I would lose track long before counting the number of times I have experienced the rush to work that Jill did.

Just to give you an example, when I worked outside the home, I often ate my toast in the car. While trying to apply makeup.

But if our primary faith responsibility is to nurture a deep, loving, strong and tender connection with God - and I believe it is - how can we do that if we rush past him the way Jill did?

When I first became a Christian, I remember being told to spend a lot of time reading the Bible. In fact, I  was advised to read the Bible from cover to cover, and to call my friend if I had any questions.

No one told me what to do with God. Or how to build a relationship with him.

I remember a pastor telling me once that he knew how to preach a really good sermon, and would get an A+ if he were ever graded, but he wouldn't ever want to be tested on the quality of his relationship with God.

But surely, that is the only thing that matters? I think we've got it backwards if we spend time memorizing things about God, but don't spend quality time with him.

So how do we remedy that, so that we can nurture a deeper connection with him? Keep reading...

As women of faith, our goal is to walk with Jesus, learning from him, growing ever closer to him, and being guided by him to create the lives he made us to create. And our quiet times will serve us best if they deepen our connection to him, so that we grow in our ability to hear his voice and be guided by him, so that we deepen our awareness of his presence, and that connection in all of the moments of our lives, and so that we shift into becoming who he made us to be.

But if our quiet times are more with him than about him, and are often rushed or incomplete, none of that can happen. We need more of God's presence and more of our relationship with him, and I believe that a contemplative, slow faith quiet time can mold and shape our quiet time experience in just those ways.

Slow faith is faith that is nurtured over time, and focused more on Mary's tendency to sit near Jesus and soak up his wisdom, than on Martha's tendency to run around the house getting things done for him.

Since Jesus was talking, Mary was listening. And spending time in his presence. Building a deep and close friendship with him.

At the center of a slow faith quiet time is time in God's company.

It's a contemplative experience, getting to know God, and dwelling in his presence. Listening for his guidance and wisdom, and soaking up his presence and love for us.

This way, the trust we build in him grows gradually from the experience of walking closely with him. It's an emotional connection and a relationship that deepens and grows over time.

You trust those who love you not to hurt you, to be on your team, to care about what's important to you, and to help when you need it. And you come to know you can count on them over time, because of your experiences with them.

The same is true in our relationship with God, but since plants don't grow if they aren't nurtured, we have to nurture our faith connection with God.

The slow faith, contemplative quiet time will do that. Here's how to start one, for yourself...

(1) Give yourself an hour (at least, this first time) to hang out with God. Find a quiet place where you know you won't be disturbed.

(2) Do some slow, deep breathing so that you can relax and let go of any stress or tension you may have experienced.

(3) If there are things you already do that will help you relax more deeply, like meditation or yoga poses, do those, too.

(4) If you aren't already becoming aware of God's presence as you sit quietly, pray for that awareness. Pray to feel his love, too. And then just spend some time marinating in his presence and his love.

(5) After that time of just hanging out with God, share your thoughts, ask for guidance, and if there's a specific situation you are concerned about, talk it over. Pour out your heart about it, ask to see it from his perspective, and listen for his thoughts.

(6) One contemplative exercise you can try is to imagine that you and God are watching a scene that tells the story of that problem.

You both gaze at it with love, and you see if your perspective shifts, if the bringing of love and of the moment of connection with God as you think about changes the way you see it or feel about it. If not, you just send it love, and imagine that God's love envelops and transforms it.

(7) Grab your journal and write down your own thoughts, and any insight or guidance you received from God. If he brought a Bible verse or a hymn or praise song to mind, write them down, too, and any thought you have about what they mean to you.

This can be a natural time for reading your Bible, too, or journaling within your Bible.

When you feel complete with this quiet time, bring it to a close, but ask to be aware of God's presence or your connection with him throughout the day or night.

This quiet time can become whatever suits you best, personalized and created both by you and by God.

You can make yourself a cup of tea and sip as you hang out. You can light a candle and stare at its flame to help you relax and focus on God.

You can use affirmations like God is always with me, or anything else that helps you get centered. You can begin your quiet time with praise and worship, and connect that way.

There are so many ways you can use contemplative practices, Christian meditation, praise and worship, prayer or journaling to create a deeper connection with God. Over time, you'll naturally choose the ones that work best for you.

What were you told in the beginning of your faith about getting to know God and creating a quiet time? Was there enough emphasis on building your relationship with him?

Looking back on your quiet time experiences, do you feel that they ever miss the kind of connection you want to have with God?

When in your life have you felt closest to God or most aware of God's presence? What was happening in your life at the time? What was happening in those moments?

Are there experiences you have in church - praise and worship or moments of prayer - that you can create in your quiet time experience? How might you do that?

Are there passages in the Bible that kindle your longing for God or remind you of your closeness to him?

What would you like to try first, in your next quiet time?

Any thing you have read here is just a suggestion you can use or adapt or ignore if it's not quite right for you. What I encourage you to keep is an intention to spend more time just being with God during your quiet time.

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine

If, like me, you sometimes stare into your closet trying to decide what to wear, this slow living capsule wardrobe challenge may help. And it's just in time to plan for the transition to fall. Read on to learn more...

This slow living challenge begins with three, amazingly simple steps, and they will take you five minutes or less to complete...

(1) Divide your closet into two sections - the clothes you wear all the time or most of the time, and the rest of them. The part of your closet that has the clothes you actually wear has your new capsule wardrobe inside of it. Here's how to find it...

(2) Take out all of the clothes you love, your favorites, and group them together in a third closet collection. This is your new capsule wardrobe.

(3) And now, here's the challenge - for the next 7 days, choose outfits only from this section of the closet. Push the other ones way to the side, or box them up temporarily.

During the 7 days, notice how many different outfits you can create with what you currently have, and notice what's missing. For example, you're like to wish for one more top or one more pair of pants.

Decide what color they should be and what style, and you now have a detailed shopping list for a few things you can add once the week is over.

But you may find that getting dressed during the week was much easier than usual, and you may not want to add anything else for a while. That's the magic of simplicity and slow living.

But when you are ready to create some more outfits, and shop for a few more items to add to your capsule wardrobe, the team at Ultimate Bundles has got you covered.

There is a self-care mini bundle that is available to purchase once you buy the Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle. So if you need a wardrobe update and you love essential oils, it's likely to be a match made in heaven.

Let me know how it goes with the challenge, and what you decide to do after the week is over.

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine

Given what research suggests about how powerfully meditation benefits us, we might all do well to make it part of our morning routine.

But how do you find the time? And how do you create a morning practice when so much else in your life and your day is clamoring for your attention?

If you've never meditated before, start small and build gradually. Set aside 10 minutes and go somewhere quiet, so you won't be distracted.

Begin by just focusing on slowing down your breathing and letting go of tension. And let aromatherapy do the rest.

Sandalwood is an essential oil you can use to enhance your experience of meditation. Another you might try is jasmine.

Both will help you relax, and let go of any stress you need to leave behind before meditating.

I recommend inhaling them, either using a diffuser or a cotton ball, as a quick way to use your essential oil before meditating. You also could put a drop in your hand lotion and breathe them in on your hands.