Instagram post 2191824718843486802_20301831 On repeat — He’s a God of infinite, unfathomable power AND care for my small, seemingly hidden needs.
Instagram post 2188698527575970533_20301831 For Christmas, John gifted me a revamp of my blog (#nerdstatus). I enjoy writing and photos and storytelling. I like Instagram. I like connecting with friends and strangers near and far over things like hair care, God and books. 
Today, so much life happens via the internet and technology, and it might be tempting to think abundant life and purpose are found in online activity. But we were made for loving God and people, not life online. ✨ Real flourishing happens where our feet are planted, in face-to-face connection and presence, and enjoying God most in the places no one else sees. ✨ Right?

I really enjoy having a blog. And sharing stories + graces on Instagram, but the conviction still stands — I don’t live to share it online. I share from the living and breathing I do offline. 
And I pray it adds goodness and light and maybe causes people to linger a little longer on the Lord.
Instagram post 2187517128504388173_20301831 What if thanksgiving is less about mustering or mounting a list of good things and more about a posture of living open to God? Sometimes we’ll feel there isn’t anything to be thankful for, other times we’ll want to cry over the beauty and wonder of life.

Maybe being thankful isn’t only about the reasons but more about surrender. Maybe it’s wherever and however we find ourselves, we [ask and] allow Him to produce in us a discipline of seeing Light, of hearing a different Voice, of abiding in His Presence, of serving in His Kingdom and not building our own.
Instagram post 2187418496979563625_20301831 Spouse — an extension + working out of God’s love, help, fresh air, strength, joy, friendship, grace, sharpening, forgiveness and wisdom for me.
Instagram post 2187116267244465542_20301831 Happy Thanksgiving! Someone pass the butter...
Instagram post 2186839378445531809_20301831 Two things — 1. @birdsonglouisphotography is the bee’s knees of people photography. If you need photos taken, contact them. They are a joy to be around. And 2. @kb_akins, we’ve made it through high school sports, braces, mean girls and a lot of growing up. You’re a wife and I’m a mom now... I can only imagine all the next few chapters hold. I think being adult sisters might be more fun than being kid sisters.
Instagram post 2186197102425803696_20301831 A snapshot on the bathroom floor with the baby soap to share a little #externalprocessing...
Living only from my capacity leaves me anxious, discouraged and even a little controlling. I’m seeing this especially in my mothering. 
But taking steps that require His capacity to well up within me, or be for me? Choosing courage in spite of fear or self-denying in the hopes of loving someone better? I have to believe this way would create a more adventurous, steadfast and generous life in me. 
I want to be one who sees mountains and valleys and small steps in front of her and says — Okay, God, I need you, and I’m excited to see what You do here. ✨ And I want to be one who at the end of life when in His presence, He smiles and says, “Girl, you trusted Me to do A LOT, wasn’t it awesome?”
Instagram post 2185803451442977113_20301831 Grounds for gratitude all the time — I have God today. His Spirit helps me today. Grounds for [extra] gratitude today: a festive mocha mint iced coffee and errand running to @hunterbeless’ interview with @joni.eareckson.tada (@journeywomenpodcast).
Instagram post 2185244012659045265_20301831 🍁
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faith · 04/21/2015

Clothe Yourself With Peace: Ashton

Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

This series is for women to share what they are learning to spiritually clothe themselves with, how they choose to adorn their heart, and what they choose to put on because of their desire to be precious in God’s sight.


 

Clothe Yourself With Peace | heartnaturedI’m moving two-and-a-half hours away from home in just over two-and-a-half months.

For those of you who went away to college (i.e. not me), this probably isn’t that big of a deal to you. Except for my two summers spent three-and-a-half hours away from home and my one summer spent ten thousand miles away from home, I’ve lived twenty-one of my twenty-three years in Augusta. And while I have prayed THOUSANDS of prayers about the steps to take after graduation and while I know that the Lord has led me to this new place, this new city, I AM SCARED TO DEATH.

(I hope I don’t freak you out with all the caps, dear readers of Chelsea’s blog that don’t know that I’m an EMOTIONAL mess. Bless the socks off of Chelsea for claiming me as one of her best for the past eight-nine-maybe ten years. This could cause more emotional statements and only the use of caps lock, but I digress.)

I’m excited. Really, I am. I cannot wait for the new people and community and church and to be able to have a job that I’ve been preparing for over the last five years of college (VICTORY LAP, HOLLA). This is such a total answer to prayer, and God has been so gracious in this journey. But, changes freak me out. And not being in control scares me. (Hello, Type A.) What if no one in this new town likes me? What if I don’t make friends or it takes a while to fit in? What if I’m NOT a good teacher?

All of this boils down to the fact that I’m not clothing myself with the peace of the Lord. Instead of trusting in Him and remembering all the times that He’s gone before me (Deuteronomy 31:8), I tend to overanalyze and WORRY like my life depended upon it. Like worrying does anything other than give me high blood pressure. You know what I believe the opposite of worry is? Peace.

One of the synonyms for peace is love. I like that a lot. When I trust in the Lord, when I give all of my worries and fears and anxieties to Him, I’m at peace with Him and where He’s going to take me. This peace that can come from the Holy Spirit alone is what I’m clothed with, and it reminds me so much that this is one of the many ways the Lord loves me. We all have our love languages and ways that we best receive love from our friends, family, etc.

