Rest In Peace

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at my parents' church in Vandorf (Whitchurch-Stouffville.)  A women's tea party had been organized and I thought it would be a great opportunity to share some of what's been on my heart for the last few months (or years.)

As women, we are expected to juggle so many balls and judged harshly and unfairly if we can't do it all.  We're lauded when we're super women, but criticized when our homes aren't spotless, our children aren't charming, or we don't look our best.   What we need is to acknowledge that rest is necessary and important and that we don't, in fact, need to do it all... let alone in our own strength.

I was nervous yesterday, but overall after watching the video my mom took, it went better than I thought.  My thoughts were *fairly* cohesive, I didn't use too many fillers, and once I got through the first few minutes, the nerves all but disappeared.  Regardless of  how well I performed (or didn't), the message remains true - we can only find true rest when we take time to be still and connect with our Saviour.

• If you'd like to watch or listen, the video is available on Living Water's Facebook Page here.
• The blog post I read from December 2012 "Be Still" can be found here.
• The devotional I read from, "Breathing Room", can be found here.
• Another devotional I used as inspiration was "Margin", it can be found here.
• Kathryn Egly's article, "Be Still and Know" (aka My BAD habit... and why Mary & Martha really BUG me!) that I read a portion of can be found here.
• The song I paused for us to listen to and reflect on while finding a moment of rest was by All Sons & Daughters from the 2016 album Poets & Saints.  It is called "Rest In You" and can be found on YouTube here or you can purchase it on iTunes or Google Play Music.

As a bonus, here is a list of additional songs that reference the rest we find in Him.

• I Will Rest In You - Brett Younker, Bryan Brown, Christy Nockels, Nathan Nockels
• Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul - Pacific Gold
• Restless - Audrey Assad
• Breathe - Jonny Diaz
• Rest my Soul - Tim Timmons
• Psalm 62 - Aaron Keyes

In all honesty, Rest In You by All Sons & Daughters gets a repeat on my playlist as I just find it so moving and soothing. 

I also sent the ladies home with a very simple print I created in my design software.  (The original  graphics were from Freepik and the font is Srikandy Script.)  Feel free to download your copy here.  It is designed to print as an 8"x10" so you should be able to send to your home printer or local photo lab.  (I printed my copies on matte paper at Wal-Mart.)

I hope some of this has blessed you and charge you to 1) Be Still and 2) Rest In Him... may He calm your restless heart and lead you beside still waters.