July 9, 2015

When Hope Arises Slowly... A Five Minute Friday post

I missed the #fmfparty again... We have had a week of getting up earlier and full days and it's been great - but when my All Growed Up Girlie stops by to hang out and cuddle while watching West Wing... well, enough said, yes?

Still - I am here now, so let's do this thing! We are nearing the 'official launch day' of our new church... so you know Hope is arising slowly for us as excitement is building! Let's start the timer and see what comes out!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: Hope


{GO}

When Hope arises slowly, you can feel it swelling from deep inside... how it shifts and turns and changes... how whatever is next is full of adventure and promise and blessings just waiting to be discovered!


We spent years wandering and wondering.  Years.  We wanted a home, someplace to give and to get... a place that had a purpose that focused first and foremost on Him. On His Presence. Anything else is extra. 



We longed for family and for a gathering who would sing of how good our God is and who would know it deep down in their bones and live it out loud in their every day lives.


We wanted a place of freedom... where gifts and art and love flowed freely and where nothing was held inside walls but it all leaked out wherever we went.

This was our hearts cry, but after years... we sort of stopped hoping. We didn't mean to. It just happened.


Oh sure - we tried to settle, to squeeze in, to make ourselves fit.  We did that time and time again, until we didn't. We didn't fit, and we couldn't settle, and we stopped squeezing our way in.

So when we were asked, completely out of the blue, to walk into the great unknown, --well, hesitancy had been our long time companion but hope was awakened and was rising... and we said yes. To be honest, we said yes quickly and with little prayer - not because we are reckless like that but because it was so clearly God that we were not saying No!

That was weeks ago and we have now laid a foundation. We have spent Sunday after Sunday letting people know what we are about (His Presence) and what we believe (His Word). This Sunday we will 'officially launch' - honestly, whatever that means!  

We are hoping it doesn't mean much! 
I mean, we are not planning on doing much if anything different! 

Our doors and hearts are open wide and we are inviting the neighborhood over on Sunday. 


And Hope is rising slowly, building, filling up, spilling over, rushing down... making way for the King and His Kingdom.

{STOP}

Thank you, sweet readers, for all of the prayers as we venture in to these uncharted waters of church planting. We mailed out postcards to the surrounding area and plan a little ice cream social after service to celebrate and get to know our neighbors and we can not wait to meet and love on who God leads to join us at Dad's House

As I was praying this week, He whispered to my heart a word that brought hope. He said, "I will draw them in.  Some will be what you expect. Some will be kindred hearts but others will be searching and seeking and I will give you My supernatural ability to LOVE. It will be My love through you! Yield to Me."  

Isn't that what He wants to do with each of us... through each of us?  

Let's let hope arise, and let's yield to Him... 



Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  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 "HOPE"

{The FMF lowdown: I can't say it enough, really - I love my tribe! The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights and then  we write our hearts out and hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday and Friday (and sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's 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 talking tapping and we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!}


21 comments :

  1. Anonymous10:14 PM

    Congratulations! I am sure God will go before you as you endeavor to serve Him. Many blessings. I'm #10 on FMF.

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  2. God will go with you and before you and behind you! Where two or more are gathered He is there! Blessings and beautiful writing, keep us posted!

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    1. Thanks so much Bonnie! We believe this... we can see and feel Him all around!

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  3. congrats, will pray for your efforts to be rewarded.

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    1. Thank you Denise! It has all unfolded so quickly, our minds are still trying to catch up - but it has been good and we are just beginning!

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  4. Wow, great. Save me some ice-cream please. Truck loads of hope and faith for your new venture.
    Visiting from FmF and further way from a hot and sultry Sicily baking in the hot Mediterranean sun.
    Buona giornata,
    Patricia
    http://mojitoandme.com

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    1. Now you are just flirting with me! ;) Aaaah... you are talking about my dream destination there! One day! One day, I too will be in hot and sultry Sicily baking in the hot Mediterranean sun! xoxo

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  5. You know how much I love that you are being scary-brave. You have inspired and encouraged me to stop fighting to settle, to squeeze in, to make myself fit. Thank you for just being who God has created you to be. Love ya !!!

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    1. Sweet friend... scary-brave is right - but He just seems to always be right there in the middle of that! Standing taller and jumping further right alongside you, Amy!

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  6. Oh friend, love this. Hope totally arose as you said yes. Yes I do believe that God wants us to yield to him. But so often we get in the way don't we? You have been teaching me what it means to be brave. And Gods words to you this week are so true. They will come! (Reminds me of the movie "Field of Dreams"; "If you build it, they will come) Love Ya friend!! Missed you last night!

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    1. I missed you too! Summer, right? ;) I so appreciate your prayers and support, friend!

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  7. Your passion for ministry is evident. You clearly have a heart for God, for the people, and for reaching and winning souls to the Kingdom. So what I'm wondering is when you take a step back and remember those times when you felt your hope waning, do you feel as if you had really lost hope... or is it possible that you simply... surrendered? I'm also working through something right now and doing a "heart check". Thank you for giving me something to think about.

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    1. Tondra, hello there! Thank you for stopping by and for starting a conversation here! I love that! What a great question... I think for me, as I reflect back - it's not that I didn't have hope, but that maybe I was putting my hope in the wrong things/people/ideas. I hope that makes sense. Even as I type it out, I know it is preaching to myself right now... we all tend to do that from time to time, right? Put our hope in other things or dreams or situations and when it doesn't work out or we feel disappointed, we explain it is lost hope. Maybe misplaced is more accurate. I love where it says in the Word that Hope does not disappoint... of course - that Hope... Hope Himself... He never does! Praying for you (and me!) as we work through these heart checks! May we feel Hope Arising! (Just remember, sometimes it is the slow swell that is lasting... we just tend to prefer the fast rush!)

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    2. Yes ma'am! I am definitely learning to appreciate the slow swell... although it's such an interesting (and often uncomfortable) place to be. I just keep referring back to that old pregnancy analogy... while knowing that what I have NOW is well worth what I went through BACK THEN! I appreciate your prayers.

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  8. Wonderful news from Washington, Karrillee!!
    Will be praying for you and your eyes to see those that need His love the most. :)
    So excited for your hope!!
    Love,
    Tammy
    (#71 this week)

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  9. Such an exciting time for you, Karrilee! I am excited for you and praying for you all. Although it's sometimes uncomfortable, I'm glad God doesn't let us stay stuck in a place we don't fit. Not for too long anyway. :) He's got too much fun in store.

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    1. It's so tough when you feel you don't fit... we are oh so familiar with that feeling so when you find a Home that feels like home --well, let's just say our church is called Dad's House for a reason! ;) Thanks so much for the prayers... we need them and we can feel them!

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  10. Congratulations! . Just said a little prayer for you. I hope that this new ministry is so blessed!

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    1. Thank you Amy! I so appreciate you taking the time - to comment and more importantly to say a little prayer! We'll take all of them that we can get! Blessings!

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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