“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…”

Jesus offers us the gift of peace. He tells the disciples (just hours before his crucifixion as their world was about to be radically shaken): “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) How could he tell them not to let their hearts be troubled knowing they were eating the Last Supper and by 9 a.m. the next morning he would be hanging on a cross? Jesus knows his disciples are going to be shaken. The Gospels say that Jesus himself was troubled just moments before (John 13:21) and then just after (Matt 26:37). Instead of understanding Jesus to be saying that we should never let ourselves feel stressed, it seems he is calling them (and us) to go deeper. He reminds them of the foundational truths of our faith: we are not alone; God is near. John 14 gives us truths to hold on to when our world is shaken. We have created playlists of worship music that help us to look to Jesus and experience his peace when we are feeling anxious or stressed.

Personal Resources

There are some excellent resources to help us care for ourselves as we seek to strengthen our trust in God and to manage the level of stress we are experiencing. And of course, seeking the advice of a professional counselor is always advisable if we find we need more help.

According to a recent study, 1 in 3 people are experiencing feelings of loneliness as a result of being isolated.

Some Ideas to Help You Thrive Through Stressful times

Call a friend on the phone. Who is that one person with whom you can be your true, vulnerable self with, no matter how you feel? Give her a call.

Search the scriptures for evidence of God’s sovereignty. Refocus on the truth that the Lord is sovereign over all the universe. “He changes times and seasons…” And, “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:21) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Join a prayer group. Or invite someone to be your prayer partner. There’s nothing better than having someone to trust with your deepest concerns and fears in prayer. You’re also welcome to join us on Mondays @10am (PST). To get the link email: info@newim.org

Seek out spiritual direction from a Spiritual Director. Inquire at retreat centers or churches or email us info@newim.org for recommendations for a spiritual director. You can meet by phone or video conference. “A Spiritual Director offers spiritual guidance and companionship to help us make sense of our faith journey, interpret with us the significant markers of the road, and encourage us, particularly through the more difficult transitions and valleys of our pilgrimage.” Gordon T. Smith

Self-care nurtures your mind, body, spirit. Reading, napping, baking, exercising, painting or drawing. Soak in the tub, rub on a face mask, paint your nails. Just as you’d do something nice for a friend, take time for yourself. Make of list of the activities that nurture your soul and bring you joy—then make space in your day to bring in more joy.

Invite friends to share recipes through the mail. It’s fun getting something besides bills and junk in the mail box.

Sit still and listen to uplifting music. Remember when you used to sit and listen to an entire album? There are a variety of playlists indexed and linked on our webpage. You can also go directly to our YouTube channel. Once you're on the NEWIM YouTube page, scroll through the Playlists beginning with the word "Worship" to find playlists of music. PLAY ALL will have each video play automatically, one right after the other.

Connection is Vital

Pray with Us, Thursdays @ 2 (PST)

As we go through the ups and downs of this uncertain time, we will feel troubled, as will others in our ministries. It’s normal for us to feel sad or troubled or worried. Join us for a short time to connect and pray every Thursday @ 2 p.m. online via zoom - email Luann Budd for details. Should you find you need additional support, we would love to leverage our amazing network of Christian women leaders to help. Please reach out to us.

Dr. Jean Cheng Gorman, psychologist, pastor, and Director of Ministerial Health for the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, shared ways we can squeeze anxiety out of our lives. Download her handout here. (Webinars by Jean Cheng Gorman) are also available.

Journaling and Being Creative Together

There’s something very helpful about journaling our experiences, taking note of how the Lord meets us, making lists of what we are grateful for, and copying favorite Bible verses. We can also combine journaling with art. Let’s Make Art videos can be adapted to your specific need. There are also online resources for using art in our journals available on our website. Host a Fun Evening and be creative with a friend.

Spiritual Resources

LISTENING TO SCRIPTURE

Listening to a passage of Scripture read slowly, three or four times, gives us opportunity to prayerfully receive the Lord’s invitation to us. It’s a wonderful way to be led into the Lord’s presence. Sharon Garlough Brown (author of the Sensible Shoes book series) has been creating daily readings of Scripture (Lectio Divina) on her podcast. Spend 20 minutes as she leads us to receive God’s fresh Word spoken to us. NEWIM also has Scripture Readings available as part of our online retreat resources.

BIBLE STUDY GUIDE - Receiving God’s Gift of Peace

Jesus offered his disciples the gift of peace just a few hours before his was betrayed. This Bible Discussion Guide leads a group through some essential truths from John 14-15 that Jesus wants us to grasp as we receive his invitation to receive a deeper peace. (Five week Discussion Guide includes five lessons and mid-week reflections, “comments” for leaders, format: Word document, 50 pages. Once downloaded, look for the document in your download bar at the bottom of your screen or in your “download” folder on your computer. Prepared by Luann Budd)