REWARDING RAMBLE IN THE WOODS

Rambling can be good when one is trying to refocus!

Not rambling in speech but in a quiet time. Today hubby did the directing to the place and then allowed me to traipse among the woods. Soothing came as flowers appeared and he helped me to change position in order to get close-up views.

A trillium evoked memories of my childhood wild flower garden and took my mind off unnecessary worries. 

Springtime with its abundance of flowers. White. 

Foamflower

Vibrant colors.

Hooked buttercups

Dwarf Crested Iris

Red Columbines were also in my childhood garden.

Hubby took the pix and when we returned home I could use his iphone which gave horticultural info and lengthened my on-going quiet time!

BECKONING!

Beckoning! Appealing in a way as to be inviting!

I think of a "pull toward" spiritual activities; yet, could also be a pull toward things of the world. Distractions.

Distractions...unique to each individual. Golf tourneys might not be mine but a good book or crossword puzzle could easily beckon me. 

"Set your affections on things above not on things on earth." (Colossians 3:2)

Some places seem to beckon. Do you have a place that calls you? 

Seek first the the kingdom of God....(Matthew 6:33)

A place to beckon you before God's throne of grace!

Go their first and all the rest will fall into God's place.....unique for you!

CHOOSE: THY FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING

Fountains can offer quiet tranquil places---places which evoke tranquility even in the midst of hubbub. Water can do that or me----reminding me to relax and be still, that God might speak.

Ask the One who is the source of the Living Water, to teach you that His words might come alive in your life, in spite of all the distractions and chaos. As the psalmist says in Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for God. for the living God." (NIV)

In the Message version of Psalm 42:2, I read words that spoke to my thirsty heart. 

I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I'm thirsty for God alive. I wonder, 'Will I ever make it--arrive and drink in God's presence?' When can I go and meet with God.

How blessed one is to have God's Word at her fingertips.

"The word of God is alive and active." As Stephen reminded the Sanhedrin, Moses received living words to passion." (Acts 7:38) We need to remember these words as well. 

Words that can be a fount of blessing when we share with others.

CHOOSE: MAGNOLIA MONDAY

Magnolia Monday aka Quiet Time on the Patio sweetened with the scent of magnolia.

It's overcast. It's breezy. It's delightfully perfect for morning meditation.

Streams In the Desert (5/22) entry also spoke to my heart. Expounding on Psalm 37:5, with the Young's translation, "He worketh it" jumps out. In those words, "when we truly commit, or roll out of our hands into His; the burden of whatever kind it may be; a way of sorrow, of difficulty, of physical need or of anxiety for the conversion os some dear one." 

Once I have put it into His hands, even when I can't see results, I can trust that "He worketh."

Those words are a sweet aroma to my spirit as this magnolia is to my senses. 

So grateful I was able to choose this spot for my Monday morning meditation. 

MEETING GOD????

11/2/12 In his book, Meeting God in Quiet Places, F. LaGard Smith tells of meeting God on his daily meanderings through the footpaths of the Cotswolds. It’s in these quiet places that Smith found refreshment for his soul and insight into the very heart of God.

Where do you meet God?

Is there a place that draws you to Him?

Scripture reminds us that if we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. (James 4:8)

In the summer months, my red Adirondack chairs beckon me. Two chairs side-by- side. I call them the “Thy and my” chairs---because I seek to hear from Him there---through prayers, reading and meditating upon scripture, and by simply being still. Listening and waiting upon Him---hard to do at times because, for me, even the quiet can get LOUD! Yet, it’s during those times of being still that I most often receive clear impressions of a message the Lord might be trying to teach me.

Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46-10a)

In the colder months, my prayer chair beckons me. Again it’s a place that draws me to stop and get to know Him better. It hasn’t always been that way---even though said chair was in a very visible place. My heart was not as attuned to Him. 

I was “caught up short” on this week’s neighborhood walk when I saw two Adirondack chairs that could have once been used as "Thee and Me" chairs---but no longer. They looked as if all human contact had deserted them. It was a telling, gripping tableau for me. When we draw near to God, He is always there BUT when we don’t show up, signs of destruction are everywhere.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Don’t let your space for meeting with God get shoved aside. Such a space for peaceful intimacy with God is crucial for facing the onslaught of one’s busy lifestyle.

Abandoned. Dusty. Falling apart. Overgrown with weeds that block the beauty.

Where do you meet for quiet connection with God?. Your answer to this question speaks volumes about your spiritual life.