Day 22 Season of Quiet - Update

Ah - the rain! It washes the pollen away and makes all things bright and beautiful again! We've had continuous rain for several days now here in my little corner of the world. I've been thankful for it as we are all battling sinus junk in my house and it has provided us time to start mending before the pollen particle count jumps again.

On the other hand, the clouds can lower on my countenance. Too many days of darkness and puddles can damper my spirit. I've been seeking inspiration for the blog these few days, but I'm afraid that I may not have been where I needed to be in order to share something uplifting. Maybe I've needed the time to recharge and renew. I'll continue to look for fresh and encouraging ideas to share.

The sun is still not shining as of the time I'm writing this, but some hope has been building within my heart. I'm at a place, personally, where a lot of things could be dragging me under. Life has been raining down, at times pouring, on my head for a couple of years now. I keep wondering what these trials are preparing me to do. I tend to keep my struggles close to my heart. It's a control thing. Smiling through the tears, through the rain. I'm learning to let go, to accept help. God's not finished with me yet. After all, I'm incredibly blessed compared to many in this world. And I claim 1 Corinthians 10:13:

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Lately I'm reminded to put up the protection of my heavenly umbrella, called prayer. I'm balancing that umbrella on my shoulder as I lift my face and hands toward the rain, toward the sky, toward the Father who sees me and knows my name.

My big kid often wonders out loud how our God can see, and hear, and know each and every human that has been, is, and is to come. Powerful stuff, indeed. She believes it though. And so do I (see today's quote at the end of this post). I see His hand molding the clay that is my life. He has always been right there, as I've climbed the slippery wet rocks...taking my hand and placing it on the next ledge...hoisting my foot as I pushed upward to the safe places. There have been peaks and valleys. Strongholds where I shined my light, and caverns where my light was flickering out. The light of Jesus leads me through the lonely spots. I have victory over the darkness, only through the strength of Jesus. This gives me hope for the present and the future.

The rain is easier to bear, knowing it is temporary. The sun will shine on my face, and yours, again. The thunder is loud, and the lightning can be blinding. But when the clouds part, the light peeks through, and all of creation lifts up their voice in praise.

Today's quote for meditation is from The Message. I don't often use this translation, but it does inspire. Referencing Ephesians 1:3-6, emphasis mine:

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Enjoy the quiet moments (and hopefully, sunny ones)!

For Meditation March 28, 2011

A Quiet Place
by Ralph Carmichael.
.
There is a quiet place
Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind.
.
Sheltered by tree and flower
There in my quiet hour
With him my cares are left behind.
.
Whether a garden small,
Or on a mountain tall
New strength and courage there I find.
.
And then from that quiet place
I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind.

Day 16 Season of Quiet - Listen

I will listen to what God will say (Psalm 85:8).

Are you being quiet to listen to God's Spirit?

"When you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret" (Matthew 6:6).

When you want to hear from God, get alone with Him and be still. Ask: "Lord, is there anything You want to say to me?" Then listen.

You will hear a voice within saying, "This is My message to you right now in this situation."

Father, show me what You have to say to me today. Let me hear Your voice clearly so I can do Your will. Amen.

Day 15 Season of Quiet - Just receive it

Seeking quiet time is this noisy place is a struggle. The rest that is offered me when I seek the quiet is F-R-E-E. All I have to do is just receive it.

I love it when my kids sleep. I love the noise that we can create when we are making memories and enjoying family time, too. Oh, how I love the quiet though. When their little peepers shut, their breathing slows, and they drift off to dreamland.

I have a friend whose two kiddos are the same age as mine (under 6). She told me once that they take three-hour naps on Sunday afternoons. That would be heaven to me! My oldest doesn't take a nap unless we let her stay up late the night before, which is almost never because we pay dearly for that the next day (hence the need for a nap). My youngest takes two-hour naps at daycare during the week...I'm still trying to get them to give me their secret.

