Here's the introduction chapter from my book: My Vow of Silence - the roughest 3 minutes of my life
I’ve tried many tips, techniques, and methods over the years to find a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Some approaches were extremely beneficial while others were just plain brainless. Such as, I increased the minutes of my prayer time by 27 percent. I took long walks in nature. I attended church eight Sundays in a row. I was mentored online. I changed my diet to include alfalfa. I stood up and prayed in restaurants when my food arrived. I got out of bed and on my knees while it was still dark. I stopped cussing (out loud) on golf courses. I wore a dark navy suit with a solid red tie and an American flag lapel pin on Saturdays. I passed a collection plate on a city bus. I read through the Old Testament – King James version – and actually took detailed notes that I later sold in a garage sale. And lastly, I took on a vow of silence.
Taking on a vow of silence was actually pretty easy and I felt more fulfilled and connected with God as a result. And it’s still something I practice to this day. Every night from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. I’m completely quiet. Of course it helps immensely that I’m asleep during this time period. But you do what you can to grow in your spiritual understanding. But I’m not perfect in my quest to live a pure spiritual and holy life and I mess up all the time. In fact, sometimes I say things and I wish I could take back, but I can’t. And it’s in these moments that a real vow of silence would come in handy. And maybe you struggle with the same things I deal with like speaking before thinking. And if a method you use in your daily routine to grow closer to God doesn’t work like the many I’ve tried, or if you stumble with your habits and rituals in your spiritual walk just like me, don’t beat yourself up over your perceived failings, simply smile at your human limitations and ask, what’s the take-away lesson here? Let’s not let our blunders take away our joy.
And that’s what this book is about. Laughing at our imperfection as Christians and asking what have I learned and how can I apply this knowledge so I can continue to grow in understanding? We’re not a perfect people as the world would have us be. But we worship the One who is perfect. We’re not a fully loving people at all times, but we want to connect the One who is fully Love in every moment. And we’re not a continuously forgiving and merciful people, but we sing praises and offer up thanksgivings to the One who is constant in His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace.
Enjoy the book. And remember, God loves laughter; so laugh big, laugh hard, and laugh often. And God loves servants; so serve big, serve hard, and serve often.
Prayers and love to you and yours,
Tim
I’ve tried many tips, techniques, and methods over the years to find a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Some approaches were extremely beneficial while others were just plain brainless. Such as, I increased the minutes of my prayer time by 27 percent. I took long walks in nature. I attended church eight Sundays in a row. I was mentored online. I changed my diet to include alfalfa. I stood up and prayed in restaurants when my food arrived. I got out of bed and on my knees while it was still dark. I stopped cussing (out loud) on golf courses. I wore a dark navy suit with a solid red tie and an American flag lapel pin on Saturdays. I passed a collection plate on a city bus. I read through the Old Testament – King James version – and actually took detailed notes that I later sold in a garage sale. And lastly, I took on a vow of silence.
Taking on a vow of silence was actually pretty easy and I felt more fulfilled and connected with God as a result. And it’s still something I practice to this day. Every night from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. I’m completely quiet. Of course it helps immensely that I’m asleep during this time period. But you do what you can to grow in your spiritual understanding. But I’m not perfect in my quest to live a pure spiritual and holy life and I mess up all the time. In fact, sometimes I say things and I wish I could take back, but I can’t. And it’s in these moments that a real vow of silence would come in handy. And maybe you struggle with the same things I deal with like speaking before thinking. And if a method you use in your daily routine to grow closer to God doesn’t work like the many I’ve tried, or if you stumble with your habits and rituals in your spiritual walk just like me, don’t beat yourself up over your perceived failings, simply smile at your human limitations and ask, what’s the take-away lesson here? Let’s not let our blunders take away our joy.
And that’s what this book is about. Laughing at our imperfection as Christians and asking what have I learned and how can I apply this knowledge so I can continue to grow in understanding? We’re not a perfect people as the world would have us be. But we worship the One who is perfect. We’re not a fully loving people at all times, but we want to connect the One who is fully Love in every moment. And we’re not a continuously forgiving and merciful people, but we sing praises and offer up thanksgivings to the One who is constant in His forgiveness, His mercy, and His grace.
Enjoy the book. And remember, God loves laughter; so laugh big, laugh hard, and laugh often. And God loves servants; so serve big, serve hard, and serve often.
Prayers and love to you and yours,
Tim
posted by Tim Steed | 2:56 PM
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