Search Results for: be still

Grace and Peace for Your New Year

Published by Leslie Newman Claiming Scriptures, Hope 14 comments
How could our new year be different if we understood the fullness of God’s grace and peace? His kind of grace changes everything! Find out more by clicking through!

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. This greeting from the apostle Peter just leaps out to me on this New Year’s Day. It’s such a good verse for new beginnings and hope for the new year, isn’t it? It’s full and rich just as it is, but if we look into the Greek root words we’ll find even more!

Did you know that the word grace in this verse comes from the Greek word xáris? This kind of grace refers  how God is always leaning toward us freely giving Himself away to us because He wants to be with us.

The word peace comes from the Greek word eirḗnē, and it means “wholeness.” It refers to all the essential parts being joined together. Peace is God’s gift of wholeness.

The word multiplied comes from the Greek word plēthýnō, and it means made full to maximum potential.

How would our new year be different if…

Click below to read more! Find out what we’ll be doing this year at Journey to Imperfect!

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When Grace Appeared

Published by Leslie Newman Powerful Bible Verses 6 comments
God’s grace works well, his kindness is endless, His fullness is poured out upon us from the outstretched hands of a tiny baby.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

Grace. The Word born to life and living among us, a tiny baby born in an insignificant village, living His life in humble surroundings. He was God’s finest gift, treasured like you and me, held in His Father’s arms and close to His heart.

But one night, God leaned low. He bent down to earth and set that baby in a manger, in a small and insignificant village, in lowly and humble surroundings. It was a moment of grace lived out from the heart of our Father God who loved us enough to give us His only Son.

Can you feel God leaning down, holding that baby in His arms, all the while knowing that He would die for you and me? And yet still …

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A New Kind of Peace

Published by Leslie Newman Identity 20 comments
There’s a peace waiting just for you. It’s so full and rich and beyond what you can imagine. Join me today to find out more.

I sat in the stillness of the early morning with a new kind of peace. It came from deep inside, quiet, strong and sure.

It was a long time coming, this new kind of peace. It had always been there waiting for me, but every time it tried to come out of its hiding place, it was beaten back into the recesses of my heart by an enemy bent on blinding me to it.

My new kind of peace was strong though. It was patient and knew how to wait for me. My new kind of peace never gave up and was steady, not changing with the ebb and flow of my emotions. My new kind of peace understood me better than I understood myself. And it accepted the other one and felt their pain. My new kind of peace was not mine at all. It was His.

It was all about my identity.

Over the years I had found my identity in all sorts of things, good grades, awards and activities, my jobs, my relationships, being a wife and mother, and sadly, even in my mistakes and failures. The ups and downs associated with any of those things tended to dictate my level of peace and happiness. The truth was, the messiness of the ebb and flow of my emotions left me feeling at a loss most of the time. And very much far away from the peace I was seeking.

But that fact was conveniently folded away like an unnecessary piece of paperwork, tucked away into a sliver of a place where my heart could not dwell on it but always felt its presence. I didn’t want anyone to know. And it weighed on me.

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Is Perfectionism Affecting Your Relationships?

Published by Leslie Newman Overcoming Perfectionism, Relationships 12 comments
Join me today as my friend, Jill McCormick takes a look at four ways perfectionism impacts our friendships. The great thing is she doesn't just leave us holding those revelations and wondering what to do. She reminds us what God says about each one, and she gives us strategies the will help us move forward!

Relationships are the stuff that life is made of. They hold us together and keep us going. Some of us have that inner circle of friends that we walk through life with, our encouragers, our confidants, the shoulders we cry on. Others of us feel more alone and sometimes we might find ourselves near the outside of that circle looking in.

I found myself in both of those places over the years, and over time, I realized something important about the latter. In hindsight, I came to understand that in one particular situation I wasn’t really being excluded. Instead, my own broken beliefs and misplaced attitudes were the issues. And I was hiding myself. It was perfectionism at its best.

Today I am so pleased to share an article with you written by my friend Jill McCormick. Jill is a gifted writer and speaker. She breaks inner issues down into portions I can handle and then she points me in the right direction so I can move forward.

This article, which was originally published on her website under the title of “How Perfectionism is Killing Our Relationships” really broke some things down for me. It reminded me of something very important I needed to keep in mind about my relationships.

Jill reminds me that:

•When I struggle in a relationship, the first place I need to look is inside my own heart.•

I’m telling you, friends, that’s not an easy thing to do. I think you’ll find that this article will help you whether you struggle with perfectionism or not. Inside, Jill takes a look at four ways perfectionism impacts our friendships. The great thing is she doesn’t just leave us holding those revelations and wondering what to do. She reminds us what God says about each one, and she gives us strategies the will help us move forward!

