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The Thin Place

Choosing Silence: Being Still in an Over-Stimulating World

I am not accustomed to quiet. Growing up as the oldest of ten children, a majority of whom were boys, loud the was default. Toddlers don’t tiptoe, they stomp. Little boys rush through with a bombardment of pirate adventures and little girls run away squealing with delight. The sounds of life were never far from my ears.

When I moved into a house of my own, I was shocked at how the quiet affected me. Silence was an uncomfortable companion. I longed for the bustle that annoyed me in high school. TV and music quickly filled the background space. As time’s progressed, my noise as become more productive. Podcasts kept my ears active with information and thought-provoking discussions. Talk radio kept me up to date on the latest happenings in the world. Although, I am starting to wonder more and more if the noise was as productive as I assumed.

A few months ago, I was struck with an ear infection that drops and antibiotics just couldn’t seem to rid me of. Noise, any amount of noise, felt like gongs ringing deep in my head. So the radio was shut off and books were picked up exchange for television.

And the silence was an unexpected blessing.

Not to long ago, silence would have been the default. Our drive to work would have been time to think, not time to be assaulted noise. Instead of letting others tell us what to think about, our minds could wander naturally.

I propose we bring back silence into our days. Unlike the days of old, we now have to be intentional about cultivating time of quiet. We have to chose to silence our phones, to turn off our radios, and to patiently train our minds to seek time to be still.

“Be still and know that I am God.” -Psalm 46:10

Our stillness has a purpose. It allows us to be quite to reflect on the nature of God. We have a chance to focus on the goodness of what He has done, to allow our minds to wander over His blessings. We need to seek quiet and calm.

Bringing our bodies into stillness is not a passive act these days but, even in a quiet time, I think it still involved work. Being still, taking captive our thoughts, these are all commands given to shepherds and farmers. If there was anyone who would have instinctively had this opportunity, it would have been them. Even they needed to be reminded.

So if they needed to be intentional, how much more must we?

Let’s set our practice early in the day of seeking stillness before the Lord. Instead of turning on our radio or grabbing the remote, what if we turned our mind to prayer? What would our days look like if the quiet moments were spent pouring over the Lord’s words and opening our hearts to Him?

The sounds of life, of laughter and tears, don’t need to be ignored. As Ecclesiastes tells us, there is a season for everything. But let us not ignore the calm, quiet seasons to stillness in the presence of God.

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The Comments

  • Happy Mind Happy Home
    July 31, 2017

    Lovely post. So important to find quiet outside to create quiet in our minds. A quiet mind leads to calm, peace, and much less stress!

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Happy Mind Happy Home
      July 31, 2017

      It is very important. I find it definitely helps me creatively as well.

      Reply
  • Tara
    July 31, 2017

    I’m not good at being still, but working on it. Life does have a way of making you be still when you are sick!

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Tara
      July 31, 2017

      I’m not either but yes, it is one of the unexpected blessings of illness.

      Reply
  • TeeShares
    July 31, 2017

    Such a great post Bailey. Totally agree – we need to take time to be still before God. It seems so hard coz we’re always thinking or doing something BUT it’s actually a good thing to be quiet and pray instead of being active all the time.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      TeeShares
      July 31, 2017

      It is good. We seem to rush and run from one thing to the next, ignoring our weekly Sabbath and daily time of stillness in His presence.

      Reply
  • Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder
    July 31, 2017

    I wouldn’t mind the quiet – although it can get lonely haha.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder
      July 31, 2017

      Yes, it can get lonely but taking time for quietness is very important.

      Reply
  • jani
    July 31, 2017

    Silence can be so fulfilling and energizing. Sometimes I just enjoy sitting in a dark room or even in my car for a few minutes to unwind and free my mind of the day. Beautiful words.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      jani
      July 31, 2017

      It helps encourage and strengthen us in such a unique way.

      Reply
  • Mica
    July 31, 2017

    This is such an interesting way to look at silence! I find those quiet moments during the day when both boys nap and I’m afraid to make much of a sound can be a nice welcome reprieve from the day – but it can feel stifling too sometimes. Before kids I used to always have music or the TV or something in the background. I shut it off now as I know that having background noise can actually make it harder for their language skills to develop, and sometimes I do miss the background noise. But as you pointed out, toddlers make enough noise on their own, haha!

