My alarm clock is the ocean breeze tickling my skin and the waves battling the shore. The scent of salt water invades my nostrils and the sun caressing my skin reminds me that that my nap is over. My appointment with the ocean is a few steps away, but only after I reapply sunscreen. The beach is my place of peace. When I walk the shoreline I realize that I may be in the same location, but I never experience the same beach. The shells change, the waves greet me differently and every time I find the same peace.
Subject: Peace
I’m not sure what your place of peace (tranquility) is, but not matter how much it changes it will always bring the same feeling … peace. Much like joy, peace is something that shouldn’t change with the circumstances. It’s something we should seek to find and hold on to. Peace means that no matter how wild life gets, our emotions are in check and we maintain our mental clarity.
(UPDATE: We are on day 20483931947 of 2020 and we may not have our places of peace. We have to learn how to have, create and keep peace in whatever situation we are in.)
Objective:
Since we’ve already created our template for what we are going to do each month, the task of copying prompts and setting up this month should be fairly easy. If you are finding this page first, check out my post on how to start journaling here, then pop back over to get the July prompts.
Use this optional prompt at the end of month. If you want to track any other memories, add them at the end of the month. This isn’t the primary focus, but it’s always fun to keep fun memories.
Here are a few of ideas for the end of the month recap:
- Reflect on where you feel most at peace and make it a priority to make it there this year
- Write a prayer or comforting words that bring you peace and keep it with you when you feel anxious or upset
- Resolve to start the peace making process in a relationship
As you reflect this month, here are a couple of scriptures that can help remind you of what God’s word says about peace.
Actionable Item:
Unlike the other topics we’ve focused on, peace is something that only we can cultivate with God’s help. It’s a state of mind not a state of being. So whatever your mind creates, it will have. We have to DECIDE every day to have peace. Throughout this month, try to keep your peace. If something makes you anxious, angry or aggressive, step away and see how you can channel your place of peace. Even if Ludacris gets his whole crew back together, make sure you are ready to protect the serenity you’ve embraced all month long (and for the remainder of 2020).
Point of it all:
I don’t want to make light of peace. It’s something that is a challenge to obtain and even harder to maintain. As long as we live, we’ll have inconveniences, problems and situations. We just have to learn how to keep the same positive, tranquil energy as we encounter them. Think about it. On any given workday it could rain cats and dogs. It’s a bother, but it doesn’t stop us from picking up the umbrella, putting on the rain boots and going anyway. Life has rainy days and sometimes it’ll seem like we need the beach umbrella to shield us from the storms that come against us. On the flip side, a Mary Poppins style parasol is all that’s required to get through windy days. Ultimately, our umbrella (peace) will give us a sense of security in both situations. We just have to remember to grab it before we leave the house.
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