Instead of April Fool's Day, let's make it April Truth-filled Day!

Our kids know what fake news and liars look and act like. Let's show them what truth, honesty and wisdom look like today and every day! <3

From USA Today, today!
"If you think an April Fool's joke would be funny today, you are wrong. This is not the time.

First off: April Fool’s jokes aren’t jokes. There is never a set up nor a payoff. They usually involve lying to people, and then making them feel stupid. They are not jokes, they are lies.
Which means they usually suck. And on this year, of all years: Do not do them.

It is the worst possible time. We are living in the second chapter of a post-apocalyptic novel right now. As a society we are collectively stressed, anxious, having weird nightmares, locked in our homes with an invisible enemy out there making our loved ones sick, or worse. That’s the healthy of us. Those suffering, well, their pain is significantly worse. We don’t need pranks right now. If ever there were a time NOT for pranks, this is it."

I Promise You: True Peace is Possible

I know that true peace from the true peace that was modeled for me by my "peace-filled" mom. Tough times didn’t overtake her peace. It almost seemed she was in a bubble of peace that no-one or no-thing could pop that bubble. I’m so grateful she modeled that peace for me, because that’s the peace I abide in, cultivate daily, and am adamant about living in that peace. I am so passionate about living in that peace that I titled my daily blog: MyPeaceZone.com

My children and grandchildren are aware of my absolute insistence on that peace. They’ll see me remove myself from atmospheres not conducive to peace. Sounds a little over-the-top, doesn’t it? Especially when we’re supposed to be peacemakers in controversy or disagreements. I’ve come to realize that often being a “peacemaker” is more about silence than speaking. Jesus set a good example of that “walk-away” when He was persecuted, spoken negatively about, or when others were antagonizing Him.

Life was hard for my mom as our only breadwinner, caring for my very sick daddy and me. She lived in those times and so did I, as a child, and later in dealing with and overcoming life struggles and caring for my very sick husband. Life can be really hard for all of us. Sometimes it’s easy to despair over finding peace when trouble seems to lurk around every corner. When hard times come, the easiest thing to do is allow our many emotions to rule our hearts and mind. Peace seems to be the emotion we sense the least when life turns topsy-turvy. But that sure isn’t God’s plan. He gave us the answer to those emotional highs and lows and days that are anything but peaceful. He gave us the rock-solid PEACE possibility right in the midst of the most tumultuous storms.

Peace is His perfect will for us. That peace is a state of quiet or tranquility in the middle of anxious thoughts, emotions and trials. This kind of peace that God gives….remains. It’s not something that comes and goes depending on our circumstances. Since God gives it, that divine peace should be governing our lives in all things at all times. When the things of life start to throw us into a state of anxiety and tummy jitters – you know -- that stack of bills, the washing machine breaks down, relationship disappointment, that speech we must deliver to a large crowd or anxious feelings of inadequacy -- we can still find peace.

Here’s the good news: We can have that kind of peace. Jesus told His disciples, "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" (John 14:27). Sounds like a command to me! The peace Christ gives is fully satisfying. It’s peace of mind, heart, body and soul. It’s contentment knowing that no matter what happens, we are in the care of the Almighty. The outcome will be His plan for our good.

In times of doubt and fear, let peace rule. Resting in God’s promises gives us the hope we need to stay focused on Him and His faithfulness, instead of on our circumstances. One way we can be certain that we’ve really placed our trust in God is when we experience an indescribable peace. I know that peace and it’s my absolute requirement for where I go, who I hang out with, and what decisions I am trying to make. No peace – no God. Know peace – know God! Perfect peace.

This is one of my mainstay scriptures. I urge you to join me in “My Peace Zone”. It is such a blessed and sweet place to be. Demand it. Refuse other options. "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!" (Isaiah 26:3)

When It Seems Impossible NOT to Worry

I know worrying is counterproductive to anything we are pursuing and are believing for, but sometimes it’s just impossible NOT to have “spells” of worrying. We can apply “mind over matter” to the task of not worrying and boldly declare: “I will not worry. I will not worry." But then, here it comes again -- those tinges of worry slip through the crack of our heart’s door.

Winston Churchill said, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never.” That describes the enemy of our souls who doesn't give up on creating anxiety and worry. I’ll never forget the woodpecker that caused us to worry about the side of our home being devoured by this beautiful, yet determined bird. I think Churchill’s quote was the rallying call for that woodpecker that decided the side of our home was perfect for his machine-gun beak exercises. I remember running out the door with a broomstick waving at him like a crazy lady. He’d fly away. Yay! Silence. For one whole minute. I would no sooner go back inside and he was back at it. I ran out the door again and he fluttered away to the neighbor’s fence. I knew he was smirking; I could feel it. By the time I was back inside, he was back at the siding, probably laughing. I don’t remember how we resolved our “bird” issues, but eventually, the machine-gun stopped.

This story, from well over 20 years ago, came flooding back to my memory when I heard someone telling about their own machine-gun woodpecker. Those woodpeckers reminded me of the worries that kept coming to my mind, usually in the middle of the night. The doubts and fears fluttered in, and I would fervently try to figure out a solution. It would be incessant, troubling and, burdensome -- just like that annoying woodpecker. After hours of sleep deprivation, I’d remember: God is God, and I am not, which meant that I had a decision to make. I could continue to let that woodpecker AND my other many worries get to me or I could let go, and let God do what He is best at. What I’ve come to know is worrying gets us nowhere and gives us nothing but sleepless nights and destroys our peace of mind.

