Good Morning! :) Drinking some STOUT coffee right now! We ran out of our favorite, our Hazelnut Vanilla Kahve Coffee (myxswellness.com)....should be coming in any day now. It actually won in a taste test against Starbucks! It's yummy. So, I'm drinking coffee from our Kerig. The K-cup I'm drinking this morning is called Black Tiger! Yikes! Even my dad said, with a name like that he was a bit scared to drink it! :) haha! It is pretty stout. And...it was a sad morning to open the fridge and realize there was no more cream! Whaaaaaaaa! :-(''''' So sad. So, I had to doctor my coffee up with milk, splenda & powder french vanilla creamer. One day, when I grow up, maybe I'll rise to the level of drinking my coffee black! Definitely something to aspire to do!!
Well, as I was getting in the Word this morning, I was definitely groggy & tired. The boy decided to wake up last night, so I was up for about 2 hours with him. Was quite interesting. But PRAISE GOD that I am in a position to stay up with my boy! And then, be home with my boy all day! What a blessing!! But, I also just thought, "Lord, can you really 'bring it' every day? Can you really open the Word up daily in an insightful & new way? Am I expecting too much?" Well, this morning I reluctantly opened up my Bible & began reading, I really just wanted to go back to bed.
So, then I began to grab all these nuggets, some of the nuggets that we have developed our life on. Like take Proverbs 3:4, we use this all the time! Application of the Word in real life situations! When Tyler or I are going into a meeting, or a situation, or discussion with a friend or family member that may make us, in the natural, a little nervous - we quote this verse. "Thank you Father that I have favor & good understanding in the sight of YOU God, and man! Thank you that I have favor as I walk into this meeting because your Word says it, I can believe for it!" Then I read a bit further and found a financial nugget that we have built our finances on, Proverbs 3:9-10. "Thank you Lord that since we honor you with the firstfruits (tithe) of ALL (including financial gifts people may give us) of our income, we believe you that our storage places (bank accounts) ARE filled with plenty & our vats (bank accounts) will be overflowing with new wine (money/resources)." Then, going a bit further in Proverbs 3:13-18, we could just choose to tag team off of yesterdays blog and talk about "Skillful & Godly Wisdom" and what comes from possessing it. There are so many ways we could go this morning....but I'm going to choose a different path.
Again...I always take text from the Amplified....here goes:
Picture this, our friend has accomplished a lot. She looks back and with a small smile on her lips & satisfaction in her mind she sees that what she has done is good. She looks back on her work, impressed. I think that there may have been times where our friend did this.... she had her work completed, it was a success, so now, she wanders out to a rolling hill. Green grasses as far as the eyes can see, wild flowers planted covering large areas of ground. Looking in the distance, she sees the rolling hills, green grass & yellow, orange, pink, and white flowers. The sky is bright, bright blue with a few scattered cotton ball clouds. The sun is shining and she looks up with the sun on her face, a light breeze in her hair and just puts out her arms in pleasure. Our friend is taking a break to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She has brought with her plump grapes from her vines, and some food that she has brought from afar, and for the next several hours she is just going to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She has tasted & has seen that the work she has done was indeed good. This break to enjoy God & the beauty of nature is just what she needs to keep "doing good" and "accomplishing the good things for God". Her children are not with her, her husband is fine, it is simply her & God.
Before Tyler & I got married and he was still in college, he took every Sunday and enjoyed a Sabbath, a Day of Rest. He didn't do school work on that day, he didn't train for track, he didn't clean his apartment or gather with friends to work on a project. He took Sunday after going to church, spent the rest of the day, he & a lawnchair, and sat down at the beach. It was Tyler, a good book, his notebook & his Bible. Just he & God. It took a step of faith to do this. To NOT train?! "Olympic hopeful", Big South Conference Champ 4 years in a row, to take Sunday completely off? We continued this "Day of Rest" after we got married...and then, due to help we were receiving from some business mentors, we stopped doing this "Day of Rest". Sometimes the only day they could travel to help us was Sunday, or Saturday and so gradually our "Day of Rest" (DOR) became just another day forgotten.
About 3 years ago, the Lord got on us about not having a DOR. So, though decided to lean on, trust in & be confident in the Lord...to not rely on our own understanding. To us, taking a day off was almost "blasphemy" to our business goals. To our "GO GO GO" lifestyle. To our constant "productivity"... or so we thought. Taking a DOR, took faith to go back to it, and definitely took trusting in the Lord.
