Soul Peaceful

Let Go Are you full of it? Are you dragging around bitter, broken, and belittling baggage? If so, it's time to let go. Psalm 51:3 calls this baggage, the sin that is always before us Ephesians 4:22 calls this baggage, the old man that is corrupt and deceitful Hebrews 12:1 calls this baggage, the sin that easily entangles us How far will you carry your baggage this time? Will you carry it a few more days, weeks, months? What pleasure do you gain from carrying your baggage around? It hurts but you haul it like a prized possession. Too many of God’s children have gotten comfortable lugging useless baggage that is slowing us down from doing His will. There are occasions when it is okay to carry a load or two: taking on the weakness of those without strength, and bearing your own and other's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2,5; Romans 15:1). Yet, when you become emotionally drained, verbally ridiculed, socially isolated, and negatively influenced all because of baggage, it’s time to let go. Let Go of the harmful effects of baggage which tear at your soul;  Let Go of the hateful sounds of baggage which ridicule and persecute you; Let Go of the hazardous feelings of baggage that make you angry and bitter; Let Go of the hurtful homes of baggage which leave you isolated and alone. Baggage is not meant to be held onto at all times. Airplanes even give carry on baggage its own designated spot: OVERHEAD, OUT OF SIGHT and OUT OF YOUR WAY.  Today, let's practice letting go of baggage with these three breath steps. 1. Get your baggage overhead. Give it to the Father. Lift it up above your head in prayer and leave it there. God’s safety carriage—Jesus—is sturdy and strong enough to handle it. (Psalm 55:22, Psalm 103:11-12) 2. Get your baggage out of sight. Release it from your sight and mind so that you do not constantly think about it. This may include issues, as well as people. (Psalm 25:15, Psalm 101:3) 3. Get your baggage out of your way. When you’re not hauling it, your walk is smoother. Baggage is a stumbling block to growth, so move it out of your path. (Isaiah 26:7, Matthew 16:23) If what you have been holding on to is more damaging than helpful, Let Go. If your spiritual walk has slowed, staggered, or stopped, Let Go so you can find peace for your soul.  Until next time my dears… Be Soul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry” (Psalm 34:15)  TEARS Let’s get right to it, tears are not for the weak or the helpless. It’s not a “woman” thing or only something babies do. Tears are real and they are communicating with God; especially when we can’t always form the words... Romans 8:26 says "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”  How many times have you sat in a quiet place and tried to cry out to God in prayer and nothing came forth, but those tears? You might have felt that God couldn’t understand you or that you didn’t actually pray. I take comfort in knowing that when I don’t know how to pray, the Spirit of God makes intercession for me and takes my tears to God and He decodes every hurt, pain, shame, fear, and disappointment. He makes sense of my tears. When it comes to meditation you may hear the person leading the practice say, "sit with your thoughts and release what’s on your mind and in your heart." I’ll be the first to say that sometimes that’s hard. How can you tell God what’s on your heart when you don’t really know what’s on your heart or what emotions you feel?  What if all you have to offer God are your tears? Confusion? Anger? Hostility? Helplessness? What if all you can say is, “I’m in pain. I’m hurting. I’m angry because I’m hurting; and I’m ashamed because I feel like as a Christian I should have more faith and shouldn’t be crying." This is not true. When it comes to meditation and approaching God, He isn’t looking for you to be perfect, He’s looking for you to be present. His eyes see the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry. For the month of June, I’ve shed many tears. Some of the tears came out of nowhere. Others I knew were coming because I’d bottled up so much stress and pressure and felt myself about to burst.  But I realized in a season of tears intimacy with God grows. Job cried. David wept bitterly. Mary shed tears. Jesus wept. Tears are healing. Crying cleanses the mind, body, and soul. Tears help your body dispose of chemicals that raise your cortisol, the stress hormone; therefore releasing stress. Crying kills bacteria. Crying cleans the lashes and improves vision. Crying improves mood. Crying is self-care, self-soothing, and helps your body bounce back from trauma. When you break a bone, don’t be ashamed to cry. When you do, you release a feel-good hormone that increases your pain tolerance that can lead to peace and serenity. Allowing yourself to cry allows you to prevent the numbing of all of your emotions so that you can experience joy and happiness. Crying can lower blood pressure and prevent depression. You can’t cry too much as tears are a part of life. So when you go into meditation and you’re told to clear your mind…if all you have within you is a tear to shed, know that you are being present, you've opened your heart to God and allowed Him to look in without judgment. Meditation is not about perfection