rest
…disconnect from your routine
So really…do you feel yourself being drawn towards a time of rest? But think, How?
If you are like me, that pull becomes slack when thinking of all the things you “should” be doing that are productive.
Are you asking yourself, “Sounds nice, but who has the spare time to just do nothing?”
I want to challenge you on that thought.
You no doubt have recognized that your physical body has need for sustenance. Your mind has need for growth and input. Your relational self has need of emotional connection.
Have you ever considered that your soul, your inner being, has need of nurturing and care?
Think about it, humanity started off in the garden of Eden communing with God. He walked with us and he talked with us. We were designed, by God, to have a deep a longing to commune with Him, in His created beauty. A soul connection was built into us a human need.
Feeling the loss of that connection, we have a tendency to fill the need with lesser things. Busy things. Time consuming, and time wasting things. Things that offer us fleeting satisfaction.
So in the filling, we actually remain empty.
Overstimulated. Restless. Bored. Maybe even hiding from God behind some fig leaves.
There is a whispered aching deep inside you beckoning you to be still and know.
Friend, make time for relationship with God. Step away from your everyday.
Peace.
Rest.
Me? I am simply allowing you that space, and at times spending time with you introducing you to ways to intentionally connect with your Father in heaven.
Think about it, pray about it and I hope you will choose wisely and receive this opportunity,
from me, to nourish your soul.
Be assured, there is no agenda, just you, time, space, beauty…breathing room.
You need it.
What does this breathing room look like?
You and I will spend some time together in conversation, but we will mostly be “alone together” – which in and of itself is a learning experience. One that fascinated me when I had my retreats at The Abbey of Gethsemani and other “set aside” places.
I am an empath, an attuned listener, a follower of Jesus Christ, my heart is to love God and love others.
I think it important I also share with you that the people who have hurt me the most in this world are fellow Christians. Sadly, far too many equate the treatment they have received from others as a reflection of who God is and they avoid Him. Trust me, He provides the safe place you long for and my heart is to guide you towards Him.
Soul Care is the nurturing of your inner self by connecting with a higher power. Growing a relationship with God that gives you a holistic sense of well-being and abiding peace.
You are invited to a time of rest and contemplation…
Would you be willing to “set aside” 24-48 hours to explore the health benefits gained for your body, mind and soul through purposeful disconnection from your routine?
If an extended time to slow down sounds like an unlikely impossibility, or completely daunting to you - that is a strong indicator rest is exactly what you need. Can you be curious about what you would gain from choosing to disconnect and redirect?
"Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
~ Jeremiah 6:16
Soul Care is a learned and transferable skill, one that I have spent two decades immersed in and studying. The Biblical foundation of soul care is sorely neglected by far too many. Experience the way to find peace and growth through rest and guidance in the age old, well-practiced, life enriching methods of soul care.
“Among the practices that can help us attend to soul care at a basic level are solitude and silence. We practice these by finding ways to be alone and away from talk and noise. We rest, we observe, we “smell the roses”—dare we say it?—we do nothing. This discipline can be used of God as a means of grace. In it we may even find another reminder of grace—that we are saved, justified by His redeeming power—not by our strivings and achievements.
In drawing aside for lengthy periods of time, we seek to rid ourselves of the “corrosion” of soul that accrues from constant interaction with others and the world around us. In this place of quiet communion, we discover again that we do have souls, that we indeed have inner beings to be nurtured. Then we begin to experience again the presence of God in the inner sanctuary, speaking to and interacting with us. We understand anew that God will not compete for our attention. We must arrange time for our communion with Him as we draw aside in solitude and silence.” ~ Dallas Willard
I hope you consider, pray about your need and then contact me so we can meet (by phone, video conference or in person) and you can ask “all the questions” and we can get to know each other. I am here for you and look forward to listening and guiding.
I hope you will give God a chance to reach you in a much more personal way. (I am able to host two people at once if bringing a friend would help you feel more comfortable.)
Blessings and peace to you.
Why I am here...
Thank you for stopping by. If your curiosity is piqued, I hope you will choose rest. With me, or in your own space, with yourself. At sixty two, what I know, is that seeking a personal abiding relationship with your Creator is worth your time.
To “Be still and know… that He is God” is the main thing, that helps all other things.
After decades of personal study and pouring into others through writing and speaking God has led me to a new type of sharing. My heart now is to come alongside others and help them journey on a guided solo retreat as they pursue Gods presence. I host others as a contemplative guide, sharing practices that lead to calm, peace and curiosity as you listen for the voice of God.
My grandmother instilled in me a curiosity for deeper insight. Making time for solitude began when I was a young professional. Once I became a mom I began studying peace in the Bible and over the next few decades that led to countless Bible studies, seminary courses, mom camp retreats, solitude retreats, silent retreats, online classes and a two year soul care program to learn the old ways. My bookshelves are filled with classic and current books I’ve read and studied on spiritual disciplines, intimacy with God, soul care, whole hearted living, counseling, story work and more.
During this journey, during an eight day silent retreat in 2019, in the middle of a rainstorm, God impressed James 1:27 on my heart. It is a memorized verse, that I then spoke out loud, stopping at the word “widows.” I then felt a nudge to finish the verse. As I spoke the remaining words aloud I was crushed with the newfound reality of the weight of what God also accepts as pure and faultless religion - I had always focused on the words "orphans" and "widows." The words at the end of the verse reverberated in my mind over and over and I wept. I hit my knees, tears soaking my face knowing the path I had been on, He was asking me to lead others down.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
~ James 1:27
My path led to here, you, this website, a new lake house with glorious sunsets and my time. My "Why I am here..." is to help others “keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” A beautiful location to commune with God. Abide in Christ. One on one conversations. I have learned that holding space for others as an attuned listener and a loving guide heals souls. Sharing shalom. Rest. ~ Friend, I want that for you.
If you want to take the next step and connect, please let me know by sharing with me your "Why I am here..."
