Five Minute Friday - WONDER

It's our LAST Five Minute Friday of the year!  At least our last 'official' one! Lisa Jo is graciously taking December off... being new to this amazing little gathering, I am sad for the break, but also see and get the wisdom in it!  I suspect I may be tempted to still post a 'five minute' post on Fridays, but the fullness of the holidays may actually cause me to take a break along with the rest of the FMFPartiers!

The Fine Print: "Five Minute Fridays" are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write off of a prompt that Lisa posts at one minute past midnight Friday morning  (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

So - here goes:
Five Minute Friday - WONDER

{GO}

"I think the biggest enemy in the church is not the devil.
It’s our own passivity to the majesty of the Lord Jesus.
At some point the Good News becomes okay news and
Christianity is no longer life changing but merely life enhancing,
and Jesus doesn’t change people into radicals anymore, just nice people.
The church becomes dull, predictable, and monotonous.
Here’s the thing about dullness,
what it means is we’ve lost our capacity to be simple before God.
We’ve lost the ability to live in wonder and astonishment."
                   
                                                                           ~Graham Cooke

Ouch!  I stumbled upon this quote the other day and it made me catch my breath.  While I sadly see the truth in it, I immediately looked inward... "Can this be true?  Can this be said of me, Lord?"  The truth is it depends on the day!  But right now, in THIS season - you know, the Deck the Halls and Come Let Us Adore Him season - a sense of Wonder comes easy!  We get caught up once again in the magic of Christmas and Christ's birth and the story... HIS-story...

The challenge is to keep that awestruck hope and wonder filled faith... to behold His majesty in the midst of January and March and July!

To stir up a sense of Wonder, we added two things to our Christmas celebrations when our daughter was young: We set our focus in our living room around a manger/feed trough and placed a Baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and hay, as our centerpiece... instead of putting gifts under a tree, we placed them at Jesus' feet.  It was impossible to forget the Reason for the Season!

The other thing we added was a gathering around the menorah and lighting the festival lights.  While we are not Jewish, we recognized that Jesus most likely did not celebrate His birthday the way we do... He didn't gather around a tree hung with lights... He hung on one and He WAS the Light.  As a child, however, in all tradition - He DID say the Scriptures, repeat the Nightly Blessings, and light the candles, reflecting on not only the history... but knowing - KNOWING - that He was the fulfillment... that He was - He IS - the Light of the World!

So as we pull out the menorah and gather the candles for Hanukkah - I reflect back and can't believe how grown my daughter is! As we are facing the end of her childhood, I love that I still see Wonder on her face as she says reads the Scriptures and lights the candles... and I think of Mary... watching Jesus light the candles... did she, like me, ever actually forget that this baby of hers was not - in fact - hers at all? They are but ours for a season... but always - ALWAYS - they are His!

In the glow of the candle, my heart swells, my eyes brim over, and I remember... this sense of Wonder that comes at Christmas, abides with us, within us, all year long and there is never an end to our childhood... we are always His... always!

{STOP}


Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!
May you be Awe-struck and Wonder-filled this holiday season, and all year through!
~Karrilee~



It's Friday... click here to read, or jump in and let us hear your voice and join the crowd... and remember to check back come January for a whole new round of play!

Thankful Links... to help you start off Thanksgiving Day!

Last weekend, I was overwhelmed and honored to be included in a great post by Jennifer J. Camp where she highlighted a handful of fellow bloggers who had written posts that encouraged or inspired or blessed her in some way! I LOVED this idea... over the past few months, I have discovered and befriended many fellow bloggers who boldly share their hearts and bare their souls... their words inspire, heal, encourage, give comfort, challenge, shine bright, offer grace, all dripping in love! (Sometimes - all of that, in a single post! Sometimes, all of that in a single FIVE MINUTE post!)

