Experiencing God's Peace

I’ve told you that my word this year is peace, and last Sunday at CORE, our pastor preached on peace.

Coincidence? I think not! J

The word peace in the Greek means ‘mended, mendedness, reconciled, brought back together.’

Doesn’t that create a beautiful word-picture when we consider that through Jesus, we have peace with God?

Peace with God restores us to a place of order, a place without chaos.

I felt like the Lord showed me that the word peace for 2017 does not mean that the year will be calm or quiet or without trials.

He gave me the word peace because this is the year Howell and I will learn to walk in peace—regardless of our circumstances.

When Howell tried to erase our marker board, which has read “Let the peace of God rule in your heart” since last spring, God told him to put it back up there.

Apparently, we still have much to learn about letting God’s peace rule in our heart.

I’ve blogged before about this verse—that we’re commanded to let peace rule, which means have utter authority, like a judge that presides over our hearts.

When I don’t feel at peace, when life feels chaotic or out of control, I need only consider who or what is ruling my heart.

Probably, it’s Laura. Probably I’m trying to do it all or make something happen or carry a burden I never should’ve picked up.

Job 22:21 says, “Agree with God and be at peace.”

The Amplified version says, “Now yield and submit yourselves to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace.”

Again, if I’m not feeling peaceful, am I submitted to God? Am I agreeing with Him for whatever situation I’m facing?

Our pastor told us, “Maybe instead of praying for peace, you need to pray for your heart to be submitted to the Lordship of God in your life.”

Wow.

May my heart be at peace—always.

May I allow God’s peace to have utter authority in my heart at all times.

May I position my heart this year to agree with God, to be submitted wholly to His Lordship.

Click to Tweet: Does life feel chaotic or out of control? @Grace2Write shares how you can experience God’s peace in your life. 

"Let the Peace of God Rule in Your Heart... And Be Thankful."

I love when God gives Howell and me the same word at the same time. I know it’s a moment to listen up—He wants us to hear this!

Several weeks ago, the Lord put Colossians 3:15 on my heart: “Let the peace of God rule in your heart…. And be thankful.”

My sister had given me a chalk board decoration for Christmas, and it sat without a message on my fireplace for quite some time. She told me she would write on it whatever I wanted.

When God put that verse on my heart as a word for me this season, I asked my sister to work her chalk magic and put it on the board for me.

That same weekend, the Lord put the same verse on Howell’s heart. We hadn’t talked about it—and I hadn’t told him what I had told Michalea. (He probably didn’t even notice the blank board had left the fireplace. :))

I came home from being out of town, and he had written on our little message board (where we write notes to each other—yeah, I know, we’re cute and cheesy :)).

I walked into the kitchen to see, “Let the peace of God rule in your heart.”

I asked him about it, and he said the Lord gave him that verse at men’s retreat, and He reminded him of it this weekend while I was gone.

I laughed out loud.

My new—and pretty—board came home last week, and every morning, as I sit in my chair and drink coffee and talk to Jesus, I get to be reminded of His words:

“Let the peace of God rule in your heart…”

…. When you feel stressed or overwhelmed with work.

….When you feel anxious about your writing projects.

….When you feel insecure in your friendships.

….When you feel easily annoyed or frustrated or moody.

….When you feel discouraged.

…. When you feel not enough.

…. When …. Always.

Always. Forever.

Walk in peace.

Peace is not only a fruit of the spirit—a by-product of Him when He’s moving in me—but it’s also His kingdom.

Romans 14:17 says that His kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy. When I say, Lord, let you kingdom come today, I am opening the doors for His peace to rule in my heart.

In this moment. In every moment.

When something rules or reigns, it means it has the ultimate authority or power. The peace of God should govern us, control us, lead us, dominate us, manage us, dictate us.

But we are Americans—and we like our freedom! We don’t like those kinds of verbs (unless, of course, we’re in the position of power).

Letting God’s peace rule, reign, control our hearts isn’t really a suggestion, though; it’s a command.

Col 3:15 holds another command—and I love how short and simple it is: “…And be thankful.”

Again, this isn’t suggested; it’s commanded.

I’ve blogged about gratitude many, many times because it’s a word that has become central to my relationship with God. When I lose my thankful heart, my alignment gets out of whack really fast.

