Finding Spiritual Whitespace Book Review

This post is part of the  “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour” which I am a part of, along with a group of soulful, journeying kindreds. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!  

When I first signed up to be part of Bonnie Gray's Finding Spritiual Whitespace Book Review group, I was like certainly I can read a book and review it.  I would love to help out a fellow blogger and spread her gift of writing to the world.  I never imagined that it would set me on a journey of finding rest and closeness with my Lord and Savior.  

"Finding Spiritual Whitespace" is a wonderful reminder of living a restful and quiet life alongside The Lord.  Bonnie reminds us what Paul instructed the Thessalonians almost 2000 years ago:

"And in fact, you do love all God's family throughout Macedonia.  Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you." 

1 Thessalonians 4:10-11 (emphasis mine)

Is my ambition to lead a quiet life?  Not yet it certainly isn't, but I'm going to get there!  I want to live a life pleasing to The Lord and one area that could use work is spending time with Him.  

Throughout the memoir-driven book, Bonnie takes the reader on a journey to reaching a place of rest with God.  She even includes prompts to journal or pray through.  We take time to rest our bodies at night when we sleep but why don't we take time to rest our souls in the presence of God??? It doesn't have to be a great chunk of time or even a rigid regiment.  One of my favorite quotes from the book is: "Taking Care of yourself nurtures the voice God placed in you" (97, Gray).  

For me the most whitepace and rest I have with The Lord is when I run.  For years I never ran with music and slowly God has shown me that we can use that time catching up and strengthening our relationship.  Even reading the book, the time during my runs has an even greater impact as I imagine Jesus right there: His strong arms, strengthened from the weight of carrying us, pumping alongside me.  

So many times in her life,  Bonnie imagined Jesus right there with her, holding her.  The imagery and words she uses creates a beautiful image of Our Savior holding one of His hurting children.  Then I thought, why not remind myself that He is there with me every second of each day.

The book is chalk full of wonderful nuggets of wisdom and scripture.  The weave Bonnie has woven, is a beautiful picture of God's Grace and Love.  With the crazy and hectic world we are living in, we need to take the time and rest our souls.  This book is the perfect starting place to aid us in the journey.  

If you are overwhelmed with your past, present or future, READ THIS BOOK!!! It can help you find a starting point to become more restful, instead of restless!  We can all begin to follow the instructions Paul left about leading a quiet life!

So will you take the Whitespace Challenge with me?  Find time and perhaps even new and different ways to spend time with The Lord to give your soul the rest it deserves. 

Watch the trailer for the book!!

With Love,

A

p.s. Layla and Phineas both liked to accompany me during my readings!

Layla, my golden retriever pup

Phineas, my kitty

Our Brokenness #SheSharesTruth

Over the last 17 days, I have been studying the Book of Nehemiah with the #SheReadsTruth Community.  

Little Layla helping me!

If you haven't read Nehemiah lately, you should check it out because it's rich with God's Grace (as is all of the Bible!).  It starts out with Nehemiah leaving his job as a cup bearer to the king to return to his home (Jerusalem) once he hears news of the destroyed city.  He plans to rebuild the wall with the help of His Lord.  All the people came together and built the wall in record time: 52 days.  Here is the lovely map included in the Nehemiah Study Pack.  The wall wasn't small! 

Beautiful watercolor of the wall!

The people worked together to build and defend at the same time.  Many surrounding nations were afraid of the strength of the Israelite Nation and more importantly afraid of the works of their God.  Nehemiah stood strong in the face of the enemies threatening to attack.  He defended God's plan and saw it till the end.  Which convicted me so much!  How often do we want to give up or leave something because the enemy is attacking us, but we know God wants us to stay there??  In the end we need to stand firm in God's plan, see it to the end and give HIM  all the Glory once the task is accomplished!! 

The Joy of the Lord was their strength to accomplish the task!

After the wall was completed the Israelite people re-dedicated their lives to God.  If you have read any portion of the Old Testament, you might have seen a glimpse of the brokenness of the Israelite Nation.  When God freed them for their slavery in Egypt, they wondered in the desert for 40 years, grumbling all the while God was providing them food, shelter, and guidance.  The original generation wasn't even allowed to enter the Holy Land because they were ungrateful.  God was faithful throughout all their rebellion and arrogance.  As He is with us!

So Nehemiah led the people to renew their covenant with God, and become His Chosen People once again, following all commandments.  The people fervently agreed and on the outside looked like a new nation!  Ohhhhh how things can go soooo differently.  Nehemiah left the people once they established a new city and people to live within the walls.  He returned a few years later only to find every commandment they re-instated to be broken!!! WOW.  These are God's Chosen People in the Most Holy City on EARTH and they fall short.  

How much more can relate then?  Have you felt gun-ho one day to follow God and His plan only to fall short a few days or even hours later?  I certainly have.  I know that I would be right along with those people because the enemy sneaks in.  This cycle of rededication and falling short would have continued until today if God wouldn't have sent His Son to save us.  

The Book of Nehemiah ends with broken people because it points to the fact that we aren't whole without Jesus.  We would never have been able to please God with the brokenness of human nature inside of us.  Whether we like it or not, sin surrounds our heart.  Unless we protect our heart and ACTIVELY try to rid ourselves of sin, it will consume us.  

