* I wrote this post before I knew what Sarah Mae was writing on. It is interesting how similar our thoughts are on this subject!*

Let me pray for us as we begin….

Lord, we are weary. We have tried, sadly, for too long to do life on our own. We choose now to abide in Your love, Your arms, Your truth. Refresh our souls as only You can. We wait expectantly for You. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields it’s fruit in season, and it’s leaf does not wither. We give You this year, our time, our schedules, our selves. Use them for Your glory and show us Your will in our lives. Amen.

The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

Last week we talked about refreshing yourself by letting some things go and making time to rest and enjoy life. Now, I want to take it a step further. We need to plan to be refreshed. Not just once, but on an ongoing basis.

We need to schedule in time to drink deeply from the well that is the Lord and find things that truly refresh our soul, instead of settling for what feels good in the moment but in the end leaves us feeling depleted. As I mentioned last week, habits of constant internet clicking, mindless eating, shopping {online or otherwise}, TV watching that is mindless instead of planned are some of these things.

Here is what I am saying. Plan for a little refreshment every day, every week, and a little something extra once a month or whenever you can swing it. 

Here is what works for me. I wake up early early so I can have quiet, with my coffee and my Bible, uninterrupted for an hour. In the afternoon, I take a nap for 30 minutes and then I read for 30 minutes {the twins listen to a book on the ipod}.

In the evening, I get into bed by 8:30 and spend a few quiet moments reflecting on my day. Then I read a relaxing book with a cup of Good Earth tea {my favorite!} in my special mug before lights out at 9. Should everyone have this schedule?! Of course not! My husband flies early so we get up at 4:30am, thus necessitating an early bedtime.

In addition to this, every few months I take a little vacation to the local hotel here in town. It is nothing special, but for 24 hours, I have quiet and air conditioning, which are hard to come by here. I take some music, candles, coffee, Bible, a book I am reading, and sometimes a special movie. I spend the afternoon resting and praying, the evening watching my movie and getting a good night’s sleep, and the morning before I go home, some time in the Word. This is what works for me and my family. Dave gladly sends me, because he doesn’t mind keeping the kids, and it actually helps him because I come back refreshed!

At one time I felt guilty for taking these times to refresh, feeling like I should be filling my time with more important things, giving my time and money to those that need it more desperately. However, I have learned taking care of myself and my relationship with the Lord is the most important thing. Christians these days have gotten things a bit turned around.

We are running around serving the Lord, without actually spending time with Him, ministering to Him or hearing from Him. Jesus frequently took time away from His ministry to be alone with the Lord.

As for me, I want to serve faithfully until the very end, so that means taking a little respite along the way. Otherwise I burn out. 

I want this to be true of me… “{S}He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.” Psalm 1:3

Find what works for you. Talk it over with those close to you, and figure out a plan of how to make it happen. I am already picturing a host of comments with a bunch of “yes buts”…. “we don’t have the money, my husband would never watch the kids, I don’t like to be alone,” etc.

My plan does not need to be your plan.

YOU come up with your plan with your family and the Lord, and then make it happen. Could you trade babysitting with a friend one morning a week? Could your hire someone to watch your kids while you take a nap? Could you ask a loved one to have your kids for a playdate once a week or once a month to give you some time to rest?

My challenge to you: Think about how you can plan for some refreshment in your day, your week, and your month. Pray over your plan and see what you can do to make it happen!

As I have been studying and praying through this series, it is clear to me it will not fit into one day a week. All the Lord is showing me on how to refresh is going to take 2 days a week! On Mondays, we will have a time of refreshing in the Word and then Tuesdays will be intentionally looking at our lives and build an action plan.

So here we go….

Today we are going to be intentional about offering praise to the Lord and reflecting on 2012, the good and the bad. 

I encourage you to find a quiet spot. 

You are going to need:

• 30 minutes of quiet
• Your Bible, turned to Psalm 66
• A pen and a journal
• a candle
• quiet music
• something yummy to drink {these last 3 are optional, but I think they enhance the experience!}

1. Take some time to read Psalm 66. Write down any words or thoughts.

The best way to stop focusing on my exhaustion and weariness of soul, my trying circumstances, my pain, is to focus on worship and praise of God. He is worthy to be praised and adored, and my soul cannot help but be lifted and refreshed when I spend time praising Him.

