Peaceful Pictures

Let it Go

Letting go is so much harder than it sounds.  I can let go of junk mail and spending money pretty easily.  However, letting go of hurts, worry, and my entitlement is a lot more difficult.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 

What is the message that I felt that I was supposed to be learning recently?--  peace--maintaining peace, holding on to peace, seeking peace, and pursuing peace.  Today:  mission failed.  Thank God that He is the God of second chances.

1 Peter 3:11

Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

When picturing peace, one may think of a bubbling brook, green pasture, or breezy beach (yes, please).  That's too easy.  My peace needs to come when I am on the battlefield, i.e., being yelled at by a child with autism, tackling a schedule that is way too busy, or facing disappointment when plans fail or opinions differ.  How can I remain in the bubble of peace in the midst of a tornado swirling about me pulling at my wit's end?  

Philippians 4:6 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

Picture Jesus in the boat in the storm (Matthew 8), perfectly trusting, perfectly sound and steady.  He is the answer to peace in the midst of the daily storm of life.

Here are 3 exercises to let go (of stress, worry, etc.):

1) Breath out.  

I've used this one most often driving home from a stressful day.  Take each stressor and put it (clear throat, him/her) on the forefront of your thoughts.  Breathe in a deep breath.  Breathe out that stressor, imagining it floating out with your breath.  May it leave you cleaned out and full of fresh wind.  My friend Nicki used to say, "In the good air, out the bad air."  Also, your deep cleansing breaths send a message to your body to relax, and you need that.

2) Lay it at His feet.

Physically kneel as you approach the Lord's throne of grace.  Imagine you are kneeling at Jesus' feet, the foot of the cross, etc.  Ask him to take your burdens.  He can carry them.  Lay each one down, naming them as you do.  You can even use your hands physically to symbolically represent your laying down of each heavy weight.

3) Shred it.

I have written down past hurts on paper, even from childhood, that I've carried for too long.  I have prayed over them, crying as I listen to Tammy Trent's "I'm Letting Go."  Then I put that paper into my paper shredder and feel a release as it is eaten up.

Shalom prayer (based on the definition of Shalom)

Lord, Forgive me for not trusting in you nor seeking your peace.

Forgive me for trying to control my circumstances and not resting in you.

I pray that you would grant me shalom. 

Help me to seek your peace and pursue it.

I pray for completeness and wholeness in you. 

Grant me your peace, soundness, and safety.

I pray for spiritual, mental, and physical heath and welfare.  

May your tranquility within me be evident to others, 

and may your harmony through me bless others.  

Please bestow on me your rest and peace in the stormy moments and the still moments.

Amen.

Before and After File Cabinet

Here is an old file cabinet that I was allowed to use at work.  It looked to be 15-20 years old with crayon scribbles, dirt, and rust on it.  I spray painted it a bright cheery color called "Marigold."

Before and After Verses

I love a good before and after story!  I like those home makeover shows.  Well, I like just about any makeover show where anything is made over:  a room, a wardrobe, makeup or a hairstyle, a car, old furniture, or a life. I love the idea of taking something and making it better, renewing its purpose, or bringing new life to something.

Isn't the gospel story a before and after story?  God takes our sinful lives, we accept His love and forgiveness, and we are made new!  Maybe that's why I like before and after stories--they resemble the ultimate makeover--of our souls!

Here are some good before and after verses:

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Lamentations 3:22-23

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Ezekiel 36:26

²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
  

^{Ephesians 4: 22-24}

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Corinthians 15: 51

 ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

Psalm 103:5

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 12:2

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

John 3:7

⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

1 Peter 1:23

²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

 

Edible Flowers

I ate flowers for the first time in my life recently.  I didn't know it could be done!  My favorite chef brought them to me to put in the salad.  

I'm pretty sure these were pansies.  It turns out there are a lot of flowers you can eat, but I don't think I will be making a habit of it.

