Tag Archives: beach

6 Things We Can Do for Soul Health

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We got the kids out of bed early yesterday morning, so we could get on the road. Our field trip for the day was the Cape May Zoo, a favorite of ours. It’s a favorite both because it’s an amazing zoo, and it’s free! So it’s a win-win for us. But before the zoo opened at ten, we wanted to spend an hour or so on the beach.

We got there early, before it was too busy. We set up our chairs, and I grabbed my notebook and pen. With an iced coffee in hand, I stared out at the waves and felt the sun warm my skin as I began to write down some ideas for books I want to write. It was so relaxing and peaceful. There’s something about sitting on the beach on a sunny day before it gets too crazy busy. It brings peace to my soul. We stayed for about an hour and a half before it started getting busy.

What Makes You, You

Your soul is the basic essence of what makes you, you. It’s your mind, your emotions, your will. You can add character, feelings, thoughts to that as well. We don’t think about our souls a lot, but the health of our soul is so important. We are the only ones that can protect our souls. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew.

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 NLT

It’s so good to remember that nobody can touch my soul; it’s protected by God. Our soul is what will go with us to Heaven one day. But a challenging thought is that I can touch my soul. I have the power to protect or corrupt my soul.

Be Careful What You Put In

What I put into my mind affects the health of my soul–the things I read, watch, think, believe, the conversations I have. All these things affect me, so I have to guard myself.

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

Jesus spoke about this idea in Matthew as well.

But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.  These are what defile you…”

Matthew 15:18-20

What we put into us is what is going to come out, and it’s from within that our outward actions of sin start. If we want to protect our soul, we have to watch what we let into our lives. We also have to add good things. What are things we can do practically for soul/heart health?

woman sitting in the sun for soul health

6 Things you can do for soul health:

  1. Develop a morning time routine. Spend the first part of your morning with God.
  2. Set limits for social media and the news, or take a break all together. A steady diet is too overwhelming and sends puts brains on overload.
  3. Listen to uplifting worship music.
  4. Get outside and go for a walk.
  5. Go somewhere that is beautiful–the beach, a garden, a creek, the mountains, a place with a view. Enjoying nature is a great way to give our soul the reset it needs.
  6. Memorize verses.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post What I’m Feeding My Soul.

Places of Peace

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When was the last time you went to a place simply to find peace? When was the last time you got away from the chaos of every day life and took the time and space to just breathe and find some rest for your soul?

place of peace

Biblical Examples

I believe God uses places in our lives for times of rest and renewal. Look at these examples from the Bible.

Jesus went to a mountain.

Elijah was hidden away in a ravine.

Moses was sent to a desert.

David turned to the hills.

Paul spent three years in the desert.

Jacob was out under the stars when God gave him a vision.

In each of these cases, God prepared a place for his people to stop, rest, and take a moment away. It’s funny to note how each of these places of healing and peace are so vastly different. From a desert to a ravine to a night under the stars, God used these places to help heal his people. And often, he used it as a time to prepare them for what was coming next.

For Elijah, it came before his showdown with the prophets of Baal. Moses spent forty years in the desert before God used him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Paul spent time in the desert before his ministry really got going. God often uses these times of obscurity before he moves us into the next phase of what he has for us.

Sometimes, though, these places were a continual source of peace. Jesus often got up early and went out to a mountaintop to pray and receive strength for the ministry ahead. David would turn frequently “to the hills” or to creation to find peace and solitude.

A Change of Place

There is something about a change of place that can change our thinking. It can encourage us, give us motivation to keep going. Often, it can give us inspiration to think through something new—a new concept, a new dream. It’s a time when we’re open to change. Our minds are not quite as full, and God can use that time to show us something new.

I can look back so many times in our lives when God used a place to find rest and peace and strength for the journey ahead. It’s been in these places of peace that God has often showed us the next step. Maybe it’s as simple as a change of schedule we need to make or a new ministry to start. Other times, it’s been something much bigger—a move, a change of direction, a new stage of life.

When we are so busy with every-day life, it’s pretty hard to pull out and look at your life. It’s hard to see what God would have you do differently or change. It’s when we go to these places of peace that we can find rest and the time to be able to mentally process what God is doing, how he’s working.

Places of Peace

There are so many places of peace. Here are some of the places God has used in our lives over the years. Some of them seem so simple or even slightly ridiculous. Yet, God has used each of these places and spaces to work in our lives. It’s a twenty-five hour car ride across the country in which God has shown us that it’s time to move. It’s a quiet coffee house, sitting across from each other that we dream and talk about what we believe God wants us to do next.

