Need Peace?

by Poppy Smith

I needed peace with God before I had a clue how it was possible. I felt guilty because I made choices that troubled me. So, when I heard that peace with God was possible—that I didn’t need to go around carrying a backpack of guilt and shame, embarrassment and self-hatred, I was ready to accept His forgiveness.

Asking Christ to cleanse and forgive me, to come into my life and take charge, was the beginning of lots of revolutionary life-changes—which are still going on! That was many years ago. BUT - How about now?

Do I, do you, need peace NOW? Given the state of our world, I suspect most of us need a reminder about where to find peace. Referring to the promised Holy Spirit, Jesus said,

"He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught." - John 14:27
(The Message).

Look at that verse again. Jesus says there is a way to overcome anxiety about the world, worry about yourself or your family, and fear of the unknown. He hasn’t left us to cope with life on our own—as a former boyfriend or spouse or child might have done.

Even though none of us is... [read more]

Poppy encourages women to
“Flip Your Self-Talk” at
Canby Grove Conference Center, Oregon

Teaching in October on Find Your Passion and Lord, Flip My House was wonderful.  The women went away encouraged to make some specific changes in order to live out their passion.  Others heard God speaking to them about issues of the heart. I love to hear what God did for those who attend.  We all need to hear from the Lord and retreats and conferences are special times where we can pay attention to His voice.  I hope that is true for you. 

I’m grateful for a break in my schedule until I leave for Singapore in February.  With graduate school rapidly coming to an end, my thoughts are on papers, parties, and book proposals.

I attended Glorietta CLASS Writers’ and Speakers’ conference.  This was held outside of beautiful Santa Fe, NM and the scenery was magnificent. Even though I went from early morning to night learning, devouring information, and meeting with book editors, it was a great experience.

5 tips for handling your worries

1. Ask yourself: What am I worried about?  Write it down exactly.
2. Ask yourself: Is worrying helping me or making me more tense and upset?  Explain.
3. Ask yourself: How do I know if my worries will come true?  Have they all come true in the past?
4. Give yourself five minutes to worry—cry, plead, get angry, feel depressed—then change your focus and sing
5. Ask God what productive step you can take to solve your problem

Pray as I am working on new book proposals in the coming months. I'm very excited about the readers' needs this new book series will be meeting and I pray God will be blessed.

Next month, I begin work on a 90 minute workshop for Christian medical missionaries in Thailand.  I'll be speaking on a difficult but very necessary topic: Sex, Power, and Serving God. I pray that God prepares the hearts of those who will be at the event.

Look for one of my articles to be included in an upcoming issue of Focus on the Family Magazine. The article will be about going back to school - as grandparents. There are some interesting similarities between the generations. Pray that the readers of the magazine are blessed and encouraged.

Poppy's faith in God's Word has not wavered: She feeds you His truth and enables you to hear God's voice of encouragement, and direction.  More and more people ask me "How can I hear God's voice for myself?" There is a yearning to connect with the Living God and go deeper than we ever have before. Poppy's ministry helps us to do just that.  

Jill Briscoe - Author & Speaker
Executive Editor of Just Between Us.