[CS-FSLUG] Quiet times... (Non technical post)

['Mash]

I have a friend overseas who is struggling with her quiet time at the moment.
Last month we decided to read "Purpose filled life" and follow it
though together.
We are trying to be accountable and an encouragement to each other.

I have just written to her of my recent experience and thought
I might share part of it with the group.

Thanks

'Mash


Below...

"My life is pretty full at the moment too, and I know 
the feeling of letting the quiet times slip. I realised 
that I was constantly saying I will do it tomorrow,and 
then say the same thing the next day. What I realised 
though is that we get so caught up in time and in the 
ritual of spending time with God and actually forget what 
we are doing. Communicating.

I read a fantastic article about a monk who admitted that 
he had managed to keep God in his thoughts 80% of the day. 
He was disappointed though that he could not keep in 
communication with God for the entire 100%. Now obviously
we can only dream of achieving that level of relationship 
with God, especially since we have to deal with the world 
in our face the whole time. What I am saying though is that 
I have learnt to hold onto God for every moment I can. It 
is small things like as you get up from your chair and 
stretch, talk to Him, sigh and thank him. I have discovered 
that my quiet time is not so much about coming to God with 
a list of things I want Him to intervene in but more so 
coming to him with reverence, fear and gratitude. I was in 
the shower the other day, where to be honest I talk to God 
a lot! I just stood under the stream of water and actually 
cried in thanks for what he is doing in my life. It was 
like I feared that I could not do enough to show my 
gratitude to Him and felt hopeless in my pityfull efforts. 
It was very moving because I weeped for about 10 minutes.

There is a time and place for a routine of quiet time with 
God. Routine is good because it is stronger then our 
emotions and will pull us through even when we "don't feel 
like it." We just have to remember God is a Father and 
would much rather see us look up at him in everything we do, 
everything we think and say, then give him a call every 
morning for 30 minutes.

I admit I have let "Purpose filled life" slip and am 
actually still on day 20 ! It is a book, an awesome book and 
helps me to focus part of my life at the time on God. But the 
act of reading the book is not important, what I do with my 
time, and the quality of time is what counts.The book is a 
blessing and I need to push myself with it too."