There is a time for everything.  A time for work, and a time for play.  A time to be busy, and a time to be still.  With the holiday season upon us and so many things to do in such little time, it is sometimes difficult to make the time to slow down.  But that is when it is especially important to find the time.  And today I did just that.  I went on a mini-retreat from 9:30am-1:00pm.  The timing was perfect for me, a mom who needs to be around to get the kids on the bus and also be there when they get home.  And it was just the amount of time I needed to recharge.

During the retreat, I connected with other women who were also there to get away from the distractions of everyday life and to find peace and to just listen to God speak to them.  Because God is ALWAYS speaking to us.  We just don’t always pay attention or stop to listen.

While walking around the gardens outside, I saw this beautiful message on this stone.  I love the way the sun is beaming down on the stone, and if you look closely, you can even see a beautiful rainbow in one of the beams of light.  This message reminded me how important it is to get out into nature every day and recognize and appreciate the blessings that are always surrounding us. God is always speaking to us through nature, but we don’t hear until we stop and pay attention.  And when we do, we become like a child again, in awe of the beauty that is all around us.  Heaven on Earth happens in those moments.

Here is another picture I captured of the geese living on these beautiful grounds.  I love that nature is always available to us to offer us peace if we just stop to appreciate it.

I am so glad I took the time to slow down today and recharge.  I feel clearer, more at peace, and filled with love.  And I also find that when I do take time to be still, it actually makes me more productive.  It just helps me to see my priorities more clearly and it makes me focus more on what’s really important in my life.

I hope you are also able to make the time to slow down during this season.  You deserve it.  You are worth it.  And if you do, you will be amazed at the difference even 5 minutes a day can make in improving the quality of your life.  Take a 5 minute walk outside and just admire all the blessings in nature that are available to us every day.  Or if you celebrate Christmas and have a Christmas tree, maybe give yourself the gift of 5 minutes a day just sitting in silence admiring it.  That 5 minutes may just turn into the time of day you look forward to the most.  Give yourself the greatest gift possible at this time of the year…a little bit of downtime to just “be” and listen to what God has to say to you.  Enjoy this beautiful season of Advent.  God Bless!! 🙂