peace

Simple PLEASURES

/ Dora Hiers / 15 Comments

Can you believe that we’re well into November already? Sheesh! Sneeze, and the holiday season will be upon us and we’ll be staring at this. 

Our Christmas tree last year

Nice, huh? But do you notice the pressure beginning to mount right about now? A lump that slides down your throat? Or a slight catch in your breath?

Yeah, me, too. Writing deadlines. Thinking of perfect gift ideas. Venturing out among the swarm of holiday shoppers and fighting traffic (I don’t do traffic well). Holiday parties. Baking. Cleaning the house…

You fill in the blank for your family. The never ending to-do list is enough to make a person want to crawl back under the covers and hide until the season’s over. Right?

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, 
whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Isaiah 26:3 TLB


I kind of lose my balance on those days that I miss my sweet communion with Him, don’t you? I firmly believe that God knows how much I miss worshiping at His feet, and He gives me simple pleasures to dwell on His goodness throughout the day. Like these:

The soothing sound of a fountain or the peacefulness of a quick walk around the park

A comforting cup of hot chocolate


Warm, fuzzy slippers

A perfect, North Carolina blue sky

Crazy animal antics

A hug or smile from one of these sweeties

Simple pleasures that mean so much. Simple pleasures that take my mind off of insignificant details and the busyness of the season, and help me focus on Him and His love for us. 
What are the simple pleasures God plants in your path every day?
How do you destress during the holidays?


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E is for Envy…

/ Dora Hiers / 19 Comments
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. 
Prov 14:30 NIV

What does that person do for a living to afford that?
Wow! Would you look at that house! Wouldn’t you love to live there?
Why did my co-worker snag the promotion? I was more qualified.

Do you fall into the “envy” trap? 
Confession time! I admit that sometimes I do. Maybe I haven’t said those particular words. Mine would sound more like…
What? That writer can crank out 5,000 words in a day? How is that possible? I’m not sure I can think that fast, let alone type! or
You sold 100 books at a booksigning? or
She snagged a multi-book contract on her first try?
Insert heavy sigh here. When I hear about these tremendous accomplishments, I cringe and immediately wonder what’s wrong with me. Why can’t I write that fast? When it comes to speed, I’m definitely not going to break any records. I count it a good day if I manage to eek out over 1,000 words. To sell 100 books at one time? That number hasn’t even filtered into my dreams yet. I was thrilled to snag a contract for one book, and I lost track of the years and how many rejections it took to get that. 

If I dwell on those things, I become cranky, ungrateful, and dissatisfied with the journey I’m on.
Envy rots the bones.

Oh Lord, I so don’t want to go down that road.

“My precious daughter, don’t you know by now that I love you just the way you are?” A tiny voice whispers in my heart, convicting me that envy is not from God. “You are fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14 NIV) 


Fearfully and wonderfully made? Yowzers! 

No, God didn’t equip me to crank out 5k in a day, but He created me, shaped me into the person I am, unique and one-of-a-kind, precious in His sight. How my complaining and comparing must hurt Him! 

Ouch!

I’m so sorry, precious Lord. Please forgive me. Guard my heart from envy. Don’t allow it to seep into my life and settle into my bones. I will praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

What about you? Do you fall into the “envy” trap?

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When Distractions Clamor…

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
Recently, hubby and I purchased a new car. Before that, I drove a Ford Explorer, which I loved, but now that it’s mostly me and the dog tooling around, it seemed pointless to drive such a big car. And gas? Sheesh, nothing like watching $70 drain out of a tank, right?

Our new baby ~a Hyundai Santa Fe
So when the Explorer got to be of age, I determined to find a car with better gas mileage, but it had to be sporty and big enough to accommodate Bruiser, our full-figured Golden Retriever.

What do you think? Isn’t she adorable?

I could ramble all day about the features. Heated seats, shiftronic capability (the ability to switch between automatic and stick~don’t get me going on that!), great gas mileage, and …

An electronic digital display estimates my average miles per gallon. What?? Do you know that you can boost your gas mileage by taking your foot off the accelerator, just for a minute, or shifting into a higher gear? Well, I am all over that! That’s why I got the car, right? 
So, instead of focusing on the road, I honed in on that blue line, getting all giddy as it edged closer to 50 mpg. I mean, really. How cool is that? 

But then a honk would get my attention. Or moseying off the side of the road…

We do that with God sometimes, don’t we? Allow distractions to take our gaze off Him? 

Forgot the birthday gift for the party this weekend. Basketball practice tonight, and the kid can’t go without new sneakers. (OK, well that’s not on my list anymore, but it may be on yours!) If the laundry doesn’t get washed soon, you’ll be out of ____(you fill in the blank!). If the lawn grows any higher, you’ll be killing snakes. A forgotten blog post won’t write itself.

Sometimes God gives us a gentle nudge to draw us back to Him. Other times, we may need something a little stronger. But, get our attention, He will. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 26:3 (NIV):

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, 
because they trust in you.” 

Perfect peace sounds great to me. What about you? But my focus, my mind, needs to be honed on Him, not on the constant clamors for my attention.


So what to do…what to do…when all I can hear is the constant hammering of voices and chores calling my name?

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart 
and shattered the rocks before the Lord, 
but the Lord was not in the wind. 
After the wind there was an earthquake, 
but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 
After the earthquake came a fire, 
but the Lord was not in the fire. 
And after the fire came 
a gentle whisper.”
1 King 19:11b-12 (NIV)


That’s where God is. That’s where I’ll find rest, that perfect peace…in the quiet times spent cuddling on His lap, leaning closer to Him, listening for His sweet, gentle whisper.


Oh, Lord, when the world’s loud and all I can think about is how much I haven’t done, help me keep my focus on You. Help me to always seek You, to meet with You, to be open to Your priorities for my life. Don’t allow distractions to take my gaze off of You. 
Bless my words, Oh Lord, both spoken and written. All the glory belongs to You. Amen.