So - I wanted to take a moment, this Thanksgiving week, and do the same!  Here are just a few of the incredible anointed writers online whose words and hearts have blessed me this week:

*     Because this post was inspired by the amazing Jennifer, it comes as no surprise that her post on finding an unexpected, unplanned for moment of quiet is first on my list!

*     Elisa brings it home with a simple call to be a blessing over this holiday week - to follow the call of Philippians 4... read this post, and join Operation Blessing!

*     Lisa Jo eloquently reminds us that - no matter the size of your home - your Hospitality can be LARGE.

*    Nikki over at SimplyStriving has a way about her... it's real and honest and stirring and I have yet to meet her in real life - but my heart sings loudly that we are kindred spirits - her and I! I know this Thanksgiving post will bless you... and stir you on to think about how you live out your gratitude too!

*    And how could one possibly make a Thanksgiving post and not include words by the one with no flourish to her name, who has reminded us of the importance of counting gifts?  Ann Voskamp talks about giving thanks even in the hard times... yada yada yada!

I hope you are able to read through these - maybe in between shifts of baking, or setting the table, or simply bookmark them and read over them when the house is quiet once again, the turkey coma has hit, ...the dishes can wait! Feed your spirit!

I pray for each of you that at some point... some rare quiet alone-in-the-corner moment, He will show up and surprise you... and cause you to remember all the ways you are thankful - the ways you take for granted, the people you may not count at first thought, the circumstances that while hard, produced fruit you couldn't have planned for.  May you take snapshots in your heart (and a camera is not a bad idea either!), and make memories together... glimpses of gifts you will be counting for years to come!  I pray you will find stirring within you a spirit of thankfulness that goes beyond this one Thanksgiving Day, and evolves into a way of life... a way of living... a way of being love!

I'd love to hear of other blog posts that have blessed you this week as well! Please feel free to leave a link in the comments below!

Happy Thanksgiving!
~Karrilee~

Five Minute Friday - STAY

It's FRIDAY!!!  Literally... it is Friday morning and for the first time in more than a month, I somehow COMPLETELY forgot about the online party that is #FMFParty on Twitter every Thursday evening... (I did manage a Thursday night without Nutella though, somehow?  Odd!?)  I woke up this morning to read a few of my favorite bloggers and realized I missed the party... but better late than never - so here I am!

Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write off of a prompt that Lisa posts at one minute past midnight Friday morning  (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

So - here goes:
Five Minute Friday - STAY

{GO}

"Stay"  I hear Him whisper as I am rustling through papers and notebooks, looking for an old post written years ago! {sigh} I had on my plate a project that when I got it, it was already late.  No pressure!  I am still just learning how to step into the pieces of me, and stand tall in the callings I have. I am a Writer... I am a Photographer... I am an Artist.  (This is my mantra I keep repeating over and over!) You see - it took me years to step into who I am... who He created me to BE.  I grew comfortable in the Staying, in the Being.  I could boldly claim that I am a Mom, a Wife, a Sister, a Friend... I take these roles seriously and want to do them well.  But these other things, these 'hobbies', these things I am passionate about - those are roles for the 'professionals', right?

So my plan was to sit and stay... to soak in His Presence and get His guidance for this piece I was late in accepting and needed to complete it days before I was asked.  The worship is on... I am sitting, waiting, when in restlessness, I go searching for inspiration elsewhere. Surely He knows... He KNOWS my time frame, and He is the One who reminded me about that old blog post and maybe if I can find it, and reread it again, something will stir and I will have direction and He can anoint and enable these amateur hands to paint something... anything... that will --- "Stay" He whispers again!

So I breathe Him in... lay back, close my eyes, and sit quietly... slowing my breath and my stress and my thoughts as He clears my mind and grabs my focus. In a flash I see it! I can really SEE it in my minds eye now... but that is not even a hint of what I was planning on doing!  I stay longer... relaxed now... feeling His arms around me and His heart is for me and He releases me to action once again.

I do reread that post... it is good... it helps to remind me of WHY I am doing this anyway... and I paint.and I love what we have made!