Well... yesterday was our DOR. My favorite time of the week. A day where we just wake up when we wake up, drink our coffee together, sit side by side on the couch while reading and spending time in the Word. The boy then begins to stir and he gets up, happy & smiling. Mama doesn't do laundry, clean, work on taxes. Mama doesn't do anything that resembles work, & neither does dad. Even being around people, since we are around people a lot, on our DOR, we prefer not to even be around people. We like to just relax, quietly relax. So, yesterday we went to the pool, set up camp and enjoyed reading, getting a tan, swimming with the boy & even taking some sporadic naps. Our DOR is sacred. It is special. Not to mention, it is Biblical. "Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." God worked 6 days, and rested on the 7th.
Take a day & rest. Enjoy the fruits of your labor from the previous week. Taste & see that your work with & for God has been good. Do what seems relaxing to you. Do what is enjoyable to you. So you like to scrapbook, do that. You like to read? Sew? Sleep? Watch a movie? Play games? On our DOR, we do whatever REJUVENATES us mentally, physically & spiritually. We REST. We have even had seasons where we frequently would get a massage on our DOR. Your body & your mind need rest. And wouldn't you know it, we now get MUCH MUCH MUCH more accomplished during the week because we have allowed God to give us a plan, to lead us and guide us on our Day of Rest. So then, our work that we are doing during the week is not in vain because it has been directed from our Father.
So, taste & see this week. Enjoy the green grasses & wild flowers or the quaint, quiet coffee shop, time by the pool in your gazebo, at the beach, by a mountain stream. Find a place that you can enjoy and have that sweet, quiet, uninterrupted time with your Father. No watch dictating your time, no cell phone with constant interruptions, texts & calls. Just you & your Father.
Taste & See.
Well, as I was getting in the Word this morning, I was definitely groggy & tired. The boy decided to wake up last night, so I was up for about 2 hours with him. Was quite interesting. But PRAISE GOD that I am in a position to stay up with my boy! And then, be home with my boy all day! What a blessing!! But, I also just thought, "Lord, can you really 'bring it' every day? Can you really open the Word up daily in an insightful & new way? Am I expecting too much?" Well, this morning I reluctantly opened up my Bible & began reading, I really just wanted to go back to bed.
So, then I began to grab all these nuggets, some of the nuggets that we have developed our life on. Like take Proverbs 3:4, we use this all the time! Application of the Word in real life situations! When Tyler or I are going into a meeting, or a situation, or discussion with a friend or family member that may make us, in the natural, a little nervous - we quote this verse. "Thank you Father that I have favor & good understanding in the sight of YOU God, and man! Thank you that I have favor as I walk into this meeting because your Word says it, I can believe for it!" Then I read a bit further and found a financial nugget that we have built our finances on, Proverbs 3:9-10. "Thank you Lord that since we honor you with the firstfruits (tithe) of ALL (including financial gifts people may give us) of our income, we believe you that our storage places (bank accounts) ARE filled with plenty & our vats (bank accounts) will be overflowing with new wine (money/resources)." Then, going a bit further in Proverbs 3:13-18, we could just choose to tag team off of yesterdays blog and talk about "Skillful & Godly Wisdom" and what comes from possessing it. There are so many ways we could go this morning....but I'm going to choose a different path.
Again...I always take text from the Amplified....here goes:
Proverbs 3:5 - Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
Proverbs: 31:18 - She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good...Sometimes just thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman can be exhausting. She is so perfect, has it all together, and it makes you wonder, "When does this woman ever take a break? Does she ever have down time? I just don't know if I can 'GO' like her...I don't know if I have the energy or stamina." Well, for that very reason, that is why I like Proverbs 31:18.
Picture this, our friend has accomplished a lot. She looks back and with a small smile on her lips & satisfaction in her mind she sees that what she has done is good. She looks back on her work, impressed. I think that there may have been times where our friend did this.... she had her work completed, it was a success, so now, she wanders out to a rolling hill. Green grasses as far as the eyes can see, wild flowers planted covering large areas of ground. Looking in the distance, she sees the rolling hills, green grass & yellow, orange, pink, and white flowers. The sky is bright, bright blue with a few scattered cotton ball clouds. The sun is shining and she looks up with the sun on her face, a light breeze in her hair and just puts out her arms in pleasure. Our friend is taking a break to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She has brought with her plump grapes from her vines, and some food that she has brought from afar, and for the next several hours she is just going to enjoy the fruits of her labor. She has tasted & has seen that the work she has done was indeed good. This break to enjoy God & the beauty of nature is just what she needs to keep "doing good" and "accomplishing the good things for God". Her children are not with her, her husband is fine, it is simply her & God.