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Mica
      July 31, 2017

      I didn’t know about background noise interfering with language development skills but that definitely makes sense. It certainly gives us another reason to be intentional with the noise we let into our lives! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
  • Swayam Tiwari
    August 1, 2017

    In my opinion, the ceaseless chatter of the mind is the NOISE. Even if you go up high into the mountains, the mind chatter will not leave you. To control and subdue it is art which very few possess.
    Try yoga, and you will find ways and means to find silence among cars, screaming kids and even the chattering mind.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Swayam Tiwari
      August 2, 2017

      It is noise indeed. I try hard to take captive every thought as the Bible commands.

      Reply
  • Tara Siudy (Little Miss Dexterous)
    August 1, 2017

    I believe this! There is nothing like finding yourself when in silence.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Tara Siudy (Little Miss Dexterous)
      August 2, 2017

      Glad you agree, Tara!

      Reply
  • Erica Career & Life Purpose Coach
    August 1, 2017

    I love this. What a beautifully written post. Thank you for sharing, it’s something I needed to hear today! xx

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Erica Career & Life Purpose Coach
      August 2, 2017

      Thank you for reading, Erica.

      Reply
  • Michelle
    August 1, 2017

    Lovely post Bailey. I am an only child and very accustomed to quiet, but it seems hard to come by these days. It is something I deeply crave. Great reminder to be active in seeking and choosing it.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Michelle
      August 2, 2017

      It is something we certainly have to be intentional in cultivating in our lives.

      Reply
  • Jacqueline
    August 1, 2017

    This took a lot of practice for me but I am reaping the benefits of being still. I can’t believe how much focused I am and how much more I am able to achieve. I won’t say I can do this all day every day, but I do start my day in meditation to try and set the tone.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Jacqueline
      August 2, 2017

      The benefits of stillness are vast indeed. I start my days in prayer and scripture. So grateful for the mornings when I find the peace of God in those quiet moments.

      Reply
  • Kalyn
    August 1, 2017

    What an insightful post! I grew up in a mostly quiet environment and crave the music and noise now! But there is definitely something to be said for appreciating the silence — you can think through more that way!

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Kalyn
      August 2, 2017

      I find that I am addicted to the noise. It is a habit I am trying to break.

      Reply
  • Cassidy
    August 1, 2017

    I really liked this post. Taking time to be silent before the Lord is such a hard thing to do sometimes. Thank you for this sweet post of encouragement.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Cassidy
      August 2, 2017

      It is a habit we must work hard to cultivate. Thank you for reading.

      Reply
  • Anastasia Nicole
    August 2, 2017

    Love that verse from Psalms. We all need to take some time to be still and enjoy the silence in such a busy world.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Anastasia Nicole
      August 2, 2017

      It is such a beautiful truth. I hope we can all find ways to center ourselves around the Prince of Peace.

      Reply
  • Tara
    August 4, 2017

    This is beautiful, the perfect reminder to put our hectic schedules aside and seek out the quiet.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      Tara
      August 17, 2017

      Thank you, Tara.

      Reply
  • LauraOinAK
    August 7, 2017

    I struggle with being in complete silence at times. My husband is happy to do a long car trip with the radio turned off. I need the noise at times.

    Reply
    • Bailey
      LauraOinAK
      August 17, 2017

      I do too. I certainly think there is a time and a season for everything. I just know that I tend to be excessive in seeking noise and neglect the beauty of silence.

      Reply
  • 5 Ways to Practice Sabbath Rest - The Thin Place
    October 15, 2017

    […] We shouldn’t be spending our day of rest of the whim of another. The Sabbath should be spend not fretting around like Martha but simply sitting at the feet of the Lord like Mary. Seek stillness. […]

    Reply
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Hello, I’m Bailey
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Hello, I’m Bailey

The Thin Place was born out of a season of struggle. A season where I felt stretched thin and desperately longed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. The goodness of God showed up in unexpected ways. During that season, the spiritual disciplines laid out in Scripture, the traditions of the Church, and the reminders of His faithfulness seen in liturgial living and the feasts and seasons of the Church calendar all opened my eyes to the hope we have in Christ.

