11.11.14 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6 NKJV. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14 NKJV. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses (passeth - KJV) all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV. 

Leanne aka Shyanne is a 40-year-old website designer living in Australia. Leanne has a completely unique way of finding inner peace, she becomes a pony! She dresses up as a pony even with a bit in her mouth and a saddle on her back! Her method of finding peace is not cheap and the pony outfit costs at least $8,000. Leanne is not worried about what others think as she experiences freedom acting like a horse and a sense of peace. She says, “For me, it’s spiritual, it’s a different realm. You’re not worried about bills, you’re not worried about going to work.” (Mail Online 09.26.14, 10.09.14; Dmax 09.30.14; wearechampionmag.com 10.06.14; and various other news venues) 

How do you find inner peace? Many people seek an inner peace and serenity through spending hours in the practice of yoga. Michael Grab seeks that inner peace through balancing rocks. Damian Aspinall says that he finds peace by raising gorillas. In South Korea some people are checking into a prison to reduce stress and find peace. It is a privately owned facility with a prison theme. Dan Price has been living in a tiny underground hole in Oregon for twenty something years to reduce stress and find peace. A social club in Tokyo says that they reduce stress and find peace by cleaning public toilets together on the weekends. Jodi Rose says that she has found peace by marrying a 600-year-old bridge. Luo Dan says he has found inner peace by wearing a deer head mask which releases his inner deer. One thing is clearly seen here and that is that people are stressed, anxious, and are seeking relief in whatever possible way they can to find peace in their lives. 

This morning I awakened from an unpleasant dream about our shed being damaged by the wind. There has been an artic front blowing into our state with winds in the 40 to 50 mph range. Hearing those winds while I was asleep may have triggered the anxiety I felt early this morning. After praying briefly, I began to read the Bible in the Psalms, and in only a few brief minutes my anxiety was gone, and I was blessed with the peaceful presence of my Lord. You see, there is a much easier more effective, and surefire way to reduce stress and obtain inner peace.  

It is not the Christmas season yet, but Isaiah 9:6 reveals several truths that we need year around. One of those truths we need to remember and hold onto when we are stressed, anxious, and about to lose it, is that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace.” In Philippians, we are promised “the peace of God, which surpasses (passeth - KJV) all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” when we bring our anxieties to our God in prayer. In John 1:14, we see that Jesus is the Word of God become flesh. When we pray, when we read God’s Word, the Prince of Peace shows up and anxiety is defeated by His increased presence.  

Throw off the pony outfit, the deer mask, and leave the prison behind, because the Prince of Peace can give you real peace anywhere, and every day of your life in just a few moments of time.