So.. I had a meeting tonight which is extremely rare because - well, the twitter party! Still - I popped in for a few and the prompt was given and everyone got busy writing about REAL and so I ate my Carrot cake in peace-- (The benefits of being an Empty Nester with an empty house, and it turns out, sometimes - no one is the boss of me!) and then decided to jump on and write my post tonight... you know, like in the olden days!
I can't say it enough, really - I love my tribe! The Gathering that happens on Twitter on Thursday nights and then flashmob writes out their hearts and hits publish all over the interwebs on Thursday and Friday (and sometimes on Tuesdays!) But, I know... I'm like a broken record here, stuck on repeat! However today I am thinking of a different community. Let's just get started.
{GO}
{STOP}
While I know my topic, and I know how I am starting... if I am being real (ya see what I did there?) I would have to say it's been a struggle to make peace with not having a word-for-word presentation ready, but He just keeps reminding me:
So, REAL, eh?
Yeah... I'm all about Real.
I mean - I am mostly about it, anyway... you know - most of the time!
I believe we are called to be Authentic... to be real in the good times and in the hard times, in all those times that are blurry-in-the-in-between, and in the little-bit-of-both-at-the-same-time times, too!
That is just real life, right?
It's rarely all of anything... it's always a glorious mix, but when we hide away, back away, pretend to be fine or pray to be invisible... well, that is never God's heart for you and that is not His idea of living an abundant life, free of fear, worry and doubt!
That is not so much living a life of being "only strong and very courageous"...
If you are like me, those days are not always so consistent.
No, I tend to fall under being Mostly Strong and Kinda Courageous...
or Sometimes Strong, and a Little Courageous...
But that is just evidence of my giving in to faltering... to self doubt and hesitation and I keep telling those guys that I am trying to quit them!
I prayed about this whole Being Real thing... this whole not faltering or giving in thing, because --well, because He has me speaking on Saturday but He's been real bossy about how He is not planning on giving me advanced notice on what we are going to share.
So as I prayed about it, this is what He said:
When you give up faltering and self doubt and hesitation, you walk more in line with your calling and true identity because WHOEVER He created you to be - at the core of it all - you were meant to be His! And close to that, you were created to be only strong and very courageous!
He said, "If you give up worrying about looking foolish to man, you will look glorious to Me!"
Mmm-kay, God! You win!
You win!
While I know my topic, and I know how I am starting... if I am being real (ya see what I did there?) I would have to say it's been a struggle to make peace with not having a word-for-word presentation ready, but He just keeps reminding me:
No Safety Net.
No Comfort Zone.
I am enough... and we make a great team!
And so He leads... and I will follow!
I love the #fmfparty Community that gathers on Twitter and all across the Internet on Thursday nights and on Fridays... on into the next week, where we encourage and uplift... where we share prayer requests and praise reports... where we talk food and friends and we find support and kindred hearts and we are reminded that life is good and God is good and we are not alone... and then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts and our fingers do the
Oh ...the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is! Five Minute Fridays have been hosted by Lisa Jo Baker. This week we start gathering over at Kate Motaung's. FMF 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!
Oh friend! I love how real you are! That's what blesses me. I too have days when I struggle and give into self-doubt etc but God continually reminds me that I need to be who God created me to be. Prayers for your talk. You've got this friend!!
ReplyDeleteThank you friend! I believe you... not because of me... but because of Him! xoxo
DeleteWe share a common bond for Saturday. I too will be speaking. However, unlike you, I have my topic, I have my testimony. It's all written out and I admit- if it wasn't I wouldn't be this calm (and when I say calm I actually mean extremely nervous, butterflies flapping their wings inside my stomach while it's about to swallow itself whole) You my FMF friend are more than courageous... you are an inspiration and I have no doubt God will use you in a powerful way! Prayers and blessings to you on Saturday and every day
ReplyDeleteOh Shannon, I saw this on Twitter and know that I will be praying for you, friend! You are going to do GREAT!!! We can catch up after the weekend and hear how He showed up for the both of us!
DeleteShannon, you sound like me! I avoid public speaking whenever I can, because even when I have everything planned and written, I'm so nervous that I feel as though I'm going to be ill. Praying for you right now!
DeleteI had my fill of real life this week...starting with almost dying from shock when my pancreas went down hard, and then...well, if you care to visit my FMF post you can learn more.
