An Abundant Place

1. Create Intentional Space for God's Presence

The focus has always been creating a space without worldly distractions—a space to really and truly encounter God.

Intentionality is key. In a world full of noise and chaos, creating a dedicated space and time for God is not a luxury but a necessity. This "retreat" doesn't require a physical getaway; it can be a quiet corner of your home or even your minivan. The goal is to quiet your heart and mind, allowing for a genuine encounter with the divine.

Rituals enhance connection. Establishing simple rituals around your time with God can make it easier to enter His presence, especially when motivation is low. These rituals act as intentional preparation, signaling to your mind and spirit that you are setting aside this moment for sacred connection. Consider:

• A cozy blanket
• Your favorite beverage (coffee or tea)
• A notebook and pen for reflections
• Your Bible for deeper study

The SPACE method. To deepen your engagement with Scripture, the authors propose a five-step method: Speak (read aloud three times), Ponder (meditate on the meaning), Act (identify application), Commit (recognize God's promises), and Express (share feelings with God). This structured approach helps internalize God's Word and fosters a more profound spiritual experience.

2. Embrace Everyday Life as an Act of Worship

Meditating on Jesus happens in our house of worship on a Sunday, and a chicken house on a Tuesday.

Worship beyond the walls. True worship isn't confined to church buildings or specific times; it's a continuous posture of the heart. The authors discovered that God speaks through nature—singing trees, changing vineyards, even the rhythm of chickens—and in the most humble, mundane tasks. This perspective transforms daily life into an ongoing conversation with God.

Quiet the noise. Our reliance on constant distraction (podcasts, TV, social media) can drown out God's voice. By intentionally engaging in sound- and screen-free activities, like cleaning the chicken coop, the mind is freed to ponder spiritual truths. This quiet allows God to speak in unexpected ways, bringing worship songs, Bible verses, and His thoughts to mind.

Reframing spiritual time. Instead of viewing morning devotions as the sole "spiritual time," consider it as setting the tone for a day where every activity can be an opportunity to be present in the holy. God cares equally about scheduled time, walks in the woods, playing with pets, doing dishes, and even humble chores. He is present in all we do.

3. Trust God's Unwavering Presence and Provision

He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

God's constant vigilance. In seasons of exhaustion and overwhelm, it's a profound relief to know that God never tires, never sleepwalks, and never shuts down. He is always attentive, ever on high alert, watching over us with unwavering constancy. This divine attentiveness means He knows every detail of our lives, our vulnerabilities, and our fears.

Rest in His care. Just as a loving parent stays awake to guard a child, God is on duty so we can rest. This assurance allows us to surrender our anxieties and fears to Him, knowing that He stands guard. Whether it's a recent fretting incident, a hard season, or a secret fear, God knows and is still present.

His power overrides weakness. When we feel fragile or overwhelmed, God's power overrides our natural weaknesses, enabling us to accomplish things we couldn't do alone. His presence at our right hand ensures we will not be shaken, providing strength and resilience in the face of life's challenges.

4. Transform Fear into Wisdom Through Action

I’m grateful God has given me ways to sense when danger is coming and to prepare for it.

Fear as a gift. While anxiety can paralyze, fear, when properly channeled, can be a gift from God. It helps us recognize impending danger and prompts us to take necessary precautions. The key is to move past the initial fear into a place of wisdom, rather than letting it fester into overwhelming anxiety.

Wisdom in action. Instead of dwelling on "what ifs," wisdom involves seeking knowledge, listening to experts, and making good decisions. Taking proactive steps, whether it's fire prevention in the mountains or changing smoke detector batteries, actively lessens anxiety. This partnership with God involves both trusting Him and using the intelligence He's given us.

Small, faith-filled steps. When anxiety arises, turn it into wisdom in action by identifying the "next, most faith-filled step." This doesn't mean solving everything at once, but taking a small, manageable action within the next five minutes. This immediate action helps to break the cycle of worry and move forward with purpose.

5. Surrender Your Plans to God's Established Path

When we commit our plans to the Lord, what we are actually committing to is trusting God with our next steps.

Beyond a rubber stamp. Committing plans to God is more than asking for His approval; it's aligning our intentions with His already established will for us. This perspective shifts our goal from getting God to co-sign our plans to co-signing onto His. It's about trusting His foresight and guidance, recognizing He knows the obstacles and the path forward.

Forethought prevents frustration. The authors learned that "quick and easy" DIY projects are rarely so, especially in challenging environments like the mountains. Similarly, in life, barreling ahead without consulting God often leads to unnecessary complications. Going to God first with our plans, asking Him to reveal flaws and guide us, saves time and frustration.

Supernatural guidance. When we commit our plans to God, we invite Him to guide us through our limited human thinking and reveal our path in supernatural ways. This ensures that we don't face setbacks or failures alone, and that victories are celebrated by giving glory to the One who saw us through. It's a freeing act of trust.

6. Strengthen Through Stretching and Perseverance

Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Flexibility, not fragility. Our natural reaction to pain is often to freeze or protect ourselves, but God designed us to be flexible, not fragile. Just as physical therapy involves small, slow, steady stretches to heal and strengthen, life's sufferings can produce perseverance, character, and ultimately, hope. This progression is a testament to God's transformative power.

Embrace the stretch. Identify areas in your life that feel frozen or rigid—physically, spiritually, or relationally. Invite God to show you where the real problem lies and trust Him to guide you in small, slow, and steady ways. Feeling stretched just beyond your comfort zone is not a sign of breaking, but evidence of growth and strengthening.

