Category: Rest

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Back In the Box

This past week Dave and I have been packing things up and getting ready to head back to the Valley. Our biggest struggle has been trying to get things back in their original boxes.

No, we don’t have a cat and if we did we wouldn’t put them in a box but we did have canvas tarps and poles for our garage and also the awning and stakes for our canopy. Dave kept saying, “how did they get all this in the box”.

After what seemed to be hours of struggling with folding and refolding, packing and unpacking and packing again, we were tired. At one point I said to him, “no more today, it can wait till tomorrow”. I went in and he kept working.

This may all seem silly to you but each of us face daily struggles. How do we keep everything in order? How do we get all our “junk” back in the box?

“He said, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Your help will not come from your own strength and power. No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says.” Zechariah 4:6

When we have Christ in our life we never have to draw on our own strength. We have his promise that He will provide the strength that we need.

Some things become easier with age. We have the experience to be more relaxed in different situations. Things don’t seem as stressful because we’ve walked this ground before and know that eventually everything will work out. Or at least that’s how it seems.

However, with age some things can seem more difficult. The physical things that we once had the power to handle when we were younger not can be tiring and frustrating.

“I love you, Lord! You are my strength. 2 The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my place of safety. He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place high in the hills. 3 I called to the Lord for help, and he saved me from my enemies! He is worthy of my praise!” Psalm 18:1-3 ERV

The Lord never intended for us to do things on our own. He came to walk and talk with Adam and Eve each evening. He talked with Abraham, friend to friend. The Lord visited with Moses and gave him direction. He gave David strength to defeat a giant and was there when Daniel needed Him in the lion’s den.

Jesus talked with the Father continually and obtained the strength He needed for each day. The Apostle Paul made this statement to the churches in a letter written as a prisoner in Rome.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

What is it that takes your strength? Packing up to go home, an illness, an obnoxious co-worker, financial stress? In each and every situation the Father promises to be our help and provide our strength.

Trust Him. He knows how to put everything back in the box.

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Hurry Up & Wait

I was telling a co-worker yesterday, as we were waiting for campers to arrive, that a favorite saying of my dad’s was “hurry up and wait”. When we become impatient, we rush about expending unnecessary amounts of energy and we still end up waiting.

Some mornings I wake up knowing what the day has in store or at least I think I do. And then there are mornings like this morning that I start praying over my day and have no idea how it will go or what I will be doing.

It’s then I remembered all the places we have lived where sheep were raised. They were a part of the natural landscape and I learned much from them. Sheep are rarely in a hurry; they moved slowly. There is no rush to their day.

Last night sheep settled in the pasture. They laid down to rest and felt safe. They will begin stirring in about 30 minutes or so as the new day starts to dawn. They have no agenda and feel no anxiousness over what they will do or where they will go. Unless the shepherd comes to lead them to a new field, they will be content to eat well in this pasture. But the minute they are aware of the shepherd’s presence, they become attentive – their senses heighten, their tails flick and their heads come up. They are ready to follow!

I need to learn that. I need to be content in this pasture until I hear the shepherd and then be ready to follow. It’s a lesson I have had to learn many times. But today, I will be content and wait for the shepherd. Following Him brings me to a place of provision and protection.

“Jesus said, ‘It is certainly true that when a man enters the sheep pen, he should use the gate. If he climbs in some other way, he is a robber. He is trying to steal the sheep. 2 But the man who takes care of the sheep enters through the gate. He is the shepherd. 3 The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. 4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But sheep will never follow someone they don’t know. They will run away from him, because they don’t know his voice.’

6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant….10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. 11 ‘I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep…14-15 ‘I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep.” John 10:1-15 ERV

Let’s follow the Shepherd. Wait patiently, be content and then follow His lead!

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Green Pastures

This morning I slept until 5 – some days that’s really nice. As I sat and prayed, the only thing that kept coming to my heart was rest.

“But Lord, I really want to share something.” “Rest, Kristi, rest.” “Ok, Father, I’ll rest.”

