Worry, PEACE... and PASSPORTS.

I woke up last Sunday morning just feeling "out of sorts". 

I couldn't put my finger on it... but just seemed restless and irritated. 

We had decided as a family to stay home from church after a crazy weekend and just relax,
but as the morning began...

I sensed that I needed to spend some time in His house. 

So I hurried to get ready and went to church by myself. 

I honestly can't remember the last time I sat in church by myself... but I know the Lord wanted me to be "distraction free" so I could hear His voice.

Our pastor has been doing a series on MORE & LESS of Christmas.

Worship... More

Love... More

Give... More

and this week..... WORRY... Less!

He used the passage in Luke 2:8-15.  But focused on verse 14:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE ...
TO men on whom his favor RESTS.

He talked about how PEACE erases WORRY.

PEACE - an inner conviction that God is completely in control.

He challenged us...

1. Do we give Him ownership?

2. Do we see Him as our authority?

3. Do we PRAISE Him right where we are?

I love the phrase... When you give God the highest GLORY - God gives

you the deepest PEACE.

I went home feeling encouraged, but still felt a little 'on edge' ... and then opened my e-mail Monday morning to find my daily devotional from
Proverbs 31 Ministries (LOVE THEM!) entitled -

When You Don't Know What To Do.

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
2 Chronicles 20:12b (NIV)

It spoke right to my heart as Melanie Chitwood focused on the anxieties that we internalize as we try to 'figure out' all the issues and problems facing us in this life... instead of .."turning from these thoughts by thanking my sovereign God for all the ways He has been faithful in the past and all the ways I see His faithfulness in the present circumstances. I am learning to ask Him for wisdom for every little detail. And I am setting my eyes on Him as I wait for His answers.
What problems in your life seem unsolvable or unanswerable?  Turn from your own anxious thoughts, acknowledge you don't have the answers, and set your eyes on the One who does."

Do I Sense a Theme?????

Worry, anxiety, control, figuring it out on my own, etc....

- vs. -

GLORY, PEACE, PRAISE, FAITHFULNESS,  etc....

I realized that I had become overwhelmed by all that was swirling around me....

family, holiday planning, my job, kids, ministry, housework, projects

and seemed to have forgotten that it was not MINE to figure out...

A thought that our pastor left us with that Sunday that has stayed on my mind...

"Above all else, when God is what weighs on everything you do,
you will have HIS peace."

I am so thankful for how GOD very carefully and lovingly reminds me
of where my focus and priorities need to be...
on HIM and HIS GLORY.

As we celebrate the birth of His son so many years ago, and truly reflect on WHAT that means for each one of us today... let us not so easily become stress, worried and tired as we live each day to

HONOR and PRAISE HIM!

As the Perkey Family moves forward into the coming year... we are truly excited as we continue to follow His calling to go to Uganda in March.

Bret & I will be traveling with a group from Visiting Orphans
to work with several orphan ministries outside of Kampala, Uganda. 
We are in the initial 'fundraising' phase and have been humbled and amazed
as we have seen God providing. 
At the time of this post we have raised $2650
towards our January 15th goal of $4000. 
Our final goal is a total $6400 due by March 15th.

If you would like to make a donation to our trip,
or read more about what we are doing ...you can see that post HERE.

We are daily trusting God to provided the needed funding to enable us to go, as well as to take additional supplies greatly needed by the orphanages.

BREAKING NEWS.....PASSPORTS ARE IN HAND!

We were excited when our passports showed up in the mailbox today...
4 weeks from application!

We will be starting the process of vaccinations over the next couple weeks...
please pray for NO side effects!

We are thankful for each one of you and the role you have played in our lives over the past months.

Let me encourage you, as I have been encouraged this week.
FOCUS on JESUS and the PEACE that He alone can bring -
which erases DOUBTS and WORRY!

Walking daily... TRUSTING Him,