TRANSFORMING THURSDAY
Over the years, I've thought a lot about PEACE ~ not so much world PEACE. It is seeing the unseen. It is knowing that if God is in control of changing that caterpillar to a butterfly, He can be in control of me, too - if I allow Him. As the song lyrics say, "There is a peace within my soul, when the Spirit of the LORD is in control..." 
That PEACE is the PEACE that passes understanding in the storms of life... 
... when I've been burned again and again and I think that the hot coals must be intended just for me, there is a PEACE that assures me that this, too, will pass.
After all, God keeps His promises - just not in my timing!
This past week, I've been reminded again and again to trust Him and know that PEACE is possible... He provides many ways for there to be PEACE...
That PEACE is the PEACE that passes understanding in the storms of life... ... when I've been burned again and again and I think that the hot coals must be intended just for me, there is a PEACE that assures me that this, too, will pass.
After all, God keeps His promises - just not in my timing!
This past week, I've been reminded again and again to trust Him and know that PEACE is possible... He provides many ways for there to be PEACE...
- when discussing "God's rainbow promises" with the 3rd-4th grade Bible class, that I teach, last night... one of my students pointed out how consistent God is... "the colors of the rainbow are always in the same order - ROY G. BIV..." (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)
- when reading a comment of one of my students in the university summer course that I am teaching called, "Positive Behavior Supports". He wrote, "I read a book about Positive Thinking where the author recommended a sufferer of tension and anxiety to implement certain self-management strategies to combat these emotions. He recommended that you picture your mind as a bath tub filled with water. The water would represent all of your anxieties and tensions. Then he said to picture the drain being let go and all of the water emptying out. In the same way, imagine all of your tensions and anxieties draining from your mind. Following this procedure, the author recommended that you imagine the most peaceful scenes that you ever witnessed and to visualize every detail from memory. The author advised that after following this procedure of mind emptying and then refilling, a person would feel relieved and rejuvenated. I tried it for myself and found it immensely helpful. "
- when visiting Michigan over the weekend to celebrate our grandson's first birthday, I was once again reminded of the PEACE that comes from spending time with a small child. I'll share one of those scenes with you here, as he quietly investigates his new pairs of sunglasses:
I love Philippians 4 -
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
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. "
*****
"Blessed are the PEACEmakers
for they shall be called the children of God."
*****
~BLESSED~
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