THE LORD----MY SHEPHERD LEADER!!

The Lord is my leader.....

    He leadeth me beside the still waters---

THAT'S  REFRESHMENT!

ROSE WALK @ LAKE JUNALUSKA

He leadeth me to relaxing  times, NOT times riddled with worry. 

When we lean into Him with faith it's like stepping right into the still, calm waters where our souls can be rejuvinated!

Truly refreshing!

THE LORD--MY REST

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures---(even with a sleeping bag and blanket)

That's REST!!!

The shepherd's presence seems to make all the difference in the behavior of His tired sheep! Turning back fear before it can get a foothold. Sitting in His "Love-Light."

Think revitalizing!

Thou has formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee. -Augustine

ROADSIDE REMINDERS!

God's Way to get my attention is often on a roadside sign that leads right to our house. Side by side signs!

REST is GOD's LOVE!

"REST is GOD's LOVE!" needs to be in my vocabulary.

In a humorous way, the sign to the left could be a reminder to practice "rest" or one continue on to the Mountain View Manor Nursing Home just around the corner.

GOD IS ABLE!

HE IS ABLE!

Exhaustion makes tasks seem insurmountable. (Pace McKee, 9/15/24)

R elease

E xhaustion.

S tilless

T rumps.

I tend to fill useless when I'm not "doing."

REST to puncture your pride! 

God is able....without you but it pleases Him to use you for His purpose.

His purpose brings Him glory. His glory is for my good. Amen!

TRUE REST!

Ever sense you need this reminder within daily eyesight!

More than permission for a Saturday nap !?

All "busy-ness" and no Sabbath rest makes this blogger wiped-out, irritable, discouraged. Take your pick! Even all three!

Look to Him! Accept His gift. Do the math! Even if you're not very got at it....your body can tell you when to slow down your moronic pace

. 

So....today I took a Saturday nap. The Lord was good to me and gave rest to my soul as well as my body. (Psalm 116:7)

The One who is my rest replenished my strength allowing me to spend time with Him.

True REST from the One who is REST!

SHOW ME THE WAY, A LENTEN JOURNEY!

A Lenten journey for me began this year with what was necessary to keep my focus on things above, not on things of earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow,. (Psalm 25:4)

A plain path.(ASV). Good path.(CEB) Even path.(DARBY) 

Level path.(ESV) Right path.(GNV) Straight path.(NIV) Upright path (NEV)

The necessary. The basics. The bottom line.The longings of the soul.

Henri Nouwen's book, Show Me the Way, was filled with reflections on the road of faith, which is God's way., along with prayers of openness.

Why O Lord, is it so hard for me 

to keep my heart directed toward you?

Why does my mind wander off

in so many directions,

and why does my heart desire

the things that lead me astray?

Let me sense your presence

in the midst of my turmoil.

Take my tired body

my confused mind,

and my restless soul into your arms

and give me rest ---simple, quiet rest. (p.35)

BEWARE OF "WEARY"-SHIP" OVER WORSHIP!

"Weary-ship" over worship. May it never be. Yet, too often one can slip into the busyness of service. The way of Jesus is the way of rest and refreshment in Him.

Live out your worship by practicing righteousness and showing mercy to the oppressed rather than for your own self promotion. (Daniel 4:27) 

May we not let the weariness of busyness take the heart out of worship!

The "REST" of the story.....

11//6/13  The Disciplines of Rest....Solitude. Silence. Listening. Meditation, Simplicity.

A lesson taught by me 11/5/13.

Posting those notes, as planned, without everyone's individual email addresses, is beyond me technically-----at the moment.

But.....until I figure it out, this recording of the teaching is a clic away and I actually read the outline, definitions, etc. At least that way you can stop and write and rewind. Just click the link below....

http://firstevan.org/media#!/swx/pp/media_archives/127169/episode/44441?play=1

until I figure out my tech glitch----called my mind---and then I'll provide the "rest of the story" of God's Gift of Rest.

EQUATIONS

10/17/13 I don't "do" numbers well. Number equations would be over my head----BUT word equations, I "get." Especially word equations with spiritual connotations.

Carolyn Down's H2H lesson last night included equations that made sense to me.

• My weakness + His Presence = STRENGTH 
• My fear + His Presence = COURAGE 
• My Dismay + HIS Presence = HOPE

My conclusion was that God's Presence must be factored into all situations. The variables in my life can change but if I want the "correct/positive answer," I must always remember that God's Presence is the highest common factor. That's not even tricky for me to figure out.

GP(God's Presence) = S(strength)+ C(courage) + H(hope) and 

GP(God's Presence) + S(strength) + C(courage) + H(hope) = GR (God's Rest)

Wordwise I get all of that......but I don't know how to factor those two equations into a whole expression---I just know how to live it.

Sleep Button

4/27/10 Up early yesterday----"3 something" is even early for me. Bleary eyed. I felt like I was looking through wavy water as I typed. Under the “”apple” on my computer is a sleep button. When I scroll down and click on it, the screen "black out" is instantaneous. It’s there as a power saver---putting the computer into hibernation mode.

I want such a button in my life. I want to be just "one click" away from the comfort of sleep. No tossing. No turning. No anxious thoughts whirring in my head. No need to “pop” a Benadryl, which the docs say isn’t good for dementia avoidance. No struggling to recall verses that seem to rev up instead of calming. Sometimes I just want to sleep.

Dozed some but eventually got up a little after 4 and carried my fatigue with me to work. I just put one foot in front of the other. Not the way I like to spend my day but I did make it through. I’m not the only one, at this age who can struggle with insomnia. Certainly late night/early morning sleep disturbances are not unique to me either. Sleep deprivations from work stress compounded by an “early” school opening is often the topic of our “lunch bunch” conversation.

Prayed for strength as I left work to go read to a friend and to give her hubby a little break. Then boom! I rear-ended an SUV at Poplar and Kirby Parkway. I assumed all cars were moving but obviously the one in front of me was not. Or maybe she did and then stopped. I don’t know. I just know it was my fault and I was grateful the other driver wasn’t hurt. Some days are like that even in Australia as Alexander said during his “terrible, horrible, no good very bad day!"

Finally arriving at home, thanks to a friend passing by and calling police, a tow truck arriving for my car, a somewhat depleted bank account, and a nice Germantown policeman giving me a ride, I really desired that hibernation mode. I wanted to be able to “black out” the wreck, the guilt, and the questions of “what were the life lessons in this” that were whirring in my head.
But God……in reading last night’s God’s Calling, here’s what jumped off the page.

“Have no fear….rest before Me until you are joyful and strong again…. Deal in the same way with all tired feelings. I was weary too, when on earth, and I separated Myself … and sat and rested…. When Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me," he did not mean that he was to do all things and then rely on Me to find strength. He meant that for all I told him to do he could rely on My supplying the strength. My Work in the world has been hindered by work, work, work. Many a tireless nervous body has driven a spirit. The spirit should be the master always, and just simply and naturally use the body as need should arise. Rest in Me.”

Maybe He’s giving me permission to click the sleep button and take time-out for a little hibernation----to rest in Him and be thankful.