Tag Archives: Refresh

Sunday Stillness – Another look at REST – LINK

Sunday Stillness – Another look at REST

REST2for-web

As I have been working at finding time to spend with God another acronym came to me for REST. Are we sitting and thanking Him for all the little things in our lives? Do we look around and see the things we can be thankful for? Are we aware of our surroundings?

So I started another grateful journal. A friend of mine opened my eyes again to see that each moment of the day we can speak a prayer of thanks to Him Who watches over us.

Here are a few that came to me that day:

gentle breezes of summer for those hot summer days
fluffy white clouds that float in a blue sky (I even saw a little dog in one of the clouds)
all shades of green
my sweet dog sleeping on a pillow
a family who cares
a faithful husband who believes in the power of God
planting my own garden
a solid house (we are built on rock)

Check out all the Joy Dare posts about thankfulness.

Tweetable:

Are you able to REST in God by being thankful? (tweet this)

Today is Sunday Stillness.

JanisCox-photo2web

Janis is the author of the award winning children’s book, Tadeo Turtle, published by Word Alive Press. Available in Kindle Format, in bookstores, online and from her website. Curriculum available upon request. Janis also is a contributor to Hope Stream Radio. Join her on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

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You can find her on Facebook, and Twitter. Tadeo has his own Facebook Page.

I sometimes link to:

STILL SATURDAYS @SANDRAHESKAKING
PLAYDATES @LAURABOGGESS
THE WEEKEND BREW @BARBIESWIHART
TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS
THE SUNDAY COMMUNITY – #GIVE ME GRACE @SEE SPEAK HEAR MAMA
SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS – @SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
MOTIVATION MONDAYS – @EMBRACINGHISWILL
SHARING HIS BEAUTY – @THEBEAUTYINHISGRIP

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Sunday Stillness – God tells us to Sit Still

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Sunday Stillness – God tells us to Sit Still

Photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lately I have been having a hard time settling into a quiet time with the Lord. Does that happen to you?

This morning I finally said, “SIT STILL, Jan.” And I did. I sat so still I fell asleep. But that’s not bad either. At least I stopped. I felt a stillness I haven’t felt in a while.

It reminded me of my first time trying to sit still. Really I couldn’t sit for more than 5 minutes. Now I could sit still but I always feel like there are other things pressing on my time.

Really? – other things more pressing than being with God, Himself?

Oh no. That’s not good.

I felt a peace and calmness that I haven’t reached for a while.

Lately have been reading, studying, and thinking. Praying, petitioning. I’ve had an active brain.

I recalled reading Ron Hughes’ terrific book, called Refresh.

refresh-promo

What’s been going on in my life Ron calls a “mental racket”.

My brain has played a rock concert for the past month.

At least now I know what I have been missing. I need to stop after praying and reading the Bible. I need to focus on Jesus. Get Still.

I must take that time – to quieten my thoughts before God.

Here is an acronym to help you and me to remember what being still and in God’s presence really means

PEACE

P – Put

E – Everything

A – Aside

C – Calm

E – Ensues

Take time with Jesus today. You will be glad you did.

Tweetable:

I must take that time – to quieten my thoughts before God. (click to tweet)

I found this video to express exactly what I have been feeling. We sang it on Sunday.

The words in the second first really meant a lot to me:

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.

Today is Sunday Stillness.

Last week my post was called Quiet Moments and I posted a picture of a deer. Here is my latest meeting with a deer. I hope you enjoy.

JanisCox-photo2web

Tadeo-Turtle-Cover-large-web

You can find her on Facebook, and Twitter. Tadeo has his own Facebook Page.

I sometimes link to:

STILL SATURDAYS @SANDRAHESKAKING
PLAYDATES @LAURABOGGESS
THE WEEKEND BREW @BARBIESWIHART
TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS
THE SUNDAY COMMUNITY – #GIVE ME GRACE @SEE SPEAK HEAR MAMA
SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS – @SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
MOTIVATION MONDAYS – @EMBRACINGHISWILLSHARING HIS BEAUTY – @THEBEAUTYINHISGRIP

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SUNDAY STILLNESS – Pause

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Sunday Stillness – Pause

A week in perspective – I see the times that I had energy and when I lagged. When I learned to lean on God – and ask for energy – I blossomed. When I pushed through in my own strength – I sagged.

