|
Greetings!
"Without a deep inner state of quietness, one becomes prey to tension, worry
and ill health. A song, a sunset, moonlight, the sea washing on a sandy
shore-all give a temporary feeling of peace, but they lack the power to
penetrate the inner recesses of your soul. Repeat the scripture passage above
and feel a complete sense of peace permeate your spirit.
When tense or restless, sit quietly and let the power of God's word
pass unhindered through your thoughts."
Norman Vincent Peale
Peace be with you! These are the first words the risen Jesus says to his disciples when meeting them for the first time.
"Peace be with you!" - Luke 24:36
The very word 'peace' in the supreme sense, signifies the Lord, thus causing joy and happiness to Divinely flow through the innermost places of our hearts and minds. When peace dwells within us, we radiate and invite others to become peaceful with us. When we allow daily situations to cause our thoughts to stray toward negativity, we create turmoil as we begin to disconnect from God and others.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest. - Isaiah 32:18
We are living in 'peaceful dwelling places' moment to moment, and yet we allow negative emotional disturbances to interfere with our peace. This makes me think: why would I allow such an intrusion to create turmoil and occupy this sacred d welling place within me?
Lately, I've been praying for peace - to recognize it, feel it and embrace it so it lingers longer within me and around me. I noticed that when my mind is filled with thoughts of Jesus, there is no room for doubts, worries, fear, resentments, judgments, idolatry, or any other type of negative emotion that only leads to anxiety. Peace only lives in me when God lives in me. The breath of God dwells within each and every one of us.
"As long as life is in me, and the breath of God is in my nose." - Job 27:3
One day, while juggling my over-booked schedule of appointments and projects, I noticed how my body felt like it was out of air. I took three deep breaths and realized I had only done this once in the span of an hour. Each time I completed a deep breath, I noticed that I hadn't actually been breathing very much at all. Every time I took a deep breath, I'd go straight back to short shallow breathing. I suggest that you stop whatever you are doing right now to notice how you are breathing. Then try this:
Take a deep breath in - all the way to the deepest part of your lungs and allow them to expand using your stomach to notice the expansion. Then release this deep breath by breathing out slowly. Do this three times, and when you do, breathe out worry, fear, resentment, doubt or any other negative thought that may have taken over. As you breathe back in deeply and completely, breathe in Gods loving breath. In doing so, you are creating a sacred dwelling place for you and Jesus to reside there - for prayer and peace to dwell.
The Spirit of God has made me. And the breath of the
All-powerful gives me life. - Job 33:4
Breathing is natural for us, and yet we've allowed other influences to take over, instead of allowing the breath of the Lord our God to be there with us. A simple breath can become a prayer and deepen your connection to God. Imagine this: you breathe in God's love and you breathe out God's love and peace for those around you to sense and emulate.
 In these days that follow the risen Christ, it is spring and it is an active, growing and joyful season. Like bulbs bursting through the earth and trees blooming with flowers and leaves, each breath we take is but a seed of peace that blooms from within and rise up and out to one another.
Dr. Peale has great insight on what it takes to be filled with peace. He says:
"Fill Your Mind Full of Peace. Getting peace of mind isn't complicated. You merely feed your mind with thoughts that cause it to be peaceful. Practice thinking a carefully selected series of peaceful thoughts. Fill your mind with all the peaceful experiences possible, then make planned and deliberate excursions to them in memory. For example, visualize some beautiful valley filled with the hush of evening time, as the shadows lengthen and the sun sinks to rest. Or, recall the silvery light of the moon falling gently upon soft shores of sand." This excerpt is from The Power of Positive Thinking.
Another step toward peace, is to fill your mind with Jesus. To discover the secret to finding peace in the midst of everyday stresses and challenges CLICK HERE and tranquility can be yours!
Negative emotions can sometimes get the best of us. There is a wonderful booklet that actu ally addresses these negative emotions that threaten our peace.
Did you know that any emotion is removable? Anger is removable, and so is depression, hatred, prejudice, and even inferiority complex. Once you fully understand this concept, you are ready to make important changes in you life. You really can have peace! This booklet will help you find lasting peace of mind. It will help you drive out dark shadows of apprehension and deepen your sense of confidence.
| 
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. 