Before Tyler & I got married and he was still in college, he took every Sunday and enjoyed a Sabbath, a Day of Rest. He didn't do school work on that day, he didn't train for track, he didn't clean his apartment or gather with friends to work on a project. He took Sunday after going to church, spent the rest of the day, he & a lawnchair, and sat down at the beach. It was Tyler, a good book, his notebook & his Bible. Just he & God. It took a step of faith to do this. To NOT train?! "Olympic hopeful", Big South Conference Champ 4 years in a row, to take Sunday completely off? We continued this "Day of Rest" after we got married...and then, due to help we were receiving from some business mentors, we stopped doing this "Day of Rest". Sometimes the only day they could travel to help us was Sunday, or Saturday and so gradually our "Day of Rest" (DOR) became just another day forgotten.
About 3 years ago, the Lord got on us about not having a DOR. So, though decided to lean on, trust in & be confident in the Lord...to not rely on our own understanding. To us, taking a day off was almost "blasphemy" to our business goals. To our "GO GO GO" lifestyle. To our constant "productivity"... or so we thought. Taking a DOR, took faith to go back to it, and definitely took trusting in the Lord.
Well... yesterday was our DOR. My favorite time of the week. A day where we just wake up when we wake up, drink our coffee together, sit side by side on the couch while reading and spending time in the Word. The boy then begins to stir and he gets up, happy & smiling. Mama doesn't do laundry, clean, work on taxes. Mama doesn't do anything that resembles work, & neither does dad. Even being around people, since we are around people a lot, on our DOR, we prefer not to even be around people. We like to just relax, quietly relax. So, yesterday we went to the pool, set up camp and enjoyed reading, getting a tan, swimming with the boy & even taking some sporadic naps. Our DOR is sacred. It is special. Not to mention, it is Biblical. "Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." God worked 6 days, and rested on the 7th.
Take a day & rest. Enjoy the fruits of your labor from the previous week. Taste & see that your work with & for God has been good. Do what seems relaxing to you. Do what is enjoyable to you. So you like to scrapbook, do that. You like to read? Sew? Sleep? Watch a movie? Play games? On our DOR, we do whatever REJUVENATES us mentally, physically & spiritually. We REST. We have even had seasons where we frequently would get a massage on our DOR. Your body & your mind need rest. And wouldn't you know it, we now get MUCH MUCH MUCH more accomplished during the week because we have allowed God to give us a plan, to lead us and guide us on our Day of Rest. So then, our work that we are doing during the week is not in vain because it has been directed from our Father.
So, taste & see this week. Enjoy the green grasses & wild flowers or the quaint, quiet coffee shop, time by the pool in your gazebo, at the beach, by a mountain stream. Find a place that you can enjoy and have that sweet, quiet, uninterrupted time with your Father. No watch dictating your time, no cell phone with constant interruptions, texts & calls. Just you & your Father.
Taste & See.
4 comments:
Thank you! I need a DOR too!!! Wow!
This is a real encouragement! God wants us to take time to rest! I need a DOR! Awesome!
DOR is long overdue! We don't even know how to do it. WOW that is sad.
Good morning June 4th Anonymous...
Well, I can definitely tell you from our experience, it was HARD to take a day off. Especially when I worked & before we had someone doing our laundry. I thought.... "If I take a Saturday or Sunday completely OFF, how is the house going to get cleaned? Laundry done? Grocery shopping done? Cooking? Dishes? Cleaning? AHHH!" It took planning, and it took Faith. And discipline to protect that day. We turned down things or invitations to go places (if it would've seemed like work to go) if it was our "DOR".
But, wouldn't you know God blessed and has completely MULTIPLIED our time and energy because of our faithfulness! It has been one of the best things we've ever done!!!
Wishing you the best with your first DOR!!! Let me know how it goes! I really think that you will find it ENERGIZING to leave the dishes in the SINK and NOT WORK!!! :) love it! :)
xo,
Amy J.
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