My Sabbatical Day

For those of you who don't know, I work at a church and in 2011 they're instituted a new "Sabbatical Day" for everyone on staff. Once a month we get to take a normal work day and go wherever we want to just be with God, read Scripture and pray. My first Sabbatical Day was last Wednesday and it was much needed and appreciated. I had an amazing day and was super refreshed that night. I won't go into the details of my whole day, but it started off with Starbucks {of course} and reading through Proverbs at the Library. The quiet was so nice and I was able to focus and underline a TON of passages that spoke to me...here are a few in the New Living Translation (okay, maybe more than a few - hopefully they will bless you today):

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge. (1:7)
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. (3:3)
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. (3:9)
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. (3:27)
Avoid all perverse talk. (4:24)
The man who commits adultery is an utter fool. (6:32)
The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain. (10:11)
Love makes up for all offenses. (10:12)
The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin. (10:16)
Trust in your money and down you go! (11:28)
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (12:25)
The life of the godly is full of light and joy. (13:9)
Wealth from hard work grows over time. (13:11)
A wise woman builds her home. (14:1)
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. (14:30)
A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. (15:17)
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. (16:3)
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. (16:31)
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven. (17:9)
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. (17:22)
A real friend sticks closer than a brother. (18:24)
The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them. (20:7)
Plans succeed through good counsel. (20:18)
The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? (20:24)
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. (21:13)
Choose a good reputation over great riches. (22:1)
Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. (22:9)
Wisdom is sweet to your soul. (24:14)
Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. (24:17)
Never abandon a friend. (27:10)
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (27:17)
The blameless will be rescued from harm. (28:18)
Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. (29:11)
To discipline a child produces wisdom. (29:15)
Speak up for the poor and helpless. (31:9)

After reading Proverbs I came home and wrote some cards to a few loved ones because of Proverbs 12:25. I am blessed with SO MANY loving, good, encouraging people and I wanted to take a handful of these great women in my life and pay the encouragement back. I read some more Scripture from the New Testament, did some sewing because I feel like it's a gift that God has given me, prayed and even took a catnap. It was a great time of just me and God. Do you ever get to take time to just BE with God?