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In Perfect Peace | Day 4 + Free Printable Bible Reading Plan

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Welcome to Day 4 of our series, From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home. Today we’re talking about finding peace in our hearts when we focus our minds on Christ. 

In Perfect Peace @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Good morning, Ladies! first of all I need to apologize for this being posted so late this morning. I’ve had company for the last two weeks and eventually all those things I had pushed aside in favor of spending time with family and friends caught up with me and I just couldn’t keep up. I had so many deadlines that had to be met yesterday and we were at the ice rink all day. I did manage to get some things finished on time, but I did not get today’s video made and I’m sorry.

I will add it to this post when it’s finished and uploaded if want to check back later today or this evening. In the meantime, you can read today’s devotion and listen to the podcast. I hope you had a great day yesterday – let me know how things are going!


From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home @ AVirtuousWoman.org

From Chaos to Calm eBook

If you’ve been struggling with your home, your marriage, your children, or just life in general this might be the answer you have been waiting for! Inside the pages of this ebook you will spend 15 weeks working toward a goal for:

– peace in the heart
– peace in the home
– peace with our husbands
– peace with our children


From Chaos to Calm:  Day Four

 In Perfect Peace

Scripture Memory: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” Isaiah 26:3

     So, have you been able to set your alarm and get up each morning with a smile on your face? If you have a day where you do not reach your goal, do not fret – realize that tomorrow is a new day and that you can start all over. Remember, too, that it takes about a month before you commit an activity to a routine or habit. It will get easier!

     Today I want you to think about peace. What does peace mean to you? It is so important to have peace in your home. If your husband comes home each evening to peace, he will look forward to coming home. If your children live in a peaceful environment, they will grow up to care for the feelings and needs of others rather than be anxious and unsure of themselves.

    How do we attain perfect peace? The Bible says we will have peace from God if our thoughts dwell on the things of God. Our hearts will be transformed. This is why having your morning devotion is so important! It sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you begin your day consumed by the Word of God, your heart will have been recharged or nourished by the bread of life. Your emotions will not be running on an empty tank.

    If you already feel like your heart reserves have been running on low for quite some time – you need to fall on your knees before the Lord and pour out your heart to Him. Let the tears flow! Cry out to Him – out loud! He is there for you, always waiting for you. It is okay to tell him you feel lousy and that you know you messed everything up and that you are desperate for His help. ASK him for that perfect peace.

Your homework the first day of this challenge was to set your alarm and wake up early for prayer and devotion. Your second goal was to wake up with a smile on your face and a determination to choose joy regardless of how disappointing life can sometimes be. Today, your homework is to create a Prayer Journal, or a Victory Journal, or a Faith Book.

{In Perfect Peace} From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home --- Day 4!! @ AVirtuousWoman.org

    This journal can be any size, shape, or style that you choose. You can select a 3 ring binder or a standard notebook or it could be a pretty blank book – whatever suits your fancy. You might want to decorate the outside of the book. Whatever you use, find something. Place the book in your chosen prayer corner with a nice pen or sharpened pencil.

Inside, I want you to record the Scripture Memory verses we have each day of this challenge. When you have your devotion tomorrow morning, get out your book and write down your prayer to God. Date it. Do not hold anything back. Write out all of your concerns, petitions, and praises to Him who created you. As you study God’s Word and find a verse that speaks to you – put it in your journal. When you have special moments happen in your life or even sad events – put them in your journal. When you see an answer to your prayers – put it in your journal and date it!

     Once you have had your prayer and devotion each morning, take it with you – dwell on the Scriptures your read or the lessons your learned as you go about your day. He will keep you in perfect peace!

Tonight, remember to set your alarm, wake up with a smile, and pour out your heart and soul to God. He loves you so much and always has a listening ear!

Listen to the Podcast:

Press play to listen to the podcast or click here. 

From Chaos to Calm: 15 Weeks to a Happy Home is a daily devotion – Monday through Friday for 15 Weeks by Melissa Ringstaff. The Audio Podcast gives you extra ideas to go along with the email series or e-book.

