Dear Writer.

Five Minute Friday! 

It's a Lisa Jo Baker link-up thing, and it's a good one.

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it. It's so good when you feel uninspired or crunched for time. Anyone? Anyone?
Also, it's fun.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on a one word prompt. Period. No editing. No nothing. No pressure. No stress.

This week's prompt is Write.

Ready? Set.

Go.

Dear Writer,

That is what you are. A writer. So be who you are- all of who you are- in your writing. Let the tough out. Write through the tears and the hilarity and the perceived mundane. It all counts.

When it bleeds, bleed through your fingers. 
When it's loud, let it resonate through the tapping keys.
When it's tough, type hard and fast.
When it's risky, write courageously.
When it shines, let it shine on the screen. 
When it's snarky and funny, smile at your words.
When it's imperfect, it still means something.

All the words matter. Even the ones never shared. Write them.

~Write hard and clear about what hurts.
Ernest Hemingway~

Love,
Me.

Five Minute Friday: Grace.

It's time for another Five Minute Friday! 

It's a Lisa Jo Baker thing, and it's a good one.

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it. If you don't have a blog, you should do it anyway. Just sayin'.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on a one word prompt. Period. No editing. No nothing. No pressure. No stress.

This week's prompt is Grace.

Ready? Set.

Go.

Grace.
One syllable.
Grace.

Sufficient grace.
Amazing grace.
Undeserved grace.
Abundant grace.
Rejected grace.
Status-changing grace.
Unending grace.
Matchless grace.
Unaccepted grace.
Unrelenting grace.
Abused grace.
Overwhelming grace.
Scandalous grace.
Lavished grace.
Misunderstood grace.
Extravagant grace.
Revolutionary grace.

Monumental grace.

Stop.

That's it.

Together: Five Minute Friday

It's time for another Five Minute Friday! 

It's a Lisa Jo Baker thing, and it's a good one.

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it. If you don't have a blog, you should do it anyway. Just sayin'.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on a one word prompt. Period. No editing. No nothing. No pressure. No stress.

This week's prompt is Together.

Ready? Set.

Go.

"...a house divided against itself cannot stand..." Matthew 12:25

One of my constant prayers for our family is that we remain in unity. When decisions are to be made, some bigger, some smaller, my first prayer is that we are of one accord. I full well understand that Spouse and I are the parents, so this isn't always the case, but I pray that our family is moving toward Jesus in a unified fashion. 

It is my understanding that Jesus spoke the words above while driving out demons. Isn't that what we are doing? Driving out demons? Protecting our children, families, marriages, & homes from evil influences? This is a real battle.

I have known for a good, long while that 1) we have a real enemy, 2) he comes to steal, kill, & destroy, and 3) his modus operandi is 'divide and conquer'. 

So, here we are: trying to follow Jesus while an enemy tries to divide us and conquer us. 

We cannot take this battle lightly. 

We cannot do it alone.

Families, as much as depends on you, we have to stick together. Mom, Dad, Kids...

Church, we have to work together. Baptist, Methodist, Reformed, Charismatic, Bapticostal...

We have to present a united front. 

We have to BE a united front.

Together. 

                     "...a house divided against itself cannot stand..." Matthew 12:25

Stop.

Oh, man. I really need more than five minutes on that one, Lisa Jo! :)

Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

It's time for another Five Minute Friday! 

It's a Gypsy-Mama thing, and it's a good one. I've missed it the past couple of months.

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it. If you don't have a blog, you should do it anyway. Just sayin'.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one word. Period. No editing. No nothing. No pressure. No stress.

This week's prompt is Ordinary.

Ready? Set.

Go.

_______________________________________________

Dear Ordinary,
I don't love you. You and your BFFs, Mundane and Common, are comforting to many introverts, but to the extroverted sanguines like me, we tend to shudder at the sound of your name.
Ordinary.
I'm sorry. I just don't love you or the crew with which you run.
We just don't jive together.
And, let me tell you, it's definitely not me.
It's you. You are just so...average.
I'm just not cut out for the status quo.
So, I'm leaving you.
I want Awesome.

Sincerely,
Me.


Stop.

Ok. That was so fun. I've really missed it.

What would you say to Ordinary?

Five Minute Friday: Remember.

It's time for another Five Minute Friday! 

It's a Gypsy-Mama thing, and it's a good one. 

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it. If you don't have a blog, you should do it anyway. Just sayin'.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one word. Period. No editing. No nothing. No pressure. No stress.

This week's prompt is Remember.

Ready? Set.

Go.

_______________________________________________

Things I need to Remember:
...maybe you do, too...

Don't leave the house without an emergency snack. 

(Hungry ---> Angry = Hangry)

God is gracious to give me who I need, when I need them. 

Spouse is into me. Even when I'm not.

The Big C Church is full of beautiful, broken people. I love us.

Drink water.

Stress less.

Be intentional.

Close the garage door. 

(We recently went to Florida to come home to find the garage door open and the 

door to the house unlocked. For 8 days.)

God takes care of the stupid people. 

(See above.)

My treasure is not in my garage.

Encourage a mom.

Eat less.

Move more.

Summer's coming!

Busy does not equal important.

This world is not my home.

God is for me.

People need prayers, not happy thoughts.

Praying is doing something.

Results don't come for free.

I am just what my girls need.

Leave space in the calendar for Holy Spirit moments.

Finish your taxes.

Write Delsi. 

(Our sponsored Compassion child.)

What do you need to remember today?

Five Minute Friday: Bare.

It's time for another Five Minute Friday!

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one word. Period. No editing. No nothing.

This week's prompt is Bare.

Ready? Set.

Go.

_____________

Bare?
Really, Lisa Jo? Really?
Bare?

Here's what I know: the only cutesy dimples I know of are the one on Maddy's left cheek and the ones on a baby's bottom. Any baby. Pick one. Pick any toddler. Dimples on the naked baby bottom are edible.

The dimples on my thighs? I do the world a service by keeping my bare necessities covered up. You're welcome.

Seriously. There seems to be no amount of lunges that will wage war on these little cottage cheese-like beasts! We'll see if this 5k per month gig will help it out.

I've tried making peace with them. I've tried embracing them. My spouse assures me that he wants me to "look like a woman and not a 12 year old boy, so stop worrying about it". Sweet, sweet lies. Probably added another dimple right there. Blessed assurance.

I'm going to Bootcamp.
Really. Right now.

Bare.
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa.

You're killin' me, Smalls.

Stop.
______________________

I'm so excited to check out Most Illustrious Mother to see what actual wisdom she came up with for this horrid word. :)

Five Minute Friday: Afraid

It's time for another Five Minute Friday!

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one word. Period. No editing. No nothing.

This week's prompt is Afraid.

Ready? Set.

Go.

_____________
I'm pretty sure I have a fear of being afraid. And, a fear of my girls being afraid.

I'm not brave, I just don't want fear to paralyze us from obeying God's instruction.

We closed the door to the girls' nurseries from the beginning. When they were in bed, door closed. No nightlight business. I figured they were in the dark for 40 weeks, they were fine with it. I believe that a lot of fears are learned.

They didn't watch Veggie Tales "Where's God When I'm Scared?" because I didn't want it to occur to them to be afraid.

We didn't use those safety rail things on the big beds. "What if they fall off?" Well, the first night or two, I put a couple of pillows on the floor, although they didn't need them. Some mommy friends guilted me in to the pillows.

Spouse worked a later shift during Meghan's toddling and preschool years. He made it to many park days. When Meg wanted to climb the crazy climby spiral thing, he taught her how. Let her go. Mom's went all bat crazy and some were annoyed at us: now their kids wanted to climb! She was 2. They were 4!! Dude. Really?

I got mad when another child asked my child if she was afraid to fly. What?? Nooooo!! We pray for our pilot and crew, but we are not going to be afraid. I mean it, it never occurred to her to be afraid of it until then.

SCUBA diving and zip lining and riding all the horrid unsafe rides at the Strawberry Festival and fairs and when we wore out a trampoline, we bought another.

We sit on toilets and wash our hands for the love of Cher.

Go. Do the hard stuff. Climb ladders and mountains and tell the story of Jesus.

Again. I'm not a brave person. I'm going to do what I can to see that my girls are brave to make Jesus known.

Stop.
____________
Ughhh!!! There's never enough time! I'm just getting fired up! :)

Five Minute Friday: Wonder.

