About a year ago I began asking the hubs for a slumber party with God. I asked for it for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and birthday.

What is a slumber party with God and what does that pillow fight look like? At least twenty-four hours completely alone with the express intent of seeking and hearing from the Lord – without the pillow fighting.

Chris made arrangements for me to stay one night (July 18) in a hotel in Columbia. I brought my journal, my Bible, my I-pod, and The Shack. Other than the hour I gave myself to go down to the Business Center to read blogs and the little bit of The Shack I read before I fell asleep, I prayed and sought Him in His Word – for hours. No TV. No newspaper. Only me and Him. I journaled what I heard and how I felt Him challenging me. He reminded me of the people in my life that I am to invest in, and I brainstormed ideas for how to pour into each one. And I walked away with this three-pronged statement:

This is kinda like the whole point of my life boiled down into three sentences. When I’m a stress basket about cleaning my house for your visit, I can be reminded that my cleanliness doesn’t add one iota to your godliness. When I’m about to come out of my skin with impatience with my children, I can revisit the fact that I am actually hindering their pursuit of Christ.

These statements are meant to serve as a point of reference for priorities and decision-making. I honestly need to refer to them more than I have because I definitely live in stress mode, on simmer – focusing on what’s least important most of the time.

Lest you get the notion that I am applauding myself for taking focused time with Him, you must remember that I am an introvert. There was no sacrifice for me; Chris did all of the sacrificing here. I love to be alone. I love to read. I love to write. Are you kidding me? It would have been much harder to stay at home actually.

But I do recommend it for innies and outies alike (see this post ). There just isn’t anything equal to extended time with Him. And it certainly doesn’t have to involve $ or a hotel. It can be at your parents’ house or at a friend’s house when they are out of town. It can be at your own house, but I would be way too distracted by other things that I needed to be doing. You can make it work, and the start of a new year is an opportune time for reflection and anticipation. Think I just talked myself into another one…

“Oh, honey, ….”