Peace

I think I’m coming to a new understanding and perspective on peace.  This phrase has gone through my mind recently…
Peace is not achieved, it’s received.
It seems like I’ve "heard" that in my heart over and over, and I’ve been pondering what that might mean.  I think that in a way I’ve thought of peace almost as a goal, with certain steps to get there.  Good steps, like...if I am walking by faith, if I am trusting God enough, if I’m trying not to worry…Then I will get to that place of having peace.  And all those things are truths.  But I think I’ve missed a subtle but powerful difference.  I can’t seem to “get” peace.  Or at least if I do, it is short-lived.  These past few weeks I’ve been experiencing something new and different.  It feels like I have been over and over releasing things to God, with arms and heart open, and then I’ve been able to receive His peace.  Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.”  My part is to receive it.  And to let go of whatever it is that hinders that. 
Much to think about!

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Saying yes

"One of the ways in which we most securely insulate ourselves from transformation is by having lives that are too full for stillness and solitude."

"For the last two decades my wife and I have spent about half of each year in leading contemplative retreats around the world. Doing so has convinced me that real transformation seldom comes simply from reading a book or listening to a lecture. It requires the fertile place of solitude and stillness. It demands the openness of heart and mind that can only be given when space is created for wahtever measure of stillness we can receive from God and are then prepared to offer back to God as our gift. Seeking silence, solitude, and stillness is always, therefore, a response to the Spirit, who calls us within our spirit to deeper places. It's a response to a longing that we may not even know is present. Acknowledging and responding to this longing is itself a way of expressing faith and saying yes to God." (David Benner, Spirituality and the Awakening Self, p 66.)

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Come to Me

It seems that lately I’ve been hearing a call in my heart, an invitation from the Lord. In the midst of a wildly busy time, and in the face of overwhelming struggles, what I’ve “heard” in my heart is, “Come to Me.” A simple yet profound invitation. The Lord through His Spirit, asking me, inviting me, even urging me, to simply respond to His invitation.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

”Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.”

“The Spirit and the bride say, “’Come!”

In this invitation I realize that He’s not inviting me to a place, but to a relationship. But I’m also realizing that sometimes in order to experience what He’s inviting me to, it does involve a “place.” Sometimes it requires that I literally step aside for a while from all the responsibilities and demands, to disconnect myself from the myriad of activities that seem to invade my every waking moment. Sometimes it means taking a drive, or setting aside a block of time with absolutely no agenda, except to respond to His invitation.

The Springs is the perfect “place” to say Yes to His call, “Come to Me.” In the meantime, I’m looking for ways that I can implement what I’ve learned at the Springs, incorporating into my daily life the things that nurture the intimate relationship with the Lord that I desire…and that He desires to have with me.

shared by Grace

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Let the Lord pour in

As leaders, I think we have to stop thinking that we are too busy to take time for ourselves. We know we cannot keep pouring out if we don’t take time to allow the Lord to pour in. We have to get away for more than a few hours, to give ourselves time to dial down, and become open and still.

Take this as an invitation from the Lord to set aside all that you give your life to, on a regular basis, so that you can give your full attention to Him. If you can’t do this for yourself, do it for your family and the women you serve.

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Is it Time to Stop?

In order to do the work of the ministry, we often sacrifice activities that nurture our souls. We give up meeting friends for coffee, taking walks at the park, enjoying leisurely mornings with the Lord. There’s so much to do, we can’t even imagine how we could carve out a morning, much less a few days to get away for retreat.

A book I was reading posed an intriguing question: Is it possible that instead of meeting the expectations God has of us, we are actually insulating ourselves from Him?

Could we actually be the ones filling up every minute because we want to avoid the Spirit? Could it be that our obsessive busyness and extreme attention to every detail is a well-crafted way to hide, to insulate ourselves from Him?

As I’ve thought about it, it makes sense to consider if avoidance may be at the heart of why my life gets wound up in a frantic cycle of meetings and obligations.

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