Perfect Peace
Perfect peace, just what is that and oh, how I desire to have it!  Do you feel the same way? Is your desire to have peace in your life your foremost thought for the day, especially with all that is going on around us? It's yours for the taking and if truth be known, you already have it. God has a lot to say about peace, so lets take a look.The day you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, trusted Him with your life and wholeheartedly submitted all of you to Him, peace entered in.   "You will keep in Perfect Peace, him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You"
Isaiah 26:3
If I am walking in the light as He is in the light, why is peace so difficult to hold on to sometimes? There is so much out there in the world that is wrong, evil and disturbing. We read it in the news, we see it on TV and we experience it within our own lives. Families are torn apart, relationships are disposed of in a blink of an eye and lives are in total despair. But, I love you Lord and my mind is stayed on you, why is there not peace in my heart, why am I feeling the way I do?   "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 
This time in our lives when blatant sin is rampant and it is stealing our peace, we must remember and hold on to what we know, like that which we just read above. This is a temporary home in which we live and God is in control of it. We are promised a deliverance from the world's despair and that deliverance is soon to come. Meanwhile, God's word, His truth, will give us the peace we are seeking. "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all this is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:34-36
When we engage in the Word of God, we will find His peace written on every page. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge are found when we seek it with a right heart. When we receive wisdom, understanding and knowledge of our Lord God, we receive peace. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our LORD" 2 Peter 1:2
Perfect Peace, what is it we ask? The answer is God, and God alone. Perfect Peace comes when we are walking in the Spirit, reading God's word and praying without ceasing. "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." 1 Peter 4:7 Lord, may those who are seeking peace today in this seemingly peace-less world, be found walking alongside You, getting to know You and praying to You. Lord, may we be found rejoicing in You always knowing that You are near. May we not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, presenting our requests to You knowing that Your peace which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. I pray this in Your Son's most precious name, Jesus Christ. Amen
"Peace I leave with you , My peace I give unto you." John 14:27
Click on the link below and experience Perfect Peace http://youtu.be/7UpfatdyFtY

Tears of joy are flowing right now because of what God does for us just at the right moment with such simple things that mean so much.  We lost a very special person in our lives not long ago and the ache in our hearts is still there. But for my teenage granddaughter, the pain is sometimes more that she wants to experience.  That is exactly when God shows up to ease her pain. He places smiley faces in the clouds to reminder her that He loves her. He gives her a song that is not only right on time but right in tune with what she needs to hear. He placed not the loved one but his name in the front cover of her American History book which she will carry every day for the rest of the school year. How awesome is our God!!!!  Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer and watching over my special little girl. Thank you being real to her in her time of need when confusion and heartache are so great. Thank you for holding her heart in Your loving hands. Thank you for being the Father of compassion. Thank you for being there every minute of her life. Thank you Lord for everything.
http://youtu.be/P7IbQyG9PL4

THE NEXT...
God is good all the time!  All the time God is good! I love that saying and say it frequently. This morning I am declaring it, God is good all the time! Life has a funny way of living sometimes, doesn't it.  Most of the time life is a puzzle with misfitting pieces and sometimes lost pieces. One day you're on top of the mountain and the next you're at the bottom in the valley. Some days the sun is shining bright and you're feeling the warmth, but then there are those days when the clouds are heavy and things are cold all around you.  Then there are times when you are sailing through life with the wind against your face and open space to enjoy. Then there are times when you're boxed in, closed up and no where to turn. Let's see if we can figure this life thing out. If life is looking like a puzzle to you, do you have a clue why? What are the pieces in your life that aren't fitting?  Is it a relationship, is it a habit, is it disobedience, what isn't working for you? The lost pieces, are they something you have ignored for a period of time, is it something you purposely put away and now can't seem to find it even if you tried, or is it something you have run from and is now no where to be found? What about this mountain thing?  Are you on top saying, "Yeah, I did it, I'm good, I mastered that and it is all good and I'm am camping out here?" Are you on the bottom saying, "Why am I here, I failed, I'm not good at this, I can't even do that right?" Are you like a temperature gauge needle swinging hot one day because, I did just what they wanted me to do and they like me," or are you feeling a little deserted and cold because you didn't quite meet the expectations?"  Sailing through life, no cares to be had, nothing to worry about or care about, until reality sets in and you hit the brick wall of "hello, what do you mean you didn't care about that?" Wow, here we go again, that self-evaluation thing. Is there a better way or does life really have to be a puzzle with misfitting pieces or lost pieces?  There is a better way and it requires right choices which will lead to the very presence of God, a relationship with Jesus, wisdom, knowledge and an abundant and eternal life.

