How (and Why) Does Your Heart Ache for Peace?

            

           A year ago, at the start of 2015, my heart ached for peace. Peace in spite of family strife and disappointment that swirled like a growing hurricane around my husband, our children, and me. While our tight little unit of four banded together, another family member tried to sow seeds of discord and guilt into my heart and drive a wedge between all of us. There was no peace in this person’s heart, and they didn’t want us to have any either.

           

            So, peace and tranquility weighed heavily on my heart and mind, and I went on (needed to go on) a very concerted treasure hunt for them.

           

            Through that hunt, I’ve learned that peace doesn’t just arrive one day and settle in comfortably for a lifetime. It reminds me more of a relative with Attention Deficit Disorder who shows up at your door—at your invitation, of course—settles into the guest bedroom, and then, because of an internal upheaval or distraction, wanders off to leave you alone and frustrated, because they didn’t leave a note telling you where they went or why!

           

            I now know that you have to call peace back and claim it again, because the thief who runs the world doesn’t want you possessing peace or living in it. He has different motives for you. Since he’s come to cheat, steal and destroy, he’s pretty thrilled when the storm settles in, and your world (and mind and heart) are turned upside down, and remain that way. He loves stealing something — like peace — from us and sneaking away with it.

           

            I also learned that if I truly want peace, I needed to deliberately pursue it. And my eyes were also opened to the need for me, (if I really wanted peace to reign in it), to have a simpler, less chaotic life. I realized peace is multi-faceted. And along with that knowledge, I uncovered the gem that freedom would walk hand-in-hand with peace and simplicity, and joy would follow. Always. It would be a package deal.

           

            So, on January 3, 2015, I found myself opening my brand new journal and penning the following prayer:

           

            “This year, Lord, I seek and ask you for peace and simplicity, which both come from 

              freedom in you! I want to stop making decisions driven by guilt, false obligation, a

              need to be needed and to feel important, valued and respected.

           

            “Could I shed it all and find you enough—to satisfy every part of me and my life? My 

            head knows you are truly enough, but am I willing to let you be?

           

            “I want peace, simplicity, freedom. A life void of internal and external chaos, (as much

            as is possible with me); a life full of your peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding.

            That kind of peace.

           

            “I want a life full of simplicity, so I am surrounded by order and beauty and a sense of 

            calm—even in the midst of exhilaration and upheaval. That kind of peace.

           

            “I want freedom; a deep feeling of satisfaction and security in knowing who I am and to

            whom I belong. Knowing your promises and your future, and being confident and content 

            in that knowledge. That kind of peace.

                                                                                                            Amen!”

            

            I knew if I knocked, sought, and asked, the One who is peace itself would give me all of the knowledge and wisdom I needed to pursue peace, and obtain it. The key was that I needed to actually knock, seek and ask! How did I know that if I went searching I would find it? Because God promises to open the door of His inner sanctum of wisdom to those who seek. "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." That's what he told the prophet Jeremiah. Years ago I read that statement and took God at His word. I searched and asked, and searched and asked. And He showed. And He's still showing both you and me. If we ask. 

            So I asked. And to find my answers I knew I'd need two resources. First, I went directly to the source. I snagged my Bible, a treasure chest of priceless jewels of truth, knowledge, and wisdom that are just as relevant today as they were when they were first entrust to mankind to write down. The concordance I used to locate the word “peace” is my treasure map, and the Bible is the treasure, the loot I get to pour into my head and heart, to enrich and change my life. To clothe my heart and life (and others) in its wealth and beauty.

           

            While I know everlasting peace will only be ushered in when Jesus returns with a new heaven and a new earth, I can get a jumpstart on heaven right now. So I opened my treasure map and treasure chest and started plotting my journey and sifting through the jewels. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey to sift through them with me!

           

            To find peace, in all its meanings. To find the kind of peace that changes your life, and probably the lives of those around you, too. To find peace, and learn how to hang onto it and not let it go.

