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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

2.23.14 Seeking solitude... Being alone is not the same as being lonely


Bountiful Blessings

 

February 23rd, 2014

            I woke up (for the third time), drug my lazy tail out of the bed, stretched and thanked God for this beautiful day. Wait. I hadn’t even seen the day yet. It could be storming or overcast. How could it be beautiful? Because every day is a gift and something beautiful can be found in everything AND everyone. You just have to open your heart as well as your mind. Ok, Im done. That’s all I have for the day. Haha. You wish. That wasn’t even what I wanted to talk about! April Fools. Oh wait. Its February.

            No, what was on my mind this morning was solitude. Do you ever wish that you could have just a little time all to yourself? No kids, no husband, no family, no phone, no nothing? Just a few minutes? To pray. To take a bath. To draw from your inner strength and focus on what is important? Hey, for some of you with little ones, just a few minutes of solitude to go to the bathroom ALONE would probably be nice. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle in our lives, we lose that alone time. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I would rather spend time with my family just sitting around than rubbing shoulders with celebrities at the biggest and best parties. But sometimes….. I would like a few minutes to talk to God - just me and him. Have you ever been reading the Bible or praying and someone comes in the room oblivious “Hey, Honey, have you seen the…?” Or sitting on the couch with a good book and a herd of buffalo in the size and shape of a five year old girl screams “Mommmmmmmm, Im hungry”? I believe that it is important to our overall wellbeing to have a little “ME” time, a little solitude, a little regrouping.

            Jesus was a perfect example of seeking solitude. In Luke, it states that Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”. There are numerous references to Moses taking time out to concentrate on God, and God himself sought Elijah and Jacob when they were alone. Another important “alone time” – What about Mary when the angel spoke to her about Jesus?

            A little solitude, a little alone time, it is a perfect balm to heal our tired souls, to give us time to focus on what is important, and release some of the negative energy or thoughts that may be building inside. Hey, if you want to spend your alone time yelling in the woods, go for it. If you want to spend it on your knees in a locked room with the phone unplugged, go for it. If you want to spend it driving in the car on a sunny afternoon, go for it. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing. God is always there with you. He can hear you, he can hold your hand, he can heal you. But it is up to you to start the conversation….

 

Bible Verse for the week:
Be still, and know that I am God.         Psalms 46:10

 

Bible Fun for the week:

1) How many chapters are in the Song of Solomon?

a. 4 b. 6 c. 8 d. 10

2) What book of the New Testament is totally dedicated to describing God’s love for us?

a. 1 John b. 2 Peter c. Romans d. 1 Corinthians

3) What is the longest chapter in the Bible?

a. Psalms 19 b. Psalms 119 c. Revelation 20 d. 1 Corinthians 15

4) How many books are in the Old Testament?

a. 27 b. 29 c. 37 d. 39

5) How many books are in the New Testament?

a. 27 b. 29 c. 37 d. 39

6) What is the last book of the Old Testament?
a. Haggai b. Zephaniah c. Zechariah d. MalachI

7) The first five books of the Bible are commonly referred to as books of

a. law b. prophecy c. poetry d. history

8) How many books of the Bible start with J?

a. 8 b. 10 c. 12 d. 14

9) How many books of the Bible have only one chapter?

a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

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