Hope Mangiafico (00:00)
What does peace actually look like? Because sometimes peace looks like a quiet morning, a cup of coffee, and time with God. But sometimes peace looks like saying no. It looks like having the conversation you've been avoiding. Peace looks like walking away from something you desperately wanted to work. Peace looks like not defending yourself. Peace looks like waiting when you want answers. Peace looks like forgiving when someone who never apologized. And sometimes
Peace looks like standing in the middle of absolute chaos and somehow knowing God is still here. Amen. Peace has a lot of different faces. And in this episode of Equipped Fellowship, we're talking about how to recognize the peace of God, not just when life is calm, but right in the middle of everyday life. Because maybe peace isn't the absence of the storm. Maybe it's learning who is with you in it.
Hi, I'm Hope.
Nikki Humphrey (00:59)
Hi, I'm Nikki. Welcome to Equip Fellowship, where friends become family through Christ. We're two Jesus Loving Friends on a mission to share personal stories, resources, and real talk about our triumph, breakthroughs, struggles, and setbacks. Why? Because we believe you are called to live victoriously, and we're here to equip you with Holy Spirit-led tools and strategies to strengthen your faith, transform your mindset, and walk
boldly in God's promises, because here's the truth, you have been given great and precious promises by God. So grab your coffee, lean in, and let's grow together. It's time to step into everything God has for you.
Hope Mangiafico (01:47)
And today, one of those things that he has for us is peace. And we're going to be talking about the different faces of peace. Because peace doesn't always look the way we think it should. We often think peace means everything is calm, everyone is getting along, our prayers have been answered, and nothing in our life is currently out of control. But Jesus tells us in John 14, 27, peace I live with you. My peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Sometimes peace looks like stillness, sometimes it's a boundary, sometimes it's surrender, forgiveness, waiting, or having the hard conversation. And sometimes peace is simply standing in the middle of the storm and knowing God is still here, God is still good, and I don't have to figure everything out right now, today. So today.
We're talking about the different faces of peace and what the peace of Jesus can actually look like in our everyday lives. Let's get practical, Nikki.
Nikki Humphrey (02:57)
I just had this pop in my head like if you need peace, raise your hand.
Both of our hands are raised. Double raised. Hallelujah.
It's something
That we all search for. And it's something we want to achieve, to arrive at, to become. I'm peaceful. I'm full of peace. All of these things. But it's so stinking hard when you are in the midst, like you said, hope of chaos. And where is it? Where do we find it? How do we get it? How do we?
Settle into it. What prevents us from settling into it?
Hope Mangiafico (03:37)
Settling in is I think I don't know if that was the exact verbiage I got, but when I was thinking about this topic, it was very similar to that because my take home was that it's not that it's ever missing, but how do we actually tap into what's been there? Because Jesus said, I left it.
Nikki Humphrey (03:56)
Right.
Hope Mangiafico (03:57)
It's there. So how do we settle and actually receive?
This gift, this precious gift, that Jesus came and died and resurrected for.
Nikki Humphrey (04:08)
Yes, he's the prince of peace.
Hope Mangiafico (04:10)
Right.
And you know, I have a feeling the conversation will unfold today where we're not gonna act like we have all the answers, but we will share while we're in the midst of different chaoses and different times of life, what it does look like. Cause right now, as much as I've attempted to define peace and force myself into the morning cup of coffee praying with the Lord, it ain't happening. And I have to
Here's the thing that I have been learning, and Nikki, please tell me if you have any thoughts or experience on this. Me desiring that perfect picture of peace is one of the blocks to me actually settling into the real peace. Because without me surrendering what I believe is the real peace, I can't access the true peace. And the father showed me that just last week.
Can I share this little story really quick?
Nikki Humphrey (05:11)
Love you to share it.
Hope Mangiafico (05:14)
So Nikki and I've talked about both of us started, you know, new jobs.
And they've not been easy. That's all I'm gonna say.