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A Grace Just for You

Published by Leslie Newman Identity 12 comments
When discouragement strikes, remember God’s grace. It’s a gift created with you in mind. It’s just enough at just the right time. Find out more here!

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)

It had been a rough day. I was tired, the house was dirty, and I needed to figure out what to fix for supper. My two little children were still very young and dependent on me, and I felt like I didn’t have what it took to be a good mother to them. I was upset about other things that have since left my memory and the whirlwind of discouraging thoughts I was having felt like more than I could handle.

Have you ever had a day like that? When discouragement strikes, remember God’s grace. It’s a gift created with you in mind. It’s just enough at just the right time. Find out more here!

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A Grace that Sees

Published by Leslie Newman Identity 18 comments
Sometimes we feel unseen and the truth of how we feel inside is hidden from others. But there is a grace that sees and a grace that understands. It comes straight from the heart of God. Join me here today as we begin a series of discussions that will take a look at the depth of the love that God has for us.

I see you.

• I see you when you wear a bright smile, but you feel a strain of sadness inside.
• I see you when your life is full of good things, but you feel empty.
• I see you when your activities paint a picture of confidence, but insecurity fills you inside.
• I see you when you feel like you never measure up and when you feel invisible and inadequate.

These things are hidden in the fast pace of your everyday life. Sometimes you can ignore them because you always keep going. You always keep giving. You always keep doing more.

But other times, it wells up and you feel overwhelmed. It leaves you feeling utterly exhausted.

Yet, in the midst of all of that, there are truths that you know.

• You know that God is kind and merciful and full of love.
• You know the Bible contains the truth, and you believe what it says.
• You love Jesus, and you know God as your Father. Most importantly, you know that because of all Jesus has done for you there is forgiveness and new life.

But sometimes it’s hard to feel the security those things should to bring you. To understand this sort of love deep down inside takes something you just haven’t quite been able to grab on to yet.

I see these things because I’ve been there, too. Even in a life surrounded by people that loved and cared for me, a life full of good things and God’s provisions, I still felt all of the things I just described to you.

So I want you to know I see you, and grace does too.

And because of His grace, there are answers for you.

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Waiting in Prayer {Guest Post by Sarah Geringer}

Published by Leslie Newman Prayer 29 comments
Have you ever had to wait for your prayers to be answered? Have you ever wondered how to wait well? Find encouragement today in a guest post by my friend, Sarah Geringer.

Have you ever had to wait in prayer? Me, too. I think that’s something we have all probably experienced and I’m not sure about you, but waiting is not my favorite thing to do! I’m all for getting things taken care of and wrapped up right now. The thing is, God’s time table is not the same as ours. And that’s what we’ll discuss today – waiting in prayer.

Today, I’m happy to introduce you to my friend, Sarah Geringer. Sarah writes and blogs at www.sarahgeringer.com. I’ve been encouraged by her words many times. Sarah is writing today about one aspect of prayer that is particularly hard – the aspect of waiting in prayer. Sarah gives us some practical steps that can encourage us and give us a little different perspective while we wait on the Lord. Sarah gives us some great tips on how to wait well! – Leslie

Waiting in Prayer by Sarah Geringer

In my heart, there is a waiting room for prayers. For some prayers, I’ve only had to wait a few hours to learn the answers. I didn’t have to wait long, but the pressure was still there. For other prayers, I had to wait many years for the answers. I’m still waiting on some prayers to be answered with anything other than “wait.”

I often meditate upon the truths in John Waller’s song “While I’m Waiting.” I play this song while I’m in that waiting room and pray through the truths, verse by verse.

I lean into hope. I put on a hopeful mindset when I pray. I trust that God has good things in store for me. If good things aren’t possible in my situation, then I trust that God has good lessons for me to learn in the circumstance. I hope for better days while I wait in prayer, and that hope shines a bright light in the otherwise dimly-lit waiting room.

Click below to read more of Sarah’s post. She give some practical and actionable steps to help you while you are waiting on the Lord!

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Empower Your Prayer Life with This Important First Step

Published by Leslie Newman Prayer 31 comments
Read this article to discover an important and often overlooked first step to empower your prayer life. Free printables to help you!

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

When I read that verse, and I’m just relieved. It is so reassuring to think that everything we need has already given. Any piece of wisdom or discernment and the faith and knowledge that we need to live a godly life is available to us because of His power!

God equips us for godly living, and that should give us confidence!

There are many aspects to godly living, but at the very top of the list is prayer. Prayer is how we experience a relationship with God. It’s how we talk and listen to Him. It’s such a special relationship that we should do everything we can to keep it alive and well.

There is a step we can take that will empower our prayer lives, but it is one that is often overlooked. It’s something we can do before we ever even start our prayer or Bible study time for the day.

Join me this week as we look at this powerful first step to transforming your prayer life!

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