Something still on my mind:

This verse keeps coming back to mind after it was given at the Ladies Retreat.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling…

Isaiah 30:15

I’ve been mulling this over and over, asking the Lord to help me understand. He said, “There are some things that you need to return to.” This verse specifically talks of returning to the Lord, but He is using it to highlight some ways that I use to do things. Things before 2020. What are the things that you use to do that were good and helpful but had slipped away during the wildness of that year?

The first two are returning and rest – that lead to being saved. The phrase in Hebrew is literally you shall be saved. It’s a process. In doing this and this – you shall be saved = delivered. Deliverance is usually a saving from something else, something coming, something devouring.

Returning – What was I doing before 2020 – Flylady cleaning and menu planning. These two things kept me sane from CHAOS. Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome and spending too much money at the store. Also from eating too much junk. I made homemade things. This word Returning is bə·šū·ḇāh – it means to come back to, as in change your mind, repentance. As the caretaker of my home. I have lapsed on these duties and it shows.

Rest – What was I doing to rest before 2020 – I was taking a day off from my phone and putting it down in the evenings. I was resting my mind. I was spending time sitting in silence and prayer. This rest is a quiet attitude. Just think about what it must look like to experience the difference between a loud attitude and a quiet attitude? To be quiet is to minimizing noise and disruptions.

Some traits of quiet people:

• They speak when spoken to more than just chatting.
• They hear a lot and see a lot because they are observing.
• They tend to get a great deal done alone.
• They are calm in tough situations
• They don’t get bored easy.
• They are patient.
• They are more reflective, self aware, and have a depth to them.
• and when they speak – it’s usually powerful because of all of the above going into how they formed what they are going to say.

The next two words are quietness and trust – these lead to strength. The word in Hebrew is geburah – it is the might, and valor, of warriors. WOW! Valor – it means value or worth. It is literally the courage of warriors.

Quietness – If you are like me, you may be thinking if rest is having a quiet attitude isn’t quietness the same. Well sort of. Resting and having a quiet attitude saves from a devouring mind that doesn’t value what it’s experiencing or able to gain from being at rest with the Lord. Now, this quietness is a strength given as an outcome of returning and rest. This is displayed in a verse further into Isaiah.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

Isaiah 32:17

So quietness is a result of righteousness that comes from returning and resting in the Lord. Jesus is our righteousness. This is our security. How excellent!

Trust – this is the confidence that we have in Christ. This is active trusting in the Lord that if we will return and rest in Him, He will give us the mantle of a warrior – quiet courage! Warriors are not loud, they don’t need to boast, they know what they can do and so trusts in the Lord that they have confidence to go wherever they are sent by their commander. Now that will preach!

In other news: I just got back from a trip with my mom. We went to Natchez, Mississippi first and then went wherever we wanted to on the way back north. We stayed along the Mississippi River until after Vicksburg and veered off into the beautiful land of Arkansas. This was a spot that was a total surprise. We are driving along, and I said, “CAMPGROUND.” and Mom said, “What? You want to go in there.” I said, “Sure!” It was a primitive campground loop off the highway. Nothing special and then we turned the loop corner and bam there was this view! Never ignore the “I want to just turn here.” lol We would have never known this was there.

All I have to say is, there are so many beautiful places. But you gotta go see em. lol My mom said, “So many people never go anywhere and that is just so sad.” Over the last several years I have been tracking travels and ‘want to’ see places. All the yellow stars and green circles are places I’ve been to with my mom, my mom and sister, my girl Sarah and David, and my BFF Jen. If we get close but don’t make it, I add a little suitcase. Maybe next time!

Here below is where me and my mom just tripped – the Natchez Trip 😉

A few years ago – my sister, mom, and I did this route – The Eureka Springs trip:

A few years back – the Stillwater trip – me and mom did this one!

And nearly every one of the other stars are JEN and I tripping around Iowa and Missouri, Illinois, and South Dakota lol – SO MUCH FUN!

Get out and see the world. Even if the world is YOUR STATE…..

Oh but Iowa is so boring. Well if you’ve been watching on Facebook. NOPE its not! We see so many cool things we never even would have known are there.

One more thing: Oh and my BFF cut my sons hair while I was gone. He’s looking like a whole man with a hair do to match all that energy and wildness he’s got. LOVE IT.

Thanks for Listening,

Starla