Today, the theme for the photo is solitude. Solitude is something that many of us don't get much of anymore, but it is something that we need to strive for. It is important for everyone to have their alone time, to really gather their thoughts and focus on themselves.
Being in solitude is such a healthy thing. Many people don't like to be along, but it is completely necessary. The time allows you to focus on what is going right and wrong in your life. It is a time you can use for introspection and reevaluation of what is happening in your world. By sitting in solitude for just a few quiet minutes you can regain your composure and focus on what you are trying to attain. So many of us are going at a mile a minute and don't take the time to stop and think. This is one of the fastest ways to lose touch with God and sabatoge our connection with the faith. God has a hand in everything that we do, but we need to make sure that we realize that. If you take the time at some point in the day to stop and look back on everythingthing that God has done, we will be much better off. Those few moments of solitude force us to relax, take a breath, and really focus on appreciating what we are doing instead of just going through the motions.
You don't always need to be in solitude! Some of the best times of growth are with a group of people who share your faith. It might not seem like solitude necessarily, but when you are worshiping with a group, that can inspire you to take that faith even deeper.
Find your place of solitude, whether it be in a group or in the car right before you leave work. Take the time to thank God for what he has done and refocus on what it is you are trying to accomplish.
The photo today is a picture of a lotus flower. I came accross a little pond and was actually focusing on a turtle that caught my eye. As soon as I walked up to the pond the turtle darted into the water. I waited for a few minutes to see if the turtle would return, but then I noticed this flower. It was the only one in the entire pond of lily pads. Solitude can be a beautiful and give us the time to grow and nourish ourselves. Just like the flower in the pond, we will grow and develop until we are the most beautiful version of ourselves that we can be.