           

            Before you start this journey, though, grab your journal and take a few minutes to pray and think about what areas of your life could really use an infusion of peace right now. Write those down.

Then answer these questions:

1. Do you really want peace in your life, or do you enjoy the chaos and turmoil? (I’m not talking about the excitement of competition or the normal stress of a new job or daily life. Many people, if they are honest with themselves, like to fight their way through life and enjoy living surrounded by chaos and turmoil. Since it’s familiar, losing the familiar scares them.)

2. In what areas of your life would you like to experience more peace?

3. Are there friends or family members who are obstacles right now to you experiencing peace? Why are they obstacles?

4. Are you willing to make necessary changes or sacrifices in your life to have peace? If so, what do you think those changes or sacrifices would be, or look like?

5. Much of the way we communicate with others is learned. So many times we convince ourselves that the other person is the problem, but after an honest self-assessment, we realize that our behavior, words, or tone of voice contribute to the tension, or to their behavior. What ways of communication have your family or friends passed down to you that may make achieving a deep sense of peace (with yourself or in your relationships) difficult?

6. Many times anger toward an event or someone smolders deep in our heart’s recesses. We think we’ve “dealt” with it and let it go, but we really have just let it smolder under decaying ashes, and it’s ready to combust at the smallest puff of oxygen. Do you harbor anger in your heart about something that happened to you, or against someone? Search your heart. Ask God to search it for you and reveal the anger, and its source, to you.

7. Now write a prayer focused on gaining peace. It might be that you do not currently have a personal relationship with God, or His Son Jesus. If not, then that may be where you start: asking God to reveal Himself to you.

            Lack of peace may be a result of your own actions and the way you relate to others. If so, 
            in your prayer, ask God to reveal those negative actions to you so you can focus on them 
            on this peace-attaining journey. 

            
8. Or perhaps your lack of peace is the result of others’ actions. If you are unable to change your circumstances, or avoid those button-pressing people right now, you may want to ask to God to remove those obstacles, or raise a hedge of protection around you so you are protected from them and do not react to them. Later in this study, you will have the skills to not react, or to react in a way that diffuses the internal or external turmoil. Right now, you may just need to have the hedge of protection raised around you so no harm comes to you, and that you bring no harm to anyone else.

            
            After you answer these questions and write the prayer, return to your prayer every day this week to focus your heart and mind on searching for and obtaining peace. It will be a good primer for you to have before we delve into the treasure chest together!

            Next week we’ll starting wrapping our arms around Shalom type of peace.

Until then, may your week be full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter! Build a little heaven in your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!

In Christ’s love and peace,

Andrea

When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer

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Want Peace? Rest in the Eye of the Storm

Think you ended up on the wrong blog? Don’t worry; you’re in the right place! I thought the New Year warranted a new, simpler look. More changes are planned in the next several weeks. I hope you enjoy them!

           

            In January, I sent you treasure hunting for joy, and for Joy, which came gift-wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in an animal feed trough for all of the world over 2000 years ago. This year we’ll do some more exploring.

            Peace. Illusive, hard-won, shaky, tenuous, much-sought-after peace.

           

            I’m a research and definition nerd, so I’ll start with a definition of the word. Merriam-Webster.com lists five separate meanings for peace. They include:

1. a state of tranquility or quiet: as

            a. freedom from civil disturbance

            b. a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom

2. freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

3. harmony in personal relations

4. a. a state or period of mutual concord between governments.

    b. a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a

            state of enmity.

5. [Or] Used interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell.

            And there’s also “at peace, being in a state of concord or tranquility.”

           

            The world certainly doesn’t seem to be at peace right now, does it? Countries are flexing muscles, saber rattling, testing humanity-leveling weapons, verbally threatening, bullying, and committing atrocious acts of aggression and oppression, against their own citizens. Others are trying to carve out new countries from existing nations, annihilating all who stand contrary to their version of national or religious utopia. In hordes, people are fleeing persecution and unlivable conditions. Lying, cheating, and stealing are commonplace, and being justified if the end result favors them and their fans. Arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness reign in the people's hearts and seem to be ruling the day. Hate, anger and vitriolic discourse fill the news, airwaves and social media. More and more, men and women are doing what seems right in their own eyes.

