Weekly Magazine | Soul at Rest

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Dear Friends,

Let’s be honest—rest is hard! Even when we try to slow down, the world doesn’t stop spinning. There’s always something pulling at our attention. A chore to finish. A message to answer. A thought we can’t quite shake.

But what if rest isn’t just about pausing our schedules? What if it’s about restoring our souls?

This week, we’re talking about Sabbath—not as a rule to follow, but as a rhythm of grace. A sacred invitation to stop striving and start breathing again. God created rest for a purpose—and that purpose includes you.

Whether you’re feeling stretched thin, running on fumes, or just longing to reconnect with God in a deeper way, we hope this issue feels like a deep breath. You don’t have to earn it. You’re invited to receive it.

So go ahead. Exhale. Let your soul settle in. Let’s rediscover the gift of sacred rest.

Encouraging You in God’s Truth,

The Gift of Sacred Rest | Elizabeth Troyer
What if rest isn’t just a break from doing—but a divine invitation to simply be with God? This will help you rethink Sabbath as a gift, not a guilt trip.

Making Room for Rest | Stephen Smith
Tired from your vacation? Maybe what your soul really needs is to stop, slow down, and arrive. Discover five powerful stages of rest—and how to reclaim them.

When Rest Becomes Renewal | Elizabeth Murphy
What started as a small Sabbath shift—no shopping, no scrolling—became a turning point. Be inspired to create your own rhythm of restoration.

🩷 For Your Heart
📖 Bible Verse of the Week
🙏 Prayer of the Week

A Jesus Shaped Life

The Gift of Sacred Rest

Embracing the Sabbath as God’s Invitation to be Still.

By: Elizabeth Troyer

I’ll be honest—resting doesn’t come naturally to me. Even on the days when I plan to slow down, I struggle to turn off my mind. I’ll sit down on the couch with my Bible and a cup of tea, and within minutes, my mind is already wandering. Did I switch the laundry? I need to reply to that email. What’s for dinner?

Sound familiar?

As women, we juggle so many responsibilities—caring for our families, excelling in our jobs, serving in ministry, keeping our homes running—that rest often feels like a luxury rather than a necessity. But what if I told you that God designed rest for you? Not as a burden or another item on your to-do list, but as a gift.

We often forget that the very first example of rest in Scripture comes from God Himself. In Genesis, after creating the entire world, He did something remarkable: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Gen. 2:2-3).

Think about that for a second. The Creator of the universe—who never grows weary—chose to rest. And not only did He rest, but He also blessed that rest and called it holy.

So why do we struggle so much with something God clearly values?