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Join Jamie and Miss Mazey as they take you on a journey to find that peaceful place God has designed just for you. You'll be glad you did!
Finding Peace follows the relationship between Miss Mazey and Jamie as they travel through the obstacles, twists, and turns of Christian living. Miss Mazey will astound you as she gently teaches Biblical principles in answer to life’s problems. She lovingly guides us through the challenges that often grip us as we go about our daily lives. Her lessons will bless you as you learn what it takes to live a peaceful, rich, and rewarding life.
Finding Peace will touch your heart as you share in Jamie’s enlightenment. The characters will grow on you as you walk with them and reflect on your own journey. You are assured to ponder the ways you handle situations and circumstances along the way. Walk with Jamie through self-discovery as she answers the questions, “Why am I here?” and “What am I to do?”
Take a word from Miss Mazey; “Whatever it is that calms your soul and lifts you to a curiosity about your Creator, that is what you are meant to do to set you on the path to peace.”

Sujets

Lycée

Philosophie

Philosophie de la religion

Philosophy

Philosophie et théologie

Religious

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Publié par	AuthorHouse
Date de parution	16 juillet 2023
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9798823011518
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0300€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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FINDING Peace
DR. REBECCA I. PAYNE

AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: 833-262-8899

© 2023 Dr. Rebecca I. Payne. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/14/2023

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1152-5 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-8230-1151-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023913021

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1In the Beginning
Chapter 2Why am I here?
Chapter 3The Path to Peace
Chapter 4Patience
Chapter 5Time to Give
Chapter 6Finding Hope In Love
Chapter 7There is Time for Everything
Chapter 8Hope through Pain
Chapter 9Who You Are