Most days (if I don't really wear them out for a couple hours at the park), they fight sleep. I'm not talking about a bedtime routine struggle. They fight letting go and receiving the rest their little bodies require. I've got a couple of prize-fighters, too. Sometimes it seems they literally "pass out" as they wiggle under the sheets up until the last bit of energy is expended. Then, my quiet time starts.

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

It gets wearisome looking for ways to squeeze quiet out of the hectic world. When the kids fall asleep at night, I am also exhausted. It would be so easy to roll over and turn out the light. I used to do that. And then I would lay there. For hours. Carrying my burdens to bed, fretting and not getting any rest at all really.

Now, in my evening quiet time, I give those burdens to Jesus. He teaches me how to let go of the heavy yoke and just receive the One that is easy to bear. He gives me rest for my soul when I just receive it. Sometimes I wake up in the night and there is a sick child, or a telephone ringing, or a storm outside my window. And Jesus is right there at the edge of my bed. Offering gentleness and a heart of love that has taught me how to respond to life the way I was designed to respond - peacefully.

Will you receive this rest today? When you have a break in the business of the day, before you mark off that next thing on your "To Do" list...just stop and take a moment to bow your head and close your eyes. Pray and ask the Lord to take your burdens and cast them into the sea. That is what He promises to do. Believe it, receive it, and claim it each day. Then you will find rest and the next time you seek quiet, you may just find it a whole lot easier.

Enjoy the quiet moments where you find them today - I'd love to hear how you are doing!

For Meditation March 23, 2011

From today's blog entry by Bonnie Gray - Faith Barista:

According to a research conducted at the University of Sussex, reported by The Telegraph:

“Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds.”

You can read Bonnie's whole post about the health benefits of leisure reading here:

Day 14 Season of Quiet - Pick up a good book

I hope you like to read. I have always loved reading. As a child, if I ran out of books on car trips, I would eagerly read billboards as my parents drove down the highway. I think I read the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica A-Z before I was out of high school. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. Yeah, I was that kind of kid. Now, I have to make time to read in my busy schedule and that usually means most of my leisure reading is done in my daily scheduled quiet time.

My recommendation for Day 14 in our Season of Quiet is meditating in your quiet time by reading. Don't worry if you are not an avid or fast reader. I started my quiet time habit with just one scripture verse, followed by a 5-minute devotional reading and prayer. There are many daily devotional books and magazines available through secular and Christian bookstores. There are also fun new ways to get your hands on interesting and inspiring written material (e-books and audio clips downloaded to my phone are my new favorites). I often read the same verse in multiple translations of the Bible (understanding the time period each was translated in and for) alongside inspired commentaries. This just helps me dig a little deeper into the passage and really allow God to take me down the path I need to go at that particular time. Don't forget the public library - yes they do carry *limited* Christian titles and authors.

When you read or hear something that speaks to you personally, you should first meditate (think: disect, define, discern through prayer) and then memorize it. Write it on a notecard and review it out loud three times at each meal for seven days (i.e. at least 9 times/day). Once you've memorized it, place the notecard on a binder ring and refer back to it (and any future cards) from time to time as a refresher. It's important to memorize scripture "word for word", but the translation is personal preference.

I was mediating recently, seeking direction about something entirely off subject, and was given the verse Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. The verse has many applications, but not intended for me to use at the time I first read it. However, I did meditate on it, praying, "Lord I don't understand this verse now, but write it on my heart and I believe you will bring it back to me in Your time." I can't tell you how many countless times I have recalled this verse and found continued comfort or new revelation applied to my current situation. Not just this verse, but others I have meditated and memorized along my journey. Sometimes my husband and I memorize the same scripture verse and find that we are able to use that in our daily talks together to make family decisions and strengthen our marriage. Talk about "being on the same page"!

Here are just a few titles that I am using for meditation and reading during my quiet time. Please share any that you enjoy or a scripture verse that you have memorized and used from your quiet time.