I prefer to admire their beauty more than eat them. 

A Joy High

"I am high,"  I told a coworker.  "High on joy!"

I had just taken part in one of the most uplifting activities I had ever experienced before in my life: our school's annual track meet.  I work at a school for children with special needs.  Every spring we have a track meet solely for our school's track team, which usually consists of around thirty children with ages anywhere from 9-19.  

My amazing friend spearheads the entire track season recruiting coaches, organizing students and transportation, and making sure all is in line to prepare the students for the regional and state Special Olympics for track.  She told me the story of how this particular track meet began.  A regional meet had been canceled due to the weather.  She knew the kids had practiced diligently and would be disappointed if they didn't have a chance to compete on a real track.  She called a local private Christian high school to ask if she could use the track one morning and permission was granted.  That is all she expected, but when she showed up with the children on the morning of the track meet, some of the students and faculty were there to support our students!

The track meet has developed into a day that is talked about year round by our students.  The entire student body of the high school shows up wearing our purple and green colors and shouting our cheers.  They form a human chain for our students to make a grand entrance into the stadium.  Each of our students has assigned to them a fan club which consists of around 8 students who have painted t-shirts and decorated signs with their athlete's name.  Over the loud speaker, a lively MC introduces each student with personal affirmation as well as commentates on each event.  The high school students run alongside our athletes yelling for them as if it were the fight of their lives.  Each track star, whether they receive a gold, silver, or bronze is cheered, given high fives, or even lifted up in celebration.  Parents and faculty hide tears behind sunglasses and students leave with t-shirts or crazy cartoonish hats from their fan club.  A certain race of one student with cerebral palsy who competed with no one but himself touched my heart.  He gave it all he had as the high schoolers ran beside him whooping and hollering.  The crowd loved it, and I admit I teared up a bit.

I left overjoyed and floating on cloud nine.  Isn't this a picture of how life should be?  Not just acceptance of others with special needs but love and encouragement that runs alongside them.  Isn't this too a picture of how we in the body of Christ should treat one another?

The only tough part is explaining to our students that no, their fan club won't be at the other track meets or practice!

Worth Fixing

I was tickling the ivories (well the fake ivories--the keyboard), when one cracked and broke off!  I was horrified!  I was convinced this was my keyboard's way of getting back at me for not playing often.  I took a picture of it, texted it to my mother, and asked if I could some day have the piano.  However, it was nothing that a little super glue couldn't fix! It was tricky opening the super glue bottle and trying to position the key perfectly, but now I can't even tell which key it was when I play.

Was it worth fixing?  The apartment neighbors may say no, but I say yes.

Our cars, our phones, our plumbing, and our furniture all need fixing at some point.  I just threw away a sweater that was past its prime.  Some things are worth fixing and some you just have to pass on or let go.  

Psalm 34: 18 (ESV)- "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

Our bodies, our hearts, and our relationships need fixing to.  Sometimes we know and put off the fixing.  Sometimes we don't realize how bad the fixing is warranted.  We will occasionally have a dripping faucet in our bathtub, but one time it was a gullywasher coming out of it and would not turn off.  The maintenance man left an apology note with the work order the next day saying, "Sorry, I didn't realize it was that bad."

Psalm 147: 3 (ESV)-"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Is that what happens when we let a sickness or physical condition go on for too long--we didn't realize it was that bad?  Maybe we couldn't get anyone else to realize it was that bad.  I think many times our hearts are the last to be tended to, and we suppress the signs until it is really bad.  

1 Thessalonians 5:11(ESV)-"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

What about with relationships??  Specifically, what about marriage?  Is it worth fixing?  God thinks in most circumstances it is.  I hope that we will all take the time to maintain relationships with conversation, prayer, love, and kind deeds and encouragement.  When it needs fixing, will we take the time to bathe the situation in prayer or the Word, seek wise or professional counsel, and do the hard stuff like surrender and change?  I hope so, and I pray so.