Hello, friend! How have you been? I apologize for not posting to the blog as often as I would prefer. Life has been moving quickly in our household, and I am just now catching up!

How are you as 2019 begins? If we could talk over coffee, with real honesty on where our lives are at right now, what might you say to me? Not sure? Let me go first then.

I am longing for more peace. Peace instead of worry. Peace in my schedule. Peace in all my relationships. Peace for my students. Peace for my family members. Peace for my community. And I even long for the cliché of world peace.

As 2018 began to fade, I realized I was lacking peace. I worried too much about situations out of my control. I saw others around me struggling to find calm in their own lives. News stories portrayed events that were anything but peaceful.

Interesting enough, I didn’t notice my peace slowly sneaking its way to the door of my heart, getting ready to flee. It was stealthy. Never getting my attention and always keeping quiet. Only at the end of the year, did I realize it was gone. Such cunning measures tell me this was Satan’s scheming. And as I began to examine his crime, there was no doubt he was the culprit.

Throughout 2018,

My mind would be led astray from God’s promises. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

I was fed lies to worry about a situation or events. (John 8:44)

My peace was stolen. Robbed right under my nose. (John 10:10)

Satan did all that. And I never even realized it until it was too late. But that’s the great thing about God, no discovery is ever too late or too lost to not be used for good. So, as I began to pray and reflect on what word I wanted to focus on for 2019, the word peace and related scripture kept being placed before me. God chose this word for me. I did not know why He wanted me to study this word until I began to analyze the peace I had in 2018, and discovered it was nowhere to be found.

Praise God I serve a loving Father who revealed to me what Satan had done, and how I let the enemy succeed. Such a revelation will help me not repeat the loss of my peace. Perhaps by me sharing my story, you will not make the same mistake either.

With God, my 2019 will be different. I am taking back my peace from Satan, and sending the Devil fleeing into Hell where he belongs. (James 4:7)

As I focus on where God leads me on this topic, I want to update you on my journey of peace and 2019! Please, feel free to strive with me as we take on the new year, together!

What word might you focus on for 2019? I would love to know and pray over it with you! Leave your thoughts in the comments.