peace – Page 5 – Amy Linnea

Blessings and Details

Published on December 5, 2014June 4, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Smiling eyes

A helping hand

An opened door from a stranger

A handsome lunch date

Money for groceries

A giant beautiful Christmas tree

My warm cozy house

Baking cookies from my grandmother’s handwritten recipes

Music that fills the air

The sights and sounds of Christmas

A job I adore

Love from my precious family

Anticipation of a beautiful future

Forgiveness from my God

Blessings from a tiny slice of my life

What are yours? Written them down yet?

God is generously blessing our socks off.

Feast your eyes.

Drink in His goodness.

Make your list of blessings and details.

You’ll be astounded at all God has done for you.

Photos by Rodion Kutsaiev, Osman Rana, & Roman Trofimiuk on Unsplash

Obvious

Published on October 11, 2014June 4, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

It should be obvious I am Your child, Lord.

That I spend time with You.

Sweet Jesus, please give me Your eyes.

I want to see things through Your lens.

Your filter.

I want to see things as they really are.

Not as I imagine them to be.

Help me see Your ways working.

Silence the things I imagine as they are not of You.

Allow me to see only what You want me to see.

And Lord, please give me Your ears.

Help me to hear Your thoughts.

Only.

Your ways.

Your ideas.

Your truth.

Only.

Filter out the noise demanding my focus.

Silence the thoughts in my head that question actions and words of others.

Let me hear the pure sound of their love and Yours.

And let them hear mine.

Let me be Your hands and feet.

I want to bless others as You have blessed me.

Put Your hand over my mouth when I’m tempted to speak ill.

Give me words to speak when You have something to say.

Close my ears to lies and open my ears to the truth.

Cleanse me from the inside out.

I have absolutely nothing without You.

But with You, I have everything.

Photos by Wim van ‘t Einde, Natalie Thornley, & Kevin Young on Unsplash

Only Human

Published on September 24, 2014June 4, 2023 by amylinnea3 Comments

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite.

Fraud.

Someone who writes well and doesn’t listen to what she writes.

Well, I’m only human.

Not perfect. Not even close.

Life is real.

Emotions are real.

Expectations are real.

We are forced every moment to make a decision.

Are we going to choose life or choose death?

Are we going to worry and obsess or are we going to throw things back to God.

I sometimes choose to worry and obsess.

I know, time to get real.

It’s so natural though, isn’t it?

When I find myself falling back into worry, when my mind walks down that path, my head hurts and my emotions are in the toilet.

I am convinced life is over – not really, but you get the idea.

Then my mind returns to the things I have written.

God’s plan for my life.

Does He have my back or doesn’t He?

Do I truly believe He has my best interest at heart, or do I not?

It matters.

A whole lot, it does.

It’s the difference between light and darkness.

Life and death.

When you choose to truly believe God has it under control, your body chooses life.

Peace enters your precious mind and your body is at rest.

When you decide to obsess and keep control, your body chooses death.

Your body tenses, hopelessness takes over, and you are full of angst.

We’re only human.

I’m only human, and while my mind knows the truth, I sometimes walk down the path of death.

I pay for it with my lack of peace.

But here’s the good news: once I purpose to throw things back to God and let Him take care of it, His peace always returns.

Every time.

It’s ok to make mistakes.

Yep, it is.

Just own them and turn back.

Completely.

Run back into the arms of God.

Because He’s smiling at you, waiting to keep you safe and sound under His feathers.

Photos by Artem Kovalev, boram Kim, Jorge Franco, & S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash

Seeing God

Published on September 23, 2014June 3, 2023 by amylinnea11 Comments

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me cup again. Psalm 71:20

Ever see God work?

Witness His marvelous plan unfold?

Take a breath and look around.

He’s working in your children’s hearts.

He’s organizing your thoughts.

He’s ordering your steps.

He’s revealing nuggets of wisdom just when you need them.

He’s providing a way through life.

He’s solving your mini issues which can overwhelm any person.

Your precious life is in His hands and He’s actively showing you the way.

You knew He would.

Come through.

Deep down, you knew.

Yet you still allow stress to step into your mind, completely distracting you.

Did you catch that?

We allow stress to literally step inside our mind and take over.

Completely distracting.

Hmmmmm…….

Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite authors.

Been reading his devotional for years.

His words are steeped with truth:

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret. and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

I want my family to be stamped with the presence of God.

Imagine if we all submitted to God and asked Him to work through us each and every day.

How blessed we and our families would be.

Not to mention everyone else God places in your path.

I’m in.

Are you?

Photos by Johannes Plenio, Ameen Fahmy, Riccardo Annandale, & Bernard Hermant on Unsplash

Seeing Love

Published on August 21, 2014June 3, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

If love stared you in the face, would you see it?