When I forget to be thankful, I become entitled—thinking not only that God owes me but also that He’s forgotten me or that He’s holding out on me.

Sooner or later, that attitude will trickle down into my relationships, too—probably starting with my own marriage.

And before I know it, there’s not only no gratitude in my heart; there’s no peace there either.

A thankful heart invites the peace of God to dictate our lives—our feelings, our thoughts, our decisions, our attitude, our words.

These two go together: Let the peace of God rule in your heart…and be thankful.

If you’re not experiencing peace today, I encourage you to spend time thanking God for what He has done for you.

I’m taking my own personal challenge to do this, and for the month of May, I want Thursdays to focus on areas of thankfulness.

Dear friends, care to join me? Let’s see how God’s peace can rule in our hearts when we are thankful. 

Click to Tweet. 

When Anxious Thoughts Steal My Peace...

I have struggled to get a post out this week mostly because I have struggled with being vulnerable. It’s called “Transparent Thursday,” right? 

Earlier this week, I felt very anxious about some future events. I am a planner, y’all, and so I suppose uncertainty will always be my nemesis until I learn to walk in peace and trust the Lord. 

This was my conversation on Tuesday morning, as I’m trying to get ready for work—and the Lord keeps interrupting me. (He does that sometimes.) 

Lord: Why are you doing this with your thoughts?

Me: What? I feel fine. I’m fine.

Lord: What are you feeling? Why do you think you do this?

[Side note: Remember when I said I used to be a professional avoider, but the Lord helped me learn how to express all these stuffed down feels?]

Me: I don’t know. I don’t know what you mean. I feel fine. Everything is cool with us.

Lord: Your heart is troubled. Can you just pause for a second?

**I sit on the edge of the chair. (You know, not totally committing.)**

**60 seconds of silence.**

Me: I guess I feel anxious because I don’t know—and uncertainty makes me anxious.

**More silence.**

Me: And so I guess, in my mind, I go to the worse-case scenario to make myself feel better.

Lord: And does it make you feel better?

**I sink into the chair.**

Me: No… I just feel more anxious.

Lord: I hold your future, sweet child—and I promise it’s good because I’m good and because I’ll be with you always.

I heard a sermon once (okay, fine, I don't really listen to sermons online, but I heard from a friend about a sermon once :)) that fearing the future means I’m imagining a future without the Lord in it. 

When I remember that He is with me always, I remember I have nothing to fear. 

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I can’t control my uncertainty. I can’t predict the future. I have no idea how it will all shake out.

But I can control myself. He’s given me the Holy Spirit to help me do just that. 

And through Him, I can live in peace every day. 

Isn’t that a better way to live, my friends? 

Click to Tweet: The trouble with anxious thoughts that steal our peace and the Holy Spirit antidote.

The Power of Peace: When Time and Answers are Unknown

Acts 1: 6 – 8:  

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

I have loved this passage for the message of verse 8, but I never realized I was skipping over the heart of verse 7.

When the disciples ask a Time question, Jesus says, “It is not for you to know the time or season that the Father has fixed by His own authority.” 

Jesus doesn’t answer the disciples’ question, but He offers something greater than that: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” 

He is sent in the midst of unknowns and unanswered questions.

The Holy Spirit empowers us in seasons of uncertainty, of chaos, of lost plans, of unexpected outcomes, of disappointment, of overwhelming circumstances. [Tweet this.]

He is our helper, our comforter.

He gives us power to overcome.

We may not get answers, but we get an even great source.

Today, I wade in the midst of uncertainty, and I hate the unknown with all my heart.

If I’m honest, I find a lot of security in the known: What are we looking at? What’s going to happen? What’s the plan? How much will it cost?

But right here, He still whispers His truth: 

Time is established by my Father’s authority. But you have the power of my Holy Spirit. You are empowered to overcome. 

And I am with you always. I am your provider. I am your comfort. I am your helper.

Embrace my peace in the middle of your unknowns.

Friend, if you feel anxious today—maybe you’re waiting for God to move in an area of your life, maybe you’re pushing a deadline that feels impossible, or maybe your plates are spinning with all that you have to do and not enough time to do it—whatever the cause, lean into His peace. He establishes Time. All of it. And right now, in the midst of this that you feel, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

Click to Tweet:
Let the Holy Spirit empower you in the midst of the unknown. via @Grace2write #peace #blog #faith http://ctt.ec/xcaSi+

Top FIVE Pieces of Advice at ACFW

Last week, I shared my top FIVE moments from ACFW, and this week, I wanted to share my top FIVE pieces of advice. 

