes patience.  It takes good attitude.  One day when she was at the end of a 4 mile run (the farthest she had ever been so far), she verbally ripped her sisters head off wanting to know where the "finish line was" because she was exhausted, but we kept encouraging her until she was done.  We laugh about it now.   In true mom fashion I stood and watched her as she crossed into our driveway with her sister and screamed my head off cheering her on. When she realized she did it and how far she had actually run, she was shocked and so proud.  In her training, although I can no longer keep up with her, I have tried to teach her mind set. I've tried to teach her that attitude matters, that what you focus on matters...the pain or how far you have come?  She is not one to be known with a bad attitude at all, her teachers and past coaches would attest to that, but you know when you are tired and cranky, or exhausted and thirsty, etc.... you have to check your thoughts A LOT, and press on.  Today I had her run an extra 2 laps past the 2 miles she had already run, that she was not planning on. She is fighting being sore.  She was not happy about it, but she powered through which is exactly what I wanted her to do. In her tired jog I wanted her to think about what she was thinking on and refocus if needed. Those times are not only physical growing times, but MENTAL growing times. 

   In this quarantine I have really had to check myself.  I have had to really just look to God and say  HELP ME...SHOW ME THE GOODNESS, because I can't see it!

Once we begin to focus on the goodness of God, the negative will fall away.  We need to train our minds, no matter who you are or what you do, to think only on good things. 

Today, as you go about your day, refuse to focus on what you did not finish, what you felt wasn't enough, the pain of failing or what felt like failing, or what could have been better.  Instead, set your mind and thoughts on your accomplishments, where you've been and how far you've come.  Do not look at your shortcomings, celebrate your achievements.  Instead of beating yourself up for what you didn't do, thank God for all He helped you do, see, or focus on, and for all He has done.  Whatever is good and lovely...think on that and press on.  Its truly a game changer. 

Being Exposed....Trust The Process

     If you know anything about me, you know I am obsessed with shells and the beach etc..    I love shells because they are so unique and they tell a story.  I've written about shells before because God uses them to speak to my heart, because of my fascination with them, and remind me that He works all things together for our good for those who love Him, according to Romans 8:28.
     This last weekend I was with my best friend, my nephew and my daughter.  We were bike riding and stopped at an area by a local river.  Everyone began to pick up rocks and start skipping them on the water trying to see how many skips on the water we could get.  This went on for awhile as we enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery.  Pretty soon my best friend, who is familiar with that area walked over and handed me, what I though was going to be rocks.  When I looked at the handful of shells my mouth fell open.  I had no idea you would be able to find shells on this particular river.  He pointed out an area to me that they were scattered.  I was shocked.  I then teased him about a time when our families were somewhere, and he had told me I would find shells and did not...not a one.  Told him that "This was your way of making it up to me right?!", followed by laughter and him reminding me I had been in the wrong place is the reason I didnt find any.  
  Now that I knew what to look for  in this current location, I began to spot various pieces of shells...big shells.  At one point we both began digging in the dirt like little amatuer archiologists.  Although we were not aware until a few minutes later we were both doing the same thing and digging at what appeared to be LARGE shells for that area. I got the one I was digging out at first, and it was a broken, but large piece of a side of a shell.  He continued to dig and pretty soon he said, "I think I have a whole shell, with both sides intact".  That indeed got my attention.  Sure enough, he pulled up a large and intact shell that was covered in dirt, immediately followed by him saying "There might be a dead animal in there".  He then quickly handed it to me.  It was heavier than what I expected, and I was sure there was something gross inside. 

