His Ways are Higher... Perspective - a Five Minute Friday post.

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My, Oh My!  It's been a long pause, hasn't it? I'm hoping that at least Y'all are signed up for the monthly Newsyletter --but even that, as of late, hasn't quite exactly been monthly, per se!  I had a sweet reader reach out to me last week, taking notice of my absence! (Thank you, Connie, for your kind email!)

It has felt as if the enemy has, yet again, been after my Voice! In quite literal terms, I've been battling some sort of something for too long but I have turned the corner and am feeling much better! (Let me tell you, having allergies or any sort of cough or little bug is SO uncool right now! No one loves it!)  Anyway --here I sit, in this old familiar place, completely out of the habit of writing... but that hasn't stopped me from jumping right back in before... so Let's go!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which, as you should know by now, simply means I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: PERSPECTIVE.

{GO!}

I see the word and my first thoughts go to, "Yes, please!"  

Oh My --how we need a bigger perspective than what we are often limited to-- especially lately!  As the Word so clearly states, His ways are not our ways... His thoughts are not our thoughts! 

We need to take a breath... back up... hold our tongue (and our opinions) for one hot minute and remember that no amount of experience, theories, data, or even experts are going to give us what He offers us for free... 
all day, every day!

Experience the Becoming of Who You Are - A Five Minute Friday post.

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My fingertips and my heart have been gently urging me back into this chair!  

It seems the last several times I have come to sit here, I end up frustrated in trying to format and edit a few projects instead of pouring out new words in this space! So today --I'm starting here and (depending on how this goes!) I will tackle the other things next! But first: This is a Five Minute Friday post... which, as you should know by now, simply means I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: EXPERIENCE... Let's go!

{GO!}

Experience... I see the word and immediately feel my age. I think of all the different areas in my life I have gained experience.  And I think of all the areas I am lacking experience still.

We're all in Process... 
    We are all Becoming...

We are all experts in some ways and inexperienced in other ways!

In a season where I am feeling my inexperience, learning a new job in a new field, relearning how to care for a toddler and teach her in the way she should go, and remembering how to worship without building walls around my heart... --I feel the pull to dwell on the things I do not know... --on the things I'm failing or flailing at and not doing so well...

When a Sacrifice of Trust is the Big Ask - A Five Minute Friday post.

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I know, you guys! I had high hopes that I would be so much more consistent, sitting here in this chair, in the New Year. 

The truth is, I've been battling some sort of something horrible (--a virus or attack on my sinuses, causing extreme pressure and pain... in other words --probably just a head cold with a lot of Extra!)  I recently just managed to write our monthly Newsyletter for January... yeah --in the middle of the month! (This is not a great sign, right? Still... my plan is to be here and to rebuild this Community this year!)

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which, as you should know by now, simply means I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: SACRIFICE... so this should be fun! Let's go!

{GO!}

Sacrifice... 

In the Western church, this word isn't really highlighted, preached, or encouraged too much!  It's not hip or lit or fresh or whatever it is the cool kids are saying nowadays! (I know... I'm old now!) Basically, the reality is, it's just not sexy enough... besides --who wants to sacrifice anything anyway, right?

But here's the deal: 

Sacrifice is a big part of the Kingdom...
It's a big part of what we are called to do

and how we are called to live!

If Jesus was our example of how to live

(and He was/is! He definitely was/is!)

then Sacrifice should be a big part

of how we live our lives, too!

I know... but stick with me here. 

I'm not thrilled about it either!

When Your OneWord365 Refuses to Let You Ignore It! 2020

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It's a little late to be posting about my OneWord365 maybe... I mean --I know normally I would have written this out in December along with other end-of-the-year posts! Well - 2019 was far from 'normal' and many of those posts didn't get written at all! I did write about all the books I managed to read. You can find that post HERE... and I did write the Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year! You can find that one HERE!

I have been doing this OneWord365 project for many years now and --again-- 'normally' I know my word by the beginning of December. Not this year... He snuck it in the last minute, probably hoping I wouldn't fight Him on it. (But, come on... Y'all know me better than that, right?) 

