What a wonderful gift peace is. The kind of peace that only comes from knowing our Lord and giving ourselves fully to Him. So often I fail at giving my entire self to Him, yet He still surrounds me with unfailing peace.

Isaiah writes in chapter 26: "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." How beautiful to know that even when the world around us is full of pain and discontentment, we can stand firm and not be shaken. I know this comes from the Lord, because I could never feel this way on my own.

Today after work I had some time to myself before band practice at Apex. As I headed towards Panera for some nourishment, I found myself becoming increasingly appreciative towards the Father for the refreshing fall-like weather. After pulling into a parking space, I realized there was no way I could sit inside. So with my coffee and salad, I sat in my car with the windows down, and spent some precious time with the Lord, just thanking him for these extra-special moments when I especially feel His peacefulness all around me. It's these moments that matter the most...not the everyday worries and schedules and to-do lists. These unexpected moments of communion with the Father are so precious to me, and He is teaching me how to be filled with that same peace when I am in the midst of everyday tasks.

Currently Listening The Purest Place By Watermark see related

Hello, all!

Well, I've officially jumped on the bandwagon. I finally realized that by doing this I'll be more able to keep in touch with some dear friends of mine and share what God is doing in my life. Or, at least, pull my thoughts together into something actually concrete!

God is so good. He continues to work in our lives here at the Clemens' house, revealing more of His love and grace to us every single day. Drew and I just returned from another week of counseling at Tippecanoe Baptist Camp...every year we are challenged in new ways, learning more and more about the unconditional love of our Savior. God answered our earnest prayers by placing within us the willingness to be completely open and available to pouring ourselves out to the campers this year. In years past, we had often left with a bit of regret; wishing we had done "this" more wholeheartedly, or wishing we had taken the time to talk to "that" camper. This year, though, we allowed God to bless us with a complete lack of self-consciousness and open hearts. And just as it always seems to be, we seemed to get just as much out of the week as the campers, if not more.

Drew and I both felt God leading us in very specific directions during the week. By the Lord's grace, Drew prepared and led a guys group, both very real and truthful. God was truly at work during those three days, and continues to be...how good He is! I felt very burdened to share about the subtle but dangerous area of dating nonbelievers, an area in which God has taught me much over the years. Even as we're back home now, we continue to be in prayer for those two issues among the campers, in particular. What an encouragement it was to see the amazing things that God is doing in the lives of the campers!

May God continue to use us and shine through us as we head back into our everyday lives.

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock, and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never by shaken." Psalm 62:1, 2