Blessed is the One Who Trusts

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord...

On our recent drive across South Dakota, my eyes were drawn to one healthy tree standing alone in the vast plains. It was the only thing green for miles, it seemed, because it was sinking its roots down deep for refreshing.

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." -- Jer. 17:7-8 NIV

It was precious family time with my mom and dad, as they didn't want to make the drive themselves. We stopped at an overlook and I took this picture. Back on the road, the four of us talked a long time about how God sustains in unbelievable ways when we trust Him. We all could identify with having seen God's refreshment through hard times when we kept our focus on Him. It often required waiting, but as we looked back, God was always lush and generous in His answers.

I am so blessed to have family and friends that trust God, too. I am not a lone tree in the desert. I can flourish because others have helped me grow my roots deep through the years.

Thank you, Lord. My confidence and sustenance comes from you. Even in the droughts and discouragements of life, you have the power to keep me flourishing. I will abide with you forever.

Unplug to Recharge

Serenity at St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park

In today’s electronic age, it seems counter-productive to “unplug to recharge,” but I have found that “unplugging” is absolutely the best way to re-energize me!

Oh, yes, I get energy from people and I love to be social. The encouragement and support of friends  gives me great boosts of borrowed energy. During the stress and emotion of this past couple weeks, in fact, this has really lifted me. But to keep going and find peace and strength, I need to preserve enough time to “find the quiet.”

I find the quiet by reading the Word, soaking in its wisdom and journaling what I’m learning. I can also find it by taking a walk or a ride by myself. Sometimes I find it waiting in line or taking a few minutes to kick back and listen carefully to the One I need most to connect with. I wonder why I even let other things steal my quiet when my greatest need is to be with the Source of all power and true refreshing.

Amid multiple priorities and lots of people I’d like to spend time with, I’m always working at carefully protecting that quiet space. No matter what is happening – the more that is going on, the more I need it! Even in tiny and consistent increments, unplugging from the things of the world and going in to His presence does everything to recharge me. It is this “abiding on the Vine” that washes and revives me, nourishes and strengthens me, gives me direction and vision.

Upon returning from the quiet, I find I have much more to offer – serenity, wisdom, compassion, perspective, balance and creativity…things I would rather not live without!

How do you refresh and recharge? Where and when do you “find your quiet”?

Dear God, Grant me the serenity in pockets of quiet, the courage to fiercely guard that time and the wisdom to know when I need it!

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jer. 33:3 NIV)

Beside Restful Waters

From the moment we entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we meandered next to sparkling streams. Surrounded by seas of green budding trees and tiny forest flowers, it was immediately refreshing. The water's edge beckoned, so with cameras and a picnic lunch in hand, my husband and I found a flat rock to relax on. It was near another large rock in the stream that looked like a crouching cat (do you see him?).

I felt the sun on my back and the tickle of the breeze as I watched the water gently weave its way through everything in its path. I felt free as I listened to the whooshing of the current flowing over the rocks, and it seemed to wash my cares away.

I knew what David was describing in Psalm 23 when he said the Lord leads us beside restful waters and restores our souls. What a blessing to be able to take a vacation! We had our own little soul-restoration project going on in the mountains of Tennessee.

It reminded me of how important it is to take time to just be still. Our lives are busy and full and we are energized by so many things. But we can't be filling our calendars with 90 million things to do and then praying for peace! God gives us the wisdom to choose where to best spend our time, if we ask Him. And, I think the best way to hear His answers is to preserve a little quiet in each day ... when my mouth is closed and my ears and my heart are open.

We enjoyed a week of listening to the babbling brooks, the whispering trees and the melodious harmony of a myriad of songbirds we weren't accustomed to hearing. We were captivated by lush green pastures with abundant wildlife grazing contentedly. It was a little taste of heaven and my soul was at perfect peace.

On the last night of the trip, we reminisced about the beauty we had taken in, and all the peace and tranquility we had enjoyed. "God is so good," we agreed. It felt like I didn't have a care in the world and the whole universe was in order.

After all, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

New Growth

The snow is gone and the daffodils are pushing up through the monochromatic brown landscape. How exciting to think of green again!

My plants in the sunroom know it is spring, too. I found a surprise at the top of my schefflera (pictured).

Last week my husband and I were blessed to have some time away to hike and explore the brown landscape of last year's foliage. Our time was balanced with reading, writing and reflecting. A retreat, of sorts. A time for new growth.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking time to re-read my journals from a few years ago, refreshing my memory on the way God has answered prayers, cultivating and shaping new growth in me. It's amazing to look back and see His "footprints in the sand" as He guided me through all the challenges that later have become the sprouts of new life.

"No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the Vine." (John 15:4 NIV) So, once again, it's all about abiding. Sticking close to our nourishment.

My writing time on our "retreat" last week was for the purpose of distilling the best of my journaling stories into a presentation. It was last year at the Women's Breakaway in Chilton that I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me. It was as if He said, "YOU can share your passion for journaling with these women!"

So I submitted my name as a speaker. (Is that a glimpse of new foliage?)

Over the past several months, the thrill inside me has grown as I've gathered ideas to share at the Women's Breakaway on April 17, 2010. I've named it, "A Diary of Our Love Story... Journal Your Prayers and Watch God at Work." I'll share several reasons and examples of why journaling is worth the effort. I am just so excited for others to experience the joy I feel in this process!

Can I ask you -- my dear blog-reading friends -- to pray for me? Please pray that I am able to deliver this in a way that inspires hope and the opportunity for growth in the women who attend this workshop. And to God be the Glory!