Louder Than the Voices

 Happy Saturday morning! I hope everyone is doing well this morning. I must report back that our vacation was great and honestly, I don't think any of us realized how badly we needed it. We got back to reality Saturday evening and I think I realized, maybe for the first time in my life, how much a reset can truly help. Of course, problems didn't just go away while we were gone, we just put them on hold for a week. I had just this week made some decisions about Mom's stuff, some decisions that would have went against what the experts were telling me to do. I had faith over fear on my mind. Then, other things happened and I realized God was showing me I needed to go back to my original plan, so I thought I would share what I worked through this week. My favorite Bible verse since I was 11 has been Isaiah 41:10 . Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee on the right hand of my rig...

 What if rest isn't a reward for finishing everything? What if rest is an act of obedience? As we prepare for vacation, God has been reminding me that rest is not laziness—it's part of His design. Robert's boss requires him to take two weeks away from the shop each year because he knows burnout serves no one. I realized I wasn't much different. I had every day of our vacation planned and packed with activities. Then when our lives were turned upside down, we made a different choice. We stopped buying tickets to shows, purchased three comfortable zero-gravity chairs, and gathered some good books instead. We're intentionally making room to slow down, breathe, and allow God to renew our hearts, minds, and spirits. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is simply rest in His presence. I started really studying rest and came up with some things to share. #1: Jesus invited people to rest     Mark 6:31     "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get so...

  "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:7 I am still working on thank you notes, so many people have done so many things for us in the last month, it has been overwhelming, and overwhelmingly comforting. There are seasons in life when the words "thank you" seem completely inadequate. How do you thank the friends who sat beside you when your heart was breaking? How do you thank the family members who showed up without being asked? How do you express gratitude to people who carried part of your burden when you were too exhausted to carry it yourself? The truth is, sometimes "thank you" isn't enough. But perhaps that's because what we're really grateful for is something bigger than the people themselves. We are grateful that God placed them in our lives in the first place. Every card, every hug, every meal, every text message, every prayer, every pers...