Are you able to feel at peace even when life bombards you with hardship? If not, how can you achieve peace when life gets tough?

In January, Tammy Brackett, a music publicist/writer, experienced the financial pain that many Americans are going through now. "My income was reduced by 2/3 because of a job layoff," says Tammy. Yet, she was able to feel at peace.

When Donna Ratner, a certified holistic health counselor, was 14, her 22-year-old brother died suddenly in a swimming pool accident. When she was 23, living in New York City, she got held up at gunpoint. Donna recalls, "He followed me up to my apartment, stole my most precious belongings, made me strip naked and lie facedown in the hallway outside my apartment." Still, Donna was able to remain peaceful in both situations.

Last summer, when music teacher Janita Pavelka was at home, she received a call, telling her that her 10-year-old daughter Hannah was knocked unconscious by a friend's horse. Fortunately, Hanna is doing well, after receiving 18 stitches in her head. What helped the family through this difficult time? Peace.

Yes, Tammy, Donna, and Janita all were able to remain at peace amid dark times, but it was not just any peace—it was the peace in Jehovah God. Only the peace in God can help anyone get through any stormy nights to the light on the other side.

Author Lynn Baber, who, with her husband, was able to remain at peace as her in-laws passed away. She explains, "We knew God was at work. The process of life and death is His to direct. As in all things, when we consciously work from the position that God is on His Throne, and nothing happens with either His express or permissive will, anything we face becomes manageable. We are never alone."

We can feel at peace anytime because Jehovah is in charge! The peace in God is, therefore, not unlike any peace anyone else or anything could ever offer us. God always desires to bring peace, for "God is not a God of confusion, but of peace." (I Corinthians 14:33, WE

But how can we possess the peace in God? We will experience peace in God only when we are justified with Him.

Jesus, the greatest Ambassador of God since he is God's own Son, was sent to Earth two thousand years ago in order to achieve justification for us. Justification is a right standing with God. When we are justified, we will have God as a Friend, and our friendship will bring peace into our lives. It is like any human friendships we have; when we are friends with someone, we will feel at peace when we are around that person. Likewise, when we are friends with God, we will feel at peace in His presence. But to be God's friends and have His peace, we must put our faith in Jesus by loving God and His Son Jesus and by loving one another. Then we will be justified and experience God's peace: "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1, KJV)

Before Jesus finished his earthly ministry, he left all of us that special peace in God: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful." (John 14:27, WE

And that peace of God, "which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:17, WE

When we have God's peace, it should rule in our hearts: "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts..." (Colossians 3:15, WE

To remain in God's peace, we should constantly live in harmony with one another: "Be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you." (II Corinthians 13:11, WE "Follow peace with all men..." (Hebrews 12:14, KJV)

Do you want to experience invincible peace, peace that will conquer all darkness, peace that will allow you to live in peace even when the physical world is turned upside down? Then embrace Jehovah and Jesus, and this Father-Son team will give you all the peace you want and need for all eternity!

Pastor and founder of The Spirit of Truth Ministries, David Voyles has well experienced God's peace in his life, thereby he says, "God has plans for every one of us. A person has to trust in the good nature of God and His plans are always better than ours. We knock on doors in faith; believing this, and the right door will open on His perfect timing."

Now is the perfect time for you to feel the peace of God in your life!

~*~Q&A with Shirley~*~

What is sin? How do we get rid of sins in our lives? Sins ruin our relationship with God, therefore, if we deliberately sin, we will not experience the peace of God. Hence, it is vital for us not to commit any sins, but we'd have to know what sins are in the first place, so this month, I will answer questions about sins.

Question: What is sin?

Answer: In the town where you live, its laws most likely include such prohibitions as murder, robbery, kidnapping, and rape. Breaking any of these laws means you have committed a crime. A crime is an offense you commit against one another; it is an offense against your law. Those who commit crimes are called criminals.

