seek peace

Psalm 34:13

“Keep your tongue from evil & do good. SEEK PEACE & PURSUE IT“

seek peace
chase after peace
do NOT STOP chasing peace
pursue it until you catch it & if it escapes you again, run after it
pursue diligently after peace

DO NOT GIVE UP
DO NOT GIVE IN
DO NOT GIVE OVER

until the day that peace is yours
until you possess it fully

The peace of God
The peace that passes ALL understanding
The peace that guards your heart & mind

Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, again I will say REJOICE! Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving…

today i pray for peace in the midst of the chaos

peace in the midst of crisis
peace in the midst of pain
peace in the midst of defeat
peace in the midst of success
peace in the midst of life

today i pray for you to find a moment of peace in Him.

repentance

{Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Ps51:1}

repentance

quite a word

all encompassing

{Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Ps51:2}

it’s not something you can will yourself to do. it is a brokenness from inside that wells out of you to bring you back into right relationship with God. it breaks our pride, tears down the wall of separation, removes the veil, shows us God’s heart. it makes us raw. it makes us vulnerable. most importantly, tho, it brings us back to the one who can restore us to wholeness. our sin does not define who we are. our repentance and return to the Lord does.

{Against You, and You alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in Your sight. You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just. Ps51:4}

____________________________

things are well, at least we thought they were.

our relationship with God was distant, but we knew He was there watching over us and wooing us back to Him. we were doing everything right, we thought. we were diligently watching the area that we fall short so frequently.

{Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. Ps51:12}

when things are going right, you look for the other shoe to drop. you wait in anticipation for the ax to fall. things are going to well, we think, so something horrific must be in the wings waiting. we watch. we wait. we are diligent to work hard to fight against our own mistakes in that area we think is most weak. unfortunately, as we watch that area, our backs are turned and satan attacks an area that we never thought we had to protect. we thought this was safe. we thought things were good. we thought that area was proofed.

the other shoe

there it is

it has dropped and we have dropped

{The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Ps51:17}

back to our knees

back to the Lord

repentant

broken

but God…

God is faithful. God restores. God loves. God renews.

but God is our answer

and we are grateful

and we are being renewed daily. in the midst of brokenness.

today, we pray.

we pray for restoration in the dark places. we pray for God’s light to shine thru. we pray for love to abound. we pray for you that are broken and searching. we pray for those who are seeking. seek the Lord and have peace. seek the Lord and be restored

________________________

{THEREFORE, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because thru Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you FREE from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2} 

 

The Handmade Ones

Today’s ornaments are all handmade by my aunt Susy. An abundantly creative lady. She has stiff with me from the beginning. I love her spirit, her sassyness, & her strength. Each ornament in this collection holds special memories. She is the one that has been there for every valley and every triumph. If I were to write down every story, we would need to publish a novel. We walked the hardest journey when my uncle passed almost 10 years ago. There will always be losses in our lives, this one wounded us all deeply. Reading one day after his passing, I had been crying out. The pain was so deep. These words sprang out and touched my heart: “thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you.” These words, spoken to Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:5, went straight to my heart. He reminds us each that He hears our prayers, He sees our tears, He will heal us. So powerful. 

I long for the day that Isaiah spoke of: “In Jerusalem, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in Him, and He saved us! This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation He brings!” ‭Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭6-9‬

The Starbucks One

The infamous Starbucks Christmas cup. I got this years ago, one of the first years they came out with ornaments. Sbux was selling them in 2 packs – one regular style cup & one Christmas cup. I picked this up and split it between my friend, Sheri, and I so we each have one on our tree. 
We used to meet at Sbux at least once a week (many times more) when the kids were little. We would get coffee and take the kids to the park where they would play and we would visit for hours. I miss those days when life seemed so stressful and yet, in reality, were so carefree. We have shared a lifetime of memories and I am so grateful for a friend who loves me dearly during good times and ugly ones. In life, people come and go in your path. Many times you learn more about yourself than them. The ones who are in it for the long haul will bring with them lessons and memories and love that will make life just a little easier in the hard times and even more exciting during the joyful ones. My friend and I have walked some great paths together. We have watched each other’s kids grow and fall and rise again many times over. We have walked together during our own mistakes, trials, & triumphs. In the end, life is more complete with her in it and I’m a better person for her friendship. 
May we always say of our dearest friends, “Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” (‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬)

The Angel One

This little angel is an ornament that we made for my sisters wedding. She loves seashells and beachy things. So for her wedding, we got together with the family and made centerpieces in glass bowls with sand, shells, & candles. Then, we sat and made a shell angel for each one. 
My sister & I have always had a chaotic relationship. We are both very strong and opinionated. We both say stuff that is sometimes hurtful – albeit unintentional. In the end, we have always come back together stronger each time, & thankfully, more mature. We have shared quite the journey together and I’m glad that she is a part of my life. She pushes me to strive for better and to continue to move on when things seem hopeless. I will always cherish the memory of preparing for her wedding with the family and the friendship that has bonded us together for life. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
We have met our trials and have become more steadfast each time. In the end, we shall lack nothing.