ReplyDeleteSuffice it to say, I did learn a 'real'. And if I survive this, maybe I'll write a book about it.
God wants me to go to the end of my strength. I don't know if I'm strong and courageous, because there's always the comparison...to whom? It's not for me to judge.
But today I was lying on the sofa, crying and endeavouring not to pass out with each breath, and that was all I could do. I was scared, too.
And that's it. God doesn't want someone who downs tools at a pocket of hard granite and says, "Oh, I can't drill any more, I'm BROKEN!"
Drill till your tools are useless, then pick up a piece of rock and chip away with that.
BROKEN is when you're completely unable to move forward. Not that you don't want to, and like a child, just WANT to be carried.
Broken isn't failure. Broken isn't quitting.
Broken is all used up, and there is no shame in that.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2015/03/real-death-real-life-five-minute-friday.html
Oh my friend... know that I am praying for you tonight, Andrew... and praising God because He came to heal the broken... to bind up their wounds! And yes - you are strong and courageous... I don't know you well, but that much I know! You are only strong and very courageous!
DeleteKarrilee, I definitely fall in to the SOMETIMES strong and A LITTLE courageous category. That made me laugh. Thanks for being real here. Being our true selves is how we become more the person God created us to be. :-)
ReplyDeleteBetsy - thanks for not letting me feel like that line was only for me! ;) Amen... and we all want to be who He created us to be... we just sometimes forget that our real selves won't look like anyone else! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteKarrilee, I so enjoyed this post. May you speak on Saturday with this confidence: "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things." (Psalm 81:10, NLT). Also, last night I watched the video you did with Ashiterah. Somehow I missed it the week it was posted. I so enjoyed listening to you. May God continue to bless your writing AND your speaking. Be real & they will be blessed!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Joanne! (Wow - I didn't realize the video was up already! You've seen it before me! So glad you enjoyed it!) I will receive that blessing, my friend!
DeleteSo, Saturday, the real you is going to show up and the real God is going to show off!!! Woo hoo, I would love to be there! Keep it real, K, and you will do just fine...because you are HIS! xo
ReplyDeleteI love it when I show up and He shows off! Those are my favorite times - and I would LOVE for you to be there too! One day, my friend! One day!
DeleteKarrilee, what a great post! I love how real you were in it. We all falter, don't we?
ReplyDeleteAnd what I loved most? This: "When you give up faltering and self doubt and hesitation, you walk more in line with your calling and true identity because WHOEVER He created you to be - at the core of it all - you were meant to be His!"
We are meant to be His, and that is what matters most. Thank you for this reminder.
I hope your speaking engagement goes well tomorrow. :)
It truly does all come down to this, right? Whatever giftings or talents or passions He put inside of us - our identity was meant to be in Him... our hearts were fashioned to be His alone! Thanks so much for stopping by Jeanne!
DeleteI agree, Karrilee, that we are called to be authentic. It can be so hard to do! I do tend to withdraw when I'm stressed or depressed, but you've helped me see that that isn't God's plan for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this!
It so often is our knee-jerk reaction... I think we all do it... but it is noticing it and remembering that this is not His heart for me in the midst of a retreat... in the midst of pulling back... that is key! I pray for you - and me - and all of us, that He will whisper for us to come out and come near! Thanks for stopping by, Melissa!
Delete"...WHOEVER He created you to be - at the core of it all - you were meant to be His!" Your words moved me to tears. His! Accepted in the Beloved. Always. What a healing reminder. Thank you, Karrilee.
ReplyDeleteSo much Amen, my friend! That is just so really at the heart of it all, isn't it? His! Gloriously HIS!!!
DeleteOh my sweet sweet friend you have taught me so much about being authenticover the last few mont. Thank you for alwys being so real with me and always pointing me back to Him.
ReplyDeleteWow... what a sweet thing to say! I love you and you do the same for me, my friend!
DeleteI can't wait to hear how it goes on Saturday! That is exciting and I totally know the feeling about wanting to prepare but can't, or being prepared but then He changes it anyway. Thanks for being so real. I love that about you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, my friend!
DeleteThank you, friend! Thankful for your prayers!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! "...glorious to me!" That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteYes... Oh Wow is right! Now - may we remember that the next time we are tempted to give in to fear of man and what others may think of us! Thanks for stopping by Jenny!
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