Peace It All Together: I've Been Robbed

PHOTO: HUME LAKE WOMEN'S MINISTRY

If you're like me, you have attended dozens of seminars, conferences and retreats, taken notes, and then put those notes in a safe place, never to be seen again. I know that I have heard many excellent speakers, who have imparted a vast amount of knowledge and resources to me, which due limited brain capacity and just too much paper, is now gone. So, after returning home from a weekend retreat, earlier this month, I was determined to break this pattern.

I transferred my notes onto my iPad within days of returning and decided that I would review them, meditate on them, at least weekly, and use them in my writing and conversation. This, I felt, would enable me to not only hold onto the information longer, but also to remind my friends, who attended with me, of the lessons we learned, and to share the information with those who were not a part of the original audience.

So, you may see whole posts dedicated to my reflections from Hume Lake or simply quotes and verses that were meaningful to me. In fact, I have already included some of those quotes and scripture passages in recent posts about sin and faith.

Debbie Alsdorf was the main speaker during the weekend retreat in early October. She was one of those speakers who brought a host of emotions and who led you to do the same. Throughout the weekend, she spoke of peace. Since this is an important topic for me (hence, the title of my blog), I was eager to hear what she had to say.

I was most fascinated by her explanation of those things in life that rob us of peace. She appropriately named them, Peace Stealers. Here is her list, in brief, with my own applications and additional explanations, in parenthesis:

1. Double mindedness (living for God and for *insert your vice here*... James 4:7-8)

2. Unrealistic expectations

3. Complicating simple issues

4. Excessive reasoning

5. Living with a focus on feelings ("The heart is deceitful above all things..." Jeremiah 17)

6. Holding on to anger

7. Jealousy and envy (competitiveness)

8. Negativity

9. Habit of discontentment (Takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. Start now.)

Honestly, when looking at this list, I had a hard time coming up with the one I struggle with the most. I know I've been guilty of letting all of these things steal my peace. There may even be times when I have fallen victim to all of them at once. After reviewing this list several times, I began to understand why I have so much trouble remaining at peace, why I become so overwhelmed with the pieces of life.