soul rest Archives - Sharla Fritz

Seven Resources to Help You Find Soul Rest

Sharla June 7, 2016

Life is hectic. It’s imperative that we find time to rest.

Every season of life has its demands and it we don’t care for our bodies we risk illness. We risk harming our health and losing our sanity!

And if we don’t care for our souls we risk relinquishing our peace. We compromise our joy.

I encourage all of you to take time to rest. To spend some time with family and friends. To do something you love to do, but don’t always have the time. To connect with Jesus.

To help you find the soul rest that comes from connecting with the Savior, I am listing some of my favorite resources for finding spiritual renewal. Pick one and use it this week!

Here are the resources, with links and a favorite quote from each:

A Place of Quiet Rest, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss: “God has a never-ending supply of grace, strength, and wisdom available that He wants to flow through us to others. And we need to keep coming back into His presence to get our supply replenished…If we fail to stop and draw from His fresh, infinite supply of mercy and grace, we will find ourselves having to operate our of our own depleted, meager resources.”

Resting Place, by Jane Rubietta: “Rest helps us find meaning in our work and relationships, gives us places to evaluate what we’re doing with our hours and our hearts, what difference it all makes. Rest–reflection, meditation, breathing in God’s presence–lowers stress, calms our heartbeat and redirects our attention from the created to the Creator.”

Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, by Linda Dillow: The “Prayer of Quiet: Dear Lord Jesus, you once spoke peace to the wind and the waves. Speak Your shalom over my heart. I wait silently…patiently. I receive into the very core of my being Your loving command, ‘Peace, be still.’ Amen.”

Finding Spiritual Whitespace, by Bonnie Gray: “Finding spiritual whitespace isn’t about carving out an hour of time to escape the things that stress us. It’s getting away from everything we do to distract ourselves from all the hidden pieces–in order to nurture our soul. Spiritual rest is a journey of awakening our hearts to fully receive.”

Soul Spa, by Sharla Fritz: “The Father invites us to solitude so we can hear His whisper above the noise of the world. He asks us to come away with Him so we can pour out the messy contents of our hearts. He beckons us to time alone so he can give us what we need.”

The Father invites us to solitude so we can hear His whisper above the noise of the world. Share on X

Soul Spa Kit, free download (sign up at the below this post): “Who needs a spiritual retreat? You do. Although soul care may seem like a luxury, it is actually a necessity for your well-being. When your spirit is tired and worn, your physical self suffers too. You are less able to be the generous and kind person you want to be. Your heart cries out for more Jesus.”

7 Habits That Promote Soul Rest, A series of posts here on my blog that outline habits helpful for soul rest: “Ah rest, that is what I need. Soul rest. The kind of rest that would calm my heart.The kind of respite that would obliterate the restlessness in my spirit.The kind of stillness that would cancel out the craziness of this world like noise-cancelling headphones wipe out the pandemonium around me.”

Take time to rest this summer. Let the Lord restore your soul.

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15

Next step: Choose one resource to explore. Schedule time this week to rest in the presence of God.

Sign up for my Soul Rest newsletter and get the free Soul Spa Kit!

7 Habits That Promote Soul Rest: Personal Retreat

Sharla May 24, 2016

Jesus invites you- Come away by yourself. Get away from the busyness. Spend time in My presence and rest in my care.

I could hardly wait to get there. My bag was packed with my Bible, journal, and pen. I placed it in the trunk of my car along with a lawn chair and a water bottle.

I drove to a park near my home. After setting up my chair in a spot under a shady tree with a view of the lake, I opened my Bible to read and opened my heart to receive God’s Word.

It was my morning for a personal spiritual retreat.

When my soul is worn thin and my spirit feels overwhelmed, I know it’s time to take a break with God. To sit quietly in His presence. To sink deep into His Word. To pour out my soul and receive His peace and rest.

Too often I ignore my heart’s cries for rest. I push through soul weariness, meeting my obligations, accomplishing necessary tasks. Taking time for a spiritual retreat seems to go against our culture’s value of accomplishment and achievement. Sitting quietly with the Savior doesn’t produce anything I can write on a resume.