When we don’t turn our eyes on Him, our eyes automatically turn to our self. Charles Spurgeon says this, “He who makes little of God makes much of himself. They who forget adoration fall into adulation. The eyes must see something, and if they admire not God, they will flatter self.”

I find his statement true in my own life. Take a moment to intentionally turn our eyes off of your problems and choose instead to focus on praising Him.

“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works!’”

“All the earth will worship You, All will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.”

2. Take a few quiet moments and speak to God about His wonderful works. His many blessings. His awesome character. Write them down.

3.Now, let’s take a few moments and reflect on this past year.

How has God been faithful to you this last year? What are some things that show His goodness and love to you? Often, we are too busy or “forget to remember”. Remembering can greatly fortify our souls and bless our hearts as we look at what He has done.

“Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds, toward the sons of men.”

4. Spend some time reflecting on what great things God did in 2012, for you, your marriage, your family.

Write down all the things that come to your mind, big or small. 

The psalmist in Psaln 66 remembers the faithfulness of the Lord when he led the Israelites through the Red Sea in verse 6, “He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him!”

5.Now, as painful as it might me, take moments to reflect on hard things. The painful, broken things God used or is still using to refine you.

“For you have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppresive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.”

Spend  time thanking God for what He has done and asking Him to continue to heal painful spots. Also ask Him to continue to teach you to trust in Him as you refresh you soul this year.

6.Lastly, share {if you want} with us the things God has done, the joyous and the heart-breaking. Let’s praise Him together for the good things, and see His hand together in the hard things.

“Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.”

Here are mine….

His works in my life in 2012:

• allowed me to grow deeper in my walk with Him
• brought a deepening of close friendships which have been a balm to my soul
• Dave and I started instituting “at home” date night which has renewed our marriage
• our family took several village trips interior, which were life-giving as we did ministry together as a family {you can read about our most recent one here and here}
• the kids and I took a soul-refreshing trip back to the States, and I was able to spend time resting and hanging out with family {and drinking Starbucks!}
• several wonderful things that I am not at liberty to share via the Internet

The hard things that God used {is using} to refine me:

• the devastation of learning family secrets, which led to the blessing of meeting my wonderful brother and deep reconciliation with my family, learning the hard way that brokenness is a gift
• continual pain and exhaustion due to Lupus, that God continues to use in my life to show me how weak I am and how much I need Him in my life.
• experiencing severe burnout, which left me spent, through which God is continuing to show me how to rest in Him
• near constant power outages and the constant yelping of the neighbor’s dog, which I wish I could say have grown me immensely and I am so spiritual I even thank God for the disruptions. But honestly? I am not there. I can survive them, but I am not to the point where I would say I am thankful for them. I pray I might continue to choose here.

The electricity grinds to a stop again. The dog next door yelps endlessly, the blaring m@sque somehow still has it’s electricity, and the heat without fans leaves me a melty puddle on the floor.  The scheduled power outages are no problem, the ones I know are coming. It is these never ending, sneak-up-behind-you-in-the-middle-of-the-hot-day-ones that wear me down. Just a few hours before, in the cool pre-dawn, fans were going, and coffee was piping hot, I was refreshed and feeling spiritual. Now, with kids arguing about the nothing they-think-is-the-end-all-something, the laundry is piled high and stinky, ugly words bubble up from deep inside of me and threaten to unleash on the next waiting victim. I am pooped.

My soul is weary.  It needs refreshing {maybe yours does too?}. Not just the kind of refreshing which involves pedicures and long lengthy luncheons, or my ultimate fantasy right now, sipping a Starbucks walking down the aisles of Target {hey, I am easy to please!}. No, it needs something more than a passing moment to truly refresh. A little pampering can certainly be part of it, but I need more.

The new year has begun, and all things are new and the year holds scads of possibilities. Will you join me in a series to refresh your soul as we take on the year?

 A little space to pause, think intentionally, and renew and refresh some of our habits.

Beginning next Monday, and continuing through the month of January let’s find true refreshment in Him and in setting up some simple habits. 

Week 1- Creating Space To Breathe/Refreshing Your Quiet Time

Week 2-Planning for Refreshement/Refreshing Your Habits

Week 3-Refreshing Your Space/Delighting in God’s Beauty

Week 4- Refreshing Your Mothering/Letting Go of Distractions

I am all about simple and do-able {who has time for more?!}, so each week there will be a devotional, a challenge, and some  action points.

I hope you will join me for a time of refreshing.

Tell me: What area in your life needs refreshing?