Ok, so you can use whichever illustration you prefer--that I've been alseep for the past three monthsand am now waking from my slumber, that I went into a coma due to my excessive sweet tea intake, or that I've just had an extended vacation in Mozambique for the past three months. So let me extend deepest apologies for my over-extended absence. And much thanks to the faithful friends and family out there who kept calling me back out of my sleep, coma, or vacation in Mozambique (whicever you choose, of course).

Please feel free to list any comments, complaints, suggestions, jokes, and/or prayer requests by clicking on the "comments" link at the end of each entry. Lord-willing, I hope to write at least every other day. Please hold me accountable guys!
Now, on w/ the blog.....
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On peace...
Goodness, such a vague word...there's a whole mess of directions we could go w/ this. However, one thing comes to mind. As we look around us today and see how chaotic things are w/ random killings, bombings, earthquakes, fires, wars, etc., it makes it seem like peace will never be reached. And then if you happen to stumble across Luke 12:51, you can't help but wonder if there ever will be peace! For in it, Christ says Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

"How can this be?", one must ask when presented with this evidence...especially since Christ is known as the Prince of Peace, and since he told us in John 14:27 that he actually left us his peace. How could this be? One minute the Lord Christ says he gives us peace, and in the next he says he's here to cause strife!

Well, the important key here is to not think of peace as a time without war or pain or struggle. In Hebrew, the word for peace (shalom) means a fullness...or having everything you need to be wholly and happily yourself. Interesting huh.

So what makes us whole? Well, the love of Christ of course! 1 Peter 5:10 tells us that in the midst of our suffering, Christ will come and restore us and make us firm, steadfast, strong....whole.

So its now that we see this:
For Jesus, peace does not mean the absence of struggle, but the presence of love. --Frederick Buechner

Peace guys.
Aaron