I started getting nervous weeks before the conference. I don't like big crowds. I don’t like being in situations where I don’t know anyone. And I wasn’t very excited about the idea of pitching myself or my story to an agent. In fact, the thought made nauseated, so I quit thinking about it. The morning that I flew out, I sat in the airport and cried. I thought, Am I really doing this?

 

I arrived on Thursday morning, and to be honest, I was so overwhelmed with all the people, I hid in my hotel room. There were people everywhere, in the coffee shop, in the lobby, on the first floor—people with ACFW badges like me. But instead of introducing myself, I just retreated. I told the Lord, this is too much. 

Then Thursday afternoon we had our opening session and a time of praise and worship. I had to drag myself out of the room to attend, but I attended.  When the first song we sang was a Kim Walker-Smith song, I thought, Okay, I can do this. His presence surrounded me, and by the time we ended with a Bethel song, I told the Lord, I am right where I need to be. 

He gave me a word two years ago, in the fall of 2013: Brave. Before Bethel had the song You Make Me Brave, my Heavenly Dad was already saying, Be brave, my daughter. In worship on Thursday, He reminded me of that word. Be brave. So, I decided then that I would attend it all, I would meet people, and I would pitch my ideas. I would be brave. 

For those who might not be familiar with the conference, we sat in continuing education classes all day Friday. There were several to choose from, but in each class, we learned something about honing the skills for our craft. On Saturday, there were shorter workshop-style or presentation-style sessions on various topics ranging from working with agents, handling rejection, or creating compelling characters. During sessions on both Friday and Saturday, we had appointments with agents and/or editors, so people would slip out of a session and return frequently. I had four appointments, so I missed two parts of the Friday continuing education class, and portions of two of my Saturday sessions. 

But unless I was in an appointment, I was in ‘class.’ I kinda felt like a kid in a candy store. I love to learn—I always have, but learning about fiction writing captivated me. I didn’t want to be anywhere else, and I didn’t want to miss anything. I felt like a sponge. 

So… top FIVE pieces of advice:

5. Create a platform for yourself. I’ve already blogged about this, so I won’t belabor the point. But essentially I learned that I don’t have a platform, and I probably need one. J Step 1. Create a platform. Ha!

4. Decide to write, and, equally as important, decide to call yourself a writer. In her session, “Writing Is a Decision,” Kathleen Y’Barbo gave us great advice about being a writer—and the first part was deciding to write.  

3. Develop a story question for your work. I went to a workshop on Saturday titled “The Power of Story Question.” We learned that your story question is more than the ‘what if’ of your plot. The story question is a deeper question that readers identify with—an inner struggle that may not have an easy answer. My story question for Restless Heart might be something like, If God took everyone you ever loved, would He still be good? Is God trustworthy when it feels like you’ve experienced a life of disappointment and unexpected circumstances?

2. Hone your craft: perspective and dialogue. Kristen Heitzmann’s CE class on “Keys to Compelling Stories” entailed more advice than I can list in one point, much less a blog post—but I loved her discussion about these two elements in particular, perspective and dialogue. She gave us four grammar rules about perspective. I naturally followed some of these rules, but as I have been polishing my manuscript, I’ve been trying to pay special attention to syntax for each character’s perspective sections. She also gave us great tips about dialogue, especially ways to cut sentence length and match a more abbreviated speech pattern that sounds like the way we naturally talk.

1. Be patient and willing to change. I have to say—of all the advice I received in the workshops and classes, one of my biggest takeaways was this piece of advice. At the Friday morning breakfast, I sat next to Karen Witemeyer, a multi-published historical fiction writer. She shared her first experience with publishing her novel—and, to offer the short version, she was basically asked to cut her whole manuscript and re-write it based on a brief scene at the beginning of the novel. She had to completely re-envision—and rewrite—her novel to get it published. And it took a lot of time. In the end, it was worth it—but her attitude likely made all the difference.

Comment below and share your top five pieces of advice if you were at the conference! 

p.s. I've already put next year's ACFW dates in my calendar. :)