How bout if it looked a different way?

Can you see love in the way it arrives at your doorstep?

If it’s dressed unexpectedly, can you even see it to appreciate it’s warmth and tenderness?

How do you see love?

Words of affirmation?

Hugs or a squeeze of the hand?

Time – uninterrupted or hanging out with others?

Helpful acts of kindness which lift your load?

Unexpected flowers that grace your table?

It matters.

How you see love.

But don’t let that grab you and cloud your vision.

I’m serious.

How do you give love?

Same way you see it?

We tend to see love ONLY when it mirrors the way we give it away.

Pick up some more mirrors.

So you can see all the ways love is spoken to your heart.

Because love is shared in multiple different ways.

If you’re not seeing the love, look for it in a different form.

Because I’m guessing it’s there.

In a big way.

Go find it and be blessed.

Then scoop up the love and give it right back from your precious little heart.

Photos from Beto Galetto, Ryan ‘O’ Niel, & Pin Adventure Map at Unsplash

It Starts With You

Published on August 6, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. Psalm 52:8

Everything.

How will you respond to what life throws at you?

When stress stares you in the face, how will you behave?

Panicky?

Unable to breathe?

Grumpy pants?

If that’s your response, your body will respond in fear.

You will lash out in anger.

At the very least, your mood will be in the toilet.

You will think everything is impossible.

Peace.

Calm within the storm.

You can choose to dwell on the promises of God or not.

If you do, God will be with you in the midst of the smallest infraction.

Or the giant storms, too.

And when He’s with you, He gives you unbelievable peace.

Life might be in a whirlwind, but you can stand without falling in the center, because God is there with you.

At the end of this week, my beloved and I are marrying.

So incredible.

God has blessed us with each other.

Along with these amazing weeks comes work.

Lots of work.

Packing and moving.

Combining and organizing our new home.

Wedding details.

Children and their sweet needs.

Start of school.

Putting together my classroom.

Normal family stuff like meals.

(how bout cereal for dinner?)

Brain space becomes extremely limited with the to do list.

Small tasks look enormous.

But God is in control.

He is fully able to cross every t and dot every i for me.

For us.

I just have to ask.

So do you.

Let Him take your worries, big or small.

He’ll take care of them as He walks beside you.

And focus on your blessings.

The incredible moments God brings to you as He fills your heart’s desire.

And joy will be your companion as you walk down the path of life God has for you.

Photos by Jakob Owens, Katie Moum, DESIGNECOLOGIST, & Greg Shield on Unsplash

Contentment

Published on August 4, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Waiting on God.

Trusting the process.

Surrendering – and finding peace along the way.

That’s contentment.

Are you content?

Peaceful?

Or are you filled with anxious thoughts?

What if nothing ever changed in your life ever again.

What then.

Would you be miserable all the rest of your born days?

Maybe. Some people are like that.

They hate their life and refuse to do anything about it.

Or they hate their lot in life and unless they wake up in a new body and lifestyle with everything going their way, they will never be content.

So what if God told you this was as good as it was going to get?

Would you be utterly disappointed?

I have to admit I would be.

I have things I’d really love to do.

Living on the beach is at the top of my list!

Don’t laugh, it is, but that in itself would not cause me my greatest disappointment.

But that will be solved in a matter of days when I marry my beloved. !

Psalm 37 reminds us if we trust in God, He will give us the desires of our heart.

When you align yourself with God’s heart, the desires He places in you are His.

But it doesn’t say He gives us the desires of our hearts whenever we demand them.

God will deem the perfect time to reveal His plan for you.

In the mean time, are you content in waiting?

Happy to let God be God?

Or are you griping at every passing unfulfilled moment.

Maybe, just maybe, God is refining you in the process.

Maybe He is teaching you to trust.

Maybe He is testing you.

Pass the test with flying colors.

Then, when you least expect it, God will be there in the midst of your contentment, handing you His plan on a silver platter.

And the timing will be perfect.

Photos by Mark König, José Pinto, & Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

Don’t You Dare Stumble!

Published on July 24, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinnea5 Comments

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. Psalm 54:4

Ever feel like you are trying too hard?

Like you are holding everyone and everything up by yourself?

It’s precarious.

One small bump and everything can come crashing down.

Falling into pieces.

One word.

Don’t.

Let God carry everything.

He holds the entire world in His hands.

He can hold your world too.

You can’t control circumstances.

Reactions are others to give.

Yes, you can do your best.

And you should.

But leave the results up to God.

Stand in His peace, knowing He has your back.

He’s got it.

He’s in your hands as you care for your children.

He’s in your words.