Free Printable Prayer Journal

Peace I Leave with You Bible Reading Plan @ AVirtuousWoman.org

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26 Comments

  1. Good morning Melissa! Thank you again for this series! I'm up bright and early this morning, no problem. Dwelling on the things of God...peace in my heart...now, that's more difficult for me. I am such a worry wart! I'll worry about things for DAYS and DAYS! I'll give it to the Lord, but then I take it right back :)
  2. I have always loved the idea of a prayer journal. It is something we can pour our heart and thoughts into and then we can watch as prayers become answered realities, changes in us and others. etc. Prayer is such an amazing tool to bring us peace, yet we do not always reflect on how many times it has brought us peace in one of life's storms!
  3. I found your sight and this series off of another blog. I am using From Chaos to Calm as my morning devotional and am on day 4. It is already changing my heart and showing me so many areas I need to work on. Thank You!
  4. Hello!! I am so excited to find this website!! I cant wait to start using the notebook and get my family on track!!!
    1. Hi Stormy, You can print the standard .pdf files {which you will receive upon purchase} in the 5.5" x 8.5" size. There is that option when you go to print. I plan to do a tutorial on that soon. Do you know how to do that? Thanks for asking!
  5. I found your wonderful podcast after offering a heartfelt prayer seeking peace and order in my life. I just had my fourth child and was feeling like I was living a chaotic life without joy. Though I find joy in my children and thank the Lord daily for these blessings, my daily interactions with them seem to be more negative than positive lately. My countenance certainly doesn't reflect my love for them, and I often just feel beaten. I am eager to create more order in my life, and reading your messages have helped me reflect on other areas of my life that I need to work on. I think I am going to become a better wife and mother, thanks to you!
  6. I have been setting my alarm but I still need to work on waking up happy. My alarm has been set for 6:30 but God has been waking me with energy around the same time or earlier than when my husband gets up for work. Would you think it a good idea to share what we are learning with our husband's? My husband is very ggrumpy in the morning and has been very stressed almost border line depression.
    1. Hi Lisa, That's wonderful that you've been waking up with energy! When life is hard - when marriage is hard - it can be a real challenge to find that peace and joy. Understandably so! Prayer is always our first line of defense, but sometimes along with prayer we need concrete solutions that we can work on. Really, growing closer to Christ means we are working on ourselves. It's not our job to change our husbands. It's my job to change me. And in the process of changing our own attitude and mindset, we have the power to witness to our husbands so they might be changed as well. 1 Peter 3: 1-2 says, "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." I don't know your situation fully, so it's hard for me to give exact advice, but I will make a few suggestions. 1. In general, men don't take advice from their wives well - especially if it's perceived that the wife is pointing out their failures - i.e. "You're grumpy in the mornings and it ruins my day." If you can share something with him that doesn't acuse him in the process - it might help, but we aware that you need to be very sensitive to how you word things. 2. Do you know why your husband has been very stressed/ depressed? Does it have to do with his work situation? Issues with extended family? Financial? Have you been having trouble in your marriage? What can you do to ease his mind? 3. Marriage is a familiar/ safe place and that often means that when the world is against us the only "safe" place to vent that frustration is to our spouse or family. This is sometimes people usually consciously decide, but it just happens. Whether or not you know why he's stressed and grumpy, it can be helpful to disconnect yourself from his bad attitude and assume it's not you he's really against. 4. Sometimes spouses fall into a habit of emotional abuse - not because they want to be abusive, but as a way of "protecting" their own hearts. Emotional abuse is not okay and there is no excuse for it. Having said that, depending on the situation, it is possible to move from habitual anger and verbal lashings to a marriage that is peaceful and happy once again. However, it can be a challenge and if you find yourself in this situation, you may need to find outside help. The book Boundaries in Marriage is a good one. 5. Sometimes in marriage we just need to put aside our own desires/ expectations for a little bit and look at our spouses the way Christ looks at us. Do you see your husband as a man who loves his family, who wants the best for them, who right now is struggling with some issue, who is broken and needing a Savior? Empathy is a good thing to have for your spouse. Ask yourself what you can do in the mornings to surprise him and help him have a great day. Wake up a little earlier and make him a hot breakfast if you're not already doing that. Maybe you could wake him up with a back massage {or sex}. Tuck a love note in his lunch box or stick a love note on the steering wheel of his car. Text him a sweet note during the day while he's at work. Maybe he feels less stressed if the house is neat and orderly when he comes home. Maybe he'd love to come home to his favorite supper, ready and waiting for him. You know your husband best and what will brighten his day. It's often the little things that really make the biggest difference in a marriage. I love it when my husband washes the dishes. I mean - it really makes me happy and it's such a small thing. My husband loves it when I do his laundry and hang his dress shirts up to dry after fluffing them in the dryer for 15 minutes. Being thoughtful to our husbands is the same as selfless love. And selfless love heals brokenness.
  7. Hi Melissa! I startet the "From Chaos to Calm" series 4 days ago. I am so happy and excited to see that the 3 first days are already in my practice, (and have been for a good while - which gives me an easy start on my long way out of the chaos ;-) ) but today I will incorporate a Prayer Journal, which I have not used before. I have a beautiful notebook, with lots of colorful flowers on the cover . It was a present from my daughter for last christmas, and I saw it the other day in my bookshelf and was wondering what I could use it for. Now I know :-) (P.S. Your free printable Prayer Journal link leads to a "log in box" and not the 'printable')
  8. I just stumbled upon your 15 wks to a happy home - I know you wrote it awhile ago but I just wanted to let you know that you have blessed me alot! I have been suffering with anxiety and depression and I really want my home and my family to have peace and happiness despite how I feel! I want my home to be God Focused! Thank You for all your wise words and great advice!
  9. I just started on this journey Monday. Let me tell you, even though getting up earlier than normal was tough, it has really made a difference. I have felt so much better and had so much energy, and I have been more joyous. I pray that I can continue on this journey. Thanks for putting it out there.
  10. I want to say first that the video link for today's video lesson wasn't available but I read and listen both everyday and bless you it's OK. I am thankful today and blessed in so many ways. Today I did get up and pray and prepared breakfast for my family and me. As to our homework I am an organized person whom wires notes for everything and already write notes scripture etc daily just not on sheets it should be yet or a journal so to speak. However, that's one thing in my marriage of 15years and since my spouse and I were separated a couple of years when we reunited fully we incorporated a journal available for us both to write in anytime and read anytime it is very powerful. I look forward to time in the later future to go back and reflect the food bad and memories of both my journals. Amen
  11. I have not really started this devotional but am in serious need of prayer. People have told me I do not have a reprobate mind and there is still hope but I feel so lost. Sometimes I do not feel like I can take another step. I am a single Mom of 3 kids under 6 dealing with major anxiety and depression. I have so much anger towards God and everyone else for that matter. I have a horrible past and made awful choices and commited horrible sins but I am turning from them and am trying. I just can not seem to trust God with my past and everything going on in my life. I feel like my heart is like a stone and I just do not even want to go on. Please pray for God to give me a revelation if it is not too late and just the strength to go on. I just want to give up.
    1. Hi Ashley! My heart aches for your pain. I want you to know that God loves you with an everlasting love and he desires to be a part of your life! I have a past too. And I've spent years feeling unworthy of God's love - or anybody's love for that matter. But I have been redeemed by Christ and you can have that gift too. I think you should start by reading my series, A Time to Clean first: http://avirtuouswoman.org/time-clean-30-day-challenge/ - or at the very least read, my updated testimony which is a part of that series here; Titled, Unlovable: http://avirtuouswoman.org/when-you-feel-unlovable/ Let me know how things go - we're in this together!
  12. Dear Melissa, I have to tell you, I am starting this devotional for the second time, the first time I went through it, I was in a really dark place, but I tell you, Dear Sister in Christ, God is really using you to be a blessing to the body of Christ, don't let the enemy ever convince you that you do not have anything to offer, our Lord has truly and abundantly blessed you and you are blooming right where He has planted you. Keep on keepin' on Sis, I truly thank the Lord for you. But back to the first time I went through this series, my life was changed, I felt the Lord so close to me, I prayed and studied day and night, nearly seven days a week and I tell I was blessed beyond measure, the Lord just took me up into heavenly places with Him, I did not even know existed and I have been chasing Him ever since... And so I begin my second time through this devotional, I will have to set my alarm for 3am, so I can pray and study for one hour, before I have to start getting ready for work, I have to leave to catch my first bus a little after 6am...but I know God will bless me and He will do something miraculous in that short time. I am going through a period of suffering and temptation at this time, but I know God will meet me...and He will bless me and keep me and protect me...I learned that the first time through the devotional... God bless you, Sis. Be encouraged, Our Lord Jesus has placed you exactly where you are needed in His body.
    1. Michelle, thank you so much for encouraging me today! I needed that! I'm so glad to hear you've been blessed by the study. I know God will bless you as you faithfully serve Him!

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