The Holy Bible (My favorite translations are the KJV, NKJV, NIV, and NLT. I've heard that the NASB is the closest translation of the original manuscripts. My pastor uses this and NKJV. He recommends using a study bible, with footnotes and cross-references in the margin.)
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible (You can find this at biblegateway.com under "Additional Resources-Commentaries".)

Websites, blogs, and email devotionals:

biblegateway.com

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

Dayspring.com blogs: (in)courage and Meet Me in the Meadow

Free ebook:

"Core Lies" by Sarah Mae @ www.corelies.com

Daily Devotional guides and magazines by LifeWay:

Journey, Open Windows, homelife, ParentLife

I hope you have a great day and enjoy the quiet moments where you find them!

Days 12 & 13 Season of Quiet - Personal Quiet Time (Part 2)

Sorry if you came by looking for a post yesterday. I am on the mend from my weekend cold/hay fever (the pollen count is high already here in GA). Also, lots of personal distractions prevented me from sitting long enough at the computer to post. So, here are my thoughts for days 12 and 13 of my Season of Quiet.

You may be feeling the stress of the world creeping in, too. Earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and rumors of wars, all of these and more remind me of 1 Peter 5:8 which says, Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.(NLT) Also, Matthew 24:42, Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

We press on through each new day, in the middle of the devil's warfare. He does anything he can to keep us from finding Truth and Peace. His demons know they are running out of time to turn humans away from God. They swoop in when we are vulnerable, when we take our eyes off the heavens where the Master Designer is pulling His plan together with or without our submission. We so easily pluck the lies from the world when we do not have the Truth hidden in our hearts. (See Psalm 119:11. This is a great first scripture for memorization!)

Can you feel the Spirit tugging on your heart strings? Do you hear Someone knocking on the door of your heart? You can't put your finger on it, but you know there is something more than what you are living. I felt that way for years, not understanding that I didn't have to be in a church building to find what I was seeking. We are all separated from God by our sin, since God is perfect and can not be in the presence of sin. However, Jesus is our High Priest, and brings us closer to our Heavenly Father through his intercession. He intercedes night and day on our behalf even while we are still sinning. We simply need to humbly accept and trust His redemptive Grace to come to the Father and receive our inheritance in Heaven.

Recently, I did trust and accept Jesus as my Savior in the presence of my pastor. (I promise to present my full testimony before this journey is over.) Now, I seek God's face every day by meditating on His word (The Bible), and lifting my prayers up to Him in my daily quiet time. As I've said before, this makes a huge difference as I go about the business of my day. Anxiety lessens, peace settles in, I feel more than a conqueror! This is why we are intentionally looking for quiet in the days leading up to Easter.

I have been reading through the Bible since January of this year. In my Old Testament reading, I began to envy the children of Israel, with their visible direction of the Lord in a cloud by day or fire by night. We have something more than they had though. We have the life, teachings, and testimony of Jesus. Not only does that give us direction, but allows us to more fully understand the character of God. This is what we are intentionally meditating on in our personal quiet time.

How do we do this? I have given you a few suggestions so far in my Season of Quiet for beginning to focus on where and when you can start finding quiet in your day. These are different for everyone. You may be a morning person and get up early each day with your journal and a cup of tea before heading out into the world. You may be a night owl and like to relax after a long day in your easy chair with a good book. Maybe both morning and evening meditation sound appealing. If you can start and end the day with quiet meditation, kudos to you! If you are just starting out this habit though, a consistent and set aside quality time each day is most important.

Our model for quality time with God comes from Jesus. We find that Jesus prayed in "solitary" and "lonely" places (Mark 1:35 and Luke 5:16). He prayed in a posture of reverence and submission (Matthew 26:39). He gave us an outline for the words we should use when we pray in what we refer to as "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13). In addition to meditating and memorizing scripture, prayer is how we seek God in our quiet time.

