Fruity Fridays: Seen Peace

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by Jeremy Nixon, a nobody fireman trying to do it right, but mostly getting it wrong

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… 


We’ve walked through what love and joy means over the last couple of months; but today, today we enter into peace. At least my prayer is that you can enter this day, week, month and year with peace, a true peace. With the election being over and hate crimes surfacing, racism, discrimination, x vs. y, red vs. blue and everything else going on in America, to say that tension is like cutting butter with a knife is an understatement. So my prayer for you and me this year is that we could have peace. The God-sized peace that is talked about in the Bible. But, what is peace?

 

Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, and Paul writes that if we live by the Spirit then we are free and we can stand firm knowing that we are doing what God has called us to. Peace is supposed to rule in hearts. (Col. 3:15) In 1 Peter we are called to cast all of our anxiety on the Lord because he cares for us. He also calls us to seek peace and pursue it, turning away from evil and doing good. James tells us that peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Proverbs 12 tells us that those who promote peace have joy…and we all know how important joy is.  

 

I see a trend of the fruits. One leads right into another. They go hand in hand, and I don’t believe that you can have one without the other. Psalm 29:11 says the Lord gives strength to his people and the Lord blesses his people with PEACE.  

 

Paul calls us, in Romans 12, to live at peace with everyone. WOW. That seems like a hard statement living in the world we are in today. It’s easy to get anxious and worry about different things in our lives: our children, our homes, making ends meet, or work. And the media seems to show that there is so much hate in our world, but I believe and trust that God is up to something BIG. If we can stand firm and let the fruit of peace happen in our lives, it will overflow into the world. It has to start with you. It has to start with me. You all know about the snowball effect. God wants to use you, and me, to spread his peace to all nations, and I believe that if we are seeking first His kingdom and listening to what the Lord says, he will give us peace. He promises it.  

 

When we need peace, He promises to give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. The best thing that we can do when we are filled with anxiety and worry is to find a quiet place to pray and seek His kingdom. God wants us to live a life that is full of peace. He wants to do BIG things in your life. Let your fruit be seen.

Authority is in the Name

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“In that day you will not ask Me anything. I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”‭‭John‬ ‭16:23-24‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Because of this teaching by Jesus, believers pray in the name of Jesus. The early church leaders drew their authority in the name of Jesus; they knew what it was like to attempt things in their own power and had witnessed the power only available in the name of the Son of God.

Through His name…

  • …we access the power of the Creator and acknowledge our weakness
  • …we receive victory over sin and resist temptations
  • …we connect to God the Father and overcome this earthly kingdom
  • …we give honor to our King and bow in submission to His kingdom
  • …we give thanks for the Son’s sacrifice and admit our need for salvation

Hope

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Yesterday, for the first time I can recall, I watched the entire movie The Shawshank Redemption. I’d only seen portions before, so now I know the full story of the two main characters, Andy and Red. Andy, falsely convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, and Red, serving a life sentence for a just conviction, both battled hope. Andy’s hope was stronger because he envisioned something beyond what he could see; he placed his actions and his beliefs in that hope. (That’s all the plot I’ll divulge; get some popcorn and watch it and enjoy to see how it works out for Andy and Red.)

The lines from the dialogue and the theme of the movie led me to think further about my hope, where is it and where should it be. I was reminded that my hope isn’t in temporal things but in eternal things. My values aren’t satisfied by temporal things, as much as I’m tempted to go after them.

Turning to scripture then, here are 10 passages that define my hope. May they give you a starting place for yours.

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:24-25 HCSB

“Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39:7‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62:5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“The Lord values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:28‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young. Let him sit alone and be silent, for God has disciplined him. Let him put his mouth in the dust — perhaps there is still hope.”‭‭ Lamentations‬ ‭3:21-29‬ ‭HCSB‬

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects foreigners and helps the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭146:5-10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Running Tuesdays: 2016 was Good, 2017 will be Epic

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by Lorraine Kennimouth Williams

As 2016 draws to an end, I will have logged close to 1500 miles. 

In the field of running, 2016 has been good to me. Not easy, but good. It was a whole lot better than 2015 and not quite as good as 2014 – I’ll take it and I’ll embrace it! 

