Serenity

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. -Niebuhr

Heart Thoughts

As my family and I sit down for an epic movie adventure (tonight its our beloved Narnia: Prince Caspian), I thought I'd share some heart thoughts.

I took a walk Saturday to talk with the Lord and enjoy the morning air. Of course, for March 2nd, I was surprised to reach the pinnacle of a nearby hill to see the above. It was a chilly walk.

As I walked, I had many thoughts swirling through my mind. Thoughts mostly consisting of the future. Questions, ideas, etc.

Yet, it's different from other times in my life. My thoughts are a [little] more tempered with Scripture, and experience. I'm more aware of what God can do.

And more importantly, more aware of who He is.

He has revealed His love and nature to me in ways that I never knew before. As a result, I feel more equipped for the moments and days ahead.

I'm not going to get into the specific thoughts running through my mind, at this point. But I will give glory to God for providing His direction, will, counsel, love and presence.

With Him, I and my wife can be a peace knowing He orchestrates our future.

Peace

He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. http://bible.us/Ps147.14.ESV

When God is the director of your steps, it brings peace to your life.

How You Look At It

We are in a tough season as a family. The future is unknown. We need answers and time is running out...

Time to PANIC!

That's one way of looking at it.

The other way, is that we are in a...

Blessed season. I am home more with my family.

Season of adventure. We don't know what lies around the corner. That can be exciting and thrilling. (And scary!)

Season of testing. And when our faith is tested, we go through trials, God does great things in our lives and hearts (when we do it His way).

Supplied season. All our needs are covered and supplied day by day.

Carried season. When we run out of answers, the only thing we have left is that Jesus Himself is carrying us through. And that's not so bad of a position to be in.

In what basically equates to a lay-off, I am out of work and not sure when the next pay check will come in. Not sure how we will pay the next months bills. And, I know we aren't the only ones facing this right now.

Though things don't look (or feel) good, God has given my wife and I great peace in the midst of the storm.

Not answers, but peace.

He knows our need before we ask // We are of much greater value than the birds of the air // As we seek His kingdom first, all these things will be added unto us...

This Scripture (below) has been encouraging to me in this time, and would like to share it with you, hoping maybe it will help someone else as well.

Thank you Jesus, our peace in the storm...

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34

Trust

The Lord has been using this promise of His greatly in my life lately... I hope it provides encouragement to someone else tonight as well.

I would encourage you to read and pray through each line of this passage, one by one. Do it with the Holy Spirit, and let His truth sink in deep.

May the Lord overwhelm you with His peace as you trust in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Lazy Sunday

As I get more honest with myself, and learn to be aware of how I am feeling, I get to see some things in me that I don't really like. Things I never would have thought I struggled with or dealt with in my life are becoming more apparent. My supposed, "I don't really struggle with that" syndrome is wearing off, at least a little bit...

One thing I have learned is that I can be a very controlling, and I believe, therefore anxious person. Uptight, worry-full, stressed out to the MAX... whatever you want to call it.

The other day I spent time reading over some Scriptures directly related to worry, including this one:

...casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 ESV.

I was laden with fear and worry at the time over a specific thing, and the Scriptures helped me to hang on to another way of thinking. A more godly way of thinking. A heavenly way of thinking. Jesus' way of thinking.

All my fear and worry can cause me to be preoccupied and disconnected from the task at hand, especially when it comes to my family. Instead of giving them my full attention, they get leftovers, if there are any. My body is there, but my mind is elsewhere.

So why "Lazy Sunday"? Today was a wonderful day of anything but worry-full and anxious. I've had to work hard at it, fighting moment to moment sometimes to keep from giving in to the anxieties that can invade my mind. But there has been definite progress.

This picture of my daughter on our swing was a perfect snapshot of my heart today - carefree and peaceful. I was able to enjoy my family more, laugh more, and not be weighed down and preoccupied about "stuff." Stuff that didn't go away, mind you. The stuff still exists, but God is helping me to walk day by day without worry, even in the midst of the potential anxieties of life. God didn't promise that life wouldn't throw at us things that might cause us to worry, but He did say that He would be with us in the midst of it.

So praise God... for His Word and His love towards us. And how He empowers us to live with peace and joy in the midst of the chaos of life.

Perfect Peace

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You keep him in perfect peace
   whose mind is stayed on you,
   because he trusts in you.
   Isaiah 26:3 ESV

It's one thing in life to stop being afraid. To root out the causes of fear in our life. But what then do we dwell on when we remove the fears that have gripped our thoughts on a daily basis?

Stay our minds on Him.

The Bible says, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Not only do we need to turn from the thought patterns that produce sin in our lives (fear is one of many), we need to replace those former, earthly thoughts with heavenly thoughts that produce life.


Repentance is not just turning from something, but turning towards something. In this case, a new way of thinking.


This verse is a great reminder for me. I desire that perfect peace the Lord promises to those who "stay" their minds on Him.

I encourage you to desire and do the same.