or performance. It’s about being present. Until next time my dears… Be Soul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice...And the LORD said unto him, Go.” (1 Kings 19:11-12,15) BE STILL Take a moment to sit still. No really, try to quiet your mind and think of nothing. Research has shown that if a man is asked what he is thinking, he can respond with “nothing” and really be thinking about nothing. The opposite is said for women. Our minds are constantly swirling with thoughts and loaded with ideas, chores, and feelings; every issue demands our attention. Unlike men, we can rarely be found, "not thinking" of something. Mark Gungor says that men are able to keep their thoughts and ideas separate from each other and nothing touches. Every item has its own box. With women, everything touches and is connected in some kind of way, like a ball of wire. However, the Lord can be found in the still, quiet spaces of your mind. He can be heard in nothing. Sometimes we look for the Lord in the big signs: healing of the sick, the blessing of childbirth, paycheck coming on time, getting the man of your dreams, or receiving that promotion you've been waiting for. If He shows up then, then we know He's there. Although those are adequate places to see the blessings of the Lord in your life, He may be trying to get you to notice Him in the least likely of places. Just for a moment today, close your eyes and sit still. Let me show you how. For 60 seconds go to a quiet place. Remove the distractions; silence your phones, televisions, and technology. Don’t think of the “have to’s” or “need to's.” God has left His word written in the quiet place of your mind and heart (Hebrews 8:10, 10:16). Sit still and hear His words.  One moment of silence can make a world of difference if you take it. Cherish this time to quiet your mind and listen for the direction you're being called to go in. Through the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we may get caught up looking for the Lord in major happenings.  Just perhaps, what you need may be found in the stillness. Today, just for a minute, think of nothing. Listen for the Lord. Until next time my dears... Be Soul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36, NASB) Merciful The original meaning of merciful in this verse is taken from the Greek word, Oiktirmone, which means compassion or to exercise pity. Want to know how to confuse the enemy? Show mercy. When Jesus wanted to confuse the enemy, he was found showing mercy: Jesus gave sight to the blind (Matthew 9:27-31, Mark 8:22-26, John 9:1-7) Jesus forgave (Luke 7:37-48, Luke 19:1-10) Jesus healed (Matthew 9:20-22) Jesus showed compassion (Matthew 9:35-36, Mark 1:41, Psalm 147:3) Jesus led (2 Corinthians 2:14) Jesus died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6-8) Daily, you're coming across so many enemies. You may want to retaliate and fight back, but like Jesus, you must forgive!  Guess what?! We were once someone's enemy! We were enemies of God because of disobedience, but instead of retaliation, He showed us mercy -- and the result was salvation!! We must show mercy towards our enemies in order to lead them to the same salvation and change of heart (Acts 4:11-12).  In Matthew chapter 4, we read how Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. Before facing the devil, Jesus went through a period of fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. I can imagine during this time He was also praying. He had time alone with the Lord to prepare His mind for a battle. At each temptation, Jesus could have changed his situation in the blink of an eye, but He chose to exercise compassion and educate His enemy on the appropriate way to live. Jesus was able to use the scriptures as His weaponry. It appeared the trials wouldn't end as the enemy kept tempting Him. Perhaps, it seems like the pressures in your life won't let up. The same enemy who tempted Jesus, wants you to fail, fall down, and forsake the Lord; yet, like Jesus, you can defeat him with the word (Matthew 4:1-11). You are faced with battles daily, but how willing are you to yield to the Holy Spirit's call to get quiet before the Lord and feed on His love, His strength, and His mercy? Jesus became quiet so that He could hear from God on how to deal with His enemy. You may feel tired. Powerless. Weary. Angry. Go off to your quiet place, breathe, fast, pray, and get refueled for the battle.  Prayer: Dear Lord, please mold our hearts to love as you love. Sometimes in our anger, we want to get even; however, we need to see everyone as a soul in need of mercy. We pray that our lives of love and compassion lead our enemy to you, so that they may receive salvation. Our plea is that we follow the example of Jesus, and love, forgive, and show mercy. In His name, we pray, Amen! Until next time my dears... Be Soul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

"Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) I Can't BREATHE.  The world is shaken up once more. A national coronavirus pandemic, and “another” race crisis due to the recent murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minnesota Police Officer. In the last moments of Floyd’s life, video records him saying multiple times, “I can’t breathe…”  When George Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, I realized I’d stopped breathing too and when we aren’t breathing correctly we cause undue stress on our bodies. Mental and spiritual death ensues.  My meditation podcast was designed to bring peace during moments of anxiety. If your anxiety isn’t high and tension in your neck hadn’t gotten tighter, given ALL we’ve encountered in the last couple of months alone, you must be living under a rock. We need to breathe. We need to restore our energy and refresh our minds. God breathed his very breath into us….to awaken and enliven us; to energize and restore us.  Let’s take a few restorative breaths to help you get through the series of emotions you’re feeling. When you’re angry, your breathing is rushed. When you’re crying it’s shallow. When you’re numb, you’re holding your breath; when you’re confused, your breathing is hesitant.  God, we come before You right now thankful for a new day. We acknowledge that You have breathed life into our bodies. You created us; You, Lord, are our maker. God, for every person reading this prayer right now who is struggling with anger, defeat, numbness, decision making, finances, with his or her marriage, with loneliness, with fear, with sadness and depression, with the loss of a relationship, a loved one, with self-defeat...I ask that You touch and comfort them right now. Lord, I ask that You ease their mind and allow them space to put complete trust in You! I ask You, Father, to provide vision and hope to understand the Holy Spirit and to be led by Him. God, may You open up doors of opportunity for them and their family. May You grant a healing from their infirmities.  Lord, I ask that You give them power over fear and self-control over temptations. God, I pray believing that this person's struggles, and even my struggles and stresses, are temporary. Father, help each of us to know that You are the Captain of our lives and with You, we can weather any storm whether viral or racial. Father, forgive us for every time we have doubted You because we failed to believe in ourselves. Lord, forgive us for choosing worry over worship, and pain over praising you. God, we are vulnerable right now, asking for a restoration of our minds, our hearts, and our souls.  We ask that Your word ignite us like the sun lights the earth. We ask for Your word to cleanse us like the rain cleanses the earth. God, we ask that Your word guide us like a compass gives direction. We need You, God. We are lost without You. Lord, we ask that we not grieve the Holy Spirit, but rather be open and receptive to the guidance that is sent from You.  Lord, today we are choosing You. We acknowledge that there are days when we choose other people or even our own way, but today, we break that negative stronghold of rebellion and seek You.  God, for the person who needs a spiritual pick me up, help them to reach down in their memory bank and recall everything You have brought them through. May they remember the day You allowed them to spiritually walk on water. May they remember the day You parted a Red Sea in their life, so they could escape the enemy of gloom, doom, and oppression. May they remember the day You called them Your child and made them whole.  Help them to BREATHE God...  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   Until next time my dears... Be Soul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling         

“Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) HA-LAY-LUJAH I recall a time when my former roommate and I could turn a funny story into a spiritual message.  Once, I swiftly darted down two flights of stairs to help unload the groceries from the car. It seemed doable; it seemed bearable because I had done it many times before. I grabbed 6 bags in one hand and 6 bags in the other. At the time the bags didn’t seem heavy at all. As I began to walk back up the two flights of stairs I noticed I had the milk, the water, and just about every canned good you could imagine. It’s amazing how weighty something becomes after you've carried it for a while. Why did I grab so many? I figured that if I could grab as much as possible in one trip, I wouldn’t have to go up and down those stairs so many times. I wouldn’t dare admit that I thought I was superwoman! I was carrying so much weight that it messed up my walk. I was breathing heavily so it affected my talk, and what should have taken 1-2 minutes turned into 5-10. The heaviness completely slowed me down. During my struggle to make it up the stairs, I looked up and saw my roommate with that umph umph umph look on her face; you know the one we receive when we know we shouldn’t be doing something and get caught. I immediately knew I was about to get fussed at but instead she reached out her hand to grab a few of the bags and asked, “Why are you carrying so much, I could have helped you?” I didn’t even argue with her statement, I happily handed over 6 of those bags! Despite MY thinking, I was not superwoman! As I sat down to take a break from the extreme fatigue, I could only think about Jesus and how He must feel when we try to do it all on our own. We read the scripture found in Matthew 11:28 as He asks us to come unto Him if we are carrying heavy burdens, and promises to give us rest, but