Tag Archives: Peace

April Fool’s Day . . A Prayer For the World

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by in Attitude, Choices, Contentment, Faithfulness, Goodness, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Life

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On April Fool’s I look for things purposefully foolish; those things which aren’t real and haven’t any meaning but in the way they surprise me or make me laugh. Sadly, there are just too many things these days which I realize are far too enduringly foolish, foolhardy, vexing or problematic in life and of the world; enough things and situations I wish were just tricks or ruses meant for this day which persist with some longevity and purpose! some-beautfull-life-saying-quotes_Inspiration-Quotes-of-life-16

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to have this day be filled with nothing but just silliness, well-meaning pranks, loads of laughter and a lot of “Just kidding!” in the world?? Wouldn’t it be lovely to see the world so filled with joyousness and contentedness from within each heart, that a lot of manmade suffering would cease for the sake of wanting just to be actually “laughing out loud” instead? And were it the case that such joy and contentedness could prevail all over the world, I would personally want to declare each and every day, Fool’s Day! (Even for the pranks I might endure, in spite of the jokes which shock or surprise me!) bible-verses-4

 

I would delight in a world more intent on laughter and lightheartedness, rather than one inflamed by ongoing discord, hatred or anger! My prayer is that God so fill people with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and self-control from within that it becomes almost impossible to find anyone so centered on themselves or their own course of opposition! (Galatians 5: 22-23) And that even with our individual suffering, we might know lasting peace and contentment within us, so as to have our steadfast joy be assured in life; our happiness not forever tied or tethered to the changing emotional tides, events or to circumstances beyond our control. And how I pray for us all to awaken to how very precious and treasured this life is, for our own sakes and for that of the world as a whole; may we know God’s enduring love for each of us, His faithfulness and promises to us are not passing jokes or whims. May we learn to rest in His peace, contentedly and with our joyful hearts expectant and faithful in Him!   Signature02

Because Life Is Hard . .

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Attitude, Contentment, Faithfulness, God, Lessons, Peace, Wisdom

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Some things just hurt. They go beyond our ability to reason, to comprehend and to accept. Some things we will never be able to fully understand. The death of a child, the sudden loss of a loved one, the onslaught of tragedy or suffering or hardship which we endure just by living full lives, or the seeming unfairness and inequity of how things play out in life are all truly difficult tastes and realities to swallow. I wish I could pass along a trick which makes everything easier; but I can give you a way to make peace with what seems hard to handle, accept or process. encouraging quote (4)

Once we learn to accept that we aren’t here for our purposes, but that we are here by God’s choice, His design, at His timing, with the parameters and specifics of life He has assigned to us personally and exclusively for His purposes, we can be at peace with life! It doesn’t mean that we will be able to tolerate everything which occurs to us, or to process all things which we must; it won’t even mean we’ll always be amenable to God’s will for us. After all, we cannot help but want what we want, when we want it, because we have egos which drive our desires and drives. But in accepting our role in God’s plan, for His purposes and according to His will, we learn how to put God at the center of our lives with each progressive day we live! Each day we draw nearer to Him, growing in our relationship with Him and towards Him, we learn and practice relegating our ego to a secondary position. By putting God first, we are able to accept things which others find intolerable, which we ourselves would have found intolerable once when our egos were a priority! We are able to remain at rest and in peaceful contentment progressively more and more each day we learn to let God be the center of our lives. bible-verses-6

By making this choice to focus on God at the helm in every aspect of our lives – our will, our desires, our wishes and our emotional reactions to life as it happens – all becomes secondary to our trust and faith in Him! This is maturing in our relationship with God; our process of learning to put Him first for our own sake, honoring Him through our faithfulness, obedience and trust. And the rewards for our increasing maturity in our relationship with God are more peace of mind, better emotional control and more contentment for life! Signature02

Thankfulness!

