A Quiet Place

Each morning, I start my day out by spending time with God. I call it my... "Coffee With God" time. I like to get up early --- I'm talking 5am! --- before the rest of my family awakes. I start the coffee pot, feed the dog, let the dog out ....(well, first I have to turn on the "bunny lights", so the bunnies will scatter before I let my bunny-killer-of-a-dog, loose!)... then, with coffee in hand, I come here, into my "office" ... (it's really a converted dining room that I made into my office / scrapbooking room, but I don't really scrapbook anymore, so now it's just my "office".)

I have a whole routine that I go through each morning. First, I write in my journal (the actual "book" kind. Not the computer kind.) Second, I light my "Jesus Candle" (it's just a regular candle, but that's what I call it.). The flame of the candle is a reminder to me that the Holy Spirit is here with me. Third, I open up my "prayer journal" and silently read and pray over all of the prayers that I have listed in my journal. When a prayer is answered, it gets checked off and dated in red so that I will know that it has been "answered". (There are MANY red checks and dates in my prayer journal. Thank you, Lord!) Fourth, I log into my email and check to see if there are any prayer requests that have been added to the church prayer chain. If so, then they get added into my prayer journal along with any other "new" concerns that I may have for the day.

After I am done praying, I take out my two devotional books that I read each morning. One is called... Babes with a Beatitude, Devotions for Smart, Savvy, Women of Faith. And the other one is called...Once a Day, Every Day For Women. This one is actually my favorite, but both are good. Before I read my devotionals, I pray to God and ask Him to help me hear His voice through what I am about to read. I also ask Him to help me understand what it is that He wants me to learn from each of these devotionals. I keep a notebook on my desk that I write down what I believe He wants me to hear and learn. Whenever I have the chance... I love to go back through it and read HIS messages.

I also have several devotions that come to my email each day. One is from the Upper Room and one is from Rev. Mark Brown, called Journey Into God's Word. It is actually his daily blog, but his writings are WONDERFUL!! (if you are on Facebook, you can follow him there or you can Google him.)

I started this post with the idea of sharing today's devotion from my "Once A Day" devotional book. The title of the devotion, is the title of this post --- "A Quiet Place". When I read it this morning, I knew immediately that this would be what I would write about today. I didn't realize, tho, that I would write so much about my quiet time with God! But, once you read this devotion, you will see why I did. Here it goes --- Enjoy!

A Quiet Place

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. -- Mark 1:35 NKJV

In the first chapter of Mark, we read that in the darkness of the early morning hours, Jesus went to a solitary place and prayed. So, too, should we. But, sometimes, finding quiet moments of solitude is difficult indeed.
We live in a noisy world, a world filled with distractions, frustrations, and complications. But if we allow the distractions of a clamorous world to separate us from God's peace, we do ourselves a profound disservice. Are you one of those busy women (or men) who rushes through the day with scarcely a single moment for quiet contemplation and prayer? If so, it's time to reorder your priorities. Nothing is more important than the time you spend with your Savior. So be still and claim the inner peace that is your spiritual birthright: the peace of Jesus Christ.

The more complicated life becomes, the more we need to quiet our souls before God. -- Elizabeth Elliot

In the center of a hurricane there is absolute quiet and peace. There is no safer place than in the center of the will of God. -- Corrie ten Boom

A TIMELY TIP
Be still and listen to God. He has something important to say to you.

Well, ... you can see why I really felt strongly that I needed to share this devotion and write about it. I have highlighted my favorite sentence. It is so true!! We tend to forget this because of our busy, busy lives. God just wants us to spend time with Him each day in quiet peace. If we are not still, we will never hear His beautiful voice! ~~ My prayer for those of you that read this, is that you will find the time each day to have your own quiet time with God. ~ God Bless!

The Fruit of the Spirit

Original date written -- 3/29/10

I won't write about "why" I chose to write about this topic. God knows why, and that is all that matters. I got the definitions below from my Believer's Bible Commentary, by William MacDonald. I go to it often for help in understanding verses.


Galatians 5:22-23 --- "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (NLT)

Love is what God is, and what we ought to be.

Joy is contentment and satisfaction with God and His dealings.

Peace could include the peace of God as well as harmonious relations among Christians.

Longsuffering is patience in afflictions, annoyances, and persecutions.

Kindness is gentleness, perhaps best explained in the attitude of the Lord toward little children.

Goodness is kindness shown to others.

Faithfulness may mean trust in God, confidence in our fellow Christians, fidelity, or reliability.

Gentleness is taking the lowly place as Jesus did when He washed His disciples' feet.

Self-control means literally holding oneself in, especially regarding sex. Our lives should be disciplined. Lust, passions, appetites, and temper should be ruled. We should practice moderation