do we? We read in 1 Peter 5:7 where Jesus wants us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us, but do we? If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes Jesus is the last person we call on in times of trouble and great distress. I wonder how often does Jesus ask the question, “Why are you carrying so much, I could have helped you?” Thank God for roommates, friends, & family who see us in the midst of our struggle and assist us. But praise the Lord there is someone who sticks closer than our friends, family, or roommates: Jesus, our Savior! Jesus was willing to LAY down his life completely for us, and He Did! The word Hallelujah (Alleluia) is the Hebrew & Greek Word that means “Praise The Lord.” We can sometimes miss our shout because we are so heavy-laden! We must get to the point in our lives where we have our Ha-LAY-lujah moments! Just like Jesus was willing to LAY down his life for us, we must be willing to LAY down our weights at His feet! I know I’m not the only one who has thought I could be superwoman, carrying as much weight as I wanted; and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has proved that statement wrong! Let this mediation guide you in releasing all the baggage you need to place at Jesus' feet. There are times in our lives when we are struggling, hurting, in pain, or miserable but instead of LAYing it at the feet of Jesus, we harbor and hold on to it. Someone reading this message right now needs to join me in LAYing “it” at the feet of Jesus! I don’t know what your “it” is: maybe you are going through an ugly divorce, a sad breakup, loss of a loved one, financial woes, stress from working two jobs & trying to make ends meet, the feeling of being 40-single-and a misfit, the weariness of being married but still lonely, health rollercoasters, mistreatment at your workplace, isolation, anxiety, depression, and disconnection from your spiritual and biological family due to COVID-19...I don’t know what “it” is, but God knows! Whatever “it” is, God can take care of it for you if you LAY it at his feet today! Are you ready for your Hal-LAY-lujah moment? I sure am! Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16) CONFESS Do you remember the Bible story of Elijah who proved the power of God by prayer? He prayed, and "the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (1 Kings 18:36-38) However, before Elijah prepared the sacrifice, and before the people witnessed the power of God, he had to repair the altar that had been broken down (1 Kings 18:1). The Lord's altar of sacrifice in the Old Testament was a display of God's recommended means for access and fellowship with Him. The idea of repair in our lives means coming to God with a repentant heart. For us today, we confess our faults in prayer, in order to restore access to God so that He can repair the altar of our hearts which may have been broken down. We must realize that though we are God's beloved children, we must remove sin from our lives before approaching His throne. We do this through confession. The word, confess, in this verse means "acknowledge." Faults are defined as a "side-slip, lapse, deviation, unintentional error or willful transgressions." What needs to be confessed in your life so that God might hear your prayer? What faults need to be acknowledged? This brief meditation will help you release those hardships, slip-ups,  and pains, that are keeping your soul agitated and unhealed. For God to hear our prayers we need to repair those things in our lives that hinder fellowship with and access to Him. Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me." It’s true our sins separate us from our God who heals (Isaiah 59:1-2). When we harbor and hold sin in our hearts and refuse to confess, God will not hear our prayers, which means He will not answer them and we ultimately won't have relief nor peace for our souls. However, "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Don't you want to be cleansed? Healing and peace are unavailable without confession. Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) Do you feel like you're in a pit and can't climb your way out? Do you feel like you're in a valley and can't run fast enough to get through? The answers you seek and the peace you need are higher than you can reach. The original meaning of higher in this verse is taken from the Hebrew word, Gabahh, which means to soar, be lofty, to be haughty, to be exalted and lifted high, and to be proud to raise up to great heights or upward. The human eye cannot measure the distance between the heavens and the earth, and honestly, we can't measure the distance between this current trial called COVID-19 and victory on the other side of it...BUT GOD CAN! Just because we can’t measure it doesn’t mean God isn't in control! His thoughts and ways are so beyond us that He cannot be tripped up by our anxieties! His love is elevated to a height that we cannot comprehend. His plans are higher than our problems His forgiveness is higher than our fears His answers are higher than our anxieties His holiness is higher than our hatred His peace is higher than our pain His healing is higher than our heaviness His direction is higher than our depression His wealth is higher than our worry His salvation is higher than our sin It's quite possible that you can't work, strategize, plan, or hustle your way out of your current predicament. Maybe you're simply looking for a word that's going to help you level up. Perhaps you need a new view! If there is an obstacle in your way, it’s time to move higher! This short breathing exercise will help you soar above what's bothering you or pulling you backward. To get through and possibly beyond this season you may need to trust in, surrender to the One whose thoughts and ways are HIGHER so that you can look down on your situation from a different perspective! Shift your mind from thinking about the same old mess and stress down here...GO HIGHER! Choose a different route than the one that has always left you depleted. GO HIGHER!   