Lately there’s been a few things on the news and in my personal life that have unsettled me. I’ve had to very consciously remind myself that God does not mean for me to live in fear and worry.

The Bible teaches that we can experience joy and peace in our everyday lives. Not just sometimes, or only when times are good, but even in the middle of difficult circumstances (James 1: 1-18, Romans 5: 1-5, Philippians 4: 4-7). This is because our joy is not based on our circumstances, but rather on our relationship with Jesus 🥰 And He gives us the strength that we need to get through the hard times (Philippians 4:11–13).

The Good News is that, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven of our sins and are given the gift of eternal life. This is the gift of Grace. This gives me hope, because no matter what we go through in this life, we will one day be at peace and with Christ 💗

But we don’t have to wait, we can experience peace now 😌 This peace is not the absence of conflict ~ we are not exempt from hardship just because we follow Christ ~ but this peace is the reassurance that God is in control, that He will never leave us, and that we can trust Him.

If you are looking for joy and peace in your life, I encourage you to put your faith in Jesus Christ ❤️

I used to put my faith in other things, which would make me happy for a stretch of time, but then that “happiness” would crumble the moment life got hard. My joy fully depended on outside circumstances, so it was rather turbulent. After I read the Bible, I realized that Jesus is the only one who can give us true lasting joy and true peace ~ no matter what is going on outside of us. No matter what is on the news or our personal lives.

If you’re a brother or sister in Christ, I encourage you to continue putting your faith in Jesus 🥰 That’s what I’m going to keep doing!

Recently, I’ve even praised God in the middle of a really bad flu!! And although my flu didn’t go away (for 15 days, I might add…), my demeanor was uplifted and I did feel better ~ my body achy and weak, but my heart full of hope and optimism and joy 😊

And if you are not a Christian, but are curious about the Bible, Christianity, or Jesus, I recommend the following resources:

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The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (book)
Can We Trust the Bible? Has it Been Altered? (video by Melissa Dougherty with Wesley Huff)

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I’m only recommending two so that you’re not overwhelmed by information. But if you have any questions (in good faith) I would be happy to answer as best as I can in the comments!

In these turbulent times, remember that we have joy and peace in the Lord 💖

Thank you for reading. Take care and God bless,

✿ Lovely Panda Mom ✿

Image by MHigh from Pixabay