Dave and I stream our Sunday morning service and it was such a good message. I was able to stay focused on what pastor was sharing and not concerned about the blog. But once the service was over and I had gotten dressed, it came to me – Green Pastures.

There is no better place for sheep or cattle to rest than in green pastures. Resting for cattle or sheep is a sign of being full and content.

This morning I am content in who the Father is and all He has done in my life. I hope you are too.

Take time to read this very familiar Scripture. I am giving you several different translations but in each, the message is the same.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3  and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. 4 I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe. 5 You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows. 6 Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.” Psalm 23 CEV

“God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
 you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. 4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. 6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.” Psalm 23 MSG

“The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. 2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; 3 he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. 5 You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! 6 Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the Lord’s house as long as I live.” Psalm 23 CEB

This is where I’ll be sitting today, resting. I encourage you to find some “green pastures” today and just rest in the Lord!

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Hurry Up & Wait

Today is one of our days’ off and I’m thankful that we don’t have a long list of things that need to be done. Sometimes our non-workdays are filled with more activities than those when we work a full shift.

Whatever the day brings, it seems there is always a time of waiting. At 69, you would think I had learned to wait better but I’m still working on it.

How are you going to spend your day? Do you have a list of projects that need to be completed? Are you travelling to far away places? Do you think your activities are mundane and uneventful? Or do you possibly have a “big” appointment that could be life changing?

As you hurry through your morning or stop to have a quiet cup of coffee and a reflective moment, I want to encourage you to start your day praising God for the blessings in your life. You have breath, a computer/tablet/phone (if you’re reading this), a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in, you have some degree of health and wealth and you have God’s promise to never leave you or abandon you!

So much to be thankful for.

A while back, I was reading the last chapter of Luke. Jesus disciples and apostles had followed him for 3 years. They thought he was going to set up an earthly kingdom, overthrow their Roman oppressors and bring peace to their nation. But instead, He died; they were dejected. The resurrection gave them new hope . They learned He was leaving again but this time they had a new prospective.

What did they do?

“Jesus led his followers out of Jerusalem almost to Bethany. He raised his hands and blessed his followers. 51 While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. 52 They worshiped him and went back to Jerusalem very happy. 53 They stayed at the Temple all the time, praising God.” Luke 24:50-53 ERV

They spent their waiting time praising God!

What a great way to pass the time while you’re waiting in traffic, or in the checkout line that seems to be at a standstill. You can praise God while waiting to be served in a restaurant or on hold waiting for a live person to take your call. It’s the best way to spend your time while waiting in the carpool lane or sitting in a waiting room at the hospital.

“Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.” Psalm 27:14 ERV

Wherever you are waiting today, wait on the Lord – praise Him and He will fill your life with joy!

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Rest & Renewal

This morning I overslept – that’s a strange statement for someone to make who is retired and has no appointments for the day but it’s true all the same.

I enjoy getting up in the quiet of the morning, having time to read, pray and then write. That generally means I wake up around 3 or 330 and start my day. This morning it was almost 430 before I got out of bed. Whoa.

As I was praying, I felt I really should be sharing on resting. There are so many things that pull on us every day that we fail to really rest. Then I opened my computer and went to BibleGateway to look up a few verses that came to mind. This was the verse on their home page:

“But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:31 ERV

The two verses preceding this one read like this:

“He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it. 30 Young men get tired and need to rest.  Even young boys stumble and fall.” Isaiah 40:29-30 ERV

He helps tired people be strong. What an encouragement!

In another version, verse 31 says: “They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength”. Waiting on God will renew our strength. It will give us rest. Waiting on or trusting the Lord brings release from worry which brings rest. When we wait, we pause – we pause to get the Father’s plan and His direction.

Jesus was a prime example of this. He would minister all day and night and then he would send the disciples away or He would go to a place to pray – He would wait on the Father. After leaving these places of waiting, Jesus would go about ministering, rested and renewed.

