Quiet Time

It's late evening on Christmas night and I am enjoying a little quiet time. We've had a nice, but quiet Christmas Day. Our big gift to ourselves this year is an upcoming trip to Las Vegas as a family. Today we exchanged some gifts, had dinner with the Tice family, and pretty much took it easy. I managed an afternoon walk but didn't really do anything noteworthy on this Christmas Day.

I thought I'd go ahead and get a jump on my Thursday post. I really am thankful for the quiet moments in a day. I'm using this time for writing. Sometimes it is time for thinking; sometimes for reading; sometimes for praying. Sometimes it is for doing nothing other than resting this tired old brain of mine. I like the time when there is nobody to talk to me; nobody to interact with. Most people don't really see me as an introvert, but I think that I possess definite introvert characteristics.

I hope to make better use of my quiet time in 2014. I hope to take the time to recognize the good work that others are doing. A short while back, a woman paid me a very nice compliment along with a thanks for what you do conversation. It was quite the pick me up! I want to share that feeling with others. I do want to encourage good behaviors by recognizing and acknowledging them when I see them. I also want to reward random people with random acts. Several times in the past month I've paid for coffee for the car behind me in the Starbucks drive-thru. It's not a big deal; never more than a few bucks. It's just something generous.

I know that generosity might go farther some place other than a Starbucks drive thru, but it is what it is and you can choose to give your blessings where ever you choose. These are some of the things I think about during my quiet times.

I hope that you make quiet times for yourself, too. I often use the half hour+ commute as a quiet time. Most of the time the radio is off and it's...quiet! It's not the ideal time, but it is something.

I really do relish my time alone. It seems like such a rare thing in our otherwise very busy lives.

Sometime today...Be quiet!
You'll thank me for the small moment of peace.

John <><