Summer Beauty: A Call to Keep Company

How can so much beauty exist all around us? Every season has it's own beauty; each one unique, calling us to draw up close and to enter fully. 

Could it be that summer's vibrant colors and shapes and textures, are created just for us to enjoy? Calling us to pause our busyness, lean in close, and to be filled. When what we see is so beautiful, it slows us. And refreshes us in the deepest ways. And it's hard to pull away.

Maybe all of this beauty is primarily meant to call us to lean in close. To Him, our Creator, the One who loves us and longs for our love, for our company.

Do we pause long enough to hear His whispers ... 

Come to Me.

Keep company with Me.

There is beauty all around, calling us.

Calling us to intentionally slow our pace.

To keep company with a Person.

A Person who desires to walk with us, and work with us, and wants to live His life through us. A Person who died for us, and who rose for us to know Him. He is longing for us to depend on Him, trust Him, live freely and lightly with Him.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?

Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life.

I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with Me 

and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

(Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

Above all else this summer, may we pause and listen to His Word, His gifts of beauty, and open our eyes and our hearts to all the ways that He wants to give us rest and grace. 

Deepening Our Roots

Spring is a time for fresh beginnings and new growth. Coming out of a long and cold winter, though winter can be lovely in its own way, I am often longing for new growth, for a freshness in my soul. As our garden spots, our trees, and our grass take on a new life, so my soul thirsts for new life, as well.

O God, You are my God,

earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for You,

my body longs for You

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

(Psalm 63:1 NIV)

This new life and fresh start in our gardens, in the plants on our deck, often finds its beginnings quietly, and mostly hidden from sight. For as we plant, we need much patience; patience to wait for the nourishing rains and the life-giving rays of sunlight to strengthen the roots of our new plants. It really is a beautiful thing. We put our love and best efforts into planting the seeds or the small plants from the nursery. And then we wait ... 

The roots need to strengthen and reach deep for the nutrients. Soaking up the rain and the sun. Without strong roots, the plants will not be able to endure. And the plants will not blossom and bear fruit.

The same is true for my heart, for my soul, and for yours, as well. Our roots need to be strengthened and nurtured. My heart and my soul need gentle, nourishing care. Each day. We need to pull away to connect with our Creator. To pause our busyness, quiet our hearts in the midst of a busy life and world; pausing and listening to hear His voice; to read His Words, and to let them soak deeply into our hearts and souls. 

Find a quiet, secluded place -

Just be there as simply and honestly 

as you can manage.

The focus will shift from you to God,

and you will begin to sense His grace.

(Matthew 6:6 MSG)

Pausing, retreating from our busyness. Listening, reading His Words. And as the days go by, this soaking up of His Words, of His Love, will fill us with all that we long for. We will be filled up with His love, presence, wisdom, and joy ... and this will overflow from us, spreading beauty and love to those around us. 

Let your roots grow down into Him,

and let your lives be built on Him.

Then your faith will grow strong

in the truth you were taught,

and you will overflow with

thankfulness.

(Colossians 2:7 NLT)

Lord, may my life be a rhythm of serving and loving others, of joining You in Your work ... and above all, of pausing, retreating to the quiet place where I can hear Your whispers more clearly. Where Your truth and Your love can nourish my roots, my heart, strengthening me in every way. 

For You are the One

who nurtures our souls so that

we blossom, flourish, and thrive.

(Whispers and Wildflowers)

Above All Else: Jesus Over Everything

What does it look like to put Jesus first, over everything else? Though that is our desire, it's helpful to be challenged and encouraged with fresh thoughts and perspectives on how to live out this desire. 

Just what could it look like for me? For you? To have Jesus first? Above everything. For each of us, it could look differently, for we are each created uniquely. I love Lisa Whittle's description of life lived in this way:

 "A Jesus-over-everything lifestyle is a 

Jesus-take-over-me-and-my-lifestyle 

so that I don't ruin my one precious life. 

It is the understanding that the 

priority of Jesus brings order to 

the chaos of our lives, 

a job only God is big enough to do."

This highest desire surely calls for us to make intentional daily choices, moment-by-moment choices, a life-time of choices. We cannot coast along and follow the crowd, and expect to live out the high calling of putting Jesus first, over everything.

