As we draw ever nearer to Christmas and the notes of Christmas music fill the air, I hear numerous renditions of Silent Night. Most are familiar with the chorus line: Sleep in heavenly peace......
I've been rolling that phrase around in my mind....heavenly peace. My world this year has felt far from heavenly, let alone peaceful! Maybe your world has been too. Each year seems to have its own joys and concerns. Sometimes a year just seems to be especially filled with issues that are beyond our control and drag us out of our comfort zone.
I could provide a list of all the issues and related chaos that has seemed like our own personal blizzard, but some is not mine to share and some is "just" a different stage of life due to growing up. I will roll it into a snowball of moving into another phase of life with our children that are now "adults" (at least by age) and our parents that sometimes need our help more than they (and sometimes we) are comfortable with.
Heavenly peace sounds like a package deal, you either have it or you don't. SO in case you fall in the don't column, I have a proposition. We will begin to look for our peace in pieces. Little pockets of time where things are good or at least suck less. ;)
Ongoing health issues have provided us time with family members.
God's timing is always better than ours.
I have learned much about how I and our families function during good, bad and worse times. Honestly, we have come out stronger than when we went in.
Laughter (and tears) solve many issues.
Email, text, cards are all important forms of encouragement and support.
When you need to remind yourself to take a deep breath, you are TOO stressed. Breathe in peace, exhale stress.
God told us that this life would not be easy, however, he also told us that He has had a plan all along: the Christmas that we celebrate, the silent night that didn't stay silent as angels sang to shepherds in a field, the baby that the wise men sought and wise people still seek. So, my dears, sleep. Sleep in heavenly pieces.
John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Showing posts with label John 16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John 16. Show all posts
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Becoming Hardboiled
I readily admit that I am not a good cook. Sure, I can make the general easy stuff (most days) and I LOVE the George Foreman grill.....but I digress. I love eggs by themselves or in other dishes. The following should be read like Bubba from Forest Gump when talking about shrimp.
poached, fried, scrambled, sunny side up, quiche, egg salad, deviled (could use a better name, but oh so tasty), boiled.....
Ahhh boiled. Not that long ago I wanted hard boiled eggs. Maybe it was awhile ago because I didn't "Google" it. I actually looked it up in Cooking For Dummies how long to boil. BUT there must be other people who don't know or why would they have it in there? (no need to answer, smile)
I started thinking about eggs because lately I've felt like one. Fragile on the outside and ready to crack anytime and who wants to deal with that oozy mess? However, I've come to realize though that not all eggs are as fragile as they appear.
** Eggs are usually sold in quantities. Not just one. They are usually nestled in their little egg carton cocoons with at least 11 other little eggs.
LESSON: Surround yourself with other good eggs.
** Eggs are adaptable. They can stand alone or easily blend into recipes (think cake, yum).
LESSON: Learn to adapt to the situation around you. It might not be pleasant, but it might help make you into something better than you are by yourself.
** Eggs are permeable. Things can pass through the egg shell. My daughter did a science experiment with an egg in vinegar (the shell came off, but yolk was still in the rubberized result) and then various substances. Food color changed the color of the egg!
LESSON: Even if your shell comes off, you can still hold it together if soaked in the right substance.
** Hard boiled eggs only become hard boiled after being placed in boiling hot water. When done, they look pretty much the same on the outside, but something has changed on the inside. The shell still may crack easily, but the oozy mess is gone. Instead is a firm egg ready for whatever comes next.
LESSON: The egg doesn't get to say what it wants to become or how it is going to be accomplished. It's up to the cook.
Do you feel like you are in hot water right now? The temperature steadily rising? You are stronger than you look. Even if your shell breaks or becomes slightly cracked, YOU may be on your way to being made into something you were not even aware was possible. Eggsactly my point.
poached, fried, scrambled, sunny side up, quiche, egg salad, deviled (could use a better name, but oh so tasty), boiled.....
