Things I like - part 1

Today I decided, that I should blog on why I like the things I like, from my list "Things I like". I think I will just elaborate on different "things I like," whenever other ideas evade me. It is kind of like working on an assigned writing topic. It gives me something to blog about in the absence of blogging thoughts. Strangely, I have only been blogging for about a month now and I think I have writer's block, which is funny because that would actually mean I think I am a writer, which of course, I know, I am only a wannabe. So, like many wannabes, blogging away these days, I will force my mind to think and entertain you with some of my thoughts on things I like (I think I may have a run on sentence or two in this paragraph but I am not sure and I don't know how to make it correct if it is wrong). :) (One more note...I used to pride myself on being strong in the language area but the more I write the more I realize, I was only kidding myself. I have no clue half the time what is correct and what isn't.)

Note to self: ( which I borrowed from my wonderful sister-in-law's blog -jeanierhoades.com) - check at the library for Language Arts for Dummies and Writing for Dummies. You need them!

Quiet time with the Lord - My first thing I like

Shortly after I received Christ and began my walk with Him (I think I was 16), I attended a church with a very legalistic pastor who spent a lot of time preaching on how we should live. For the most part, the way he led would scare me to death today, but one thing that impacted me, even under the guise and disgust of legalism, was his insistence on setting aside time, each day, to read our Bibles and pray. My teaching was this: "You need to read 20 chapters a day in the Bible and pray one hour each day." I was young and impressionable and took what he said as gospel. Such began my daily intake of God's word and time in prayer. As a senior in high school, I would get up at 5:30 a.m. in order to fulfill my "word and prayer" requirements for the day. I have often told the Lord that I am so thankful he knew my heart, because even though I was performing out of obligation, He was meeting me with anticipation, to love me and teach me and mold my messed up, little young life.

I quickly fell in love with God's Word. It astounded me! I knew so little and yet felt like those early years were some of the most precious times I've had with the Lord. Sometimes....ignorance is bliss. I didn't question a lot or know a lot about irritating theological debates. I just loved the way God spoke to me through His Word and taught me how to live my life in Him. And because of the innocence of my beginning in this thing called "quiet time", I have always desired to keep it as part of my life. It felt so comforting to me then and so comforting to me now.

Of course, as I married and had children, the length and depth and consistency of spending time studying and praying became more arduous. I had to learn that there is a fine line between legalism and discipline. Twenty chapters a day and one hour of praying was just not going to work with little ones running around. In ways that only God can teach, I learned to let go of my legalistic ways without letting go of my heart's desire to meet with Him.

Many reasons come to mind as to why I like my quiet time. Here are just a few:

• It feels right to start my day, alone, with my Creator



• I do not want to depend on my own ways to handle life, but His instead



• His Word is powerful and never fails to help me in time of need



• He satisfies my thirsty soul



• I want to know Him

Without a doubt, my favorite time of day is my quiet time. Like Beth Moore says, "There is no high like the Most High."

A special place. A quiet place. Just He and I.

"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2