Tag: Peace

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The Choice

Posted on by Paula Davis

I had an “Ah-Ha” moment on the way home from work yesterday. The day had been crazy busy, phones incessant with non-stop needs. I had a headache, terrible tension in my neck and shoulders and I was feeling rather crabby.

Driving home I was revisiting the day, holding on to every negative feeling and still hearing the phone ring, getting grumpier and oh so tired. Then I thought about all the things I had to do when I got home and I was more overwhelmed. I was longing for the next few hours to be over so that I could just go to bed!

 

Then the “Ah-Ha” thought came – IT’S OVER!!

It was not a new thought and certainly not earth-shaking but at that moment for me it was life-changing.

I had a choice to make. It was a choice of whether to allow the ugliness of my day to affect the evening or to change my perspective and look forward, not behind. I could choose to allow my past experiences carry through or I could let go.

And it was my choice. 

I realize we don’t always have the ability to control our environments or our circumstances. We can’t control the attitudes of others or how they act or react to us. And sometimes that can bring us down. We can’t always control our work environment; whether our electronics will act properly, how much the phone will ring or how many problems will be brought to us. Sometimes we simply have to enter survival mode.

What I realized on my way home yesterday is that what we can control is what comes next. When the chaos is over, phones turned off for the day, electronics set aside and people are gone it is up to us to choose what comes next.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. Philippians 4:8

We CAN control our thoughts. And we CAN control how we move forward.

Here are some practical things to remember and apply when you’re feeling at the end of your rope:

1. Look back and find the good/happy/”smile” moments in your day.

  • It is so easy to see the bad/negative, but I’m sure there are at least one or two good things too. For me it was a patient bringing donuts because he appreciated the ladies in our front office, and the lighthearted moments with my coworkers here and there.

2. Let go of grudges, judgment, etc. 

  • I tend to be quick to analyze the actions, words and attitudes of others. The way I interpret them sometimes lead to judgement and bad attitude on my own part. I discovered the freedom yesterday in letting go.
  • Ask yourself, does it really matter? Or am I being petty?

3. Take a long, deep breath. REALLY!

  • Yes, it sounds a little cheesy. But it does work. We don’t realize how much we hold our breath or have shallow breathing when we are upset or under stress. Stopping and forcing yourself to take a long, deep breath or two will remind yourself to release the physical stress which in turn helps your mind!

4. Look for the good ahead of you.

  • When I allowed myself to think about the beautiful weather around me, the lovely drive home, the fact that I had the next day off, and family and a cute little dog at home waiting for me helped me change my perspective to look ahead instead of back.

I don’t mean to sound simplistic, but my “Ah-Ha” moment is that sometimes it really is.

It’s a choice.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

May blessings and peace be yours today as you choose the best for YOU!

Paula

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What’s The Difference?

Posted on by Paula Davis

Stories of people making a difference in the lives of others are so inspirational. They are everywhere – television shows, news stories and radio spots all about these amazing people. They tell of millionaires who give money to those in need, weight loss coaches training people to lose incredible amounts of weight and others who save lives, remodel homes for returning soldiers…so many who change lives through their actions and deeds. Every time I encounter one of these stories I am touched and motivated to go out and do the same.

But then I stop short.

I can’t make that kind of difference!

I’m not rich, I don’t have special skills to teach others about losing weight or overcoming other obstacles in their lives, and I don’t have the vacation time or the resources to travel somewhere to assist with disaster relief. I could never be like one of those people.

It can be easy to stop there, believing that since I may never be able to impact the world with my difference I am unimportant and shouldn’t even try.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.           1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 NIV

We may not ever be in the news for the difference we make. But the reality is that we don’t always know the difference we are making in someone’s life when we allow God to reach through us. When we dismiss our abilities and the way the Holy Spirit can work in our lives because we don’t think they are important enough we are tying God’s hands and hindering Him from blessing people through us. Whatever gifts we are given God can and will use when we release them to Him.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 NIV

And for those of you who are convinced that you don’t have gifts that God can use? Let me ask you a few questions…

1. Can you pray?  Our prayers have more impact than we will ever know, at least this side of Heaven. When we offer a prayer for a friend, family member, or even a stranger we release the power of God through the Holy Spirit to work in their life. Your prayer may be the lifeline for someone who feel they have no strength to go on.