           

            Right now peace seems to be a much-need commodity.

            How do you achieve any kind of personal peace when your world is swirling like a hurricane, gathering speed and destructive energy?

           

            Seriously. How do you make that seemingly impossible goal happen?

           

            Stand in the eye. That’s the first thing you want to do, if you can. Get out of the hurricane and stand in the eye, the calmest, most peaceful part of the storm. Yes, right in the middle.

           

            The eye of a hurricane, (or cyclone, depending upon what part of the world you live in), is usually characterized by its light winds and clear skies, even though it’s surrounded by a ring of towering, destructive thunderstorm clouds, which is known as the “stadium effect”. If you didn’t know those gorgeous, alluring white clouds could kill you, you might be tempted to wander into them. So long peace and tranquility!

           

            But what if you have to venture into those clouds or are already in them, with no apparent means of escape? In that chaotic situation, how do you maintain an internal sense of calm and tranquility in your heart, mind, and soul?

           

            Short answer? You get to know—intimately—and make a habit of following the originator and perfector of peace. You learn by example and follow solid, wise advice.      

           

            And where do you find that advice, that Originator? (I think you know where I’m going with this.)

           

            You go directly to the source. The Prince of Peace. Ask Him. He’s more than happy to divulge the secrets and help you remove the hard, heavy yoke of turmoil and chaos that bind your heart, mind and soul.

           

            Evidently God thought peace was a pretty important issue we were going to have a lot of problem obtaining and sustaining because He mentions it a lot in His word. Depending upon which Bible translation you use, you’ll find it 375-415 times in the Bible. It’s mentioned more than money, war and love. (Being mentioned more than love was a surprise to me.)

           

            Peace. Illusive peace. He knew we desperately needed it, and He knew we’d constantly battle ourselves and each other to have it; that we’d contest against others to keep them from stealing it from us. We’d blame others for our own fault of letting it go.            

            

           Peace. It’s a precious commodity. And it’s worth pursuing.

           

            One thing we need to keep in mind, though is: This isn’t heaven down here. As I heard a wise man say during a sermon years ago: “This isn’t the Garden of Eden. We lost that, and we have to stop trying to get it back.”

           

            What this is down here is a place for us to learn about God, draw near to Him, introduce others to Him, and run the race for the ultimate prize of a bejeweled crown in a perfect Heaven. Down here, we’re just getting a taste of that, but as the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Corinthian believers: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Loose translation: We have no idea what Heaven is like, and we really can't even imagine it.

           

            It may not be Heaven here, but it can be heaven-like. We can open Heaven’s door, peer in a little, and start experiencing some of its blessings and pleasures down here, but we’re never going to get back to the Garden, as songwriter Joni Mitchell said we’ve got to do in her famous song “Woodstock”. (And many of us who survived the 60s in the United States know what glorious, “free” things happened there!)

           

            It all comes down to what A.W. Tozer said: “When the eyes of the soul looking

out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth.”

           

            Heaven has begun, not arrived. But while we cannot have the same Garden Adam and Eve had, we can experience some of the intimacy they shared with God.

            I know a lot of people live in fear of the future. They have no peace. They live in a tumultuous, toxic home. Chaos reigns in their lives. They and their family are without peace. To them, hell couldn’t be any worse than life right here on Earth.

           

            But you don’t have to let peace be illusive to you.

           

            Do you want to build a little more heaven down here on Earth, for you and everyone around you? Then join me as we embark on an exciting exploration of the different types of peace referenced in Scripture, and learn how to possess, practice and pass on peace to others. Learn what Jesus meant when He said, “Peace I leave; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.”

           

            If you journal, (which I highly recommend), grab a new one and join me every Monday as we do more treasure hunting through Scripture to pursue the precious commodity of peace.

           

            I promise it will challenge, inspire, and transform all of us!