• "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."    John 14:6
• "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture."  John 10:9
• "And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray." Isa 35:8

Things don't just happen, you have to do your part, like putting one foot in front of the other, taking that first step, getting on the right path and walking in the right direction. There has to be a desire to want to follow the One who is leading, a commitment to stay by His side, a dedication to the Truth  and a loyalty to the Almighty, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

So the next time I feel like life is not fitting together or I think I have lost a piece to the puzzle, I will turn to the One who has all the pieces and who makes them fit together just right. I will never have things totally figured out nor do I want to take on that responsibility, but what I do want is to know the One who does know and to know Him more each day.

THE POWER OF HIS LOVE
     The power of His love, that of Jesus, was brought to my attention in a different way yesterday as I listened intently to my Pastor's lesson. He shared Mark 6:30-44 of Jesus feeding the multitudes. Like you, I have read and heard the story many times, but for some reason it was different yesterday. I love the way God speaks to us individually and specifically through His word, don't you!
     What was going through my mind, was how willing Jesus was to reach out to those who wanted to hear what He had to say. Thousand gathered and surround this man of such wisdom, desperately needing to hear every word that He spoke. They traveled miles on water and land hauling children, encouraging the elderly and toting necessities just to sit at his feet. With that in mind, it caused me to think of how far I would travel, how determined would I be if I had to carry my children just to hear a man speak. The people saw the extraordinary in this man and Jesus saw the need to tend to this flock that followed Him. One was needing and One was giving. Scripture tells us that, "Jesus had compassion on them".  Would I have compassion for someone that followed me?
     Two questions are presented here, the first being, would I go to that extent to listen. They went miles and for me, it is a jaunt down the stairs to my quiet place to listen and sadly to say, some days that seems like miles away. How sad is that!  And the worst part of it all is, that I had a good night sleep the night before compared to the long and tiring day Jesus and His apostles had just had. Yet, Jesus stopped what He was doing, tired and hungry, to offer a teaching that they longed hear. This portion of scripture showed me that I want even more to be like those that traveled miles, driven with a burning desire just to hear what Jesus has to say. I want to hunger and thirst for His word.  Matt. 5:6, Isa. 55:1, John 4:14, Rev. 22:17
     The second question that was asked, "Would I have compassion for someone that followed me?" Mercy is not my love language, nor my gifting, so I feel a struggle coming on.  Yet, I was created in His image, I am told to be holy as He is Holy and I am to do unto others as I would like them to do unto me. I am told to me Christ Like! The question before me, is how many times have I walked away from the opportunity to share the love of God to someone who needed to hear that? Did I pass up a chance to show the compassion Jesus has for His lost flock? I am an ambassador, one who should be ready with every breath of my life to share who Jesus is. Gen. 1:27, 1 Peter 1:16, Matt. 7:12, 2 Tim. 4:2
Lord, my prayer today is that I would have a burning desire to be with you no matter how or where and to have compassion for those I encounter along the way who want to know you. I pray this in Your Son's most precious name, Jesus Amen  

