Shoes of Peace

I have been thinking about peace a lot this week. I used to think peace was just a feeling on the inside; a quiet, content, undisturbed feeling about making decisions. I still think this is a definition of peace, a small part of all that peace entails, but I also believe that the Lord is showing me that it is so much more.

"Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" John 14:27 AMP

Jesus left us HIS peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalowm, pronounced Shaw-lome'.

It means completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, tranquility, and contentment. All of the things we can only find in Jesus.

How do we get to a place where we can walk out and live in peace, in complete lack of the things mentioned above: troubled hearts, fear, agitation, a disturbed state of mind and heart, intimidation, cowardliness and an unsettled soul?

The Answer...

By beginning to agree with what Jesus says is the truth about us. By beginning to recognize the lies of the enemy for what they are, LIES. What a wonderful revelation to realize the difference between conviction and accusation.

Accusation is from the enemy and always points to our faults, our lack, what we think we are not. Conviction, reminds us of our righteousness in Christ and reminds us of all we are because of Jesus. ~ Daveda

When God shows us areas of weakness, He shows them to us in the light of His peace that He left us. He shows them to us wanting us to agree with Him about them. Agree with Him is saying...

"Thank you Lord that I do not have to feel condemned about what I see because my weakness is made perfect in your strength. Thank you Lord that I do not have to be afraid of my weakness because you have already perfected this, you have perfected me and you have the ability and the power to continue to change me. You love me just as I am and your opinion of me is the right one, the true one. I believe what you say about me Jesus and I know that you will enable me to walk in your truth in every area of my life."

"The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalm 29:11 AMP

True peace is strength to us. When we find our completeness in Jesus and we look to Him as our Prince of Peace, and we agree with Him, we can walk and live in all He says is true about us.

When we are trying to find peace, by making outward changes, trying to please others, or trying harder to be who we think we should be, all we will find is frustration.

When we agree with Jesus and all He says is truth about us, when we trust in His power, His grace and favor at work in our lives, then, we will walk in an undisturbed state of peace, the same peace Jesus walked in. When we walk in His shoes, there will be no situation, or person, that will leave us feeling defeated, because we will know we are complete in Christ.

The way to defeat the enemies lies, is by believing and standing in the Gospel of Peace.

It is by believing that you are hidden in Christ favored by God and man because of the righteousness Jesus has given you. This enables you to stand in our new identity, our new nature, our new shoes.

"And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace."
Ephesians 6:15 AMP

This gives new meaning to the phrase "Walk a mile in someone else's shoes." doesn't it?

Rambling On...

Another Rambling on post...about a whole lot...but about nothing specific at all.

1.) My in-laws are in town this week. I love it when they visit, and it makes the kids so happy. Plus we take grandparents days off of school. Have you ever tried to keep a school schedule with grandma and grandpa in town? HA!

2.) I got a job!! I have been wanting to do something for awhile now. I do go to different events as a guest speaker occasionally, and I am working on a book project, but I want to do something that will help out financially around the house, and give me an outlet to be me...you know? Anyway, months ago I asked the Lord if there was something I could do that would fit well into my family life. I don't want to give up homeschooling, and I don't want it to prevent me from doing what I love, speaking. I just asked Him if there was something He had for me, for Him to open up the opportunity and bring it to me.

Last week my friend was telling me about this chiropractor she just got a job with and she mentioned that they asked her if she knew anyone else that was looking for a part time job, I said..."I might be interested in that." So she proceeded to tell me about the job...I have to admit, I had some hesitation, the hours were not ideal and neither were the days. However, she could not remember if what she was telling me was exactly right, so I though "It can't hurt to at least call and ask, right." RIGHT!

As it turns out they were hiring for two positions and the other position is PERFECT for me! Hand picked I tell ya, the hours and days fit my family beautifully! I will be working 27hrs a week in 31/2 days.

I feel really good about this and I think God is up to something here...His fingerprints are all over this!

3.) At this point I decided not to publish my other blog about dyslexia, which I named Dyscussing Dyslexia With Daveda...if I do I think it will be private. Matt and I decided not to tell the boys what it is we are dealing with until they have some success under their belt. So, I figure if they don't know, they may not appreciate the rest of the world knowing...

4.) The Lord, over the last few months, has made it clear to Matt and I that it is time for us to move on from the church we were attending. We really love the people and I have preached there several times...yet, its time to move on. He has not yet shown us what direction we are going, however, I do know that I am supposed to pursue nothing at this time. I know it's right, yet it feels very foreign...

I can say that I also feel lead to simply pursue relationships with the people the Lord has blessed me with. Not for any reason, not because we attend the same church or serve in the same ministry or think just alike, but just because the Lord has placed us in each others lives.

I think true discipleship is not me trying make you just like me, but us being friends opens up opportunity for the Holy Spirit to take what He has done in me and make a deposit in you, and vice versa.

I know that the Lord is doing a work in my heart He is showing me things about the way I have always done and saw "church" that I never saw before. I am excited about what the Lord is doing, but I have to be honest I am also nervous...nervous about what people will think...nervous about what they will say...but, then again that's another work the Lord is doing...

Helping me to become stronger in Him. Helping me to know that I hear His voice and that He is faithful to lead me. I don't need to know where, and I don't need to please others along the way...I only need to please Him, and I do...Not because I am so great, please don't think I mean that LOL...