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Chances are, the Books of Maccabees are probably the deuterocanonical books you are most familiar with!  It is in these books that we find the origins of Hanukkah.
To be honest, they are a rough read. A really rough read. They detail the suffering the people of God endured while their enemies attempted to control their land and wipe out their religion. 
It is a set of books filled with great suffering as many of the faithful are killed but it is also a book of great bravery and trust in the Lord in the midst of trials.
In Maccabees, two of the theological principles used today are clearly seen. The first, that God created the world out of nothing. 2 Maccabees 7:28 details how God did not make the world out of things already created, but out of nothing. 
The second principle is that of praying for the dead. While there are references throughout Scripture and it is a clear practice of the Early Church, it is most clearly referenced in 2 Maccabees 12. 
#christianwoman #graceupongrace #jesusgirl #inspiredfaith #womenlivingwell #jesuscalling #faithfilledcaptions #catholicblogger #Catholicconvert #CatholicWoman #chasingsacred #christianwomenleaders #bibleverse #biblestudy  #christianblogger #faithinhim #proverbs31woman #faithful #Godisgood #encouragementgallery #godslove #christianposts #christianquote #prayer #prayertime
thethinplace
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Chances are, the Books of Maccabees are probably the deuterocanonical books you are most familiar with! It is in these books that we find the origins of Hanukkah. To be honest, they are a rough read. A really rough read. They detail the suffering the people of God endured while their enemies attempted to control their land and wipe out their religion. It is a set of books filled with great suffering as many of the faithful are killed but it is also a book of great bravery and trust in the Lord in the midst of trials. In Maccabees, two of the theological principles used today are clearly seen. The first, that God created the world out of nothing. 2 Maccabees 7:28 details how God did not make the world out of things already created, but out of nothing. The second principle is that of praying for the dead. While there are references throughout Scripture and it is a clear practice of the Early Church, it is most clearly referenced in 2 Maccabees 12. #christianwoman #graceupongrace #jesusgirl #inspiredfaith #womenlivingwell #jesuscalling #faithfilledcaptions #catholicblogger #Catholicconvert #CatholicWoman #chasingsacred #christianwomenleaders #bibleverse #biblestudy #christianblogger #faithinhim #proverbs31woman #faithful #Godisgood #encouragementgallery #godslove #christianposts #christianquote #prayer #prayertime
1 day ago
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Judith is another archetypal story of the battle being won at the hand of a woman, seen also in Judges and Esther. 
During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, an army is sent to destroy the mountain town that Judith lives in. The people are greatly distressed and death seems to be the only option. Judith, a wealthy widow, trusts in the Lord and ultimately, kills the opposing military leader and brings peace to the people.
It is a story of God’s provision for His people in their exile through an unlikely source, a widow. In Judith, we see an archetype pointing to Mary and to the Church, waiting for her true Bridegroom. 
But it is also a story that points to the Lord’s desire to draw all nations to Himself! One of my favorite parts of the book of Judith is that it tells us of the conversion of a man who initially sets out to fight the Jewish people coming to believe in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. 
“And when Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed firmly in God, and was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel.” - Judith 14:10
It beautiful reminder that God’s deliverance is for all mankind. 
#proverbs31woman #proverbs31 #womenintheword  #virtuouswoman #godlywoman #godsgirl #christianliving #butgod #blessedandhighlyfavored #trustgod #daughteroftheking #walkbyfaith #daughterofaking #beautyfromashes #graceupongrace #dailydevotional #faithjourney #jesuslover #faithblogger #godisgood #graceoverperfection #michiganblogger #wordbeforworld #encouragingquotes #christianlife #christianencouragement
thethinplace
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Judith is another archetypal story of the battle being won at the hand of a woman, seen also in Judges and Esther. During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, an army is sent to destroy the mountain town that Judith lives in. The people are greatly distressed and death seems to be the only option. Judith, a wealthy widow, trusts in the Lord and ultimately, kills the opposing military leader and brings peace to the people. It is a story of God’s provision for His people in their exile through an unlikely source, a widow. In Judith, we see an archetype pointing to Mary and to the Church, waiting for her true Bridegroom. But it is also a story that points to the Lord’s desire to draw all nations to Himself! One of my favorite parts of the book of Judith is that it tells us of the conversion of a man who initially sets out to fight the Jewish people coming to believe in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. “And when Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed firmly in God, and was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel.” - Judith 14:10 It beautiful reminder that God’s deliverance is for all mankind. #proverbs31woman #proverbs31 #womenintheword #virtuouswoman #godlywoman #godsgirl #christianliving #butgod #blessedandhighlyfavored #trustgod #daughteroftheking #walkbyfaith #daughterofaking #beautyfromashes #graceupongrace #dailydevotional #faithjourney #jesuslover #faithblogger #godisgood #graceoverperfection #michiganblogger #wordbeforworld #encouragingquotes #christianlife #christianencouragement
