Who are you listening to?

Who are you listening to these days?

So many voices, so many noises vying for our attention. 

Our devotion. 

So many “good” things drawing us in.

But, whose  voice are you listening to?

There is a still, small voice.

Inside.

Those who believe in God might say it is God’s voice.

Or our intuition.

That voice is usually right.

Don’t ask me how. 

The Creator wired us that way.

Just as in nature, the robin knows when to build her nest, and what to build it out of.

We have intuition that we use without thinking many times. But, at times we need to use it and we don’t hear it.

It takes being still to hear that still small voice.

Like an effervescent spring-- those little bubbles of air rising to the top--as we stop and listen, and allow the cacophony of noises and chaos to roll past us as a ship on the sea, we will hear. 

We’ll hear things that our souls desperately need to hear.

You are worthy.

You are enough.

You don’t need to do such and such to be worthy or 

important.

You are valuable just for being you.

Listen to your heart.

Love is an open door.

As we are still, that still small voice begins to speak and we can actually hear it.

We might do better if we hear it,

then to actually heed it.

We will hear and rise.

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Thanks for stopping by today, friend! I'm linking up with a group of writers for Five Minute Friday over at Kate Motaung's place. Anyone can join in. Head on over there to read how, and to see what other writers have written on the prompt, "rise". 

Blessings to you today, friend!

~Anne

Thoughts on being still

Today I'm linking up with the lovely Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday. This is where we write for five minute on a prompt given for the week. No fancy writing or edits, just writing for the fun of it.  Won't you stop by and see what other writers have shared on the prompt "still"?

Life seems to work out so much better when I regularly tell myself this phrase,

 “be still”.

 It may be the right thing to say, but not the right time to say it. If I wait, maybe you will say it first. Maybe the conversation will go better. 

Maybe there will be more peace and less misunderstanding.

Being still has it’s advantages for sure. The one who keeps silent is considered wise, the scriptures say. I want to be considered wise even if I’m not. Is that unfair?

Being still might make you feel more important. Maybe if I let you talk more than I try to talk you will feel the love I have for you. Yes, there will be a time for me to share, but maybe this time it is time for me to be still and let you share. 

This is love.

Being still allows me to listen. It allows me to hear you better. It allows me to hear God’s voice better. 

When my voice is operating, it is interfering 

with how my ears are functioning.

I truly want my ears to function well. I want my voice to be still enough to hear what is important. Then, when I do have a chance to say something, maybe wisdom will come out of my mouth and not just a wave of hot air. 

Maybe it will be of substance and come across as wisdom to you, wisdom to me and wisdom to the world.

That is what I want out of choosing times to be still.

There is a time to be still and silent, and times to speak.

May I know the difference.

Thanks for stopping by today for five minutes of free writing!!

Blessings to you, friend!

~Anne

Giving up the fight

I'm linking up with other lovely writers at Lisa Jo Baker's blog for Five Minute Friday. We are to write for five minutes straight, no edits. Just pure writing. Today's prompt is fight. Stop by Lisa's blog to see what others are writing!

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I’m giving up the fight.

I really am. 

I’m giving up the fight to be perfect. 

To be acceptable to everyone, in fact loved by all. 

I’m giving up on being someone I was never meant to be and doing things that I’m not cut out for.

I’m done fighting all alone the emotions that sometimes threaten to overtake my soul.

I’m done believing the lies the enemy hands out to me on a silver platter and says, 

“Here, have some of this that will make you whole.”

I’m done trying to fight the enemy alone.

I cannot. 

But, I forget. 

I forget that the all powerful one who came to this earth is right beside me. 

He promises to fight my battles. 

So, I’m giving up the fight.

I’m giving up the right to fight.

To fight for peace, calm and stillness.

I want these things, to be sure and I do have a right to them as a child of God.

But, I cannot fight for them alone.

I know that now.

After trying on my own to fight and losing a fighting battle.

He says,

 “Don’t fight. 

Be still. 

Let me fight the battles for you 

while you rest."

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"The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."

Exodus 14:14

Dare to Be: Silent and Still {Day 9}

Declutter my heart, O God, until I am quiet enough to hear you speak out of the silence. Help me in these few moments to stop, to listen, to wait, to be still, to allow your presence to envelope me.

~E. Stanley Jones 

                                             

These photos were taken on Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach, SC this summer. 

The ocean's voice quiets and stills me. 

Are there places you can go where you can relish in the silence and stillness?

Click on my button for a list of all 31 Days posts on Dare to Be! Thanks for stopping by!

The Weekend Brew: Be Still and Know

May your weekend include times of stillness and the utter lack of striving. 

May you allow Him to be the God that He promises He is.

And that He will take care of all that you need.

{this photo was taken of me on Sullivan's Island, SC in July. I dearly love being by the ocean.}

Linking up with The Weekend Brew with other encouraging folks!