silence.

". . .I am more convinced than ever that there is no way you & I can move toward a deeper, intimate relationship with our God without protracted times of stillness, which includes one of the rarest of all experiences: absolute silence." 

-Charles Swindoll

I have no idea what website this came from,
but I spotted it on Pinterest.com

My mother had such a wonderful idea this morning when she told me I should go down to the riverwalk to spend my time with the Lord. I definitely took her up on that & I scooted out the door! I have been reading this book called, "Intimacy With The Almighty," (which is where the above quote resides) & the author focuses on 4 things that are important in our intimacy with God. He also says that there are more than four, but there are no less than that. One of the four is silence. 

I walked among tall trees that looked like they were lightly dipped in buckets full of yellow paint & after a little while I found the perfect spot to simply sit. I found a log surrounded by trees with the sun shining down through them & placed my book bag under my head & laid there listening to the leaves rustle. I have to say, it was absolutely blissful. I surrendered every little thing that has been buzzing around my head this past week over to Him & I told Him I was deciding to simply be WITH Him. I'm not going to share with you some supernatural experience or whatever, but I have to tell you, lying on that log with the Lord put my heart & soul at a place of pure rest. 

After awhile I began reading scripture out loud; I read a lot of verses, but the passage that really sticks out is Psalm 145. Please go read it now! It is such a beautiful chapter & it reminded me of how faithful my Father is, how beautiful the craftsmanship of His hands are, & that I need to praise Him for those things every day when I wake up. It refreshed my soul & give all the glory to God. Thank You, Lord for blessing me with the freedom to step out into nature & be with You. I praise You for the silence that I found You in this morning.

 If you desire to simply be with Him, to clear your mind, & to converse with Him on such an intimate level, I highly suggest being with Him in silence & patiently waiting on Him. He is so beautiful & worth quieting ourselves (our minds, our hearts, our cares, our busy schedules, etc.).

"If the pace & the push, the noise & the crowds are getting to you, it's time to stop the nonsense & find a place of solace to refresh your spirit. Deliberately say 'no' more often. This will leave room for you to slow down, get alone, pour out your overburdened heart, & admit your desperate need for inner refreshment." 

-Charles Swindoll

I know this may seem rather on the contrary, but I found this song with such beautiful lyrics & I desire to share it with everybody, haha! Abba by Jonathan David Helser <<click it, be with the Lord, & enjoy.