The art of Resting......

Question: Do any of you know how to rest? If or when you find out can you share with me and tell me how? Beause clearly, I am not good at resting nor do I know how to.... but at random I get pockets of what I think may be rest. I listened to a teaching series on resting and here's what stuck out to me....(some of you may find this helpful and encouraging)::
Intentional: Rest has to be intentional

On the 7th day God rested:  the very first thing God introduced to man is resting. He worked for 6 days and then rested on the 7th. Our primary part of relationship with Christ is the permission and power to be at a place of peace and rest.

Rest is physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It's a tangible expression of God's presence with you. 

If we practice rest we will experience the presence of God physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

The journey infront of you can not be made if you are not living in rest. 

God gives us rest so that we live in security.

The fruit of the spirit needs to be part of who we are. Resting never comes by itself: it's always got pieces of the fruits of the spirit. Rest and peace and calm.  

So that is what I am learning and am trying to practice and am not very good at, turns out. 

I want to learn how to live these truths out better and learn how to care for myself and my relationship with the Lord. For so long...pretty sure, since I was born, I have been so concerned about my relationships with others and have been a people pleaser. God has brought out some really good and hard things as He has brought conviction to me in this area and has been asking me to love and please Him only. People and relationship with people have become such an idol in my life and I haven't really seen it until recently. I have been putting my relationships before God and He's wanting me to be a little selfish with my time and just really press into Him. (sigh) Don't you just love when God does that?! He is jealous for our time and relationship. When we do give Him our time and have intimate relationship with Him, it then flows out of our lives. But I forget this and get distracted and let other people try to fill that need that, actually, I need to fill with HIM and only HIM. So that's what I'm learning these days. I'm not doing a great job but am so grateful for grace and God's perfect patience. I'll get there. 

so true::

I have some highlights and photos to share with you of what's been going on.... other than all of the hard stuff I have some huge ways that God's been really loving on me and giving me moments and days of real joy and peace.... so here they are....enjoy::

My mom, my Grandma Betty and me:: 

Easter dinner with Loryn, Caleb and Ambrose: my niece and nephews

Taking my nephews and a friend on a hike for spring break

Cousin time

My nephew Caleb and I at Dry Falls lookout

I got to hear my niece play in a youth orchestra in Walla Walla: She was amazing and all her sisters were so proud along with me! What a treat to be able to be here for this!

My brother Michael and I waiting to hear the beautiful orchestra play! I am a lucky little sister!

After game treats with my Spokane Moores! I love them and am one blessed auntie!

That's my family highlights....there's more but I don't want to flood this with so many photos that you get bored. So I'll keep it simple. (or at least attempt to) ;)

The next set is some fun shots of when my friend Ae came to visit! We had such a good good time! It was such an honor to be able to show her around and to get to spend time with her and be with her as she experienced playing in the snow, feeding deer,  seeing the beautiful Washington landscapes, cold weather and road tripping over the Cascades. It was so refreshing for me to get to have that time with my best Thai friend! I miss Thailand so much it hurts. I know that God has a plan and is in the midst of shaping that all into the making so I'm "resting" in that and trusting that He knows best. If you are still reading and with me on here here's some photos from Ae's visit....thanks for reading all of this and sharing life with me.....

Me, Ae, Anna and Jewel in Seattle at the Space Needle

Ae representing our Spokane Zags!

This is a must if you come to Spokane:; running with the runners

Dinner with my brother and his family: was fun to spend time with them and let them meet my best thai friend!

Ae taking on the Morrow kids in a fun game! Also a favorite pastime of theirs from time in Thialand!

We got to spend an evening with the Morrow bunch and have a yummy dinner! We left with bellies full and hearts full of joy and laughter! 

Coffee at the Rockwood bakery with the Bogues: enjoying lunch and a well loved pastime of coffee back in Thailand!

Dinner at Casper Fry with the Archers! Later followed by a gut bomb thanks to Jamie! Filling Ae up with good food, good friends and a big belly!

Of couse we had to go see our Hopey! She blessed us with yummy food and of course a really good time! Love you Hopey! 

