Category: Rest

Twenty-four Hours is Enough

Posted on by Paula
The clock on my bathroom wall has stopped, and so must my lifestyle. I have finally realized twenty-four hours is enough.
The clock on my bathroom wall has stopped, and so must my lifestyle. I have finally realized twenty-four hours is enough.

Normally, the hour hand on the clock on my bathroom wall travels a full circle twice in twenty-four hours, but it has been motionless for several days. I assume its battery has died, but I haven’t taken time to check.

The clock and I are rarely in agreement anyhow. My idea of twenty-four hours and the clock’s idea of twenty-four hours don’t seem to match, and most of the time, I struggle to keep my life in sync with that hour hand.

The problem is, I try to cram too many things into the twenty-four hours I’m given each day. I’m often late because I think I have time to do “just one more thing” before I walk out the door. I dive in to tackle the task, and the next thing I know, I look at the clock and find that time has gotten away from me. Once again, I am running behind.

I have told my family that I want to be wheeled into my funeral five minutes late because it would be out of character for me to be on time. “Make sure I am wheeled in five minutes late or you will be cursed!” I tease.

I believe, though, that I have finally reached a point in my life that I am too tired to fight the clock anymore. I can’t keep up with the pace I have been going, and my life has gotten pretty messy both inside and out.

Besides the fact that my current lifestyle is a mess, and besides the fact that it’s rude and disrespectful to others when I am late, I have realized another important fact. This way of life I have grown accustomed to isn’t the way God intends for me to live.

God is the Creator who determined that each day consist of twenty-four hours. He is the one who created day and night. He created the sun and moon to mark the seasons, days and years. He saw that it was good.

God also created every cell of our bodies and designed each system to work together perfectly. He gave us a brain to help us reason, eyes so we can see, ears that allow us to hear and muscles that give us strength as we work…. He created food to fuel our bodies with energy, water to keep us hydrated and air so we can breathe.

He created us to be able to work the ground and take care of the earth, but He also created us for rest. He created bodies that get physically worn down, especially when we push ourselves too hard. He created us with a need to sleep.

Our bodies need sleep to restore, rejuvenate and repair itself. When we sleep, our minds and our bodies can rest from all the work and stress that we have put them through all day. This is how God created us, and He saw that it was good, very good.

So, God created day and night to consist of twenty-four hours. God created me to work and sleep during each of those twenty-four hours. Yet, I have felt like I need more than twenty-four hours to accomplish all of my to do list and also find enough time to sleep. It seems that I have been fighting more than just a clock. I have been fighting the Creator and His plan.

The All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Almighty God, Creator of All is perfect. His ways are perfect. If God created my day to be twenty-four hours, then twenty-four hours is enough.

Under the Shadow of His Wings

Under the Shadow of His Wings

Posted on by Paula

 

Under the Shadow of His Wings
Under the Shadow of His Wings

My mind is more cluttered than usual right now, and I’m tired. I had tried to write my Monday morning blog this week, but I had too many thoughts to untangle to be able to focus on one subject. I came home to an empty house last night and had the perfect opportunity to focus and write, but my mind was overloaded and my body was tired.

I rested on my bed and stared at the ceiling; it was dirty but the least messy place to look at. I thought about and prayed for the people I know who are hurting. I thought about my busy life and prayed again for answers on how to find better balance. The only answer impressed upon my heart was that I needed to let it all go and rest. As I prayed, I let myself go back to a place I found years ago. Once again, I found myself under the shadow of His wings.

It was July 4, 2007. I was very upset that night. The tears flowed, and I earnestly prayed for God to show me something beautiful.

