We here at HeartThoughts warmly welcome you to this retreat. Whether you visit regularly for brief times of refreshment or occasionally come for an extended period of reflection, our prayer is that this library will be to God’s glory.
Solitude
One room in our house is dedicated to being a place of escape and quiet. This is my library…my sanctuary…my favorite place to relax, read, rest, and renew my spirit. Shelves line the walls filled with books, journals, scrapbooks, and notebooks. Favorite quotes and photos sprinkle the walls. It is the most peaceful place in our home.
Our fast-paced efficiency-focused culture no longer understands the spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, and resting one’s soul before the Lord. Since the early centuries of our faith, Christians have practiced concentrated times of reflection and seeking God in a variety of settings. One purpose of this retreat center is to foster each lady’s personal time with God. We wish to publish and facilitate conversation on the importance of private journaling, seeking the Lord, and being still. This will take varied forms depending on if you spend time in the Library, reading journals, talking around the Tea Table, or writing for the bookshelves.
Enrichment
I wish everyone could have a library. Here I can be reminded that taking the time to study, ponder, and search out the truth, goodness, and beauty of our world is worth the effort and infinitely rewarding. Reading the classics, both spiritual and secular, is one of those things all of us would like to do “someday.” No matter our season in life, no matter the amount of time we have “free,” all of us can set aside a small portion of time right now for reading words that changed history, ennobled souls, and illumined minds.
With the Internet we have more resources available to us than ever before in history; instead of wasting any free time wandering through blogs or skimming the latest headlines, apportion a specific setting for dipping into the greatest literary works of all time. Shakespeare, Plato, Dickens, and more all await those who will spend awhile at HeartThoughts.
Guidelines
We ask that you kindly remember the following requests during your visits to the library. Hundreds of ladies come through here regularly–you can imagine that things could get messy very quickly if everyone does not take care.
- Courtesy and grace. This library is for ladies only; we expect our guests to behave as righteous women of God with courtesy and grace. As you enjoy the books and visit with each other remember the One who is watching. For more on our purposes, read this journal entry. See also my welcoming entry here.
- Comment policy. Any lady is welcome to visit and read. In order to converse with other ladies or leave notes in any area of the retreat we request that you introduce yourself (register for a username). We reserve the responsibility to moderate comments as needed for the safety and good of the community.
- Reading. The shelves hold a number of books on many subjects. While most are open for you to read, there are a handful which are only available for purchase. If you know of any online books you think I should include, drop me a note.
- Let me know you were here and how you enjoyed your stay. You can write a note on any page in my journals or there is plenty of room on our bulletin board or scrapbook for you to sign your name and leave a comment.
N.B. The Tea Table is a private part of HeartThoughts that is only accessible to paying members. The rest of HeartThoughts is free for any visitor to read and browse. All visitors will need to register with WordPress in order to comment and join discussions.