Some of the choices that I have learned and also continue to learn:

* Making it a priority to immerse myself in His Word, in His Truth. Reading His Words not to be able to check it off my list each day, but with a longing and a deep heart desire to listen closely and to learn from Him. There are so many voices calling for our attention, more and more each year, and it is of utmost importance to keep our minds grounded in what is true. And the source of real Truth is in God's Word.

* Watching closely over my own heart. My heart is key. Pouring out my heart to Jesus is so important. My heart, my thoughts, need to be in right relationship with Jesus. There are so many emotions connected to being a wife, mother, grama, grams, and also sister and friend. And it is critical for me to bring my thoughts, my heart, full of emotions, concerns, needs, to Jesus continually. Is it the same for you? For me, my main way to communicate all that happens in my heart is through writing my words on a page, written as prayers in a devo journal. This relationship with Jesus is key. For everything flows from the heart.

* Choosing to honor Sabbath Rest, a gift that Jesus modeled while on earth, and also has given to us, even today, for our good. This may look different for each of us. A few hours tucked into a busy week, or as my hubby and I have chosen to do in this season of retirement life, setting aside one day a week for true Sabbath Rest. This happens on most Saturdays for us. This is a gift, a day of refreshment, primarily a time of quiet, slowing down, pausing from our busy lives (yes, even in retirement) to rest, to listen closely, and to learn from Him more deeply. This is probably our favorite day of the week. 

These are just a few of the ways that I am continually being challenged and encouraged in, making intentional choices in keeping Jesus above all else during our daily living. Choices that grow sweeter with each passing year.

We all in our own individual living can find ways "to organize all of your life around the practice of the presence of God, to work and rest and play and eat and drink and hang out with your friends and run errands and catch up on the news, all out of a place of deep, loving enjoyment of the Father's company." (From The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.)

We have been given the most priceless, incredible gift of His love, His forgiveness, His very presence with us.

Yet through His powerful declaration of acquittal,

God freely gives away His righteousness.

His gift of love and favor now cascades over us,

all because Jesus, the Anointed One,

has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, 

and power of sin.

(Romans 3:24 The Passion Translation) 

___________

Thanks for reading along as I process through the books I read and the time spent reading His Word, learning and growing towards a life of putting Jesus first, above all else, over everything. And thankful for His Spirit within, speaking Truth to us, as we listen and follow. The life we are made for, the best kind of living!

The Way to Grow

 

I love all the seasons, and perhaps God brings the sometimes slower days of summer to teach us, and to grow us in fresh, beautiful ways. All I need do is to linger in the beauty of our gardens ... our new planter boxes built into our brand new deck, our herb garden, and our veggie garden. The beauty, the growth, the blossoms and the fruit do not happen overnight. And it does not happen with a loud fanfare. It happens quietly, in silence, in the sending down of the roots deep into the soil, of soaking up the spring & summer rains. The tender new plants gain strength so very quietly. And we can hardly take in the beauty of what comes over time.

It's the quiet daily routines and rhythms that bring growth. Resulting in beauty. We can become used to the prevailing thought of our day, that things need to happen instantly. If we need to wait for anything, we very quickly become impatient. But this is not the way that brings lasting growth.

Make it your ambition to live a quiet life.
(I Thess. 4:11)

Our souls need the same ... quietness, pausing, listening, letting our roots grow down into Him. What does the pausing and listening look like for you? For me? Does it happen automatically, or do we sometimes need to make an intentional effort to be quiet, to pause. You would think it would just automatically happen, and yes, sometimes it does.

But other times maybe we need to intentionally plan for quiet. For rest. For a pausing of our work.

Solitude is when you set aside time 

to feed and water, to nourish your soul.

(The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry)

Could this be what our great Creator God modeled for us in the beginning? When "He rested from all His work" on the seventh day, blessing the day and "declaring it holy" (Gen. 2:2-3). Could this be what our loving Father meant when He said "You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest". (Deut. 5:13-14) 

Maybe we've grown up with a bit of an aversion to the word Sabbath. It has often been abused, misinterpreted, and has often led to legalistic practices. But maybe we need to relearn the importance of the gift that God desires to bless us with continuously.

About a year ago, after reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and several other books on the same topic, my dear hubby and I put a new rhythm into practice. Even in our retirement, we sensed a need to intentionally set aside days for quiet, for rest. These words are sprinkled throughout all of God's Word. And our days and our weeks so easily can become completely filled up with tasks and responsibilities. This can happen at whatever season of life we are in.

