Between End & Begin - Five MInute Friday

I am on vacation... on an island... mostly unplugged - which is, well - glorious! However, I could not bring myself to stay unplugged on this, Lisa-Jo's last week hosting Five Minute Fridays!  I'm not a fan of goodbyes... more of see you laters... and we will.  We will see her later!  And if I have learned anything in these past few years it is the value of leaning in to change and not kicking against it! Change happens... it is necessary... and Lisa-Jo is nothing if not gracious and welcoming and aware of what God is saying.  If He is calling her to step aside... we bless her (and will, you know, continue to stalk her in the most friendliest of ways!)  We love and trust Him in her and we also love and trust Him in Kate... our new hostess to this link up starting next week!

I honestly don't remember how I stumbled upon this Gathering of Awesome... this lovely community that just can't help but ooze out encouragement. It came at a time when the Lord had asked one thing of me in regards to my blog: "Be consistent!"  I had jumped in to doing 31Days (on two blogs) and had never linked up, or if I had - it was still all so new to me... but it was a weekly (consistent!) date and I haven't missed a Friday (well, maybe one or two!) since then*!

Oh but - first - the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is!  Five Minute Fridays have been hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  Next week we will be gathering over at Kate Motaung's.  Wherever we meet, 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 - The Word Prompt is: BEGIN

{GO}

So this is where I am! I know right?  This is the second trip here in less than two months... Just my Honey and me!  We stay with family and so it's not quite as romantic as one may think... Still it is a road trip with no one in the backseat, us laid back, unwinding with the flow of traffic, holding hands and talking - or not...  You know... Kickin it back Newlywed style!

We are learning this new rhythm of living Empty Nester-style ...it means less fresh produce and less pseudo control over what our girlie is doing but it also means more date nights and - well - extra cash at the end of the week (until 'someone' is a little short between paychecks!). 

Right now I am in the in between and reminding myself that this is good.  This is where He has me and so I will work to enter into His rest because, well- as my sweet friend Tonya said- when He tells you to move, you'd better be moving!  

Here's to a grace-filled End and a glorious Begin and all the breathing deep and leaning in and crawling up on His lap in this in between!

{STOP}

I will forever be thankful for Lisa Jo for it was here, during Five Minute Fridays where I made some amazing #keywomen sister-friends and where I began to learn to stand up tall in the Writer that I am! 

Write on, sisters! Write Brave and True! See ya next week over at Kate's!




Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here, for the last time (sniff, sniff!) to read what others have to say about "Begin"

* - My first ever FMF post... "Race"...and what I love about this amazing group of flashmob writers is how Lisa-Jo has led the way in how we race to lift each other up, instead of climbing and scratching for the top!  Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done, our sweet lovely friend who shines so brightly and has taught us so much! We honor you and pray for you in this new Next season!