I suffered with extremely painful calf muscles at the beginning of 2016 which to some degree, stymied my training. Several trips to the doctor’s office; two MRI’s; 2 Ultrasounds; several X-rays and a trip to the vascular doctor turned up nothing, nada, zero, zilch and I was left with painful runs. I hobbled through it however and managed to train and run the Boston Marathon in April 2016. For marathoners, Boston is the diamond of all races and to run it was indeed a joy and a privilege. After running Boston, my calf issues seemed to subside enough to get a good season of training in for my second marathon of 2016 – Detroit! Detroit was a great race and a FANTASTIC experience for many different reasons – my time, although not a PR, was also very good.

As I type this piece, 2017 is less than 48 hours away and I welcome it with wide open arms and a healthy positive attitude – 2017 is going to be EPIC in every possible way!! And yes, I do have some lofty running goals; 3 marathons scheduled so far – I am currently training for the Celebration marathon, which is in Orlando on January 29th. Training is going really well and my only hope is that the weather cooperates –The weather at this time of year in Florida is very unpredictable and could go either way – let’s hope it’s COLD!!

Liverpool England is next, scheduled for 27 May. This will be my third time running my home city – I LOVE it! I love the familiarity and the sense of ownership I have for such a great city – I am even more excited about running it in 2017 since my “running wife” Monika Oberer will be running it with me. “Running wife” is a term of endearment we use for each other since we spend every living moment training together! She is the face I see most mornings at 4:50am, sometimes even earlier – yikes!! Nevertheless, having a dear friend visiting your hometown with you and running such a special race is very exciting.

Third race of the year is “The Wine Glass” marathon, scheduled for October 1st and takes place in Corning, Upstate NY. This marathon also brings with it a high level of excitement! First of all, the name gives it away; but more than that, four special friends have committed to run this race for a very special reason. It is close in proximity to an animal sanctuary where we plan to visit after the marathon and stay a couple of nights. This sanctuary (along with others on the west coast) is run by an amazing individual named Gene Baur. He and his lovely wife are animal rights activists and have dedicated their lives to save and rehabilitate abused and/or orphaned animals of any type and size. They live a vegan lifestyle, and their story is overall amazing (Check him out on YouTube). 

So …. There you have it! 2017 we’re coming for ya! I know there will be other races peppered throughout the year, but so far, these are the Big Three. Our goal by the way is … to run each one of them in sub-four hours. Stay tuned, more to come. Happy New Year!!

2016 Library

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In some areas of my personal habits/disciplines, 2016 was a year of resurrection. Blogging was one. Another was reading. Neither have fully come back to previous stature, so it’s a work in progress.

From reader’s feedback, sharing what I’ve read has always been a source of numerous things for you, so as a look back at 2016 I thought I’d simply list my 2016 library for you. 

  • Leadership and Self-Deception, The Arbinger Institute
  • Awe, Paul David Tripp
  • Jesus and CEO, Laurie Beth Jones
  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Travis Bradberry
  • Breakfast with Bonhoeffer, Jon Walker
  • It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over, R.T. Kendall
  • Jesus and Mohammad, Mark A. Gabriel
  • How People Grow, Dr. Henry Cloud
  • The Essential Wooden, Steve Jamison
  • Tales from the St. Louis Cardinals Dugout, Bob Forsch
  • The Listening Life, Adam S. McHugh
  • The White Umbrella, Mary Frances Bowley
  • The Power of the Other, Dr. Henry Cloud
  • The Four Laws of Forgiveness, Brad Johnson
  • The Next Level, Scott Wilson
  • The Emotionally Healthy Leader, Peter Scazerro
  • The Prisoner in the Third Cell, Gene Edwards
  • Lincoln’s Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
  • The Allure of Gentleness, Dallas Willard

This list is in the order that I read them, no recommendations or endorsements. I did grow through their content. And enjoyed reading them all. 

Here’s to more enjoyable, growth-producing reading in 2017!

Fruity Fridays: Peace is a Product

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Lots of ads are promising peace. That’s not what they say, but that’s what they’re subliminally promising the consumer.

  • You’ll find “peace” when your hair is straight
  • You’ll enjoy “peace” when you sway in that hammock in Aruba
  • You’ll secure “peace” when your retirement portfolio has “x” cash value

Peace is a product of contentment. Be picky where you buy it, what you become dependent on to guarantee it.