So, Part 2 of this theme on finding your personal quiet time has given you some ideas for What, When, Where, and How. We also reviewed Why intentionally seeking quiet in our daily life is important. The most important question is Who are we doing this for in the first place? Is it for ourselves? Not when you think about it. In quiet prayer and meditation, we recognize the Source of our strength, the Power behind our purpose, and the need to relinquish our plans to His plans. The resulting blessing to us is that He is an ever present help, our strong tower, a fortress when we're weak. And He came to redeem us and offer us an eternal life beyond this mortal one! A life where we will fully commune with Him face to face. Without "street noise". In quiet adoration and triumphant worship. Can I get an AMEN?!

As I seek out my own quiet times, I can't promise to post every day here at Life Beyond PBJ. I am doing all of this without an outline, only as I am moved to write. So, I hope you continue to follow along and anticipate what we will share together here for the next several weeks. I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
Take care and enjoy the quiet moments you find today!

For Meditation - March 20, 2011

Thanks to Bonnie Gray, the Faith Barista for originally posting this:

Turns out Hesuchazo — the Greek word used for “quiet” and “rest” – is as important as preaching the Gospel and pleasing God.

“…excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet (restful) life…”
~ Thessalonians 4:11

Day 11 Season of Quiet - Rest for the body, Rest for the Soul

Apparently, I have not had nearly as much quiet time as my body needs. I was not able to fight off the cold that little kid brought home from the germ factory. I felt that (now easily recognizable) first symptom that I was physically wearing down on Friday. Scratchy sore throat. OTC meds, honey lemon tea, and I kept pushing through. By Saturday night I was fluish. Finally, I was able to (pass out) rest by jumping in bed early evening while my guy got the kids corralled. I feel my fever has broken, but I am now up with the cough.

I need to get back to bed and rest some more (thankful that I'm heading into my weekly Sabbath day). So, here is an excerpt from my quiet time that I thought was interesting to share. Please read it in reference to my previous post about why a daily personal quiet time is important. Hopefully you can relate. See you back here to pick up where we left off on Monday.

"Tearing down strongholds and systems that Satan's lies erect requires consistent and specific practice. We must know the Truth and be armed with it at all times. I learned to stand on what God said as opposed to what I felt. I gathered an arsenal of scriptures for when the lies showed up. I also learned to identify thoughts, emotions and expressions of those lies in my life so that I could quickly claim victory over them." by: Arabah Joy, Excerpt taken from "Core Lies by Sara Mae" a free ebook you can download here: http://www.corelies.com/.

Day 10 Season of Quiet - Personal Quiet Time (Part 1)

I have never prayed so much in my life than since I became a parent. For example,last evening I found myself begging God to take my child's suffering and lay it on me instead. Multiple times I prayed that. I sought His words in the quiet of the middle of the night to avoid being filled with anxious worry. Jesus did not let me down, as usual. For one, I was reminded that I am not in control. Ephesians 1:11-12 says God "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory." No matter how I wished to take the struggle out of my little kid and place it in my own flesh, things were out of my hands. God brought me to this and He would bring me through it. Why is not for me to question. That will be made known to me in His time.

This is where the Christian's habitual quiet time used to meditate on God's word kicks in. "Be anxious for nothing..." Phil.4:6. God chose me for this job of mothering, "for such a time as this..." Esther 4:14. Scripture memory verses comfort and produce the peace that passes all understanding in the Christian's heart when earthly struggles arise.

What is prayer? Is it the same as meditation? A group of my friends recently pointed out that one worldview of meditation emphasizes emptying one's self to find strength from within. The Christian perspective emphasizes emptying one's self to be filled with the Spirit of God, the source of all human strength. That is the natural versus the supernatural. I'll take the latter please. And prayer is the tool we can use to be filled with the Holy Spirit and also to praise and worship our God who sees fit to bring us closer to Him (be transformed)until that day we can behold Him face to face.

I feel inadequate in describing prayer, when I am still an infant Christian. I am still learning to talk to God in a way that Jesus modeled for us in Matthew 6:9-13. In fact, if you haven't prayed in a while, The Lord's Prayer is the outline you could use to re-open the communication line (on your end...God hasn't gone anywhere).