We decided to set aside one day each week to focus specifically on rest. Though we usually think of Sundays being the day for rest, for us Sundays actually are the day of the week that we need to get up even earlier than the other days, causing the day to begin with a sense of hurry. Our Sundays do continue to be a special day set aside for corporate worship with our spiritual family, learning from the insight and teaching of our pastors, all things we love so much. And we do enjoy a slower pace throughout the rest of the day. But we craved for more rest, for a whole day of rest. 

So one year ago on the first Saturday of June 2024, we began what we call our weekly "Sabbath Rest" day. An intentional day of pausing from our work, of resting, of listening to and seeking after God. It's also a day of taking a break from our regular "tasks", and focusing on hobbies, on things that feed our souls, things that give us deep joy. 

Be still and know that I am God.
(Psalm 46:10)

And this is where you would find me today, if you were here with me as I am writing this post. I'm sitting out on our new deck (built for us by dear friends last fall), surrounded by beautiful flowers in the planter boxes and the flower pots right next to me. I'm pausing from my work of the week - much of it that I do enjoy, but also that keeps me quite busy. And I am resting, listening, and my soul is being filled up, and renewed in Him. Which in turn fills me up with joy as I write this post. 

Maybe for you it doesn't work to take a whole day each week for true rest. But you can start with a few hours, or with part of a day. Or with pockets of time sprinkled throughout a very full season of your life. The daily quieting of our souls is so essential, even when we intentionally take a whole day for rest. Pausing, leaving our work to take short, or extended times to care for our hearts and souls is a gift from Him. Cultivating Sabbath hearts, creating healthy soil for our roots to grow down deep into the truths of His love. And we will then overflow with the fruit of thankfulness.

Let your roots grow down into Him,
and let your lives be built on Him.
Then your faith will grow strong
in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:7 NLT

Slowing Down to Enjoy and Focus on the Most Important Things

 

I always love to find books that speak the language of my heart. And The Urgency of Slowing Down was just this kind of book for me. It was a joy to read through this book recently by a new-to-me author.

Though the concepts were not new to me, I loved the refreshing reminders of how to slow down in our everyday lives. It seems there will always need to be reminders for this, no matter our age. It is written with so many practical, and fresh ideas to make slowing down a reality in our lives. 

As I often do when I finish reading an insightful and encouraging book, I will go back and make some notes of some of the favorite things I have underlined while reading through the book. Good quotes to keep nearby to share, or to even be reminded of myself. 

Here are a few to share with you ...

"We need to be intentional if we desire quiet. 

In the quiet God speaks to us about what's important."

"The more we step into Christ's unforced rhythms of grace, the more they become our rhythms. When we feel the benefits of things like silence, solitude, and prayer in our daily lives, we begin to crave them all the time."

"If you're slowing down enough to listen to His voice, spending time in prayer, finding some pauses and quiet in your life, worshipping the God who made you, you'll be better able to sense what pace God is setting for you."

"Incorporating these practices into our daily lives, slowing down and remembering who God is, what He does, and who He says we are - these things change our entire point of view. For the better. Not because of something we're doing, but because Jesus's light naturally emanates from us when we clear clutter out of the way."

A November Collection: Our Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, A Good Book, and a Blessed Thanksgiving Day

Closing out the month of November with a little collection of memories from this beautiful time of year ...

This is the weekend where the fall decor will change to winter/Christmas decor. But some things do not need to change. I love these words (from Ann Voskamp) that I read this Thanksgiving week:

“Our Thanksgiving could be more than a holiday, but a lifestyle for all our days - our thanksgiving could become thanksliving - all our honest sacrifices of thanks to God moving our hearts closer to God, who is our very greatest good.

You get to just keep coming with your sacrifice of thanksgiving which gives you more of God.”

“We can be at rest right where we are because our ability to ‘be still and know that He is God’ (Psalm 46:10) is not dependent on whether our circumstances feel restful or light. It’s wholly dependent on where we turn for true rest. God made us to need Him, to turn to Him for the rest we seek … We are made by God, for God, and to be satisfied in God.” (Ruth Chou Simons)

These words have been so very good for me to read this month; it has been a month filled with many things. And I am learning and relearning to turn my heart and eyes to the source of true rest. It is so easy to look for rest in other places. But there is only one place to find real rest. And I am grateful.

