My Journey To Healing

Guest Writer:  Alana Cummings

“Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side.” I sang this hymn growing up, but had no idea what it meant. I didn’t know stillness at all. I knew anxiety, worry, fear, and insecurity. I knew a mind that never quit, a mind that was full of negativity and lies from the enemy. I grew up in the church and went to a Christian college. I was a “good girl” who followed all the rules, but had no concept of God’s grace or peace. This all changed for me a few years ago when I finally learned to “be still”.

I think many times we think of stillness as a physical thing. I thought I knew how to be still because I could sit still and watch television or listen to a lecture, etc. I didn’t take into consideration that stillness had more to do with my mind than my body. A person can be still with their body, but if their mind is racing with thoughts all of the time, there will be no stillness achieved. We must learn to quiet our minds, takethe focus off all of the negativity and lies and put it instead on Christ, on his TRUTH.

This is not an easy thing to do. It takes practice. It does not come natural to us; we have to be intentional in order to achieve it. I first started to practice stillness by just focusing on a single moment.  I would focus on the sights, the sounds, and the smells. I would also focus on a particular verse that addressed something I was dealing with at the time. One of my favorites is from Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think on such things.” Sometimes I would shorten it to just the key words.

• True.

• Noble.

• Right.

• Pure.

• Lovely.

• Admirable.

• Excellent.

• Praiseworthy.

I would say those words over and over in my head until my mind felt peaceful and the negative thoughts and lies went away.

Not long after I discovered the peace I felt when I practiced stillness, I came upon an opportunity to participate in a Christ centered yoga class. I believe this was God’s way of teaching me to practice stillness regularly. I started this class and loved it. It allowed me uninterrupted time to exercise and stretch my body as well as time to quiet my mind and focus it on Christ.  It also taught me how to BREATHE. I felt like I had caught my breath for the first time in my life. I learned to stop and breathe when I feel stressed and this has proven to be an invaluable skill. Christ centered yoga has been a huge blessing and has really taught me how to quiet my mind and body and experience the peace of God.

Of course, I would be foolish not to mention one of the most important ways that I find stillness with God and that is simply through time spent with him, praying and reading his word. So many things clamor for our attention, it takes real intention to set apart time in our day for this simple practice, but I have found it to be vital. I have been a Christian since I was a child and I will be honest, I did not until recently spend time doing this or even value doing it. Now, I rarely go a day without it. That is not because I am a great Christian; it is just because I NEED Him THAT MUCH.  I spent a lot of years thinking I was managing just great on my own. It was exhausting, but now I know that I can find REST and PEACE in His presence.

Bio:  Alana Cummings has been married for 15 years to her college sweetheart, Richard Cummings. She has two sweet and energetic boys, Richie (age 10) and William (age 7). She is the owner and operator of Kindermusik With Alana, which offers music and movement classes for young children. Some of her passions are spending time with her husband; cuddle time with her boys, Christ centered yoga, and homemade mashed potatoes (preferably prepared by her Mom). But her “One Pure and Holy Passion” is to know and follow hard after her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Link for Kindermusik With Alana

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Be Love, Give Love~

Abby

Shhh…Do you like the quiet? Silence makes some people very nervous. But that’s where Jesus lives. God’s voice is still and small. He won’t shout to be heard. You must be quiet on the inside if you want to hear Him.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

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Be Love, Give Love

Abby

Guest Writer:  Briahna Brett Perkins

Be still and know that He is God.

When I think of the times in my life when stillness and knowledge have
come together, I reflect upon the moments in which I’ve had the
deepest level of serenity, the greatest depth of understanding and the
largest amount of gratitude fed to my heart, mind and soul.

To truly be still is an art, crafted by the acknowledgement of and
filtering out of those things which cause angst, noise or concern. To
sincerely know that God exists and is who He says He is, is also an
art, crafted by the study and seeking of those things which invite
peace, clarity and faith.

The opposite of stillness is chaos, volume, clutter and anxiousness.
The opposite of knowledge is confusion, lack of perspective, fear and
uncertainty. Just the stating of those words creates an inner response
within me of darkness and anxiety. But that isn’t how God wants me to
feel. That isn’t what God wants for any of us in our lives.

God’s greatest desire is for us to ward off inner turmoil and
confusion, and replace it with peace and clarity; To find balance in
our lives that provides for us the panoramic view and contentment it
should. God sincerely wants us to know of His love for and awareness
of us, and for that knowledge to afford us stillness and a safe haven
that fuels our spirits with joy, love, satisfaction and a desire to
continually strive for better in all we do and all we become.

We must be still. We must know for ourselves that God is our Divine Father.

So, where do we find stillness? Where do we find spiritual knowledge?
For me, the answer to both questions is the same — in the Word of
God, through sincere prayer, and by turning down the volume in our
lives to allow the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost to flow freely.
We must seek, ask, listen, and listen again.

We each know what causes chaos or noise in our lives, so let us turn
down the volume several notches, and in turn focus our thoughts and
energy on those things that invite serenity, promote communion with
our Father, and draw us closer to the Spirit. I can promise that we
will then be blessed with the stillness we are searching for. In those
quiet moments, with the volume turned down and our thoughts turned
Upward, I know we will be given peace, calmness, a surety of God’s
existence, and a knowledge of His loving hand in our daily lives.

Let us give ourselves the gift of stillness and the confidence of a
Father in Heaven who has a beautiful plan outlined for each of us.

Let us be still and know that He is God.

BIO: Briahna Brett Perkins is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.  She is also a doer, who enjoys staying busy with her interests in music, performance, dance, church service, family time, homemaking, world travel and staying physically fit.  Her greatest peace comes in personally knowing of her Heavenly Father’s love for her, and the mercy given through the Atonement of her Savior Jesus Christ.

Be Love, Give Love,

Abby

Guest Writer:  Aleah Ziegelbauer

These are all things that I myself have said a lot in the last couple of weeks. I regretfully say that but it is honest. I know life can be stressful and we do say these things, or very similar phrases, frequently in our lives. Stress just isn’t the way to live but it is hard to avoid it. The only thing that I know to avoid those stressful times is to be constantly in the word of God. God is not a god of stress He is a God of peace and love. He doesn’t like it when we are stressed because He cares for our well being. We need to fill our hearts with His loving word and come to Him with all our needs and troubles and He will give us peace and rest. Stillness is a key part in my life. I try to rest in His stillness. It can be very difficult but the results of my day are so much better when I choose to be still and know that He is God. Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I Am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” When we wait in stillness then our ears will be attentive to what God has for our lives but if we are always stressed and living life in the fast lane then our ears won’t be so attentive. God would have to shout just to get our attention. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want God to have to shout to get my attention. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” God knows our sufferings and He knows how our lives can be stressful. He knows how we feel. He wants to fight for you in the battles of our everyday lives. He doesn’t want us to suffer or be stressed. He wants us to live in peace, peace that passes all understanding. Peace that passes all understanding is a peace that we could not explain if we tried, a peace that overwhelms us and keeps us at rest. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” From this day forward walk in His peace and stillness. Rest in His arms and just breathe in and breathe out.

Bio: Hi My name is Aleah and I and 26 years old. I love the Lord with all my heart and try everyday to lean on Him more than my own understanding. I love to write and sing. I Sing for The Lord to give Him the Glory. I love to write because it is a way to express myself in words. I am a nanny for a family in Springfield. I take care of 2 boys and they are fun to kiddos! God has had me there for 3 years now. I am blessed.

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Guest Writer:  Mark Vander Ley

I was all about being still.  I could relax with the best of them.  As a teenager there was an indentation of my body permanently pressed into our couch.  When my wife and I first got married, I joked about how going on vacation with her family was like boot camp, because of the active interests they pursued.  As I reflect on the passage, “Be still and know that I am God” I get a profound sense that “chilling out” and relaxing by the pool is not exactly what God had in mind.  I have found that although stilling my body is not hard for me, stilling my mind is quite difficult.  I would characterize myself as an over-analyzer.  My body can be still, while my mind is racing a mile a minute.  I have early memories of long sleepless nights analyzing the minutest details of interactions between teachers, friends, and family.  I analyze the slightest pitch change in my wife’s voice.  I attempt to decipher the meaning of and future repercussions of my children’s smallest behaviors.  In short, there are moments when I can drive myself crazy with the thoughts that move through my mind.

Several years ago, I was blessed to attend summer camp with a group of high school students.  The speaker that week focused on several spiritual practices for deepening relationship with Christ.  The one practice that stuck with me was the Jesus prayer.  The prayer comes out of the Eastern Orthodox tradition and involves repeating the phrase “Lord, Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”  Scripturally the prayer has its roots in Luke 18:13 “but the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  I was taught to inhale on, “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God” and to exhale on, “have mercy on me a sinner.”

For a person who requires more work on stillness of mind than body this prayer has been a great help.  When I find myself ruminating over the days activities unable to sleep, I will repeat this prayer as a way to slow my mind and focus on Christ.  When I am overwhelmed by my work as a therapist, this prayer helps me to remember my purpose and be reminded that Jesus is the true healer of souls.

I love this prayer because through it I experience moments of stillness.  I am reminded again and again, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and I am a sinner.  I inhale the name of Jesus, and exhale the character of man.  Now that is a breath of fresh air!

Bio:  Mark Vander Ley is a husband, father, therapist, and home improver.  He spent five years serving as a youth pastor, and the last six as a therapist for children, teens, and their families.  Mark is passionate about helping Christian parents navigate the always-challenging road of parenthood.  You can read more at www.parentingboysraisingmen.com and follow him on twitter @Markvanderley .

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Be Love, Give Love

Abby

It’s hard, I know, to really discipline yourself to take time to truly be still and listen to the still small voice of God. He promises that as we draw near to Him, that He will draw near to us.  I hope you will take a few moments to stop, draw near to Him and watch this short video, as I feel it will bless you tremendously.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

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BE LOVE, GIVE LOVE

What does the Bible have to say about God and listening to his voice?

I would like to highlight a section of scripture in particular.  It is from 1st Kings 19:11-13:

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

A great and strong wind.  An earthquake.  A fire.  Each event invokes a sense of power and grandeur.  Large and cataclysmic events. Where our logic might try and tell us, “In such power, we might hear and see God”.

Oh, how our minds can deceive us.

The voice of God is heard in the “low whisper”.  A sense of gentleness, stillness, and control.

Let me use an illustration.  My two year old son Zachary does things he is not supposed to do from time to time.  When I discipline and talk to him about those things he does wrong, I can take two approaches.  The first is to yell at him and arouse a big voice. Shake my finger and get upset.  However, this method is almost never affective.  It scares him and causes him to withdraw.  He simply can’t hear and understand me.

On the contrary, when I speak softly and lower my voice, he almost always understands.  When I am calm, gentle, and soften my voice is when he can listen and hear me.  It is where he can respond to me (his father) and do what I would like him to do.

We are indeed created in Gods image.  Like Elijah, we should tune our heart’s ear to God whisper. To his quiet voice.

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Be Love, Give Love

Abby

Guest Writer:  Carolyn Hill

Wow…where would I be if not for the grace of God! Do you ever think about that? Hmmmm….I can only imagine. I know one thing, I don’t regret choosing to walk with Him, not even for a second! I grew up going to church and in the 6th grade, I became enthralled with God! I wanted to learn and understand and read my bible. In fact, when the fire department came to speak to us at school about fire safety, they told us not to worry about gathering up possessions–but instead to just get out of the fire. I actually remember thinking, “I would grab my Bible!” I look back on that, and I see a young girl so hungry for the truth, and for a relationship with God! As I moved into the high school years, unfortunately my focus changed and little by little I slipped away from spending time with God. Well, as you can imagine, I made a lot of dumb decisions, and felt very confused and lost. Deep down I knew God was there waiting, but I was so stubborn and wanted to forge my own way. Now fast forward 25 years…I’m married with children…and thank goodness back in my heavenly father’s arms. There is nothing so wonderful as my daily time with Him! Every day’s challenges are fought with Him–his strength, love and guidance hold me up and show me the way. So much better than stumbling around in the dark!!

During my quiet time with God–he leads me to the perfect scriptures that I need in an almost unexplainable way! Sometimes when I’ve prayed to Him–I feel an urge to start looking in the Bible, and the titles in bold print over some of the chapters will jump out at me and before I know it–I’m reading just what I need to read–and then He leads me to another. I have no doubt that God is speaking to me through His word. The main reason I have no doubt is because what He tells me works every time and gives me a peace that strengthens me–to do the hard stuff!! Or sometimes to enjoy the easy stuff!! I have also found that maybe during the initial quiet time with Him, I feel very peaceful and grounded, but may not hear any specific answers. But here’s the amazing part—later that day–his quiet voice is unmistakable to me–and He guides me just when I need it the most!

I also love to sing praise and worship songs to God. Recently God lit a fire in me to study the significance of praise and worship music in the Bible. Wow! There is so much more to it than I ever realized. Again, God led me to every scripture, and now I have crystal clear clarity of why He designed us to be worshipers (especially in song). Singing true heartfelt praises to Him or listening to praise and worship music is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my heavenly father. One thing that is very consistent with everything God’s word says about praise and worship music is thankfulness. Thankfulness changes everything! One example is the story of Paul and Silas when they were severely beaten and thrown into jail. In their stocks they began to sing praise songs to God–the result: their chains were broken and they were set free! But it didn’t just stop there…the jailer was so overwhelmed—he wanted to be saved by God as well! So they led him to accept Jesus—the man who had just held them in chains. This story shows how much thankfulness in praise and worship can change our perspective, powerfully testify to other people and move the heart of God!

My daily time with God changes everything. Being still and knowing He is God, with thankfulness in my heart is the most important decision I ever made.

BIO: Carolyn Hill lives in Branson, MO with her husband Jerod and her two boys Connor and Dylan. Carolyn leads worship for the women’s conference Pure Joy and helps to lead worship at her church. She is passionate about helping people come to a deeper relationship with God, and in turn deepening their relationships with others. This has led to the organization of the women’s ministry, Coffee Conversations at her church, Woodland Hills Family Church.

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Be Love, Give Love

Abby

Author Max Lucado, in his book The Applause of Heaven, describes the blessings of practicing stillness with God like this:

Think about the people in your world. Can’t you tell the ones who have been to his mountain? Oh, their problems aren’t any different. And their challenges are just as severe. But there is a stubborn peace that enshrines them. A confidence that life isn’t toppled by unmet budgets or rerouted airplanes. A serenity that softens the corners of their lips. A contagious delight sparkling in their eyes. And in their hearts reigns a fortress like confidence that the valley can be endured, even enjoyed, because the mountain is only a decision away. Take a trip with the King to the mountain peak. It’s pristine, uncrowded, and on top of the world. Stubborn joy begins by breathing deep up there before you go crazy down here.

If you desire to follow along and have new blog posts from this Be still and know that I am God, Psalm 46:10 series sent directly to your inbox click here.

Be Love, Give Love

Abby

Guest Writer:  Amy Wescott

“Be still.”

I have a very task-oriented personality.  Getting things checked off of my to-do list makes me feel good.  Or, I really should say that it makes me feel valuable.  So, at the risk of not feeling valuable, I rarely choose to be physically still.  I rarely choose to be mentally still either.  After all, mental stillness is a risk.  If our minds aren’t occupied with a whirlwind of our own to-dos, overwhelmed with caring for the needs of others, or obsessed with empty entertainment then we just might find ourselves alone with our inmost thoughts.  And, if you’re like me, sometimes it’s a lot easier not to deal with those – or even acknowledge that they’re there.

So, what if you don’t have a task-oriented personality?  Is it easy for you to take time to be still?  Not necessarily.  As you know, our culture promotes the same lie that my task-oriented self struggles with . . . the more “productive” you are, the more “valuable” you are.  Not only that, the very pace of our culture devalues rest, quiet, careful consideration, and simplicity.  It’s my guess that these cultural messages threaten even the more laid back personalities in our midst.  The point is this . . . being still is tough to do.

“Know that I am God.”  Or, in other words, “Know that you are not God.”  That seems simple enough, but do we really live our lives like we believe that?  Do we ever make our own plans and then ask God to bless them?  Do we ever insist doing things our own way?  Do we ever act offended when God does (or does not) do something that we wanted?  Yes, I do.

I think that the root of these issues is that we refuse to admit that we are not god over our own lives.  Oh, we can do it pretty well for a while – it might even look successful (even pious) to the outside observer.  But, in one of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian life, we cannot live according to our own agenda and maintain our true freedom.

And, isn’t freedom what we all desire?  Our gracious, loving God wants us to be free too.  But, His path to freedom is not through self-discovery, self-reliance, self-promotion (you get the idea); it is through our willingness to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS (not we are) GOD.

When we choose to be still and get to know God, we discover that our value is not found in what we do . . . it is found in who we are in Christ.  Resting in this truth frees us from the need to measure up, to perform, to prove our worth.  It allows us to rest in who God made each of us to be.  It reminds us that our dependence on a faithful, loving, gracious and compassionate God is not enslavement, but true freedom.

Can you imagine what our lives would look like if we took this to heart?  Let’s choose to find out!

BIO:  Amy Wescott is a wife, mother, community volunteer and owner of Polish Writing & Editing in Branson, Missouri. She is thankful for God’s unfailing love, amazing grace and His willingness to continually renew and restore us to wholeness. To Him be the glory!

Amy Wescott’s Blog:  Polish

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Be Love, Give Love,

Abby