Grace and Peace

By Deanna Langworthy

Peace""everybody wants it, few have it. The Bible describes a peace that surpasses all understanding. What is that? It is a peace that is unshakable, unmovable no matter the circumstances, no matter the feelings; it is solid and unwavering. All can have this peace, but most do not. That can be changed! But in order to have this peace, you must experience God's grace completely and fully, with no reservations. A grace that makes no sense but covers all and is all-encompassing. The secret to peace is not a secret at all, and it all starts with grace. Join Deanna as she walks you through her discovery of God's grace and journey to peace. "What a special book GRACE and PEACE is. I want to say how much I have enjoyed it and the honor of reading it before you do, so I can tell you how special it is. Without hesitation, I can assure you, as you think about your life, in the honest way Deanna has shared hers "" your life and walk in Christ will deepen with the turning of each page." Pastor Richie Furay Click here to read reviews and to learn more about "Grace and Peace." Click here to follow "Grace and Peace" on Facebook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645692829

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Grace and Peace

Deanna Langworthy

Copyright © 2019 by Deanna Langworthy

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Armor of God, www.Bibleinfo.com. Used by permission.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

But Even If You Don’t

Grace

Just Breathe

You Are Good

Peace

Strong Enough

It Is Well with My Soul

Foreword

What a special book GRACE and PEACE is; I know it sounds like I should be reading one of the Apostle Paul’s letters but, not so, it’s a new book by my friend Deanna Langworthy and I want to say how much I have enjoyed it and the honor of reading it before you do, so I can tell you how special it is. Without hesitation, I can assure you, as you think about your life, in the honest way Deanna has shared hers – your life and walk in Christ will deepen with the turning of each page.

Grace and Peace, these two words are so powerful from the standpoint of a Believer’s walk of faith; at the beginning of her book, Deanna causes the reader to look at their personal walk by turning the title of a familiar hymn around, making it a question, asking - is it well with my soul; in other words, are you experiencing God’s grace and peace in your life – and if not, why not?

This book is Deanna’s way of asking the reader, the Believer, to look deep in their own life, challenging our honesty, not only with God but with ourselves, in a way, invading the privacy of one’s personal walk of faith.

It’s through Deanna’s own, personal experience, and what happens when her hands were truly raised, knees were bowed and her heart exposed in the midst of one of life’s trials, that God was able to show Himself strong on her behalf, and thus, the Lord was able to reveal to her what He truly wants all Believers to know – the grace of His love and a peace that passes all understanding when we’re in the midst of life’s trials. Though it is Deanna’s personal testimony of stepping out in faith to trust the LORD, as we read on in the book, it easily becomes our own personal testimony, as we consider our walk of faith. One thing remains for sure – when our hands are raised and knees are bowed in trusting love - yes, one will find: It Is Good With My Soul! May God’s Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ fill your hearts as you allow the Holy Spirit to do some soul searching in your life.

— Pastor Richie Furay (Retired)

Calvary Chapel

Broomfield, CO

Acknowledgments

I didn’t want to write this book. From the start I felt as if anyone was more qualified than me to do so. There is a saying that goes, God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. So, after many confirmations, I chose obedience and started on this faith walk. But like so many other chapters in my life, I did not go on this walk alone.

First and foremost, I want to give thanks to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. From day one this has been Your work, Your words, Your inspiration. You provided for me every step of the way and never once failed to cover me and all my shortcomings. All glory goes to You.

Secondly, I want to thank Richie Furay. Your willingness to read my book, provide honest feedback in a timely manner, and then write the Forward, was not only helpful but so immensely appreciated. From the day you led me to the Lord on those church steps through today, you have always been there as my Pastor whenever I have needed you - no matter how many miles separate us. I thank God for bringing you into my life so many years ago.

Next, I need to thank Deanne McCarrison. The Lord knew what He was doing when He chose you to edit my book. Thank you for being faithful to always pray before working on my manuscript. Thank you for being so thorough. Thank you for being patient while I was stuck in jury duty. But, mostly, thank you for starting this journey as my Editor and ending as one of my closest friends. I truly could not have done this without you. I will never listen to for King & Country’s song, joy. without thinking of you.

I also need to thank my Tuesday morning ladies Bible study group from The Gathering Place church in Valley, Nebraska. These ladies were faithful in praying for me and encouraging me. In particular, Linda Perry, Kay Hayden, and Denise Failla – thank you for encouraging me on the days when I suffered bouts of doubt and giving me a gentle kick in the pants on days when I needed to be reminded who I was in the Lord. You probably will never know how much the Lord used you in this endeavor.

Finally, I want to thank my family. Probably nobody was more surprised than you when I announced I was going to write a book. You see me completely – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and you still love me. You above anyone else here on earth know that the Lord isn’t done with me yet and I am nothing but a sinner except by the grace of God. My prayer is that through the Lord’s refining love and promises, He will continue to perfect me into the best parent, daughter, grammy and sister I can be.

My wish for all is the same as the apostle Paul states in Philippians 1:2 (CEB) – May the grace and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is where we will all find rest.

But Even If You Don’t

Have you ever been in that place where everything seems wrong? When the trials are thick and relief seems far off? How do you respond? Does your hope stay in Him?

I must admit that much of my life has been in this state of mind. And many times my focus shifted from God to me: how could I get us (my family) or myself out of this situation? What did I need to do to change the situation?

In 2010, I found myself unemployed when my position was eliminated in round four of a massive layoff that included hundreds of people. I wish I could tell you that my faith never wavered and my walk was solid. But the reality was that not one but both of my sons had been hospitalized for two separate accidents that had happened two weeks apart during the four weeks previous to the layoff. It is an understatement to say that stress was running high! It was after this point that I felt my faith was stretched as thin as it could take. But two weeks from the date of the last accident and with both boys deep in the middle of major medical care, I found myself in the conference room being laid off. I remember being so taken off guard that I felt I couldn’t breathe and all I could do was sob uncontrollably.