Peace...I love my Prince of...

I love it when that lightbulb goes off in my head that God is trying to teach me something.  I love it when the lightbulb doesn't just flip on in one moment but that he continues to illuminate that light in many areas of my life.  This past week my bright light is the word: PEACE!  It is my week to prepare to teach my high school kids at church so I dove into my research and study.  During my week of preparation, Josh and I went to see the movie, Fireproof, and the song I previously posted about embracing peace while I wait for God's timing to move my life along has been my song of hope all week.  And then again, a few conversations with friends inevitably moved back to that word, PEACE, based on different situations they were going through.  Over and over God brought this word to my heart and has caused me to reflect on how sincerely I believe in it...God's peace we house in our hearts.  These are the things that ring true to me and solidify my belief that without God, I would run my life into a reckless, selfish and hopeless pit in this world.

**When I'm hurting, what are my options?  I can have peace in my heart that my Father loves me, is available to comfort me and wants me to grow stronger because of it.  I can also choose to believe there is no God, no one greater than me protecting me and no reason to persevere through it.  I choose PEACE.

**When I'm going through something too personal to explain, what are my options?  I can have peace in my heart and rest in the fact that my Father will never be farther away from me than my heart and understands all that I'm feeling at all times.  I can also choose to believe that there's no purpose in life's difficulties, no one will ever truly understand me and I'll always feel some sense of aloneness in this world.  I choose PEACE.

**When I need provision in my life: financially, relationally, more time..., what are my options?  I can have peace that God promises to provide all my needs if I wait on his timing with faith and trust.  I can worry and fret and become anxious because my needs are not being met and work myself tirelessly to get what I think I need.  I choose PEACE.

The opportunities to choose peace are endless in every day.  I will choose to tap into the resource of Jesus at every turn, to own that gift of peace that has been given to me.  When we choose to worry, fret and become doubtful, we are basically showing God and those around us the lack of faith and trust we truly have in his ability, his power and his love for us...  We have been given "the peace that surpasses all understanding" in this world...Receive it, Believe it and Own it!!!