{STOP}

Don't you just love when you honestly slow down enough to remember that every thing you do - you are partnering with Him! If you invite Him in - He will paint with you, and dance, and do the dishes, and fold the towels... He is ever present and always here... always whispering, "Stay!"


It's Friday... click here to read, and then find your voice and join the crowd!


~Karrilee~

Leaving a Mark... & a Legacy of Love!

(Reposting today... reflecting... and remembering this prayer...)

It was a glorious Fall day...

a gorgeous afternoon for a walk...

Brisk cool air... sun shining... blue skies...

my mind pondering on the season I am in.

I know I wrote a lot about my Beloved Autumn last month,

and much of what I love about Fall is all of the change.

It's ironic, really - that I am just now

(yes - just now... in my 40's)

beginning to not only embrace Change,

but to see it as something exciting and adventurous;

as something not to be kicked against and fought,

but to be expected and hopeful in!

The season in life that I find myself in is a letting go kind of season. My beloved daughter - my very heart beating on the outside of me... the very best thing that I have ever done -

is preparing to graduate high school and spread her wings and fly!

She is amazing...

I mean - Ah. MAY. Zing!

The sky is the limit for her!

She is a joy and a treasure!

So we begin (or continue, really) the Letting Go,

in order to not Tear Away,

and it is in the quiet moments in between college apps and scholarship essays that I wonder... that I pray... that I hope...

"Surely in all these years, Lord

we have left an impression...

we have lived a life out loud in front of her

that she will long for and lean in to

and choose on her own, with passion."

As I walk, I whisper this prayer beneath my breath,

and I pass by these...

My eye catches...

my heart beats faster...

my breathing slows ever so slightly...

 What kind of mark will be left on her that we are completely unaware of leaving behind? For wherever she is... wherever she goes, she takes a piece of us with her and my heart longs to be reassured that the impression on her heart is the same on ours... that when people look to her, they don't see US

as much as they see HIM!

She has watched us grow,

as we measured her getting taller.

She has experienced us live and love

fumble and fall, grow in grace,

and learn about honor.

She has watched us

be happy but feel sad

be hurt and choose forgiveness

be offended, and let it fester...

only to (finally) lay it down

and decide to NOT choose bitterness.

She has watched us

open our home and our hearts

push aside differences and work through hard times.

She has heard us pray, and cry, and laugh,

and sing with everything within us His praises

She has watched us succeed,

and she has seen us fail...

her... ourselves... others...

She has seen us

disappointed, dismayed,

- our faith disrupted, but not detoured.

She has never seen or heard or watched us

even once turn our back

on her... on each other... on Him.

We have raised her on purpose in many ways,

dreamed dreams with her... for her...

some our own, some were born in her...

We have seen some come to pass,

some be laid down to die,

some resurrected in hope...

we are sowing into her

a life of Love ...of BEING Love,

of offering Grace and Mercy...

of seeing the unseen

and expecting the unexpected

We are determined to leave her

a Legacy of Love

 "on earth, as it is in Heaven."

But as I pass by these leaves,

fallen - let go of at the roots on through to the tips...

wind blown, rained upon, and trampled...

and I see the life in them...

the impression left behind...

I realize much of what is imparted is done

not so much on Purpose,

but in the Persistent...

the daily living out of our lives.

I pray that what lies beneath the surface of her

is more than mere shadows of what she has seen in us,

but the very remnant of a life lived well,

giving glory to God with every breath...

the very impression of the One who loves her

best and most and the longest!

May His image transfer through us to those around us...

and to those who came from within us!

May our persistent pursuit of Him

and of living a life of Love

be what leaves the deepest impression

on those who are coming up after us!

So in this season of change...

of excitement and trepidation,

of trusting and hoping...

we lean in... lean ON...

& trust that wherever

- whenever - we fall short...

His HUGEness makes us taller

and the impression we have left

is one that strengthens and empowers!

