Quiet, Quiet, Quiet...
Over at God-Sized Dreams today, they are asking the question, "Have you struggled to give words to your dream?"
Why YES, Yes, I have!!
Not that I haven't tried... I called myself a writer once or twice, I focused on creating more last year, and I even gave words to my dreams last year...
But my dreams are all still a jumble in my head and I'm having a hard time sorting them out. I keep reading and reading on dreaming, and writing, and creating, and pursuing Jesus, and being a better wife and mom. The problem is with all those (GREAT) voices speaking at once I can't keep track of what I've read and what I've heard and most of all I can't hear God's voice. And hearing the Voice of Truth is most important.
So Quiet, Quiet, Quiet
In the craziness of the holidays, and travels, and unexpected (expensive) car troubles, and plumbing issues, and mountains of laundry, and then seemingly unending snow/ice days, God has pressed on my heart... Quiet
Be quiet, live quiet, pursue quiet, speak quiet, study quiet, experience quiet...
I wanted it to be all pretty with a neat quote or a Scripture verse, but the truth is, there hasn't been enough quiet for that yet. I don't know what it's going to look like and I know that if "you fail to plan, you plan to fail," so I'm putting it out here for a little bit of accountability. I don't have a set plan or goal, but I have some intentions or guidelines.
* I am returning to analog weekends --not every weekend, but most weekends, no facebook, no blogging, no social media...
* I want to read blogs and "surf the internet" with purpose. So much time wasted jumping from here to there without true community. This one will be hard because I've made so many great blog friends that I haven't interacted well with many of them. I need to make a list and stick to it...
* I want to talk less and listen more; this may result in less blogging (or more if the removal of other distractions allows me to think clear enough for better writing).
And then there is this part of being quiet that includes my kids... 2014 is the year I am going to stop yelling at my kids. This will mean I have to get off my butt a little more. Not all of my yelling is in frustration. Sometimes I'm just lazy and want them to come to me. But I'm also that parent that can scare my kids with my words and I don't want to be remembered for yelling...
Vulnerability alert: This has been a struggle for me for YEARS! It all started when I got mad at God for giving me four kids in 4 1/2 years and I took it out on my kids. For all the patience and forgiveness and grace I have received from my God, my husband and even my kids, you would think that I could return the favor a little more often. Would you pray for me that I would see progress (not perfection) in this area ... and that my kids would notice too!
I want to be QUIET this year...
surrendered to be a space for God... Let Love, Be Loved, Be Love
Quiet, but never alone
Lay down anger, impatience, selfishness, laziness, fear, my wants and agenda...
To find abundance in the quiet
Jesus is enough
Grace.
We share a OneWord - and a focus. I struggle with yelling. A lot.
ReplyDeleteI have also fallen away from listening to God and being quiet before him. I am focused on finding my way before Him this year.
looking forward to traveling this journey with you... to Quiet before Him!!
DeleteFriend, good words and good One Word choice, too. So much of what you said really resonated with me, especially in terms of the way I can have my yelling moments. Thanks for the reminder to quiet my voice and my heart toward my daughter. Looking forward to reading more this year...and hoping we'll have another (in)RL moment this year, too! Blessings and hugs! :)
ReplyDeletePraying for an in(RL) moment or two or three with you this year!! Thank you for the way you encourage me!!
DeleteOh I love this! I need to deal with my yelling too...I have a quick temper and shoot off my mouth too quickly. I will be praying about this for both of you!!
ReplyDeleteHa, sometimes I have a bit of split personailities... that would be both of me! :)
Delete** both of us - geez! :)
ReplyDelete((((HUGS)))) So BTDT my friend!
ReplyDeleteI can understand long days as we had 4 under 7...which seemed CUH-RAZY to me :). If it is any encouragement at all, being on the "other" side of parenting now that my kids are practically grown and flown...this season will pass and you will be shocked at our little the kids recall the yelling you feel you do so much of. Not discounting your concern at all...because you know yourself and if the Lord is leading you to change, they go for it...100% and He will give you victory <3!
I ask my kids periodically what they recall from their youth and they don;t recall me yelling all that much {and *I* am a Brooklyn, NY raised in an Irish/Italian household where yelling was an art!}.
They do recall some of my more ridiculous parenting moments...like telling them they could play in the snow but they cannot THROW it. Or banishing them to their rooms until they were 18. OY! Oh well...
Hang in there. The good you do will far outweigh any human slip-ups! Humilty and asking forgiveness of them also goes a long, LONG way in their hearts!
Oh friend, thanks for your encouragement!! Praying for selective memory for my kids... and lots more good memories made in the years to come!
DeleteThat's a great list - some won't be easy I'm sure - but what returns you'll see. I could stand to do a few myself. Thank for linking up, friend!!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty and vulnerability. I need to be more intentional with my relationships as well, now that the holidays are over hopefully things will quiet down. I've been feeling like I flit from one thing to another. Blessing on your week!!
ReplyDeleteThat word Intentional keeps coming up in my mind... if only I knew how to live it out! :) Getting back into routine after the holidays is always so tough and being quiet seemed like the way to go!!
DeleteHI Julie,
ReplyDeleteI found you through One Word...I chose *silence* this year and I came across your post on quiet. So much needed at the beginning of the year isn't it? Part of my practice is to also spend less time on the computer because that all plays in to the silence or quiet aspect. It can be a huge distraction.
Wishing you many blessings in the New Year and I hope you will visit sometime : )
~Theresa