Learn to Live From a Place of Resting

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Womderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Pronce of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. - Proverbs 18:10

Dear God, 

Help me to not forget that Your peace lives in me. And that I can have peace and joy even when times seem tough. Thank You for allowing me to learn and to grow in You. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

I Never Vanish

"May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!" - Psalm 29:11

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

Dear God,

You give strength to Your people. You bless Your people with peace. Your people are all those who trust You as Savior and God. When I do feel tired and weak, I should not worry whether or not I can handle everything I am facing. Instead, I should look to You for strength and peace. Your peace doesn't depend on what happens in this world. Your peace is always there in good and bad times.

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Spend Time with Me

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13

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

"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." - Romans 8:9

"And we all, with unveiled face, be holding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lors who is the Spirit." - II Corinthians 3:18

Dear God,

You will fill me with joy and peace when I trust You and the best way to trust You is to spend time with You. Help me to never be too busy for You. God, keep growing me to be more like You. Even when I dispute and fight the lies coming from all around, help me to not waver and to always see through the lies. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Love and Peace

"Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." - II Corinthians 13:11

"The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy." - Deuteronomy 33:27

"So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

Dear God,

You are the God of love and peace. I need Your love. Wrap me in Your love. Take my worries and fears. Hold me tight in Your arms. Help me to love others the way You love me. You created all of us in Your image. Forgiving will bring me peace.

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Peace and Thankfulness

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

"This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." - Psalm 18:30

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:5-7

Dear God, 

The more thankful I am, the more I'll be able to feel Your peace. And the more peaceful I am, the more thankful I'll be. Please guard my heart and mind with Your peace. It is very troubled right now. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Tell Me All About It

"Let your reasonableness b ex own to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:5-7

Other translation focal verses: Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. And God's peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it. - Philippians 4:6-7

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:4-7

Other translation focal verse: [God] raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 2:6

Dear God, 

It is a tough time right now. And it seems like it is only getting tougher by the day. Everything I had said would happen if Trump got elected is happening. Our country is being ripped to shreds and people are losing the essential human rights that we all fought so hard to get. Wrap me with Your love. Soothe me with Your peace and love. We need You so much more now than ever before. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen 

Like Sunshine to a Flower

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13

Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

"In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." - John 14:2-3

Dear God,

I am struggling with trusting You right now. The media and Trump disaster that has surfaced is making my head spin! It is hard to hold hope and see joy and peace in what is happening right now. Please show Yourself in a huge way! 

Thank You!

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Too Many to Count

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." - Psalm 94:19 

Other translation: "I was very worried. But you comforted me and made me happy." - Psalm 94:19

"So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." - John 16:22 

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:28-29 

Dear God, 

This world has given us many worries this past week, particularly for those of us with complex medical needs that now fear losing insurance access to healthcare again. We need universal care now is what we need. I see problem and troubles everywhere I look, especially in light of the liar-elect coming around the corner. God, I really need Your comfort right now. Help me to remember that You are with me! Help me to remember that You are bigger than all the problems and the worries of this world! Comfort me and bring me joy. Remind me of Your presence, Your peace, and Your love even as I am faced with the worries. Replace my worries with blessings. 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

Lord of Peace

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all." - II Thessalonians 3:16

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27 

Dear God, 

You are the Lord of Peace. You give me peace at all times and in every way. Please fill me with Your peace. Help me to always remember that I need You. Help me to believe that You will provide. God, I accept Your peace. 

You said You provide yet the republican idiots in DC have just killed me. I will lose insurance and die as a result of lack of care I need because I can no longer get my medications I need. What kind of God are You to allow that? What purpose does this serve? What about the least of these! Why are You NOT helping them? 

Thank You.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen!

Let God Fill Your Heart and Mind With Thankfulness

Psalm 4:7-8 - You have out more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Romans 8:38-39'- For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear God, thank You for love that nothing can separate me from. Nothing. Can someone in a church that becomes abusive separate me from Your love? No. Not even that. Can someone who bullies me because my beliefs are slightly different than theirs because Your words or the words of Jesus have made a different impact on my beliefs than what they have on their beliefs separate me from Your love? Absolutely not! Nothing can separate me from Your love. Your love makes me feel safe enough to rest in Your peace. Do I need weapons that humans fashion and form with the intent to kill to make me feel safe? NO!!! Because nothing can separate me from Your love and in Your love is peace. Thank You for love. Thank You for peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Is Creating Something New in You

John 3:8 - "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Dear God, thank You for the Spirit in me. Because of the Spirit, I can feel love, joy, and peace even in the darkest of times. Thank You for showing me that this week. Through the confusion and emotions of the week, I still felt love, joy, and peace. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Wants to Be Central in Your Entire Being

II Thessalonians 3:16 - Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Dear God, I desire right here and right now to turn over all of my worries, which are perfectly reasonable worries, over to You so that I can experience Your peace and Your light in this troubled time. In doing so, I need to trust in Your sovereignty more now than ever. Be it with health situations, financial situations, or even the persistent desire to make peace with Tom which is a good desire as a believer, but will only happen when You feel it is time and that we are both ready, You are sovereign over all things and all circumstances. I would rather live in peace than live in worry and anxiety. Thank You for that exchange being possible. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Taste and See That God Is Good

Genesis 16:13-14 - So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a. God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

Psalm 34:8 - Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

John 20:19 - On the evening do that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body. And be thankful. 

