Peace

Emotion Gone Wild

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We were not meant to be slaves

to our emotions

 

but rather

 

surrenders of those emotions,

subjecting them to God’s authority

 

These raw and beautiful feelings

are an important part of experiencing life

 

and they are one of God’s gifts

to our hearts

 

but they are not meat to rule

our minds

 

Sadness

happiness

joy

anger…

 

they all express

life here in this

broken

and beautiful

world

 

And we aren’t to look at them

as bad

 

when the negative emotions come,

 

but allowing them to rule

in a dominant way

 

 

makes us out to be

victims

out-of-control

helpless….

 

and

we

are

NOT

 

We, my brothers and sisters,

are Holy Spirit influenced

 

and not emotion driven

 

Our feelings and emotions allow expression

but they are not in charge

 

of who we are

 

We take feelings that threaten to overtake us

into captivity by His Divine mind

and heart

 

and we rest

and submit

and offer

 

every bit of ourselves,

which includes emotion,

 

to HIM

 

We are not meant to stay stuck

in anger

or sadness

or worry

or even grief

 

but are meant to experience

unexplainable peace

 

when they threaten

to overtake

 

We allow the emotion to express,

but not take us over

 

and certainly not cause us

to sin

 

Surrendered emotion

under God’s authority,

 

captive to His love, joy, and peace

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.

– Proverbs 29:11 (GW)

 

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 (NLT)

 

Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

– Romans 12:2 (VOICE)

 

A time to cry, a time to laugh; a time to mourn, a time to dance;

– Ecclesiastes 3:4 (VOICE)

 

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

– Ephesians 4:26,27 (MSG)

 

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit.

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (VOICE)

 

Jesus wept.

– John 11:35 (NIV)

 

…we take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:5 (GW)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

 

Dwell

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Where do you dwell?

 

Not

where do you live?

 

But

where do you dwell?

 

Your mind

your spirit

your being

 

where does it dwell?

 

The importance of this

awakened me this morning

 

and I chose

where I would dwell today

 

You see,

our thoughts

can so easily be taken captive

 

by negativity

by being offended

by judgment

by hopelessness

by anger

by bitterness

 

by sin

 

Instead,

let US take our thoughts

captive

 

and make them obedient to Christ

Let us shift the focus

 

to goodness

to beauty

to gratefulness

to healing

to peace

to surrender

to hope

 

to the power

in His Name

that is ours!

 

Dwell in His courts

live in His goodness

 

Always keep coming back

to your Royal dwelling place

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

– Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

 

Let us go to His dwelling place,
    let us worship at His footstool

– Psalm 132:7 (NIV)

 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

– Revelation 21:3 (NIV)

 

One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek Him in His temple.

– Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

 

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.

– Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

 

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.

– Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

– 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

 

 

 

 

 

That Name

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Love has a Name

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know Him if you don’t love. This is how God showed His love for us: God sent His only Son into the world so we might live through Him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.  ~ 1 John 4:8-10 (MSG)

It’s Jesus

 

 

Hope has a Name

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.  ~ Romans 15:13 (NLT)

It’s Jesus

 

 

Joy has a Name

You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.
    As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,
    and I know true joy and contentment.  ~ Psalm 16:11 (VOICE)

It’s Jesus

 

 

Peace has a Name

And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you.  ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (VOICE)

It’s Jesus

 

 

Faithfulness has a Name

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.  ~ 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT)

It’s Jesus

 

 

And at that Name,

above all names,

every knee will bow

 

So you should know this Name

 

or never truly know

love

hope

joy

peace

or faithfulness

 

~ Susie Stewart

 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

– Galatians 5:22,23 (NLT)

 

So when His name is called, every knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and below.

– Philippians 2:10 (VOICE)

 

 

 

 

Completely

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Crush me, God,

with Your love

 

Drown me

in Your grace

 

Break me

with Your goodness

 

Smother me

in Your joy

 

 

Push me

in Your strength

 

Suffocate me

with Your peace

 

Do all this

until I am completely overwhelmed

 

with You

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father. We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.

– Isaiah 64:8 (VOICE)

 

Power belongs to You, God,
     and with You, Lord, is unfailing love.

– Psalm 62:11,12 (NIV)

 

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.

– Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

 

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

 
-Ephesians 3:16-21- (NLT)
Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Trial Perspective

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You are right in the middle of it,

and it is painful

 

It hurts

and it pulls downward

 

Your trial threatens

your heart

your mind

your faith

 

But friend

look UP

 

Recognize what is happening

 

This time

this moment

this circumstance

 

God wants to use it!