And one of my things that I wasn't willing to surrender because my job is so close to home was coming home for lunch. Go outside, get my feet in the grass, do the thing, you know? But as much as I'm like, okay, God, I'm out here, let me reset, I would be so frazzled leaving to go back to work because it does still take time. It doesn't matter if you're three miles away or not, that's still time.
That you're having to prepare for transition. And the Lord convicted me so much of your not surrendering what you're desiring. And I was very upset because I'm like, this is why I took a close-to-home job. Because I love my little time at home out inside.
Lord, you made the sun and that is healing. But as soon as I surrendered and I started staying at work to have my lunch, I did find a patch of grass, mind you, and actually, when I found that patch of grass and brought my own little blanket, not even kidding, I was filled with the peace that I was lacking because I didn't want to surrender my idea of what it should look like.
So simple, such a goofy example. But you guys get to hear me with how goofy some of my battles are. Because it means the world to me to be at home. You know, the world, especially the Christian spaces, talk about women being at home, you know, blah blah blah. And then also like getting out of the corporate world and then nine to five, blah blah blah. And I was technically out of it. And then I got in it.
So I was still trying to hold on to what the world says is good and women should be doing. But God didn't tell me to do that right now. He pulled me out of it and I gotta release it. The face of peace in that is surrender.
Nikki Humphrey (07:21)
As you were talking hope, I heard you have to give a piece to receive
Hope Mangiafico (07:27)
Mm That's a good word.
Nikki Humphrey (07:30)
And like you said, hope we just we're in our comfort zone. We love these things. We don't wanna give it up. We don't wanna change. Like it was going so good. Like I was in my routine, like
And then the whole world, you know, my whole world got shifted. Hope's world got shifted. Everything has to be moved around. And there's certain things, like for me, I need to move my body in the morning. Like hope needs feet in the ground. And her myofashion movement. But when I get up, I like to have my car, I need to move. It just like focuses me through the day.
And so that may means waking up at three fifty, that means waking up at four in the morning, and everything has shifted. And like you said, Hope, you don't want to bring that bad attitude into that space that gives you peace.
And just knowing like how can I get into the best mental headspace, even though I'm waking up early, even though I'm look tired and disgruntled. And you could list all these things, but it's just like I have to release those things. Like you said, I give something to God and just fill that time, although it's shorter than it used to be.
I need it to like have a peaceful outlook.
Hope Mangiafico (08:52)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (08:53)
And to reset my peace and to start my day in a in a calmer state than frantic and spinning and wonderings and what's gonna happen today and how am I gonna react.
Hope Mangiafico (09:06)
As you were saying that, the word that came to my mind for me was sometimes.
in this situation for me, especially it's almost like an act of rebellion that I had because I didn't want to release what was so important and valuable to me. And and it was rebellion because my new job's very strict on time. Very strict.
And that made me angry. So did I use the proper handling, the Christ-centered way of handling anger? No. I resisted by trying to be home more. But your example, but then it made me really rush because guess what? I still had to be back in that time frame, no matter how frustrating it made me.
But there's something so like goofy about how we think about things and thinking we can prove our point or just make it work and none of that is the truth in the character of God.
And you talked about giving a piece to receive peace. And it's such a good statement to where you pause, good old pause, all the peas in this example. And it's like, what is it that I'm not willing to give a piece of in my life? So for you, Nikki, it's your time really early. Like I can't wrap my mind around that. For me, it's stop being upset about the corporate world.
And be okay 'cause God called me there and released my home, my safe place. Into the hands of the Father who's the safest.
I didn't want to do it.
And you feel that transition when you do finally give a piece for the peace. But it doesn't mean it's easy, right, Nikki?
Nikki Humphrey (10:58)
Doesn't mean it's easy. I have to hype myself up because it's dark out and I have to go run outside. I put out I'm like, Jesus is the light of the world and so is this light right now.
Hope Mangiafico (11:10)
I can't I honestly can't imagine.
Nikki Humphrey (11:11)
You have to
just go to a whole different mental place because if you are just it's worldly Nikki talking about I could I could be bad mouthing every I'm gonna go up early, it's hot, it's dark, it's this and that, the whatever. I just try to make the best of it to find my peace, even though it's hard, even though it's a struggle, even though I'm not feeling a hundred percent. I was running yesterday morning.
