Good Morning Smoothies and Jesus: Peace

When you have a family that includes four young children, peace is hard to come by. I have found that since our cross-country move that there seems to be a lot more bickering. I realize that there’s always an adjustment time, but that peace of happy smiles and sounds of children getting along seem to elude me.

So where’s the peace in all of the chaos of this transient life that we live? 7:30am.

One benefit of moving across three time zones is that the children like to sleep in a bit. I do, too, but I found that if I just get up at the time I have been use to I find will find a little bit of peace.

I put on my coffee pot in the dim light before I burst open the blinds to the sun. It’s my last bit of sleepiness I allow myself. I open the back door to let my dog out and enjoy the few sounds of birds and let the slightly humid air of Southern California fill my nose. It’s not the suffocating humidity of the Midwest that I am use to. It’s actually a refreshing level of summer that we have missed out on all these years.

I open all of the blinds in my house and let the light in. As coffee finishes brewing and I contemplate my morning smoothie, I open my Bible and start my study of the day, and set myself up in the peace of the quiet before the wakening of my little loves.

Lately, as stated in a previous post, I have been studying First, Second, and Third John. It’s one of those studies where you pull apart and digest all of the wonderful nuggets of God’s Word slowly over several weeks.

1 John 1: 5-7 says,
“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” ESV

Not only is this verse the premise of why I started this blog and social media ministry, it’s the main goal as a Christian- walk in the light- open the blinds- read the Good Word- spread it. Peace.

Being in the light at 7:30am brings me a little peace before the day starts. I don’t always get to have that peace to myself, but having a little one join me while I read or munch on breakfast next to me not only brings a smile to this mama’s face, but helps to radiate that peace to my loved ones.

Peace…

Other places that I find peace: hiking in God’s creation, on the beach listening to the waves crash, driving through the mountains (even the brown ones of Southern California), 10pm on a military base listening to TAPS, my back patio on the rare day I wake before 7am while the fog is still present, anywhere listening to the breezes move through the palm branches, snow falling at midnight and sparkling in the street lamp, rain patterning upon fallen leaves in Autumn, a sweet baby’s cry…

Notice the theme? Maybe not, but this is it: God’s Creation brings peace.

Galatians 5:22 “The Fruit of the Spirit is… peace…”

The type of peace I have been speaking about may not be the same peace that Paul speaks about one possessing, but having quiet time with God will bring a nature of peace to one’s being. I believe that each go hand-in-hand.

What else brings peace (and contentment, as Grandma would say)? A full belly. Smoothie…

Banana and Peanut Butter. I think of these two ingredients as an iconic childhood contentment. Banana is a recommended fruit to eat as a “midnight” snack because it’s a great source of natural Melatonin. The banana can induce a peaceful and calming effect for sleep. Bananas are also great to eat at any time of the day for they are known to help with depression and digestion. Peanut Butter, aside from being a good source of protein, is just simply good to eat!