Mar 18Liked by Tiffany Stubbs, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
I start my week days in silence, with meditation and devotion. When that time is short-circuited, I feel like I am off track, so I pause as soon as I can to re-calibrate. Silence has been welcomed. In the summer, when I go paddle boarding, I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper.
Sandra, like you I also like my quiet time in the mornings on weekdays for meditation, prayer, and devotions. And I also feel off kilter when I miss this part of my routine.
Sandra, I'm very moved at your last sentence, "I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper." That gave me chills. I began to ask myself, what does that look like for me? Thanks for sharing!!
Tiffany, Thank you for your comment about my sentence "I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper." When I go paddle boarding, that is my sacred time with Jesus on the lake. I intentionally step away from people's voices. While paddle boarding, I am drawn to noticing whatever God is wanting me to notice; from turtles swimming to the gentle breeze on my face...
Swimming is very meditative for me because it requires me to be completely in the moment. I see a lot of swimmers with the underwater headphones now, but I'm going to resist that temptation.
Mar 18Liked by Tiffany Stubbs, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
I used to be very disciplined with regularly practicing silence (I liked to call it “snuggle time with God”) but it’s been a struggle in the last couple of years. This is something that comes up frequently in monthly meetings with my spiritual director! But there have been a few precious insights that I cling on to, even when my mind is more distracted than I want it to be:
God is pouring his love out on me 24/7, not just in the few minutes that I spend in silence
God is already present — I am not running a marathon of spiritual disciplines to get “to” him
OKAYYYYYY, say that Corrie!! "God is already present, I am not running a marathon of spiritual disciplines to get to him. What I continue to learn in my journey is that relationally with God is less about doing and more about being!!!
Mar 19Liked by Tiffany Stubbs, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
I took today’s practice very, very literally. I was tired this morning after a 16-hour day of volunteering yesterday (during which I put on 20,000 steps). I was intending to “power through“ the whole workday…. Until I read this morning‘s portion of Sacred Self-Care!!!
I had important time-sensitive commitments scheduled for this morning, so I went to work, where I asked my boss to use some of my comp time to take the afternoon off and he agreed.
I came home this afternoon and tried to take a nap, but I didn’t fall asleep. I was crabby about not being able to actually sleep after taking the afternoon off work for that explicit purpose. I grumpily sat in the recliner intending to read a book.
Then, I remembered today’s practice for five minutes of silence and stillness. While being still, I realized that my hands were extremely dry. So I applied some high-quality lotion, and continued being still. I had the epiphany that my tendency toward avoiding silence stems from a difficult time in my life years ago, when I felt incredibly overwhelmed with everything, including my own thoughts. Back then, I found that filling the silence (with music, the radio, podcasts, etc.) made it so much easier to cope, and I have kept up that habit. Today, I realized that my thoughts are rarely that overwhelming anymore, and I no longer need to feel fearful of silence.
Then, I drifted off while sitting in the recliner and had a wonderfully long nap. 💤😁
Mar 19Liked by Tiffany Stubbs, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes
I decided to seek silence today on my yoga mat doing some long-held stretching. My inner critic woke up saying I was just using this as an opportunity to be ‘lazy’. Then the verse “be still and know that I am God” came to mind. As I breathed in and out slowly I started hearing variations on this, e.g. “Be still”, “Know that I am”, “I am God”, “God knows”, “know God”, “be”, etc. It was quite powerful.
I start my week days in silence, with meditation and devotion. When that time is short-circuited, I feel like I am off track, so I pause as soon as I can to re-calibrate. Silence has been welcomed. In the summer, when I go paddle boarding, I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper.
Sandra, like you I also like my quiet time in the mornings on weekdays for meditation, prayer, and devotions. And I also feel off kilter when I miss this part of my routine.
Sandra, I'm very moved at your last sentence, "I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper." That gave me chills. I began to ask myself, what does that look like for me? Thanks for sharing!!
Tiffany, Thank you for your comment about my sentence "I seek to be away from people's voices to better hear God's whisper." When I go paddle boarding, that is my sacred time with Jesus on the lake. I intentionally step away from people's voices. While paddle boarding, I am drawn to noticing whatever God is wanting me to notice; from turtles swimming to the gentle breeze on my face...
I pray you find what it looks like for you.
Swimming is very meditative for me because it requires me to be completely in the moment. I see a lot of swimmers with the underwater headphones now, but I'm going to resist that temptation.
I used to be very disciplined with regularly practicing silence (I liked to call it “snuggle time with God”) but it’s been a struggle in the last couple of years. This is something that comes up frequently in monthly meetings with my spiritual director! But there have been a few precious insights that I cling on to, even when my mind is more distracted than I want it to be:
God is pouring his love out on me 24/7, not just in the few minutes that I spend in silence
God is already present — I am not running a marathon of spiritual disciplines to get “to” him
"God is pouring out his love on me 24/7, not just the few minutes I spend in silence
God is already present- I am not running a marathon of spiritual disciplines to get "to" him."
Corrie, these are a breath of fresh air for me today. Thank you. I have also been struggling with my silent time with God.
I agree!!
Corrie, I appreciated the phrase "snuggle time with God."
OKAYYYYYY, say that Corrie!! "God is already present, I am not running a marathon of spiritual disciplines to get to him. What I continue to learn in my journey is that relationally with God is less about doing and more about being!!!
Tiffany..YEAH for "less about doing and more about being"
I took today’s practice very, very literally. I was tired this morning after a 16-hour day of volunteering yesterday (during which I put on 20,000 steps). I was intending to “power through“ the whole workday…. Until I read this morning‘s portion of Sacred Self-Care!!!
I had important time-sensitive commitments scheduled for this morning, so I went to work, where I asked my boss to use some of my comp time to take the afternoon off and he agreed.
I came home this afternoon and tried to take a nap, but I didn’t fall asleep. I was crabby about not being able to actually sleep after taking the afternoon off work for that explicit purpose. I grumpily sat in the recliner intending to read a book.
Then, I remembered today’s practice for five minutes of silence and stillness. While being still, I realized that my hands were extremely dry. So I applied some high-quality lotion, and continued being still. I had the epiphany that my tendency toward avoiding silence stems from a difficult time in my life years ago, when I felt incredibly overwhelmed with everything, including my own thoughts. Back then, I found that filling the silence (with music, the radio, podcasts, etc.) made it so much easier to cope, and I have kept up that habit. Today, I realized that my thoughts are rarely that overwhelming anymore, and I no longer need to feel fearful of silence.
Then, I drifted off while sitting in the recliner and had a wonderfully long nap. 💤😁
I love how you turned that moment around and were able to embrace the silence, stillness and sleep!
Ahhhhh - I felt more relaxed reading this! So glad you intentionally took the time off work AND got a nap!
Colleen, I am so glad you were able to find stillness in the recliner, to ease you into the nap you desired.
What a beautiful way to sit with and in stillness... and the knowing of that you are no longer fearful of silence!
Dr. Tiffany…. Thank you so much! It really was one of those heartwarming experiences of revelation!
Wow! What a powerful example of tuning in to yourself and asking for what you need!
I decided to seek silence today on my yoga mat doing some long-held stretching. My inner critic woke up saying I was just using this as an opportunity to be ‘lazy’. Then the verse “be still and know that I am God” came to mind. As I breathed in and out slowly I started hearing variations on this, e.g. “Be still”, “Know that I am”, “I am God”, “God knows”, “know God”, “be”, etc. It was quite powerful.
Wow - thanks for sharing, Kris!
Kris, So wonderful to see how breathing helped.
Wow! That sounds like such a beautiful and powerful experience!!
WOW, I was just a conference and the Restorative practice included chanting, "Be still in various variations as you listed."