Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Tag Archives: peace
No Matter What
Here is a verse that had me baffled for awhile. The promise is so promising that I didn’t expect to experience anything but wonderful events in my life.
However, what followed after reading Jeremiah 29:11 in 1995 was anything but promising.
Through the years, I suffered broken bones, business loss, cancer, heart disease, and the death of the second love of my life,
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
These are the plans you have for me Lord? Forgive me if I don’t seem too excited to embrace them!
But embrace them I did. My bones healed; caregiving replaced retailing; I survived lung cancer and heart disease, and grief gave way to peaceful acceptance. Prosperity isn’t always of monetary value. Believe me, I am prosperous in more ways than one.
The point is to keep on believing in God’s good, despite the disasters life throws at us.
Through it all, my faith stayed strong…no matter what.
Something to Think About
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” This is from the scripture John 8:32 (NIV); and then in John 14:6 we read “I am the way and the truth and the life…” Both of these statements are attributed to Jesus.
But it could also pertain to knowing the truth about ourselves; our faults and shortcomings, which if we changed would free us to concentrate on being better people. Perhaps we would be less judgmental, less self-centered, or whatever it is that keeps us from being the best we can be.
When we stop and think about it, the truth always sets us free…free from a guilty conscience, free from lies that hold us in bondage, and free to live lives of peace without the inner turmoil of always wondering when an untruth will be discovered.
Maybe a good long look at ourselves would free us to know the truth…and embrace it.
Wise man, that Jesus: “…and the truth will set you free.” It is certainly something to think about.
Life is for Learning
Here is something I found in one of my journals. Unfortunately I didn’t make note of the source, but think it is worth sharing.
Your life is a learning process–you can become wiser only by learning. Sometimes you might have to attract making a painful mistake to learn something important, but after the mistake, you have far greater wisdom. Wisdom cannot be bought with money–it can only be acquired by living life. With wisdom comes strength, courage, knowing, and an ever increasing peace.
This post is a duplicate of one titled About Wisdom posted on August 19, 2014. I didn’t do this intentionally, but I think I’ll let it stand, mainly because Solomon’s wisdom has been a recent topic.
A Time to Love
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
Is there ever a time not to love? There are many kinds of love and many people to love. We love our families, our spouses, our friends; we love babies, our pets, our jobs; we love to sing, to dance, to play, to eat, to sleep; love encompasses a myriad of things. And hate? I even hate that word! There should never be a time to hate unless it’s all the things that go against the grains of humanity. I strongly urged my children to intensely dislike something or someone rather than entertain the emotion of hate.
War and Peace…a great book by Leo Tolstoy! There have been many times of war, both in Biblical times and in our world today. Does there need to be a time of war? Some say yes and I guess it’s true, but a time of peace is to be sought after, longed for, and I suppose…fought for.
The way I see it, love begets peace, and hate begets war. But Solomon says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
This Stress is Killing Me!
God, Give Me Peace. This is the sixth prayer in Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To. Following, is today’s excerpt from This Stress is Killing Me:
One of the most powerful prayers God always says yes to is “Please give me peace.” After all, everyone wants peace–peace in the world; peace in our communities; peace in our families; peace in ourselves.This last kind of peace is perhaps most important because if we’re not at peace with ourselves, then it’s impossible to enjoy life, no matter what good things we possess. We can have youth, health, beauty, money, an amazing job, and a wonderful family–but if every day of our life is full of stress, then every day is going to be a nightmare. On the other hand, if we are at peace, then we can handle almost anything that life throws at us. … Most of us struggle with anxiety on a daily basis. We live in a perpetual state of reaction–reaction to the thousands of external forces that act on us all the time: TV, radio, friends, family, work, e-mail, bills, responsibilities, current events, carnal desires, worldly temptations, the weather. We’re constantly being pushed and pulled in so many directions that it’s hard to stand still and keep our equilibrium.
My greatest need for peace came on May 24, 2005, when a 5 p.m. phone call from my doctor revealed that “something was growing in my right lung.” This showed up on an x-ray I had just had at 2 p.m. the same day! I remember slowly hanging up the phone after being told a specialist appointment was being arranged as we spoke. My stress hormones were bouncing around my body like a lucky hit on a slot machine. That’s when I prayed loudly and sincerely, “God, PLEASE grant my your peace!” And it was granted..immediately.
Tomorrow: Okay, I Admit It: I’m Afraid…God Give Me Courage
Prayer for Peace
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, love;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
A beautiful prayer for a troubled world.
The Year That Was
My Precious Life, the book was the highlight of my year. It came to fruition on June 26, 2014, the day it was published by Westbow Press. It is available on many online book stores; Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, etc. and can be ordered through any retail book store. It is a book of inspiration and life lessons.
My Precious Life, this blog, was another highlight. It began on April 5th and has just reached two-hundred and three posts, with nearly as many followers and almost seventy-five hundred views; not a huge number, I know, but not too bad for a beginner. However, the best part of this venture is the people I have met in the blogging world: very prolific and interesting people, from whom I have learned much. Thank you.
The year that was saw a granddaughter get married, another become engaged, two grandchildren realize their modeling dreams, and others seeing their dreams coming closer to fruition. My family, has and always will, be the best highlight of all my years.
The year had its ups and downs, but the ups were definitely the winners.
In the world there was, and is, sadness and despair but there is also hope.
“…In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
And on that note I extend heartfelt wishes for happiness, comfort, peace, prosperity (both spiritual and monetary), healing, health and well-being.
Happy New Year.
Patricia Ann Boyes
Rebooting Relationships
Dissension depletes my energy level. Somewhere in one of my self-reflections I admitted to disliking dissension, confrontation, petty peevishness, pessimism and poop scooping. (The only doggie bag I carry is from a restaurant!)
At times in 2014 all of the above (except the doggie thing) cropped up in my life to the detriment of some of my relationships. Some were remedied but one lingered on until today, when I decided it was not going to accompany me into a brand new year if I could help it.
And so I rebooted a relationship. It was frosty at first and I was tempted to abort the whole thing, but perseverence is one of my strengths and what could have been a three minute phone flop turned into an hour-long healing conversation.
Romans 12:18 says If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone.
Rebooting relationships is a good thing if it is possible, as far as it depends on you.
The Wonder of Christmas
Wishing peace, comfort, love, joy, and all the blessings of Christmas to each and every one.
THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS
The wonder of Christmas,
The birth of a Child,
The angels are singing His praises,
The people rejoice
At the sound of His voice
Echoing down through the ages.
Hope, love and laughter,
Peace and goodwill,
The message resounds loud and clear,
The birth of God’s Son,
His gift to us all,
This is the wonder of Christmas.
©1995
My Precious Life 