17 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by in Attitude, Contentment, Family, Gratitude, Happiness, Life, Love, Wisdom

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So thankful this Saturday for all those in my past . . the easy cartoon-filled mornings of my youth; prior to my parents getting us busy with our outside chores or our family errands and adventures. So blissful in recollection of days spent sweeping, pulling weeds, cleaning house, building our forts, chasing our dreams or perhaps just chasing rainbows. I’m thankful for trips to the public library to get some books to read, for trips to the grocery, for road trips and weekend outings to the lakes and parks. I’m thankful for a father who worked hard all week; but never failed to spend time with his family, as he truly made it a priority. I believe he even enjoyed it, as it was never a difficult decision for him! I’m thankful for family that played board games, that made laughter as much a priority as love.  original_thank-you-heart-gift-card

I don’t remember perfect days without turmoil, without a fair share of grief or malady; but I do remember plenty of reasons upon looking back in which to be grateful in plentitude! I had a wonderful childhood! I was loved, looked after, had a roof over my head, clothing and food to eat. I had toys with which to play, parents whom knew the value of education not only in school; but also in the aspects of life which made us good citizens of this country and of humanity. I was taught to love God and that God loves me. 246170384_5PTKhJj9_c

I truly ache for those who are born into anything less than love, as I believe compassion and caring is born first of love. And all love first comes to the human heart through the Spirit which lights the flame of it within. So thankful this Saturday looking back on all of those which brought me to this one! Today, I’m not starting with cartoons; but after breakfast, I am spending time with two people who are family to me, loved and treasured in their years of wisdom for their part in my life. What more could I ask?! I have a roof over my head, food to eat, clothing to wear, shoes on my feet as well as a heart that is full of love! And more than ever, I know God loves me and I love Him!   Signature02

Joy, Peace and Contentment Are Mine!

20 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Attitude, Choices, Contentment, Faith, God, Gratitude, Joy, Peace

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When I give my attention to the still, silent world around me in the early pre-dawn hours, I hear the most beautiful and unique bird songs! When I open my window coverings in time to see the sun rising, sometimes I get the most vibrant show of color even for only a few fleeting moments. When I smile at a stranger, often I’m rewarded with one in return. When I await the few geese that fly over my house each morning, I feel a familiarity with their routines. When I water my plants, I take on a sense of caring which enables me to nurture and to tend to them. When I look out upon the landscape throughout the day, I am rewarded with the sights of animals and nature going about their business. When I go to church on Sunday, I find a communion with other joyful believers which feels like a community of which I am a part. When I seek, often I find! And when I spend my first few minutes of consciousness both morning and night in prayer, with His Word and in my purposeful gratitude, I can realize the world and my life not as one driven solely by despair, discomfort or disquietude. Instead, I am rewarded with the most amazing peace of mind, heart and body! 82   What a joy it is to know that no matter what comes my way, God has given me enough within to overcome what I must and to be grateful for what I have! Just by focusing my mind, my heart and spirit upon that which brings me joy, peace and contentment, I change my whole life’s perspective. Life is happening all around and often times, it is chaotically prescribed and dosed. But that doesn’t mean I have to dwell in the chaos or fill my soul with it! The choice as to what and to whom and as to how I give my attention, place my focus and expend my energy is always up to me! The world may deliver screaming, shrill distractions, it may bring moments of trauma, heartbreak or even the unimaginable; but the state of my mind and my heart is within my control. What matter fills my thoughts and my emotions is mine to decide. Signature02

Living In The Present . .

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Attitude, Choices, Conquering Fear, Contentment, Happiness, Lessons, Self-Control, Wisdom

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Have you thought at times how wonderful it would be to live someplace else? Rather than here, rather than now, for dwelling someplace other than in the current situation might seem like a rewarding way to live life; it might seem like an escape! After all, don’t we often dwell in two other sought-after places as much as possible as a means of escape or as a way of providing ourselves comfort from the here and now? 

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We often travel to the past, a destination which cannot be changed; which has a great hold on our emotions and our psyches. There in the past, we think we can find a solution to our present woes; or perhaps we think we can find a way to heal something which was broken or fix something which faltered. If only our reasoning in regards to the past were able at this time, this day and for this particular subject, to lead us like a detective to some light-bulb moment which we could change back then. If only we could alter in our own minds the steps which led back then from A to B, we would now realize our current residency in C would be more acceptable and not such a source or contention or dismay. If only! 

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And often we desire travel to the future, a place which remains unknown no matter how hard we look or how far we try to see.  We have such high hopes of altering our current state of life by learning about what the unknown future holds for us. Like wayward time-travelers, if we could just take our capsule to the farthest reaches of some galaxy ahead of the here and now, we would know for certain that what we’re doing now is laying the appropriate groundwork for what will happen to us then. We could see what to fear, or what to evade or know for certain so many aspects which make up the great body of uncertainty looming ahead. Perhaps we think by knowing what is coming and when, we will in some way be better prepared for living these present days sans error, mistakes and heartbreaks.

 

Sadly, both destinations truly cannot really make the here and now any better; but we insist upon spending a great deal of time preparing to go, musing our emotions and reasoning away our thoughts about both travel spots! Do they really serve as an escape from the here and now; or are both destinations often detrimental to our enjoyment and our contentment of the here and now? I would guess that more often than not, traveling and spending too much time in either the past or the future leads us to less pleasure, comfort and peace in the here and now! Life is occurring right here and right now. If we gave our energy and turned our thoughts to how we might be content and at peace with the current state of things, we might realize how very blessed, how very fortunate and how very comfortable things are for us. And if we feel today is fine as is there is no need to draw anything but lessons from the past and to live with hope for the future! Comfort, peace and enjoyment now require no escape! All of that comfort, peace and enjoyment now comes through acceptance of the past, known and unchangeable; and faith in the future, sight unseen. Live for today and in today; let yesterday be but a guide and tomorrow, just a hopeful promise.

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Are You Content?

28 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in Attitude, Choices, Contentment, Fullness, Gratitude, Happiness

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Are you content? On this day, when we see people clamoring to add more to their stockpiles of possessions because they don’t yet have enough, can we answer that question for ourselves? Am I content in life? If this were all I were to have, or to be, or to make, or to accomplish, or to be given in terms of longevity . . if this were all, would I be able to say I am content as is?

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Contentment is the secret to peace and happiness, for it affords to us the assurance that we are accepting of our own lives, our own accomplishments, our own journey’s events and steps taken. We can still aspire to make our yet-unaccomplished goals a reality; but our contentment is an appraisal of the here and now, based on the past unchanged and the future yet unknown.

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If we’re not content, we often look for things outside of ourselves to bring us joy; but things or other people apart from us cannot manufacture peace of mind or be our source of joy or contentment within us. It is up to us to discern within, am I content; so that we ourselves might deem this life as acceptable! And if not, why? As Paul states in the Bible, in the Book of Philippians 4: 11-12 . . Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

 

No manner of Black Friday purchase or addendum of any person can change our sense of contentment with life for the long-term. All that we discern as meaningful for our lives and about our lives must be formed from within our grateful hearts and our peaceful minds, here and now!

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This Is the Human World . .

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Attitude, Choices, Confidence, Conquering Fear, Discipline, Faithfulness, God

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Sometimes what seems so obvious isn’t. And what we think we know, we don’t. And what seems like truth is far from it. This is the world of mistaken perceptions, of unknowns and often, untruths. This is the human world, which lives by and in only limited human understanding. We may think we know how to do all, our egos may tell us we can fix this or change that; but we’re limited by our own abilities as human beings and by our own incomplete awareness. We’re not God, we’re not gods. We are all humans in a world where we and many other humans do our best and many others still do their worst. It’s the way of humanity.  2-chronicles-7-vs-14

The reason things here on Earth never feel quite totally safe or completely assured or in perfect working order are because they never will be when left in human hands. Someone will make a bad choice with consequential ripples; someone else will falter in their steps or another will purposefully act in discordant fashion, and others still will simply not know what to do at any given time.

