Today's words of encouragement come from Lynn, SHLC Elder..."Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)There are many times in the Bible that Jesus tells us "Do not fear," and while the message is simple it's oftentimes very hard for us to actually do.  In this passage from John 14, we are reminded about how the peace we receive from Jesus surpasses what we get from our world.  In our human lives we have times of peace and times of trouble, and these times constantly come and go.  The peace Jesus has given us is forever.  This message rings particularly strongly for me right now as we all face different challenges, not only from the pandemic crisis but also other personal challenges that some people are bearing on top of everything else.Like a lot of people, I struggle with abandoning my fears.  But oddly, when things get tough, it comes a little easier to me.  Why?  I think it's because it becomes more obvious to me that these things are out of my hands.  No matter what is happening in the world, I am a dearly loved child of God and there is a place and a plan for me.The peace that Jesus gives us is something we cannot get from our world.  It is divine, and while we may not understand it entirely, we can follow our hearts, place our trust in God, and finally leave our fears behind.Please pray with me:Father, thank you for providing us with the divine and eternal peace that only you can offer.  Help us to support each other and our neighbors as we head through the times ahead.  Please continue to be with us and remind us that we can let go of our fears and place our trust in you.  Amen.