“Jesus healed many of those who had different kinds of sicknesses. He also forced many demons out of people. But he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. 35 The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. 36 Later, Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. 37 They found him and said, “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus answered, “We should go to another place. We can go to other towns around here, and I can tell God’s message to those people too. That is why I came.” Mark 1:34-38 ERV

Are you feeling tired today – worn out, exhausted? Take time to WAIT on the Lord. He will renew your strength!!

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Sorry – Wrong Account

Well, that was a surprising email!

Dave and I are waiting to be reimbursed for some warranty work. I received an email requesting our summer address and was given a date of when the reimbursement should be arriving.

I replied asking if that would be for both invoices and received another email verifying two invoices but the wrong amounts. This was quickly followed by another email, “Sorry, wrong account” and then listed the correct amounts for reimbursement.

Good.

Things like that happen every day, hundreds of times. People being improperly charged and then there are emails, phone calls (sometimes very heated calls) and finally correction and resolution.

Do you know things like that happen in our spiritual lives as well? We’ll be going along just as carefree and happy as you please when a thought, a condemning thought, comes to mind. It’s called our conscience, a guilty conscience, reminding us of something in our past that we are ashamed of, and we plummet into self-pity and unworthiness.

Stamp that memory with the words “Wrong Account” and return to the sender, who is the devil.

“But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. This is why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

15 Christ died to rescue those who had sinned and broken the old agreement. Now he brings his chosen ones a new agreement with its guarantee of God’s eternal blessings!” Hebrews 9:14-15 CEV

Christ took our sins, all of them, and paid the price for our forgiveness. They were charged to His account and that account has been marked paid in full. Through His sacrifice we can live with a clear conscience.

“He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14 CEB

The debt has been removed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Our account, our conscience, has been cleansed!

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Time to Reset

If I say the words “manual override” do you know what I’m talking about?

We had a watering system in our previous home. Dave put it in and most of the time it worked without a hitch. But periodically I noticed the plants in the back yard would look a little wilted.

I would check the timer and find that it wasn’t working correctly. The plants hadn’t received their scheduled water. I would reset the clock on the timer, reset the watering schedule and then pushed the manual override, twice. The plants would show immediate signs of relief.

My morning quiet time was regularly interrupted by the sound of the watering system turning on and off. It was working correctly. However, there were those few times when the timer would malfunction. It needed replacing. It was time for a full reset.

I think sometimes we are like that. We have the clock set…going to accomplish this or that by the time I’m 30 or 40 or 60.

We schedule all the events to kick in at the right time…college, marriage, kids, retirement. We even schedule our spiritual lives…prayer time, Bible reading, church services, small group, Bible study.

Then without noticing our timer malfunctions and we begin to wilt – physically, emotionally, professionally, financially and spiritually. We get dry. Things heat up. We feel like we are dying. Stuck in a dead-end job, relationships begin to wither, emotionally we become hard and spiritually we are parched. Sometimes we need a manual override to refresh us and sometimes we need to reset the clock completely.

“Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall.31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 ERV

One version of this Scripture says we are to “wait” on the Lord, expect, look for, and hope in Him.

A reset with the Lord, waiting on Him, renews us just like a manual override on the watering system renews the plants.

“Lord, you are the hope of Israel. You are like a spring of living water. Those who stop following the Lord will have a very short life. 14 Lord, if you heal me, I surely will be healed. Save me, and I surely will be saved. Lord, I praise you.” Jeremiah 17:13-14 ERV

If you’re feeling dry today check your timer. Is it functioning properly? It might be time for a reset!

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When Strength Is Low

I hope you will understand the blog being late today. I really slept in this morning! We arrived home late afternoon on Friday and then spent yesterday with family activities.

Our oldest daughter, her daughter and I spent a good portion of the day making jam. Strawberry. Blackberry. Dozens of little jars. It was a fun day. Jam making is generally something I do with our oldest grandson but yesterday the girls wanted to be involved.

It was one of those days of making memories!

But this morning it all caught up with me and I just needed a few more hours of sleep. You ever have one of those days? So, if you need a little extra encouragement like I did this morning here goes.