So repent of your sins, and renew your obedience with The Lord.  This should be done daily, I am most certain of it because we will fall short.  BUT there is HOPE.  God will forgive us:

"But you are a forgiving God, gracious, and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.  Therefor you did not desert them." 

Nehemiah 9.17b

How awesome of a God do we serve, always ready to take us back and give us new life in Christ!!  I would love to hear your thoughts about Nehemiah from any ladies who have been studying with #SheReadsTruth!

With Love,

~A

ps I got my swag from the #SheReadsTruth Kickstarter fundraiser!  Rocking the Tee with my beautiful prints in the background.

Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Rest leads to refreshment

I started reading this wonderful book this week called "Finding Spiritual Whitespace" by Bonnie Gray.   It has spurred some thoughts about rest in my mind.  Often times in this crazy and busy world we see resting as a weakness however God doesn't see it that way.  Rest in God helps us grow in Him and nourish our relationship.  

God even rested.  

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." Genesis 2:2 (emphasis mine)

And He commands us to rest: 

"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work; so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed." Exodus 23:12 (emphasis mine)

Many of us do not have oxen, donkeys, slaves or foreigners living in our household but it could be related to our current things: cars, computers, cell phones, or paid laborers.  Even our electronics need rest from overuse or overheating but why don't we treat ourselves with rest? 

Then Jesus came and taught even more about rest:

"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 (emphasis mine)

What an awesome promise.  When we give our burdens to Jesus, we no longer have to shoulder them alone, He will help us! When new oxen are learning how to wear a yoke for plowing and work, it is yoked to another more experienced ox.  Isn't that what Jesus is calling us to do?  We are new in experiencing life and He is seasoned.  When we are yoked to Him, He guides us and shares the weight.  Then the best news, unlike the oxen who will be released from the other, HE NEVER SAYS HE WILL LEAVE US!!  

When we are yoked to Jesus, He will give us rest.  Only when we are with Him will we find rest.  Isn't that convicting.  Often times we feel as if we have to earn rest.  That's not what Jesus is telling us: He will give it to us!  

So how restless is your soul?  I challenge you this week to take time (it doesn't have to be much) to rest in the presence of our Savior.  Read some scripture and let the Holy Spirit guide you to rest in the words and promises.  I bet you find some refreshment! 

With Love,

~A

p.s.  I will be uncovering more truths that I am learning from this book so stay turned!  Also you can win the book through GoodReads! Then lastly if you want to learn more head over to Spiritual Whitespace! 

#StyleforJustice

Hey all, I have entered a contest for a trip to Rwanda this summer with Noonday Collection, International Justice Mission and She Reads Truth! Please read my entry and vote for me! The top seven with the highest votes will move on to the next step. 


http://www.noondaycollection.com/styleforjustice#view/23056/2106063


~A

Twenty-Something and Scared of Thunderstorms

Last Night, God was roaring through the lands (well Oakmont) that He is Mighty, how did you respond?  

I can tell you that I've been scared of thunderstorms all my life.  I'm not sure why I am, perhaps just the loud thunder and the flashing of electricity lighting up the darkness of the night.  As I've gotten older, it seems to have gotten worse since The Devil likes to induce my anxiety with thoughts of terrible events occurring.  In Oakmont, we have manyyyyyy large trees surrounding each and every house.  We happen to live under the largest Oak Tree still standing in Oakmont.  Well you can imagine how I can feel anxious during each and every storm.  

Last night was no different.  There were two storms last night and the first one I mildly slept through only momentarily waking up but the second one was a monstrous one.  The cracks of thunder were not even seconds apart from the lightening meaning that the storm was right on top of us.  For one of the first times, instead of laying there awake and worrying, I began to pray.  I knew that I wasn't going to sleep any time soon, so I might as well make those minutes meaningful and talk to God.  Eventually the storm passed and I was able to fall back asleep.

Remember when I wrote about Jonah being swallowed by a whale?  Jonah tried to run from God and only when Jonah was obedient did the storm calm.  When he put his focus on God did the storm diminish.  I think we can take that lesson into our lives.  Sometimes our storms may not resolve immediately but when we focus on God, the severity lessens.  

So how do you respond to storms in your life?  Do you try to resolve it yourself, only to make it worse and put others in harms way like Jonah first tried to do?  Do you focus on God, ask for His strength to get through it, and take away your fear?  More importantly, have you praised God during a storm?  

From the storm that I have endured the past year, I praise God each and every day that He brought me through it.  I have deepened my faith and knowledge in The Lord and that was worth every second of agony.  I know that God was with me because He promises:

"Be strong and courageous.  

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, 

for the LORD your God goes with you; 

he will never leave you nor forsake you." 

(Deuteronomy 31: 6)

God is never far away, it might only seem like that because you pushed Him away.  You relied on your strength instead of the ultimate power of The One who created you.  Human strength will always fail, it was only when I turned to God that my storms seemed manageable.  So what are you going to do next time there is a storm in your life?

Comment, message or email me if you have a storm in your life that needs some prayers!  I would be honored to pray for you :D

~A