I see this post going longer than I'm up for today, so I think I will break it into parts. Part 1 is realizing the need for your own personal quiet time. Because we're busy little bees and life is whirling by at the speed of exhaustion. How will you know if you're making the right choices? Where are you going to find rest? Who are you going to lean when times on this alien planet become tougher than you think you are able to bear? Should we only talk (or pray) to God when we are desparate, in need, at the breaking point? Starting and ending each day with praise and thanksgiving in good times and bad means we trust that when we find ourselves in need: He's there. We know it, we feel it, and we are confident because we have been talking to Him every day. Building that relationship. Seeking His face. Finding His strength. Knowing His peace.

I don't mind sharing with you that my quiet time happens two places: over my morning commute (after the kids are dropped off at school), and before bedtime (when the kids are sleeping). I love getting those "crazy" looks from people in the car next to me who think I am talking to myself. Smile and wave, smile and wave. I meditate on the Bible plus various devotional medium, such as church magazines, sound bytes from inspirational music or speakers, even blogs. Often, in the car especially, I just listen. God's creation tells us a lot about who He is and this time of year I find the whole earth speaking to that. I wind down the windows and sing, think, pray alongside the birds, trees, and all of creation. I always find that my day flows better with these meaningful meditations and prayer.

I had planned to share my testimony tomorrow, but have decided to continue on this theme of personal quiet time. Part 2 will focus on how we can make this a daily habit and more specific suggestions for meditating for meaning.

Sorry if this post rambles more than usual. I don't feel I've even scratched the surface on this topic. Here is a quote from someone who has more experience and insight than me, to be sure:

Prayer is talking with God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Josh McDowell

Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine.C. S. Lewis

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.Phil. 4:8 (NLT)

Day 9 Season of Quiet - Why It Matters

How cute are they?! That's rhetorical, of course. They are the cutest babies in the world and they belong to me. Grin. My big kid is in the top photo(several years ago obviously) and little kid in the bottom photo(several months ago). I love looking through baby pictures of the two of them and noticing just how much they look alike and even do things alike at different stages. Different personalities cut from the same cloth.

So, why start today's post with these photos? To show just how messy it can be when humans first learn to feed themselves. Stay with me and I'll get back to that.

Yesterday I was thinking about posting next about prayer, meditation, and having a daily scheduled quiet time. But, this morning I really felt the enemy working on me and changed my mind. In fact, he had me thinking, "Maybe I won't post at all today". "Maybe the blog was a bad idea." Blame it on all this quiet, but I then heard that still small voice in my heart say "Rise above that. Use that. Share the motivation. Encourage others." I have to listen to that voice. That is the voice I seek in my quiet time.

Now I am glad that those of you reading this are sticking with me. Even if you haven't joined in my journey through this Season of Quiet. However, I'm wondering if some of you are asking, "What's the big deal? Why so much quiet?" You may think I'm either the world's biggest introvert or need to buy some ear plugs. The first may be true, but I hope you love me just the same. The second misses the point completely. Here's why.

When I first became a born again Christian last October, I embarked on a Bible study with a long-time Christian friend. She emphasized to me that one of the most important things a Christian can do is schedule quiet time with God into each and every day. Sounds daunting. Two kids, house, work, husband, activities. Where am I going to schedule anything else? Precisely the reason I have to do it. My walk with God depends on it. I need the quiet time to hear His voice. Yesterday's quote talked about "street noise". When I'm going about the business of my day, I need His help in every decision I make. If I don't seek that in my quiet time, I have a difficult time finding it among the "noise" of life. When I meditate on His word, pray, and listen...I find it so much easier to know and hear God's voice.

