We’ve been talking about being a peace by controlling our thoughts rather than letting our thoughts control us. Imagine being SO good at this that you could find enough peace of mind that you could encourage others in the midst of your own struggles...serious struggles like being falsely accused of treason and thrown in jail with people actively working to see you killed. In the midst of these kinds of “life struggles”, the Apostle Paul shared his secret to finding peace: 
  
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” And then here is where Paul believed this would lead: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” 
(from Pauls’ letter to the Philippians)

You may say, “Hang on, I’m not a religious person.” That’s OK, the guy we know as “the Apostle Paul” once hated the Christian faith so much he hunted down and helped kill Christians….till he had a personal encounter with the One he was trying to eradicate (but that’s another story, ask me about it if you want more details).
   
So this Paul, whose life was now defined by ongoing trials and persecutions said, “Don’t worry about anything!” How can he say that? How could he/how can we have that kind of peace in our lives despite all that is going on? Paul said, “Instead of worrying, start with thanksgiving and bring all your needs (“everything”) as a request to God in prayer”. If you’d like to have control over your thoughts and have that kind of peace, here’s 4 things Paul said would help:

1. Don’t worry about ANYTHING. The stuff you think you have control over and the stuff you know you don’t have any control over. Instead of worry, do this...
2. Take EVERYTHING to God. Don’t try to fix it with another “brilliant idea” (like the one that got you into this situation in the first place). Instead take it to God this way...
3. With THANKSGIVING - We can’t control our circumstances, but we can control our thoughts. In the midst of the crazy, what is one thing you can thank God for. Start there and then…
4. Bring your REQUESTS to God. Not expectations. Not demands, not feeling you have a “right” to anything. God doesn’t owe you, but He does love you.
   
Next week we’ll look at the kind of peace Paul said this brought to his life. This week, why not try Paul’s approach and see what happens? Even if you’re not religious, start simple, “God, this is worrying me. I am bringing this to You. Thank you that I will make it through (find something to thank Him for). Will you please help me?” And then see if your mind is not more at peace...and be sure to thank Him when things change. 
  
I am praying for you this week, 
Pastor Rob

How To Be At Peace series Part 1  Part 2  Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

When it comes to being at peace, one trap people often fall into is the idea that life has to be “perfect” in order to be at peace. Maybe this is why so many people struggle. In life, there are MANY circumstances we cannot control, but in the midst of our circumstances, we CAN control our thoughts. I found this quote by Emerson (on front) when I was reading an article this week which also said, “You would be shocked if you could record your thoughts all day and then play them back in the evening. You would be shocked to discover that the thoughts you gravitate toward may be the source of many of the problems in your life.” (The Mind: Mental and Emotional Health, You Version devo)
   
When things are not going your way...when it seems like life is falling apart, where do your thoughts go? Do you (perhaps subconsciously) start making an inventory of all of the things going wrong, or are you able to find the good (in the midst of the craziness) and be thankful for it? 
   
Do you think about taking control of your thoughts? If we don’t take control of our thoughts, they can take control of us. Norman Vincent Peal said it like this: “A man is not what he thinks he is, but what he thinks, he is.” King Solomon put it this way: “Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
   
I do not know what kind of circumstances life will throw your way this week, but I pray in the midst of it that you will steer your thoughts rather than your thoughts steering you. “Our lives are what our thoughts make it” ~Marcus Aurelius
   
If there is ever any way I can help you or pray for you, please let me know.
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

How To Be At Peace series Part 1  Part 2  Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Sunday Night Cop Church @ 6:30 pm
August 22nd
 
Introduction & Welcome
Opening Prayer (Chaplain Burgin)
Music/worship
Cop testimonies from local officers and Minneapolis Chaplain Engman & Officer Wimbley
Word of Encouragement from Jimmy Meeks
Closing song & prayer
 
Monday Seminar @ 9:00 am
August 23rd
(coffee and breakfast snacks provided)
 
Introduction & Welcome
Prayer & Greeting from APD Chaplain Rick Burgin
Cop testimony
Chaplain Dave Engman from the Minneapolis Police Department
Minneapolis Police Officer Judah Wimbley
Closing
 
The Monday seminar is free but requires registration at
https://www.thecorneliusproject.com
 

The key to being at peace is to look at and take control of our thoughts. Over the next few weeks, I’d like to begin by looking at how important our thought life is and end with a list of 8 meditations (things to think about) that will bring peace.

In a case study, John Hopkins Medical school found that 70% of the diseases studied could not be traced to a physical origin which gave rise to the question of how much the mind affects our physical health. The study appears to suggest that negative thoughts can manifest in the body….that our thoughts have the ability to make us well or poison our body, even to the point of weakening the immune system and poisoning the blood stream. A Stanford University study found over 2,000 different chemical secretions that were released from the brain into the bloodstream based on the person’s good or bad thoughts.

As we talk about these things over the next few weeks, start taking note of your thoughts...the things you dwell on. This week, see if you can begin to identify and take control of a thought before letting your mind run in whatever direction it wants.

“Different meanings can be assigned to the same events.
Look for evidence of how the world is encouraging you, and you will find it.
Look for evidence of how the world is burdening you, and you will find it.”
Choose an explanation that empowers you. ~James Clear

Here is my prayer for peace for you this week, a quote from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah:

“You (God) will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” 

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

How To Be At Peace series Part 1  Part 2  Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Francis Crowley was an American murderer. His crime spree lasted nearly three months, ending in a two-hour shootout with the New York City Police Department on May 7, 1931, that was witnessed by 15,000 bystanders and received national attention. In 1932 he was executed in New York's electric chair. (Wikipedia)
   
As Crowley was wounded in this shootout, he wrote a letter addressed “To whom it may concern” in which he said, “Under my coat is a weary heart, but a kind one-one that would do nobody any harm.”   
   
A short time before this shootout, Crowley had been parking with his girlfriend when a policeman walked up and asked to see his license. Without saying a word, Crowley drew his gun and cut the policeman down with a shower of lead. As the dying officer fell, Crowley leaped out of the car, grabbed the officer’s revolver, and fired another bullet into the prostrate body. After his arrest, sentencing and arriving on death row in Sing Sing, he was quoted as saying, “This is what I get for defending myself. (story as told by Dale Carnegie)   
   
This is obviously an example of delusional thinking by a person who likely had psychopathic tendencies, but think of all the people you deal with who make excuses and refuse to take responsibility for their actions. Where do you think it started for them? I bet it started small...and then grew...and then compounded. 
   
King Solomon once said, “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” It would be silly to say, “If you make excuses and refuse to take responsibility, you will end up like Two Gun Crowley”, but at the same time, would it not be wise to learn from other people’s self-delusion? 
   
I heard officers on my ride out last week talking about owning up to mistakes, learning from them and moving on. I am glad taking ownership is valued at APD and I am praying for you this week as you serve, learn and lead.
#HighCaliberLeadership

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob