Time for Joy: Soul Care (Luke 10:38-42)

“…you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed…” -Luke 10:41-42 Any number of tasks and to-dos vie for our time and energy. Often the things that bring us joy, sustain our hope or even meet our own basic needs get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Making space for

Joy for Rest: Day and Night (Psalm 16)

“I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I will keep the Lord always before me…Therefore, my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.” -Psalm 16:7-9 In the Jewish tradition, Sabbath begins at sundown, and I have been drawn to this idea of

Comfort for Rest: Peace In Our Bodies (Psalm 16:5,6,9)

“You make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; Surely I have a delightful inheritance. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; My body also will rest secure.”  Psalm 16:5,6,9 (NIV) Many of us live with disquieted spirits, unsure of our futures. And we are not alone;

Joy for Rest: Surrender (Psalm 23)

Psalm 23: Practice of Joy “The Lord is my shepherd…he leads me beside still waters.” -Psalm 23:1-2 “Rest ruins our reputation for being superhuman,” writes Saundra Dalton-Smith in her book Sacred Rest.  Perhaps that’s not the first thing that comes to mind in reading Psalm 23. For many, this is heart psalm; a familiar passage

Comfort for Rest: God’s Provision (Psalm 23:1)

“God my Shepherd!  I don’t need a thing.” Psalm 23:1 (The Message) Recently, as my husband and I were in our yard, we heard the cows on a nearby hill munching on grass.  They must have been in just the right spot with the wind blowing just so.  What a simple, yet profoundly peaceful, moment. 

Comfort for Rest: A Gift (Psalm 91:4)

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.” Psalm 91:4 “It’s pretty pathetic when a day off for the colonoscopy prep and procedure feels like a vacation,” I nervously joked with three people surrounding my gurney as we waited for the doctor to arrive. Shivering and self conscious

New Series: Rest (through the Psalms)

We are yoked to many things: a calling, employment, marriage partner, children, aging relatives. And at times, these commitments and the work we are called to can feel heavy and wearying.  At the start of his ministry, Jesus says:  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will