Prayer: Dear Lord, we try to wrap our minds around how expansive your ways are, and many times we just can't comprehend. Therefore, we thank you for your Spirit who comforts us and gives us peace that passes all understanding. We pray that as we dwell in you, you exalt us, raise us, and lift us higher than this pandemic, these panic attacks, and higher than the people who try to keep us down! We praise you for your perfect and higher ways and thoughts! In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen!  Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3) As much as we don’t like to admit it, we work too much. We give, we toil, we create, we exhaust ourselves; we survive off of 2 and 3 hours of sleep, we pray hard, we forgive harder, we fight fair, we study, we serve, we give our all. However, in all of this, we neglect to restore our souls. Picture the energizer bunny on 5-hour energy drinks: we just keep going and going! Constant movement is not a sign of strength and needing restoration is not a sign of weakness. After God created the world He rested (Genesis 2:2). Though we know Him as the God who neither slumbers, nor sleeps, His rest meant that He put down His work, ceased His exertion, and went into a state of tranquility. Unlike us, God doesn't need to be restored; however, He left us an example of the necessity of rest. It’s okay to rest so that Almighty God can restore your soul. In this often goal-crazed, instant-results society, we miss the beauty found in restoration. Athletes, after injury, take time before going back on the field or court. They give their bodies time to restore back to proper functioning. When a singer loses her voice, she doesn’t jump back into the studio; she rests her vocal cords in order to restore her musical muscles so that she can get back to that place of rejoicing. What about you my friend? Does someone have to force you to take a break even though you know you’re too exhausted to even keep your eyes open? Has the doctor given a bad result on your exam and now you have no choice but to be still in order to be restored to health? Sis, slow down. Bro, chill out. You can't even spell RESTored with REST. Let's take a moment to listen to our bodies and restore our souls. Your goals will be accomplished; not because you work yourself to death, but because you cherish your temple enough to allow God to restore your soul when you start running on empty. Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:24) DELAY God has chosen us, but that doesn’t mean we'll reap immediate physical results. Many of us want to be considered God’s chosen ones, but not the ones chosen to be single, or the ones chosen to care for elderly parents or grandparents, or the ones chosen to uproot from your daily routine and move indoors, or the ones chosen to adopt because you can’t bear children, or the ones chosen to be divorced, or the ones chosen with the health problems, or the ones chosen with sky-high debt, or the ones chosen for the new job where you have to interact with those who don’t share your faith or the ones chosen to...you get the picture. We want to be chosen for the good stuff, but not the wait. The Coronavirus has many of us in a season of wait. God has chosen us, but our chosenness doesn’t eliminate the delay that we may have to face. Who are we to tell God the stipulations to our chosenness? You know how we are, we thank Him for choosing us for the new job, but get mad because we have to commute (or now, tune into Zoom Meetings all week long); we become altogether upset with the discomfort and inconveniences that come with life, that we don't live the Chosen life. Chosenness doesn’t eliminate the delay. You may be waiting for something to be revealed in your life; however, you’re still CHOSEN even though that thing hasn’t manifested itself yet. Mark 11:24 says, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”  God's Geek is about to come out! The word receive here is a verb. It's not passive. In this sense, it means to take hold of, to take what is one's own, to make one's own, to seize, to claim, to procure, to take a thing that is due, to collect, not to refuse or reject, but to take what is offered. Jesus is saying if you're praying for a thing, believe that it's already yours, and you'll have it. If you won't pray believing, why pray? However, just because you have to wait to receive it doesn't mean it's not yours.  