Peace Part 3

Check out Part 1 of the talk here and Part 2 here.

Resources for Having More Peace, Less Stress

Books: Bible, Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff For Teens by Richard Carlson, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Common Prayers: Serenity Prayer, Lord’s Prayer, Psalms, Praying in Tongues/in the Spirit

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:9, Matthew 7:7-8, Deuteronomy 31:6, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 54:4, Ephesians 6:10-12, Hebrews 11:1, Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 40:29-31, Philippians 4: 4-7, Romans 8: 18-19, Exodus 14:14, Matthew 8:13, Romans 8:28

Quotes:  “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”  - Dr. MLK

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."  Lou Holtz

"There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don't allow yourself to become one of them." - Ralph Marston

"You can't beat someone who isn't willing to give up! " Babe Ruth

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”

“I don’t pray that you may be delivered from your troubles. Instead, I pray that God will give you the strength and patience to bear them.” - Brother Lawrence

“God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.” Mother Teresa

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Oliver Goldsmith

“The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance in the next; the more we sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future.”-- St. Isidore of Seville

From “Consenting to Suffering” by Jacques Philippe {Having looked at self-acceptance, we can now consider the acceptance of events. The basic principle is the same; we cannot change our lives effectively unless we begin by accepting them, welcoming them totally, and so consenting to all the external events that confront us. That isn’t hard in the case of what we perceive as good, pleasing, and positive.  But it is hard when any kind of setback or suffering is involved. In what follows, the things we find negative are generically called “difficulties.” The subject needs to be handled carefully. It is not a matter of becoming passive and learning to endure everything- without reacting. But whatever projects we have and however well we plan them, many times situations that are beyond our control and involve a whole host of events contrary to our expectations, hopes, and desires occur, and we must accept it.  We should not limit ourselves to accepting things grudgingly, but should truly consent to them-not endure them, but in a sense “choose” them (even if in fact we have no choice, and that’s what most annoys us!) Choosing here means making a free act by which we not only resign ourselves but also welcome the situation. That isn’t easy, especially in the case of really painful trials, but it is the right approach, and we should follow as much as possible in faith and hope. If we have enough faith in God to believe him capable of drawing good out of whatever befalls us, he will do so. “As you have believed, so let it be done to you,” he says repeatedly in the Gospel.”}

Now it's your turn! What has helped you have more peace?