The LORD is doing a marvelous work in me to SIMPLIFY my life. Be blessed and encouraged as you read this message from my heart to yours.

On Sept 18, I left home for an 11-day road trip, including a 3 day conference (seminar) at the Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner (VA), followed by a week vacation in Utah.

The “More Leads, More Clients, More Sales” live seminar hosted by Bernadette Doyle on Sept 18-20 was outstanding. I spent a whole weekend with five Internet Marketing superstars and about 12-14 guests in a small group setting. During these 3 days, I learned more practical things to launch my business (ministry) forward than I have during the past 3 years. Amazing!

One of the guests was Brian McFadin, who is the founder of Unleash Your Spirit. When I gave Brian one of my custom postcards with my favorite life lessons about simplifying your life and being still, he offered to email me quotes he had accumulated about STILLNESS. Yesterday, I pasted those into my journal and began reflecting on them. They are powerful and offer a broad perspective on the subject. See below.

Early on Sept 21, Julia and I flew to Utah for her to compete in the Xterra National Triathlon Championship. Xterra is the leader in the world hosting off-road, long endurance triathlons – swim, mountain bike, and run.

We experienced extraordinary FAVOR during our entire trip. For example, it rained most of the week in Utah before our arrival, but while we were there, every day was sunny with high’s in the low 70′s to 80′s. Two days after we left, it snowed. Every day, God connected us with extraordinary people and we experienced the wonder of His creation. The views and scenery were spectacular.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17)

While journaling early in the morning on Sept 22, the day after my arrival in Utah for our vacation, the LORD told me to free up my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to give me a 4 day weekend every week to allow me much more time for rest, reflection, revelation, prayer, and meditation on the Word of God. My goal is to be STRATEGIC and create MARGIN to bear much fruit for the Kingdom.

God is restoring the 4-day weekends I enjoyed while working 3 years at Giles Memorial Hospital until December 2006. Why? So I can focus on the BIG PICTURE. See “WFJ: Randy, write the vision down!”

What action step(s) can you take today to begin simplifying your life?

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I praise You as the God of love and favor. Thank You for the awesome privilege of being in relationship with You, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The heavens and the earth declare Your glory. Thank You for the privilege of experiencing the majesty of your creation in Utah. Thank You for the health that my wife and I enjoy. Bless those who read this message with understanding and wisdom on how to be STILL to experience You in fresh and exciting ways. In Jesus name, I pray and give You glory, now and forever. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings to purpose to BE STILL to experience God in fresh and exciting ways!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
THE CONNECTOR & The Journal Guy

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Stillness and Quiet List of Quotes
Source: Brian McFadin, Founder of Unleash Your Spirit

1. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal one. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Stillness within finds stillness without as the framework through which all activity occurs. Breathe deep and full. Relax always. Grace unfolds from within to dance about in joyous recognition. – Rob Campbell

3. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, and his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. – James Allen

4. Enter into the stillness inside your busy life. Become familiar with her ways. Grow to love her feel with all your heart and you will come to hear her silent music and become one with Love’s silent song, the Song of Songs. – Noel Davis

5. There is more to life than increasing its speed. – Mohandas K.Gandhi

6. To do great work a man must be very idle as well as very industrious. – Samuel Butler

7. The equivalent of external noise is the inner noise of thinking. The equivalent of external silence in inner stillness. True intelligence operates silently. Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found. – Eckhart Tolle, “Stillness Speaks”

8. At your very core you are stillness and silence – pure unbounded consciousness. In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. – Deepak Chopra

9. Be still and know that I am god. – The Bible, Psalms 46:10

10. Questioning whether you’re on the right path may sound easy. The difficult part is hearing the answer. Your head will have one response, but your heart may have another. Fear may urge you to maintain you current direction, yet love may urge you to take a turn. You must quiet your mind to hear your highest calling. You must open your heart to find where love resides. If you choose to follow you passions and desires, then you must be still enough to hear the answers from your soul. Walk out only as far as you can stand with your head above water and the scenery will always look the same. Dare to venture into deeper waters and a magical world awaits you. – Debbie Ford

11. Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out. –Katherine Dunham, Dancer and choreographer

12. We know more about god by what we do not say than by what we do say. – St. Thomas Aquinas

13. I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope, For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing. – T.S. Eliot {The Four Quartets}