  1. a coffee shop
  2. a lake
  3. a hotel room
  4. a rental house
  5. a book store
  6. a car ride
  7. a sunset
  8. an early morning at the beach
  9. a walk on a trail through the woods
  10. a nice restaurant

Sometimes, it’s been a simple coffee shop. Other times, it’s been a few days in a private room in the middle of Amish country. In each of these cases, God has prepared a place for us to get away, find rest, and find renewal.

Coffeeshop in Lancaster

There’s a coffee shop in Amish country here in Pennsylvania that is a place of peace for us. It’s a bright, sunny, wide-open space with exposed wood beams, a fireplace, and beautiful hand-crafted tables. There’s always quiet music playing, and there’s sort of a reverent hush in the shop. They also sell gluten free scones and have amazing coffee, so it’s pretty much a win-win for us. But it’s in this coffee shop that we often take journals and sometimes our Bibles. We sit in the quiet with a good coffee and the sun warming us through the large windowpanes and talk and dream about what God has next.

The Beach

Another place for us is the beach. We rent a house near the beach once a year with Matt’s family. Every morning, Matt and I get up early and walk over to the beach to see the sunrise. Every morning. Why? Because that’s a place where we feel peace; we feel God’s presence. We don’t usually talk while we watch the sun come up; it’s this experience of awe and amazement as you watch the sky change with the colors of predawn that all culminate in that moment the sun breaks through the horizon.

After that, we often take a long walk to a coffee shop to grab a coffee and continue the walk back to the house. We use that time to connect, to talk about how things are going, to talk about what’s next.

Time Away

When was the last time you found a place of peace? A place to get away, to take a break from everything you’re used to, and to find a new place. It’s often in a new place that God shakes us up and shows us something we’ve been searching for.

If you feel like your life is confusing right now; if you can’t make sense of life…maybe it’s time for a change of place just for a little bit. It doesn’t mean you have to move right now, although God could be pushing you in that direction. Often, we get too busy in the pressure of every day life—our jobs, housework, the kids, church and ministry, taxes, bills, endless meal planning, laundry, co-workers, neighbors…On and on the list goes. It’s not until we get away from it all in a quiet place that God can get ahold of us and really begin to show us what he has in store for us.

Where are your places of peace?

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post Our Colorado Trip and the Ark Encounter to read about what this looks like in real time.

The Best Part of a Beach Vacation

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Matt with our crazies at the beach

Summertime at the Beach

It’s summertime! For us, that means it’s time to pack up and head to the beach for a few days. There are a few reasons I love going to the beach for a week. First of all, it’s a change of pace. I get to take a break from schedules, to-do-lists, and pressures. I get to spend more time playing with my kids and talking with my husband and extended family. Second, it’s a change of place. Because I am not at home, I don’t have as many responsibilities to tend to. I get extra time to read and relax.

My Favorite Thing to Do at the Beach

But my most favorite reason for spending a week at the beach is the chance to get closer to God. My favorite thing to do is to get up early in the morning, make a cup of coffee, grab my Bible and my journal and head outside to the patio. Outside I feel the cool breeze and hear the lull of the waves. I soak in the peace and quiet and beauty of the early morning and begin the best part of my day.

I open my journal and write down my praises, my sins to confess, and my prayer requests for the day. Next, I pray through those; then I usually spend a few extra minutes just talking to God and telling Him what’s on my heart. After that, I take a few minutes to be quiet and still. Finally, I open my Bible and read.

The peace that I feel when I have finished my morning time with God is amazing. It is always good to spend time with God, but there is something extra special about it at the beach! I always feel closer to God when I am at the beach. I love that feeling of closeness.

Getting Closer to God

One morning while I was at the beach, I read James chapter 4 and came across a familiar verse.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

I love this verse, and I spent a few minutes thinking about it. This verse is so simple, yet so profound. Sometimes I come to a point where I feel so far away from God. I feel like He doesn’t hear me, like He isn’t there for me. During these times, I need to remember that God hasn’t gone anywhere; He is still right where He was. It’s me that’s moved. Maybe I have gotten too busy to hear His voice in the rush of things, maybe I haven’t spent as much time as I need to in my morning time with Him, or maybe sin has separated me from feeling His presence. Whatever the case, this verse is a reminder to draw close to God once again. I need to stop the craziness, grab my Bible and journal, and spend some quality time talking to God, listening to Him, and reading His Word.

The beach is my favorite place to get closer to God, but I don’t have to be at the beach for that to happen. I simply have to choose to take the time and effort to draw close to God, and He in turn will draw close to me.