In silence, I am suddenly focused. In being still, I'm suddenly aware of what's important. In meditation, I find my purpose. I don't think I'm alone in this. I think our world is full of confused, misdirected people who are crying out for someone to show them where the black and white answers are in this grayed blurry society. I feel awesomely (is that a word? - oh well, that's how I feel) blessed to have found a meaningful quiet beyond my original Lenten intent to turn off the radio. I feel that puts me in a position to share that experience with others and maybe bring them into that blessing as well.

I don't expect every single suggestion in my Season of Quiet to work for every single person. I certainly hope you don't think I am sharing this as some kind of ego trip. I told you before, I struggle with every quiet suggestion. Especially when I take my eyes off who and what is important. Back to the baby pictures - this journey is messy for all of us. I'm not perfect. There is no perfect solution to finding quiet. It is important to try though. Why? In quiet, we stretch and grow. In quiet, God shows us our neediness and dependance on Him. In quiet, we find a renewing of our mind, heart, and spirit. I need that. I want that. That's the why.

You may still be responding, "Really? Because I'm not experiencing what you describe and this quiet time thing is really hard!" Just like that baby learning how to feed herself or himself, take baby steps. Keep at it. We're in this together, and there is peace and blessing on the other side of this season.

I'll pick back up tomorrow with thoughts on mediation and prayer. And stay tuned for my post this weekend - My Testimony. Something I have never shared, but it has been on my heart to write about it here. Here is today's quote - I hope it inspires you!

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.Matthew 7:7 NLT

Day 8 Season of Quiet - Update

We've now been intentionally pursuing quiet for one week in the season leading up to Easter. How are you? Have you been surprised at where you have found quiet, rest, focus, or transformation of heart? I'd love to hear what you might have taken away from the suggestions I have made here so far at Life Beyond PBJ. What worked? What didn't? Have you been inspired to give anything up or add something new to find some quietness in your life? Thank you for your feedback! Stay tuned for a special giveaway I am working on closer to the end of our 40 days on this journey...

To recap my goals and suggestions for finding extra quiet in the day:

1) Turn off the radio while driving

2) Get up 30 minutes earlier to start the day

3) Kick the caffeine habit

4) Be graceful, yet strong with failure

5) Add a day of rest

6) Take a "listening walk"

Each day I am challenged by all these goals. What a wonderful gift it is when, in these quiet moments, we find who we are down deep and God's purpose for our lives!

I will have a new suggestion in tomorrow's post for a Season of Quiet. For now, here is a preview.

Dallas Willard is a professor and past director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Dallas is the author of the book, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, of which the following is taken:
A discipline for the spiritual life is, when the dust of history is blown away, nothing but an activity undertaken to bring us into more effective cooperation with Christ and His Kingdom. As with all disciplines, we should approach the practice of silence in a prayerful, experimental attitude, confident that we shall be led into its right use for us. It is a powerful and essential discipline. Only silence will allow us life-transforming concentration upon God. It allows us to hear the gentle God, whose only Son shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice above the street noise (Matthew 12:19). It is this God who tells us that in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15).

For Quiet Meditation March 15, 2011

Meet Me In The Meadow: The Measure

Days 6 & 7 Season of Quiet - Listening Walk

I sat down to post twice yesterday and life got in the way. We've had some beautiful weather here the past few days. Between enjoying the outdoors and adjusting to Daylight Savings Time change, I'm feeling tired today. So, I'll do a brief post here for yesterday and today.

Over the weekend, we finally made good on a promise to my big kid. We took her to Stone Mountain. We climbed the big rock with her for the first time over Thanksgiving break and ever since then she has asked for an annual park pass in lieu of other extracurricular activities. I grew up in the "shadow of the rock", so it makes my heart happy that she loves going there. It was a beautiful day for a picnic and we took to the trails with enthusiasm.

