Groundhogs Day, Shalom Shalom & Random Updates

Happy Wednesday to you!! I hope you’ve had a fun Groundhog’s Day! 🙂 I have to tell you, my girlfriend Chellie shared some GREAT Groundhog’s Day treats on her blog here! We will TOTALLY be making these next year!

And now for this week, in the midst of hockey, and ballet, and gymnastics, and hot lunch and recess duty ~ I am getting ready for a couple of HUGE HIGHLIGHTS for me! I can hardly wait!!

This Friday and Saturday (February 5th & 6th), I’ll be teaching at a Women’s Retreat on the topic of ‘Cultivating Contentment’. I’m so fired up! I have been studying Contentment for months and the insights I’ve been learning have been AMAZING!! I’ll share more after the retreat!! Woo Hoo!!!

And next week on Monday, Febraury 8th, our Magnificent Monday Bible Study starts again!! I LOVE Monday nights! Talk about an amazing group of women ~ and this season we’ll be focusing on the ‘renewing of our mind’! Yippee!!

But for today…can I just share something with you that has blessed me?!

A friend of mine was telling me about a teaching from Beth Moore 🙂 on Isaiah 26:3. I was really encouraged just by reading the scripture, but when I looked up the meaning of 2 of the words ~ well I just can’t keep it to myself!!! I pray that it blesses you too!

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”

Both the words “perfect” and “peace” translate into “Shalom”.

So you could read it “You will keep in Shalom Shalom him (or her) whose mind is steadfast…”

That sounds great, but wait until you hear what definitions I found for Shalom!!! (This is good!)

Shalom: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, well-being, healing, integrity, the absence of agitation or discord.

Who does not want that? Amazing!!!

So, if you are like me, you don’t completely know the meaning of steadfast ~ so I looked that up to. 🙂

Steadfast: firmly fixed in place, not subject to change, firm in belief, determination or adherence, loyal.

So, if we firmly fix our focus on God, His goodness, His love and everything that HE IS, rather than focusing on our circumstances (or our thighs) :), than we will experience Shalom Shalom!!

Isn’t that just like the heart of our God ~ He promises not just Shalom ~ but Shalom Shalom!!!

I hope this blesses you as much as it has me!!! I could use some Shalom Shalom. Anyone else?? 🙂

Let’s pray shall we….Oh Lord, we acknowledge that we need You in our lives. Our lives are full, people are hurting, wounds need healing, marriages need restoring, and we all are desperate for a Savior. Lord, would You help us to fix our focus firmly on You? Not on our circumstances, not on our weaknesses, not on our hurts and our brokenness…but please Lord, may we look only to You. May we release all of our cares and burdens and worries and hurts to You, and receive Your shalom shalom in abundance! For Your purpose. For Your Glory. In Jesus’ Strong and Powerful Name we pray. Amen!!

May God bless you in a special and significant way today!! 🙂

In Him,

10 Comments

Andrea on February 3, 2010 at 2:41 pm

Wonderful post. I am always blessed when I visit here. Hope you have a wonderful day.Hugs and blessings,andrea

Anonymous on February 3, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Thank you, Cindy. I love that verse and I love your explanation of it! I know the Lord will bless and use you at the retreat this w/e – wish I could come! You are such a beautiful reflection of the Lord 🙂 Love, Jenny C.

Jasmine on February 3, 2010 at 4:12 pm

Cindy, this post blesses my spirit and heart. I love the word Shalom too. So much so that I studied the word myself. I would love to share with you what I found that totally blew me away. I hope it blesses you further. xoxHebrew word – ShalomEnglish equivalent – PeaceMeaning contained within the Hebrew Letters/Pictographs(we have to know a little about the Hebrew language) Shalom – means to Destroy the authority that binds us to chaos.Amen sister. What a great revelation that was to me. It completely defined it for me.Shalom and Shalom!!!xoxJasmineFar Above Rubies

Julie@comehaveapeace on February 3, 2010 at 5:19 pm

Yes, I love experiencing His shalom shalom. Thank you for sharing, Cindy, and I will be praying for YOU to know His peace as you go speak and as you PREPARE to go speak, peace for your family, and freedom from distraction or distress.

Libbie on February 3, 2010 at 7:45 pm

THanks for that! I do love studying God's word with Beth…God has given her such a unique understanding that it makes it all new again! I just popped over from Wylie's blog…fun to read your thoughts today, I will be back!

THE OLD GEEZER on February 3, 2010 at 9:03 pm

I enjoyed looking over your blogGod bless you

Wylie on February 4, 2010 at 11:32 pm

Amen! Jehovah Shalom…Wylie

Faith Imagined on February 5, 2010 at 4:29 pm

You have blessed me with your insight into Isaiah 26:3! How awesome!!!You have some awesome events coming up! I know you will be a blessing!!!

Jessie on February 6, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Isn't that just incredible. What a God we serve. 🙂 I'm going to have to share this with my bible study ladies this week. We are studying Experiencing God and this would be helpful in understanding God's heart. Thanks, Jess

elle_78 on February 7, 2010 at 8:56 pm

Thanks for coming to speak to us Neland women, Cindy! I greatly appreciated your testimony and your message to us. Blessings to you in your ministry.