Home - Invitation to Rest

Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

AN INVITATION TO INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

Welcome to taking this invitation to rest with Jesus with us. Our goal with this site is to provide various content to encourage you in ways to rest and experience God at a deeper level. For it is from resting in Jesus that we are then in a right place to live out our lives for Him. We must not bypass this time of rest.

Two things I have experienced in my own life and have seen in many of others who I have met and worked with over the years.

Being vs Doing

First, we tend to place a precedent on “doing” rather than “being”. Our identity so often becomes what we do instead of who we are. This is not to say doing is not important, but doing should come after being. When we grasp and meditate on what it is like to be children of God, we can begin to live a life of freedom and then respond in “doing” that often times looks a lot different.

Head vs Heart

Second, we have a lot of head knowledge of God, but there is a disconnect with our hearts. We know of God but we do not truly know Him. Again from my own experience as well as sitting with Christians from all walks of life, many have shared not really feeling loved by God. We are really good at knowing about God’s love and we can tell of others about His love, and yet not really experience it ourselves.

When we rest in Jesus, we give ourselves time and space to hear God’s voice and in those moments we learn not only about ourselves but also what keeps us stuck in relationships.

What We Offer

If you ever do a road trip, you know you have to stop along the way to refuel and refresh. These offerings provide you various ways to access rest on your journey.

Rest Stops

These spiritual rest stops are brief 30 min-2 hr events to give you a moment to rest in the midst of your journey

Retreats

On a long trip, sometimes we need a longer rest stop. Currently we are offering half-day to full-day retreats to deepen your experience of rest

Workshops

Workshops are 1-2 hour in-person or on-line events where you can learn about a variety of ways to incorporate rest into your daily life.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual direction is a place for individualized attention. It is a holy place of listening where you can share where are in your life and how you are experiencing God.

Upcoming events

7 Ways to Walk with God

Walking is such a great way to experience the presence of God. We will discuss 7 types of walks you can do and then you will be provided some time to experience one of these walks.

Date: Monday , June 3, 2024

Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Central Time

Location: Cinco Ranch Library

Practice The Presence of God

What would our lives be like if we were aware of God’s loving presence in every moment of the day? We will learn this practice from two masters; Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach.

Date: Saturday, July 13, 2024

Time: 9:00pm – Noon Central Time

Location: Online via ZOOM

What People are saying

In a world where hurry and too many words seem to be badges of honor, Invitation to Rest offers a space to slow down and listen to the Lord with others. Doug and Wendy reminded me of what a beautiful tool the Prayer of Examen can be in my daily journey with God. Their love and care for God's people shines brightly.

About

My name is Doug Valot. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and provided counseling services at Kingsland Baptist Church for 13 years.

My two passions are helping marriages heal and grow and to see individuals grow in their relationship with God. So you will see some content that relates to marriages as well as individual spiritual formation.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Renovare Institute for all I have learned and experienced with them. This website is a reflection of so many lessons learned. I also owe a great deal to my wife, Wendy, who has been with me on this journey and has been my biggest supporter.

I pray you enjoy and accept this Invitation to Rest in the presence of God.