Day 2 in Session 3 of Margaret Feinberg’s Bible Study based on Wonderstruck – is called “The Pause Awakens us to God”. I had an amazing morning reading and working through this session.

I developed this acronym to remind me to take that Pause-

Put Aside Until Spirit Energizes.

Here are a two questions you can ask yourselves:

How does lack of rest make you dull to the things of God?
What temptations are you more prone to give in to when you haven’t received enough rest?

“By taking time – even if only a portion of a day – to stop working and rest, I’m reminded that God holds all things together” (Wonderstruck Bible Study, Margaret Feinberg). [Tweet this]

Jesus tells us to take time to be with Him and rest – to be refreshed in the Spirit.

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31, NIV).

What is stopping you? Is there any reason for you not to take 3 minutes – right now and seek His Presence?

PAUSE.

Join us in providing your link about what God has spoken to you about this week.

Today is Sunday Stillness – Do you have a Scripture that spoke to you this week? Please link below. If you post to Twitter use #sundaystillness and @authorjaniscox.

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I would appreciate if you would link only about God’s Word. If you have a linky party that’s okay if it is about the same thing. Please no sales or prizes. I want this to be friendly but I must ask you to abide by the rules. Others want to read God’s Word – and that is what I would like the links to be about. I must take down the links that don’t follow the rules. Thanks so much.

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Please check out all the places I link to during the week. Thanks to everyone who has joined Sunday Stillness. I do try to get to your posts every week but I admit sometimes I don’t have the time.

Here are my favourite links for Sunday Stillness:

HOW CAN I REFRESH MY FAITH? Live Simply

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How Can I Refresh My Faith? Live Simply

I have been reading through a book by Ron Hughes called Refresh – 19 Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Life.

This past week I have meditated on a chapter called, Live Simply.

Live Simply

For the past few years both my hubby and myself have tried to work toward a more simplified life style. That doesn’t mean we are lazy or idle. It means that we try to stick with what is important. We don’t look through ads trying to see what is out there to buy. We are content with what we have. When we shop we always take a list (of what we need).

Here are a few of the principles I have pulled out of this chapter:

Simplicity is a life-style of reduced needs.
It involves learning to want less.
Simplicity challenges the ethos of our culture.
Watch how many activities I am involved with – pull back if the pace of life impacts my time with God.
Don’t be a slave to anything I own. Be ready and willing to give it up.

“In the end nothing is “ours” so we should hesitate to consider ourselves anything more than the stewards of the resources God has placed in our hands.”

Remember that God is enough.

In the future, think twice, buy once. The bigger the purchase the longer you should spend deciding if you need it. Ask hard questions about he motives behind the desire for the things you want. Pay more attention to “needs” and less to “wants”.

Are you leading a simplified life? Take an inventory of your resources, including your time, money, talent and energy. How are these being invested?

What do you think?

QUIET – Five-Minute Fridays

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Quiet – Five-Minute Fridays

Stillness before God

I am silently laughing to myself. A couple of minutes ago I finished spending my “quiet time” with our Lord. A very good quiet time.

YES – I sat still. I didn’t move. I let all thoughts leave my mind except the word “Jesus”. An unbelievable peace came over me.

When I first sat down this morning I had picked up a new book called Refresh by Ron Hughes. He also has a free workbook to go with Refresh. I read through the second chapter called “Be Quiet”. No kidding – that is the chapter I studied this morning.

Ron’s book has 19 ways to boost your spiritual life. If every chapter has the result of this morning I will be ecstatic.

I feel a peace and calmness that I haven’t reached for a while.

I used to take time to SIT STILL. But, lately I have been reading, studying, and thinking. Praying, petitioning. An active brain. This is what Ron calls “mental racket”. Well my brain has played a rock concert.

Instead, today, I read about how to “quieten the clamouring voices” in my mind.

Then I opened my computer – and voila… there is Lisa-Jo’s word for this Friday. QUIET. Could God be telling me it any stronger?

I must take that time – to quieten my thoughts before God.

Time’s up – but before I leave here is an acronym that came to me this morning.