14. When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. – Henri Nouwen

15. It is when we feel quietness deep within us that we know we truly understand, and it is this kind of understanding that can have a strong, positive effect on our lives by leading us to right action. – T.K.V. Desikachar, “The Heart of Yoga”

16. Sometimes more silence is useful. – The Dalai Lama

17. True Silence is not the absence of sound. True Silence is the absence of ‘Self’. – Bhante Ananda Maitreya

18. In the quietness we come to simply realize that – whatever ‘It’ is – It’s just a ‘Thought’. – Bhante Ananda Maitreya

19. Just sit in the stillness and watch what arises. – Patricia Walden

20. Break through the world of ‘worldly’ words so that The Flower of ‘Just Being’ may bloom. ?Just allow yourself to become suddenly still, inside and out, so that you may pierce through the thin shell of the ‘world’ and now fill the entire cosmos with a truly free mind. – Ji Aoi Isshi (13th Century)

21. The universal field of awareness underlying our individuality is imperceptible. Its very nature transcends sensory experience, and therefore our mind can only infer the presence of spirit. We can experience spirit directly, however, by going beyond our mind through the silent spaces between our thoughts. To connect with spirit, we have to go out of our conditioned mind. – David Simon

22. The danger is we won’t just sit there, we’ll do something. – Fareed Zakaria, Foreign Policy Expert

23. Do not speak – unless it improves on silence. – Buddhist Saying

“I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” – John 10:11

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your practice of STILLNESS?

In December 2006, I stepped away from the highest paying, easiest, most enjoyable anesthesia job of my career in obedience to the Holy Spirit to make 2007 a sabbatical year.

On December 30, 2006 the LORD gave me my theme verse for 2007 – “BE STILL … and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a).

On January 1, 2007, I began a 21 day fast. On the very first day of that fast (and sabbatical year), the LORD gave me a song — “BE STILL.” That was the only song I received from the LORD that year, so I figure it’s quite significant.

Also on January 1, 2007, I sent a YDB devotional to my followers titled “Be Still.” In that I wrote: “Today begins day #1 of my sabbatical year – a year of rest. Each year since 2003, I have chosen a theme verse for the year. Until just two days ago, I was asking God to let me know His choice for a theme verse for 2007. After watching the “Be Still” DVD on December 30, I immediately knew my theme verse for 2007 is “Be still and know.” That is God’s message for the entire world!!!”

CLICK HERE  to read the rest of that profound message.

This morning (May 26, 2009) while I was journaling, Jesus told me to record the song “BE STILL” and post it online. So I did. Enjoy!

 
Prayer Power
Jesus, we praise You as the God of stillness. Thank You for my practice of being still to know You – the great I AM.

Blessings to BE still and know!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
 
If your life was compared to a train, how fast would you say that train is going?
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst, how would you rate the level of stress in your life?
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst, how would you rate your weariness? 

A few days ago, a new friend asked me, “Why journal?” That led me to share the number one reason I journal – to SLOW DOWN to REST and REFLECT, which in turn leads to Revelation.

Most people in America live unexamined lives. Their pace of life is so fast that they don’t have time to catch or notice the blessings that God drops down from heaven every day. They lack appreciate for the precious gift of every day of life. Your diamonds are in your backyard. Put another way, “When the student is ready, the Master (Coach) appears.”

Yesterday while my wife and I were driving 6.5 hours from Culpeper VA to Glenridge NJ, we listened to a CD discussing health and wellness. That CD discussed the importance of anti-oxidants to combat the damaging effects of free radicals. Stress increases free radicals in your body which in turn cause a whole host of medical problems. Your body needs rest – every week, nearly every day. Your body also needs regular exercise.

You and I are not the answer to the world’s problems. Jesus is. However, in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ, we can collectively impact the world for Jesus. What else matters? What is your role in the Body of Christ?
 
Prayer Power
Yahweh, we praise You as the burden bearer. Coach me to plan adequate time for rest, reflection, and exercise every day. Bless my readers to do likewise. Thank You Jesus. Amen and Hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Stress and Exercise - Move it and lose it – your stress, that is. Jim Annesi, PhD, is the Director of Wellnes Advancement at the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta.

