Friday, June 17, 2011

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Solitude

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: solitude

What does the word solitude mean to you?

Are you a person who seeks solitude or avoids it? Why?

If you enjoy solitude, where is the best place you've found it?


Let me know what you think!!


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

11 comments:

  1. Oh I seek solitude, my husband seeks people...the more the merrier. I have to have times of solitude to digest and regroup. Solitude gives me the time to hear, to heal, to recharge, to allow God's love to flow over me. Maybe when we have an empty nest, well by then I will be a very old lady, solitude will come daily...for now I get up early and get still.

    I see Jesus would get away from the crowds to be with His Father....what an example for us all to do the same.

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  2. Hi Sharon! :: Kerrie waves ::

    Ahh solitude, I like to be alone, but not lead a lonely life. Being alone for me is precious. I can have one-on-one time with the Lord, without interruptions. I can gather all my thoughts and make (hopefully) the right life choices. Thank you for this weeks fan the flame. God bless.

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  3. I love solitude. To me it means quality time with my heavenly Father. It means no interruptions when I am in the middle of a conversation with God, or just being alone with a book, or alone with my thoughts... even being alone to write a blog post and the thoughts form and flow freely.

    Thank you for choosing this word for your Fan the Flame Friday post, Sharon!

    Blessings on your weekend.

    Love
    Lidj

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  4. It probably surprises most people because I'm such a relational person, but I actually seek solitude. My husband, on the other hand, has worked in solitude for so many years that he comes home seeking fellowship. It's been a balance difficult to keep for most of our marriage, especially when I'm teaching.

    I REALLY crave solitude when I'm teaching. I feel so drained.

    Right now, I can't seem to find solitude even when I'm home alone. That crazy woman follows me wherever I go.

    And I'm only kinda kidding.

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  5. It means a time I can think - alone - with no pressures - and a good few hours to do it in!

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  6. I personally love solitude. It allows me to draw closer to God. I am reminded of the verse in Psalms, "Be still and know that I am God."

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  7. HI Sharon,

    Solitude, what a beautiful word. Although I don't like too much of my own company. I do like a time of complete quietness daily, without music, t.v. anything other, than the beauty of nature and god's creation and his presence with me. Time to think and let God speak to me. I don't always get it, perhaps that makes it all the more valuable when I do. Sitting in a park, quietly, watching ducks etc on a lake, also, speaks to me, of peace and solitude.

    God Bless, have an awesome weekend. Nita

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  8. another good word, Sharon. I LOVE solitude. I enjoy quiet and alone, which is my definition of solitude. Like someone else said, it is a good time to be still and know God; to be alone with him. A quiet house is my best place of solitude :)

    enjoy the weekend

    betty

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  9. Ah, the fresh breath of friendship!

    I so enjoyed your comments on this word "solitude" - as always, you bring personal shades of meaning and insight. Thank you for that!

    I tend to be a people person, though I am more inclined to one-on-one contact than large groups of people. I seem to get recharged with the stimulation of sharing thoughts and feelings and ideas.

    And yet, solitude is a necessary escape for me. I don't get much of it, seems I'm with people most of the time - my husband, my friends, my sons. But there just comes a time when I need to be alone.

    I think for me, that time comes when I'm reading or when I'm writing. It's a chance to speak to God and to hear His voice. And of course, when I am camping, that's my best time of solitude. I like looking at God's creation and appreciating the qualities of God that it reflects. And for me, there is nothing quite like looking at the stars at night around a campfire.

    Solitude is not loneliness - it is peace.

    Thanks for joining "Fan the Flame" this week - I always look forward to your input - you guys are the best!

    GOD BLESS!

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  10. Blessings Sharon... In the past, I was not one for solitude, contrary to my nature. Now it is the way of my life for the most part and I grow more and more content when I reflect on the benefits or when my solitude is rudely disturbed... or even kindly sometimes. There truly is no better sense of peace. I probably use to connotate loneliness with solitude... or punishment, being set apart or alone as in solitary confinement... As I paused on this word,I immediately thought of this:

    "One Solitary Life"

    He was born in an obscure village,
    The child of a peasant woman.
    He grew up in still another village,
    Where he worked in a carpenter shop
    Until he was thirty.

    Then for three years
    He was an itinerant preacher.
    He never wrote a book.
    He never held an office.
    He never had a family or owned a house.
    He didn't go to college.
    He never visited a big city.
    He never traveled two hundred miles
    From the place where he was born.
    He did none of the things
    One usually associates with greatness.
    He had no credentials but himself.

    He was only thirty-three
    When the tide of public opinion turned against him.
    His friends ran away.
    He was turned over to his enemies.
    And went through the mockery of a trial.

    He was nailed to a cross
    Between two thieves.
    While he was dying,
    His executioners gambled for his clothing,
    The only property he had on Earth.
    When he was dead,
    He was laid in a borrowed grave
    Through the pity of a friend.

    Twenty centuries have come and gone,
    And today he is the central figure
    Of the human race,
    And the leader of mankind's progress.

    All the armies that ever marched,
    All the navies that ever sailed,
    All the parliament that ever sat,
    All the kings that ever reigned,
    Put together have not affected
    The life of man on Earth
    As much as that

    One Solitary Life.
    UNKNOWN or ~~Dr James Allen Francis, © 1926~~

    The difference of being alone, set apart and being lonely. To some solitude is one and to others it is the sadness and loneliness.

    My favorite place would be gazing on the ocean.
    And yet back in MN, sitting outside under my pines gazing at the lake brought me to a place of JOY, refuge and peace in solitude, a wonder at God's nature. I imagine even the mountains would bring solitude but as for me right now, I choose to remain in between...

    God's peace and rest Sharon,
    Peggy

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  11. Peggy - Your comment would make the most inspiring post. Thank you for sharing. "One Solitary Life" - what a PERFECT thing to remember while contemplating the word *solitude*. I love that - the Lord understands solitude. He needed it, and He sought it out. And yes, I believe sometimes He also experienced the loneliness of being alone.

    But I believe maturity - both emotional and spiritual - occurs as we make peace with solitude. When we discipline ourselves to leave the busyness of life, and take time to be still.

    I love the ocean, and I love the desert, too. Both are places of soul solitude for me. But, I will always feel closest to God when I am in the mountains. For me, it's just *the place* where I am the most quiet...

    Blessings to you, Peggy - thank you so much for your beautiful sentiments.

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)