It's time for another Five Minute Friday!
<This is the last FMF of 2012!>

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog or MS Word--you should so do it.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one topic. Period. No editing. No nothing.

Ready? Set.

Go.

Wonder


Do you wonder if the lessons you pour into your kids will stick?
Do you wonder if your marriage is healthy?
Do you wonder if the dryer is finished?
Do you wonder if the milk is nearly gone?
Do you wonder if God is pleased with you?
Do you wonder what issues your one-day adult children will have to deal with?
Do you wonder what if? Ever?
Do you wonder if you are doing it right?
Do you wonder if these pants are too tight?
Do you wonder if half the stuff that takes up space in your brain even matters?
Do you wonder if what you're doing is eternally significant? Or even significant today?

I wonder.

And, some will and some won't.
You probably know in your gut if it is or isn't.
It will be soon.
It will be soon.
He is so very pleased.
They are likely to have a few.
It won't do a bit of good.
Sometimes, just doing it at all is doing it right.
You are beautiful.
Most of it doesn't.
It's all significant.

Stop.

Five Minute Friday: Stay.

It's time for another Five Minute Friday!

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one topic. Period. No editing. No nothing.

Ready? Set.

Go.

Stay.

Go. Stay. What?

You say "stay" and my first thought is "go". (Maybe 'cause I just typed it?)
Sorry! I'm not arguing, it's just that Jesus said to "Go"!

That doesn't necessarily mean 'go permanently', but I do believe we should go, at some point.

OK, back to stay.

With my girls, I am tempted to say "stay little", but they would disobey.
Stay with American Girls and Nancy Drew and tennis and basketball.
Stay with me.

But, if I do my job, they will hear "Stay." and think "Go!", even if I'm the one to say it.

"Go and make disciples...."

Stop.

Five Minute Friday: Quiet

It's a Five Minute Friday Party!

Here are the rules.

If you have a blog--you should so do it.

It's Five Minutes of pure blog adrenaline.

Five minutes of writing on one topic. Period. No editing. No nothing.

Ready? Set.

Go.

A good number of mommas would say that 'quiet' is the stuff dreams are made of.

I get it.

Kids are hungry, "needing" new shoes, have tummy aches, and wanting you to read "Fish Out of Water" yet again. The phone is ringing. There is a program at church. It's time to help out with the Thanksgiving something-something at school, your own mom wants to talk to you about her sciatica,  and then the dryer has the audacity to buzz!

I remember when I realized that my only uninterrupted 'quiet time' was doing the loudest thing: mowing the yard. I would pop in a movie for the girls and mow the yard. They wouldn't interrupt.

I would welcome the noise for the quiet. That is so like me. Full of contradictions.

Now, I've got a preteen that likes to read in her room alone. I limit it because this house gets too quiet.  Spouse is working. Homeschooling two girls isn't a rowdy kind of event. We've just moved to a new city, with a little more space in the house.

We don't have it full of people and Bible Study and energy...yet. It's happening slowly.

I say, quiet is overrated.

Stop.

This reminds me of the "Quietness of Downtown Houston" post I wrote back in the spring. Hmmm...I really am full of contradictions.

Five Minute Friday--Roots.

So, at the urging the Most Illustrious Mom, I joined in the Flash Mob of #FiveMinuteFriday posts from Lisa Jo Baker.


One topic. Five Minutes of writing with no editing, no prep, nothing.  I did it just now, with the timer. It was hard. Once I got going, I really wanted more than my five minutes!! But, I didn't cheat.

Here it is. Timer set.

Roots

Go-

Roots are tangled. Messy looking. Sometimes they are strong. Sometimes healthy, sometimes very unhealthy. But, they are still roots. Still a foundation.

Beyond that the root comes up into some rough bark. Inside of that rough bark is the smooth interior. Lines that may show age and tell a story or 2 or 87.

Did you know when the lines on the inside of a tree trunk are close together, that's when the tree received a lot of water and nourishment? When the lines are further apart, this indicates a lack of water or even drought? What can be read in between the lines?

Further from the roots, healthy or not, beyond the rough bark and smooth interior--is the bloom.


Amazing. The bloom will come, as long as the roots are alive, regardless of the root's condition.

Oh, there is so much more here.

Stop.