Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Be Still...and Write!

I am still over-joyed from the experience of our first ever women's retreat this past Saturday.  Event planning is my jam so when I discovered this on our church calendar this girl was all about helping!  Aside from getting a nerdy fix on all the registration details, what I loved most was the opportunity to share with women about self-care.

The overarching theme was to learn how to better "Be Still" before God and to not let the distractions and worries of this world take us over.  My session was on prayer journaling, self care, and a little of my testimony mixed in for good measure.

Self care is something I talk about with young moms on a daily basis but having the opportunity to tell how God is the best source of our care was amazing.  As I shared with them, if you aren't going to Him daily to get renewed, refreshed, and refilled, everything else is just a band-aid.

My mornings start out in a quiet spot from the center of our home.  With a steamy cup of coffee, I nestle in to dig into God's word, spend time being still before Him, and writing notes in my Bible that speak to me.  There is no outside sound or distraction, other than the birds chirping awake.  This simple act and shift from what used to be a chaotic rush of a morning has changed everything for me.

I wake up craving this time with God and it sets the course of my day.

Going through old prayer journals in preparation for the class, I had many "Wow, God!" moments.  I was reminded that often when we journal or make a note it can mean something totally different years later.  There were so many entries I would read and know - this is why I experienced that, I understand this season now, etc.  Looking back gives us the ability to see how much we've grown in our walk with God and the lessons He's taught us along the way.

Prayer journaling can be stepping stones in our faith.

How often have we whispered a prayer and moved on, not even really giving thought to the end result.  Unless it is a major prayer, sometimes recalling those answers are even difficult to do.  Recording them in a journal gives us a history to look back on.  They show you how your relationship grows with God.

Love letters to Jesus, I like to think of them as. 

If you aren't currently journaling, I encourage you to try it.  Any notebook will do but there's nothing better than a really good pen.  One that flows with ease and glides across the page.  Or, you can join the world of virtual journals and start a blog.  Even if nobody but you reads them, I promise you'll be changed by the process.

Here are a couple I found online and shared in my session.  So, now I'm sharing with you.

Easy template (see #9)


Your journal can have a theme, like finding joy or giving thanks.  It can be focused on a specific scripture, book of the Bible, or use a different scripture each day.  Or you can dedicate pages to prayers about different people or needs in your life.  The choices are endless!

Don't spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect journal, just start writing.  Your journals will change as you do.  

In the cusp of the busy holiday season approaching, a first entry might be how you hope to Be Still before God and let Him calm the crazy of this world within you.

Joyful Journaling!








Monday, September 18, 2017

Something about September

September  - an interlude between summer and fall.  Warm days and cool nights.  Butterflies among falling leaves.  Where daylight is slower to disappear.  Golden hues adorn the landscape, under a blue canvas.

Outside my kitchen window I see the faintest turn of color in my trees.  Early mornings greet me with a foggy sunrise.  Crickets still chirp as darkness stretches into night but there is a coolness in the air. The last of summer with hints of autumn mixed between.

There's just something about September that makes me want to linger.  As if time stands still for just a moment more...


"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer."
-   Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885

Fall is my favorite season.  This Friday officially welcomes it in but I've seen signs for a few weeks. While October steals the spotlight, with it's patchwork quilt of Autumn leaves and pumpkins galore; September is silently sweet.   

The pause before the busy holidays swirl and fill every empty space.  

Maybe I'm more sentimental as this is my baby's Senior year.  Every moment and memory has an invisible stamp of "last" attached, though I'm trying not let it.  Instead I'm making an effort to live in the present - and be fully present.

Perhaps that is why I've realized how special September is and am willing it to slow down.  The month is half over already.  It seems that after Labor day, you blink and find yourself in the new year. 

So I'm purposefully hesitating the quick passing of each day.  Soaking up the simple joys.  

Pastel skies said hello against an amber sunrise today.  Normally, I'll shut the blinds soon after waking, as it is difficult to read with the sun beaming in the window; but this morning I let it be and sat quietly watching the world awake, coffee mug steaming beside me.

I'm pulling over to take in the changing countryside or pausing in the warmth of the day.  Too soon, I know colors will fade and cold weather with seep in.  Storing up the smiles of this season before it goes away.

My wishlist for fall includes crunching through leaves and a caramel apple.  Picnics in the park. Bonfires and blankets under the stars. Picking pumpkins and mums.  Lazy country roads and colorful trees.  Hot bowls of soup and hayrides.

What's on yours?...

  




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