We were blessed to have nine precious family members around our table for Thanksgiving Day! Whether it's our whole family home, or those who live close nearby, it is always such a treat, and a gift. We are so very thankful ...

Silence: The Condition for True Listening

Maybe some may think that silence is easier to attain during our retirement years. But yet, I am continually learning in deeper ways that real silence needs to be cultivated for it to happen in the heart no matter our season of life, no matter our circumstances. And I am being reminded even now in our retirement years of the importance of cultivating a quiet heart. To make it an intentional focus to carve out not only specific times each week for Sabbath Rest, but to also cultivate a Sabbath Heart in the midst of regular life. A life and world which seems to accelerate with noise and concerns with each passing day and year.

Quieting my heart for intentional extended times, and also for moments of time throughout a day to listen deeply to God first of all, and also to our precious kids and grandkids, and to all whom God brings our way.

“Our speaking comes out of our listening. 

What we say comes out of what we hear.” 

(Mark Buchanan)

We need to be people who listen, day and night, most of all, to God, quieting our hearts so we can really hear.

Be still, and know that I am God.

(Psalm 46:10 ESV)

Cultivating ... Daily, and Intentionally

As the cold days of winter begin to fade away and as the first faint signs of spring begin to draw us in, we find ourselves longing for new life. We even may be starting to dream and prepare for our veggie and flower gardens. We begin to prepare our spaces, and also the soil for new spring life. 

In the same way, after the restful, maybe quieter days of winter, I am also reminded this time of year to prepare my heart for a new season of growth. Preparing to grow my heart for what matters the most. Maybe because a bit of the winter cold has settled in? And I find myself longing for some breaths of fresh air in my soul.

So I am welcoming these seasonal reminders to pay attention to more than just preparing the soil of our gardens for spring, but to also pay attention to and to nourish what matters the most to me. Is it the same for you? Have the cold winter days (though they do have a charm of their own) and the days of less sunlight left you longing for new life?

This is the setting for what grabbed my attention a few weeks ago, as I pulled another verse card from my growing collection of favorite verses. 

Trust in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land

and cultivate faithfulness.

(Psalm 37:3 NASB)

It was the whole verse, but especially the word cultivate that drew my attention. This is what we do in early spring to prepare for the growth that spring/summer brings in our gardens. 

And I wonder the same for my heart ... how can I cultivate my heart for this new season? 

But first, what does cultivate even mean? 

"Cultivate" - (from Webster's Dictionary online)

"to direct special attention to, to devote time and thought to, 

to care for with a view to valuable returns, to till, to fertilize, 

to improve by care or study."  

And another helpful list of meanings:

"Cultivate" - (from Lara Casey's book Cultivate)

"serve, nurture, nourish, prepare, encourage,

improve, refine, pay attention, foster growth,

loosen and break up hard ground,

and care for what you've been given."

 

Isn't this what we desire for our lives? To nurture and to till up the soil of our hearts for growth? it's a continual thing, all through the varying seasons, to care for our hearts. To be in tune to listen intently to the One who loves us more than we can even imagine. It's easy to become dry and in need of nourishment.

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

(Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

Above all else, for the condition and the health of our hearts affects everything. And this is why we need the reminders to continually cultivate our hearts. To faithfully cultivate. To cultivate faithfulness. 

Just how do we cultivate faithfulness? Maybe it will look different practically for you, and for me. But for all of us, it begins in the heart, doesn't it? It's a desire, a longing, to spend time with Jesus. In His Word; not just the rote reading of His Words, but reading with a longing to hear from Him. To hear His heart, to hear what is Truth. And to share our heart with Him in response. A heart that also then seeks to live out His Truth in every area of our lives.

It's a relationship, not a mere religion or a task to check off our list. A relationship that needs nurturing, time, and yes, even effort. Pausing in this busy, broken world, for what is most important. And for what we long for.

Just as each plant, flower, herb are unique, each of us are created uniquely, What does the soil of your heart need now, right now in the season of life that you are in? The soil of your heart, of your life, may need different specifics of nourishment than mine. But we all need continual tilling, and ongoing nourishment to continue producing and blooming.