Ahhh boiled. Not that long ago I wanted hard boiled eggs. Maybe it was awhile ago because I didn't "Google" it. I actually looked it up in Cooking For Dummies how long to boil. BUT there must be other people who don't know or why would they have it in there? (no need to answer, smile)
I started thinking about eggs because lately I've felt like one. Fragile on the outside and ready to crack anytime and who wants to deal with that oozy mess? However, I've come to realize though that not all eggs are as fragile as they appear.
** Eggs are usually sold in quantities. Not just one. They are usually nestled in their little egg carton cocoons with at least 11 other little eggs.
LESSON: Surround yourself with other good eggs.
** Eggs are adaptable. They can stand alone or easily blend into recipes (think cake, yum).
LESSON: Learn to adapt to the situation around you. It might not be pleasant, but it might help make you into something better than you are by yourself.
** Eggs are permeable. Things can pass through the egg shell. My daughter did a science experiment with an egg in vinegar (the shell came off, but yolk was still in the rubberized result) and then various substances. Food color changed the color of the egg!
LESSON: Even if your shell comes off, you can still hold it together if soaked in the right substance.
** Hard boiled eggs only become hard boiled after being placed in boiling hot water. When done, they look pretty much the same on the outside, but something has changed on the inside. The shell still may crack easily, but the oozy mess is gone. Instead is a firm egg ready for whatever comes next.
LESSON: The egg doesn't get to say what it wants to become or how it is going to be accomplished. It's up to the cook.
Do you feel like you are in hot water right now? The temperature steadily rising? You are stronger than you look. Even if your shell breaks or becomes slightly cracked, YOU may be on your way to being made into something you were not even aware was possible. Eggsactly my point.
John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Fighting fear with PEACE
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”- Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)
Let's admit it....especially lately, there are a lot of things that can drag our fears out into the open. Wall Street, stock market, election (the end of political ads, YEAH!), other countries, etc. AND that's just the stuff that affects everybody....not even the stuff that affects our own personal lives and family.
The verse above states what trips us up: fear of man. All the things listed are "us" created they are not from God.
"I have told you these things, 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 (NIV)
God knew we would have troubles and fears here. However, he sent Jesus so we could regain peace. He has overcome death AND the world. So where do you want your focus?
We can fight and struggle on our own, or accept the peace God offers. Then even when the troubles of this world seem overwhelming and our emotions are getting the best of us, there is still peace to fall back on.
Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
What a great picture, God's peace TRANSCENDS (/www.webster.com: to rise above or go beyond the limits of b: to triumph over the negative or restrictive aspects of : overcome, c: to be prior to, beyond, and above limits) our anxiousness. Just ask.
We heard a sermon on peace Sunday. I was reminded of a song from Sunday School (another verse of Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart)
I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart,
Down in my heart to stay.
Chorus:
And I'm so happy, so very happy,
I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!
(repeat)
Look beyond your own understanding. God stands with arms open wide to welcome us back to fear-free living. Take Him up on it! :)
Let's admit it....especially lately, there are a lot of things that can drag our fears out into the open. Wall Street, stock market, election (the end of political ads, YEAH!), other countries, etc. AND that's just the stuff that affects everybody....not even the stuff that affects our own personal lives and family.
The verse above states what trips us up: fear of man. All the things listed are "us" created they are not from God.
"I have told you these things, 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 (NIV)
God knew we would have troubles and fears here. However, he sent Jesus so we could regain peace. He has overcome death AND the world. So where do you want your focus?
We can fight and struggle on our own, or accept the peace God offers. Then even when the troubles of this world seem overwhelming and our emotions are getting the best of us, there is still peace to fall back on.
Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
What a great picture, God's peace TRANSCENDS (/www.webster.com: to rise above or go beyond the limits of b: to triumph over the negative or restrictive aspects of : overcome, c: to be prior to, beyond, and above limits) our anxiousness. Just ask.
We heard a sermon on peace Sunday. I was reminded of a song from Sunday School (another verse of Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart)
I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I have the peace that passes understanding down in my heart,
Down in my heart to stay.
Chorus:
And I'm so happy, so very happy,
I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!
(repeat)
Look beyond your own understanding. God stands with arms open wide to welcome us back to fear-free living. Take Him up on it! :)
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