Do you feel like all we did was eat when Ae came to visit? Well, that's pretty much what we did do.... and played a bit as well...and laughed a lot. 

took a road trip to Leavenworth, Wa and got to see the beautiful mountains

We stayed at our friend Jeremy and Joy's house in Seattle- Was so much fun to see them again and get to see their lives here in Wa. 

Jewel and I got to take Ae snowshoeing

We had a blast! It was sunny and snowing all at once! Such a great day and Ae got to make snow angels, snow balls and feel the snow fall on her tongue....well worth the hike and work! 

At the dam!

Dad cooking up some steaks and fish for Ae to try!

Feeding the deer: "c'mon deer!"

At the infamous gum wall in Seattle with our little buddy Anna!

I feel so loved and blessed by the Alvarez's, their church and everyone else that made it possible for Ae to come to Washington! Thank you so so so much! You blessed me for sure and I hope that it was an unforgettable and memorable experience for her. 

As hard and awkward and frustrating as it has been to be in this waiting/resting season I have felt so taken care of, loved on and blessed by so many of you as you have gracefully invited me into your lives and loved on me where I am at. Thank you to all of you.... you know who you are! 

I have a few more highlights that I would like to point out.... some I have photos of and others I don't..... But here they are.... I would also like to thank the people who have continued to support me throughout my time back here. It has been a huge blessing and I have also been able to bless others in return! I am hoping to set some money aside for the next chapter of my journey.... Not sure what that is yet but I will keep you all posted on when I hear anything! 

Here are two beauties that I have gotten to reconnect with since being back. The lovely on the left is Alyssa and I have gotten to see her grow to love the Lord and serve Him and see how God's working in her heart and it's been such a blessing to see her maturity and heart for people who don't know yet how loved they are. She's amazing! Also the lovely in the middle is one of my sisters whom I've gotten to share our messy lives with for many years and have been so honored to so the Lord work in her heart as well. I am so grateful for sisters! Love these ladies!

lunch date with my friend Sheri and her sweetie Kyndall.... we had so much fun catching up and playing and eating! Thanks Sheri!

I got to go skiing two times since being back! It was so much fun to get back on the slopes! Both times  I had lovely people treat me to a full and fun day back in the snow and I had a blast and was sore for days after! haa haa

This is Lucas and his mom, Kirsten.... both amazing people and have been such an inspiration to me. I used to work with Lucas and we were working on potty training and sitting and basic stuff.... now he's reading and saying what he wants and doesn't want and is so incredibly intelligent! I am so honored to know him and his amazing family who have fought for this little guy! Thank you for letting me be a small part of his ginormous life!

And these women....they inspire me to conquer the world! I have gleaned and learned so much from each one of them. I will always cherish our times working together! Thank you to all of you ladies for your friendship and your mentoring and encouragement! Love you all.....

So I have some fun news....I have a job....well, a couple at the moment. I am helping a friend at her restaurant in Coulee Dam on Fridays and then during the week I will be working in Spokane for Veraci!

best brick oven pizza in spokane...or maybe ever! ;)

Veraci is gourmet brick oven pizza and is mobile. We will be at some of the Farmers Markets in the area as well as doing some catering during the summer. So I will work the summer for them as I continue to seek the Lord for what's next. I am excited to get into a routine and feel a little more organized with my time. I think it will be a fun summer getting to go to the markets and meet lots of new people. So far I have worked a couple days and am enjoying it. Once school is out I will be done working in Coulee Dam at Fusion and will be more planted here in Spokane. I am looking forward to being more planted! I have been longing for more of security and less travel. I think I need more of a stable community and I think it will really nurture this whole spirit of rest that I am in need of. I am staying with some good friends of mine (the Archers) and am able to see in little and big ways how God is taking care of me. ie....job, housing, community, church, and of course good coffee....haa haa! Sorry had to include that because it's true....it's what I love! 

Well, I hope this all finds you well.....for those of you who don't know or haven't been aware of...I am off facebook as of a couple weeks ago. It's been hard to be out of touch with you all...but I will be better about keeping this updated and please please please stay in touch with me over e.mail if need be. I would love to hear what's going on in your lives apart from facebook. I miss you all....but I know that this is something that will be and already is so good for me. Bless you and thank you so much for loving me through thick and thin...blessings on your week....