This Sabbath morning, I set a 15-minute timer to enter Solitude — to simply sit with the Lord. I whispered, “Come, Holy Spirit.”

Rhythm. When you travel, it becomes so clear how important rhythm is to the life of the soul. Our habits, the quiet spaces we carve out, the familiar sights and sounds.

When was the last time you spent fifteen minutes in Solitude with the LORD? For me, that has been a steady part of my Sabbath rhythm.

This week, it took five days before I wrote my first journal entry. That’s unusual for me. When Sabbath morning finally arrived, I woke up later than usual.

This week I felt out of my normal rhythm on Sabbath. However, what I first labeled as resistance feels more like a stirring—a divine nudge rather than an obstacle.

This week’s Fasting rhythm was slightly altered—I moved my fast from Thursday to Friday to meet a friend for lunch. What seemed like a small shift turned out to be unexpectedly difficult.

This week felt like a sprint to Sabbath. It began with an urgent text at 7 p.m. on Sunday—one that unexpectedly reshaped much of my Monday morning. I was productive, yes, but also reminded of how often life calls us to release control.

Lately, I’ve noticed a subtle shift in my Sabbath rhythm. Most days, my devotions begin at the dining room table—Bible open, verse cards spread out, commentary nearby.

This Sabbath morning I began, as I often do, by reviewing my memory verse flashcards. Six of them, in particular, continue to challenge me.

This week began with busyness. By last Wednesday I finally felt “back” to full health, and the rush of renewed energy led me to power through the day—so much so that I even forgot to stop for lunch.

This week my resistance to Sabbath and Solitude didn’t come from busyness but from physical weakness—COVID. Lethargy, headaches, and congestion left me drained and unmotivated.

This week I’ve been pondering how to let Scripture reach more deeply into my soul. I wonder—what might happen if I set aside the chapter breaks, verse numbers, and headers, and simply read the text as a continuous story?

Two words: College Football. More specifically, University of Hawaiʻi football. I’ve been attending games since elementary school—my parents had season tickets, my mom worked at UH, and some of my fondest memories are sitting in the stands with them and my Uncle Dwight.

It occurs to me how easy it is to blur the lines between vacation and Solitude. We might assume that simply going away will give us rest, but that’s not always true.

This week, as I reflect on resistance to my spiritual disciplines (Sabbath,Solitude, Prayer, Fasting, Community), I keep returning to the vital importance of posture—our physical stance—and orientation—the direction of our hearts and minds.

This past week was full—typical, in many ways. Just a quick note: these reflections now cover the seven days leading up to Tuesday (so if you're reading this on Wednesday, it's fresh off yesterday’s Sabbath).

This week was full—so much activity packed into each day—that I’m realizing how important it is to become more intentional about journaling regularly.

The past two Sabbaths began with immediate immersion—words flowed, thoughts were clear, and I began journaling right away. There was no resistance to entering into Solitude and Sabbath.

While helpful, this structure is never meant to box God in. When God speaks—whether through Sabbath, Solitude, Prayer, or Fasting..

During my Sabbath, I usually move through a familiar rhythm: I journal my way from Resistance to Delight to Nearness. But this week, something different happened.

When you think about Sabbath as a cosmic rhythm—six days of work and activity, followed by one day of rest—it raises an interesting question..

This week was shorter than usual as we prepared for our trip to Seattle to celebrate our niece’s graduation. The anxiety I felt likely stemmed from a desire to tie up all the loose ends before we left.

I find myself distracted by the digital portal that sits on my nightstand. It’s the last thing I touch before going to sleep and the first thing I instinctively reach for when the alarm sounds.

This was one of those weeks where I felt like I could’ve slept in a little longer. I’m not exactly in “retirement mode”—you know, early to bed, early to rise—but I’m definitely not in “college mode”

There was a lot going on this week. On my Sabbath, I faced what I considered an “ox in the well” situation (Luke 14:5)—a moment when it felt necessary to make an exception...

Again. If the eremos—the quiet, solitary place—is where I need to go to do spiritual battle, then just getting there is half the battle. But how do I get there, Lord?

This week, I caught myself doing something I didn’t intend. On my Sabbath morning, the first thing I did was pick up my phone—not just to turn off the alarm, but to scroll through News alerts.

Ever have one of those moments where you wonder if you could be taking better care of yourself—physically? I looked at a photo of myself recently and thought, “Wow… I got old,” (ha!).

Easter Sunday’s devotional and Story Teller centered on what it means to Surrender Fully. Then, on the Monday after Easter.

I wanted to jump directly into the Word this Sabbath, "green lettering "the Gospel of Mark. And as fast as I opened my Bible