As I walk on,

my prayer continues under my breath,

and from the top of my lungs,

"May He shine through her...

When she walks out of a room,

may His impression linger after her."

Let that be said of me too, Lord!

and us and you!

I am reposting this today - and praying it anew...

linking up with lol-ly-gag.com and her Story Line Community:

Women At Risk International Open House Jewelry Party

So - this past weekend, my daughter & I hosted

an Open House to help raise funds & awareness for

Women At Risk, International (WAR Int'l).

We first heard of this organization a couple of months ago

& it so stirred our hearts that we knew we wanted to do SOMETHING! 

The thing is - human trafficking is so HUGE... 

it is such an overwhelming problem, that we can feel like

there is nothing we can do to make a difference,

but WAR makes it easy!  Women At Risk, Int'l has Safe Houses

all over the world and they help to rescue & retrain women & children

to learn a skill that will enable them to be self sufficient

& make an income that is not covered in shame.

They are hands on... they are front lines... & they are making a difference!

Some of the ways they retrain these women

- who were either rescued from a lifestyle of sex trafficking,

or were at risk in getting caught up in that lifestyle -

is to teach them how to sew,

how to make jewelry, cards,

bookmarks, toys... 

So - WAR offers an at home party option to help sell

the products made by these women,

& the money goes to help support them,

& rescue & retrain others.

HINT - this is NOT just a 3rd world problem.

Every month, 300 children are sold in Atlanta...

100,000 - 300,000 women & children

go missing in America every year.

Human Trafficking is now the fastest growing

Organized Crime in the United States.

But you CAN make a difference!

You can shop with a purpose

- or you can get more involved...

but every penny helps!

Plus - whenever you wear your jewelry or scarf,

you will be remembering this cause

& can help share the story behind it to bring awareness!

Overall, the Open House was a great success! 

The Jewelry & Scarves are GORGEOUS

& we had a house full on Friday night...

Saturday was a little slower

but still had some shoppers stop in!

Overall we raised nearly $1200.00

to help support women rescued...

all of the money goes directly to

the women who made the products

& also to help rescue & retrain

more women & children!

Such a great cause!

If you want to shop... 

you can shop their online store directly, 

or check out the website to find out

how to host your own Jewelry Party!

Here is the link to their site:

Women At Risk Int'l

~Karrilee~

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY - QUIET

It's FRIDAY!!!  This is the first Friday that (1) I actually WAITED until Friday to go look for the prompt, and (2) that I have not been blogging twice a day, every day, for weeks on end! So you would think it would be easier... but oh how quickly we can fall out of habit!  Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!

The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write off of a prompt that Lisa posts at one minute past midnight Friday morning  (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

So - here goes:
Five Minute Friday - QUIET

{GO}
Aaahhh - quiet!  I have to say, I LOVE Quiet! I am big fan of it!  HUGE!  Maybe this is one reason why we only have one child... although I also love the buzzing chaos of a house full - filled with laughter and running, and chatter in every room! Still... when all of that is over... my soul breathes in deeply at the silence of Quiet!

I have been blessed to be a stay at home Mom for 17 years... yes - even after my only child went off to school - (even high school!) - I stayed home.  I fill my house and my heart with gatherings of all sorts through out the week - but I tend to 'schedule in' to my bossy lists of things to do - some Quiet Time!  But even when the house is quiet... is my spirit?  Can I slow down enough to listen to my beating heart and silence that constant list running through my brain?  Can I just BREATHE in a moment of hush... and listen?

I have found on the days when that seems so impractical... those are the days it is needed most! And - let me tell you a secret... so often - on THOSE days... we buy into the lie that we don't have time for Quiet... that who has an hour to just sit at the feet of Jesus? Afterall, we reason, we can't ALL be Marys, right?  But here is the secret... we CAN... we should... and it honestly doesn't take an hour!

