About the Author

Jennifer Dukes Lee is the author of several books, including Growing Slow. She and her husband live on the family farm, raising crops, pigs, and two humans. She’s a fan of dark chocolate, emojis, eighties music, bright lipstick, and Netflix binges. She wants to live life in such a way...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Comments

  1. Thanks for presenting peace in terms of the unseen and the individual matter of our own heart. You’ve given me homework to do as I wait for the moment when my son trumpets Taps through the cloudy skies here today.

    • We’re headed out to the cemetery soon, Michele. We will visit the graves of loved ones, and especially remember Paul, my father-in-law, who served in Vietnam. All of his Agent Orange exposure resulted in a leukemia diagnosis many years later. he died in 2009. We miss him so much. So, I will remember loved ones gone before … while also tending some to some individual matters of the heart, as you put it. Thanks for being here. Have a great day, Michele.

      • Hello, I find my inner peace when I in park near the . I watch the ducks coming on land. Sometimes I take a picture of them. Animals are beautiful to me. And I pray and thank God for giving these things to me.

  2. Jennifer,
    “When we’re more concerned about making a point than making peace….” Somehow we think that if we yell loud enough and win the battle of making our point, we will somehow find peace. Like you pointed out, it works the other way around. When we humble ourselves enough to put others needs before our own, when we look to serve rather than to be served, when we look to Jesus, and not what the world offers, to heal our inner hurts, that’s where we find peace. Loved all of your points and the Mandela quote on resentment. Letting go of grudges is perhaps the best gift we could give ourselves in our journey to find peace. Great post, Jennifer!
    Have a blessed Memorial Day all,
    Bev xx

  3. Jennifer,
    Thanks so much. You have spoken words of healing to my heart today. I can’t be with my Mom this Memorial Day for the first ceremony at the Vereran’s Cemetary where my Dad has been buried, but I can praise my Jesus to bring some peace to my heart.
    Jen

    • So glad these words brought a bit of peace to own heart, Jen. We’re headed to the cemetery soon to remember those we’ve loved, and especially veterans like my father-in-law Paul.

  4. Thank you for your words today, your post is both purposeful and practical.
    Have a great Memorial Day, and thank you for the sacrifice and service you provide by visiting the cemetery.

  5. Thank you, Jennifer, for your this Memorial Day! It reflects what is mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3: 8 “… a time for love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

  6. Thank you so much, Jennifer. I think too often we (I, included) have placed our hopes for peace in politics. Our only hope for peace is in knowing the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus, and then in doing what He says . . . such as what you live and suggest here. We need to make peace with Him first and then as far as it concerns us, live in peace . . . be a living instrument of peace. I’m trying, in part, to do that by not being so argumentative, always feeling I need to have the last word and to be “right,” and to reach out to and spend time with those with whom I disagree (politically and in other ways). I can’t help but think of Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This is what you are advocating here. Goodness, Jennifer, if everyone did this–took care of her own attitudes and actions in humility and followed Jesus by acting as He did, we would all go a long way to helping to bring peace on this planet. And I love how *you* do that!
    Love you, and Happy Memorial Day.
    xo,
    Lynn

  7. Thank you so much JENNIFER for touching my heart this morning. I so need to hear your words and to let them wash over me. I praise the Lord for your sweet heart and your way with words. Have a blessed day.

  8. Excellent sharing! It’s so good. The part you shared about resolving conflict tickles my insides – ‘The elephant is still in the room, talk about that elephant…’. How true it is when we don’t make a decision to let go so we can move on. The quote from Nelson Mandela that said ‘Resentment is like drinking the poison and then hoping that it’ll kill your enemies.’ Cannot imagine what foolishness we’d done to ourselves without thinking wisely. That also means mediating regularly on God’s word to have our minds renewed so we can use the wisdom to live a purposeful life. Thank you very much for most needed inspiration!

  9. Jennifer, may your time today be healing and peace-making. Thank you so much for your examples of what we can do to promote peace — you’ve sparked an idea for me. I’m also finishing a book about the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Seems fitting to remember the Civil War (and all the sacrifices made before and since) to preserve our country’s freedom and unity.

  10. Hi Jennifer,
    I just loved your quote from Nelson Mandela. Your 6 ways to bring peace into one’s life have definitely given me some homework. This has been an ongoing issue for many years. God was in this, pointing me to what I need for my “inner turmoil.” Thank you so much!

    Praying for everyone who is grieving the loss of a veteran today.

    Blessings, Sandy

  11. In my country this weekend past, a women’s conference has caused controversy in a way that has filled my Facebook feed with Christian women saying hate filled, angry things at one another. Half of it is caused by misunderstanding, half of it is purely an unwillingness to disagree with grace. It makes me so sad. Praying for peace in this situation, and for women to realise what a horrible witness this is as we tear each other apart.

  12. So true. We can’t wait for others to bring us peace; we need to find peace and peruse it our self. Bring peace to our soul and then pass some on.

  13. Jennifer,

    The only way to really have peace is to focus on Jesus. Get your focus off you and the noisy, hectic world around us. They don’t care about us. We can start by serving others-praying, sending cards, emails & just being concerned.

    I never thought about making peace with my inner hurts & past regrets. Maybe if we all did this and quit harboring resentment we just might have a little slice of peace in our world!

    Blessings 🙂

  14. Such sweet words to my ears and eyes, Jennifer. I love Mother Theresa’s quote as well. May we shine brighter than the dark and may love outlast everything else (as it will!)

    Blessings to you,
    Meg

  15. Jennifer always has a good word and a good perspective. IF there is going to be a speaker of peace? Let it be me. Peace and Truth.

  16. How exciting to think that thousands of women who read this blog will be inspired by your peace-making suggestions, Jennifer. We may not be able to erase all conflicts and bring total peace to our planet, but we can make our homes, workplaces, churches, and communities more peaceful. I especially appreciate Suggestion #3 about pointing out the good we see. Photos on social media is a great way; perhaps gratitude and compliments would also qualify. I never considered these actions as contributions to peace, but they do improve the attitude and mood of the recipients. Therefore it makes sense such actions would influence the level of tranquility in their spirits. Let is begin with US at incourage!

  17. Good morning Jennifer! I love your suggestion, “Take a picture of something that made you smile, and post it to your social media channels. ” I think we should challenge our soical media friends to do this. It would be a pleasant surprise to open facebook to see a sea of picture that make us smile. It sounds like a revoluntionary strategy to me. As you said, “let it began in me”.