I took it to the water and washed it off, and whatever had been inside was now gone and rinsed out.  I only peeked through the hole that was on the side, and you could see light shining through the other side seeing that it was now clear.  It wasn't until I got home that I actually opened it up and peered at it.  What laid before me was this beautiful pearly inside that was smooth and shiny.  It was gorgeous.  From the outside you could see the knicks on it, the layers that had worn away, with some still peeling.  The dirt and scratches were evident, but what was the start of the pearly beautiful surface starting to show itself was also there.  The inside though.....WOAH! Lets just say the photos I have do not begin to do justice to its pearly elegance.
    Again, the Lord used this visual to remind me of the work He does in us.  His goal for our lives is to live in the freedom that He sent His son to die on the cross for.  
Shells get tossed around in the water, waves, and weather.  This one in particular had gotten buried on the shore, and when found was full of dirt and deadness until it was rinsed out.  
Sometimes in our own lives we deal with circumstances, of our own doing or someone elses, that causes us to be tossed and turned, or feel buried.  It can cause scratches, brokeness, and dirt in our lives that we have to deal with......eventually.  
Last summer I went to counseling because I was ready to deal with some yuck that had been forced in an area of my life years ago, and had not been dealt with. Instead, I had buried it.   It was affecting me deeply and how I looked at myself, as well as how I responded to those I love. It caused me to believe lies that the enemy had fed me for years because of the dirt placed there. 
 I can look back though, and watch how the Lord used that time of tossing and turning I had been through, to peel away layers and refine me. Remember, He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).  I, however, still had some work to do to get some things on the inside cleaned out that had been buried.  I had to get to a point of being willing to be cracked open, and rinse out some of the dirt and the dead things that still existed and affected other parts of me.  Im not going to lie, it was hard and painful at times, and hurt to crack that back open and expose it, but it was necessary and needed to be dealt with.  In order to get to the place where we are existing in the freedom God intends, we need to be willing to be cracked open and expose the yuck that may exist, and deal with it.  Sometimes its dirty, extremely unpleasant, and takes some scrubbing.....but the inside....woah...the beautiful inside.... ;)  
Some people may look at a shell and only see the peeling, dirty, scratched up, weathered, and knicked up parts.  Others, however, can see right past that, straight to its pearly essence that God created and intended.  It is all in the perspective in which you are looking - the eye of the beholder.  People will only see from their level of perception.
  Every person has dealt with circumstances and may have scars, and stories of how it all came to be.  Some people will be in your life and will only see your circumstances, battles, faults, stuggles, or imperfections, but God will send people to cross your path who will see the beauty behind all of that.  They will see the pearly shiny YOU, all along, that God created you to be. You will not have to convince them of your worth. They will cheer you on, and love you through the peeling, cracking open, exposing of the yuck.  All the while encouraging you through the cleansing and scrubbing, as they watch God heal you, as you emerge into more and more of what they have always been able to see......who God created you to be...the treasure of you. 
What is holding you back?  Is there anything keeping you from emerging into the freedom that God created for you? Are there areas that need exposing and cleaned out?  It's not that God doesn't already see it, nothing is hidden from Him. The cleansing process can be messy and difficult, but His resume of faithfulness in your life is THICK.  Ask God to show you the broken places, the places that need irrigating and cleansing, and trust the process. He will not fail you.  

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc. 3:11

“Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev. 21:5

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30

Control Freak, is That You????

     I have a very open relationship with my kids, family, and closest friends.  I want my kids, family and friends to know I'm real, make mistakes, apologize when I'm wrong, and that REAL love is calling each other out while still walking in love. Transparency and authenticity defuse pride. My kids love to tease me...actually my family and those closest to my heart love to joke around a lot.  They tease me about things I've openly admitted in the past have been issues because I am okay with joking about them.  I think their favorite is a meme they have seen on social media of the person who is freaking out because the house is a mess and company is coming over. They are fluffing and re-fluffing the pillows, vacuuming the dog to get the extra hair picked up, shouting orders to everyone, and other crazy things.  They jokingly say that this is how I get.  Slightly exaggerated but it is true to a far less extreme, or used to be. There is no question that when Momma is stressed, it's not a pretty site.....I'm working on it, nothing more I can say to that other than I'm human.
 The most stressed-out people are control freaks. Although far better than I used to be, I admit at times I fit into this category. Control actually comes out of the root of fear. The more they try to control the world, the more they realize they cannot. Life becomes a cycle of anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure. That is because we’ve allowed fear to occupy a space it wasn’t intended to. This may have happened because of a circumstance of your own doing, or a circumstance out of your control.
One of my favorite verses:
1 John 4:18, “Perfect love casts out all fear” His perfect love.  
     In most living rooms in America, there is probably a Master chair of some sort.  I picture some sort of Lazy Boy Recliner type chair, and its where the head of house is designated to sit.  When you live a life of fear, you have allowed the Spirit of Fear to occupy that Masters Chair.  That is not what God intended for our lives.  Tell it to GET OUT in the name of Jesus, but then fill it quickly.  Fill it with His perfect LOVE.  Why?  Reread the verse above. 
When you recognize Heaven has an occupied throne, you allow the Lord of that perfect love to be in control. God then calms your fears, not by removing the problem, but by revealing His divine power and presence.   Your anxiety decreases as your understanding of God increases.
With all that is going on in the world currently,
the next time you fear the future, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty. Rejoice in what He has accomplished. Rejoice that He is able to do what you cannot do. Fill your mind with thoughts of Him. Recall His resume of faithfulness in your life. Where others see the problems of the world and wash their hands, see those problems and bend your knees. Intentionally lift up your mind to thoughts about your King. Don’t get lost in your troubles, dare to believe that good things will happen, because you KNOW who holds the future. Examine what sustains your belief, and make sure your belief in God is founded in trusting that HE is in control.

