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What is Filling Your Thoughts?

July 26, 2018 By Lisa Lewis

How is the memorizing going so far? 3 short phrases that can be fit together now:

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

I’ve spent some time investigating rest, learning about it and, dare I say, practicing it. I’ve learned to appreciate the gift that rest is. I’m not talking about a weekend away from the routine; that’s more like a retreat. This verse is meant to take place in the everyday busy-ness we encounter.

There isn’t a mystery of interpretation to this phrase. But it is pregnant with meaning.

The word I is a personal pronoun attributed to the speaker, who in this case is Jesus.

Rest means what it says. Rest. Ceasing from activity.

Photo by Marko Kovic on Unsplash

 

Jesus will give you rest.  He sees how busy we are. He knows how physically tired we can get. He knows what it feels like to be thirsty, in pain, lonely; whatever you are dealing with today. He knows.

And He will give you rest.

How you might ask? Is He going to come babysit? Or take care of my ailing parent? Or, or, or,…

You know by now that I am a context girl so stopping at this phrase without putting it together within the context is hard. I don’t want to run ahead to the weeks to come but I do want you to know, to become aware of, the comfort this sentence can bring.

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

It is an invitation.

If we slow our racing thoughts; if we slow our frantic pace; if we actively pause and look in His direction, He is waiting in the wings of our lives to give us that comfort & rest. A sigh. A deep breath. A slow exhale. Click To Tweet

Maybe you need to hide in the bathroom to make that rest happen. Perhaps it’s simply a pause of thought and action even as you read this post.

Jesus knows. He sees. He cares. He comforts.

He gives rest.

Let us know how you practice pushing the pause button in your days. We all need encouragement to find ways of practicing. Using that word is a reminder that we are all learners.

I highly recommend pushing pause daily.

Filed Under: Encouragement, Faith, Meditations, Personal, rhythm of life, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: Matthew 11:28-30, pause, Rest

Practicing Sabbath During Lent

February 14, 2016 By Lisa Lewis

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Beauty in the weeds.

It’s in simplicity that we learn to appreciate small things. Slowing down, really seeing what is around us, paying attention; these are elements that can become a part of our daily life with practice.

Practice implies doing something more than once; doing something imperfectly, but doing something with the hope of improving.

Practicing Sabbath during Lent is going to challenge me. I’ve fallen into a rhythm that uses Sunday afternoon as a “get caught up” time rather than a time of slowing down and paying attention.

What needs attention? The house, bills, laundry, groceries all call for attention. Quietly though, I begin to feel something else needs attention. My soul. I start to feel stretched when there has been too much going; too much serving; too much doing; too much listening to others. Without refilling I have nothing of value to give. My soul needs rest from all these things. My hope is that by practicing Sabbath during Lent this draining rhythm will reset.

“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” Mark 2:27

God instituted rest for our good. We’re the ones who think we must fill the days with busyness. We fill and over-fill our calendars and keep going beyond what we’re really able. And our souls dry up from the drought; a lack of watering will cause all living things to suffer.

 

spiritual disciplines

Reading. Reflecting. Resting. Refilling. Reset.

Practicing Sabbath.

I may just see beauty in the weeds of life…

 

 

 

Filed Under: Encouragement, Hope, Let Go & Lean In, Personal, rhythm of life, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: Rest, Sabbath, spiritual discipline

Rest for Your Soul

October 22, 2015 By Lisa Lewis

rest for your soul

I shared this photo yesterday with the women of Alameda MOPS. I was privileged to bring them a few words of encouragement for a very busy season; early motherhood.

Preparing to share about Embracing Rest meant I needed to slow down in my own life and make space for spiritual rest and renewal.

Learning to know when to work hard and when to let up and rest is a big part of living in tandem with God.

When Jesus commissioned his 12 disciples to go out and teach, He also went out to teach. Jesus invited all who heard to come to Him;

“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The yoke is meant for close connection and for training. It is also how a stronger helps the weaker to accomplish the task. When oxen were yoked together they were paired by strength; a weaker one was put in the yoke alongside a stronger, more experienced ox.

I like how Eugene Peterson says it in The Message: “Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with Me and work with Me–watch how I do it. learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Jesus knows how physically and spiritually tired we can be. And He offers us a different Way.

If we keep company with Him, we’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

And we will find rest for our souls.

Filed Under: Encouragement, Hope, Living in Tandem, Personal Tagged With: Matthew 11:28-30, Rest, The Message

Embracing Rest

October 18, 2015 By Lisa Lewis

I like slow mornings. I have learned that though after years of setting my alarm to get up in the dark before my family so that I could

Be still and know…

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Now that I don’t have to get up early to get ahead of the morning rush, I can sit in stillness & quiet and be filled.

The need for filling is the same though. My soul needs to know and experience the Presence of God as much now as then. The filling has different uses in this season.

As a mom of littles I was desperate for a sense of peace in the middle of tears, diapering, sibling squabbles, meals that were objected to, misplaced special friends at bedtime. I was exhausted from all the giving of myself. What I thought I needed was more sleep, which of course was interrupted almost nightly by someone.

I shared my frustrations and exhaustion with a group of moms at the park one day. One seasoned mom who had been invited by another quietly asked if she might share an idea that might help.  Since I was desperate I quickly said yes please.

She said “Imagine you are a cup and each one of your family is a straw in your cup. Picture adding a straw for every responsibility outside your family: work outside your home, volunteering in the community, at church, extended family, etc.  Not all the straws need to draw from your cup daily but some do. And when all the straws need to draw from you at once what will happen?”  It was easy to imagine the cup being drained dry. I felt it. A lot.

You have to be filled up before you can be helpful to others.

But how?

The answer looks differently for each of us and will look different in various, changing seasons.  The first and foremost way though is to start with agreeing that you have a need for rest.

Embracing Rest instead of believing you can be all things to all people in your own strength is the key to finding the best ways of filling your soul.

For many years the most I could do was a variety of little things throughout the days. I love to listen to music of all kinds but it took a comment from my mother to point out that I wasn’t sharing my love for music with my littles. She asked “Why don’t you have music on all day anymore? Your kids would probably love it!” Her question gave me an idea. I started playing music that was upbeat when we needed to get ready to head out for the day and when we did our chores. When it was a quieter time of day I played music of classical composers that I enjoy. Little by little the music had a comforting affect on all of us.

When my littles were transitioning out of naps I still needed a break so we instituted rest time which everyone needs. I put a digital clock in the bedroom and on a 3 x 5 card wrote the numbers of the time that rest would be over. When the numbers matched, they could get up. Calling it nap time to a 3 year old was disastrous. Calling it rest time and giving him the power to know when it was over was money. And ironically he usually fell asleep amid the books on his bed! And of course I got the much needed quiet as well!

I had to learn how to get my cup filled up at the beginning of the day too. For years I had set an alarm to get up early enough to avoid rushing around in the morning to get out the door for work. I hate having to rush. But I had stopped doing that when I began the role of stay at home mom thinking I had all the time in the world and could make my own schedule. Ha! It took me too long to recognize needing more sleep wasn’t the only way to rest.

When I began to set my alarm to get up before my family it was a huge shock to my system. So I adjusted slowly by getting up just a few minutes before their waking pattern so I could get a cup of coffee and read a short devotional.

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These are the three that have filled me up over the years. Such great inspiration and Word focused encouragement for the day is found in each of these. I didn’t read all three of them each day… I’ve just lived a lot of years!

Those few moments each morning were just enough to remember that I wasn’t on my own in this job of being Momma. Learning to go to the Source of wisdom & strength daily was filling enough. God multiplied my feeble coming on those sleepy mornings. He changed my priorities from selfish to self care. If He did that for me I am confident He will do that for you…if you ask.

And I am a different woman; embracing rest He offers moment by moment has been key to living in tandem with Him.

Filed Under: Living in Tandem, Parenting, Personal, Time Management Tagged With: Abiding in Christ, Be Thou My Vision, My Utmost for His Highest, Rest

21 Days of Rest: Finding #SpiritualWhitespace Day 1

June 1, 2014 By Lisa Lewis

DesktopWallpaper_SpiritualWhitespace_BonnieGray

The first time I saw this beautiful invitation I cried.  Tears of disbelief actually.

My head knows the Truth that is written. My  heart sees glimpses of the Truth that can be lived. But to simply rest in that Truth? Without being busy justifying my existence?

This is a new way of being.  I am trying to learn.  And it’s not easy undoing a lifetime of perfectionism.  I need help. Maybe you do too.

This is the first of June.  Every day for the first 21 days, Bonnie of Faith Barista, will be serving a prompt to for us to ponder. An invitation to be with Jesus as He invites us everyday:

“Come to Me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Whether you blog, journal or simply write your thoughts on slips of paper the prompt will be an invitation to slow down, talk with Jesus and rest in Him.

This is not an invitation to figure out what Bible study to do next, or on what committee to serve, or whatever your doing looks like.  This is an invitation from Jesus to be.with.Him.

We can find the whitespaces inside us to rest together with Jesus. (from the introduction Finding Spiritual Whitespace; Awakening Your Soul to Rest)

I’ll be blogging here as well as journaling in this beautiful book created by my friend Holly Beals.

photo(75)Holly creates beautiful images and makes them accessible to us through cards, journals (like this beauty) through her etsy site. She also is committed to ending human trafficking so she donates a portion of every sale to this cause.

And the other book in the picture? Why that’s Bonnie’s new book that is available this week!!!! You’ll be hearing more from me about the beauty of finding spiritual whitespace in the days to come. I’ve had the privilege of spending time here

photo(76)reading, pondering and journaling my experiences in finding spiritual whitespace.

I can honestly say this is a book that epitomizes Proverbs 25:11.

Jesus will meet you in the pages of Finding Spiritual Whitespace as Bonnie tells her own journey and invites us to pull up a chair and share.

It’s almost summer. Don’t you feel a need for a different routine? 21 days of rest to take you to the official first day of summer. Now that sounds amazing to me!

Want to join?

It’s easy! Click on this image and you’ll go to her site where you can learn more.  I hope you’ll share here too!

 

21 Days of Rest: Finding Spiritual Whitespace

Filed Under: Encouragement, Hope, Personal, rhythm of life Tagged With: #spiritualwhitespace, Holly Beals, Jesus, Rest

Soul Thoughts to Ponder (again!)

May 21, 2014 By Lisa Lewis

“Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My load is light.”  Jesus

What is very appealing in these words of Jesus is the idea of rest, rest for my soul.  Twice He mentions this idea.  It is easy to picture my physical self coming to Jesus, laying down a physical burden like a backpack and then being at rest.  But I don’t think that is all He means because Jesus says “rest for your soul”.

 

How do I come with my soul burdens and receive rest?  How do you?

 

What are the burdens of my soul?  And yours?

 

“Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”  David from Psalm 139 NLT

 

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There is a wonderful book, recently published, that delves into what soul rest really is.  Bonnie Gray of Faith Barista is the author.  I am only through the introduction and the first two chapters and already I am underlining and writing quotes and personal reflections in my journal.  There will be much more written in weeks to come.  In the meantime, buy her book.  You won’t regret it.

We need rest.  We long for rest.  He offers us rest.  Join Him.

Also, for fun I am linking up today with my friend Sue over at Welcome Heart.  She is a great encourager from the Word as well…O taste & see Tuesdays (a day late but worth the wait!?)

Tasting on Tuesdays

 

Filed Under: Encouragement, Personal, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: Psalm 139, Rest, Soul, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Whitespace

Step Out

January 17, 2014 By Lisa Lewis

candle darknessAs you begin this weekend, a time for rest and relaxation, a time to regroup from the week’s stress and obligation, I hope you will set aside the weight and simply be.

Rest.

As you take time to regroup remember God’s at work whether you see Him or not.

He is still on His throne and all you need to do is carry the Light of His Presence in you wherever you go.

Imago Dei

The Image of God that you bear as His child.

Step out with His Light and in His strength!

Filed Under: Encouragement, rhythm of life Tagged With: imago dei, relax, Rest

30 Days of Giving #6: Time

November 6, 2013 By Lisa Lewis

Gloucester Cathedral doorTime.

Have you ever thought of the myriad uses of this word?

Time out. (sports fans know this and parents use it for discipline)

Time is money.

Time to go.

Time crunch.

Not enough time.

Out of time.

Time sensitive material.

Time keeps on ticking.

There is pressure in the passing of time if you’re a to do list person, or a person dealing with challenging health issues, or a bride feeling the weight of the upcoming nuptials.

We are told to maximize time. Don’t waste time. Time is valuable. Time is a non-renewable resource.

With all these statements we could begin to feel the temptation to fill our time budget to the limit of the seconds of every day.  Many people do.  I know I did for years.

So when you come face to face with commands and invitations from God in the form of Be still; come away to a quiet place and rest, you might respond with I’ll rest when I die.

You might die because of no rest.

Time is a resource given to all of us in the same amount daily.  24 hours. And like money, you have the opportunity to budget the use of time.  Many of us use our time the same way, eat, work,  sleep and get up and do it all over again.  But what if you started to think about time as a gift that you can share rather than a list that must be checked?

What if you shared your time with others who would be refreshed by your presence or encouraged by you giving them time?

Children. Youth. Elderly. Developmentally disabled. Community groups. Church. The list goes on.

What if we began to see the time we have here as a way we can offer something back for all that we have been given?

You might want to tune me out or click away from this post.  I get that especially if you’re feeling the pinch of “not enough time” already.

But wait a second.

Think about how you are already giving time to others.  Sometimes we give because we feel obligated. It’s our job. But is it possible to think about what you already do from the shift of giving a gift rather than fulfilling an obligation?

Your presence at the dinner table, fully focused on those around it. Or your presence with a client. Or the cashier at the store. Your full attention, your attentive presence is a gift of time.

Slowing down, taking inventory, being present are all ways to spend the budget of time we’re given.  When we give an account of how we spent the time given us from birth to death what will be on your list?

What are you already doing that can encourage others? Please give us some ideas!

Filed Under: Encouragement, Time Management Tagged With: presence, Rest, time

Meet Lisa…

I am a native California girl married to my best friend, Colin; we currently live and work in the Silicon Valley. I am privileged to be mom to two fantastic grown sons, mom-in-law to a wonderful daughter, and recent Mimi to a grand-daughter! On any given Saturday, you can see my hubster and I out on our tandem bike somewhere, enjoying the beauty of creation! Read More…

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