CLEANING HOUSE
At the moment, my house is under full remodeling construction. I am so excited about all that is taking place as I have been waiting for years for this to happen. Things are being taken down, torn out, rebuilt, replaced and all things made new. I am in awe by the wonderful work being done by that of a faithful servant. But in the process, there is the inevitable presence of construction mess, fine forever flying dust. No matter, the precautions in trying to prevent it, it has found its way into most everything. The clean up will come once the remodeling is done. The blessing in the mess, is that things are being cleaned up, thrown out and re-thought. Isn't it amazing how we can just stuff things away thinking that someday we will use it and there it sits. Or, I treasure that, yeah, ten years ago, but why do I now!  How about this one, wow, I forgot I had that, I don't even embrace that anymore. 
Conclusion, time to clean house. That is exactly what Josiah did once he heard the lost Book of the Law and realized what detestable things had been collected and practiced for years. He torn his robe and wept because of the dishonoring that was and had been taking place against his Lord. He ordered all that was against the written Law of the Lord, that which was detestable to the Lord, to be burned, removed and to be never more. Once cleaned, Josiah celebrated the refreshment, the restoration and the renewal. 
Now, as I'm cleaning things out, room by room, getting rid of the uselessness, and refreshing the existing, I am now getting ready to do the same in my spiritual home, my inner most self. After reading the story of Josiah again in 2 Chronicles, some self-evaluation is taking place. What am I collecting in my thoughts, my heart and my being that is detestable to my Lord? What am I stuffing in the closet that has no place in being there? What dust is accumulating on the shelf of my heart that needs to be cleared away? Oh my gosh, how long has all this been sitting there? Spiritual house cleaning is a must from time to time. If it is not done, things pile up, they get stuff in deep corners and they become useless and sometimes harmful. As Josiah did, we must get rid of the detestable, the unwanted and the unnecessary and replace it with the pure, the true and the good of the Lord.
Lord, thank you for Your Word, for the truth and for gently showing me that which needs tending to. Please give me eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that is willing to rid myself of anything that is detestable in Your sight. Help me to clean that which needs cleaning and refresh my spiritual home. Thank you Father for reminding me that it's time to clean my room.! In Your Son's most precious name, Jesus Christ I pray,  Amen

The Quiet of the Morning
"Be Still and know that I am God" Ps. 46:10
In the quiet of the morning, looking out my open patio door, this is what I see and hear.
Oh what a Beautiful Morning....
     Taking a deep breath, I am greeted by the smell of the air that has been freshly cleansed from the rains of the night before. On the grass, the pedals of the flowers and the grounds little puddles, I see glistening gems of rain drops sparkling as the morning sunlight brings them to life. My ears hear music softly playing from a nearby wind chime, early birds singing praises and the whispering of waving leaves because of the a slight breeze stirring in the air. In the beyond, is the sight of fluffy clouds nestled into the crevices of the surrounding mountains, shadows and sun rays coming and going as the they move on their way, and the promise of nourishment to the land in the hours to come. As I meditate on all that is before me, I feel the peace and serenity of the presence of the Lord stilling and warming my heart. With a bowed head in reverence before the Almighty, I speak words of praise and thanksgiving for all I am blessed with and pray for blessings for those whom He has placed on my heart.
Oh, what a Beautiful Morning.... Thank you Lord!

Genuine Wisdom       Is your wisdom genuine or is it hindered by "You"? Take an inventory of your week, reflecting on how you went about your daily encounters with yourself and others. The question to ask is, what were your motives in what you did or didn't do? Were things done because it was all about you, what you wanted? Was there a thought about anyone else and how they might feel? Was there wisdom in how you handled things or was it foolishness which was hurtful to someone?      Um! Wisdom is a word in scripture that is mentioned 222 times. I would say that there is something to take note of here. I want to look at what James has to say about wisdom. James gives us an example of two kinds of wisdom. One kind comes from me, myself and I and the other kind comes from heaven. James is known for asking questions, makes you self-evaluate to see if you are what God created you to be. So, he starts out asking, who among you thinks you're wise or has any understanding? He says if you are wise, then there should be some evidence like "humility". On the other hand, if there was any bitterness, envy or selfish ambitions in your heart, well, so sorry but  you failed the "genuine wisdom" test and passed with flying colors in the earthly, unspiritual and that of the devil test. Not exactly something to be proud of, to boast about or deny the truth in the matter. What it did for you was cause grief, disorder and every kind of evil practice.  Not a pretty picture. Not something to write home about. Sad thing is, we are guilty of doing just that, hurting someone due to our lack of Godly wisdom. If we are a child of God, we do possess that Godly wisdom, we just need to get "self" out of the way and stop hurting others and causing disorder.      We know that the God we serve loves us so much that He provides a better way for us. If we stop doing that earthly thing, being envious or having selfish ambitions, but rather seek that which is pure, peace-loving considerate, submissive, merciful and of good fruit, impartial and sincere, then we will have genuine wisdom from heaven. The good fruit of doing what God created us to do will cause us to be peacemakers who sow in peace raising a harvest of righteousness.        Father, let us start new and fresh today, living the day with genuine wisdom that comes from above. Help us Lord to rid ourselves of ourselves and put on others. Please help us to remove any bitterness, envy or selfish ambitions and replace them with consideration, submissiveness, mercy and sincerity. Father teach us to be peacemakers, loving others and seeking genuine wisdom from above. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen