Today’s blog is brought to you by Donna Day. Donna is new to our Women’s Ministry Blogging Team, and will become a full-time blogger when our next study “Winning Him Without Words” begins on October 1st. I hope you enjoy her post today, as much I do!! <3 Christi
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I remember as a little girl growing up in Wisconsin, the snow days like the one Priscilla talked about in this part of our study today. Of course we had a lot more snow days than Dallas would have had. We wished for them so we could get out of school and go sledding or ice skating. Snow days here were not a day of being stuck in the house with nothing to do. All the kids in the neighborhood would gather and have a great time in the snow.
Our dilemma would have been the stormy days when the electricity would go off and we were forced to a day of solitude indoors with no radio or TV. I hated those days then, but now I love them! A chance to get caught up on reading a good book or just meeting with God for some quiet time.
Isn’t it humbling to know that we have a God who wants to meet with us? The God of the universe, the creator of everything desires my presence with Him! Out of the hustle and bustle of our world our Father wants us to know that he desires to be with us and spend time together.
That’s why I love this “14 challenge” that Priscilla has given us. Our world today is so pushy and intrusive. With all the internet, cell phones and television we can’t live without, sometimes it’s overwhelming. Society tells us that we have to constantly be busy achieving and going to the next level to accomplish all-even if it takes 7 days a week! To teach our children that we need this 14 minutes of carved out, purposely planned time with God is a gift to them. Teaching them how to listen and pray and hear from God helps them know how to plan for the day and for life.
My husband recently remodeled our bedroom and added a balcony on to the back. I have always tried to find a quiet place and time everyday to meet with God and during nice weather days, that balcony is where I meet with God. It’s a tangible place I can go to and know it will be quiet and peaceful.
My children have always known that Mom has a quiet time everyday. They are grown and gone and have their own lives now but I pray that I have instilled in them the pursuant of peace, a sabbath rest from which to draw on for the day.
May I suggest some practical tips you could use to make your “Sabbath Rest” a success?
* Decide during the day what time can be easily set aside for this. Whether it’s morning, nap time, or evening when everyone is quiet. Whether you have to get up earlier or stay up a little later.
* Find a peaceful spot so that you are not distracted by anything around you.
* Turn off all phones, TV and radio, so you are not distracted by them. It won’t hurt for this small amount of time and it says you’re serious about taking the time to meet with God.
* Set everything out the night before, if possible, so that when you are ready it’s all there and you don’t have to go hunting for it.
* Go in with an attitude of prayer and be ready to let God speak to you.
Now that you have done all this in preparedness, purpose to take time everyday-it will change your life!!! If it’s 14 minutes or half an hour, you will not regret it. In fact you will look forward to it and God will meet with you. You will find that “Sabbath Rest” we all need on a daily basis!
_______________________ Let’s pray: God we want to meet with you. Help us make it a priority in our lives. Help us carve out time to make this happen-even if it’s only a few minutes a day. so that we can teach our children and be an example to them of this important time. teaching them that it is necessary to be able to live grounded in You. Thank you so much that you desire time with us. In Jesus name Amen Your assignment:Share in the comment section below, how you do or will carve out that necessary Sabbath rest time with God. Be honest and share and be creative too, sometimes we need to be creative to make it happen!
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Donna lives in Southeast WI, with her awesome husband Ronald. Together they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She went to school in the Brodhead WI area, and met her husband in the 5th grade! He told her years later that when he first met her, he knew he was going to marry her!! How sweet!!
Donna attends Rock Assembly of God, where she is active in coffee ministry, Worship team and heads up their Women’s Ministry, as well.
She loves to read, sing and listen to some talk radio.
She became a born again Christian when she was 12, but didn’t really get discipled until she had been married for 2 years. Then she and her husband both gave their lives to Christ and they’ve never looked back.
We are so blessed to have Donna on our Leadership Team. She is such an encourager, and a joy to be around!
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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller. If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!
To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!
Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email atGirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!
Thank you for sharing this morning Donna! Quiet time with the Lord is crucial for being rejuvenated, revived, restored, and refreshed in Him.
It's humbling and a blessing to know that God DESIRES to spend time with us!
I loved your post today!
I am going to take those fourteen minutes and ask God to show me whatever He wants too. Oh to be still and free from all the clutter and chaos of the day. I work from home and everyone thinks its a dream job-but to be honest somedays it feels like I don't ever leave the office. I have vowed for those fourteen minutes I am going to stretch myself outside of the box to find a place I can call ours – God & me time.
Donna this subject of carving out quiet time has at times been difficult for me and not because of distractions around me such as kids or husband (not that they are distractions but I'm sure you know what I mean) my kids are grown and out of the home and my husband is so low key and is never in my way. For the most I do have my quiet time but if I'm not careful I become in my way, I can become my own distraction. My quiet time is early in the morning just after I wake up. I prefer my quiet time first thing in the AM as it sets the "tone" for my day! I have my bible, study book, high lighter, note book and my glass of ice tea and I'm ready to meet with God! Thank you for the good word and reminder of setting aside that quiet time with our Father!
Thank you so much for this. I'm out of. Relativity so I will read and learn from the comments. I just meet Him in the morning early. Start off watching Joyce Meyer then turn off tv and read the resolution book then my Bible. In my den seems to be my location. Thank you again girl. Great to have you here!!!
I've tried all times of the day to have my quiet time with God & have decided that waking up earlier in the morning is the best time for me! It's not only quiet, but this time I spend with God helps me prepare for anything that might get thrown my way during the day. I set my mind with His and we conquer the day together!
Thank you Donna for your post today. Having time with the Lord for me is challenging due to distractions of family morning business. So I must wake early while house is quiet/still. I read Proverbs and meditate on the verse that spoke to me and pray. I write my prayer in a journal and as Im writing the Lord speaks to me. Love my time with the Lord.
Thanks Donna for your post!! I love stormy days and having that quite time too. If I have to set a timer so my family knows its my quite time, I am sure going to try. We run all day here and there….14 minutes really doesn't seem to hard to devote to just our Father and me time. <3 Thank you again!
thank you, donna…i so appreciate your straight talk in this oh-so-important matter. honestly, i do not know what i would do if i couldn't start my day alone w/the Lord. by God's grace, He got my heart about this over 15 years ago. at that time, my daughter was still at home AND my mom lived with us AND i had a job outside the home. i found i needed to get up before everyone else to carve out my 'God 'n me' time. as years went along, things have changed here. but i have found even now that i again have to restructure my day to ensure my devotional time. so —against my nature —i am now getting up @ 5am. but my heart is happy…and, i trust, i am pleasing my Father, too.
looking forward to your future blogs, donna! <3
Great blog Donna! I had the hardest time finding and keeping a schedule of quiet time of reading. Now I have to say thank you to Tracy, she keeps me accountable by calling me every morning, I have her call me at 5 when hubby goes to work and I won't go back to sleep otherwise I would never get up but never take the time for my reading. Housework always came first! Now I get up when she calls I sit out on our front porch and do my daily bible reading on my kindle (and watch the birds, which I love doing)! I still haven't got a prayer time set though! I do my reading but don't throw prayer in there! I need to work on that now!!
Wonderful blog Donna. I sat aside time in the evening because that works best for me right now at this time in my life. My husband usually has meetings or does yard work so I take time to do my readings and prayer time. I love my quiet time with my Lord and am so thankful that we have him to take all of cares too.
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Thank you for sharing this morning Donna! Quiet time with the Lord is crucial for being rejuvenated, revived, restored, and refreshed in Him.
It's humbling and a blessing to know that God DESIRES to spend time with us!
I loved your post today!
I think it essential to our walk Robin!! Thanks Hun!!!!
I am going to take those fourteen minutes and ask God to show me whatever He wants too. Oh to be still and free from all the clutter and chaos of the day. I work from home and everyone thinks its a dream job-but to be honest somedays it feels like I don't ever leave the office. I have vowed for those fourteen minutes I am going to stretch myself outside of the box to find a place I can call ours – God & me time.
Absolutely Ann!! Find that space & time, you won't regret it!! and enjoy it when you do!
Donna this subject of carving out quiet time has at times been difficult for me and not because of distractions around me such as kids or husband (not that they are distractions but I'm sure you know what I mean) my kids are grown and out of the home and my husband is so low key and is never in my way. For the most I do have my quiet time but if I'm not careful I become in my way, I can become my own distraction. My quiet time is early in the morning just after I wake up. I prefer my quiet time first thing in the AM as it sets the "tone" for my day! I have my bible, study book, high lighter, note book and my glass of ice tea and I'm ready to meet with God! Thank you for the good word and reminder of setting aside that quiet time with our Father!
Good for you Lanette!! Keep up the good work and get out of your way!! LOL!!
Thank you so much for this. I'm out of. Relativity so I will read and learn from the comments. I just meet Him in the morning early. Start off watching Joyce Meyer then turn off tv and read the resolution book then my Bible. In my den seems to be my location. Thank you again girl. Great to have you here!!!
:))
I've tried all times of the day to have my quiet time with God & have decided that waking up earlier in the morning is the best time for me! It's not only quiet, but this time I spend with God helps me prepare for anything that might get thrown my way during the day. I set my mind with His and we conquer the day together!
You got it down Girl!!!
Thank you Donna for your post today. Having time with the Lord for me is challenging due to distractions of family morning business. So I must wake early while house is quiet/still. I read Proverbs and meditate on the verse that spoke to me and pray. I write my prayer in a journal and as Im writing the Lord speaks to me. Love my time with the Lord.
Me too Merol!!
Thanks Donna for your post!! I love stormy days and having that quite time too. If I have to set a timer so my family knows its my quite time, I am sure going to try. We run all day here and there….14 minutes really doesn't seem to hard to devote to just our Father and me time. <3 Thank you again!
You are welcome!!
thank you, donna…i so appreciate your straight talk in this oh-so-important matter. honestly, i do not know what i would do if i couldn't start my day alone w/the Lord. by God's grace, He got my heart about this over 15 years ago. at that time, my daughter was still at home AND my mom lived with us AND i had a job outside the home. i found i needed to get up before everyone else to carve out my 'God 'n me' time. as years went along, things have changed here. but i have found even now that i again have to restructure my day to ensure my devotional time. so —against my nature —i am now getting up @ 5am. but my heart is happy…and, i trust, i am pleasing my Father, too.
looking forward to your future blogs, donna! <3
God loves the time you make for Him, Just as He does for us anytime we call!! Keep it up Coleen!!
Great blog Donna! I had the hardest time finding and keeping a schedule of quiet time of reading. Now I have to say thank you to Tracy, she keeps me accountable by calling me every morning, I have her call me at 5 when hubby goes to work and I won't go back to sleep otherwise I would never get up but never take the time for my reading. Housework always came first! Now I get up when she calls I sit out on our front porch and do my daily bible reading on my kindle (and watch the birds, which I love doing)! I still haven't got a prayer time set though! I do my reading but don't throw prayer in there! I need to work on that now!!
You go Girl! you're on the right track!!
Wonderful blog Donna. I sat aside time in the evening because that works best for me right now at this time in my life. My husband usually has meetings or does yard work so I take time to do my readings and prayer time. I love my quiet time with my Lord and am so thankful that we have him to take all of cares too.