Category: walk

Still: Uttering No Sound; Quiet

Silence is praise to you,
    Zion-dwelling God,
And also obedience.
    You hear the prayer in it all.
(Psalm 65:1 The Message)

I am restless. A cold snap in the weather caught me unawares. I miss sitting out on our front porch. To go for a walk seems like a huge effort; to find socks, a coat, a hat and gloves appears insurmountable. I sit in the front room staring out at the empty porch swing, wondering how a little cold weather holds me hostage. My mind wanders and focus eludes me. The sunlight peeps through the window. I need some sunshine. I need some warmth. I want to be outdoors in the solitude and silence of a good walk with God.

I grab my phone, a travel mug with coffee, a book and a pen. I rummage through the closet to find gloves and a warm coat. Walking to the park, my mental block begins to thaw. My soul warms up to God. We just walk together. I try to read, but He just wants to be with me. Uttering no sound, being quiet together, moving through the cold, sunny day is enough.

Enough to bring me back to peace, back to some mental clarity and the ideas for a class I’m teaching on Friday begin to flow, just like the blood coursing through my body and the oxygen filling my lungs. 

Solitude affords me the opportunity to be present to the moment. To listen and soak in God’s love. 

In 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time, Pam Farrel reminds us that we have to carve out time to be still and know God:

Enjoying quiet is a lost art. Many of miss God in the everyday, but when things are still, when we take time in the quietness of nature–or in the quietness of our souls–our hearts will begin to tune into thoughts of God. 

If it’s been a while since you stopped to smell the roses, do just that. Begin your journey in solitude by a walk in a garden or park. find a grassy knoll and lay on your back…and watch clouds, noting their shapes. then just pray through your thoughts as they come, even if they seem jumbled and random. 

It may feel strange at first to rest in the Lord, but one day of R and R with God can give you back months of clarity and productivity.

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam http://www.Love-wise.com


What is keeping you from being still?

Posted on by kelrohlf 4

Dance: To Move Your Body

Let them praise his name in the dance: 
let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: 
he will beautify the meek with salvation.
(Psalm 149:3-4 KJV)


This old photo was on some mail I got from the St. Louis History Museum,
 thought it fit well with our theme today.
 It was either this or a video of me dancing! I figured you’d prefer this!

Dancing may be the last thing on your mind when you think of quiet. If you have no rhythm, like myself, you may  want to skip this idea completely. But even as I admit that I am rhythm deficient, I still like to dance unto the Lord! I love to crank up the praise music when no one is home and just move as the Spirit leads. But dance is not the only kind of movement that draws us closer to God. 

Scripture often likens our relationship with Him as a walk or even a race. I think dancing, walking, running or any exercise can give us a focus that clears our minds, placing us in a posture for deeper listening to God.

Pam Farrel agrees. Listen in as she relates her experience with dance and exercise as means to connect with God in the quiet of our hearts. (If you are kinesthetic learner, you’re gonna love this. If you’re not, you should still give this idea a try. See if God shows up in a way you never experienced before!)

Pam does admit that she is a trained dancer and gymnast, but still there is value in trying a new experience even if you’re not an expert:

I took a Jewish folk-dance class and the holiness of dance became real to me. As the teacher explained the meaning of the dances and their steps, I began to grasp the full picture of God’s plan. One dance had a step for water . . . I thought about how Jesus said, “I am the living water.”

At the moment my feet were moving to the music and doing the steps  that meant water, I knew that for me the living water is what I needed for survival . . . I had intellectually known that for years  and years, but in that moment my whole body could respond to the truth of that one simple phrase in Scripture.

If dancing doesn’t appeal to you, try taking a walk or jogging with praise music or riding your bike with the intention of listening to God.

Pam shares some research and  her experience with exercise:

Professional counselor Earl Henslin says that often it is after intense exercise and rest that our minds think clearest. I also have seen that I am most creative after I have exercised and prayed. It is as if those two activities serve as an eraser on the chalkboard of my life, wiping away the superfluous noise of busyness.

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam http://www.Love-wise.com


Can you share a time when physical activity 
helped you to connect with God?
Posted on by kelrohlf 7