Aren't we all believing we're about to get these stimulus checks? Aren't we believing that once we pay taxes and it says we get something back, that we believe it's going to show up in our accounts sooner or later? I don't have it my hands, but I've already claimed it! God may choose you and have a great plan for your life, but it may not manifest until 1, 5, 10, maybe 20 years later. Is the chosenness still worth the wait? Will you still trust Him? Here's a meditation to open your heart to receive and trusting the Lord through the delays. I encourage you today, to not turn your back on God because you haven’t received what you prayed for. His delay doesn’t deny that you're chosen! God’s timing is perfect; so let Him perfect you as He prepares to endow you with His great blessings, both physical and spiritual! Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) We carry burdens in our bodies, which weigh us down. We carry burdens in our hearts, which make them break. We carry burdens from our jobs, which lead to burnout. But the burden of the LORD is light – which makes it so easy to cast to the side. We may find His burden to be uninteresting, unchallenging, mundane, and even old-fashioned, therefore we want nothing to do with it. When this verse says that God’s burden is light, it literally means that it is easy. It means it's less cumbersome and much smaller than worldly troubles; and when we carry it, HE gives us rest. What other burdens do you have that yield such rest? This is not just the rest that helps us fall asleep, but the Lord is saying “take it easy, find refreshment, cease from movement or labor in order to recover & collect your strength; keep quiet and possess calm and patient expectation, or take an intermission for recreation.”  It’s God giving us the strength to rest. How many of us feel like we need to schedule a time to take it easy? That there aren’t enough hours in the day to get our hands on this renewal? I know the feeling, even as I'm typing this lesson right now, my spirit is screaming out for rest and sweet peace! We hear all too often that God didn’t promise that this life would be easy. True. We don’t see that promise in scripture. What we do see is that in this life, we will have burdens, struggles, shame, persecutions, and even pain; however, WE DON'T HAVE TO CARRY THESE BURDENS ALONE. The Father gives us help (Psalm 40:17). If we carry the Lord with us through the hard times, He will transform us and turn the heavy load into a lighter, more manageable one. How does He do it: By providing consolation when we want to quit; by sending ministers to aid us, when we’ve fallen by the wayside; by providing peace when we’re about to break in pieces. God offers the lightness to our load and only asks that we surrender to Him. He won't always take our burdens away, but we can trust that He will provide the rest to get through them and the unspeakable joy after overcoming them! Listen, the enemy's duty is to devour and destroy you. One way he does this is by burdening you with physical exhaustion and spiritual powerlessness. He aims to keep you in states of fatigue so that you are of no use to the Father. You can defeat him and transform your heavy load by exchanging it for the light burden of the Father. If you want to rest, grab hold of it today. Reminders from the Holy Spirit:  Filled with care? 1 Peter 5:7  Loaded with anxiety? Philippians 4:6-7  Trapped in a stronghold? 2 Corinthians 10:4-5  Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) FOR NOW “Why me Lord?” “I guess this is how it is going to be.” “I hate my job.” “My marriage is in shambles.” “I’ve been single too long.” “I’m always broke.” “I'm not going to make it.” “This sickness will never go away.” “How did I end up here?” These are statements that we’ve heard others say, or at times have been guilty of saying ourselves. It’s comfortable to get in a place of questioning or disbelief regarding your current situation. There are times when it seems like your best day is nowhere in sight. You listen to people say, “it’s going to be alright, it’s going to get better,” but you can’t believe it because you can’t see it! Many of us are guilty of making temporary situations, permanent! We can sometimes create the worst scenarios in our minds and satan loves it. He loves when God’s children dwell in a place of doubt, worry, pain, and appear to be hopeless. He thrives when it seems like we are constantly living in darkness instead of the light. God didn’t intend for us to live that way. He sent Jesus to give us life (John 10:10). He sent the Holy Spirit to give us comfort (John 14:16). He gives us strength when we are weak (Isaiah 40:31). He provides a way out of no way when we seem down to nothing (John 6:1-14). Our situations are seasonal! Our situations are not designed to break us, but to shape us! It’s time for a shift in the atmosphere! Yes, a paradigm shift! This message is designed to motivate, inspire, encourage, and beseech you to change the way you’ve been thinking! Okay, you may be financially broke for now, but as a child of God, you are forever rich! Coronavirus may be here for now, but there is eternal health to look forward to in God's kingdom of heaven! The point is, today, stop making your “for now,” forever! Stinking thinking has to go! It’s time to let recognize this light affliction won't last long. (2 Corinthians 4:17). Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