Learning from failure. In challenging environments, like mountain gardening, perseverance is essential. Every "gardening disaster" becomes a lesson, building resilience and teaching what to do better next time. Your dreams, relationships, and spiritual growth are worth failing at repeatedly, because each attempt builds resilience and deepens faith.

7. Find Soul Satisfaction in God-Designed Work

God has designed us for work. When we are in a healthy place, work not only isn’t a burden; it can be downright soul satisfying.

Work as divine design. Contrary to popular culture's view of work as a burden to escape, God designed humans for work and creation. When approached from a healthy perspective, work can be profoundly soul-satisfying, providing direction and purpose. It's about improving life, serving others, and making things better than we found them.

Beyond relaxation. The authors observed that many guests at their mountain retreat, initially seeking relaxation, often gravitate towards contributing to the work of the mountain—chopping wood, cleaning the coop, building. This innate desire to contribute reflects our created nature, a longing to be a "reflection of God, the Creator."

Rest for purpose. If the thought of work exhausts you, it may signal a need for deep rest, not an avoidance of work itself. Rest is not a luxury; it's essential for restoration, allowing us to engage with work from a place of health and satisfaction. God "established the work of our hands" so our souls could be fulfilled.

8. Guard Your Life Against Invasive Overwhelm

Kikuyu grass is like the holiday celebration that morphs into an unmanageable calendar of activities.

Recognize noxious weeds. Just as invasive kikuyu grass can spread uncontrollably, certain aspects of our lives—over-scheduling, debt, excessive commitments—can become "noxious weeds" that lead to depletion, panic, and resentment. These are signs that boundaries are needed to prevent overwhelm.

Define your "lawn's edges." To stop the spread of invasive overwhelm, it's crucial to define the limits of your capacity and commitments. God offers a "hedge of protection" through His Word and wisdom. Asking God for discernment between His invitations and life's invasions helps us make choices that honor our limits.

Documenting wisdom. Keeping a journal to chronicle prayers for wisdom, God's responses, and the results of staying within His protective hedge can be profoundly humbling and faith-strebuilding. It provides concrete evidence against the urge to "do it anyway" and reinforces trust in God's benevolent omniscience.

9. Embrace Radical Gratitude and Rest

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Antidote to entitlement. A daily practice of radical gratitude can transform a spirit of entitlement and disappointment into one of joy and peace. Thanking everyone and everything—from cashiers to chickens for their eggs—shifts perspective and changes our initial reaction to circumstances, even difficult ones.

Changing your response. While we cannot always change our circumstances, we can always change our response. Gratitude, even when it feels "crazy-looking," becomes a well-worn path back to peace. The more we practice it, the easier it is to navigate life's bumps and find joy amidst challenges.

Rest as an act of worship. For those prone to overworking, viewing rest as an act of trust in God can be transformative. It's trusting that God has not left everything up to us, that He knows our limits, and that He relies on others to do His work. Scheduling trust-filled rest, regardless of undone tasks, becomes a holy act.

10. Navigate Healing with Patience and Support

We don’t get to determine how long healing should take. I am not someone who likes to dwell, but here is what I know about healing—none of us gets to skip steps.

Healing takes time. Whether physical or emotional, healing is a process that cannot be rushed or skipped. Our desire to recover quickly often clashes with God's timing, which determines the pace and necessary steps. It's crucial to accept that we don't get to dictate the duration of recovery.

Supportive community. Surrounding yourself with people who don't rush your healing is vital. These are individuals who will sit with you in your pain, offer practical support, and remind you that healing takes time. Often, those who have experienced similar traumas and healed from them are best equipped to provide this compassionate presence.

Brave presence. It can be challenging to witness loved ones in pain, but sometimes, being present in their suffering is exactly what they need. Learning not to rush someone else's recovery, even when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable, is an act of love and bravery. It means allowing them the space and time God has ordained for their process.

11. Cultivate Inner Strength with God's Power, Love, and Self-Discipline

The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Overcoming self-talk. Destructive self-talk, fueled by past failures and insecurities, can be more cruel than any external bully. This "mixtape of self-awfulness" can lead to defeat and dejection, making it hard to summon the energy for change. Recognizing these patterns is the first step to breaking free.

God's promises are for you. The attributes of power, love, and self-discipline are not reserved for others; they are promised to you as a child of God. Overcoming timidity—the belief that you can't change or that God can't use you—is essential to embracing these gifts. Each attempt, even if it "fails," teaches you more about God's mercy and power.

Find inspiring women. Seek out women who openly share their mountaintop experiences and their pits—those who have tried, failed, and gotten up again. Their stories of God meeting them in their lowest moments, pulling them out with power, love, and self-control, will inspire you to believe in your own capacity for change.

12. Prioritize God's Word as Your Ultimate Guide

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Avoid blind impulse. Acting on blind impulse, without consulting God's "tide tables" (His Word), often leads to disappointment and wasted effort. Just as kayaking against a king tide yields no progress, self-sufficiency in life means missing out on God's guidance and the power that can carry us forward.

Antidote to self-sufficiency. Surrender is the key antidote to self-sufficiency. It means yielding leadership of your life to God, who knows you better than you know yourself and always knows what's best. Making checking God's Word your first instinct, not an afterthought, transforms your decision-making.

An ever-lit lamp. When you intentionally open your Bible before jumping into action, you find an "ever-lit lamp, a light that's always shining." This consistent engagement with God's Word illuminates your path, moves you forward according to His plans, and ensures you never miss out on His presence and guidance.