In addition to praying for family, friends and other known needs I have formed a habit of praying when I hear a siren. I don’t always know if the siren comes from a police car, fire truck or ambulance but I pray for the people who are helping, and the people being helped. Truly someone’s life may be saved because of your prayer.

2. Can you smile? I work in a medical office at the front desk. I spend most of my day answering the phone and checking in patients. It’s not the kind of job where I’m changing lives or making life-altering decisions that impact others and it is easy to slip into the attitude of thinking my role is unimportant. But that thinking would be wrong. I can smile. I can be kind to those I encounter. This is not a small thing.

Think about the difference when you go to a store, medical office, etc. and the person at the counter is crabby, just doing enough to get through the day but certainly not happy about it. Now think of the last time the person in this position smiled at you and was pleasant throughout your interaction. What kind of difference did that make in your day? We in turn can make this difference for someone else.

3. Can you write/type? The art of letter/note writing is fading fast. It is fun to get an encouraging note via “snail mail” as too often the only thing we find in the mailbox is bills. But whether you handwrite a note or use e-mail or Facebook to deliver your message, a few minutes to say, “hi” and let someone know you are thinking of and praying for them can lift their day and make a difference.

Some days we are blessed by being told of the difference we are making in our little corner of the world. But even when we aren’t told we need to trust that God is at work in us and through us when we allow Him. The ultimate reward will be when we stand before Him one day and hear:

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!                                                                                             Matthew 25:21 NIV

blessings and peace to you as you make a difference today!

Paula

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Bucket Full of…

Posted on by Paula Davis

This summer I have becoming very familiar with buckets. Mind you I haven’t filled one with berries, used one to build a sandcastle or to carry worms to the fishing hole….yet. I have however put many under the eaves of the house while praying for rain to fill them.

Our water supply comes from a well and every summer we have bouts of running low, or out of water. This requires creative solutions such as ‘showering’ from a bucket and heating buckets of water on the stove for dishes. Activities that my parents recollect from their childhood only in modern times. We are thankful for laundromats, bottled water and family and friends who have enough water to spare.

I don’t tell you any of this for sympathy. It’s really just an inconvenience and reminds us of all the blessings we have and perhaps how much we take for granted. And it’s fun to play in the rain when the buckets are filling up and need to be emptied into jugs so they can catch more! For me it’s also nostalgic, reminders of trips next door to the farm for showers as kids and learning from my grandpa to brush my teeth using a glass of water instead of water running from the faucet.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about buckets, and being filled. I’ve been thinking about how each of us needs to be filled every day. Not only our physical needs but mental, emotional and spiritual spaces in our hearts and lives that need filling.

How do I choose to fill these voids?

Am I filled by what others believe about me, or say to me each day?

Am I filled by what I read, listen to or what I watch on television?

Am I filled by what I believe about myself?

To some extent the answer to all of these questions is, “yes”. Our lives are impacted by outside influences every day. The question is how much do we rely on them and how much do we depend on the Lord and the truth of scripture to fill us from within?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 NIV

No one can know everything about us except God, and no one understands our deepest needs the way He does. God gave us others for friendship and fellowship but He did not intend for any human to take His place in meeting our deepest needs.

Our friends may abandon us when we’re going through a rough time because they don’t know what to say or how to ‘fix what’s wrong’ with us.

God promises that He will never leave us. (Deuteronomy 31)

Family and friends may say hurtful things to us that make us question their love. But God tells us:

“I have loved you with an everlastinglove;

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

We need others around us to support us, to challenge us and to bring joy to our lives. But the truth is, when we rely only on humans for our needs we will ALWAYS be disappointed.

The Lord is waiting to fill you with whatever your needs are today….a listening ear, a pat on the back, or the assurance that you are loved more deeply than you can know. May you reach out to Him and allow Him to fill you, pushing out the noise around you that may go against His truth.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV

May your bucket be overflowing with His love, blessings and peace today!!

Paula

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Victory over “V” Day

Posted on by Paula Davis

It’s coming…only 3 days away. The day of roses and chocolates – another Hallmark holiday.

How I used to dread Valentine’s Day! For weeks before February 14th I pined and pouted, miserable at every commercial for jewelry and every comment from friends about what they would be doing to celebrate with their sweethearts. I didn’t have a sweetheart and it made me miserable. I wanted to be in love and for someone to be in love with me. I wanted a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Over the years I stopped whining long enough to look around me. What I saw were many others who were alone on Valentine’s Day. Some had never been married like me, but others were alone because of divorce or widowhood. I saw them not only lonely without their loved one on Valentine’s Day but also with bittersweet memories that sometimes made the day even more difficult than mine.