Listen,  here's the deal:
This is how I opened LAST YEARS' OneWord post:
"2018 has been so full of Heavy and Hard (even more so than 2017... which was pretty terrible, if you recall!) and somehow I completely forgot about my OneWord... 

Well, it seems it forgot about me, too! Or at least that is how I felt when I went back to look it up!"

It just--
Whatever, man! 
2019, 2018, 2017: All wretched.

BUT GOD... 
Seriously --even in the midst of all of these Heavy and Hard, Sad and Terrible-No-Good years...

Happy New Year!!! Our Annual Prophetic Post for 2020

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, Sweet Readers!

As has become our custom around here, today not only brings blank calendars to fill in and new Day Planners to let start bossing us around, but it is also time for our Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year!

I hope 2019 was kinder to you than it appeared to be to us, but either way --Here's to a shiny, bright, happy new year -- full of promise and possibilities!

New Years Day unfolded slowly, with gusts of wind and rain pounding the windows --of both my heart and my home! 

As much as I love to reflect over the last year before leaning into what God has to say about what's next... well --2019 was full of heartbreak and hard. Still, in looking back, I always see how even in the dark times, He was close and present. (Do you remember the discovery of last year, of where His Glory hides? Yeah... it's in the Darkness.)  

As a storm brewed around us, I settled my heart and curled up with a cup of coffee, a journal and pen, and an expectant hope... to tune and hear from God... --not only for me but for all of us who are willing to lean in a bit closer to God in 2020!

I always ask the Lord for a word or phrase that will speak prophetically over the coming year.  I also ask Him to lead me to a book in the Bible that He wants to be highlighted throughout the year.  

I'm consistently amazed at how much He wants to communicate with us!

Ermahgerd, Berks!!! (aka Books I Read - The 2019 Edition)

Hey Sweet Readers! 

      Do you even remember me? 

***

Here we are at the end of another year!  Chances are good that if you are still here, then you were probably with me through most of 2018 as well. You may remember all the issues I battled with my eyes.  So, we know going INTO 2019 that reading all the things was not going to happen! You may remember the surprise I found when counting the books I read last year... even with months of bed rest and no eye strain, I managed to read nearly 20 books! I was hopeful that number would increase this year post-surgery if all went right!  I am happy (Blessed, fortunate, thrilled!) to report that all went right... and now we come to actually count the number of books read in 2019 to see if it increased or not!  Still,  --either way, you know how I love me some books... (or 'berks!' as in, "Ermahgerd! Berks!")

So this is the post where I take time to reflect back over the year and revisit some of my favorites! 

So, here's the deal: 

  I really didn't know how this year would go! 

I mean... I spent much of 2018 on bed rest and unable to read but still managed to read nearly 20 books... well, a handful were listened to instead, but still! 2019 started off with back to back eye surgeries and I'm not sure how much of that whole thing I actually blogged about but let's just say the first eye was miraculous and the second eye --not so much! (At least not right away... not for weeks and weeks and weeks!) But after all my recovery, I am now seeing better than I have my entire life --without the aid of contacts or glasses! (Well - this is real life and I am turning 50 in 2020, so I do use non-prescription Readers... but that's all!)

Still, I thought this list would be shorter because there were a couple of months I was most definitely NOT using my eyes... but it seemed as soon as I could, I was back to having a book in my hand...

Count the Cost - A Five Minute Friday post.

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I think most of you are well aware that Thanksgiving --well, Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE, Y'all! I love it... even in the midst of Hard and Heavy things... Thanksgiving is what it is all about! It's not always easy to give thanks... but there is always something and someone (read: Someone!) to give thanks for! Enough of that... 

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: COST... so let's go!

{GO!}

I see the word and my first thought

goes to the saying, "Count the Cost!"

(My second thought is more along the lines of "Oh, it'll cost ya!"

which is only slightly different and just a tiny bit more sarcastic. It's fine.)  

Count the Cost...

How many times have I heard this? 

  How many times have I said it myself?

It means to weigh the options... 

to slow down just enough to remember that

saying Yes to something also means

saying No to something, too!

One of the definitions I looked up

for this phrase actually said

'to start to understand how badly

something has affected you!'