I know every bird the the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.
Psalm 50: 11 (NIV)
Living in the mountain is a delicious blessing. As I watch the colorful birds outside, I’m reminded that God knows every bird in the mountains. What an awesome thought! Knowing my Heavenly Father is aware of every tiny mountain bird makes me feel his divine presence even more.
As you worship today, may the one who knows every bird in the mountains fill you with his divine presence as you lavish him with praise, and honor, and glory. Have a blessed Sunday!
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1: 35
I often find myself longing for more solitude and time to focus on spiritual things. That may sound crazy since I live alone, but even when you live alone the distractions of the present culture are many. Before the advancement of technology, it was much easier to find solitude in my day. In fact, before I ever owned a computer, I managed to have a consistent prayer and devotional time with four kids and a husband underfoot.
Computers, tablets, and smart phones are a vital part of life for most of us, but at times I feel they are as much of a curse as a blessing. I often wonder if the rise in mental illness and suicide rates are the result of the immense stress placed on us by our modern way of life. It seems as if nobody takes a break any more. We have forgotten the importance of solitude. We have forgotten how to rest and recharge our bodies and minds.
Cell phones make it possible for people to reach us no matter where we go. With each ringing notification, we reach for our phones without even thinking that we don’t have be available to everyone 24 hours a day. It’s okay to turn off the phone and take some time to rest and experience the blessing of quietness.
Even Jesus withdrew to quiet places to pray. We need to follow his example and withdrawal to a quiet place regularly to pray and seek God. How can we ever hear the voice of God speaking to us if we don’t learn how to be still before him?
The enemy of our souls does not want us to be quiet. I believe Satan uses the distraction of modern technology to keep people from praying, reading scripture, or spending time with their families. Living in a state of constant distraction is like a weapon of mass destruction against Christians today. We need to start controlling technology instead of allowing it to control us.
It’s in the quiet moments when we sit still before God that we find our greatest strength. It won’t be found in the constant distractions from text messages, emails, and phone notifications.
Quietness is a blessing and is necessary for spiritual, emotional, and physical renewal. What do you need to do today to set aside some time to withdrawal to quiet place?
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Proverbs 16: 24
I rarely do crafty stuff on my blog, but I thought I should share an idea I came up with the other day. If you use a desk calendar, you already know they’re practical but not very pretty. Since I love inspirational writing quotes, I decided to decorate the top sheet of my desk calendar with quotes and pictures to make it less boring and to inspire me throughout my work day.
The great thing is you can change the top sheet monthly or not at all. It’s entirely up to you. Just decorate the previous months calendar instead of tearing it off and you have a new month of inspiring quotes and pictures.
When you need to access the calendar, simply lift or roll back the cover page. The cover keeps all the messy stuff hidden from sight and leaves you with lots of inspiration to guide you through your work day. Whether you need inspiration to lose weight, reach a goal, or to encourage you as a writer, inspiring words and photos can motivate you to reach your goals.
In a world filled with negativity and depressing news, we can all use a little daily inspiration. I hope you enjoy creating your own motivational desk calendar. Blessings!