Right now, I am discovering that I am needing even more frequent pauses, and needing even added nutrients to refresh the condition of the soil of my heart. We have had a lot going on recently ... offering support and encouragement to a brother in need in his Parkinsons condition, preparing our home for a needed (and wonderful) remodeling project which includes going through closets and rooms that need to be simplified and organized, and at the same time, keeping up with all that is part of the many callings and passions that God has given us, including each one in our precious family. 

Cultivate faithfulness ...

So I am needing to take extra time to tend to my heart these days and weeks. Extra needs call for extra care of the soil. Daily attention and cultivating. Focused time reading His Words, listening and learning at the start of my day, pausing in the midst of my day, and quieting my heart again with journal and pen in His Presence at the end of the day. 

Tilling up the soil of our hearts, receiving nourishment from His Word, His Love. And over time, we will see sprouts, and we will see growth. Season after season. Cultivating faithfulness. Our lives will keep on blossoming and reflecting the beauty that we were created for. By His grace and mercy alone.

 

Lord, may I be a cultivator, faithfully making it a priority to care for  my heart, for all that You place on my heart. Taking time for the things of most importance, dwelling deeply in Your Word and in Your love. Slowly, one step, one moment at a time. You are the One who brings the growth, and I offer my heart as a sacrifice, desiring to till up the soil, and to cultivate faithfulness. For You.

Our Everyday Invitation

 

Do you long for closeness, as I do, everyday deep connections? Our hearts are made for connection. For relationship. With those nearest to us, and those we love who live far from us. And how can we even find what we long for in the midst of our busy days, in this beautiful but broken, hurting world and culture that we live in? Where do we turn to find what we long for, what we so desperately search for?

And maybe our first step, and our first longing, is for deep, intimate connection with the God who made us, who created us so that He could shower His love on us. He desires to pour His love into each one of us. His love for you. For me. The deepest kind of love, the most treasured connection that we could ever wish for. An everyday heart-to-heart relationship. And then, filled up with this closeness of being deeply loved, we find that the overflow of this love spills out to nurture and grow the other deep relationships and connections that we long for with those around us.

How do we nurture this kind of connection and relationship with the God who loves us so deeply? May I suggest a simple tool that helps me day-by-day? It may not be the tool that you need, for we are all made differently, but maybe it will encourage you in some way.  

For me, it begins with a heart that is longing for and desiring deep connection, and also, it begins with pen and paper. Why pen, and why paper? For me, it means that I must pause from the never-ending things that draw my attention (even good and wonderful things), and focus. I need to still my heart to write. To take the time to put my heart and longings into words, and onto paper. To express what is in my thoughts, and on my heart. 

Maybe it could be compared to pulling up a comfy chair to spend focused one-on-one time with someone we love. Of course, this dialogue with God happens anytime, anywhere, even in the middle of the night when awakened or unable to sleep ... but an intentional pausing maybe is like accepting a special invitation for deep, one-on-one connection. I accept the invitation, and come to the table (or to a soft chair or loveseat) with pen and paper, pausing my sometimes (often) busy pace, to draw close, to listen and learn from Him.

I then pick up His Word, with a heart ready to listen and learn. And as I read His words with my heart, I will hear His heart. And then I will write down, word for word, the verses that speak truth to my heart. Not writing all that I read, of course, but writing the specific verses that reach deeply into my heart. Words of love, and words of truth that I so desperately need. Words and truths that I long for. That touch me in the deepest places. Opening up His Word, writing what I read on paper, storing it in my heart. And then responding to Him, pausing, and writing my thoughts to Him.

This meeting of hearts, by His grace and mercy, and made possible by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, is what we are made for. Our greatest treasure ... to be loved by Him.

Behold, I'm standing at the door, knocking.

If your heart is open to hear My voice

and you open the door within,

I will come in to you, and feast with you,

and you will feast with Me.

(Rev. 3:20 The Passion Translation)

And we will find that this love, His love, then overflows from our hearts to those around us.  Bringing deeper connections and relationships than we ever imagined. And by His grace, we will live a life of pulling up close to those we love and those He brings our way. We will pause our busy lives, and listen intently. And we will speak words of life and encouragement with each other, finding the deep connections and relationships that we all long for. 