And all these deer were lined up on both sides of the road. And it was like 20 deer, maybe more, just on both sides. And I was like, God, you sent out a whole cheering committee for me today. I'm like, look at you, God. You are taking good care of me today. All these deer are watching out for me. Thank you. It's sometimes you just gotta find peace in situations that normally wouldn't be peaceful.
Hope Mangiafico (12:07)
Right, or you wouldn't pay attention to. And I think that's the other thing that's a a face of peace for the lack of a better term is paying attention to the little things. It goes to your many statements you've made about gratitude on different episodes. In your example you just gave. Gratitude is a face of peace.
Nikki Humphrey (12:29)
And a lot of times we think we can create peace, but peace has gotta come from within. Like we think if we curate the best Jesus corner with the best light and you got your little natural beeswax candle and the peace is just gonna beam down on ya and it's
Hope Mangiafico (12:50)
Here's here's a s statement about that that's so funny. It is so hard to release that thought though. It takes
Nikki Humphrey (12:59)
It is 'cause
Hope Mangiafico (13:00)
forever to realize it doesn't work.
Nikki Humphrey (13:03)
Yeah.
Hope Mangiafico (13:03)
Or not to realize it, but to settle in the truth that it's not the way.
Nikki Humphrey (13:09)
Right.
Hope Mangiafico (13:10)
Using the subtle word again 'cause I really liked that.
Nikki Humphrey (13:13)
'Cause there's peace and chaos.
It's just a different kind of peace.
Hope Mangiafico (13:19)
Right. And and the intro was really, in my opinion, highlights that so well in regard to it really has to be about learning who is with you and that he is enough. And that is really the take home is he's still here, he's still good. And then in that part it said.
I don't have to figure everything out today. Today I needed here's an your example of the perfect little setup. Today I need to figure out what the perfect setup is because today if I can figure it out, that is gonna change the trajectory of my life.
Nikki Humphrey (14:03)
It's gonna be so good.
Hope Mangiafico (14:04)
Man.
Nikki Humphrey (14:04)
And it's hard. I saw it with the girls I teach the other day. I gave them a test, and you know, you could just feel the after they took the test, like stress, anxiety, like all the things, overthinking, like all of that.
And the good thing about my job, I'm teaching theology and there's a chapel right outside of my classroom. I'm like, everybody, we're going to the chapel.
Hope Mangiafico (14:33)
That's
fine.
Nikki Humphrey (14:36)
And I was just like,
we when you spin, when you're thinking all these things and twenty steps ahead, when you just turned in the paper two seconds ago, like we need to go give that to Jesus. We need to go talk to God.
Hope Mangiafico (14:49)
I love that.
Nikki Humphrey (14:53)
Because it's one test, it's one moment, it doesn't define us, it doesn't it's not gonna make or break the semester. It is what it is. Whatever is on that paper when you get it back, we can learn from it, we can grow, we can try something, new ways to study maybe next time, or maybe even study to begin with, you know. But
You know, it was a nice reminder, like in all this chaos, like let's go let's go to the chapel and just it didn't have to be the perfect moment, the perfect setup.
Hope Mangiafico (15:33)
Right.
It makes me think about the scripture too. I came across something the other day and I think it's Psalm forty six eleven. Everyone knows it, be still and know that I am God. And the thing I liked about what it highlighted and it made me think about your story, is it doesn't say be still and think about God. It's being still, go to the chapel, whatever it may be, and just know that he's God. Like there's no let me cultivate this, let me remind myself of all of these things, about how good he is.
The being still part is how you tap into peace because it shows that you trust him and that you know he's there with you. Changing from the classroom to the chapel is part of that movement to being still now. You're in the environment that's supposed to bring forth that without the kids busting out scriptures, quoting scripture, doing all the things. And through the being still.
It reveals so much of your heart posture towards what you really believe about the Father. And I thought that was rocket science because I realize every time I'm being still I'm thinking.
Even good things, right? Things about him.
Thought I was being still I wasn't.