The vision I saw was so real I could feel it. I found myself standing with a wall of clear, glittery water to my left and another on my right. It was as if God was parting a sea for me. There was at my feet and seashells scattered around me. He even laid a starfish down in my little haven. Rose-like flowers in hues ranging from carnation pink to red-violet carpeted the ground both ahead of me and behind me. They seemed to clear a path for me as I moved. The sky directly above me was the most perfect bright blue summer sky dotted with fluffy white clouds, but there were also sparkly stars mixed in. Behind me, was a night sky with thousands of twinkling stars. Ahead me, was a beautiful sunset (or maybe a sunrise) with pinks, purples, orange and a tinge of yellow. Coming up over both walls of water, He sheltered me with His soft, white wings.

I could feel an unexplainable peace, the most wonderful peace I have ever known as I stood sheltered under the shadow of His wings. To this day, I can still remember how that peace felt and can feel it even now as I think about it.

God knows me intimately; the picture He gave me in my mind was the most perfect place for me. That moment in prayer was one of the most precious moments in my entire life. It was just God and me as He hid me under the shadow of His wings.

I wanted so badly to draw or paint that picture, but it wasn’t until June of 2009 that I tried. For the first time ever, I attempted to paint with watercolor pencils. I had no clue what I was doing. But, as I sat on a balcony overlooking the ocean at Daytona Beach, listened to my praise & worship music, I found painting with God to be very therapeutic.

I remember talking with God about the conch shell. I had no idea how to paint one and didn’t have one to look at. So, I asked God to take my hand & help me paint it. I was pleased with the way it turned out and also pleased with the sky. I had no idea how to paint, night, day and dusk or dawn all in the same picture, but it turned out great! My only disappointment was that His wings did not turn out white like I had pictured them; I just didn’t know how to use those pencils.

My first attempt at painting where I stood "Under the Shadow of His Wings."
My first attempt at painting where I stood “Under the Shadow of His Wings” (Watercolor Pencils on Paper)

Over a year later, on November 22, 2010. I decided to paint “Under the Shadow of His Wings” on canvas with acrylics. I need to sort some things out with God. So, I sat in my little sanctuary on my sunporch and prayed, asking Him to cleanse me and purify me and help me surrender all to Him and live a life that glorifies Him.

As I prayed, I was led to first paint words that named all the things that were troubling me. I didn’t realize how much was on my heart until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to it all. I filled the entire canvas. I recorded all of those troubles in my journal while the paint was drying. I wanted to go back later to see all the things that God took care of.

Next, it was time to bury all of those problems under the shadow of His wings. Worship music played in the background as again, I asked God to take my hand and help me paint the beautiful picture He had given me. I found my time with God to be a time of healing as I painted the beautiful picture over my troubles I had listed.

Before I even finished the painting, God started working on some of the areas that I had written down, and today as I read over those 34 struggles I recorded, I am wowed. After giving those things to God, He has been working on every single one of them. In fact, He has totally taken care of most of those problems. For the few areas of trouble that linger, He continues to walk beside me and teach me how to persevere. He is an amazing God!

Under the Shadow of His Wings
My 2nd painting of “Under the Shadow of His Wings” (Acrylic on Canvas)

On July 8, 2013 I was walking and praying along the ocean shore again. I was going through a very difficult season of life with new challenges and struggles. It was a beautiful day, and I had never seen the water so clear. It was so clear that in the distance that from the shore, I could see a sand dollar 2 ½- 3 feet down below the surface.

The waves were huge, and as I was marveling about how tall they were, I noticed I could see inside the waves. The way the late afternoon sun shined through the waves was absolutely beautiful! I stood there mesmerized for the longest time.

Then it hit me; the glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier. It was like I had stepped back and could see myself again in that beautiful place. The waves in front of me were not as tall as me, whereas in the picture they tower way above me. But the beautiful, transparent color was so familiar, so peaceful like the place He gave me “Under the Shadow of His Wings.”

The glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier as I stood under the shadow of His wings.
The glittery waves and their transparency looked like what I saw in the picture God gave me on July 4, six years earlier as I stood under the shadow of His wings.

