Quiet time was something that I never really made time for back home. If I ended up with some free time, I would maybe decide to spend some time with the Lord, but I wouldn’t carve out specific time to spend with Him on my own. I used to always think that spending time with the Father should look like reading some verses or a chapter, journaling, and praying. I never really wanted to do it like that, so I just didn’t do anything.

During the first month, our leaders set a 7 am wake up call for morning devotions. Kind of like church camp, right? This quiet time was more of just hearing how each of the squad/team leaders used their time with the Lord. It was really interesting to hear how everyone does different things with Him. Some people just talk to Him out loud. Some people do a gratefulness journal or they just paint and pray at the same time. Some people go in with an agenda, and some go in with no plans at all. Some people don't even say anything and they just listen, resting in the Spirit. Of course it’s important to spend time in the word and to keep diving into scripture, but it was so cool to see that it doesn’t have to look like the same, boring routine everyday for me. 

I have loved this past month of just diving into what quiet time looks like for me now because it’s different everyday. There are some mornings I don’t even open my bible or journal, and I just talk with Him out loud and walk around our base. Sometimes I just paint with watercolors and pray, and I just sit in His presence. I have also started a gratefulness journal just to help me process the day before and to think back on all of the little blessings the Lord gave me. It has been so sweet to spend time with Him in all sorts of new ways(:

There was one day in particular that I was having some trouble processing with the Lord, so I decided to get up before the sunrise. I wanted to get up and have lots of time with Him before everyone else started waking up, so I set my alarm for 5 am! It was beautiful. The sun rose right behind the mountain you can see from our verandas, and I just sat on the railing talking with Him.

Since then I’ve been getting up somewhere between 5:00 and 5:45 in the morning to have my coffee dates with Jesus. They are very quickly becoming my favorite part of the day. 

I hope you all start getting excited for your dates with Jesus!

all my love, Kate