 
Blessings to rest, reflect, and exercise every day!

Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. (Proverbs 1:23)

How do you recognize when God is sounding His wake-up alarm?
Is he warning you in your marriage? With your children? Through your work? About your routine?
If so, how will you respond? And when?

I apologize for not sending any devotionals for the past few days. I planned to send one out in the evening on April 23, but two serious bicycle accidents while riding with the biking club in Madison County changed my plans. In both accidents I was going over 20 mph before crashing.

In the first accident around 6:40 PM, someone riding behind me said something about a car coming. His reaction startled me. I suspect I looked up and instinctively went to the right. In any event, my front tire barely went off the paved road and when I tried to come back onto it, my bike veered out of control, dumping me hard onto my right side on the paved gravel road. My friend behind also crashed as a result.

After taking about 5 minutes to clean myself up and put my chain back on the bike, I proceeded to bike again. Within a mile or so, a few people were passing me on the left when one of them clipped the back tire of another rider. Both riders crashed with the second rider falling down right in front of my bike.

As a result, I flew over my handle bars. I suspect I hit my head and left shoulder because my helmet was cracked and my left shoulder was very sore and scraped. If it was not for the helmet, I would have had a serious head injury. I have no broken bones, except 1-2 broken ribs on the right. I have road rash on every extremity.

Yesterday, the first day after my accident, I felt like I had been run over by a Mack truck. Today I felt considerably better, although I still have lots of sore areas and oozing wounds. Getting out my devotionals has not been my highest priority.

Is God trying to teach me something through this? If so, what? In my spirit, I sense this is a warning from God. I believe things happen for a reason. Having two accidents within 10 minutes is extremely unusual. I think my last bicycle accident was 15-18 years ago, despite the fact that I bike regularly when the weather is decent.

It’s interesting that I ignored my gut feeling to ride my bike by myself instead of with the biking club because I felt tired. Not being well rested before riding made me less alert with a slower response time. It’s interesting that “Be Alert and Ready” was the title of my last devotional on April 21.

Will I be better about saying “No” to things I want to do when I feel tired in the future? Probably. Does God want to teach me a very important lesson about my daily and weekly routines? I suspect so.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for protecting me from permanent serious harm that could have easily resulted from my two bicycle accidents. Help me to understand the life lessons to be gleaned from these. Bless those who read this message to recognize when You are sending wake-up calls and to adjust their courses appropriately. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
The Sovereignty Of God by Andrew Wommack

Blessings to recognize the hand of God in your own life and to respond appropriately!

——————–

From: Robert Sims
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 12:36 PM
To: Randy Peck
Subject: warning from God?

Hi Randy,

Bob Sims here. God will make it clear about what He says to us. I took a motorcycle course last year-still do not have a motorcycle but wanted to get oriented so I could use one in Africa someday. The training was rigorous in the course. It goes over all what you said, about the causes of most accidents. Whatever might slow our response times and judgments will increase dramatically the accident rate.

It went over the effects of alcohol, weariness, absent mindedness-mood in other words. I feel this is a good metaphor, perhaps a parable, for our lives. We were told in the course that whenever we were tired, stop. There is not any margin on a motorcycle to be absentminded. Like on a bike but much more so, calculating the angle of attack on a curve, the stopping distances for potential problems like you had, anticipating drivers and others to make mistakes and cross our path all require concentration moment by moment-all while shifting gears and working clutches and two sets of brakes while balancing.

I think that is part of it-we can live moment by moment with God and will not likely crash. Jesus was quoted Psalm 91 in Matt. 4 by satan. It was truth, but misapplied. Satan wanted Jesus, in my view, to see the world only in physical terms-save your body from death with the angels. However, I feel Ps. 91 is about guarding the heart. Reference to  Psalm 34, you find the same angels (angel of the Lord in some versions) healing and guarding and delivering hearts. That is what happened after the temptation, the angels gathered around Jesus and ministered to his human spirit. It was “tempting God” to jump the cliff because it was an attempt to move issues of the heart to just about the body-America’s pasttime now. 

This might sound convoluted but if you move through this you will see:
Psalm 51, for instance, expresses God’s heart on life:
15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
        
It was not the physical sacrifices He really wanted but for us to put our hearts in His hands so He could bring complete restoration.

The parable seems to be that if we have our minds on other things than what God thinks is important, we are headed for a Ps. 91 thing-we will stumble and our hearts will be broken, unless the heart is in the hands of the angels, not OUR hands. What is on OUR mind can kill us, but what is on God’s mind can save us.

This is a deep truth and I hope I have not written so little that it is not well stated. Nonetheless, one of the only ways we can do this is to live in a state of relaxation, or rest, so we can be aware of God’s thinking, and also we can be aware of the dangers crossing our path.

I am in the specialty tea business. The reason tea is the most popular beverage on earth is not just because it is really healthy, but because it has a substance in it, just about the only place in all of God’s apothecary, where L-theanine is  present in high concentrations naturally. It causes the brain to go into Alpha wave mode with just two cups-relaxed but alert. People all over the world drink it for this reason not being aware of L-theanine, but knowing they are relaxed and alert simultaneously, the brain activity we must have for physical or mental performance. Caffeine alone causes alertness with side effects we do not want, but this substance is unique and offsets the side effects.

I am not selling tea, here! I am using a long analogy to encourage you to rest and find rest where you can be alert but relaxed, listening to God but also ready to “perform” in the heart.

The bike trip is a metaphor of your life, in this way too: do not perform tired. Rest until you are in the zone. Trying to perform out of the “zone” with God is tantamount to taking the guardianship of our heart back from the angels and guarding it yourself. If the angels do not lift you up, you are guaranteed to “dash your foot against the stone”-a poetic device speaking of guaranteeing our hearts will be broken if we become the guardian.

I think also the analogy could be that the angels did lift you up both times. The roll gave you the terrible skin strawberries, but that was in lieu of NOT rolling and something breaks! Like your head or leg!

So, the motorcycle class ( and I have thousands of miles on a bike, too) teaches us not to ride with our minds or bodies in the wrong place. We need to rest when we need rest. Jesus said, “Wisdom is justified by her children.” Wisdom is walking tuned to God constantly. Habukkuk 3:16 and the surrounding passage shows us what God wants to accomplish-the we can actually rest in the day of trouble knowing God is using the shaking for His purposes.

Be encouraged,

Bob Sims

And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses… So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:9,11a)

How do you access the Holy of Holies?

Yesterday morning after a few hours of “doing the dew,” the Holy Spirit led me to discuss the significance of the Tabernacle of Moses with my web team during our morning devotional time.

What’s the significance of the Tabernacle of Moses? Why does this matter to you? Because there is a protocol for entering the presence of God – the Holy of Holies. The Bible teaches that we enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and we enter His courts with praise. The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God in Israel and a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s salvation in Him.

The Tabernacle of Moses (and the Temple of Solomon) included 3 areas – the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The outer court was where the animal sacrifices were made to atone for sins; that’s where the blood, guts, and poop were (i.e. a messy place). Only the High Priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, and only on one day every year – the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was ripped in two. God’s New Covenant began upon the death of Jesus through His blood sacrifice. And it’s by the blood of Jesus, and no other, that we have direct access to throne room of God.

When a person commits his life to Jesus Christ, he enters the gates of the Tabernacle. Most Christians are content residing in the outer court – where much of the mess of life is. But not me. I want to spend my time in the Holy of Holies to meet with God – the place where His whisper can easily be heard. It’s a very humbling place to be. As I observe the faults of other people (and we all have faults), my own faults become more glaring.

Why are there 50 chapters in the Bible about the Tabernacle of Moses? A study of this topic is absolutely fascinating – a story of God’s desire to dwell with man and to bring salvation to him. The word ‘tabernacle’ means “temporary dwelling place.” The Believer (“in Christ”) is the dwelling place, the temple of God (Holy Spirit); the body is the outer court, the soul is the holy place, and the spirit is the holy of holies.

It’s very interesting that the gates of The Tabernacle of Moses always faced toward the East – the direction of the rising sun. Yesterday, Virginia Morton told me that Butch Mills preached a message titled “On the Road to Suffering” at all three morning worship services at Culpeper United Methodist Church on Feb 3 and had a profound impact on the people. She said the LORD told her that the miraculous healing of Butch following his near fatal burial while working in a deep trench is symbolic of the healing of our land that is coming. She told me the 3 prayer walks of our local public schools were very significant. That reminded me of the name chosen for the brand new high school in Culpeper set to open in the Fall of 2008 – Eastern View High School. Coincidence? I don’t think so. God is up to something huge in Culpeper, Virginia, and America. 2008 is the year of “new beginnings.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, one day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I am so humbled to be able to call You “Father.” I am humbled to be an ambassador for the King of kings, the LORD of lords, the Creator of the universe. Thank You for Your relationship with me. Jesus, I exalt You and Your holy name. Praise be to God, now and forever. Amen and hallelujah!

Links of the Day
Introduction to the Tabernacle of Moses

Pictures of the Tabernacle of Moses

Blessings to find your way to the Holy of holies!

Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven. (Genesis 27:28)

Are you running on empty?
How can you best refresh your body and spirit?

On January 30, I received a high priority email from Anne Alder titled “I Will Be As The Dew Unto Israel.” This email particularly caught my attention because Anne is a faithful servant of Jesus, looks out for me, and rarely sends me any emails as high priority. Meditating on her email led me to spend the first 3 hours of my morning on Feb 1 “doing the dew.” That led to an awesome and creative day of work for my team of four working in my home. Here is what Anne shared:

Randy

This is from my STREAMS IN THE DESERT devotional. Thought you would be blessed.

The dew is a source of freshness. It is nature’s provision for renewing the face of the earth.  It falls at night, and without it the vegetation would die.  It is this great value of the dew which is so often recognized in the Scriptures. It is used as the symbol of spiritual refreshing.  Just as nature is bathed in dew, so the Lord renews His people.  In Titus 3:5 the same thought of spiritual refreshing is connected with the ministry of the Holy Spirit – “renewing the Holy Ghost.”

Many Christian workers do not recognize the importance of the heavenly dew in their lives, and as a result they lack freshness and vigor.  Their spirits are drooping for lack of dew.

Beloved, fellow-worker, you recognize the folly of a laboring man attempting to do his day’s work without eating.  Do you recognize the folly of a servant of God attempting to minister without eating of the heavenly manna?  Nor will it suffice to have spiritual nourishment occasionally.  Every day you must receive the renewing of the Holy Ghost.  You know when your whole being is pulsating with the vigor and freshness of divine life and when you feel jaded and worn. Quietness and absorption bring the dew.  At night when the leaf and blade are still, the vegetable pores are open to receive the refreshing and invigorating bath; so spiritual dew comes from quiet lingering in the Master’s presence.  Get still before Him.  Haste will prevent your receiving the dew.  Wait before God until you feel saturated with His presence; then go forth to you next duty with the conscious freshness and vigor of Christ. – DR. PARDINGTON

Dew will never gather while there is either heat or wind.  The temperature must fall, and the winds cease, and the air come to a point of coolness and rest – absolute rest, so to speak – before it can yield up its invisible particles of moisture to bedew either herb or flower.  So the grace of God does not come forth to rest the soul of man until the still point is fairly and fully reached.

DROP THY STILL DEWS OF QUIETNESS.
TILL ALL OUR STRIVINGS CEASE:
TAKE FROM OUR SOULS THE STRAIN AND STRESS.
AND LET OUR ORDERED LIVES CONFESS
THE BEAUTY OF THY PEACE.

BREATHE THROUGH THE PULSES OF DESIRE
THEY COOLNESS AND THY BALM;
LET SENSE BY DUMB, ITS BEATS EXPIRE;
SPEAK THROUGH THE EARTHQUAKE, WIND AND FIRE,
O STILL SMALL VOICE OF CALM!

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Anne Alder and her incredible heart for You. Thank You for friends like this who pray for me. Bless Anne beyond her wildest imagination in 2008. Open the flood gates of heaven for Anne that she does not have enough room to store all of Your blessings. May we become partners in Your billion soul vision. Thank You Jesus for being my Rock. I love You so much. Amen and hallelujah. Praise be to God!

Link of the Day
Steams in the Desert – by Mrs. Chas Cowman

Blessings to do the dew daily!

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

Are you suffering from self-pity?
Do you feel tired, battered, and bruised?
What is the remedy?
Visit today Link of the Day to learn how to turn self-pity into praise.

In several previous devotionals, I’ve mentioned the positive impact that Steve Burke, founder of The Lord Will Provide, has had on Culpeper. It’s amazing to watch His-story (God’s story) in the making. On November 19, I received an email from Virginia Morton, the “quarterback” of our Pray Culpeper team, stating:

“I am forwarding to you a message below from Steve Burke with his permission. I’m not sure if he sent this to you. I was so blessed and honored when Steve called me to tell me about his encounter with God while he was here. The story is breathtaking! But the important point Steve wanted me to realize is that God is moving in Culpeper. This will encourage you, especially with our Thanksgiving Service tomorrow night.

Steve also sent me this note, which I thought you would appreciate since you’ve read “The Dream Giver.” 

I actually reviewed The Dream Giver by Wilkinson and I have just passed through “Sanctuary” on my way down into the valley to defeat the giants… God’s perfect timing.”

As I read Steve’s story, tears flowed out of my eyes. I subsequently emailed him to ask for permission to include his story in a future devotional. After making a few minor revisions, Steve emailed me his final version on November 24. Later that day, he posted his full story at his blog.

Be sure to visit today’s Link of the Day to read Steve’s miracle story!

Prayer Power
LORD, my one desire, that will I seek, is to dwell in Your house all the days of my life, to behold Your beauty and to inquire in Your temple. You are my God. There is no other. Praise the LORD! Let all my soul praise Your holy name. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
An Encounter With God – Nov 24 blog by Steve Burke (The Lord Will Provide)
[http://thelordwillprovide.blogspot.com]

Blessings to praise God in the desert to experience His presence!

Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1a-2)

How important is it to “meditate” on God’s Word day and night?
How much time do I spend reflecting each day? Each week?
What can I do to increase that time?

In yesterday’s devotional, I shared about Sharon Graham, an outstanding nutritional coach. During one of our conversations about two months ago, Sharon talked about writing a daily reflection titled “Reflection, the Lost Art.” I figured I’d beat her to it. Reflection and meditation are synonyms.

Several years ago, I listened to an audiotape by David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders [www.wallbuilders.com], about the “4 R’s” that were considered fundamental to learning by our nation’s founding fathers. Two of those were “research” and “reflection.” David said that modern educators often speak of the “3 R’s” – reading, writing, and arithmetic – yet only one of those three even begins with an “R.”

David pointed out that nowadays most people believe what they read or hear without doing the proper research to verify its accuracy or truth. Obviously, most people in our modern day culture are so busy that they have little time to reflect on where they are heading or what their purpose is. But does it really matter how fast you climb the latter if it’s leaning against the wrong wall?

Most Americans no longer believe in absolute truth – things that are true in all places, for all people, at all times. They no longer believe in moral absolutes. Why is this the case? What role do busyness and the lack of time for reflection play? What did Jesus mean whey He said “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to me except through the Father?” Is truth a concept or a person? Is there any way to heaven besides Jesus?

Asking and answering questions is a great way to meditate. For example:

Why do I exist? What is my purpose?
Did God create me to solve a problem for the world? If so, how do I discover that?
How important is it for me to read God’s Word, believe God’s Word, and live out God’s Word?
Does the pace of my life allow me to reflect on what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong?
How do the scriptures I’m reading apply to my life? How can they bless me and others?
What impact might journaling have to help me change and grow?
How is God speaking to me now through people and circumstances?

What does it mean to me to trust in the LORD and lean not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)
When the Bible says “Let every thought be taken captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ,” how do I apply that to what I watch and listen to?
When the Bible says don’t be unequally yoked, what does that mean in regard to my closest friends?

Either God and His Word will be LORD of your life or something else will be.
What will you choose?

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I praise You as the Alpha and Omega, the one who sees the beginning from the end. Use me and those in my sphere of influence to change the hearts and minds of youth to revere the Bible as the ultimate source of truth. Teach me to ask good questions to raise the standard of thinking and learning in my own community. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
Quotes on Reflection
http://quotations.about.com/cs/inspirationquotes/a/Reflection1.htm

Blessings to reflect often and deeply! 

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. (Psalm 145:5)

What daily habit can I start to guarantee I will slow down and hear God?