May your week be full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter! Build a little heaven in your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!

In Christ’s love and peace,

Andrea

When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer

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Getting Unstuck: Life-Changing Resolutions That Last

           

            Resolutions. Whenever a New Year rolls around, lengthy resolutions, changes, and goals for the new year dominate many people’s minds and contemplation time. In our family, we have a tradition of gathering around the fireplace at midnight, chatting about what went right, what went wrong, what the major disappointments and major thrills and accomplishments were of the freshly-eulogized year and then compile a list of all of the things we’d like to accomplish in the freshly-inaugurated year. We laugh a lot and get introspective. Then we take turns praying about those goals we feel God has led our hearts to pursue. We pray for ourselves and for one another.

           

            The problem is that most people have trashed or failed miserably with their resolutions by the end of the first month of the year. Why is that? Did they pick the wrong ones? Did they not make the right plans to achieve them? Were they too ambiguous, without concrete plans for achievement? Did they set themselves up for failure the moment they put pen to paper? Did they take a wrong route that resulted in them getting hopelessly stuck, unable to break free? Are they simply so mired in poor behaviors that they find change impossible?

           

            In his great book, Getting Unstuck: 7 Steps to Freedom, former Family Life Radio host Lee Escobedo outlines steps you can take to succeed at setting reasonable goals and achieving change and control over your life. Changes that will last you well beyond this year.

           

            Escobedo, who describes himself as a personal development coach, says the first thing you should do is identify three things in your life you’d like to accomplish. And he stresses that you should arrive at that list after much prayer.

           

           

            After identifying the three things, you then need to ask: Why do I think I haven’t been able to accomplish those three things? Be honest. Our first reaction might be to come up with a list of excuses, or say, “Gee, I don’t know.” But if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll quickly arrive at the correct answers. If you really can’t come up with the answers, I suggest you ask a loved one, a significant other, or a trusted friend. They’ll probably know the answer. Give them the space to be honest, and listen carefully to what they tell you, without being defensive about their response. Listen, take it and ponder it.

           

            Then ask yourself another question: If I could eliminate my obstacles, how would my life change? Take some time to think about and answer this one.

           

            Then come up with something concrete you can do quickly to change your life. That boosts your determination level and makes you feel more self-confident and able to achieve those goals and make those necessary changes. It’s positive mental reinforcement, and it's the first baby step to accomplishing more complex goals.

           

            Escobedo stresses that the most important things you do are centered on improving your relationship with God, others, and yourself, so focus on those first and foremost. He thinks we spend so much time in negative self-talk that we never get started and sabotage ourselves. We compile a list of excuses before we even get out of the starting block. And our failure becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.

           

            And Escobedo also emphasizes that this process is ongoing. You keep pursuing, changing, growing and having fresh experiences. 

           

            But there are seven points you always need to face up to and keep in mind:

1. You have to want to change.

2. You have to take responsibility for yourself.

3. You have to refuse to give into temptation.

4. You have to continually cooperate with God in your transformation.

5. You have to be humble and dependent upon God—all of the time.

6. You have to realize that temptation never goes away.

7. You have to keep going through the process. Like a concert musician, you never stop doing the basics. That way they become so second nature you don’t need to think about them. They become an integral part of you.

           

            So if you’re ready to really make some serious and long-lasting life changes that will stop the hurt and destruction in your life, strengthen and improve your relationships, help you experience health, happiness and peace of mind, and progressively prevent anything from ruining you, then start your year new year off right with Escobedo’s nine-chapter, 170 page goldmine. Take a fresh look at your life and make a new start.

           

            As Escobedo points out: You’re worth it. Your life has meaning.

           

            Why wait any longer?

            The book is available at amazon.com. You can follow Lee Escobedo on his inspirational blog: http://leesniteradio.com/ Or email him directly at: gettingunstuck7steps@gmail.com

May God bless you on your pursuit of positive, life-giving and long-lasting change, and may He prosper you greatly this year!

Blessings,

Andrea

When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer

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