I also discovered something else. While there are many happy marriages with sweethearts rekindling their love each Valentine’s Day there are many married couples who won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day together. They are struggling to stay together and to rediscover their love for each other.The proclamation of a day of love will not magically fix things between them.

All of this observation has me looking at Valentine’s Day differently. Yes, I still wish I had a sweetheart, but not just for Valentine’s Day. A friend of mine commented the other day that if you’re in love with someone you should show it every day and you shouldn’t need a holiday to tell you to express it. I agree! And this applies not only to a significant other, but all of those whom our lives touch.

Now when I look towards Valentine’s Day I seek ways to brighten the day for others. I think about those around me who will be lonely and without celebration and do what I can to make their day better. For me it’s baking cookies and making valentines or dropping an e-mail or note in the mail. Praying for others is also critical because where I can’t physically touch lives God can through His all-encompassing love.

If you have a sweetheart and look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day I’m not suggesting you tone down your celebration or don’t share your love with others. Your relationship can be an inspiration to others. But as you look ahead to the big day I ask you to also look around. Find someone who may be alone or lonely in the midst of a relationship and reach out to them. A phone call, note or even a little chocolate heart can make all the difference in their day.  

The greatest Valentine any of us can receive is the love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ who showed the ultimate love by coming to earth and living a perfect life, only to take the sins of all mankind when He died on the cross. If you don’t know this Love I pray that you will give your heart to Jesus and know the love that never fails not only on Valentine’s Day but every day of the year.

Happy Valentine’s Day to each of you. May this year be one of expressing love not only to your sweetheart but to each person you touch. You could be the missing peace to someone’s Valentine’s Day puzzle.

blessings and peace to you…

Paula

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Incredible Delight

Posted on by Paula Davis
Delight:
  • a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction
  • something that gives great pleasure <her performance was a delight> 
  • archaic : the power of affording pleasure            (www.merriam-webster.com)

What brings delight to your life?

   Your children?

     A cup of coffee with a good friend?

       Watching your favorite sporting event?

         Walking through the woods, along a beach, or some other beautiful place?

     

Do you know what brings delight to God?

YOU!!!

The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
                                      Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

This can be hard to grasp. The God of the universe, the Creator of the world and all that is in it delights in YOU, and in me, and in each person who loves Him and seeks to do His will.  

He promises it in His word, and all we have to do is believe and accept His delight, and then live in it.

I’m praying that each of you will find your peace in life’s puzzle today as you delight in the Lord and receive His delight in you.

blessings!

Paula

 

 

Posted in Christian, Comfort, good graces, own two feet, Peace, physical affection, Women

Too Old To Hold?

Posted on by Paula Davis

From the moment we were born most of us spent a great deal of time in someone’s arms. Whether it was our mom, dad, or another who cared for us, we were held, hugged and helped most of our waking hours. We depended on another not only to meet our physical needs, but our emotional needs and wants as well.

As we grew and gained independence our attachment to others waned and we began to show and accept less physical affection. We may have even pushed away from those who wanted to embrace us, declaring ourselves “too old” for the mushy stuff. We wanted to stand on our own two feet, not needing someone else to hold us up.

When we were introduced to God many of us were encouraged to focus on the rules He expects us to follow and the life He wants us to lead. We are told that God loves us, but often that love seems far away and conditional. We sing the song “Jesus Loves The Little Children” and have that picture of the children gathered around Jesus, smiling and being held by Him. It’s a beautiful picture, but just as our independence may cause us to push away the affection of humans, we also may find ourselves pushing away the affection of God. We struggle and strive to be “good enough”, fearing perfection is the only way to stay in God’s good graces.  

But does it ever get lonely? Do you ever wish you could go back and climb into someone’s lap to be held and told everything is going to be okay?

I have good news for you! God is waiting to do just that.

While God does lay out rules for us and desires us to live without sin, He looks at our hearts along with our actions. If Jesus Christ is our Savior and we live our lives with the desire to please Him and to help others come to know Him as well, His love becomes that of a Father, not a judge. God isn’t waiting to punish us each time we do wrong. He will correct us as a Father corrects His children, but He also longs to love on us, not cast us aside each time we do wrong.