But a personal retreat opens my heart to the Father’s care. The Spirit renews my soul. I come away refreshed. I can come back to my real world with its schedules and obligations with renewed strength and peace.

Jesus told His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). He knew they needed to get away from the crowds, the noise, the responsibilities.

Jesus offers us the same invitation to us, “Come away by yourself. Get away from the busyness, the hurry, the pressing obligations. Spend time in My presence. Rest in my care.”

Jesus says: Come away by yourself. Get away from the busyness. Spend time in My presence and rest in my care. Share on X

You might be wondering: What do you do during a personal spiritual retreat?

Here’s my process. I read God’s Word and journal what I hear God speaking to me. I pour out my struggles, asking God to make sense out of everything. I get out my schedule and to-do list and pray for God to give me His perspective, His priorities. I spend time resting in God’s love for me.

Here are a couple more ideas for your spiritual retreat:

Meditate on the Bible story in John 8:1–11. Imagine yourself in the story. Hear the sounds, smell the smells. Look at Jesus. What does your heart experience in meeting Jesus in this story?
Dream. Write down your most extravagant dreams for your life. Ask God to show you if they are in line with His will.
Create a photo journal. Take a walk in nature and snap photos of things that remind you of God. Later, create a slide show or photo book of the photos with captions of prayers of thanksgiving.

If you would like more ideas like these, sign up to receive my Soul Spa Kit. Just enter your email address and name in the form in the below.

May God bless you as You seek Him and rest in His love.

Next step: Look at your calendar and pick a three-hour block of time (or more) for a spiritual retreat. Pack up your Bible and journal and enjoy an extended time with the Savior.

Enter your email in the form below to get my Soul Rest newsletter and the Soul Spa Kit: 59 Ideas For Creating Your Own Spiritual Retreat

7 Habits That Promote Soul Rest: Sabbath

Sharla May 11, 2016

For years, I struggled with the idea of Sabbath. I knew the commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). But as a pastor’s wife and church musician remembering the Sabbath day meant getting up early, going to church, playing the piano or organ, and rehearsing with the praise team or choir. I loved it all, but it was anything but restful.

Then I began to read about incorporating God’s original idea of the Sabbath as a day of rest into modern life. Truthfully, that seemed impossible. As a wife, mom, piano teacher, and church worker I was already struggling to get everything done. How was I supposed to finish all my tasks if I took a day off?

But God kept tapping me on the shoulder through magazine articles, blog posts, and conversations with friends. Suddenly, everywhere I looked people were talking about the Sabbath.

God was inviting me to rest.

Eventually, I accepted the invitation and began using Sunday afternoons and evenings as my Sabbath. I still need to work as a church musician in the morning, but I use the rest of the day to rest my body, soul, and spirit.

Here are some ways I incorporate rest into my Sabbath:

Rest my body. I ignore the crumbs on the floor and the clothes in the hamper. Instead, I lounge on the couch or take a leisurely walk in God’s creation.

Rest my soul. One the best things I do for my soul on the Sabbath is to take a break from technology. I spend a lot of time on my computer during the week. Shutting down email and Facebook for one day rejuvenates my soul.

Rest my spirit. God’s Word rejuvenates my soul. On Sunday morning I worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ and soak of the Gospel. Later in the day I might read an uplifting devotional book or spend extra time in Scripture. You might even select a book or study to be read only on Sundays–perhaps reading through C.S. Lewis’s works or digging deep into Galatians.

God’s recipe for soul rest is:

Take six days of work.

Add in one day of rest.

God's recipe for soul rest is: Take six days of work. Add in one day of rest. Share on X

Too often I’ve ignored this recipe and the result has been an exhausted, frazzled soul.

Accept God’s invitation to take a break from your usual hectic pace. Rest in His love and grace. Allow Him to renew your soul.

Next step: RSVP with a yes to God’s invitation to rest. Find a day each week to rest your body, soul, and spirit. Make a list of things that rejuvenate your soul and incorporate them into your Sabbath.

If you want to learn more about Sabbath and soul rest check out my book Soul Spa: 40 Days of Spiritual Renewal. CPH.org has a special sale price right now!