2 days ago
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If there was any Old Testament book I would love to see made into a movie - it would be Tobit! It has everything! Despair! True love! Home remedies! Battles against demons! A quest to find the family treasure! It is truly a dramatic book. Like the book of Esther, it demonstrates God care for His people during their exile. 
Tobit is a narrative book. Like Job, it begins with a man who served the Lord but was met with misfortune so great that he begs the Lord to let Him die. At the same time, a young widow across the country is making the same request. God answers both of their prayers through the intervention of the angel Raphael who, in disguise as a man, helps Tobit’s son on a journey. It is a short, compelling story and, for that reason, it is a really great place to start if you want to read through the Deuterocanonical books.
There is also a beautiful contrast to Adam and Eve seen in the love story of Tobias and Sarah. Where one couple listened to devil and succumbed to temptation, we see the other stand firm in reliance on the Lord. This points us to the future coming of Christ and His defense of His bride, the Church.
#christianwoman #graceupongrace #jesusgirl #inspiredfaith #womenlivingwell #jesuscalling #faithfilledcaptions #catholicblogger #Catholicconvert #CatholicWoman #chasingsacred #christianwomenleaders #bibleverse #biblestudy  #christianblogger #faithinhim #proverbs31woman #faithful #Godisgood #encouragementgallery #godslove #christianposts #christianquote #prayer #prayertime #miblogger #michiganblogger
thethinplace
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If there was any Old Testament book I would love to see made into a movie - it would be Tobit! It has everything! Despair! True love! Home remedies! Battles against demons! A quest to find the family treasure! It is truly a dramatic book. Like the book of Esther, it demonstrates God care for His people during their exile. Tobit is a narrative book. Like Job, it begins with a man who served the Lord but was met with misfortune so great that he begs the Lord to let Him die. At the same time, a young widow across the country is making the same request. God answers both of their prayers through the intervention of the angel Raphael who, in disguise as a man, helps Tobit’s son on a journey. It is a short, compelling story and, for that reason, it is a really great place to start if you want to read through the Deuterocanonical books. There is also a beautiful contrast to Adam and Eve seen in the love story of Tobias and Sarah. Where one couple listened to devil and succumbed to temptation, we see the other stand firm in reliance on the Lord. This points us to the future coming of Christ and His defense of His bride, the Church. #christianwoman #graceupongrace #jesusgirl #inspiredfaith #womenlivingwell #jesuscalling #faithfilledcaptions #catholicblogger #Catholicconvert #CatholicWoman #chasingsacred #christianwomenleaders #bibleverse #biblestudy #christianblogger #faithinhim #proverbs31woman #faithful #Godisgood #encouragementgallery #godslove #christianposts #christianquote #prayer #prayertime #miblogger #michiganblogger
3 days ago
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3/5
The Book of Wisdom full of poetic principles and outlines how to live life well. Written around the time of the Maccabean revolt, it is written in the style of Solomon (and is sometimes referred to as “The Wisdom of Solomon”) but was written by later authors.
While this book was not accepted in the Jewish cannon, it is in every copy of the Greek Septuagint but it was quote by St Augustine over 800 times and, most importantly, was declared Scripture at the Councils of Hippo and Carthage. 
It focuses on Wisdom guiding the lives of the faithful, the follies of the wicked, and focuses heavily on our future home with God and the life to come. 
For those of you familiar with the Nicene Creed, the Book of Wisdom is one of the sources of inspiration of our description of Jesus Christ. The reference to Christ being “Light from Light” is taken from Wisdom 7:26 which refers to Wisdom as being a “reflection of eternal light.” 
There are also several passages in Wisdom which foretell the death of Christ. One of my favorite passages is Wisdom 14:7, “Blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes,” which reminds me how truly blessed is the cross which held the Savior of the world, our perfect Sacrifice. 
Wisdom is very similar to the book of Proverbs in length and style. It points constantly to the Lord who, as James tells us, is ready to give wisdom to those who ask. 
#bibletime #biblereading #readyourbible #proverbs31woman #proverbs31 #womenintheword #savedbygrace #virtuouswoman #godlywoman #godsgirl #christianliving #butgod #givemejesus #trustgod #daughteroftheking #walkbyfaith #beautyfromashes #graceupongrace #dailydevotional #faithjourney #jesuslover #faithblogger #godisgood #graceoverperfection #michiganblogger #biblescripture #catholicbible
thethinplace
