Peace in the midst of chaos

John 14:27New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

This time of year can be very stressful. We worry about so many things, especially things that we have no control over. But we don’t have to. God promises us His peace. I sometimes worry about things that are happening in my life, my kids, my job, my career, and finances. I would really worry about the kids and finances around the holidays. I bought into the hype of the commercialism. Now we know the real reason for the season and even though I still sometimes struggle with these things, I’m not as bad as I used to be. Now when I feel the worry coming on I don’t let it overcome instead I turn to the Word of God and I speak it over my life. The peace I feel after talking to God is unmistakable and indescribable. I just feel all the weight lifted off. That peace only comes from God. Nothing and no one else in this world can give you that kind of peace.

 I encourage you today to not let this season stress or worry you. Instead enjoy your family and Jesus. Time with them is the most precious gift. My birthday is Christmas Eve, and I can’t imagine a better place to be than at church for our Christmas Eve candlelight service. That’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.  

Giving Back

Happy New Year! 2011 is behind us and it’s time to get ready for all the great things in 2012! This blog is a little different from my normal blogs. During this past holiday season while I was volunteering, I noticed how much the volunteers increased right before Thanksgiving and again right before Christmas. I think that’s wonderful! We see the Salvation Army with their bells and buckets as we walk out of the stores and pretty much everyone drops money in. Now let’s jump ahead a month. Those same people that you served during the holidays are still hungry. They’re still homeless and they still need our help. I need to apologize if I’m offending anyone. What I want you to recognize is helping during the holidays is great. The fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to give back is great! But….. don’t make it just about the holidays. Giving your time, your treasure, and yourself to help people in need is something that should be done all year long. I’m about to be completely transparent right now. My mom was an amazing woman. When I was a teenager- she gave herself to help people less fortunate. She volunteered at a local shelter. She cooked, cleaned, and did whatever they needed. She asked me to go. I didn’t. Being a typical selfish teenager, I thought I had better things to do. My mom didn’t force me to go. Sometimes I wish she had. I started volunteering at The Bridge Ministry almost 2 years ago. What an amazing experience it has been. The first few weeks I cried almost every Tuesday. I cried because it was heartbreaking and I cried because I saw people worshipping God and giving their lives to Him even in the worst situations. It humbled me more than I could have ever imagined. I decided to take my kids down there to volunteer so they could give back. Unlike me, my kids wanted to go, in fact they go whenever their schedule allows. I’m so grateful that they aren’t like I was.  Giving back doesn’t take that much time.  An hour or 2 once a week can make such a difference in someone’s life. Reach inside yourself and give back to our community. That’s why we’re here.