“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.” ~Psalm 29:11
I am a peacemaker by nature, so conflict, busyness, and hurry bring stress to my very being. This is a difficult time of year to stay calm, quiet, and slow. The world says hustle. Bustle. Hurry. Buy all the things. Experience every experience. Don’t miss a single thing. And then Pinterest and even Instagram are filled with people doing all the things. Seemingly perfectly. One can find lists for everything. An activity for every night in December. Gift lists for him, her, them, kids, old people, neighbors, friends, , in-laws, co-workers. And honestly I tried all that. Tried to do it all. Except it didn’t make me feel very peaceful. It made me feel stressed. And rushed. And unhappy.
So I am thankful for the reminder this week that it is peace I am seeking, not stress. It is calm I need, not frenzy. It is serenity I desire, not excitement. Oh sure, I am excited for the season. For the time together, the memories being made. But I also need peace. Need Him. Need to focus on Him more, and stuff less. Much less.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~John 14:27 Jesus gave Himself as THE greatest gift of all. And in Him there is peace. His peace.
Unmastered 
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