 

Please don’t miss that

 

Your growth

your strengthening

your unexplainable peace

 

is yours for the taking

 

Don’t turn your back

on the One who blessed you

with easier times

 

He is close

 

And His Spirit-help is there

for those who turn their eyes to Him

 

HE

is your strength

is your peace

is your joy

 

IS the One who feels the deepest

about your situation

 

He is kind, you see

 

Walk with HIM

when you need Him most

 

and KNOW

God-strength

in the middle of it all

 

– Susie Stewart

 

In his kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.

– 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)

 

If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

– Proverbs 24:10 (NIV)

 

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.  If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

– James 1:2-5 (VOICE)

 

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

– Romans 8:28 (VOICE)

 

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You,
        for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.
     So trust in the Eternal One forever,
        for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting.

– Isaiah 26:3,4 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Creation Speaks

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

The morning sings joy

and mercy

 

Do you hear it?

 

The noonday sun radiates righteousness

and truth

 

Do you see it?

 

The moon and stars whisper peace

and wisdom

 

Do you perceive it?

 

The whole earth

and all of creation

speak of Divinity

 

Listen well

and walk

in the morning joy,

the noonday truth,

and the nighttime peace

 

with your Creator

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    You call forth songs of joy.

– Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

 

He will spread out righteousness for you as a sunrise spreads radiance over the land; He will deliver justice for you into the light of the high sun.

– Psalm 37:6 (VOICE)

 

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

– Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who made the heavens so skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who placed the earth among the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.

the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.

and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever.

– Psalm 136:1-9 (NLT)

 

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
    His mercies begin afresh each morning.

– Lamentations 3:22, 23 (NIV)

 

At every time and in every place— from the moment the sun rises to the moment the sun sets— may the name of the Eternal be high in the hearts of His people.

– Psalm 113:3 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

So Boring

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

If you think

church stuff

is boring

 

If you think

answering to God

is stifling

 

If you think

Jesus-following

is all about rules

 

Wake Up!

 

Because you are asleep

 

Open your eyes

to a full and abundant life!

 

Realize true hope

and unexplainable peace

and overflowing joy!

 

See

Hear

Taste

Experience

 

your creative

inspiring

mind-blowing

God!

 

Dive in to the deep

of His

swallow-you-up Love!

 

Know the calming serenity

of wrongs paid for unmerited

 

Find your DEEP

in Jesus!

 

It’s available

to EVERYONE

 

Why would you not choose

 

Abundant?!

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

– John 10:10 (AMP)

 

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

– Jeremiah 29:11 (GW)

 

I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit.

– Romans 15:13 (VOICE)

 

The Eternal One will never leave you; He will lead you in the way that you should go. When you feel dried up and worthless, God will nourish you and give you strength. And you will grow like a garden lovingly tended; you will be like a spring whose water never runs out.

– Isaiah 58:11 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Haven

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I desire, Lord,
for our home
to be a haven

For Your sweet love
humor
peace
grace
joy
and forgiveness
to fill its walls

I stand in defiance
with You, Lord,
against enemies
who would seek to destroy
to corrupt
to sever

And I know this is Your desire, God,
for it is Your Spirit
that bonds
the lives within these walls
together

Imperfect humans
clinging to our perfect King

serving
one another
in love

Our home haven
is also
a battleground
and worth fighting for
these precious ones
and
these sacred loves

on my knees

– Susie Stewart

 

And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed.
– Ephesians 5:21 (VOICE)

 

If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (AMP)

 

“And I will be for you as a father, and you will be for Me as sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty!
– 2 Corinthians 16:8 (VOICE)

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
– Colossians 3:12-16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

More and Less

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

The more we grow in Christ

and learn to love Him

and to trust Him

 

the less our peace and joy

are dependent

on people

and circumstances

 

What a relief

 

– Susie Stewart

 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

– Romans 15:13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Surrender

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Surrender

is so sweet

 

It is a free fall into the arms

of Abba

 

It is a breath of fresh air

after holding it for too long

 

It is the white flag

changed from black control

 

It is tight fists

released and open-palmed

 

It is the bowing of all

for God’s purposes

 

Acknowledgement

of sovereignty Divine

 

Surrender is necessary

for peace and joy

 

Surrender

is so sweet

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

– Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

 

The Eternal made everything for a reason. Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.

– Proverbs 16:4 (VOICE)

 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

– Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

 

Peter: Master, we have left behind everything we had to follow You.

– Mark 10:28 (VOICE)

 

For any one of you who wants to be rescued will lose your life, but any one of you who loses your life for My sake and for the sake of this good news will be liberated.

– Mark 8:35 (VOICE)

 

Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship.

– Romans 12:1 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart