"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:16-20
It's hard to believe that it's about to be 2011. It seems like it was just last year that my husband insisted we stockpile massive amounts of water and canned goods in preparation for a possible Y2K catastrophe.
But here it is. A new year.
As I've spent time praying about this new year and where God would lead, I keep being reminded that all He wants is for me to seek Him. Not what He can give, not what I want Him to do, but to seek Him for who He is and to know Him more.
So that's my goal for 2011. To know Him more. To be more intentional about the time I spend with Him.
I've always been sort of willy-nilly in terms of where I have my quiet time. This last year I've seemed to gravitate to one of the couches or the kitchen table or this chair in our bedroom that is super-comfy, but there's never any set "spot." And while there certainly doesn't have to be one certain location that has a big "Quiet Time" sign over it, I've found over the last couple of months that all the rotation between rooms means that I'm never entirely sure where my Bible is...which means that I have to go on a bit of a treasure hunt before I can sit down and, you know, read it.
So.
I decided a few days ago that I'd like to do a better job of having a designated spot to sit and read and pray in the mornings. I thought about how nice it would be to have a place where I can set my coffee somewhere other than the floor - a place where there are a few pens at the ready and all my books nearby.
Well.
We have an office area right off of our kitchen, and I've always loved to read and/or write in that room. We have a big, comfortable chair and ottoman in there, and today, after running across a cute little end table that wound up costing me zero dollars and zero cents after I used a gift card, I have a cozy, quiet place that I can call my own.
It makes me feel sort of indulgent and grown-up and dare I say organized to have carved out a spot that's just for me.
What about y'all? Do you have a designated place where you have your quiet time? What do you love most about it? Or if you don't have a designated spot, what would be your ideal set-up?
I'll just be in my chair waiting to hear from y'all.
I'm really trying not to become some sort of bloggy DJ (I realize that I've posted a good bit of music lately), but my heart has been especially touched by worship music this Christmas season. In fact, for the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to sing the first five words of "Come, thou long expected Jesus" without getting all choked up, so I think it's safe to say that the music has been speaking to me on a deeper level than usual.
At least I hope that's what it is. As opposed to, you know, being on the verge of some sort of year-end hormonal surge.
Anyway, we sang this Brooke Fraser Lightwood song at church yesterday, and I cannot think of better, more timely lyrics to prepare our hearts for a new year. The second verse alone just wrecks me:
Your statutes are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let Love keep my will upon its knees
Oh, y'all. That's just GOOD.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy listening to this song (as opposed to reading my ramblings about it); it was a huge encouragement to me yesterday morning.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14
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