I like to think that when the Lord reminds me to rest in His peace and to let it rule in my heart (like it says a few verses down in Colossians 3), that He is showing me love the way I best receive it. He’s got this, like HE ALWAYS HAS, and I can clothe myself with His peace.

What does that look like? (I’m the girl who anxiously waits for my pastor to give the practical applications in his sermon, so I’m gonna try and do the same for you.) It means praying INSTEAD of worrying. The days that I actually pray (out loud, sometimes) about the different areas of my life I’m anxious about are the days that feel like I’m doing something “right,” the days where I honestly feel like I have on a “jacket of peace” as I give it all to the Lord.

I also spend time dwelling on the times where I’ve had to trust the Lord with a big decision or change in my life and He’s come through (LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES).

Instead of worrying about what may or may not happen, I praise Him and thank Him for the times He’s been so incredibly faithful. That causes me to have a heart of gratitude and praise, which is so much better than having a constantly anxious spirit.

So, I encourage you (and myself, because let’s be real here, this is something I struggle with almost EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of each and every single day), to clothe yourself with peace. Remember the times that the Lord has been there with you before, and don’t doubt for a second that He won’t show up again at just the right time. He’s got you in His hands. He’s never letting you go. Tell Him your anxious thoughts and then, as Elsa would say, LET IT GO!

PS – Visit Ashton’s blog, Embracing Today or catch up with her on Twitter.

In: faith · Tagged: clothe yourself series, peace

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Comments

  1. Daisy @ Simplicity Relished says

    04/21/2015 at 4:44 pm

    Ashton, this is beautiful. The saying that “change is the only constant” is so true, and all we can really do is trust the Lord to give us peace that surpasses understanding. Blessings on your move!

  2. Chelsea says

    04/22/2015 at 2:52 am

    Beautiful post. I think we all need to accept change and welcome it with welcome arms! But I firsthand know how hard it is to accept uncertainty :) Best of luck with everything!

Trackbacks

  1. April Showers Bring May Flowers | embracing today says:
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Instagram post 2191824718843486802_20301831 On repeat — He’s a God of infinite, unfathomable power AND care for my small, seemingly hidden needs.
Instagram post 2188698527575970533_20301831 For Christmas, John gifted me a revamp of my blog (#nerdstatus). I enjoy writing and photos and storytelling. I like Instagram. I like connecting with friends and strangers near and far over things like hair care, God and books. 
Today, so much life happens via the internet and technology, and it might be tempting to think abundant life and purpose are found in online activity. But we were made for loving God and people, not life online. ✨ Real flourishing happens where our feet are planted, in face-to-face connection and presence, and enjoying God most in the places no one else sees. ✨ Right?

I really enjoy having a blog. And sharing stories + graces on Instagram, but the conviction still stands — I don’t live to share it online. I share from the living and breathing I do offline. 
And I pray it adds goodness and light and maybe causes people to linger a little longer on the Lord.
Instagram post 2187517128504388173_20301831 What if thanksgiving is less about mustering or mounting a list of good things and more about a posture of living open to God? Sometimes we’ll feel there isn’t anything to be thankful for, other times we’ll want to cry over the beauty and wonder of life.

Maybe being thankful isn’t only about the reasons but more about surrender. Maybe it’s wherever and however we find ourselves, we [ask and] allow Him to produce in us a discipline of seeing Light, of hearing a different Voice, of abiding in His Presence, of serving in His Kingdom and not building our own.
Instagram post 2187418496979563625_20301831 Spouse — an extension + working out of God’s love, help, fresh air, strength, joy, friendship, grace, sharpening, forgiveness and wisdom for me.
Instagram post 2187116267244465542_20301831 Happy Thanksgiving! Someone pass the butter...
Instagram post 2186839378445531809_20301831 Two things — 1. @birdsonglouisphotography is the bee’s knees of people photography. If you need photos taken, contact them. They are a joy to be around. And 2. @kb_akins, we’ve made it through high school sports, braces, mean girls and a lot of growing up. You’re a wife and I’m a mom now... I can only imagine all the next few chapters hold. I think being adult sisters might be more fun than being kid sisters.
Instagram post 2186197102425803696_20301831 A snapshot on the bathroom floor with the baby soap to share a little #externalprocessing...
Living only from my capacity leaves me anxious, discouraged and even a little controlling. I’m seeing this especially in my mothering. 
But taking steps that require His capacity to well up within me, or be for me? Choosing courage in spite of fear or self-denying in the hopes of loving someone better? I have to believe this way would create a more adventurous, steadfast and generous life in me. 
I want to be one who sees mountains and valleys and small steps in front of her and says — Okay, God, I need you, and I’m excited to see what You do here. ✨ And I want to be one who at the end of life when in His presence, He smiles and says, “Girl, you trusted Me to do A LOT, wasn’t it awesome?”
Instagram post 2185803451442977113_20301831 Grounds for gratitude all the time — I have God today. His Spirit helps me today. Grounds for [extra] gratitude today: a festive mocha mint iced coffee and errand running to @hunterbeless’ interview with @joni.eareckson.tada (@journeywomenpodcast).
Instagram post 2185244012659045265_20301831 🍁
Instagram post 2184412858624142403_20301831 “Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in You, the divine Treasury in whom all fullness dwells. To You I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all Your fullness. May my desires be enlarged and my hopes emboldened, that I may honor You by my entire dependency and the greatness of my expectation.” Valley of Vision

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