That's probably one of the hardest faces of peace is being still. Even
Nikki Humphrey (16:52)
Yes.
Hope Mangiafico (16:53)
in the chaos. Nikki's talking about peace is available in chaos, and it is. And oddly enough, you can be still in the chaos. And we have to change our definition of that too.
Nikki Humphrey (17:07)
Right. Because there's only so long we can live in chaos before we burn out.
And here's a hard truth. Sometimes we choose to be in chaos. We
Hope Mangiafico (17:17)
a thousand percent.
Nikki Humphrey (17:18)
don't know when to back up. We don't know when to set a boundary or do a timeout or whatever. It's a choice to live in chaos 247. And I know everybody's situation is different, and some people might be in chaos in an environment where there is 247. But I'm talking about the chaos that we
choose to participate in.
Hope Mangiafico (17:43)
Right.
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (17:45)
And a big teaching strategy I've been using with the girls a lot is just building awareness. I I'm always like, just build awareness, ladies. How do you react to this situation? What's causing you to respond this way? You don't have to change anything, but build the awareness.
what you're saying yes to, what you're saying no to, why are you doing that about the choices you're making? Because if we're not a even aware of what we're doing, we can't make a change. So I'm like, we're not even gonna talk about making a change right now. We just want to build awareness.
Hope Mangiafico (18:16)
Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (18:22)
What kind of state am I in? What am I feeling? What's going on right now? What can I control? What do I need to be a participant in? What I what don't I have to participate in? What are resources that I can go to, refer to? All those things. Like
Building awareness.
Hope Mangiafico (18:41)
Yeah, it's amazing to learn that earlier in life. It's really powerful because it will prevent future chaos, future preventable chaos, getting out of chaos that's been created by choices, even if your choices were from trauma, right, trained responses.
It's very hard to get out of it. So the sooner you can build that awareness. It's a game changer. Then you can trust the Father. I'm growing in this still, but trust him on how the change unfolds. Our job really is just to be like, ooh, okay, I noticed these things. I was almost saying yes to this. Lord, I'm sorry. And by your awareness, you open up your heart for him to create that change.
And you're not having to chuck your way through it. Cause let me tell you guys, there's so many things that I feel like, because I'm always growing, I have misled people because Nikki and I have talked about this, but I've never shared it in this light. It was the only way I knew to make change. And so I encourage people, I just keep going, keep digging, keep doing the work. That's not awareness. That's white-knuckling your way through. Awareness alone.
Can be the first step of peace. Cause even using the word awareness in my I don't see like antennas going up. I see like hmm observation. Spectator. Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (20:16)
Right. Exactly. That's what
we've been talking about, yes.
Hope Mangiafico (20:22)
And that has a very different feel. I just got this. Thanks, Lord. I needed that. It feels like being a spectator instead of a referee. Your girl tried to be a referee for her whole life. Block it in, letting things in, renouncing. There's a time and place for that stuff, but only by the movement of the Lord. But if you can be a spectator, he can tell you when to move and what to do.
Being a referee, I really thought it was the only way for a very long time.
Nikki Humphrey (20:53)
Yeah, and that goes directly back to an old episode about being a peacekeeper or a peacemaker.
Hope Mangiafico (20:59)
Yeah.
Right.
Right. It's like you do your spectating or your awareness, like you said, and then yeah, you listen to that episode, the faces of peace then start to unfold of is this a boundary? Is this a hard conversation that needs to be had? Something that may ruffle feathers, but it's also actually gonna manifest as showing love to someone because you're calling them higher into their identity in Christ.
Those are all faces of peace, like we said in the intro.
They're hard.
Nikki Humphrey (21:32)
Go back.
Hope Mangiafico (21:33)
Going back to what you said, Nikki, they're so hard. But something I have learned is that awareness you shared, and I I I'm gonna keep running with the spectator perspective because that really brings me an odd bit of peace and comfort too. it helps you move forward in those areas because you know without a shadow of a doubt, you might have some doubt.
But you're like he that's that's solidifying that he is with me because you took that time to have the awareness when you go into the hard.
Nikki Humphrey (22:11)
Yeah.
Because when you're waiting for something to happen or feel like you're stuck.
Accessing peace, maintaining peace, all of that is so hard.
Hope Mangiafico (22:22)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (22:23)
'Cause there's not a lot of anchor points to keep you going.
Hope Mangiafico (22:30)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (22:31)
And so it's building that awareness of, like you said, how what's going on.
What's happening around me being astute observer.
Hope Mangiafico (22:42)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (22:42)
And what that one percent shift again, we're gonna bring that back in. Can you do just a little thing?
to access the peace that God's put inside of us.
Hope Mangiafico (22:55)
You you use the term maintaining peace and something that's gonna sound like an oxymoron if that's the right thing, junctu juxtaposition or something, I don't know. But maintaining peace often looks like in real time when you're in the chaos and you're like where is the peace? Letting out whatever you're feeling to the father.
Nikki Humphrey (23:15)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (23:16)
So and and that's that's why it feels kinda like an oxymoron, 'cause it's like maintaining peace is actually expressing the anger, the frustration, 'cause you gotta get that out to then open yourself up to the peace.
Nikki Humphrey (23:28)
Again, it's the piece for a piece.
Hope Mangiafico (23:30)
Yes. The holy exchange as
Nikki Humphrey (23:35)
It is so good because we need to get that out. We were meant, again, to carry those things, those big things, those emotions. We're meant to process those.
Hope Mangiafico (23:48)
And every person is called, not called, every person will feel led to maybe process it in different ways in different seasons. And that's also really valuable to realize that for some it may be a therapist, some it may be a life coach, some it may be just journaling. They all work depending on where you're feeling led to process.
But I will tell you from personal experience, that is a prerequisite to actually tap into the peace that Jesus has for us.
Nikki Humphrey (24:24)
And as you said, the tapping in, it's like you have to welcome in the presence.
of the whole triune God.
Hope Mangiafico (24:32)
Amen.
Nikki Humphrey (24:33)
You gotta welcome in the presence of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit into these situations.
Hope Mangiafico (24:41)
Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (24:42)
Because so many times if if y if you've had a a rough history, some things that are anchoring you to these reactions, we block and we don't welcome in because we are trying to muscle it all through ourselves and trying to do it all on our own strength. And that's not peace, that's fighting. That's a battle.
Hope Mangiafico (24:56)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right, exactly.
And this is a word that I know encourages Nikki and I, and it's probably a word for someone else. Life may have been hard for you and you've been battling, but know that that is not how your life always has to be. And Nikki and I were talking before the recording how challenging life is. And I was venting a little bit, you know, just like life is hard. But I will say
I don't necessarily feel like I'm having to fight the way that I used to. There is still a restfulness in me even when I'm in on the battlefield.
His armor, when you're wearing it, is very different than your own armor.
Nikki Humphrey (25:54)
Yeah.
Hope Mangiafico (25:55)
And that's that's just important to remember.
I read in a devotion this morning, and I was very convicted. I won't get it exact, but it's like life isn't about just getting all the fullness that God has, but rather it's about all that He's given through Jesus coming out of you. And when I think about trying to access the fullness of God, I do feel like I'm like grasping and trying to grab.
Again, be still and know that I am God is not the same as grasping, grasping, grasping, grasping. And when I heard read that, and it was less about pursuing what he has, but more about what is coming out of me, it did help me settle more into, okay, I want peace. Instead of just trying to find it, how do I let it come out of me?
Nikki Humphrey (26:45)
Yeah.
Hope Mangiafico (26:46)
I get this like instant calmness just thinking about
I don't know. I don't know if it's that simple of when we're looking for the things that came through Christ instead of us trying to access it all, which by the way guys, I was the queen at preaching that of getting the fullness of him because we want it. But it's more of if you want the fullness, how do you get the fullness out of you?
The fruit shows that scripture.
But when you think about it coming out, that means it has to be in there and you're already settled into it. I don't know, it just really made things seem like as we always say, more simple.
Nikki Humphrey (27:29)
It reminds me of the sixty day challenge again.
Hope Mangiafico (27:32)
Mm-hmm.
Nikki Humphrey (27:33)
We would just lay.
Hope Mangiafico (27:35)
Yes.
Nikki Humphrey (27:36)
And that
access piece in like moments.
And whatever And whatever came up came up. There was no judgment, there was no like agenda.
Hope Mangiafico (27:45)
How much time do you think we spent a day? I can't remember the writing down what I was writing so much it took me a long time, but how much time do you think we sat just being?
Nikki Humphrey (27:56)
I mean not long. I don't
Hope Mangiafico (27:57)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (27:58)
think so because Josephine was so little so that I wouldn't a A
Hope Mangiafico (28:01)
Okay.
Nikki Humphrey (28:02)
had time.
And I just think like it was such a quick
moments, downloads, everything, but I just remember feeling that peace.
Hope Mangiafico (28:11)
Yeah, me too.
Nikki Humphrey (28:12)
And I was just letting anything that God wanted to come in, come in, whatever I was supposed to address or bring up or out, I was just letting it happen.
But I would say if if the longest would probably like five minutes. Like if that.
Hope Mangiafico (28:28)
That's
great.
That's wild. But I know that that's probably true because I still carried that practice into my my old job I had and I spent five minutes every morning just being.
Nikki Humphrey (28:43)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (28:44)
And it was so cool. I had such a good attitude in that job.
That tells you anything. Like it's that easy. That simple. Man. But back to Nikki's a piece for piece, like it's only five minutes, but it's still five minutes I had to give a piece of. Boy, we're so protective over our time.
Crazy.
But I did notice in this new job when I was in the chaos of just trying to like resist and do keep keep my two worlds, you know. I my perspective and my attitude changed so much on the outlook, I guess you could say, of what God was doing when I finally did make time to pick up my d the devotion I just referenced. I love that thing. But your girl couldn't find the time to do it.
Guys, it's literally the shortest devo that like sucker punches you in the gut. It's like it doesn't take a long time. And it convinces or can excuse me, convicts me every time and instantly I feel literally a bodily shift, an internal shift happen inside of me. I just started implementing that last week.
Nikki Humphrey (30:01)
So so simple.
Things that don't take enough time, but like you said, ho pack a holy spirit punch.
Hope Mangiafico (30:08)
Amen, 'cause that's who he is.
Nikki Humphrey (30:11)
And it just shifts it. It just starts to shift it little by little.
Hope Mangiafico (30:16)
That one percent. Hmm.
Nikki Humphrey (30:16)
And it gets you out of the chaos.
Hope Mangiafico (30:20)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (30:20)
It gets you out of victim mindset, being having a pity party, a woe is me, like all of those things that steal from your piece, takes you away from comparison and scrolling social media. It
Just like I'm sm like smacking my hands. I just showed those of you are listening. It's just that like slap across the face in a good way that you need. Like wake up, hey.
Change your perspective.
Find the peace.
Hope Mangiafico (30:51)
Wake up.
Wake up is a good way to say it because truly when we're allowing chaos to take over, we kind of just numb out and we're
Nikki Humphrey (30:58)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (30:59)
asleep.
Nikki Humphrey (31:00)
Mm-hmm.
Hope Mangiafico (31:02)
I like that.
'Cause there is a clarity that comes when you wake up and you finally change your perspective. It's a it is a waking up.
And a clarity that is truly unmatched.
That's good.
Nikki Humphrey (31:16)
And the e internal shift that you feel, how you feel mentally, physically,
Hope Mangiafico (31:18)
Yeah, exactly.
Nikki Humphrey (31:20)
emotionally, spiritually, all that wakes up too.
Hope Mangiafico (31:25)
Hundred percent.
And my last point on this
Another really major takeaway to carrying that piece and accessing it, you gotta take it day by day.
I'm not the queen of that. I claimed three years ago when I was taking care of my dad. That season forced me into that. Well, your girl quickly tried to get back out of it. He's like, I understand what that means now. It's so great. And then I left it behind. But it is that alone brings that shift you're talking about, Nikki. If you live for today.
Nikki Humphrey (32:11)
I forgot that I had written the scripture down.
It's Mark four, thirty-eight through forty. Jesus was asleep in the boat while the storm raged. The disciples woke him in fear, and Jesus calmed the wind and the sea.
The di disciples saw the storm and assumed they were in danger, but Jesus was already in the boat. Sometimes we send so much time asking God to calm the storm that we miss the greatest source of our peace. Jesus.
Hope Mangiafico (32:43)
You said something so good in that we assume we're in danger.
Nikki Humphrey (32:48)
Right. And like
Hope Mangiafico (32:49)
That convicted me.
Nikki Humphrey (32:50)
I saw this picture one time, I forget which artist it was a famous art artist, but they they painted this scene. And Jesus is at the back of the boat, and the the everybody's in chaos, like just fighting
Hope Mangiafico (33:02)
Mm-hmm.
Nikki Humphrey (33:03)
and worried and these facial expressions and how their body was painted
Hope Mangiafico (33:08)
Yeah.
Nikki Humphrey (33:09)
and all of this contort, you know, they were just contort like assuming the worst.
And Jesus is like, I'm right here. I'm right here.
Hope Mangiafico (33:20)
Wow. I've been on a journey the last twenty four hours about assuming things. And I honestly have never put it in the context of my lack of awareness and paying attention to my savior being in places and I'm already assuming fill in the blink. you think about assuming things with other people. But we make assumptions with our savior all with environments.
and leaving out our Savior all the time.
Nikki Humphrey (33:50)
It's kind of like
Hope Mangiafico (33:50)
I thought it.
Nikki Humphrey (33:51)
he's standing right beside us, like tapping us on the shoulder, like, hey, I'm still here. I'm still here. I ain't go anywhere. I got your back. Don't worry. But when we're filling our heads with all this other nonsense, we can't hear it. We forget. We can't feel his touch. We can't feel his presence.
Hope Mangiafico (34:15)
Assumptions is an entry point for the enemy with lies. It's like the first lie that can start it all.
Sorry, that run that one really really hit me.
You know, Nikki and I talk on episodes about the kingdom of darkness and Satan and all of that.
And we believe in the power of Christ.
But I don't think I realized how in everyday life, through my assumptions of danger, for example, I've let the enemy steer the boat
Nikki Humphrey (34:51)
Mm.
Hope Mangiafico (34:53)
in my life.
I'm giving him the the steering what is that called? Stern no. What is that called
Nikki Humphrey (34:59)
Daring wheel.
Hope Mangiafico (35:00)
It's the steering wheel on a boat giving him that driving force while Jesus is down below. That's a crazy thought, guys, but that's what the Lord's convicting me of right now. Just through assumptions.
I don't want that.
And a lot of times assumptions are
Make us get out of the present moment. To your point, Nikki, going back to what you shared. He's Jesus is right there on your shoulder being like I'm right here but you've left the present moment.
All right, I'm gonna stop talking because that one really hit me and I could just keep verb guys haven't noticed I'm a verbal processor through and through. But that was great. Thank you for sharing it.
Nikki Humphrey (35:45)
That do it for today.
Hope Mangiafico (35:47)
That'll do it on my end for sure, I think it will.
Nikki Humphrey (35:51)
As we wrap up today, maybe the question isn't, do I have peace? Maybe it's what does peace look like for me right now? Maybe it's surrender, a boundary, forgiveness, a hard conversation, waiting, or simply trusting God when you don't know what's coming next. Remember, peace doesn't mean everything around you has to be peaceful. Jesus said,
My peace I give to you. So this week, pay attention to the different phases of peace in your life. You may discover that God has been giving you peace in ways you didn't even recognize. Until next time, stay rooted in the world. Until next time. Oopsies.
Hope Mangiafico (36:49)
It couldn't be more opposite, it's hilarious. All right.
Nikki Humphrey (36:54)
Until next
time, stay rooted in the word. Stay connected to your people. And remember, you are equipped for this life because you don't walk through it alone. We'll see you in the overflow.