My big kid has one volume, one speed. So, when we go out in creation where wildlife and fishermen are all around us, I get to give lots of lessons on how to be quiet and still. We tiptoed through the woods and trails. We stood still while a blue butterfly almost lighted on us. We whispered as we snuck up on my husband and little kid from behind trees. We investigated the babbling brook with it's slippery rocks. We looked for signs of spring and found robin birds, green growth, flower buds, baby ducks, and more. On the way back from our walk, we challenged our big kid to go all the way back to our starting point without making a peep. Her reward would be getting to climb the granite outcropping of rocks near Memorial Lawn. She embraced the challenge! We joined in (as best we could with a toddler), and had a family "listening walk". What a nice quiet time to enjoy creation and each other!

We absolutely will be doing this again soon, as we did obtain a park pass and will enjoy many Sunday afternoons in our favorite quiet spots. You could try this as part of our Season of Quiet. You don't have to go to the park. Anywhere in creation where you can sort of take off down a road less travelled with the intent on finding quiet. Listen to the natural sounds. Stop to smell the flowers. Or if you avoid the pollen, take a drive through the country or the mountains. Just be sure to leave the radio off.

Day 5 Season of Quiet - Day of Rest

I wanted to just touch on one idea for finding quiet that is probably the most controversial, personal, and beneficial. This is also great to consider during the Lenten Season, as it is not something we give up but actually add to our lives. It's not a new concept, yet it seems to be going the way of the dinosaur in our busy world.

A day of rest, or Sabbath, from what we do the other 6 days of the week forces us to slow down, be still, enjoy quiet moments. Now, I did this for years growing up, but didn't fully appreciate it until I was an adult. I have only recently, in the past 6 months or so, tried to incorporate a day of rest back into my life. Right now, my day of rest mostly consists of worshipping my God , enjoying the outdoors, making family memories, and meditating. I am really enjoying adding this quiet time by having a day of rest, even though a mother's work is never really done.

I don't really want to elaborate much more on the topic of a day of rest, because there have been lots of books written about it and even religions built around it. My thoughts here seek to share and not stump. So, I just encourage you to consider how incorporating a day of rest (whatever that means to you) might bring some quiet into your life.

Preview for Day 6 in case you want to get started early: The Listening Walk

"It is fun to go on a Listening Walk.

You do not have to go far.

You can walk around the block and listen.

You can walk around your yard and listen."

(from "The Listening Walk" by Paul Showers)

Quick note to thank my new blog followers, those who post comments, and those who are just hanging out to see what I'm up to here at Life Beyond PBJ. Your support is encouraging! In case you are wondering, I did a little better today with caffeine (no coffee or latte)! I did have to ask my husband to support me because sometimes when he offers to bring home coffee or Diet Coke, he thinks when I say "no" that I really mean "yes".

Day 4 Season of Quiet - Gentle and Strong Like Water

Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world. ~Brenda Peterson



A coffee AND a latte people. I knew it would be hard, but was amazed how fast I slipped into my caffeine habit when I wasn't paying attention. Mom always said to "pay attention"! Well, I didn't today. So what now? I'm not going to be hard on myself. This season isn't about guilt. Actually, when it comes right down to it - it's about GRACE! So, I am going to be gentle like water with my failure and try again tomorrow. My human nature will trip me up every time though. I can't rely on my own strength.

I really like today's quote, but when I read it I think "Who me? Reshape the world? I'm just trying to find some quiet time here!" Wasn't it in the quiet lab where the invention was finally a success? Wasn't it in a quiet study that the best seller was penned? Yesterday's scripture reference doesn't say "I can do SOME things through him who strengthens..." It says ALL things. That inspires me to keep going and see what my quietness produces or reshapes. I hope that encourages you if you are struggling with a habit. Maybe a caffeine habit seems small to you, but I definitely know that the quiet strength and focus I need are not found at the bottom of a venti coffee cup.

Let's enter days 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday) of our Season of Quiet with resolve that when we fail in our intentions, we will be gentle with ourselves and rise up again. I plan to sharpen my focus on giving up caffeine with this prayerful psalm:

As the dear pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God. As with a breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. (See Psalms 42 NKJV)

See you back here on Monday if not sooner.

