Easter morning was spent on the back porch of my parents' house in the country, swathed in a sweater and drinking chai tea. The day before, what seemed like my entire extended family arrived to celebrate, but the next morning was quiet, still. There is a certain amount of peace surrounding these kinds of places that words can't do justice. Whenever I visit small towns and this little country house in particular, I feel whole. My only job is to unplug and be present.
Our lives are so easily filled with noise these days. I'm not saying that we all need to move out to the country to escape it all (wait that's exactly what I'm saying) but I think we have to find ways to cope with the constant surge of sound present in our daily lives. At least in my own experience, any given day can be filled with noise from the media, social networks, texts, emails, music, even my own thoughts. That's why this month will be devoted to posts about pursuing QUIET.
So, what does QUIET look like? Why should we value it, and what does it mean in terms of places, faces and mental spaces? (I promise I'll stop rhyming; it was just super good timing. OOPS.) I hope to explore posts about this in May, and *throws confetti* we will also have a special top-secret guest poster sharing her thoughts as well!
I'll leave you with a verse that has been a favorite this year (emphasis mine):
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,
to mind your own business and to work
with your hands, just as we told you."
- 1st Thessalonians 4:11
I don't know about you, but the quiet life sounds pretty darn lovely to me.
Even so, I don't always do the best job of this.
Our lives are so easily filled with noise these days. I'm not saying that we all need to move out to the country to escape it all (wait that's exactly what I'm saying) but I think we have to find ways to cope with the constant surge of sound present in our daily lives. At least in my own experience, any given day can be filled with noise from the media, social networks, texts, emails, music, even my own thoughts. That's why this month will be devoted to posts about pursuing QUIET.
The posts will kind of piggyback on last month's theme, VOICE.
I think that we can create best and really have an impact with our words
when we take time away from everything and rest in the silence.
I think that we can create best and really have an impact with our words
when we take time away from everything and rest in the silence.
So, what does QUIET look like? Why should we value it, and what does it mean in terms of places, faces and mental spaces? (I promise I'll stop rhyming; it was just super good timing. OOPS.) I hope to explore posts about this in May, and *throws confetti* we will also have a special top-secret guest poster sharing her thoughts as well!
As always, if you guys have anything you'd like to
see me post about this month, let me know!
see me post about this month, let me know!
I'll leave you with a verse that has been a favorite this year (emphasis mine):
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,
to mind your own business and to work
with your hands, just as we told you."
- 1st Thessalonians 4:11
I don't know about you, but the quiet life sounds pretty darn lovely to me.
What about you?
What do you do to step away from the noise of everything? What kinds of activities do you enjoy that allow you to unplug from the constant stream of sound?
Hoping your May is off to a stellar start! 🌸
Hoping your May is off to a stellar start! 🌸
It's the first post in the QUIET series!
Which I actually managed to publish on the first day of the month.
Not too shabby if I do say so myself!
Which I actually managed to publish on the first day of the month.
Not too shabby if I do say so myself!
-sighs- this post was absolutely perfect, and at just the right time to. quiet time for yourself to think is so precious, we don't even realize it.
ReplyDeletethere's a small creek near my house (which I absolutely adore) and it is THE best thing to just go there and watch the rivers while it's raining.. I can't do that in may, but being there is enough.
thanks for writing this post erin!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Vaishnavi! :) That means a lot to me. The creek sounds so amazing and peaceful and I wish I had a spot like that near my house. There are some lovely parks, though, and I'm trying to make it more of a priority to visit them after work. :) Thanks so much for leaving a sweet comment! Hope your weekend has been rad.
DeleteEvery day after work I make a point to sit down at the far end of my large yard near the fields and trees and mountains and for literally up to an hour soak up the sun and pray. It's been life-changing honestly.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fantastic! I wish I was close to mountains; I miss hiking and being by the forest so much. I also love that you're taking time to intentionally be in nature and pray! That's exactly what Jesus did and something I 100% want more of in my own life. You are the best Kara!! Thanks for commenting. <3
DeleteQuiet time is so valuable and needed.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I notice that when I'm not getting time to rest and recharge and just be still in the silence, I don't feel as peaceful or like myself. It's crazy!
DeleteI'm loving these series you're doing. I'm super hyped for this one in particular! It's so important to find quiet and appreciating it. I can't wait to read what you have to say this month!
ReplyDeleteGAH you are so kind Hannah! Glad you're enjoying them. :) Thanks so much for the encouragement, it means a lot to me! I feel like our society these days is all about go, go, go and do, do, do and we have less time for quiet. That's something I really want to change in my own life going forward. Hope your Sunday is fantastic! Thanks for commenting. <3
DeleteI'm happy you had a good Easter! I spent Memorial Day tubing on the river and though I had my phone in a waterproof case for pictures I didn't have signal and it was nice not to hear the ding of the notifications for a few hours and be forced to enjoy that beautiful nature around me.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Tubing sounds super fun; I haven't been in quite a while but I have such sweet memories from tubing with the family in the past. So glad you got to step away from the chaos for a bit! Have a fantastic weekend, Victoria! :)
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