I don't stop by this blog very much. My other blog at The Joy of the Lord is my Strength is where my most recent posts are lodged. Click on the link and follow me over there to a more current look at my daily life as a mom, homeschooler, and child of the King.

Peace

Peace on earth, the angels sang. Yet we see so little peace anywhere these days. Certainly not in the Middle East where war is raging, or in most of the African continent. We don't see peace in Mumbai these days either as the ravages of hatred and anger are visible in the destruction of lives and property.
Peace. Some days its hard to find in my home. Little squabbles break out amongst the children, and my husband and I disagree on how to proceed with something. Little power struggles. Lots of wanting my way because its the right way.
Peace. Some days I can't find it within myself. I have chosen to allow emotions to dominate my heart. I haven't been taking my thoughts captive, and I've allowed myself to wander down the old and used paths of bondage rather than stepping out into freedom.
Peace. Jesus offers it to me daily. I just have to reach out and take it, receive it into my inner being, and keep reminding myself that peace can reign in my heart when I let it. Peace comes when I surrender all of the circumstances of life to God. When I look beyond the now to the joy of being united with Christ for all eternity. When I evaluate my actions and position by His standards rather than the worlds. Peace enters when I breathe deeply of the Holy Spirit, when I repent and return again to the One that I love and who loves me unconditionally. Peace is found in the Light of His presence when I allow myself time to just soak in the knowledge of Who He Is. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
I pray peace over the nations today. Peace in the ranks of government and in those representing me in parliament locally. I pray for peace in this town. Peace in the churches. Peace in the retail industry as holiday shoppers feel the pressure of time running out. I pray peace over my home as we juggle too many activities and conflicting appointments. I pray peace over your home as you prepare yourselves for Christmas. I pray for peace to become the responsibility of each one of us. Let peace reign in me, Lord, so that I can be one way that your peace comes to this struggling planet. Amen.

Letting Go of Expectations

Expectations set the standard for almost everything I do in life. It's the bar that I, my family, and my experiences are measured against. I'm not sure where the standards come from, but God is asking me again to weigh in on expectations.

Expectations require judgement, looking at what I or someone else has done and deciding if it's enough, not enough, or too much. I'm mentally tallying scores all day long. And, truthfully, the bar is most often set too high.

Unmet expectations leads to disappointment. (And, I wonder why I'm so often disappointed?!) And, a pattern of disappointment in life leads to a sense of despair. Will anything ever be as wonderful as I'd hope it would be?

Having expectations means that I'm often obsessed with the future, as I try and figure out what I'm contending with in the next day, or week, or month. Living in the future means I'm missing out on what is happening right in front of me at this very moment. As my children grow older I am realizing that I need to grab onto the "now" and savor the precious moments that are slipping by me as I continue to try and plan future events that never turn out the way I anticipate anyway.

So I'm letting go of expectations! (Although, I expect, pun intended, that this will take a while to become more aware of "going there".)