God’s Word says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Aw! Our best defense against annoying birds and circumstances that "drill" on our minds to steal sweet sleep from us, is praying and applying God’s Word to the situation. When we find the enemy drilling holes through constant worry, we can cover those vulnerable places with prayer and God’s Word, which redirects our thoughts and keeps us focused on Jesus. God promises that when we release our worries and turn instead to prayer, He will give us His peace that’s beyond anything we can understand. His peace will guard our hearts and minds against the anxieties that can be as persistent as that woodpecker. The woodpecker eventually went away which is a good reminder to be diligent in prayer and not let worries flutter back and nest in our heads.

Dear Lord, it’s so easy to fall into worry. When our fears and worries are drilling in our minds, help us to stop trying to fix everything ourselves. Please teach us to turn to You in prayer, trust You to be in charge and let Your peace reign over us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, Amen.

Going With the Flow When It's Slow

Yesterday, Alexia and I left Austin early to beat the morning traffic. As we took to the highway, I said "At least it isn't raining.....". Famous last words, because no sooner than I said those words, it started to mist but we were still on time to make it to Waco by 8:20 am and home by 10-ish. But as we were approaching Temple, TX.....torrential rain came with snail-paced, to dead-stopped traffic. Road construction plus flooding was the culprit. There was absolutely no complaining from Alexia who was cuddled in the seat, sound asleep. Oh, how I remember, as a kid, sleeping while my dad drove through rain and storms and feeling so safe and protected and enjoying the rhythm of the windshield wipers and the rain hitting the windows.

I never became anxious about the delay, because I've learned that it's times like this that we have an option: to get all tangled up in complaining and fuming or just "go with the flow when it's slow" or when our best laid plans are interrupted or delayed or are even cancelled. There's something to be said about the rhythms of our lives. There will be slow times, upbeat times, times that are merry and other times when we experience sadness or weariness, and a mellow song best describes how we feel.

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Timing really is everything, but most importantly, God wants us to get into His timing and rhythms -- those strong, regular, repeated patterns of patience, calmness, tolerance, self-restraint, composure, perseverance, persistence, endurance, tenacity, determination, gratitude, resolve and peacefulness. In all seriousness, there are just way too many people who are OUT OF GOD'S RHYTHM and out of control. They are demanding, impatient, antagonistic, edgy, ungrateful and intolerant. They think it's okay to be nasty and hateful. That's certainly not His rhythm. I want to live on His side of the sweet music that He makes -- because when we are in tune with Him, we'll recognize all those folks, situations and circumstances that want to take us out of rhythm with Him and we'll resist that music with everything that's in us.

So, let's go with the flow when it's slow; let's go with the beat when it's sweet; let's sing a victory song when the day is long. Since God, Himself, is the source of music, He wants us to get into His rhythm that dances, sings, lives and breathes His character and His ways. .

Be AnxIous for Nothing (No-Thing)!

Notice the letter in the middle of the word "anxious" -- it's an I. When I am handling MY affairs, when I am the one in charge, when I rely on myself for the outcome of MY decisions and plans, then I can easily get ANXIOUS about every-thing!

Yesterday, I practiced those words “Be anxious for NO-thing” -- without the I. This follows my blog from Tuesday about handling life's stuff that comes our way with freedom from anxiety. I was taking the next step on my faith journey of hopefully moving the closing process for my new home, but because of the hailstorm damages, couldn't close today as was originally planned. I, along with Larry, my son, and the repair guy were to meet the insurance adjuster at 3:00 pm. We waited and waited....for over an hour, but he never showed up. More delays on this process. I'll admit I said things like "Whatever happened to quality customer service when you call and let people know you are running late or delayed?" But, then I realized, maybe, once again, this isn't an adjuster issue, it's an opportunity issue for me to "Be anxious for nothing (no thing)". Realizing he wasn’t going to show up, I went home to the Wallace's and Denise asked, "How did it go?" My reply was "I am anxious for no thing! And this is just a THING."

Here’s some very good teaching from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. He gives us one of those “DO NOT” commands (certainly NOT a suggestion) to be anxious for nothing (no thing). By the way, let’s put his words into perspective. He wrote this letter from the dingy, wet, cold confines of a prison cell but rather than be whiny, wimpy, cranky and sulky, he dismissed his reasons for anxiety and was able to find the peace of God. How could he do that when he had all the reasons in the world to be anxious about every-thing? If we would apply Paul’s words to our circumstances, whatever they are, then we would get the results he had. This is what we can expect for ridding ourselves of the anxiety issues that stress us out, make us angry at others, and keep us from joy and peace. Paul said in Philippians 4:6-8 "Do not be anxious about ANY-THING, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Paul lived by example for you and me. He showed us how to trust God in all things….even in a prison cell or having a flat tire, or a missed appointment, or a bounced check, or a negative health report. He said "Do NOT be ANXIOUS about any-THING!" When we have the mindset “It’s nothing but a thing,” we take on a heavenly perspective and eliminate needless anxiety and can settle in to our confidence in God’s words in Romans 8:28 – “ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” So I’m declaring “These THINGS may be just things, but in God's grand scheme of THINGS, they all have have purposes for blessings ahead!”