Dear God, peace. Goodness. God, You are not the God of the GOP which gave everyone a bitter pill. You are a God who loves every single person because every single person was created just as You wanted him or her to be. In Your loving goodness, You chose some of us to be less rich than others, and in Your loving goodness, You instilled on some good people in our history to design programs to help those less fortunate than others. You spoke clearly in Matthew 25 about how we are to treat those less fortunate. You instilled in governments all the way back to kings and kingdoms the value of humanity, a nation, a leadership, takes care of its citizens. I apologize for the GOP which misrepresents You. I ask for their eyes and their hearts to be opened to the error of their ways. And in the meantime, I ask for Your continued provision for my family. After all, You are a God of love and of peace, and You are good. Thank You for wisdom and goodness and peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

God Speaks From the Innermost Depths

Romans 8:1-2 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

I Corinthians 6:19-21 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Colossians 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Dear God, help me to always glorify You in my body, whether it be in the things I do, the words I say or write, or the thoughts I think. Help me to decipher Your words from those of others and the devil. The devil is trying to condemn me and to belittle me and make me feel inadequate. You are speaking words of love, patience, care, peace, joy, affirmation. I have been set free through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Pearl of Great Value

Matthew 13:45-46 - "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fin pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

John 16:33 - "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

James 1:2-3 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Dear God, help me to continue rejoicing in the face of hardship so I can experience Your peace and blessings through and in spite of them. Thank You for the pearl of great value. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

My Peace

Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 14:2 - "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"

John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

II Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Dear God, thank You for the peace, the perfect peace, You have in store for me each day. And in saying that, thank You for starting my new year tomorrow with Your peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Bubbling Joy

John 3:8 - The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

John 3:8 (CEV) - Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. 

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law.

Dear God, I want the overflowing kind of peace, love and joy that You give through Your Spirit. Let that cause others to draw closer wanting to have it spill over them as well. Thank You! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

You Are Safe With Me

Psalm 29:11 - May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Psalm 29:11 - The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

I Corinthians 13:12 - For now we see a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Dear God, please help me not be afraid. Please give me peace. Please help me feel safe and secure in Your presence. Please make Your presence known as I go through the day. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

I Never Run Out

II Corinthians 5:7 - for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Dear God, Thank You for never running out of love or peace or forgiveness or mercy. Truth be told, if Tom had been genuine and truly is a Christian, then he would not have run out either. Because when someone truly plugs into You, God, they cannot run out either. They can run out of energy because our bodies are not designed to go on forever nor are our minds, which is why You give us the night so we can sleep and be refreshed, but in terms of love and forgiveness and mercy, those things we cannot run out of if we are truly connected and plugged into You. Hunger and poverty are real. Yes, God. And right now we have crackpots called republicans holding summits but refusing to actually allow those who know these issues first hand to speak up while they also plot again to this who are facing them head on and cutting the social safety nets against Your Words and commands. But let us not be spiritually Hungary or spiritual impoverished even if we are physically hungry or physically impoverished. It really is hard to imagine You never running out when we compare You to the people and the world around us. Help me remember. Fill me up. Thank You. In Jesus's Name, Amen!

Watch to See What I Will Do

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Dear God, I am glad that You often forgive and overlook and use the mistakes in life. And You actually let people make mistakes yet never stop loving them. First mistake with Tom and he turned into an ugly, hateful monster who didn't follow Your command to seek peace and restoration. First mistake with his church and they never let go of it and never showed the grace they claim to practice. And for what is worth, autism is not a mistake and neither am I. They degraded and devalued me as a person. They made mistakes yet they failed to own up to them and they blamed me for their mistakes. God, You are gracious and loving and forgiving and just and merciful and wise. You care about me. You would never hurt me like Tom did. And I know You want for Tom and I to talk. I know You want me to write that letter and offer him the grace You have given me and give him that chance. And I know You want me to offer his counterparts the same opportunity. Thank You for Your loving kindness. In Jesus' Name, Amen! 

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North (YouTube)

There's a girl in the corner

With tear stains on her eyes

From the places she's wandered

And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here? 

I'm not who I once was.

And I'm crippled by the fear

That I've fallen too far to love."

But don't you know who you are,

What's been done for you? 

Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems that you create,

You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it

That she's been given new life

But she can't shake the feeling

That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers

And she's rehearsed all the lines

And so she'll try to do better

But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, 

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,

But what's been done for you.

This is not about where you've been,

But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel, 

But He felt to forgive you,

And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

You've been remade

You've been remade.

You've been remade.

You've been remade.