I woke up this morning, and my thoughts are still cluttered. There are still problems to be solved. However, I am at peace after resting in His presence.

I am thankful for a loving God who has all the answers and knows exactly when and how to take care of everything that clutters my mind. I am grateful for His patience, His mercy and His grace. I am overwhelmed by the peace that He gives me when He hides me under the shadow of His wings.

Beside Still Waters

Posted on by Paula
He Leads Me Beside Still Waters
Sitting at the End of the Dock and Watching the Sun Go Down

I had been looking forward to hiding away, resting and letting God unclutter my mind and untangle my heart. Every year, my family plans an escape where we can shut everything out for a week and enjoy each other’s company with no interruptions. We don’t make many plans other than enjoying the ocean, lounging in the pool or playing cards and board games. Although I spend a lot of time with my family, I also get the opportunity each day to spend time by myself. Sometimes I think and pray as I walk by myself along the beach. Other times I read, doodle or write as I sit alone in the sunshine. I always come home refreshed.

This year I was pretty worn down before we left home. I was so ready for a reset that I could hardly wait to reach our destination and sort things out with God. However, this year, rather than staying put at our rental house all week, we chose to venture out a few of those days for special activities. Don’t get me wrong, we saw and experienced some things that we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time together and made great memories. I just didn’t get enough time to rest.

I was thankful that there were a few evenings that I was able to sit alone at the end of the dock to watch the sun go down. I normally love to hear the ocean waves as they crash onto the shore, but there were no waves at our location this year. So, rather than listening to the roar of the ocean, I didn’t hear much more than the sound that occurred when a school of fish would suddenly shoot out of the water to escape a predator. The stillness of the water and absence of noise allowed me to experience a beautiful, yet unexpected, inner peace. These moments spent at the water’s edge reminded me of some words from the 23rd Psalm, “…He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…”

Still Waters
The Water Was so Still and Peaceful

Despite those stolen moments spent sitting at the dock, I didn’t get enough time to sort everything out while I was away. All too quickly, the time came for me to return home.

I’m thankful for the adventures my family had, but I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get as much time to rest and reflect as I had hoped for. I wasn’t coming home as refreshed as I normally do. I needed more time beside the still waters before returning to the busyness I had left behind, but it wasn’t a possibility.

At home, I am always doing something from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. Sure, I start my day reading His word and spending time in prayer, but then my day gets busy. If I do sit down, I find myself picking up my phone to text someone, to check my e-mail, to browse the internet or to scroll through social media. My mind is always occupied. I had to find a way to allow my mind more times of rest.

Since this revelation, I have been trying to find more opportunities throughout my day to simply sit still and observe God’s beautiful creation around me rather than finding something to do while I sit. I am listening for his voice while I sit in the quiet.

If I let myself get too busy, it’s easy to lose sight of the One who leads me. He knows where I need to go and when I need to stop along the way. If I lose sight of where He is taking me, I can miss those moments when He leads me beside still waters.

He is the Shepherd; I am his sheep. In Him I find everything I need. In Him I am content. He leads me beside still waters.

In the Quiet

Posted on by Paula
I had intended to end my little break after viewing the sunset, but I lingered after dark watching the stars appear.
The Stars Appeared

I spent the day enjoying my family, but as the sun started to go down, I slipped away by myself. With many things on my heart, I began to pray, “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12) and “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 55:10). I tend to be a woman with way too many words, but in this moment, I simply prayed those two short Scriptures and sat in silence, watching the sun begin to set on the distant horizon.

The Sunset Lacked the Bright, Colorful Hues that One Would Expect
The Sunset

The sky was cloudy, and the sunset might have been considered disappointing since it lacked the bright, colorful hues one would expect. However, I still sat mesmerized as night began to fall around me. Everything was so quiet and still.

More Scripture began to pop into my mind. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). “Listen to this, O Job; stop and consider God’s wonders” (Job 37:14). “…only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:42). “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14).

My mind and my body have been in overdrive lately. There has been work to be done, problems to be solved and people to care for. I was worn and knew something needed to change. My heart had been longing to hear from God, so I waited in his presence as he called me to be still.

I had intended to end my little break after viewing the sunset, but I lingered after dark watching the stars appear. My family would occasionally call out to me, but I couldn’t pull myself away.

In those few quiet hours, I was able to stop focusing on my current situation and simply focus on God. My mind turned from wondering what God wanted me to do, to remembering how wonderful God is. He is amazing. He is all-knowing. He is in control. He is Lord. He is everything I need.

Peace washed over me as I basked in God’s love. My soul was content as I sat at his feet. I went to bed thankful for my sweet experience with him in the quiet.

Tired, Thirsty, Lost

Posted on by Paula

 

I decided to go for just a “30 minute” walk one morning while I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I was familiar with the path I started out on, but I chose to take a different way home. The trouble is, the roads in their neighborhood and the surrounding area don’t exactly run east to west or north to south. On top of that, rather than running for several blocks across town, many of the streets around their home are just one or two block loops. So, taking just one slight turn (And I mean slight!) off of the path I needed to be on totally separated me from finding my way back home.

By the time I realized my mistake, I had been gone about 45-50 minutes. I had pushed myself too hard trying to run a while, and I was tired. I had been enjoying the sunshine, but I was thirsty. Even worse, when I looked at my surroundings, I realized that I was lost. Tired, thirsty, lost…

I entered my son’s address into an app on my phone. The outline of the route didn’t make sense, but I had no other choice than to follow the directions. My app told me to turn several times where there was no road to turn on. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way back. Though I was tempted to cut through yards where the app told me to turn, I wasn’t sure if that would actually get me back to the house. Plus, I was afraid of encountering a snake or getting in trouble for trespassing.

Finally, I began to recognize the street names again and arrived back 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. My hands were swollen, my mouth was dry, and my clothes were soaked. I treated myself to a tall glass of water, a much-needed shower and a fresh change of clothes. All was well once again.

I later thought about the whole (rather embarrassing) incident and wondered how many other people out there might be tired, thirsty and lost. Taking care of ourselves physically is important but taking care of ourselves emotionally and spiritually is important as well. In fact, our spiritual well-being is our most important need, because when our physical body wears out and dies, our soul will continue on either to heaven or hell.

When we try to get through life in a way contrary to how God created us to operate, we become spiritually tired and worn. We might try to achieve inner peace by doing good deeds and striving to be recognized as a “good person,” but we can never find true rest unless we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to our Creator. Jesus beckons, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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 will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). Jesus invites us to be yoked to him, to learn from him and to find rest for our souls. When we repent and surrender our lives to Jesus, he sets things right with us and fills us with the Holy Spirit to help us live the way God intended.

We can also be spiritually thirsty and might not even realize it. God created a beautiful world for us, and this world does have a lot to offer. Yet, we must realize that there is really nothing on earth that will satisfy the deepest longing in our heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) says, that God “has planted eternity in the human heart.”  Until we quench the thirst of our soul, we will continue to long and to thirst for something more, something eternal. Again, Jesus invites us, as he did the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Lastly, we can be spiritually lost, which is the worst kind of lost there is. Maybe you are so lost that you feel like you could never be accepted by God. Dear friend, this is not true. In Luke 15, Jesus gives us hope as he shares parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.

Jesus talks about an owner of 100 sheep who leaves behind 99 to find the one who is lost. When the owner finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. Jesus says, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”

Next Jesus tells about a woman with 10 coins who searches diligently when she loses one of them. She is so excited when she finds it. Again, Jesus comments, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

And then, Jesus shares one of my favorite stories. He tells about a self-centered son who asks for his inheritance early, leaves his father and wastes all of his money on wild living. When the money is gone, he gets a job feeding pigs and is so hungry that he wants to eat the pods he is feeding them. He finally decides to return to his father, apologize and ask if his dad will hire him as one of his servants. And here my friend, is the BEAUTIFUL part of the story….

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Yet the father welcomes him back and even throws him a big party. The father rejoices saying that his son, “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

We are all on a journey. There will be good times and difficult times. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t wandered away from God. We’ve all taken a wrong turn (or two, or several). But 2 Peter 3:9 assures us that God wants no one to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.

So, if you are finding yourself, tired, thirsty and lost, read Luke 15. Listen for Jesus’ invitation, and know that God’s desire is that you repent and return to him. He will welcome you back into his arms where you belong.

Advent Day 13–Running on Empty

Posted on by Paula

Are you running on empty? In this season of giving, we can push ourselves to go, go, go, and then suddenly find ourselves drained.

It’s Friday, and many of us are looking forward to the weekend. I imagine there are several of us that still have a long “to do” list. However, each of us really must find time to take care of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. It’s not selfish to take a break and rejuvenate ourselves. We need to let God re-fuel us. Even Jesus knew the importance of rest.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Mark 6. Jesus and the disciples had been so busy ministering to the people that they didn’t even have a chance to eat. Jesus beckoned them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” After a refreshing break, they were ready to pour out to others again. We cannot give if we have nothing left. Take care of yourself this weekend by finding a quiet place to be alone with Jesus for a while let him breathe life back into you.

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” ~Mark 6:30-34

Lessons from a Plant Killer

Posted on by Paula

 

I am a plant killer. I absolutely love plants, but over the years, I have caused more plants to suffer than I would like to admit. I am able to kill a jasmine, gardenia or begonia rather quickly, but for other unfortunate types such as a hibiscus, palm tree or orchid, their death can be a long, drawn-out process. I have learned that there are certain plants that I can do well with and others that I need to stop bringing home no matter how much I love them.

One of my favorite plants is a bougainvillea, a plant that thrives down in the south.  I had an absolutely gorgeous one for quite a few years; I loved that plant and took good care of it. However, a couple of years ago, I got in a funk, and while trying to keep my head above water, I stopped caring for my plants. When the difficult season ended, and I went out to clean my sunporch, I was sad to see that my beautiful plant had died.

 

The beautiful bougainvillea thrives in the south

 

This summer while vacationing down in the south, I decided it was time to replace my plant. I was doing much better this year and thought I could handle gardening again. However, less than three weeks after I brought my new bougainvillea home, it had lost almost all of its leaves. I had gotten too busy and forgotten to water it. The poor thing was dying of thirst, and I was crushed.

 

My bougainvillea less than 3 weeks after I brought it home

 

I watered the thirsty plant right away and gave it plenty of attention for the next few weeks. Thankfully, less than a month later, the plant that had been on the brink of death has made a wonderful recovery.

 

Water brought my nearly dead bougainvillea back to life

 

All living things need water to survive. Plants wilt, lose their leaves and die without water. Animals become dehydrated and die without water as well. When we ourselves haven’t had enough to drink, we get thirsty. God created us that way to keep us from getting dehydrated and dying.

God created us with another type of thirst as well. While our physical bodies thirst for water, our soul thirsts for something more. God created us to long for him, and nothing else can satisfy that longing. Psalm 42:1-2 says,

 

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

 

When we aren’t spending enough time with God, our soul starts to thirst for him. We become restless, unsatisfied and discontented. We long to hear him speak through his word in the Bible. We long to commune with him in prayer. We long for his presence, his joy and his perfect peace. We long for rest in him.

Maybe you are thirsting for God and don’t even realize it. Are you unsettled and dissatisfied? Only God can fulfill our deepest needs and desires. It is He who brings us true healing, joy, purpose and peace.

If you are finding yourself in a dry and weary season of life, stop depriving yourself of his living water. Shift your focus back to Jesus and let him quench your thirst and refresh you.

A Time for Rest, Reflection and Refreshment

Posted on by Paula

Learning to Stop--A Time for Rest, Reflection and Refreshment

I was a person who didn’t know how to stop. For way too many years, I took great pride in the fact that I “could get by” on 4-6 hours of sleep at night. I kept on working late into the night or into early morning because my to do list wasn’t done. I have worn my body out over the years and have woken up tired far too many mornings because I didn’t stop when my body and mind cried out for rest. I am a person who has realized that I have been laying burdens upon myself that weren’t meant for me.  If I am not careful, I become a person who will pour and pour and pour into others until I am totally depleted. I am a person who has not allowed myself to get the rest I need. In fact, I still struggle…but…by the grace of God, I am changing, There is hope!

God’s words in Psalm 127:2 spoke to me long ago, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” I was also convicted by God’s command in the Old Testament that for six days we are to work, but on the seventh day we are to rest, just as God worked for six days and rested on the seventh. Those words were freeing when I read them, and I tried to find rest in them. Yet, between taking care of my family, volunteering with youth and working in a church, I’d soon get too busy and fall back into my overloaded lifestyle. For too many years, I wrote in my journal that I was tired and had too much to do. I decided in January 2016 that it was time to stop going back and forth; it was time to shape up and listen to God’s recurring soft whisper on my heart, “You need to rest.”

Now, I am not saying that you are wrong if you don’t choose to take a day of rest. What I am saying is that in my out-of-whack life, God convicted me that I need to.

A wise pastor once said something that really hit me. It was something to the effect that God said to work for 6 days and to take a break on the 7th, yet if I think that I need to work all 7 to get the job done, I am not trusting God.

An idea that has really been life-changing for me came from Dan Smith, a “retired” pastor who has been faithfully posting his beautifully written thoughts daily on Facebook for years. Dan wrote a couple of sentences in his November 6, 2016 post that I loved, “Well, every seven days, it’s called ‘Sunday’ and it’s like having an appointment that brings me up to date on where I stand with the Lord. So, today I can reflect back over the last six days; they’re all behind me, and see where I’ve been, and I can assess where I am today and can recommit that in all the tomorrows I will attempt to serve the Lord with even greater zeal than I have in the past; knowing all along that in just a week I will come full circle in doing it all again!”

I liked the idea of keeping an appointment like that with God. So one of the things that I committed to this year is to set aside as much of Sunday as possible to reflect on how awesome God is. Part of each Sunday is spent meeting with other believers to worship God. Part of the day is spent journaling all of the wonderful ways that I have seen him at work in and through me and the people around me. I record the things that he has taught me and pressed upon my heart. Then I go back and read those words the next Sunday to see if I obeyed what he made known to me or if I fell short. When I fail, I ask forgiveness and for help to overcome the next week. After I do my heart check with God, I write a new journal entry recording again what God has done over the past week, what he is teaching me and convicting me of and the progress I am making. After sorting things out with God, I end the evening writing a blog post, another idea that God has put on my heart this year.

Though I have journaled for years, it has greatly improved because of my appointment set aside to reflect and write each week. Before I got into this Sunday routine, I’d get so busy that I’d neglect taking a break to journal regularly. As a result, I would sometimes forget to record the awesome ways I saw God at work. Remembering the great things God has done encourages me when I am struggling and helps me when I am challenged with a decision.

Even though I meet with God each morning to study and to pray, I look forward to our Sunday appointment. No matter how hectic or difficult the week has been, I know that I can take a break to rest on Sunday. I guard that time and often have to say no to others in order to keep my commitment. Resting with God on Sunday shifts my focus back to him when the cares of the world have distracted me. Reflecting on the past week holds me accountable and helps me to grow and mature in my faith. Sitting at his feet and spending time with him refreshes me so that I am ready to pour into others again the next week.

How can I afford to stop and rest? How can I afford not to?