Welcome to Soul Peaceful, A Meditation Program designed to bring peace during periods of anxiety. Today we need a SWEET SPOT! Sweet spot = a place of comfort, peace, and refreshing When you get stressed or overwhelmed what do you do? Do you give up, cry out, or fall down? Do you exercise, watch television, sing, or write? All throughout the gospels, many crowds surrounded Jesus. He had many an opportunity to become stressed and overwhelmed, but instead of giving up, He accomplished the work; and in the midst of His ministry, you can find Him often retreating to be alone to rest from His labors. Jesus had a sweet spot! Never did Jesus in all His years of healing others neglect to find reprieve from the masses to heal Himself. He always located a sweet spot in the mountains or in a garden to experience calm, to get assurance, and to spend sweet quality time with the Father. We should take a lesson from our Lord. What’s your sweet spot? There may be weeks where you find you’ve worked your fingers to the bone, and you have to make yourself retreat to a sweet spot of renewal and rejuvenation. This spot does not have to be a physical place, because life does not always afford you the opportunity to pick up and go to a place of relief. I want to challenge you to find the sweet spot in your mind that will stimulate feelings of comfort, peace, and refreshing. Remember, you’re not relinquishing yourself from duty, it’s just a sweet break with the Savior. Use your imagination...what does your sweet spot look like? What sounds do you hear? Are you alone or surrounded by loved ones? Do you pray, sing, draw, create, curate, or just close your eyes and sigh?  Allow today's meditation guide you in creating your sweet spot. Psalm 69:9 states God refreshed His weary inheritance. God refreshes you when you become weary. His Spirit comforts you throughout the day, and Jesus’ example urges you on toward replenishment. Find your peace in Him and indulge in His refreshing presence.  Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling     

Relationships are beautiful, yet tough to maneuver through sometimes. Whether it's romantic, familial, social, spiritual, occupational, or my all-time favorite, a personal relationship with self -- any good relationship will require patience, prayer, communication, and grace in order to be healthy. Throw in a little sacrifice and compassion for good measure! However, I recently noticed a shift in one of my relationships.  I wasn't happy, I was going through the motions. I wasn't grateful, I was stressed about a situation that I didn't & still don't have the answer to. Not sure if you've ever been there! I pulled my gratitude journal out and do like I do with every other notebook or journal, I turn my gratitude list into a To-Do List; then that list becomes a "Why Didn't You Do List," and that list becomes a "Why Can't You Get Yourself Together Gripe Session" that I have with myself.  Before I started journaling, I realized I was giving a friend a lot of grief, attitude, defensiveness, and anger. My soul wasn't peaceful. So I began to write... Can I encourage you to join me to take this moment to let go of the complaints and what's not right with your relationships and engage in your 12 Soul Seconds to bring your heart back to gratefulness, happiness, and peace? Gratitude builds us up for life's inevitable ups and downs. As we practice gratitude, we become more optimistic, think more creatively, and have more loving, joyful relationships. Simply put, gratitufe means happiness. And happy people have been shown to live longer, healthier lives, and are more resilient to stress and depression. By practicing gratitude we are investing in a richer, more rewarding life. Until next time my dears... Be SOul Peaceful.   Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling 

Welcome to Soul Peaceful, a mediation program designed to bring your soul peace during periods of anxiety. I am your host, Melanie Joyce Johnson a licensed Resident in Counseling and the Founder of Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis, where I empower women, educate churches, and expose domestic violence in Christian homes and relationships.   Peace is my Jam! I want it everywhere, at home, work, in the bathroom, the theatre, the coffeehouse, the metro. I'm a professed hoarder of peace and quiet. However, with everything going on in the world, everyone is talking about one thing: CoronaVirus!   Our first session is to help you find calm in the midst of COVID-19! Everyone's talking about it. Everyone's sanitizing their bodies and businesses; yet, let's take a moment to sanitize and clean our minds with the breath.    Philippians 4:6-7 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."   My dears, prayer is not the only answer, but it is a worthy one to get through these overwhelming moments. While you're praying realize you're also breathing and as you're giving this breath back to God, remember He has to keep His promises to us, to never leave nor forsake us.    Be SOul Prayerful. Be SOul Thankful. Be SOul Peaceful.   Follow Me & Subscribe: Survival Sisters Peaceful Oasis Blog Facebook  Instagram  Peaceful Oasis Counseling