The following is n excerpt from my journal, dated Sunday, January 4, 2009. I am being consistently reminded these days of the need to simplify my life and my surroundings. Here is a little peek into my world ...
Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning the bedroom. It isn't quite complete, but very close, and my new favorite spot is a corner I've set up as my personal quiet space.
I've had my eye on this spot for quite some time, and I'm thrilled that it's finally ready. It's in the southwest corner of the room, next to a west-facing window. There is a glider chair, and to my left as I sit here is a bookshelf built by my maternal grandfather. Housed on this shelf, along with pictures and a few other treasured items from our wedding, are a couple of Bibles, some devotional books, my personal Bible, this journal, a lamp, a CD player, and some worship cd's. A of Kleenex sits on my dressing table just to my right.
I expect many sweet hours here, countless encounters with my God, my Friend. I am filled with anticipation as I imagine close and intimate moments here with the Lover of my soul.
Yesterday as I dusted the shelves and their contents, I found myself praying a prayer of dedication of this special place to the Lord. I told Him that we will have many wonderful conversations here. This will be a place of revelation, of refreshing, of peace and communion.
How divinely precious is my little corner of the world.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Whose Voice Do I Hear?
This month, our church is corporately encouraging its members to identify those things that have hindered our relationship and time with God and set them aside in pursuit of reconnecting with our First Love. Each individual is left to personally identify what that thing or what those things are and to find an accountability partner (spouse or friend) to assist with remaining faithful to this endeavor.For me, it's television and talk radio. The constant flow of babble had become routine in my home and in my car, providing a non-stop stream of conversation and noise that had saturated my mind and spirit in a way I was not really aware of - until I turned it off.
Wow. Quiet, while a welcome change, can be somewhat intimidating. It's more than just the removal of the noise. It's becoming aware of the habit of reaching for the remote or the radio dial and realizing just how accustomed we have become to having this unending backdrop of noise and conversation.
Now, here is the clincher. Once the man-made noise is removed, and quiet is restored in the home and in my spirit, I have found myself unexpectedly quick to hear the voice of One who has been speaking to me all along, but Whose sweet and gentle voice I was unable to hear clearly because of all the audio clutter I had surrounded myself with. Removing it, or at least reducing it to a bare minimum, has already proven to be one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.
So as I embark on this little January journey toward reconnecting with not only my First Love but with myself and with true reality, I have decided to share parts of this journey with you, in the hopes that some part of the revelation that I am anticipating will come will minister to your spirit as it has ministered to mine. I'll be posting excerpts from my journal in the days to come. I believe that when the Lord gives us insights into Him, we are meant to share them.
So for today, a simple encouragement borrowed from one my favorite writers, King David:
"May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in You."
Psalm 33:22
even as we put our hope in You."
Psalm 33:22
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Quick Updates & Quiet Moments
Much has happened since my last post. Here's the rundown ...
Tyler is doing better and was able to spend Christmas at home. He has since had the cast replaced with a walking cast, which enables him to get around the house a little more easily. He will still use the wheelchair when he leaves the house. He is having IV medication administered every six hours (for about a month) through a PICC line in his right arm, which feeds about a foot and a half of tubing directly to his heart for better reception of the meds. This happens at home, and a home health nurse will go to school and administer the meds when he returns to school next week.
Other than that, we had a great Christmas with both sides of the family. It was all about the time spent with those we love, and our only regret is that we were unable to spend another week, and we would have loved to have had the opportunity to hook up with more friends while we were in town. God is good, and we were blessed to visit with a few friends, though.
Since we got back, we have hit the ground running, both at work and with the River. We are excited to see where the Lord will lead us this year, a year of renewed hope and fulfilled promises and realized dreams. We have both received some pretty strong and encouraging words for this year and are looking forward to see what the coming months will unfold before us.
On a sadder note, David's great uncle, Gene Johnson, passed away yesterday morning in Austin. We will not be able to return for the funeral, but Uncle Gene was special to David, as he was closer to him than he was his own father, which is a story for another time and place. Prayers for comfort for the family are sincerely appreciated.
In honor of our concentrated efforts this month to unclutter our lives as much as possible and to simplify our surroundings as we return to our First Love, I am temporarily removing the Music from the Heart in the interest of promoting a quiet, peaceful environment. An old song once reminded us, "Silence is golden ..." and what I am reconnecting with in these first days of 2009 is the beautiful peace and rest of simple silence. Now, for someone who has been accused of being a music junkie, the introduction of musicless moments into my day is HUGE, but I have already come to be reminded, in these precious moments of quiet solitude, how much more readily I can hear the voice of the Lover of my soul with no distractions and interruptions, even those that may seem "worthy."
So, again, enjoy this simple quiet moment, savoring it for all it's worth, and simply listen. Listen for that still, small voice gently calling you to a place of peace and rest and closeness in the coming year.
Grace & Peace,
Rachael
Tyler is doing better and was able to spend Christmas at home. He has since had the cast replaced with a walking cast, which enables him to get around the house a little more easily. He will still use the wheelchair when he leaves the house. He is having IV medication administered every six hours (for about a month) through a PICC line in his right arm, which feeds about a foot and a half of tubing directly to his heart for better reception of the meds. This happens at home, and a home health nurse will go to school and administer the meds when he returns to school next week.
Other than that, we had a great Christmas with both sides of the family. It was all about the time spent with those we love, and our only regret is that we were unable to spend another week, and we would have loved to have had the opportunity to hook up with more friends while we were in town. God is good, and we were blessed to visit with a few friends, though.
Since we got back, we have hit the ground running, both at work and with the River. We are excited to see where the Lord will lead us this year, a year of renewed hope and fulfilled promises and realized dreams. We have both received some pretty strong and encouraging words for this year and are looking forward to see what the coming months will unfold before us.
On a sadder note, David's great uncle, Gene Johnson, passed away yesterday morning in Austin. We will not be able to return for the funeral, but Uncle Gene was special to David, as he was closer to him than he was his own father, which is a story for another time and place. Prayers for comfort for the family are sincerely appreciated.
In honor of our concentrated efforts this month to unclutter our lives as much as possible and to simplify our surroundings as we return to our First Love, I am temporarily removing the Music from the Heart in the interest of promoting a quiet, peaceful environment. An old song once reminded us, "Silence is golden ..." and what I am reconnecting with in these first days of 2009 is the beautiful peace and rest of simple silence. Now, for someone who has been accused of being a music junkie, the introduction of musicless moments into my day is HUGE, but I have already come to be reminded, in these precious moments of quiet solitude, how much more readily I can hear the voice of the Lover of my soul with no distractions and interruptions, even those that may seem "worthy."
So, again, enjoy this simple quiet moment, savoring it for all it's worth, and simply listen. Listen for that still, small voice gently calling you to a place of peace and rest and closeness in the coming year.
Grace & Peace,
Rachael
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)