Author: Susan

Rest a moment with Jesus and find peace

When the view from my window feels small or limited, I rest a moment with Jesus.

Beauty of God’s creation

I had to pull back from the computer this past week-end. Lately, it feels like my whole life has been reduced to a window on a computer. I needed to rest my eyes on the beauty of God’s creation, the colorful spring flowers, pink and purple tulips, and the last of the yellow daffodils, complimented by a fresh green backdrop.

My life during the week has been filled with workshops and webinars, typing articles on a computer, and catching up on communication, all online.

Look around

I needed to step away from my limited view and look around me.

All of this learning and communication is good, it’s just too much all at once. My head needed a pause.

Jesus helps settle my soul

What I didn’t let go of was Jesus. I’ve been journaling every morning, ten minutes or a few pages, whatever I feel prompted to do. This time with Jesus helps settle my soul, my heart, and my thoughts.

My day still ends up being filled with projects, but it goes much better having started the day with Jesus.

One connection that matters

So for a moment, no computer. Well except for typing this because I can type faster than I can write by hand and I don’t want to have to type up my handwritten notes tomorrow.

And while I won’t have all my online social connections, I will have one connection that matters close at hand throughout the day, Jesus.

Spend time with Jesus

Have you tried taking a moment to spend time with Jesus?

The easiest way I know is to simply pause, sit back, and breathe.

I don’t have to know what the next step is. I just rest in the moment, however brief.

Rest a moment with Jesus

With spring flowers blooming I like to set my gaze on God’s glorious creation, which I can’t do from my computer, another reason to step away from this spot.

If you can’t step away from your computer right now, take a moment to look away from it, sit back, and rest a moment with Jesus.

May your heart find peace in the moment.

“Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7 NIV

In you, oh Lord, I find my strength.

In you, oh Lord, I find my rest.

Let the Praises Ring – shine your light

Let the Praises Ring by Susan Brehmer

All it takes is one light to shine into the darkness

All it takes is one heart to lift a song in praise

When you lift your voice and sing

It changes everything

So shine your light

Lift your voice

Let the praises ring

© March 2020

Click here to download the chord chart.

How to connect with others and avoid feeling isolated

In times when we are not able to connect with one another in person, we may feel isolated. Here are some ways we can lovingly interact with people and intentionally reconnect.

Interact in a loving way

Even though we are intentionally physically separating, we can still connect and interact with people safely in a loving way. A smile can be offered from a safe distance, as can kind thoughts toward one another. We can extend the love and grace that God gives to us to others, remembering that each person is one of God’s precious children.

Make an effort to connect

For many of us, times of separation mean not attending the usual activities or social gatherings we are accustomed to in person. If we don’t make an effort to connect with others, we may start to feel isolated. People we know may also feel isolated.

How can we reconnect when we’re not gathering together?

We can still safely reach out via phone calls, texts, emails, and various modes of video connections. We can smile and wave to our neighbors.

This is also a great opportunity to write a note and send a card or handwritten letter to someone.

Pray for one another

We can pray for one another.

Now more than ever we need to connect to one another. When we can’t meet in person, we can do one better. We can meet by heart.

Who do you know in need of a personal connection or social interaction?

Ask God

Pray. Take a moment and ask God,

“Who needs to hear from someone today?

Who would benefit from knowing someone thought of them today?”

Listen

Listen. God wants to speak to us. Often we just need to give Him space to do so.

A person’s name may come to mind. We may sense in our heart that someone needs to hear from us. We might also receive an email or text and learn that a friend’s loved one is alone and could use a card. We might remember a friend or family member who lives alone.

God speaks

God speaks into our hearts, places thoughts in our minds, and communicates with us through people and situations around us. If we are open to realizing God can speak to us in this manner, we are more likely to recognize when He does.

God’s love

Remembering God’s love for us and all His children can place us in a frame of mind that helps us see the grocery store clerk as somebody who could use an encouraging word of thanks. It may also remind us to pray for medical workers, emergency responders, teachers, delivery workers, and other service personnel on the front lines, or families trying to navigate new territory.

