Rewards & Recognition... a Five Minute Friday post.

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Happy Spring, Sweet Readers! I hope you are at least getting glimpses of New Life springing forth wherever you are today! I know we have been experiencing near-70 degree days full of birds singing, sunshine, and wide-open doors to let fresh air in and chase away the remnant of winter! This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: REWARD

{GO!}

Oh, how we love

Rewards & Recognition!

My mind first wanders to all those rewards points offered through shopping at various stores. You know... the ones we get for doing nothing really other than spending money! 

But then I drift to the different kinds of rewards given for services rendered or jobs well-done. I think of all of the award ceremonies, raises, trophies, bonuses, etc. all given out in the open, in front of a podium, to give recognition and to help set us apart.

It's not that there's anything wrong with it... There's not! 
It's great and important to recognize and speak life into those around us! We all want to be special... to be acknowledged for how we finish well.  

We all want to belong and to be the best

-- at something... to someone... 

There's nothing wrong with that! 

The issue is when it breeds

Competition and Comparison... 

Backbiting and Bondage...

when it stirs up Striving and Stressing

and a longing for Approval and Acceptance 

that is not rooted in Love or Light!

But I see the word and I think back to a conversation last weekend and I reflect on Scripture and I remember --I remind myself!-- that as nice as rewards and recognition is when it comes from co-workers, bosses, friends, and family... it's BEST when it comes from the Father!

Rescued Completely... - The Colossians Series

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Hey there, sweet readers! We are back with another Colossians installment!
Welcome to the fifth installment of our Study through the Book of Colossians! 

If you missed our first few posts, you can read those by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom to find the Landing Page listing of each installment!

Today, we are going through just a few more verses found in Colossians Chapter 1... (vs 12-14!)  As has become our norm here, each post in this series includes the text in several translations, a few of my thoughts on the passage, possibly a deeper truth or root word meaning found there, and then we'll close with prayer! I can't tell you how excited and honored I am to have you here, reading through the Book of Colossians with me!

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Here we go!

COLOSSIANS 1:12-14:

As has become our custom here, let us start with reading from The Passion Translation Bible (because, of course!):

"Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light. He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son. For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release of redemption through his very blood." (The Passion Translation)

Well, I don't know about you but I am game for letting my heart soar with joy! 

When You Long for More... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, Friends! I'm happy to report that I'm sitting in this chair, ready to tap out some words --but YOU GUYS!?!!??! THE SUN IS SHINING AND I SEE ZERO CLOUDS (read: NO IMPENDING SNOW!) in the sky!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: MORE.

{GO!}

I see the word and I feel it down deep... 

the Longing for More... 

it's been a drawn-out season of waiting...

of hunkering down in the In Between.

For much of the past year or so, I've not really fought against the call to slow... to be silent... to give time and space to heal and to allow my soul room to breathe... as well as giving it room to re-focus, re-center, and re-emerge!

I've stated several times over the past couple of weeks that I feel as though I'm coming back to life again!

I see Hope around the Edges

and I hear the sing-songy-ness in my voice again

as I talk or speak or pray or laugh.  

I see a glimpse of myself and I think,

"Oh My! I have missed her!"

Over these days that turned to weeks,

and weeks that turned to months, 

(and months that turned to years!)

I've come to realize that an important part of the 

Waiting in the In-Between season

is meant to be a Gift!

Joy and Finding Saturated Goodness... A One Word post.

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Just the other day I was reflecting on the first couple of months of 2019 and how --even with all the surgeries and slow recoveries and difficulties in healing, this year is ALREADY so much better than 2018 and I was thinking it was probably time to check in with my OneWord365 and see how it has been showing up for me!

Do you guys have OneWord that you pick --or that picks you? If so, have you been intentional in finding it... in staying alert and aware in case it shows up for you in random ways or unexpected places? 

I only ask because I know how easy it can be to claim a word and then just move along with your living and forget to pay attention! (In fact, my OneWord is a Do-Over Do-BETTER Word! You can read about that here.)

Normally those New Years' Resolutions are fading away by March --at least for me. However, with my One Word --if I remember to look for it, it's usually all around me if I will just focus my eyes and expectations!

So I was already feeling the need to reflect back and take note of how (and where!) JOY has shown up for me this year when during my devotional time yesterday --the Lord whispered a specific Psalm to pray through.  He does this from time to time and I am never disappointed in following His lead.  

For much of the last couple of years, 
He has been quieter than usual. 
I'm not a fan of it... 
I much prefer His chattiness! 

Searching in the Wilderness... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, Sweet Readers! I am happy to tell you that I'm finally beginning to feel a bit more like myself and believing that a return of energy and drive is following close behind! Here's to a New Season unfolding and Hope arising around the Edges!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer

and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: SEARCH

{GO!}

I see the word and I let my mind drift...

It can feel like these seasons of

wandering in the wilderness

are all Search and Seeking

with no Finding... 

--with no Being Found.  

But as soon as I think this,

I can feel that this thought-- 

--it doesn't fit. It's not true.  

I can testify firsthand as we are Turning the Corner

and finding Hope around the Edges of a New Season...

All the searching for answers... for a glimpse of the future... 

for whatever is Next and Right and Good...
--Well, He didn't answer the way we wanted.

But He did answer the way we needed!

He's good like that!

But I promise you... 

it doesn't always feel good!

Since We First Heard... - The Colossians Series

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Hello There, my friends!

Welcome to the fourth installment of our Study through the Book of Colossians! 

If you missed our first few posts, you can read those by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom to find the Landing Page listing of each installment!

In this post, we will continue to read through Colossians, Chapter 1.  We are going through this Book verse by verse and today we will cover verses 9-11! 

As is our format in this series, each post includes the text in several translations, a few of my thoughts on the passage, possibly a deeper truth or root word meaning found there, and then we'll close with prayer! I'm so happy to have you here, digging into the Living Word with me!

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Here we go!

COLOSSIANS 1:9-11:

When Life Doesn't Feel Just or Fair... A Five Minute Friday post.

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I have been quiet(er) than normal lately -- both in this space and in real life... mostly this is because of oral surgery and a slower than hoped for recovery. It's amazing how teeth/jaw/ear pain can make you not want to talk --or think, or do much of anything else either, really! Still... that's only part of why I've grown quiet.  I'd like to think it is maturity and wisdom (--I know that it is!--) but that maturity comes from mostly letting Him be the boss of me --not only with what I say and write but also with what I think and focus on! (It's a journey, Y'all!)

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer

and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: JUST

{GO!}

I set the timer to five minutes and mull over the word prompt. "Just" immediately points me to Justice and because of the season we have been walking through, my mind then jumps to thinking about how to live out our faith when Life doesn't feel Just or Fair!

Because you guys: I can stomp my foot and curl out my bottom lip with the best of them! I can... (and I have! But thankfully, mostly that has been at home in private! Mostly!)

Here's the thing: 

Life is NOT Just or Fair.

Not all of the time, anyway!