The leaves are beginning to change color, a sure sign that Autumn is upon us. I took some time yesterday to reflect.

I joined with some friends at the Bethesda Renewal Centre in Ashton, Ontario, to get caught up on each others’ lives. The same group of people has been meeting twice yearly (or more often as necessary) for more than 30 years.

Before we started the conversation though, I took some time to just sit under the tree with a challenging book. Every so often I would take a break, think about what I had been reading and just drink in my surroundings.

As I was doing that I started thinking about how we all need at times to disconnect from the world around us. If you are like me, you are always reachable by others, no matter the time or where you are. I check my phone for messages frequently during the day, though rarely is there anything that is urgent. It is a habit that has come with new technology.

Sitting with a book (remember those) with nothing that must be done, enjoying an hour or so of solitude and listening for the voice of God, reminded me just how rarely I take the time to slow down. I have to remember to do that more often.