To me, “busy” is a bad four letter word. Yesterday, I shared how the Holy Spirit led me to Track #11 of CD #2 of Bill Hybel’s book “Too Busy Not to Pray” and how I applied the 3 steps to reduce my rpm’s the next morning. The following in an excerpt from Track #11:

To have an authentic walk with Jesus Christ, time is required. Something good is going to have to give way. Some practical vehicle will have to be employed to get the rpm’s down from 10,000 to 5,000 to 500, where you can be at peace with God and be in a condition to hear what the Lord is saying. Nobody ever said the Christian walk is easy.

I want to offer you a practical, tested, guaranteed rpm-reduction approach that will help you slow your life down so that you can stop playing games and begin living an authentic Christian life. It’s a shree step program that really works… You can begin to learn to “be still and know” that God is God (Psalm 46:10)

STEP #1: The first step toward rpm reduction is called journaling. Journaling means keeping a journal, in this case a spiritual journal. It involves writing down your experiences, observations, and reflections looking behind the events of the day for their hidden meanings, recording ideas as they come to you.

In his book “Ordering Your Private World,” Gordon McDonald suggests journaling, but with a different twist. Go to a drugstore, he said, and buy a spiral notebook. Plan to write in this notebook every day, but restrict yourself to one page. Every day when you open to the next blank sheet of paper, write the same first word: Yesterday. Follow this with a paragragh or two recounting yesterday’s events, sort of a postgame analysis… According to McDonald, this exercise causes a tremendous step forward in spiritual development.

Most of us, the author said, live unexamined lives. We repeat the same errors day after day. We don’t learn much from the decisions we make, whether they are good or bad. We don’t know why we’re here or where we’re going. One benefit of journaling is to force us to examine our lives.

STEP #2: Write out your prayers. Some people tell me they don’t need to schedule regular time for prayer; they pray on the run. These people are kidding themselves. Just try building a marriage on the run… As with the journal, I limit my writing to one page… Once I write out the prayer, I put the notebook on the credenze and kneel down … I find I pray much more effectively on my knees. I read the prayer aloud, adding other comments or concerns as I go through it.

STEP #3: Listen to God. This step is so important … These moments in God’s presence are the ones that really matter… You can’t become an authentic Christian on a diet of constant activity, even if the activity is all church related… The archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness. It’s time to slow down, reflect, and listen.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, You are a God who usually speaks in quiet whispers. I love being in Your Holy of holies to hear You and to speak softly to You. Help me to daily apply the three steps above to reduce my rpm’s even further and may many others follow this example. Thank You Jesus for Your peace that passes all understanding. You are my Rock and my salvation. I praise You and Your holy name. Amen and Hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Ordering Your Private World – by Gordon McDonald

Blessings to apply these 3 simple steps each morning to slow your rpm’s way down!

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.” (Revelations 3:3)

What can I do TODAY to prevent fires, rather than rushing around to put them out?

A recent letter I received from the Pentagon Federal Credit Union states, “No one ever plans to fail, but many fail to plan.” Because I have a heart to serve, I easily fall into the trap of allowing other people’s “emergencies” to pull me into the tyranny of the urgent. But it’s my desire to live most of my life in Quadrant 2, doing things that are important, but not urgent.

On Sunday August 26, I got up at 5:10 AM after 6 ½ hours of sleep. I went to our sunroom, knelt down, and prayed for a few minutes. I think I also sang a few songs to God, but I’m not sure because I was busy the evening before. Because of my recent devotionals about QBQ, I asked God the question, “What can I do TODAY to increase my finances?” It didn’t take Him long to go to work.

When I went to my office, I started iTunes intending to listen to a scheduled playlist for the 26th day of the month. However, I discovered I needed to create new playlists because last week I  upgraded my hard drive and operating system on my main computer. During the process of creating playlists, the Holy Spirit prompted me to load Psalms 74-150 into iTunes. While retrieving my NIV Bible on CD in our basement, I noticed the 2 CD set “Too Busy Not to Pray.” I was prompted to load those too into iTunes.

While listening to CD #2 of “Too Busy Not to Pray,” Track #11 jumped out at me. Bill Hybels talked about decreasing your RPM’s from 10,000 to 5,000 to 500 each morning. I felt strongly convicted and was driven to action. I listened to that track at least two more times that morning.

The next morning (August 27), I decided to apply the three principles (steps) of slowing down discussed on Track #11. My first step was to write (type) one full page in my spiritual journal starting with the word “Yesterday.” As I recounted the events and people from the day before, I became more and more aware of how God was at work in that day. My second step was to write (type) one page of personal prayers.

To see what I wrote in my spiritual journal on the morning of August 27, visit today’s Link of the Day.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, on December 29, 2006 You told me my theme verse in 2007 was to be”Be Still” (Psalm 46:10).  While preparing my devotional for January 1, 2007, You told me that was Your message for the entire world in 2007. Guide me to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from my life. Do likewise for my readers. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Yesterday… – my journal entry for August 27  [see below]

Blessings to learn and apply simple principles to slow down your RPM’s from 10,000 to 500!

I then chose to sit next to John, a teenager whose life is being turned around by God. Because John respects me, I knew it would encourage him by being with him. I was encouraged to hear John singing. Within a matter of 5-10 minutes, the crowd grew to at least 60-70 people in the high school auditorium. I noticed an extremely high and positive energy level. Julia (my wife) arrived around 10:40 AM and sat on my left. She had run a 10 mile race earlier that morning in Bealeton.

Pastor Matt Gregory began his sermon by sharing that 90% of people who come to church do so because a family member or friend invites them. He then called forward all the people who were present at the very first SPC worship service in March 2005. Then he called forward people who had come to SPC because of being invited by someone already up front. (i.e. the second generation). Next he called forward third generation SPC attendees. By this time, almost no one remained in the audience. One could easily sense an atmosphere of fellowship and a breakdown in tension by having people get out of their seats. Then more humored followed. By this time, people had let down their barriers and were ready to hear from God. The title of Matt’s message was  “Borrowing and Lending Faith.” I think I’ll do a devotional about that later this week.

After the worship service, I immediately went to talk to Bud. The Holy Spirit had instructed me earlier that morning to give him a brochure inviting him to the 17th Annual International Institute on Nation Transformation in Argentina Sept 28 – Oct 5. I also gave Bud a Harvest Evangelism DVD titled “Marketplace Transformation.” Bud seemed quite interested in going to Argentina and told me he has a good pastor friend who might be up for that too.

Before leaving SPC, I talked to several other people and helped load carts into the SPC trailer. When Julia invited me to have lunch at China Jade in Culpeper with a few other families, I accepted the invitation, even though I had initially thought I’d skip lunch.

When Julia and I arrived at China Jade, we saw the Jarvis family and went to talk to them. Then we joined the Smith and Gregory families to eat. The conversations were authentic. I did a better job than usual listening.

When I got home, I immediately laid down for what turned out to be a 3 hour nap. I was exhausted.

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Morning prayer page for Monday 08-27-07

LORD, yesterday morning I asked You the question, “What can I do TODAY to increase my finances?” It didn’t take you long to go to work. You led me back to the CD set “Too Busy Not to Pray” and then You imprinted the message from Track #11 of CD#2 on my heart. Thank You for doing that. Thank You that I had time to listen to that message several more times. Thank You that this morning I am applying the 3 principles to slow down my RPM’s from 10,000 to 500.

I’ve had a ton of excuses why I’ve let me prayer life slip. I’ve had a ton of excuses for why I’ve allowed people to get me in the fast lane that leads to nowhere. I’ve had a ton of excuses on why some words (prophecies) You’ve spoken to me haven’t come true. My own busyness has hurt my relationship with Caren, Robbie, and Julia. It has damaged their faith. Please forgive me. I know I need to assume personal responsibility for what is being manifested in my life and family. I need to stop blaming others, especially Julia, for holding me back. I need to be a man of action as well as prayer. I need to be an answer to my own prayers much more often. I need to be a good steward with my time. I spend too long talking to people on the phone. This wastes my time and their time. I haven’t been preparing adequately for my meetings with my clients.

This past Friday (August 24), I vented my anger to Julia in front of John and then Caren.

I’ve been asking You over and over to bless my finances and yet things just seem to get worse and worse. I’ve been telling You what I want to see happen instead of asking You what I need to do to be successful. I’ve allowed journaling and emails to draw me into the tyranny of the urgent.

Thank You LORD for yesterday!