What Your Worry Can Do or What To Do With Your Worry?!

     There was a woman who began to worry extensively about those she loved. She worried about their health, their circumstances and their needs so much that she ended up in the hospital with chest pains because she thought she was having a heart attack. It was a wake up call.
There was a man who began to worry that he would get cancer because it had been prevelent in his family.  He worried about it for years and years and then suddenly died of a heart attack.
 Worry does nothing but waste your time. I have used the scenario when speaking to groups about the rocking chair.  Worry is like being in a rocking chair. You use all your energy rocking back and forth and never get anywhere. Not only that, but it puts you in negative self talk that can affect your choices and your actions. How do I know? I am the woman in scenario number one above.  Worry became my way of life for years. 

Matthew 11:28-30  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest..........

I remember sitting in front of a Pastor/Counselor years ago, in the defense of my worry, and told him "but if I can look ahead and imagine all that could go wrong, then I can then plan against it in the hopes of preventing it." I will never forget him looking me boldly in the eye and saying: "What a way to live out your life...Is that the way you want to live out your days?"   I knew I didnt, it was exhausting and was taking a toll. Fear is nothing but torment.
  I have worked very hard over the last several years to correct my stinkin' thinkin', as I hold every thought captive and determine what type of thought it is.

Psalm 56:3  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

In todays happenings, it is easy to get sucked into a mindset of worry. Just turn on the news media, or social media...it wont be long reading or listening to it and it's possible that you will allow your mind to get sucked in to the web of worry. 
 Is it important to be aware of what is going on in the world? Absolutley! Should you be concerned about your health? Yes.  Should you be concerned about the health and well being of others? Yes.  Should you make efforts to eat wisely and exercise and follow guidlines to stay healthy? Yes.  Should you manage your money well? Yes.  But to be bound to worry on these things will only prevent you from enjoying your health and blessings...the things right smack in front of you.
Jesus told us to get rid of the worry that he forbids by changing our priorities.  He says, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  The problem with worry is that we are seeking the wrong things.  We need to seek God and His kingdom and everything else will fall into place. Does this mean I should not concern myself or act in a responsible manner? No. Should I blindly cross the highway and claim "Well I am seeking first His kingdom, so I dont need to concern myself with getting hit by a vehicle" ?  No.  That would be stupidity.  You must use wisdom and basic common sense as you are led by the Holy Spirit.  
If you are prone to struggle with the stronghold of worry, I suggest doing what I do and have suggested to others at many speaking conferences.  Write it down.  
Write down that worry. When Satan drives you to worry (and he can be relentless), write your worry down. Write in a journal, a notebook, somewhere you can easily access it again.  Write down the things that keep you up at night.  
 Talk to God and tell him that you have written it down.  Along with that worry, also write down what Gods Word states about that worry.  
Maybe you are concerned about lack at this time.  I would suggest looking up Matthew 6:26-34.  If you are concerned about health and protection, read Psalm 91.  Honestly, even if you are not sure, you can do a scripture web search and type in something like "worry about health Bible verse" and you will be given a ton to read. 
Once you find a verse that speaks about the very worry you are concerned about - WRITE IT DOWN.  When that worry comes to mind, instead of focusing on the worry, focus on the WORD.  Repeat it, sing it, etc.....do it over and over.  Retrain your brain to focus on what Gods Word says. 
Will doing this make your problems go away? Probably not.  What it WILL do is shift your focus and shift the weight of those problems off of you and back on to God, right where we should be casting them in the first place. (1 Peter 5:7, Phillipians 4:6-7, Proverbs 12:25)
He is strong enough to carry your burden, so let Him.  Some of us have done this but then later take it back.  Do we think we can out do God?  He has a resume of faithfulness in your life....think about that. Place your worry and concerns in His lap and let it go.  When you do this, you will find that peace that passes all understanding.  It is an on going action.  Sometimes it is daily, even hourly.  Give yourself some grace as you may have to retrain your brain, but trust Him to do what He says He will do.