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The Book of Wisdom full of poetic principles and outlines how to live life well. Written around the time of the Maccabean revolt, it is written in the style of Solomon (and is sometimes referred to as “The Wisdom of Solomon”) but was written by later authors. While this book was not accepted in the Jewish cannon, it is in every copy of the Greek Septuagint but it was quote by St Augustine over 800 times and, most importantly, was declared Scripture at the Councils of Hippo and Carthage. It focuses on Wisdom guiding the lives of the faithful, the follies of the wicked, and focuses heavily on our future home with God and the life to come. For those of you familiar with the Nicene Creed, the Book of Wisdom is one of the sources of inspiration of our description of Jesus Christ. The reference to Christ being “Light from Light” is taken from Wisdom 7:26 which refers to Wisdom as being a “reflection of eternal light.” There are also several passages in Wisdom which foretell the death of Christ. One of my favorite passages is Wisdom 14:7, “Blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes,” which reminds me how truly blessed is the cross which held the Savior of the world, our perfect Sacrifice. Wisdom is very similar to the book of Proverbs in length and style. It points constantly to the Lord who, as James tells us, is ready to give wisdom to those who ask. #bibletime #biblereading #readyourbible #proverbs31woman #proverbs31 #womenintheword #savedbygrace #virtuouswoman #godlywoman #godsgirl #christianliving #butgod #givemejesus #trustgod #daughteroftheking #walkbyfaith #beautyfromashes #graceupongrace #dailydevotional #faithjourney #jesuslover #faithblogger #godisgood #graceoverperfection #michiganblogger #biblescripture #catholicbible
4 days ago
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4/5
Until I read the entire Bible last year for the Bible in Lent challenge, I had never read most of the Deuterocanonical / Apocryphal books of the Bible. When I did this, I realized that, aside from a vague notion of Maccabees from Hanukkah books, I had absolutely no idea what the rest of the books contained.
For the next few days, we're going to do a little overview of each of these books in the Bible.
But first, why aren't these books in the Protestant Bible?
Like most of the divides in the Catholic and Protestant conversation, there is a lot of nuances. Luther’s own translation of the Bible included these books although he moved them to a separate section. They were also included in the King James Bible of 1611 and the Geneva Bible even though they were viewed as apocryphal or “outside of Scripture.” It was not standard even in Protestantism to exclude these books from the Bible printing until 1825. 
Essentially, there is a lot of historical evidence that the church throughout history considered these books a part of the Bible. But earlier in the Church, we see evidence of Church leaders such as St. Polycarp, St. Clement of Rome, Origen, St. Athanasius, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine,  affirming some or all of these books as Scripture.
It's clear that historically, believers have seen these books as beneficial so I hope you'll join me in looking at them this week!
#godsword #jesusislife #dailydevotion #shedelights #graceupongrace #godisfaithful #lordjesus #blessedisshe #biblestudy #trustinhim #catholicism #bible #jesuslove #christianposts #readyourbible #bibledaily #intheword #wordbeforeworld #bibleversedaily #gracemakers #christianwomenleaders #bibletruth #jesusisthereasonfortheseason #godlovesyou #prayerchangesthings #dailybibleverse #seekhim
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Until I read the entire Bible last year for the Bible in Lent challenge, I had never read most of the Deuterocanonical / Apocryphal books of the Bible. When I did this, I realized that, aside from a vague notion of Maccabees from Hanukkah books, I had absolutely no idea what the rest of the books contained. For the next few days, we're going to do a little overview of each of these books in the Bible. But first, why aren't these books in the Protestant Bible? Like most of the divides in the Catholic and Protestant conversation, there is a lot of nuances. Luther’s own translation of the Bible included these books although he moved them to a separate section. They were also included in the King James Bible of 1611 and the Geneva Bible even though they were viewed as apocryphal or “outside of Scripture.” It was not standard even in Protestantism to exclude these books from the Bible printing until 1825. Essentially, there is a lot of historical evidence that the church throughout history considered these books a part of the Bible. But earlier in the Church, we see evidence of Church leaders such as St. Polycarp, St. Clement of Rome, Origen, St. Athanasius, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine, affirming some or all of these books as Scripture. It's clear that historically, believers have seen these books as beneficial so I hope you'll join me in looking at them this week! #godsword #jesusislife #dailydevotion #shedelights #graceupongrace #godisfaithful #lordjesus #blessedisshe #biblestudy #trustinhim #catholicism #bible #jesuslove #christianposts #readyourbible #bibledaily #intheword #wordbeforeworld #bibleversedaily #gracemakers #christianwomenleaders #bibletruth #jesusisthereasonfortheseason #godlovesyou #prayerchangesthings #dailybibleverse #seekhim
5 days ago
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5/5
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