Plugged Into Peace

  Opportunity According to Merriam-Webster , opportunity is “a favorable juncture of circumstances” or “a good chance for advancement or progress.” How often have you been faced with such a chance? Personally, too many times to count. The truth is, I can’t always say that I showed up. There were many times I felt the situation didn’t allow me to fully use the opportunity. It’s important to understand that for an opportunity to be truly meaningful, it needs to be beneficial—either to yourself, to others, or both. Let me put this into perspective: if someone hurts you, you have the opportunity to forgive. That forgiveness can bring healing to you, and it can also positively impact the person you forgive. Maybe you want to improve your finances. In that case, an opportunity might present itself when you decide not to make an impulsive purchase—because you want to prioritize long-term goals over momentary wants. What about the situations you prayed over, cried about, or fe...

   💖 Relationship with God: Love That Relates Love = God’s thoughts and cares toward us Him & Us: Relate = Relationship Him: Grace and Mercy Us: Effort and Repentance Him: Forgiveness and Blessings 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 Think about it — a relationship thrives when both parties are willing to relate. When a relationship breaks, proper healing happens only when the one at fault acknowledges their wrongdoing, asks for forgiveness, and genuinely makes an effort not to damage the trust or relationship again. Ask yourself: how likely are you to extend a second chance to someone who says, “I’m truly sorry, I understand how my behavior hurt you and our relationship, and I’m committed to doing better,” and then follows through with changed actions? When two parties move on together, they relate . And when they relate, they have relationship . 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌳🍇 🌿 Relating to God In ...

  Forgiveness: A Command and Blessing Today is the day—pie day! I am so excited. My husband just made his amazing sweet potato pie. This pie is so delicious that it makes my youngest son and me behave as if we were hired for pie duty, with our only task being to make sure we each got a slice—and only us. Equally—because we are not allies. Things became more territorial after convincing my husband to make mini pies so we could ration them equally. I don’t know what he puts in the pie that makes it so addictive, but our home becomes a battle zone over equal rights to pie. We don’t become mean, but we do become steadfast. Well, on this day, things were rough. Husband made two single pies—one each for me and my son. Things went wrong when my husband wanted a taste of his own creation. He wanted my pie. Before he made the pies, my son and I shared our expectations since he refused to make minis. The understanding was that my son and I weren’t going to share our pies with anyone—...

  Relax, Relate, Release: Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos What a day! Things go wrong, and suddenly it feels like the ground has been pulled from beneath you. One conversation leaves you angry. One piece of news makes you lose hope. One situation leaves you scared. The emotions pile up until you feel like the wind has been knocked out of your body. Sometimes you hear it in an audible sigh, a deep exhale, or even a frustrated outburst. Other times your body reveals the inner storm through nausea, headaches, hives, lightheadedness, or aches and pains. Stress has a way of making itself known. No matter the trigger—whether you caused it or not—the result is the same: life feels unfavorable, overwhelming, and unfair. But here’s the truth: a meltdown may be understandable, but staying in that place is never beneficial. When Feelings Take Over Picture this: A driver cuts you off and brake-checks you on your normal commute. In the moment, you react. By the time you reach your de...

  🌸 Seeing God’s Love Through the People in My Life 🌸 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” — Philippians 1:3 (NLT) There are moments in life when we pause to reflect on the people who have poured into us—those who’ve shown us God’s love in action, whether through patience, encouragement, challenge, or gentle nudges in the right direction. This post is a heartfelt tribute to the ones who have helped shape my journey toward becoming a woman of godly character. ❤️ San — My Husband To my loving husband, San—thank you for being a steady, forgiving, and patient partner. Your love has been a reflection of courage and endurance, a bond built on loyalty and covenant. As I continue to grow and mature, your support helps me walk more confidently in my purpose.  Ephesians 5:28 (NIV) "In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." -  This kind of love is rooted in Christ’s example and brings bless...

  What’s in Your Bag? A Gift from God Have you ever received a gift—or even hoped for one—only to feel forgotten or disappointed? On the other hand, maybe you’ve received a gift that felt like the best thing ever. Perhaps it came from someone special, or maybe it’s something you cherish because it reminds you of a moment, a person, or a season in your life. Some gifts find a home in a specific place: on a desk, in your car, on a keychain, on social media, or even just in your heart and mind when you need encouragement. No matter what form it takes, if we pause for a moment and reflect, we can almost always identify something in our lives to be grateful for. Maybe it was a day forecasted for rain, and suddenly the clouds parted, making room for sunshine that felt like it was just for you. Here’s what I’m getting at: all of us—I mean all of us—have received something from God, directly meant to lift our spirits. I say directly because even the smallest kind gesture that tur...

✨ My Faith Thoughts: A Coin for Your Spirit ✨ Sometimes one single thought—like a coin dropped in a jar —can echo truth across your whole day. The same is true when you make the same deposit, they can become values and belief systems that can be absorb by others. It’s great when these deposits can help others benefit in some way.   Here are some of the reflections that have helped me find clarity, joy, and strength through my walk with God: 💪 Strength, Salvation & Wisdom 🪙 The joy of the Lord is my strength. 🪙 Every time I felt regret in my life, it was tied to sin. Regret left a stain that only grace could wash clean. 🪙 Don’t let the enemy drive—he’ll take you the wrong direction. 🪙 It’s not my job to force salvation or respect for God into people. It is my job to share my hope, my experience, and the Word. Just say, “Consider…” and let the seed be sweet—like honey 🍯 . 🪙 When I give advice, I want it to...

  Adam and Eve: Protection vs. Lack — Is This the Question? Today, I sit and reflect on life’s detours and shut doors. For some reason, my thoughts go to Adam and Eve’s experiences in the Bible. Bear with me. Why, God?! I prayed. I planned to do better in the next situation. I told myself I would show up and be my best self—honestly and with no regret. “I’ll, I’ll, I’ll…” So why the rejection? It hit me hard and knocked the air and motivation out of me.  It brought with it a recession in my spirit. I became discouraged, disappointed, and distraught. I'm confused! Where is God?! I quoted Bible verses. I had a dream that I believed was a sign of a good outcome. Then… Throughout the day, after I got real with myself—after reflecting on how often I’ve encouraged others while not being honest about how not okay I really felt about my situation —it hit me. Saying “It wasn’t God’s will” sounded good on the surface. But deep down, I wasn't okay. I was still wonderin...

Entertainment: Using the Lord’s Name Lightly? Let’s Talk. Have you ever noticed how casually the Lord’s Name is thrown around in entertainment? From TV shows to movie theaters, casual conversations to social media captions, books, and viral videos—we’ve all heard it. Sometimes it’s said with anger, sometimes as a joke, and often just as an emotional reaction. And let’s be real: it’s rarely said with the reverence it deserves. Now, I get it—some people say things like “Oh my gosh,” “Oh my Lord,” or even “Oh my God” without much thought. Then there are the harsher versions: “Got d**n” or its edited cousin without the “T.” And some might argue, “Well, not everyone believes in the same God,” or “I wasn’t talking about your God.” Fair point. But here’s what I want to make clear: this blog is speaking to and for believers in Father God and Jesus Christ . Also, for those curious about what a walk with Jesus looks like. If that’s you, let’s take a moment together. We believe there is ...

When Kindness Isn't Appreciated “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” — Matthew 10:14 (NIV) “And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 (ESV) So, what do I do when kindness is not appreciated by others? When the love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy I offer aren't returned? I remember what Jesus taught — and I shake the dust from my feet and move on in peace. I trust that God sees every seed I've planted, even if others do not. He promises that no act of love or service done in His name will ever be in vain. Someone, somewhere, will value the kindness. And when they do, it will breathe new life into me and encourage me to keep going — to not faint in well-doing. Every tear, every moment of exhaustion, every unseen act of love is a seed. And God, who is faithful, will bring a harvest in His perfect time. I still win —...

  Do Now What You’ll Be Satisfied With Later Let’s be real—every day comes with a series of choices. From the moment our eyes pop open (whether it’s to an alarm, the sun, or a toddler or pet climbing on our head), we are invited to decide how we’ll move through the day. Some of those choices lift us up. Others? Well… they teach us what  not  to do next time. But what if we got intentional— on purpose —about what we give our energy to? What if we paused to think,  “Will this feed my joy in the Lord, or drain it?” That pause could change everything. Because here’s the truth:  we can’t always control what happens, but we  can  prepare our hearts and minds for how we respond. We can choose gratitude for the good. We can choose prayer when things get tough. We can choose to protect our peace by being mindful of what we consume, who we engage with, and how we treat ourselves. All of that starts with  daily planning —not just the to-do list kind, but hea...

  ✏️  1.  Spiritual Revelation: Holding back kindness is a form of evil. God should be the center — everything else in life should revolve around Him. 2.  Lesson: You’ve got to stay in the Word every day — it brings healing to both today and tomorrow. 3.  Kindness feels like the sum of love and forgiveness. Even when I must be firm, I can still be kind. Kindness helps me stay joyful — and helps me release others with the same grace. 4.  Forgiving myself and others means being kind and gentle to both. Grace starts with how I treat myself, too. 5.   How can I truly love someone without kindness? I can’t. 6.  Kind. Kindness. It’s the practical ingredient in extending grace and mercy — giving myself and others permission to grow into who God wants us to be, not just what I want. 7.  The enemy attacks our thoughts — which can manifest in emotions and show up in our actions. Protect your mind! 8.  I need self-control to develop patience, kind...

Taming the Tasmanian: How to Protect Your Peace When People Spiral You ever notice how someone else’s drama can feel like it just landed on your lap… uninvited… like a wild cartoon tornado? Picture it (Sicily… just kidding — Golden Girls fans, you get it): You're minding your business. Life is decent. Then boom — in comes a friend, a family member, or even your own inner thoughts, spinning faster than the Tasmanian Devil himself. And just like that? Your peace is in pieces . 🌀 Infected by Drama You Don’t Own Sometimes we think we’re not being affected by someone else’s issue — but in reality, we’re being infected . Think about it: Someone vents to you angrily, then you walk away mad. They unload sadness, and suddenly you’re sad. You step into their stress, and now you’re spiraling. And sometimes, it’s deeper than feelings — it turns into behavior : Risky choices, snapping at others, shutting down, numbing out. You didn’t sign up for that — but here you a...