Listen - He is so crazy about you... He will take even 5 minutes of your time... just five minutes to slow down, breathe deep, and drink Him in.  I challenge you... just try it!  Put on a worship song... close your eyes, listen to the words or music.. and offer up to Him a quieted spirit... wait and see! Just watch for what He will do with your heart! It will make your whole day so much better! Another Five Minute challenge... no - invitation! Quiet your head AND your heart, and listen for His still small voice!

{STOP}

So... I thought I would make it a little easier... here is a Soaking song that is 5 minutes long - turn up your volume, click on the link and close your eyes... lean back in your chair... and if you are willing - share in the comments below what He shared with you and how He quieted your spirit!

It's Friday... click here to read, and then find your voice and join the crowd!


~Karrilee~

Glory in Trees... my love for Autumn goes on!

Today is November 4th, 

& I have not written here for days...

D.A.Y.S. !!!

At first, I was relieved!

Honestly, it was a little overwhelming

- my first time participating in the 31 Days challenge

to pick a topic & write on it every day, for the month of October!

I usually have PLENTY of words & I thought - easy peezy...

pick something I love (Fall!) & simply write!

Some days were just that: Easy Peezy!

Other days, well, not so much!

So I have enjoyed doing other things these past few days,

painting, reading (other 31 Dayers!), playing with my camera,

oh yes - & my kiddo & hubby!
They both felt a tiny bit neglected last month!

But I was just curious...

in all of you reading here

- whether it was one post, or the whole series,

have you found yourself falling for Autumn?

Some of the posts were obvious

(Falling leaves, Tradition, Candy, Crisp Chilly Mornings!)

some maybe not so much

(School supplies, Peacoats, Rainy Days, Football!)

But each post I hope stirred up something in you... 

if not a kindred spirit with me - a lover of all things Autumn,

then one that is learning, ever so slowly, (like me)

 to embrace Change... to lean in to it...

to find the purpose & fun & adventure in it all!

Click HERE to see each daily post

& just read along & see if you find yourself falling,

at least just a little bit!

This is why I love Autumn in my town...

this was the Glory in Trees

that caused praise to fall from our lips,

as leaves fell from the branches!

Happy Fall!

~Karrilee~

#FMFParty Five Minute Friday: Roots

I just can't help myself... every Thursday night for the past several weeks, I have felt this magnetic DRAW to Twitter to hook up with some incredible bloggers and play along with Lisa Jo Baker and Five Minute Friday's!  To learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) - click HERE!

The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking, or spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write off of a prompt that Lisa posts at one minute past midnight Friday morning  (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

So - here goes:
Five Minute Friday - ROOTS

{GO}
For most of my life, I went by a nickname... a shortened version of my given name, because - well - because it was easier to learn how to write in kindergarten and from there, it just stuck. However, several years ago, I heard the Lord whisper to me, "I named you on purpose!"  So, as strange as it was, I began to go by my full given name.  I loved it as an adult, and it was easy enough to switch over to online in my business and writing, but a little harder in 'real life'.

About a year after making the switch, I came in contact with a woman from Australia who had the same name.  She told me that it is somewhat common where she lives and it is an Aboriginal name, that means A Resting Place beside water.  Oh my... I loved that!

A Resting Place... does this not remind you of the Scripture in the Psalms...  it actually made me think of two! First off - of course, Psalm 23 where the Lord says that He will make us lie down beside quiet waters. Secondly - I thought of the verse in Psalm 1.  In The Message version it reads like this: "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Needless to say, I now boldly go by my given name... I believe that He names us on purpose and the meaning of our name lends itself to who He has created us to be! I boldly step in, for my Roots go deep!
I am like a tree firmly planted...

...and my hearts desire is to be a Resting place beside quiet waters to those around me!

{STOP}

So - do you know what the real meaning of your name is?  I encourage you to search it out and ask the Lord what His intentions were in naming you!  ...and why not ask Him for a new name, while you are at it! You just may be surprised at what He says and how He sees you!

It's Friday... click here to read, and then find your voice and join the crowd!


~Karrilee~