Actions.

And prayers.

I know, I’ve said this before.

Many times.

But we all need reminders, don’t we?

And here it is:

God’s got this.

He’s in charge, you are not.

So let Him carry whatever it is that is bothering your precious mind.

And just simply be.

Photos by Don Starkey, benjamin hershey, & Jose Francisco Morales on Unsplash

Gently Leading

Published on June 10, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Psalm 119:1

How does a shepherd lead his sheep?

Building trust and gently leading them home.

Protecting their every step along the way.

The shepherd’s physical presence leads by example.

How are you leading your family?

Gently leading by example? Loving them for who they are?

Providing a restful haven in a world full of chaos?

Or are you demanding they follow you.

Prodding with a giant stick, forcing them to obey your agenda.

Sometimes it’s not so dramatically obvious.

Your temper, your reactions, how you cope with life.

The grace with which you embrace life is what they see or don’t see.

Do I want to be like you, they ask.

Are your beliefs something I want to hold dear as well, they ponder.

You are an example of God to your children.

He uses you to reach them.

God’s mercy and love must flow from your lips and hands.

God disciplines us as well, but His motives are pure.

His ways are perfect.

As human parents, we make mistakes.

We fail our children on a regular basis.

Do we try our best? Usually.

But unless we ask God to fill us with His parenting wisdom, we will rely on our own strength, which, I can tell you, is faulty.

Weak.

Flawed.

I desperately want my children to seek the face of God.

To know Him personally.

Fully.

Intimately.

Because they see God through me, I must reign in my own self, for God’s light to shine.

I must allow God to use me for His purpose – to parent His children.

Comes down to watching my lips, my hands, my eyes.

I must be like a shepherd leading his sheep home to safety.

To rest.

Not demanding one thing while acting like another.

As we ask God to pour Himself into us and our families, our children will take root and those roots will produce fruit for years to come.

Might not see it for awhile, but it will come.

And it will be very good.

Photos by Tanner Yould, Sam Carter, Judith Prins, & Antonello Falcone on Unsplash

Utter Selfishness

Published on May 29, 2014April 10, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. Proverbs 20:11

I stood face to face with selfishness last week.

Utter full-blown rebellion, actually.

It was ugly. Super ugly.

It screamed in my face, demanding attention.

Demanding I cater to it’s selfish whims.

And when I refused, the reaction was not pretty.

The many witnesses saw how not to act.

How silly it looks to demand one’s way so obnoxiously.

And me, I was thankful the child was only mine during the school day.

But then it hit me – selfishness stinks in any form.

Am I different then the child in my school room?

When I put my own needs before others, I’m no different.

My demands might not be so obvious.

And when I don’t get my way, I never scream.

But sometimes I’m selfish.

And that stinks.

It’s hard to continually place other’s needs before your own.

As parents, we know too well how little time we have for ourselves.

Precious time.

But the next time you are interrupted by someone’s needs,

don’t have an instant reaction to gripe.

Pour yourself out.

Because with God’s strength, you’ll never run out.

God will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is focused on Him.

Photos by TK & Linoleum Creative Collective on Unsplash

Thankfulness

Published on May 18, 2014April 10, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12

It’s easy to thank God when times are good.

When life is smooth, it’s easy to raise our hands to heaven, thanking the One who created all things.

How ’bout when life turns ugly?

When your life hits a speed bump and you are thrown to the ground, what then?

Are we still required to give thanks during those winter months?

Yep.

Seriously?

Uh-huh.

When God places a boulder in your path, thank Him for giving you directions around it.

When God moves you firmly out of one job into another, thank Him for rescuing you.

When God lifts you up and places you down in an entirely different life, thank Him for His protection.

You have no idea what God is protecting you from when He changes your course….your direction.

Thank Him.

He knows all things and is more aware than you realize.

Change your perspective. Begin thanking Him for the storms in your life.

Storms are when God shows up in powerful ways.

Sure, He’s there in times of sunshine as well, it’s just harder to see Him work.

When life is smooth sailing, you don’t need God as much.

When life is hunky dory, dependence on yourself increases. You become less thankful of the good things, because they surround you.

During storms, little pops of glory are obvious, filling our thankful hearts with hope.

Cultivate a heart of thankfulness. Regularly communicate your gratitude during your constant conversation with the One who created all things. The One who orchestrates the music of the universe.

I guarantee your attitude will shift and peace will return to your soul.

God has a plan. And He will reveal it to you in due time.

In the meantime, thank Him. Because we owe Him everything.

Everything.

Photos by Ben White, Vladimir Fedotov, & Zwaddi on Unsplash

Already On Its Way

Published on April 20, 2014April 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. Psalm 103:17-18