But because Jesus is so great and because of what He has done for me, and what He has given me, the Holy Spirit living right inside of me...we the people are the church, no matter where we are.

Pay It Forward Winner!

AND THE WINNER IS... BETHANY, from over at HAPPYASCANB

Please stop by HAPPYASCANB and congratulate Bethany! She has a very sweet personality that shines through in her writing. Her posts are real and down to earth, she has a way of making you feel like you really know her. You will enjoy a visit to her blog page!

A Big Thank You to everyone who left a comment and participated in this give-a-way.

I really enjoyed receiving my package and I hope that Bethany will enjoy hers as well.

Being Loved By Him, With You,
Daveda

Pay It Forward

LOOK WHAT I GOT!

I received this wonderful package from Ana, over at The Writer Today.
If you have never visited Ana's blog page, you just have to check it out! She has wonderful advice and tips for anyone who enjoys writing. It doesn't matter if you are a published author or a dabbling blogger, her advice and tips will bless you.

Are you wondering why Ana sent me this package? Are you thinking that you would like to receive a wonderful package like this? Well, you can!

This is a little give-a-way called Pay It Forward, and you could be next! How you ask?

Just leave me a comment, telling me that you would like to participate in Pay It Forward. There is a catch...if you want to receive, you must also want to give.

So, here is how it works.

1. Leave me a comment and let me know if you want to participate.

2. In two days (Thursday) I will pick a winner.

3. With in the next few weeks you will receive a package full of goodies

4. Then, put up your own post about Pay It Forward, and choose a new recipient.

Oh, and do not forget to go visit Ana over at The Writer Today!

Never Travel Alone

*This post has been edited, from the original. After a comment from Karen, and a reread, I realized I may have stated a couple of things in such a way that it could leave you misunderstanding my point*

Most everyone on this earth, has heard that God loves us. Many have even sang songs with lyrics such as...

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

I wonder though, when we are really struggling, does someone telling us that God loves us really help us to believe that He does?

Does reading Jesus loves me, even in the Bible, help us to truly walk in the love that came and died for each of us, personally?

I don't think so, not when we are struggling. It might help us feel better for the moment, or it might not.

Now, I am not saying that it is wrong to read the Bible for help or share the truth about Gods love with others; nor is it wrong to remind each other of this great unchanging love. God has given us the gift of friendship, so that we can come along side one another on this journey and impart hope and truth.

This love, however, is received and acknowledged through experience with God.

This love is received and acknowledged as we continually turn to Jesus and ask Him to help us live, walk, and breath in the revelation of His love active in our lives.

To say "Oh, I know God loves me." and leave it at that, is by far short changing ourselves.

I have realized that in many ways, I do not know God's love for me.

In some areas of my life, I still question. I still doubt.

If I truly believed, and had a redemptive revelation of His love in every imaginable area of my life, my heart and my soul, I would always be fully aware of His heart toward me. I would never worry or doubt that He is working on my behalf, through the power of His Spirit.

I am learning and growing though. I am learning that when I question or feel worry come into my heart, to turn to Jesus and ask Him to give me a revelation of His love for me in that particular area.

I am learning that as I trust in HIM to do this work in me it enables me to love Him, and trust Him more.

I have many times heard people tell others that they just need to know God loves them, trust God more, believe God.

I used to be one of the people who would try to encourage others with statement such as these. But, not anymore...When someone is struggling, statements like these can leave them feeling condemned and less then. If it were that easy, if they could make themselves believe, if they could make themselves trust...don't you think they would have already?

I could TELL you all day long, but it has to be God that does this work in our hearts. Now, I am not saying we should not encourage one another, just that I have realized some of what we think is encouraging...is not.

Instead of telling a friend, "you need to believe that God loves you", I would say "lets ask God to give you a revelation of His love for you."

Instead of saying "you just need to trust God" I would say "Lets ask God to help you develop an unshakable trust in His power and ability at work in your life."

It is simply taking the focus off of the person doing more, trying harder, to looking to God and asking Him to do this work in us, for us.

The wonderful thing is that God knows none of us completely arrived in any of these areas, and there is no condemnation in that. He doesn't expect us to meet Him on the playing field of almost perfect, or got it all together.

He simply wants us to turn to Him, He wants us to ask Him to help us know His love personally through our own experiences with Him.

He wants us to ask Him to help us believe all of His truth and His promises, through His work in our hearts.

He wants us to ask Him to help us to trust as we take His hand and allow Him to lead the way through our doubts.

We do not need to have it all together, even in theses areas. The areas where so many are caught in bondage or condemnation if they feel they are lacking.

After all, what kind of a Christian would admit,

that they do not always know God loves them in a persoanl way,

that they find themselves doubting God's truth and many times find it easier to believe in God's promises in the lives of others than their own.

that there are some days they worry and do not trust that God is going to come through for them in their situations and circumstance?

I will tell you what kind of a Christian, the kind that...

needs the love of the Father, Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who tells you they have never struggled in these areas is lying. We all are on a journey. None of us have arrived and it's okay to be honest and real about that.

Otherwise we denying the one thing that we do need to have...

the acknowledgement that we need Him and cannot travel this road without Him working in our hearts.

"[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!"
Ephesians 3:19