Intentional connection

Prayer is intentional connection. I have been involved in groups of people who pray for one another. So often a friend who needed prayer has responded afterward, “I felt your prayers.”

Not sure how to pray? I shared some thoughts in a recent post.

Here are a few words you can use to pray for someone:

“Lord, you know what this person is going through, what they need. I lift their name up to you and ask you to watch over them.”

Feel free to come up with your own words. God hears our prayers.

A smile, a thought, a note, a card, a prayer.

How can you connect with someone today?

A blessing

“‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
   the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
   the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26 NIV

Want to have this blessing sung over you? Michael Card sings a beautiful lullaby based on this Scripture.

How to connect to the source of hope and peace

In times of uncertainty when we feel anxious, it helps to know how to connect to the source of hope and peace.

Last summer, which now seems so long ago, I went on a bike ride through a long, dark tunnel that had me praying a Jesus prayer.  You know, one of those foxhole prayers when you need a lifeline because the circumstances you find yourself in feel really overwhelming.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the only one having that experience. When you’re worried or distressed, knowing that other people aren’t can be comforting, but sometimes that’s not enough.

What is helpful is knowing that Jesus is with us when we feel that way. A simple call out to Jesus can bring us closer to a place of peace.

May you find comfort, maybe a little humor at my predicament last summer, in how I coped in the darkness.

Coping in the darkness – a guiding light

Maybe my experience and moment of prayer will encourage you in your own prayers.

Simple and desperate prayers are always okay to pray.

 “We put our hope in the Lord.
  He is our help and our shield.
  In him our hearts rejoice,
  for we trust in his holy name.
  Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
  for our hope is in you alone.” Psalm 33:20-22 NLT

Sometimes songs speak the words our hearts need to hear. I heard this song today and it spoke to mine. Perhaps it will speak to yours too.

Fighting for Me – Riley Clemmons

Offer grace and compassion to one another

Walking out this season requires adjustments, like offering grace and compassion to one another.

Adjustments

Anyone else feeling a bit confined in their new work-from-home space? I’m sharing a cramped cubicle with a co-worker in this one room schoolhouse. We’ve had to make adjustments to make it work. The internet is a bit of a timeshare at the moment. I try to limit my use when my husband needs more bandwidth. Thankfully writing blog posts or book content is mostly done offline.

We’ve also been staying home, only going out when we need groceries. (As I write this, one week has passed since the last trip).

On a walk

Out on a walk, we talked to our neighbors who live across the street – from across the street. Venturing out a bit farther, we came across a young family with kids. When we each steered away from one another and the parents scooted their kids a safe distance away, their children asked why. Then came the age appropriate response about social distancing.

We’re told to practice social distancing to avoid the spread of the virus. For some it’s inconvenient. For others it’s a matter of life and death. How do we bridge the gap between the two?

Where grace steps in

The gap is where grace steps in, when we make a choice to benefit someone else and not ourselves.

Early on it was thought that the virus primarily affected the older generation. Some others figured they could go about their business believing the virus wouldn’t impact them.

Once it was discovered that seemingly healthy people could still transmit the virus, the climate changed. Those not directly in harm’s way could still negatively impact those who are.

Conscious choice

We have to make more conscious choices. Do I act in my own best interest or do I consider the life of another?

By choosing to follow the recommendation of social distancing, we as a community positively affect the outcome of this current situation. We do our part to minimize the spread of the virus.

Those who are healthy muddle through these inconveniences the same as those who are not. No one gets a pass. Instead we all adapt in this new environment so everyone receives the benefit.

Call for compassion

The call is for compassion. Compassion means to suffer with. Compassion for one another means we suffer together in these challenging times – inconvenient for some, life-altering for others – so that all may have a chance at receiving the benefit, life.

Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, reached out to a world in need. In all compassion and humility He stepped in with His very life so that we might have the gift of eternal life.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV

Grace and compassion

Jesus stepped into the gap, through grace, to our benefit and not His own.

In this season, may we remember the grace and compassion Jesus extended to us, and in turn offer grace and compassion to one another.

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 NIV

Need more encouragement in this season?

Look forward in a new way.

Be still.