If you have never encountered God  as Creator before, and don't know where to start, here are some suggestions and resources:

DEVELOP AN AWARENESS OF NATURE

Making use of all your senses...

• Start to notice details in the natural world: textures and patterns, or sounds and scents, such as emerging leaf-buds, cloud-formation, bird-song or way-side flowers.

• Keep a scrapbook, journal, thanksgiving diary, photo or video record of the passing seasons.

• Choose a special spot, bench, window or skylight, and record what you see, and how things change over a period.

• Become a sky or weather-watcher.

• Notice people—made in God's image: their gifts, personality, appearance, and uniqueness.

• Take a sensory walk once a week.

• Use your observations as a focus for thanksgiving and praise.

PLAN FOR SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS

Set aside time regularly to get out into the 'natural world': the countryside, coast, local park or garden.

Start by thanking God that His Presence is filling the place. (This is true whether you 'feel' it or not.) 

Develop an expectation that you will have an encounter with God our Creator.

Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
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Become  really still and start to use your senses. Give thanks for what you can hear, see etc.
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Turn your heart towards the Lord and ask Him to speak to you. Give praise for what you hear.

Listening to God’s voice takes practice—rather like tuning into a radio frequency—you will find thoughts and impressions start to form, but they may be a bit ‘fuzzy’ at first; stick with it, and they will become clearer. ​

UNABLE TO GET OUTSIDE?

CREATIONS' VOICE

Have an encounter with God through photographs of his handiwork. Click on the picture for 'Creation's Voice', 30 days' devotional material.

Go on a slow bus ride through one of my favourite valleys, courtesy of YouTube:

​And check out ‘Slow TV’ for other similar journeys.

​And the website below has great photographs and meditations:
http://visualverse.thecreationspeaks.com/

​Watch nature programmes on tv and the internet. Learn more about our wonderful world and use it all as a focus for praise.

Use an online concordance and study what the Bible has to say about creation. This is the site I use http://www.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm

​Read W. Phillip Keller’s meditations on creation.
​Although out of print, kindle and second-hand copies can still be found from Amazon**, and other book sellers:

​​[* Please see the 'Note on Resources' below:]

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Explore the Quiet Garden Movement:

​Encourage wildlife into your garden or yard. This site has some great ideas:
http://www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/index.aspx

Consider spending at least part of your vacation intentionally engaging with the natural world.

Grow something: herbs, flowers, vegetables—whatever you have room for.

Keep a pet.

Consider making a community garden to enable others to meet the Maker.

CREATING NEW MINDSETS

Now let's continue the journey...

Click on the picture for the next section of ​​RHYTHMS OF GRACE: A JOURNEY INTO REST.

CREATING NEW MINDSETS

You have got to the end of the FOUNDATIONS SECTION. Do share your experiences...

RHYTHMS OF GRACE: A JOURNEY INTO REST

[Photo credit:  Sam Schooler (clouds); Joshua Earle (man in mountains); Kevin Turcios (woman) @ Unsplash, with thanks]