Speaking TRUE - Five Minute Friday

While the party was going on last night over on Twitter and all sorts of Awesome was gathering, encouraging, uplifting... my Honey and I were manning a booth at our local State Fair.  We are part of a school that hosted a "Deep Fried Prayer" booth.  Yep... you read that right! Everything at the fair is Deep Fried, right? So why not keep with the theme, have a little fun, and offer up prayers and blessings?  So while I so missed all the fun, I was having some of my own on a chilly September evening near the Midway Lights, praying for healing and broken relationships, and restored faith... for favor and jobs and houses... We were given the opportunity to Speak Life... to Be Love... and to Shine On in a little 10x10 tent in the midst of our own city. Now... on to writing!

Oh but - first - the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is!  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 using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (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 - TRUE...

{GO}

So Lisa-Jo invites us in... she is laid open - vulnerable, wanting to share True... to not hold back... and my heart leans in and my spirit cries Yes!  Some of what she 'reveals' I actually DO know... some I don't... and while I love and believe in the cry to Live Out Loud and Be Real... I also read between the lines and I suspect that the enemy has been at work here.  On her.  On me. On us all.

(It's his job and if there is ONE THING he is consistent at... this is it: LIES!  Lies, I tell you!)

You see - this whole internet thing is tricky.  We get in deep long before we ever meet face to face. This is a blessing (mostly) and so much needed for so many of us. To connect real... to live honest... to be weak and messy (from afar!) and to find community where we can slowly - ever so slowly - Let Down the Masks.

However, I can say - as a Mama of a nearly grown girlie... this living MY story and not hers, when she has her own to tell... the lines get blurry and while I want to share my True... so much of mine is wrapped up in hers, and in his, and we can feel like in being Vulnerable and True - we must be an open book to everyone.

I get that... I want that... until I step over a line and begin to tell a Story that, while it is TRUE, it isn't all mine to tell. But the temptation is strong.. in the name of being Vulnerable and True.

So - let me caution the young(er) Mama's out there... well - all of us really:

Be Real - YES!

Live Out Loud and Take Risks to be who you are...wherever you go.
Strive to be consistent in Living Real.

Don't Belittle Yourself or Your Call.

Don't fall for the lies... and when you feel like maybe you ARE believing them... giving in to them... making room for them to just move right in to your heart... reach out! Ask for help!

Even in this amazing blogosphere of writers, our stories are not always for the multitudes... and they are not all written by us alone. Boundaries are our friends... and not every one has the right to hear ALL of our story.

So PRAY = share what He tells you... what He puts on your heart. And if it includes someone elses' story - talk it over with them before you write it all out for the world to see!

So Much YES - LIVE TRUE... in Real Life first... give yourself a little time and a lot of grace to grow up and stand tall in who you are... and as you do that, you will find yourself living True everywhere you go!

{STOP}

Well - now I fight the urge to erase and start over... this is not my typical style but I think we can feel like in order to be real, we must put everything out there... and to put down the masks - we must let everyone see because if we are going to preach Real and tell everyone to be Vulnerable - then we must lead the way! But let us lead the way in wisdom... not without boundaries... but without walls and secrets! Oh my - how there IS a difference, friends!

And I have found... in Living True, we find ourselves
 Speaking Life.  Being Love.  Shining On.



Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "TRUE"