Category: encouragement

The January sun is bright but cold above the little mountain delta on Muddlety Creek. It’s on days like this that I enjoy the heater in my big blue truck and aim my lens through an open window. As I drift over the narrow single lane my mind mulls over the question “What is peace?” At the moment I feel peaceful with a podcast playing in the background as I take in the tranquility of still waters and gently swaying reeds. But is this peace or simply “peaceful” as in like peace.

I don’t claim to have any profound knowledge or divine insight as to the nature of peace. Only a few things that I believe are true as I search for answers.

Peace is not the absence of violence. It is the absence of fear.

I’ve had too many people who have been thrust into violent situations that say they felt stress and were aware of the gravity of the situation but that also felt that wave of peace come over them and they knew that everything would be okay in the end. Some would say that they were brave and that’s true to a point but..

Bravery is not the absence of fear. It is absence of inaction. If we review the stories of people in dangerous situations we find that they were frightened beyond description and yet calmly handed the actions they needed to take. On a side note, most of these people were not completely confident that they were making the right choices. They just did what they thought would help. Was it their peace that gave them the opportunity to act and hope for the best? I’m sure it played a role but fear was also present.

So perhaps things like peace and fear are not a dichotomy. Like light and darkness we are given a measure of each and it only matters where we focus as to what we experience. Which leads to thought that if fear grows as often described can peace also grow within the spirit of a person? I’ve been told that whatever you feed grows. If we focus on fear then it becomes stronger and eventually transforms into panic. And if panic is the ultimate fear and bravery is action in the presence of fear then it’s likely that action will be in error. However, if we focus on our peace and feed that instead we get clarity of thought and logic. Our actions will then be those that most likely will improve the outcome.

I believe that ultimately our peace comes from the Prince of Peace himself. Namely, The Lord Jesus Christ. It would be easy to point out the uncertainty of the times we live in but the truth is that uncertainty has always been present. For my generation it was the Cold War and the threat of Nuclear Weapons. For the WW2 and WW1 generation it was global combat and starvation during the Great Depression. There has always been a reason to fear. But the same God who brought mankind through all of that can also see us through the current age. So let me encourage you to choose the light and focus on the peace. If you do then it’s more likely your actions will be well taken and you will make it through to the other side.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement:

I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.

I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply use the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.