Now should we be fearful of this daily reality? Should we live in complete despair at the knowledge of our own flawed humanness? Maybe and perhaps many shall and will. But for those who place all humans equally under the dominion of God, our humanity is expected and even understood. It is right, if not righteous. It is true, if not truthful. It is sure, if not assuring. So there is really no point in living fearfully, without peace or caught in the discord of any moment’s chaos. We’re not in the world of perfection or purity. We’re in the world where conflicts occur, where erroneous acts are perpetrated either purposefully or not. We’re in the world of humans, the fallen world. We’re in the world where really good, unselfish and compassionate acts of love occur as well; but that is because humans have within them the love of God. As for the rest, the negative or destructive, we have within us that potential because we’re humans.

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Only God can and does provide humans their path towards righteousness, their example of truthfulness and their worldly assuredness. I would expect, in those who don’t know God, this world is unsteady. To those who do, this world is not their focus, so none of its problems or posturing is either. Keeping eyes on Him and hearts in Him is the anecdote to fear, doubt, worry, trepidation, despair, depression, feeling lost, feeling unloved, the unknown and all that is of this world.              Signature02

Flexing All Your Muscles . .

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Character, Choices, Faith, Faithfulness, Gentleness, God, Goodness, Growing, Joy, Kindness, Love, Patience, Peace, Self-Control

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Flexing All Your Muscles….

FruitMusclesPeople are capable of amazing & wondrous things in life . . it just takes a heart braced in awareness of what fruits lie within! Inside each one of us are the fruits of our spirit . . nine essential qualities or traits which we already have in ample supply, which merely require our awareness & our determined effort to flex like muscles. We might not use them, they might turn to mush, but they’re there regardless, just like other physical, fleshy muscles in our bodies. They’re just as real to a human as flesh & bone. We prove to ourselves that when we use our flesh-muscles, when we practice with them, strengthening them, purposefully flexing them, we make our bodies healthier & better able to cope with life. So if we do the same with the fruits of our spirit, we in fact make those traits stronger in turn, preparing us for life in this world filled with people, giving us the much-needed support & help to face life head-on! Flex all your muscles, those of flesh & those of fruit, learn to use what you have or lose the potential for what you might be! Developing the fruits of your spirit truly is just a disciplined effort to be a better human being . . one who lives in the world wearing their heart as a banner & exuding the following essential traits:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruits of your spirit are nine muscles within you which empower a lifetime of amazing gifts!
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What Used To Be Best

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

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What Used To Be The Best

Sometimes in life, what was once the best thing becomes the most painful. What once gave you joy now brings you sorrow, what was once your shining time is now your memory, what once brought you so much contentment & peace now makes you fearful & filled with doubt. It is inevitable that we will experience events which are capable of altering our perspective, but it always up to us as to how we react in the long term. If we realize that something good became something bad, then surely we can see how something bad can then again become something better! Look at the aspects of how you can learn from every scenario, making the most of the moments of reflection in the change, then seize upon the wealth of that lesson & move forward knowing that all will once again be changing. Life events are like the changing currents of wind in the sails of a sailboat . . we need to be flexible, we need to appraise our position upon the prevailing conditions & we need to be able to adapt as best as we can to what we encounter! Then we need to proceed into life with expectation & faith!

Fruits of the Spirit

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

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Fruits of the Spirit

Love, joy, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness, patience, kindness, peace & goodness are the fruits of our spirit given to us by God in  ample measure. He just wants us to take these fruits & develop a character of consistency in our ability to reflect these fruits in our daily lives.

A great message today by Joyce Meyer! Our “job” is to be the fullness of all these things in every aspect of our lives! This is our task in maturing, for we then become consistent reflections of the fruits of our spirit, which is then to become most like God! We learn how to tap into these fruits as we live our lives by trial, by test, by deciding we shall build each to full strength within us. Each one of us fully filled & mature in these spirits would reflect a world of Godly people who truly are living reflections of what all that means! Imagine that world!