Like your town, Jehovah God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, has also established laws to govern the people on Earth. Breaking any of His laws means you have committed a sin. So a sin is a violation of God's laws as a crime is a violation of manmade laws. Those who commit sins are known as sinners. In Jehovah's laws, He prohibits people from harming others, so most crimes are sins, including the ones mentioned earlier.

All of God's laws, known as commandments in the Bible, are based upon two main laws. Breaking these two commandments causes sin. These most important commandments are:
1) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
2) Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31, ASV)

For a list of some major sins, read my article: snipurl.com/v0bj6

Question: How can we cure our sins?

Answer: To treat your personal sin, follow these steps:

1. Repent of your sins. True repentance means:
a) Admit what you did is wrong
b) Feel truly sorry about what you did
c) And never repeat the same sin again
2. Pray to Jehovah for forgiveness. In your prayer...
a) Confess your sins and apologize
b) Ask for God's forgiveness
c) Ask for His help in keeping you from sinning again
d) Commit your life to His ways and laws 3. Accept Jesus Christ as your Master and Savior. Jesus died for all sinners to save us from the eternal penalty and power of sins. The penalty of sins is eternal death: "As sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12, WE
4. Develop a lasting relationship with God and His Son by praying and studying the Bible regularly, and applying the Bible teachings to your everyday living. Simply reading the Bible will do you no good—only when you do what it teaches will you be able to defeat sins.

Those who diligently follow the above steps, which result in the spiritual born-again experience, will be resurrected on God's appointed time unto eternal life of love and bliss in fellowship with Jehovah and Jesus. Then and only then will life be free from sin and suffering caused by sin. Right now, we have a constant battle with sins. However, remember that Jesus's personal sacrifice has saved us from the power of sin to give us the strength to be a victor, not a loser, of sins, right now.

To treat sins in others, follow these steps to lead them to the born-again experience:

1. Gently but firmly rebuke and correct others when they have sinned. It is our responsibility to correct one another. If you see a train charging in someone's direction, would you not warn them of it? Likewise, if you see someone heading in the wrong direction, you are saving them from a tragedy. It is a sin not to warn them. God said: "When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you don't speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn't turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul." (Ezekiel 33:8-9, WE
a) Let them know what they did is a sin
b) Show them that sin is wrong by using the Bible
c) Direct them to repent for their sins
2. Help them receive forgiveness from Jehovah
a) Have them pray to Jehovah for forgiveness
b) Let them confess their sins to God
c) Have them ask God for protection from future sins
3. Teach them about Jesus Christ, and help them accept Christ as their Master and Savior
4. Assist them in developing a lasting relationship with Jehovah and His Son.
a) Urge them to pray and study the Bible on a regular basis
b) Have them apply Bible teachings to their daily living. They need to be doers, not hearers only: "But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25, WE

~*~Shirley's Corner~*~

I'm on a ball! My book, "Do You Love Jehovah? God Almighty's Infinite Love & Wisdom to Propel You to Greatness" won a third award! This time, my book garnered Honorable Mention in 2009 Reader Views Annual Literary Awards in Religion (Eastern/Western). Pass on the champagne! Visit www.shirleycheng.com

On Monday, April 12 at 8:00 PM Eastern (5 PM Pacific), I will be interviewed on The F.L.E.X. Approach radio show hosted by my friend Richard Chan. Listen to the show live at www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1678 If you can't catch me live, don't worry—the show will be archived, so you can go to the page to listen to yours truly at your convenience.

~*~A Biblical Ending~*~

Yahweh is my shepherd:
I shall lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in Yahweh's house forever.
(Psalm 23, WE

("Yahweh" is "Jehovah" in Hebrew)

Have a peaceful month! See you in May!

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Best regards,

Shirley Cheng

Award-Winning Author with 22 Book Awards
9-Time Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award Winner
Mom's Choice Awards Recipient
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributor to 31 books by age 26, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
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