Steps to Peace

So our experimental garden is not doing so well. We managed to get a small squash out of it this week. I believe that part of the problem is the compost used as a base. Our past experience from compost out of our compost pile was that it was very fertile and anything would grow in it. However, what we purchased from a local company is not the same. We struggled to get seeds to grow and the PH is off. Despite all our efforts to raise the PH nothing has worked. I guess this is a disappointing lesson learned. Time will tell what will survive and what will just die off and not produce.

Our souls are like the soil of our lives. If the soil is good then many good things can prosper, but just as easily the weeds can also grow. In our garden certain weeds are doing quite well, but they are not the plants that produce the food that we were hoping to have. We planted the seeds we wanted to grow but they are apparently not in the right type of soil to prosper. Our words can be seeds that bring life or seeds of destruction.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

I wish I would always remember that every word I speak has the power of life or death. When I get wrapped up in my moments of frustration of things not going right I may speak words to myself and others that do not bring life to my situation. I think we all find ourselves in these circumstances and the real challenge is to not get to that point of frustration. I need to listen to the early signs that things feeling out of control and take a step or two back to gather my wits before I make things worse. God is so awesome He just gave me a list of what I can do.

• Stop, breathe, and pray at the first sign of feeling overwhelmed
• Quote some scriptures that will help me feel confident that I can finish
  • Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
• Make a list of everything causing the feeling
• Prioritize all the items on the list for importance and relevance
• Tackle the list one item at a time and mark them off as they are completed
• Continue to add to the list as needed and mark them off as they are finished to show yourself they were accomplished

This list can be used at work or even for items that are just bothering a person. If we look at the importance of what we are thinking about and whether we can do anything about it, we can relieve ourselves of stress and pressure from the item, because some things are not even ours to have. This scripture says it all.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

I hope that this will help you as much as it helps me. Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Comfort

Psalm 46:10

Recently, Bob and I bought a new bed to help with difficulties in sleeping. The bed seems to have helped adjust sleeping positions and created more comfort while laying. Making certain adjustments, raising head and/or feet can create a better sleeping environment. But since the bed is a larger size than what we have had for over 40 years, we had to buy different sheets and covers.

When we got married both sets of our parents decided together to get us a bedroom set that included two dressers and a queen size bed. And for wedding gifts we were given quilts by various grandparents. We have used those quilts one at a time until they wore too far out to use anymore. This has caused us to never have to buy a quilt for a bed. But now I had to embark on the quest for a king size quilt.

First I had to learn the difference between a bedspread and a regular quilt–something I never knew. Apparently a bedspread is longer and allows you to tuck the pillows underneath it when making the bed. I always wondered why it did not work with my quilt. Never really thought about it too much or I could have figured it out myself. Next I found that there are different types of quilts, some are thicker than others and now some are made of different types of materials. Not everything is like what we had in the old patchwork quilt days.

Then I started to wonder what was the difference between a quilt which I was familiar with and a comforter which is a little different. We have a down comforter that my daughter gave us, but usually that is too hot for me. There are varying definitions but it appears that a comforter is two layers of cloth containing filling. Interestingly enough when you look at Merriam-Webster the first definition is “HOLY SPIRIT”.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:16

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

This year has probably been very challenging for everyone on the planet. And the “experts” seem to think the challenges are not over. With wonderful news like that it is great that we have God and His Holy Spirit to comfort us. I have attached a picture of the quilt that I was able to get online, I could not have chosen a better one. The scripture on it is a great comfort and it keeps me warm.

I pray that you will enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Praise Through Stress

Have you ever noticed how stress can cause a person to be incredibly difficult to be around? Each person reacts to stressful situations in different manners. Some people withdraw from everything and become very quiet. Others jump headlong into it and let that stress drive them forward—this can be good and bad. Some people just get angry and hard to be around.

I will be honest I think I have done all of these. I am no professional to diagnose symptoms and give a professional opinion on stress, but I do think that there are people who have found ways to deal. Where I live right now, in the year 2020 which has had its extreme circumstances, it is difficult to find someone who has not been affected by stress.

Where can I find solace from the stressful life that we all live right now? My answer is in the Word of God. Because a true belief in God means that we can give our stress to God. It takes a new perspective on life. If we are totally focused on earthly things the stress will continue to build and possibly even break us. I don’t know about you but I am trying to avoid that situation in my life.

So, to find peace, I have to find a good example of someone who lived through stress. David is a great example of someone under a lot of stress in his life. Psalm 57 is a song written by David when he was hiding in a cave from Saul. He starts out with his woe’s and ends with his praise. We all have our own woe’s but here is the end of the psalm.

Psalm 57:7-11 (NIV)

⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music.
⁸ Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.

⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

I think we can use his example to show us one way through the stresses of life.

• First, it is OK to express what is troubling us to God– whether that is through singing, talking or writing it down.
• Second once all of the woe’s of life are lined out then we need to speak life to our souls reminding ourselves of who we are in God’s kingdom and renew our commitment to God.
• Lastly we need to speak what we know to be true about God and His love and care for us. Praising God’s works reminds us of His love and power.

In this way we have reminded ourselves that this world is not our eternal home and we have a future and a hope in God. That makes walking through this world a much easier thing to do. Enjoy your week and please join me in taking time out to read Psalm 57 and apply the principles to your life. I will be back next week with more.

Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

As I arrived at work every day the office was buzzing with activity. Confident that I could be useful without a voice I made my way down the hall to my cubicle. Over the past week I had visited the doctor and been diagnosed with laryngitis and told that I would be able to speak again and do my job on the phone in around 3 or 4 days.  Despite spending more than a week steaming my vocal chords, drinking hot vitamin water and teas, using cough drops and throat lozenges and keeping quiet, I still did not have enough voice to maintain a call on the phone in an intelligible level.

Slight frustration was entering my thoughts but the overwhelming support of my superiors in the company gave me confidence that they would keep me busy until I could return to my normal position. Special projects that would keep the company going smoothly were handed to me. Then as I entered the break room to make some hot tea for my throat a co-worker expressed her concern that I may lose my job because I am not on the phone and that she was praying for me. This planted the seed of doubt.

The best of intentions can be thwarted by the delivery of fears into a conversation. Immediately haunted by this thought my mind began a slow spiral of doubt and anxiety. With less confidence I walked slowly back to my desk. An aura of impending gloom was entering my mind and affecting my attitude. Sullenly I began to ponder my fate. I began to interpret everything regarding work with fear and doubt.

The change was evident on my face and when asked I responded that I was tired and concerned about my voice. Thursday, after a long day of work I went to the rest room. As I began to wonder what would happen if my voice did not return soon I heard a voice in my mind. “Be still and know that I am God”. It was a “light bulb” moment. I immediately understood that God is in control and I did not need to worry. I understood that I should physically be quiet and emotionally stop worrying. Emotional weights dropped off my shoulders and I was relaxed as I walked back to my cubicle.

I love when God shows up. He made me realize that I was not allowing my trust in Him to outweigh someone else’s fears. I had no fear for my job, someone else did. I was enjoying favor with my superiors and doing all I could to show that I am useful without a voice.

It made me wonder: How often does it happen that someone else puts their fears into our heads and it changes our attitudes?

This week I learned to put my faith in God and not in the fears of others, no matter how well-meaning they may be. God is in control and with faith in Him whatever happens will be in my best interest.

Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.