Our Guest: Peg Arnold
Peg Arnold is a dynamic retreat Speaker, Author, Teacher, and Drama Queen for Jesus. Her vibrant, interactive, and soul-stirring messages encourage all to embrace their God-given value. As a mom, wife, nana, mentor, with a master’s in counseling, she connects on a personal basis by sharing her joys and challenges of many life experiences through her dramas, messages, and witness. Whether talking with a friend over coffee or addressing hundreds of people at a conference, her passion for equipping others is contagious. Her most recent publication, Making Your Message Memorable, is a book to equip speakers and teachers. Other publications include her OASIS award-winning devotional, Devotions for the Distracted Heart, and additional devotions in YouVersion and the Upper Room. She continues to contribute to Chicken Soup for the Soul books, numerous anthologies, articles, and blogs. Peg desires everyone to know that God loves them and that their story has a purpose. She grew up in Michigan as a pastor’s kid and raised her family in Maryland. In 2017, she and her husband relocated to Colorado, close to their grandkids.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…
- Be willing to let God lead differently in different seasons, because each season brings something new and God is at work in each one.
“When the winds of change blow, remember sometimes what appears dead is simply preparing for a new season.” – Jane Lee Logan
“Love all the seasons, because every season has its own treasures!” – Mehmet Murat ildan
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
- We have that process of justification when we come to know Jesus Christ, we are right in His sight because of the blood of Jesus.
- That doesn’t mean that we are purely, totally sanctified. It is a process that God takes us through to make us more like Jesus
- God doesn’t give up on us when we make those bad choices.
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”…
- His blood covers anything that we have done in our past. So He’s there telling us we’re worthy.
Romans 12:2 NIV …be transformed by the renewing of your mind…
- Marriage is a relationship of three. You can’t do anything without Christ being the head of the household.
- “It’s like a triangle and we’re the two bottom corners and the closer we grow to Christ, the closer the couple grows together.”
Peg’s Growing Relationship with Jesus
- We are responsible for our one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ, but we have to be connected to a body of Christ somewhere. That’s how God designed us.
- The Lord revealed to Peg that she was still living in unhealthy patterns and measuring her value and worth by her physical appearance.
- God is teaching her worth in Him, on her relationship with Him and the way His fruits flow through her.
- When we hide things, that allows the enemy to make them grow because it puts us in our head. Yet when we admit them and get some accountability, not only with the Lord, but with a brother or sister in Christ, that exposes it and it gives strength, and gives you that armor of God to fight it.
- Unless there’s some intentionality in maintaining God in the center of a marriage, it’s easy to drift.
- Listening is a foundational skill in marriage.
Psalm 23:4 NIV Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…
Peg realized that the Psalms had the words to pray when she was lamenting not being where she wanted to be.
- In the midst of their difficulties, God’s provision was there for them.
- God teaches us lessons through adversity, if we have our eyes open.
- No opportunity is wasted by God.
- “We learned how much we live in a consumer society that wants to make us see wants as needs.”
- You learn to trust God in that new way. And really, trusting God was critical because the tough seasons weren’t over.
- Grief hits in waves.
- “It wasn’t fear at that point, it was surrender for us. It was surrender.”
- Even through a hard, hard season, God was good and brought them through.
- Every season has joys and sorrows to it.
- As God equipped Peg for walking into more seasons of challenges, He was giving her opportunities to share His faithfulness and His goodness with others.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
- No matter what we go through, His faithfulness is there in every single moment.
- “What makes you think I don’t have things prepared for you in Colorado?”
“Forgive me, Lord, I have made you way too small.”
- “I knew that’s where I needed to go, but I literally had fear. I felt like I was jumping off a cliff, and I could not see the bottom of the valley. But I had to totally trust in the Lord.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
- In that story with Joshua, God talks about going before him. And so Peg’s prayers were that God would go before them.
- God’s goodness was revealed in every step.
Ephesians 3:20 NIV Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
Psalm 37:23 NLT The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
- There is nothing that surprises God. We are surprised and we question Him, but our questions don’t surprise Him.
- God takes those broken pieces and recreates a new normal.
- “The Israelites grumbled and forgot to look back at His faithfulness. And I think we can fall into that same trap.”
- If we look back and see His faithfulness, we know He’s not going to leave us even when things are falling apart.
Martha’s story
- Like Martha, we can be distracted by all the unnecessary details of life.
- By the time of her brother’s death, her faith had changed and grown.
- When we pray to God, He will always answer.
- Sometimes He’s going to say no, sometimes He’s going to say maybe, sometimes He’s going to say yes. But every no has a reason, every maybe has a reason, and every yes has a reason.
- It’s up to us to stay connected to Him and pray in the spirit so we know that we are seeking His will for us.
Psalm 1:1-4 NLT Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
James 1:27 NLT Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress…
Psalm 112:1-4 NIV Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Links:
- Peg Arnold’s website
- Be Magnified by Don Moen
Books:
- Devotions for the Distracted Heart
- Step Forward by Julie Morris
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