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:3‬ ‭

The key to the peace of mind that Isaiah guarantees is built on trust in God. That trust, like any other trust in our lives, is built through shared experiences and time. That trust comes through what Paul is writing about in Galatians 5, walking with the Spirit. Only through a consistent walk can we have the product of peace. We will want less of what we see in ads and more of the Creator of all things.

I am finishing a book by Dallas Willard entitled The Allure of Gentleness. He said this about living and acting with God, about walking with the Spirit:

One of the problems as a church is that so many of the wonderful statements in the scriptures that are meant to reflect the honest experiences of those who have learned to live in interaction with God are in fact ritualistically and magically quoted by people who don’t believe a bit of it, because they are scared to death! Nothing has ever happened to them that they are certain is the personal hand of God in their lives. And it drains the life out of those verses.

One passage he references is Psalm 23. If a Christian walks in belief that “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” peace is a normal, everyday product of that belief; God’s hand will be seen and will produce peace. Willard says that Psalm 23 wasn’t written just to recite at funerals. Those 6 verses, when sewn into the fabric of life, dispel fear and produce peace. 

The product we need is God’s presence. Take Psalm 23 with you today. Look for God’s hand. Experience the product of peace.

The God Who Brings You Out

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I’m reading through Leviticus. If you’ve never read it or it’s been a while, consider giving it a read. It is a rich book. For example, here’s a thought from chapter 19:

“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭19:36‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

This declaration comes in the middle of several admonishes regarding stealing, treating foreigners nicely, respecting family and the elderly, and conducting business fairly. These follow the beginning statement God told Moses to share with the Israelites: “Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, Yahweh your God, am holy.” Leviticus‬ ‭19:2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

When they were in Egypt, they endured injustice as foreigners, were forced to disrespect family members, and certainly were on the receiving end of unfair business. God wants them to remember that this is what He rescued them from, this is what He is not for, and this is what they need to resist.

God brings us out, rescues us, sets us apart to be like him. Do you remember where He found you and brought you out? It may be worth a prayer to say, “Thank you, God. Thank you for bringing me out. My desire is holiness. Continue to take out of me what you brought me from.”

Running Tuesdays: Shoe Size Matters

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It was 2007. I had just ran my first 5k. I had the bug.

I had a discount card to the New Balance store in Sarasota from the race goodie bag. No more guessing at buying shoes. I was entering the world of taking running seriously. I had read an article in Runner’s World, similar to this one, that suggested my shoes may be too small. Up to that point, I had always bought the same size (7 1/2 or 8) in every pair of shoes I owned, no matter their purpose. I had determined that I was going to be open minded to whatever the shoe salesman said-not my normal MO.

He did the runthrough of sizing and testing to assess which shoe I needed, then went to bring some options out for me to try. They were all 9s or 9 1/2s. Yeah, I know. I’m sure I had the same “What  Are You Thinking?” look on my face. But I didn’t question. I tried them on. Even went outside and tested them up and down the sidewalk. 

Shocked. Amazed. My feet said, “Who Knew? Well, now you know. Get in there and pay for these sweet things.”

I’ve never looked back. That next week I ran more than my usual times and distances. I felt like a legit runner. Moving forward, I stuck with New Balances for a while, but have since tried Asics, Sauconys, Brooks, Nikes, and Mizunos; the shoe I like most right now is Brooks Pure Flow. 

As long as it’s a neutral shoe I’m good- in a 9 1/2, please. Shoe Size, most definitely, Matters.

Turning Back

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Been here?

  • Standing at a very familiar life intersection wondering how many times you have to keep crossing
  • Staring in the face of prior pain dreading its possible return
  • Knowing you’ve taken a step backwards but not sure how or why
  • Believing you heard and followed the right path but unsure it’s going to be as advertised

Congratulations! Welcome to the human race! It’s been going on for centuries. Here’s an example:

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites did this.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:1-4

Yes, they turned back as instructed, but soon began to challenge the decision. That’s what we all are tempted to do. 

  • “What are you doing, God?”
  • “Why are you making me turn around into the face of pain that I thought you had rescued me from?”
  • “This makes no sense at all. God, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

We find ourselves at the intersection of Faith and Pain, or Trust and Doubt, or Follower and Fool. We are faced with the choices from being turned back. 

  • Will we believe in God’s salvation for this moment
  • Do we believe that He truly cares
  • Can we trust this God who dishes out unbelievable promises

If He says it’s for His glory, shouldn’t we want to see the outcome? Getting to the other side of the sea ain’t easy when all we do is question God. It’s much more awe-filled, beautiful and serene when all we’re doing is resting, walking and trusting in all His knowledge and power. When He says, “Turn back,” our response should be, “How Far?”

Here’s a Turning Back Prayer you might say if you’re having a difficult time saying, “How Far”:

God, thank you for Exodus 14. Thank you for turning them back so now all of mankind is still talking about your power, your glory, and your willingness to fight for your people. I have no reason to fear. I have no reason to believe you will make a mistake. I have every reason to remember you have always remembered me. Forgive me for wanting to run forward when you may want me to turn back so you can be glorified. Fight for me. I’ll do my best to be quiet.

Fruity Fridays: Internal Peace

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by Eric Vorhies

I have a mother that worries. But I guess everyone has a mother that worries. The difference is that my mother’s worry has in many ways robbed her more often than it has protected her. It has taken moments that should have been enjoyable and given her stress. Since observing this while growing up, I knew that there had to be a better way. I just didn’t know it was going to come from the Dalai Lama in the Brad Pitt movie “Seven Years in Tibet.”

“If you have a problem and can fix it, then why worry about it. If you have a problem and can’t fix it, then why worry about it.”

My mind was blown. That articulated why there was no reason to worry…and that might worry some of you right now.

This week’s fruit is peace. I wrestled with how I divided peace and joy because they seem to be so similar and overlap greatly. I landed on the difference being timing. Joy is the ability to be happy despite our present circumstances. Peace is the absence of conflict and, which in many ways, is the opposite of worry – the feeling of uncertainty about how a situation will eventually play out.

Here’s an example from my life to better illustrate – I live in Florida. To me, it’s like living in an over-developed swamp. It always hot and muggy, and everything here, from gators to mosquitoes, is trying to kill you. Now, have I enjoyed Florida? Most definitely. I have met so many great people and have had the best jobs ever here. But I have not always had peace about living here. Though the plan has always been to be here for a period and then move, I worried that it might not happen, or not happen soon enough. Despite finding much joy here, I had this internal conflict for a long time. Though both joy and peace are closely related to our given situation, I think joy is focused more on the present and peace is concerned with the future.

Let’s be clear about something. The peace that God offers is not an outward one. It’s not a peace that will protect you and your family from harm. It’s not even a peace that guarantees that you have the right to bear arms, read your Bible, go to college, and not be picked on. The peace that God offers is an internal one. One that says, “Eric, even though you live in a swamp, it’s ok, and it will be ok if you never really leave.” It’s a peace that overcomes conflict within a person. It overcomes fear and inadequacy.

Now, let me lean in a little bit…

Are you lacking peace?

Not sure? Well, are you easily offended? Do you rant on social media? Are you the Angry Aaron or the Nervous Nelly in your group? Do you think of all the ways that something can go wrong before you consider that it doesn’t really matter? What worry is robbing you of your time and energy?

Is it how you will be paying for Christmas? Maybe it is something much deeper, like a sense of failure or shame. Fear and regret?

Philippians 4:6-9 – Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — If there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Look, external conflict is unavoidable, and sometimes you will need to take action against it. But internal conflict, the unseen battle that people wage war with, that is unnecessary. If we can fix it, then don’t worry. If we can’t, don’t worry. You don’t have to stew on how things are wrong in the world….You can think about how things are right in the world. Yes, the glass is half empty of water. But it is half full of water and half full of air, and man I know some people who could use that air and take a breather. Am I right?

I can say all of this because my worries will be taken care of…and taken care of by God. I don’t have the time and energy to put toward worrying. I have an amazing wife, three young boys, and, praise God, I’m busy packing to move out of Florida. I will not give fear and worry power, because, my God, who willingly bears that burden for me, IS WAYYYY more powerful. And that right there….that gives me PEACE.

Don’t be like my mom in this way. Don’t let worry rob you of the peace that God wants you to have.

PS – My mom has other characteristics that everyone should have, but that’s a different blog