Quiet, Be still, Shhh...

“Be still, and know that I am God!...” lvb & ncv

“Cease striving and know that I am God…” nasb

“Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God…” amp

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God…” msg

(Psalm 46:10)

As the dust settles on emptied boxes and things find their places in our new home, the silence brings me peace and an uncanny awareness of God’s presence. The quiet also makes me aware of my alone-ness and my vulnerability to the enemy’s attacks.

It’s time for me to be still, cease striving, let be, step out of the traffic, and draw very near to God. It’s time for a check-up, to take stock of where I am and see where I’m going.

Where I’ve been in 2013: (I can’t believe it’s already September)

·         Body: gained way more weight during this move than I care to share; for the first time in my life, I have high blood pressure

·         Spirit: sought God through prayer and His Word most days but not all

·         Soul: hesitant to meet new people, lack writing focus, more worries than contentment; disorder of house causing chaos to my soul (aka stress)

“Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”

Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm.” Mark 4:39 ncv

Where I’m going:

·         Body: pay attention to what, when, where, and how I am eating; walk more

·         Spirit: continue in personal prayer & reading, but find a group to go deeper

·         Soul: meet people, write more, develop a schedule

“Lord God All-Powerful, who is like you?

Lord, you are powerful and completely trustworthy.

You rule the mighty sea and calm the stormy waves.” Psalm 89:8-9 ncv

How will I press toward where I’m going:

·         Body: use books like “The Ultimate Daniel Fast” “Thin Within” “Born to Crave” to give me guidance & encouragement

·         Spirit: check with area churches for Bible study groups

·         Soul: get involved in church, writer groups, and other like-minded people; continue putting the house in order

·         And on a scale of 1-10 rate my daily progress 

Years ago, I began to rate my days: 1 is horrible; 10 is tremendous. I rated them as a whole—body, spirit, and soul—and not individually. No longer did the failures of my day score my life; but rather, the victories brought the average higher. As the averages climbed, so did my spirit and soul, which in turn caused me to be a more conscious caretaker of my body.

My heart sang. My face glowed. A skip developed in my step.

That’s where I want to be again. If you want, you may follow me as I rate the days of September (and maybe beyond) on Facebook. I will simple post a number around 9:00pm Mountain Time; and if you want, you may respond with your number for the day.

(Books: The Ultimate Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola; Thin Within by Judy & Arthur Halliday; Born to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst; also, one from the past, Breaking Free by Beth Moore)