“We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up. 10 When we have the opportunity to do good to anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10 ERV

“Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall.31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers.[a]They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 ERV

“The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you.He celebrates and sings because of you,and he will refresh your life with his love.” Zephaniah 3:17 CEV

“Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; 10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; 11 that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy 12 and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light.” Colossians 1:9-12 ERV

Now, I don’t know about you but I’m ready for the rest of the day. I’m going over in victory! AMEN.

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Nap Time

As I was searching for an image to use on this morning’s blog, I came across a picture of a napping child and the caption read “When is a child too old for a nap?”. My answer, never!

Yesterday day was busy. Not the crazy, hectic, week-before-Christmas busy but busy. Getting everything ready to travel safely and then setting up again once we were back to our permanent site.

Dave does the hard work; my jobs are little and detailed. After we were settled, I made lunch and we sat down to relax. About an hour and a half later, I woke up. Dave smiled and asked, “did you have a good nap”? Oh yes, wonderful.

If we listen, our bodies will tell us what we need and when we need it. We get thirsty and so we get a drink. We get hungry and we eat. (The trick to weight loss is to eat only when we are hungry). We rest when we are tired.

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NLT

Our bodies have these internal signals that are God-given and we need to listen to them so we don’t damage our health. If we push past these warnings it can be detrimental. Oh yes, I know this project MUST get done – the kids NEED to be at this activity. Just a couple more hours and I can rest. But if we keep that pace harm ourselves with physical and mental burnout.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

I was reminded of a time when Jesus took a nap. He was in a boat, in a storm, with his disciples and he laid down and went to sleep. He wasn’t up fretting or helping them row. He was resting. We need to learn from Jesus.

“Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” 39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Mark 4:38-39 ERV

Sounds like good advice when we are in life’s storms. We can fret and worry and it will change nothing. But when we come to Jesus with those problems, He will speak to our storms and give us rest.

Trusting Him gives us a spiritual nap!

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Learning to Trust

When our youngest daughter was in first grade, we adopted a sweet Australian Shepherd named Bear. He had been badly abused. He had trust issues to say the least.

We were given the name of a good trainer and once a week I took him to class. It didn’t take long for him and me to learn to work together. The commands of sit and stay were some of the first we worked on. He needed to know that when I gave those commands he could TRUST that I wasn’t going to leave him or beat him.

Presently I feel like I’m in a sit stay stage of life. I go through these training times periodically.

I have things to do, places to go, people to meet and minister too and God is saying “Sit Still”. I have learned in the past and am learning again that it’s just as important to be obedient to that command as it is to “love thy neighbor” or “pray without ceasing”.

If you know me at all you know I always have a list – things need to be done! I don’t do SIT – STAY very well. Years ago I read a book by Tim Hansel, “When I Relax I Feel Guilty”, that describes me to a tea. Retirement isn’t easy for a “list person”. I had a very dear friend tell me that it’s just as important to wait as it is to march forward. The key is being obedient to what God is saying and when He’s saying it.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” Psalm 46:10-11 NLT

The children of Israel had a tangible, visible sign that they followed. The Lord placed a cloud over the Tabernacle and when it moved they moved; and when it stayed they stayed.

“Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the LORD’s command—they followed the cloud when it moved… 22 If the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent for two days, a month, or a year, the people stayed at that place. They did not leave until the cloud moved…They camped when the LORD told them to, and they moved when he told them to…” Number 9:21-23 ERV

Obedience! That’s the key. We say “Lord, speak to me and I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” And then He speaks something so simple as to stay – rest and we sit for 15 minutes and then want to get up and get back to our normal routine. It’s hard to rest!

God’s way of doing things is generally contrary to the natural way. He told Joshua to march around a city and they would capture it – Jesus told us to achieve greatness we must strive to be a servant. Paul said when I am weak then am I strong. See – these things seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but that’s God’s way.

“My soul, relax! The LORD is caring for you.” Psalm 116:7 ERV

I’m learning to rest AGAIN. Yes, Lord I will sit and stay, trusting You!


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