You are reading the 54th issue of Drawing Near, a newsletter to encourage connection and soften the ache of loneliness. Each week, you'll receive inspiration for connecting with God, yourself, and the people around you. To see previous issues, go to our newsletter page.

For December, each week's email has a theme to go with the season. The first two themes were light and comfort. You can click those links if you missed them!

Today's Theme: Peace

Christmas is less than a week away! How peaceful are you feeling?

The word "peace" is heard and seen in so many places during the Christmas season. However, it usually feels like the least peaceful season of all! There is so much to do, so many places to go, so much to see. And we must also continue to make dinner, get the kids to school, go to work, and put on a happy face while we spin in the chaos and glitter.

The best way I've found to have peace in the holiday craziness is to focus on Jesus. His life embodied peace. No doubt he had chaos and conflict in his life, and yet we never see him feeling rushed or hurried or stressed out.

Perhaps his peace comes from his connection with God the Father. We can have that same connection and peace when we spend time with God and learn his heart. Below I share some peace-themed ideas for connecting with God, yourself, and those around you!

Connect with God

📖Read Mark 4:36-41 (NKJV):

³⁶Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

📖Also read John 16:32-33 (NIV):

³²“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

³³“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

♥️Say a prayer to God thanking Him for peace He gives when fear strikes, when the news is bad, when anxiety swirls your mind, and when troubles take over your world. If you're not feeling any peace, ask God to give it to you.

Connect with Yourself

✍🏼Take some time to journal using these prompts (or just think on them and invite God in with prayer):

What area of your life could use some peace?
Are there circumstances where you feel like you are being nudged to "make" peace versus waiting for peace to happen?
What activities must you do this week or month that bring you stress?
What activities make you feel at peace? Can you find small moments where you can do those things? Even if it's just five minutes of deep breathing in the car before you go somewhere stressful.
Read Isaiah 26:3. How do you keep your mind "stayed on" God?

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3

Connect with Others

🩶Can you think of someone in your life who needs peace? Someone who feels overwhelmed, anxious, or uncertain? Someone going through a difficult transition, feeling burned out, or feeling apart from God? Pray healing words for that someone (it could be you), and then see if any of these ideas feel like a natural next step:

Deliver a calming care bag with herbal tea, lip balm, snacks, a candle, lotion, essential oils, a stress ball, or any item you think they would enjoy. Include a card with a Scripture about peace written in it.
Offer to tidy their space. Help with laundry, do the dishes, clean off a table or a counter, or pick up the toys off the floor.
Invite them on a peaceful walk, no speed walking allowed.
Ask them to attend a church service with you. If your church has a Christmas Eve service, it's the perfect opportunity to include someone.
Send a text, a voice memo, or an actual card encouraging them.
Volunteer to babysit their kids.
Tell them dinner is taken care of and deliver a meal (it doesn't have to be handmade!). Or send it through DoorDash. Or email a gift card.
Invite them to read a Scripture reading plan with you. Find one about peace and see if they're interested.
Share a peaceful playlist with them. I love my Acoustic Christmas playlist on Spotify for all the peaceful, cozy vibes.

🖤If you are the one needing peace in this season, reach out to a friend and ask them for what you need (to talk, to do nothing together, to pray, to do something fun). You can also reach out to a counselor or health professional for guidance.

Peace-Filled Extras

📝Use The Next Right Thing Guided Journal for thoughtful reflection. I'm on my second copy of this journal, and it is very flexible to however you'd like to fill it in—you can write in it weekly, monthly, or haphazardly as I do! My favorite thing is the place to write a monthly quote. This journal is a peaceful guide for reflection with the purpose of making better daily decisions, because our daily decisions make our lives (that wisdom is from the author of the journal).

✝️Find some Scripture-filled resources from The Daily Grace Co. Just search for "peace" and you'll find hundreds of items to choose from. But if that's too much, check out these: