The Practice of Rest

(If you haven't noticed, I find a lot of inspiration from Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience, and author of One Thousand Gifts . I often borrow pieces of her gifting and scatter them across my blog as offerings of encouragement & inspiration to others, since they're such good words! This entry is an excerpt from one of her archived posts here.)

Three Ways to Rest Today:  

1. Look Up
Step outside for a moment. (And really, it’s wonderfully true: you do have a moment.) Just look up at the sky. Stare at the blue. Breathe deep. Breathe deep again. Think about heaven. Watch the clouds. Gaze for a long, wondrous moment at the sky and think about all that is eternal and step outside of time and remember how He’s made you for eternity. Exhale.

2.  Look in
Look in. See the hurry and the angst and the worry and the tired bones. Look in — and let go. Just let go. Because do you hear Him whispering to you today: “Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” (Mark 6:31).


Look in and see inside His will for you: “Now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side.” (1Kings 5:4)


3. Look Down
Bow your head in prayer for a moment. A long moment. Whisper thanks to Jesus for His abiding presence. Feel Him take the burden off your shoulders. Feel His arms underneath carrying you. Feel Him.


Rest in Him.

 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Be blessed! ;-D

THE JOY DARE

This is a piece of a post from Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience from just after the New Year. I'm taking this Joy Dare, to capture one thousand gifts in gratitude this year. I had started it once before about a year or so ago, but got rather lapse with it. So, I'm starting fresh, a new commitment! I'm a little behind in getting started, but starting nonetheless!

"...the dare to slow down and wake up and receive all God gives for what it is — a gift. Take the the Joy Dare. Isn’t that what Aristotle said– “We are what we repeatedly do.”


Then Christianity isn’t an act — but our faith is expressed only in our habits.

A habit of not complaining, but the habit of giving thanks; the habit of not worrying, but a habit worshipping. The habit of repeatedly giving God praise that our lives might become a prayer. Small is always the leverage of large. It’s one moment after the other, the small moments that turn a life. It’s the small actions that can change a life.

It’s habits that can imprison you and it’s habits that can free you and when thanks to God becomes a habit, so joy in God becomes your life.

Maybe a life needs change over and over again — that constant turning to God? Not so much resolutions but revolutions."

"Small is always the leverage of the large."  I love that. I need some new habits. Freeing habits! Won't you join me? Take a peek over here for the details. You'll be just in time to join in for February!

I dare you! {wink, wink}

My gifts today:
1. Pieces of God's Word made new
2. Wayne Watson's "For Such a Time as This" recently rediscovered
3. An old photo of myself w/Heath when he was little...the true joy expressed in my face
4. A few quiet, peaceful moments to myself
5. Cramps...yes...reminding me I'm a woman by God's design
6. God's *timely* financial provision!