Day 3 - Season of Quiet: Kick Caffeine to the Curb

If you are my Facebook friend, you may have seen my status updates about a Season of Quiet. This is my original idea from about 4 years ago when I turned off the car radio for the days leading up to Easter (sometimes referred to as Lent or the Lenten Season). I am not Catholic, but I see and have experienced benefits to the rituals my Catholic friends practice during Lent. I have found the 40 or so days in this season to be a time of quiet focus and transformation of heart. It prepares me to more fully embrace and appreciate the true meaning of Easter by the time I'm worshipping on Easter Sunday.

You will find that this is a spiritual journey for me, but not necessarily religious as each day's goal for seeking quiet is personal to me and not according to the creed or doctrine of a church. You may find that some days I just need encouragement or to be in the Word, so I will only approach that as the suggestion for quietness.

I practice my own version of "fasting" and sacrifice, finding different things in my life that turn me to God when I give them up. This year I decided to take things a step further and really look for more of the quietness that I first experienced when I gave up radio. I'd like to share those things with you here in this blog. Maybe you will find a shared experience helpful in finding some quiet in your life as well.

To review, Day 1(Ash Wednesday) of Season of Quiet started with my official (now ceremonial) turning off of the car radio. This is really easy for me now, since I have really never gone back to being a radio listener. I do enjoy the occasional uplifting music on some of the Christian music stations, but mostly I find the FM stations seem very loud now and the AM talk stations stir up my inner quietness too much. Try just turning down the volume during your morning commute as a start. Even if you don't work and are just running errands. Crack the window and hear the church bells as you drive through downtown anywhere. Encourage your children to listen for the signs of spring (birds, wind, rain, etc.) Talk to God. Make your mental checklist of most important tasks for the day. All without the noise of ads, depressing news, and loud DJ's talking over your favorite song!

Day 2 of Season of Quiet continued with getting up 30 minutes earlier to start the day. OK, those of you who know me, can you say...wow?! I struggle to not hit the snooze button on most days. Not a "morning person"here. However, sometimes the quietest part of the day is before dawn. Have you ever found that to be true? Try getting up with the sun on your next beach vacation. The waves crashing on the shore even seem to add to the quiet. I prayerfully approached this the night before and found myself looking forward to seeing what God had in store for me when the alarm sounded. I don't know if I can turn rising early into a habit, but today the payoff was worth it! Dropped off my little kid in plenty of time to eat breakfast with her class (so much better without the rushing). Then my big kid and I had time before the first bell rang to talk about one of her fave subjects - Heaven. Had my quiet time with God in the car before getting to my desk on time. What a great start to the day! This is where the quiet is...this is where we find LIFE!

Now Day 3 of Season of Quiet is going to be an even bigger challenge than getting up a few minutes earlier. I don't know when exactly I became addicted to caffeine, but there it is in truth. Coffee, lattes, and diet cola all often "get me through the day". Caffeine's a drug and I'm kicking it to the curb, Lord help me. I plan to sub hot herbal tea (naturally decaf) for the warm drinks and water for the colas. So, how does this add to the quiet you say? Better sleep for one. Focus on good health for another (trickle down effects from this I hope). Lots of Prayer. We'll see what else, but this one will force me to turn to my Source of true strength.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Check back tomorrow for an update. Hope you are enjoying quiet moments where you find them. Comments welcome and appreciated!

Jumping in!

Welcome to my blog! I have enjoyed reading with and following my favorite bloggers for several years now. I'm hoping you find that I have an interesting thought or two to share also. The name of this blog originated from a current personal goal, which is to seek and provide a life for my family and myself that is not just merely surviving but actually thriving. In other words, I'm continually seeking (and finding you may be happy to know) more than just basic peanut butter and jelly for lunch every day. Of course, many of us Americans are living on a "PBJ style budget" in this current economy. So, there is the challenge - where do we find meaning in life among the constraints of frugality and the state of the union/world? I'm sure you will have much to share with me on this journey as well! Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to add me to your subscriptions.