Fighting in the CTB

I am back in the CTB this week and the topic is fighting. Right on time for us. We have had some crazy fighting between my 6 and soon to be 3 year old lately. It is one thing after another. But through God's Word and specifically praying for peace in our home, God is "Making our Home a Haven."

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:34

In this scripture we are told to do 4 things:
1. Turn from evil
2. Do good
3. Seek peace
4. Pursue peace

What is peace?
Peace is a state of tranquility and quiet.

Who needs more quiet around their home? More tranquility?

Traniquility is a quility or state of being tranquil.
Synonyms are calmness, restfulness, sereness, serenity, still, stillness, calm.

This sounds pretty inviting to me! How about you?

Many times we have this mindset that peace will come to us with no effort. In this scripture, we are to seek it and pursue it. How do we seek and pursue it? We go in search of it.

Who is peace? Jehovah Shalom: The Lord our Peace.

He is our peace! All we have to do is pursue and seek Him. He gives us peace deep within in the middle of troubling situations.

If we want peace, we cannot be argumentative and contentious. Peaceful relationships come from our efforts at peacemaking. We should work hard at being at peace with others. When we seek God and allow Him to be our peace, we have little trouble being at peace with others. Things that we would normally want to be argumentative about no longer matter. We see things from an eternal perspective instead of a me, me, me perspective.

Challenge:
Do I have trouble living in harmony with the people around me?
Do I find myself constantly raising my voice in anger and frustration with my children?
Do I find myself being rude to the ones I love?
What changes do I need to make to see that peace resonates in my home?

Today, I am linking up with Good Morning Girls.

Peace

I am loving the challenge this week from Making Your Home a Haven. I LOVE lighting my candles and praying for peace in my home. I went to Hobby Lobby today because I wanted to buy something with peace written on it to sit by my candle. Of course, I found "peace" and 2 gifts to go along with it. I just HAD to buy these gifts to remind myself that my children are a gift from God EVEN WHEN they FUSS and it's been a TRYING DAY! I love this so much, I may just have to leave it out year around.  I love how a simple reminder keeps us focused on prayer and evermindful of the many blessings we have in our lives.

 

 

"I will give peace and quiteness..." 1 Chronicles 22:9

Jehovah-Shalom

 

I pray that the Lord brings peace and quiteness to the storm that rages within us. It has been a trying couple of weeks for us with disobedience. But I know that my God reigns and He is our peace!

 

Today I am linking up with Women Living Well.

  

     

 

My Home

Today I started the challenge by Women Living Well in the new Making Your Home a Haven challenge. You can go there to read all about it if you would like to participate. For this week we are to light a candle everyday and each time we see the candle be reminded to pray for peace in our homes and for the people in our family. I LOVE these kind of reminders.

 

As I would look at the candle and be busying around the kitchen to fix lunch and prepare for dinner, I was reminded of my mom. I loved being at home with my family. I am the oldest of 3 brothers. I remember waking up for school and mom would be in the kitchen making breakfast for us. My favorite mornings were when we had leftover homemade biscuits. She would put them in the oven and get them toasty and put apple butter on them. Oh the memories. I can taste and smell them now! I also loved her HOT cheese grits on cold mornings.

 

I loved the feeling of coming home from school to a fun afternoon of spending time with my family. My mom cooked most every night. I remember the feeling we got coming home. She loved to cook and make things nice for us. She had a way of making us feel loved and cared for. She wanted things right for us.

 

It was always warm and cozy. It felt like home. The atmosphere in my home was so good, in fact, I rarely wanted to go away with friends. I loved being at home with my family.

 

I love to go home now (next door). It has the same warm cozy feel. It smells so great and is full of peace. When I go home I do not want to leave. It's like I am home and all my worries are no longer there. I can relax with such a sense of peace.

 

I desire for my home to be a place that my children love to be and feel at peace. I desire for them to have fond memories of being at home with home cooked meals simply enjoying each others company. I know that in order for this to happen it starts with me. My husband works hard each and everyday and it is nice when he can come home to a nice peaceful home with dinner on the table.

 

Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

 

I pray that the Lord would help me to be the wife and mom I need to be to create this kind of atmosphere. Aside from God, it is not possible.