Peace!

In this crazy fast paced world where do you find peace? Peace is essential for our well-being. But how do you find it? Where do you find it?

When I awakened today, I didn't feel well. I felt unbalanced, weak and had an upset stomach. Not a good way to start the day. So I proceeded to find peace to balance my day.  I made a smoothie and carried it with my Bible devotion book outside to the gazebo. The gazebo on a nice day is my quiet, comfortable place.  I added some music and was on my way.  In Philippians 4, Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, 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.” This verse that I memorized years ago has brought me much comfort.  However, since I've been fighting Parkinson's disease, the anxiety has raised its ugly head. I found myself asking how? How do you NOT be anxious about anything? How do you trust when everything around you is screaming pain? I found my answer in the next verse. Philippians 4:8 says, " Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“  That's the key! When you are anxious, put your mind on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. My grandma used to say, "Count your blessings. Name them one by one." When you do that, before you know it, the anxiety has slipped away.

I'm reading a book by Dr. Caroline Leaf entitled , "Who's Switched off My Brain". She states, "toxic thoughts are like poison, but the good news is you can break the cycle of toxic thinking. You can reverse the effects of toxic thoughts and once that cycle of toxic thinking has been broken, your thoughts can actually start to improve every area of your life—your relationships, your health and even your success”.

A friend once gave me an easy reminder to help me control my thoughts. She called it the “TAB” method.  Thinking affects attitude which affects our behavior. How do we control our thinking? We go back to Philippians 4:8: Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy…and think about THOSE things.  It’s a choice we make.

So find your quite comfortable place. Think about “those” things and let His peace prevail!