If you are a parent, think of your love for your children. If you don’t have children of your own, think of how you feel toward your nieces, nephews or other children to whom you are close. Sometimes you are required to discipline them. Part of your responsibility is to teach them right from wrong and help them to become wonderful human beings. But after you discipline them, what do you do next? Do you send them away until they become perfect or do you take them into your arms to reinforce how much you love them even though sometimes they fail? You most likely treasure the time you can hug them, hold them and reassure them of your love, no matter how old your children get. 

Now remember that we were made in God’s image. That’s right, God made us like Him! The affection we feel for others is indicative of His love for us.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”                                  1 John 3:1

I want to put a challenge out to each of you. When you feel alone, and aren’t sure of your place in the world, find a quiet spot where you can spend some time with God. Begin talking to Him and revealing your heart as if you were a child again. Push aside the preconceived notions in your head of how you are supposed to act and what you are supposed to say when you’re talking with God and just tell Him how you feel. Imagine that you are little again, running to your dad or mom, falling into their arms and pouring out your story. Visualize yourself falling into God’s arms and climbing into His lap.

Then just rest there and feel His comfort, peace and love.

He’s waiting for you to rest in the peace only He can give.

In your Father’s eyes you are never too old to hold.

 

Wishing you blessings and peace today.

Paula

Posted in Christian, Gardening, Women

Uncovering Treasure

Posted on by Paula Davis

I love to garden! But I have to admit this year was not a stellar year for vegetables at our home. The soil was tilled, fertilized and rows marked. The anticipation that came from laying the seeds in the freshly turned dirt was soon rewarded by little sprouts pushing their way up through the soil. The excitement built…until the challenges set in.

First it was the woodchucks…sure they have a cute little tongue twister written about them and in February we like to believe they help predict the coming of Spring (yes, the groundhog & the woodchuck are the same varmint) but when it comes to gardens they are downright EVIL!! Not long after the beans and other veggies popped their heads up, the woodchucks helped themselves to a little snack. The beans were blinged, zinnias zapped, even the squash had been snacked on. I was not happy. We replanted the beans, sprayed some sort of stuff that was supposed to keep away the varmints and hoped. It didn’t work.

While disappointed at the loss of crops, there were a few plants left in the garden. The tomatoes were thriving, and the yellow squash had escaped along with a few others. There was still some hope. Then I turned my back for just a day or so. When I turned back all I could see were WEEDS! I couldn’t believe how quickly they had grown and how hard it was to see anything in the midst of them. Again it seemed hopeless.

Then it happened. One day I walked past the garden and saw something round and green where the tomatoes were planted. “No” I thought, “A tomato couldn’t possibly have survived amidst those weeds, could it?” A closer look revealed it was indeed a healthy green tomato. I weighed the options. I could pick that green tomato, fry it up and no longer think about the weedy tomato patch or I could clear a little space around it to let more sunlight in. The third option was to take the plunge and attack those weeds. It didn’t seem possible that there could be much more hidden in that patch but one day I decided to give it a shot.

I pulled.

I dug.

I sweated.

I got really, really dirty.

But I uncovered the treasure!!

 

Somehow beneath the piles of weeds the tomatoes had not only lived, they had thrived! They began to mature and develop fruit. The more I cleared the more excited I got. Not only was there one thriving , there were several. In fact all that we planted escaped the woodchucks, and even the weeds couldn’t beat them!

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.                      Philippians 1:6

While I was clearing those weeds I began thinking about what might be hiding beneath the weeds in my own life. I thought about the hopes and dreams that I have allowed to get drowned out by the weeds of discouragement and fear. Instead of being confident in God’s promise to complete the works He has started in me and working hard to overcome the things that get in the way I gave up hope and just allowed the “weeds” to have their way. I lost sight of the treasure within me but that doesn’t mean the treasure is gone. It may take some more digging and sweating, and certainly faith and determination. But if God began those works in me I can be confident that He will complete them if I allow Him to help me uncover the treasure and fit the proper pieces back into the puzzle in my life.

Are there hidden treasures in your life that you’ve lost sight of? I’d be honored to pray with you that you would begin to believe once again that with God’s help you can uncover those treasures and find the peace that’s hiding beneath the weeds. Drop me a note and let me know how I can pray for you!

Wishing you blessings and peace today!

Paula