Stolen Moments

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, 
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, 
where he prayed.
Mark 1:35


There are some gifts that touch your heart in the hidden, deep places. I received one of those this year for Christmas - time with my husband. We held hands over Asian cuisine. We jogged the lazy path of a scenic river. We soaked in stolen moments one touch, kiss and sentence at a time.


As these stolen moments reside in my heart, my mouth is less grumpy, my spirit less critical, my soul more grateful.


In these first few days of the new year, I haven't been thinking about a new health regimen. I don't long to reorganize my house. I want to stuff my heart full of stolen moments with God.


Yes I still want to read my Bible each day.
Yes I want to maintain a prayer list.
Yes I desire to continue to commit God's word to memory.


But what I most want is to capture stolen moments with Him - spontaneous words of prayer, gentle brushes of His presence in the ordinary of life and unexpected glimpses of His work.


In 2012 let's steal away with God together.

28 comments:

  1. Oh I love this, Shannon!! "I want to stuff my heart full of stolen moments with God." Love it!

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    1. Jenifer, Isn't amazing how the more we stuff our heart with God, the less we're weighed down?

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  2. "gentle brushes of His presence in the ordinary of life." Oh, that I will have heightened sensitivity to His beautiful presence in every moment. Thank you.

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  3. Nice post, so I long for stolen moments with our Lord Jesus Christ.

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  4. Good word! I think it is so easy to get into a routine and, somehow, still miss out on His Presence. I, too, am refocusing my gaze this year onto the One who delights my soul. With faith, I am believing for my times in the Word and Prayer to be deeper than they have ever been before.

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    1. Jamie, routine can absolutely be the death of the spontaneity of feeling God with us. I love how you're refocusing your gaze on Him!

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  5. Awesome thoughts, Shannon. I agree - I want to know God deeper and more intimately this year. I want to recognize the opportunties He gives me and seize them instead of hesitating. May God help us to be more sensitive to His Presence and His will, Amen!

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    1. Gwendolyn, to know Him more... that says it all!

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  6. So beautifully written... to deepen my relationship with God is exactly what I want as well this year and always.

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    1. Carol, so excited we will be on this journey together!

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  7. What a precious and refreshing post! I want to join you in stealing away with Him! Love it! :)

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    1. Monique, I hope you get to sneak away with Him today!

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  8. Morning Shannon ~ What a wonderful post. Capturing stolen moments with the Lord. What a great way to put it. What I have been feeling for a few weeks is to just get closer to Him this year. Thank you for sharing.

    Blessings...Chelle

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    1. Chelle, I am excited to hear how your life changes as you press your heart closer to His!

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  9. Shannon, so good that you were able to get some precious time with your husband. That's so important.

    I hear you about getting stolen moments with God. The past few weeks of trying to finish my book, my time with God became less and less frequent. I felt so guilty for not sitting in His presence reading my Bible or listening for Him. I knew I needed Him desperately during that time, but I felt so strongly that I needed to get that project behind me. And now that I've made it past the big hurdle, I feel somewhat anxious or afraid. If I had been in God's presence all along and put Him first like I know to do, maybe I wouldn't be feeling so unsettled emotionally now. So getting moments with God is a big priority for me right now. I need my spiritual cup filled and I need to feel fully present when I am with Him.

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    1. Rosann, praying that your time with God has been sweet and satisfying!

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  10. Beautiful post - it made me tear up because I have read so many New Year Resolutions posts and a very select few actually mentioned anything in regards to God, spiritual growth, etc. I'm so happy I found your blog via Tennessee Bloggers on Bloggy Moms! :)

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    1. Shelly, making friends with you this year is my first gift of the new year!

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  11. You expressed your desires so beautifully! I relish the moments when I feel His presence and witness His tender mercies!

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    1. Becky Jane, to witness His tender mercy is to truly know Him. I love that!

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  12. Oh man...that was beautiful. I love those moments with my husband sometimes. There's just never enough of them. And spontaneous prayer...I've been getting a lot better at that. Even folding the laundry while I pray the Rosary :)

    Sharon

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    1. Sharon, I love praying over my husband and kids while I do the laundry. Now our hearts can be joined across the miles. How cool!

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  13. It is true that the best time we spend is in quiet places with God and prayer. I hope the new year can bring you much closer to God than before. It is a never ending journey. Great post :)

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    1. Barbara, what a wonderful prayer for me. It is what I most want! Thank you!

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  14. Hi Shannon. Thanks for stopping by my blog. :) Love this! It is those stolen moments with Jesus that keep us going thru the daily insanity of life. I look forward to my precious moments daily and I love that you do too! Blessings, Nicki

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    1. Nicki, so thankful for your visit and love that our hearts beat for the same thing!

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