A Simple Life: Experiencing "Soul Sabbath"

In these busy times, and yes, even during our retirement years, I am continually seeking to learn what it means to live a simple life. It seems that no matter what season of life we are in, this is what we long for ... a simple life. Life definitely looks different during our retirement years, but for many of us no matter our season of life, we have 'responsibility' built right into the core of who we are. Do you relate to this, as well?

So, I am continually watching for added wisdom on this topic. 

These insightful words grabbed my heart this past week ...

A simple life is a life with margins.

Finding margins in my day means I will 

carve out time for myself or slow the pace

when I become aware that

I carry an unnecessary stress load.

(A Lovely Life by Melissa Michaels)

Of course, there are days and weeks when we cannot control the stress load that we are in the midst of. Life is filled with these times. 

Sometimes, though, we may actually be either bringing the stress on ourselves as we take on more than we are meant to handle, or, we have not learned the importance of caring for our own hearts. I am guilty of both of these two choices. 

It takes an effort in the midst of our full lives to pause, and to be still, doesn't it? For me, it requires an intentional decision and focus to take time to care for my heart. 

Above all else, guard your heart

for everything you do flows from it.

(Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

"God instituted a life of Sabbath for His people ... a life of rest, completeness, fulfillment. He wants to teach you that Sabbath is not just a day of the week but a state of the soul. He wants you to know the secret of living in a 'soul Sabbath.' That means much more than an absence of activity. It means a settled, deep stillness, a quiet relaxation in body and soul." (From Praying the Promises of God)

Pausing for me today means taking a good break from my unending responsibilities and 'tasks' for some quiet devo time in the early afternoon, giving myself the treat of writing this blog post, and  soaking in the beauty of our yard and garden. 

"We simply need to place our lives in the flow of His provision and live where His power is operating. The Kingdom of God is a land where the soul has continual Sabbath rest." (From Praying the Promises of God)

Lord, continually teach me more of Your 'soul rest'. May I build margins into my days, and place my complete dependence on You. 

Your strength will come from settling down

in complete dependence on Me.

(Isaiah 30:15 MSG)

What We Need Most in Hard Times

We have gone through some challenging times recently. Mild if we were to compare ourselves to so many around the world. But for us, the past few months have been extra challenging.

It is heart-breaking and challenging to care for and extend support and love to my brother who is suffering from Parkinsons. An absolutely devastating disease to have to go through. In the last thirty days, he has gone from living in an Assisted Living place just a few blocks from us, to a 5-day hospital stay where he had a much needed surgery, to 2 1/2 weeks of rehab at another facility, to being moved to his new home: an amazing new assisted living place in a home-style setting just a 30-minute drive from us. A loving atmosphere where eight residents receive individualized love and care in a beautiful, large ranch-style home. 

How do we navigate through so many unknowns on a daily basis? How do we have the strength and energy to go on, day after day, when things are so difficult, and when we are so needy? This has been my story for the past weeks/months. And the verse above has been one of many that have spoken truth to me. Truth that I have needed over and over again.

I wait quietly before God,

for my victory comes from Him.

He alone is my rock

and my salvation, my fortress

where I will never be shaken.

(Psalm 62:1-2 NLT)

There really is only one place to go when we are in need. And that place is to wait quietly before God. 

In our hard times, and in our good times ... we are to wait quietly. Not just in a vacuum or in emptiness, but we are to wait quietly before God.

And who is this God ?

This is the Hebrew word "elohiym", used 2,600 times in the Old Testament, referring to the one true God. This name of God conveys that "God is Creator, the King, the Judge, the Lord, and the Savior. His character is compassionate, gracious, and faithful to His covenant." (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible)

So when we are in difficult times, we have the greatest privilege we could ever wish for ... we can draw close, and wait quietly on God. He is our Rock, our Salvation, our Fortress. A safe place, where we will never be shaken. These are not just words; they are Truth. A never-ending promise, from our faithful God.

This has been true these past few weeks/months, and I have needed to turn my eyes, my heart, and my focus again and again to this safe place, to our faithful, compassionate, loving God. A place where we are cared for, and loved completely. I am so grateful. Day by day. Moment by moment.

Beautiful words of truth for our everyday ...

"God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as He says.

Everything I need comes from Him, so why not?

He's solid rock under my feet,

breathing room for my soul,

an impregnable castle: I'm set for life."

(Psalm 62:1-2 MSG)

To read more of my 'Heart Connect' posts:

What We So Desperately Need

The Secrets of Prayer