Intentional

Birds chirping.
Squirrels chattering.
Wind rustling the trees all around.

No cell phones.
No computers.
No electricity.

Just a quiet space, away from all the noise of every day life.

Sometimes it takes purposely getting away from it all for things to actually go quiet.

Games.
Hiking.
Kayaking.
Campfires.
Time with friends.

A pace of life I believe God created us for, but a pace we seem to struggle to live at in our everyday life.

It seems like so often when I go away, I'm reminded of the importance of time away, and then I go right back to my noisy life, always running from one thing to the next, when I get home without changing anything. I catch a glimpse of what it could be and then do nothing to change it.

The more I think about it, the more I realize I do the same thing in lots of areas . . . my time with God, my relationships with others, eating better, exercise . . . almost anything could be added to the list. None of these are things that we are going to change without some intentional planning on my part. I have to decide to make the change and then do something about it.

We all have to make that same choice when there's something we want to change in our lives. We have to make a plan and be intentional about making it happen.

Is there an area of your life you want to change?
What is the first step you can take to make that change?

We Need Silence - Even if it Scares Us

Silence.

It's something we talk about wanting more of in our lives. It often seems elusive.

Yet, in the moments when we do find it, we don't know what to do. We experience it so rarely that we're almost afraid when it happens.

Especially in our world of constant connection, it can be difficult to find silence. Our phones continually reminding us of every email, every text, right as they arrive. Drawing us away from the moment and out of any chance of silence for any time.

Why do we live with this struggle?

Why do we crave silence and run from it at the same time?

We crave silence because we were made to need it. We weren't made to be in constant contact. We need the true rest that can only come from silence.

But, those are the times when we come face-to-face with things we may not like about ourselves, our relationships, or our lives. As long as we keep moving and keep busy, we don't have to face those things. But, as soon as it slows down, we all of a sudden have to look at those things. We can no longer avoid them.

We need to learn to embrace the times of silence in our lives. Even to become intentional about creating that space, rather than running from it.

It will be hard and uncomfortable at first. We may want to be anywhere else, do anything else. But, if we'll stick with it, it will be worth it. We can get to the point of embracing silence, of regularly creating it. And our lives will be better for it.