You have instructed me and taught me in the way which I should go;
You have advised me with Your eye upon me.
CHAPTER 1
In the Beginning
T hough the lessons have been many, it’s often the simple things that endure.
I used to sit and marvel at the people who sat on the porch quietly rocking in their chairs, not speaking, just looking at the passersby or the clouds in the sky. They used to have such profound words of wisdom when they did speak, such awe-inspiring words, such captivating stories. I used to love to sit with them and marvel at their stories, never wanting to leave, always wanting to come back.
Miss Mazey is one such “porch person”. She’s 82 years young and so full of life and so full of the Word. She’s a beautiful soul with crisp white hair and piercing brown eyes; eyes that make you feel she sees in and through you. Her skin is bronze and so very smooth with nary a wrinkle, just smile lines because of her warm perpetual smile. She doesn’t look 82 years at all but seems so much younger!
There is rarely a day I see Miss Mazey that she doesn’t greet me with her dimpled grin and playfulness.
She has a mother figure, neither plump nor overly thin. Even though she was married, a soul she has since laid to rest, and has raised five children and countless nieces and nephews, we still call her Miss Mazey out of deference to her age and wisdom. She’s everyone’s mother. She’s my spiritual mother, my prayer partner, and my friend.
I met Miss Mazey at a time in my life when I was getting to know God but not totally committed to following Jesus. I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, and had been baptized, but wasn’t obeying all of the commands. I wasn’t living a committed Christian life. I was also judgmental.
One day I was at a birthday party for Miss Mazey’s daughter. I had never met Miss Mazey but had heard wonderful stories from her daughter Gloria about her.
When I met Miss Mazey, an odd feeling came over me. It was like I had known her my whole life and I needed to reconnect with her. She looked at me intently and later told me she had the same feeling. It was God who brought us together and we both knew it. Immediately she asked for my number. She gave me her number and her address and told me to connect with her.
We began a fast friendship. She immediately felt like a mother to me but also so much more. Over time we grew very close, often talking about life and our relationship with God. I’d never met anyone like her who not only understood the Bible but how it relates to everyday living. More specifically, she helped me see how God was moving in my life if I’d only listen to Him and read His word.
I’d call Miss Mazey or go see her. We’d talk for long hours about God and the goings on in my life and hers. She’d counsel me with wisdom, reminding me that God’s Holy Spirit was working in me to cleanse, make me whole, sanctify, and give me peace. All I needed to do was heed God’s wisdom and obey Him.
Miss Mazey spent many a time counseling me on peace and quiet time and slowing down. That elusive time that we strive for after we’ve run around all day trying to be that super-woman or super-man. Funny how we can climb the ladder of success, work hard all week and play harder all weekend, but not make time to just be still even though we claim we want a moment’s rest.
Miss Mazey revealed our lifestyles don’t make room for quiet time but making time to still ourselves is something we must actively do. It goes against everything our nature is. We are action-oriented, strivers. We are always busy. We don’t sit still. We are active and anything that is not active, in our minds, is not alive.
But through all this activity we are tired. We don’t get enough rest, much less sleep. Our bodies are crying out for a time to just sit and be. We want time to be alone, have time not to think, and time to relish in the quiet.
Miss Mazey told me, “Don’t you know God made time for this? God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2.2) and so can you. God wants you to rest and refresh yourself for He knows what’s best for you. But you’ve got to want it. You’ve got to make time for time.” I started paying more attention to my quiet time.
One day I was sitting on the porch with Miss Mazey, and she asked me, “How often do you sit and count your blessings? Do you have anything you’re hoping for? What about your quiet time? Do you take the time to just sit still and look out at the sky and wonder at God?”
I was so overwhelmed by her barrage of questions, not knowing where to start to answer. I thought in line with these questions every day but didn’t have the answers. That Miss Mazey asked these seemingly innocent questions now was important. I knew they would lead me on a journey I was afraid to take. I couldn’t catch my breath.
“Hold on Miss Mazey! One question at a time!” I laughed.
“Well, Jamie, do you count your blessings?” she squealed with laughter.
“Not often enough!” I said sobering a bit.
“How do you know how good you have it? If you don’t count them every day, you’ll miss opportunities to praise God. Don’t wait until you lose what you have! Miss Mazey said.
“Seems to me it’s hard to realize how good you’ve got it until you see someone who doesn’t have it as good as you,” I said. “I don’t like to think about the darker side of life. I just want to live peaceably and go about my days in simplicity.”
“That’s just it,” Miss Mazey said. “You’ve got to know that your life is good to realize the benefits of what you have. You’ve got to understand how it could have been so that you know how good you’ve got it. Don’t be afraid to look at the goings on in life. Sometimes you have to read the news to know just how good your life is and to pray for those who are not as fortunate as you. Your Bible teaches this. It tells us to count our blessings, to remember all God has done for us.”
Miss Mazey sighed reflectively and continued, “Genesis 9.15 reminds us, ‘and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.’ God reminded Noah and every creature on Earth He would not destroy the Earth again. In Exodus, God heard the groanings of the Israelites, and ‘So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’ (Exodus 2.24).
God will always remember you and wants you to remember all He’s done for you and all He will do for you. The Apostle Paul reminds us, ‘remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world’ (Ephesians 2.12).
It’s important to remember where you come from and how far you came to be where you are now. Take the time to reflect and be grateful for all that you have.”
I sighed with the knowledge that I had been given a great lesson, thinking this was all Miss Mazey would speak about, but she continued.
“Are you reading your Bible every day?”
“Well, almost every day!” I said thoughtfully. Miss Mazey had counseled me that it wasn’t enough to pray but that you had to read the Bible every day to get to know God.
“Well, if you’re reading almost every day how do you not know how good you’ve got it?” Miss Mazey said with a mischievous grin.
I sighed shaking my head, knowing I’d been trapped. “You got me there! I guess I just never really think much about how good things are until I run into problems.”
“That’s the problem with your generation. You don’t focus on the things that are important until something happens. That’s why y’all are stressed out and tired all the time. You don’t take time to count your blessings and to stop and be still once in a while.”
I couldn’t argue with her there.
“So, what are you hoping for?” Miss Mazey asked sheepishly. I could tell she was leading me just where she wanted me.
“Well, I guess I want to slow down, to relax more. I want to have peace in my life and to discover new things.”
“How are you gonna have any of that if you don’t have peace with God and you