When Morning Comes Slowly...

I managed to stop in for a bit of the party last night over on Twitter (#fmfparty) but as we discussed there, it had already been the LONGEST week ever and when I am feeling all the feels and that over-tired, well - I am easily distracted and I left to eat dinner and pretty much forgot to come back!  Still... the community that gathers around this free writing one word prompt is real, y'all and they are my tribe... so even when I forget to sit back in front of this screen, I know they know I'm there in spirit --even if my flesh is a bit too exhausted to climb the stairs!

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

{GO}

It's not that I don't remember...

I remember those mornings that were full of rush and hurry... all the racing around and cranky "Wake UP!" yelling conversations... the piling into the car and hitting every stop light just wrong and then the joy of tackling the drop off parking lots.

I even remember the mornings before I changed my 'job' and I would have a latte to grab before walking in to a time clock to punch and a desk to unclutter before starting my day.

I would be lying if I told you that I missed it. Any of it...

Well... almost any of it! 

I do miss those morning drop-off prayers and hearing all the thoughts and worries and hopes from that backseat...

I miss the laughter and camaraderie of co-workers... co-laborers... co-anyone.  

But only once in awhile do I miss that!

How to Stay Calm in the midst of Chaos and a Crowd...

First off, I miss y'all.

For real.

I am following God's leading to step away a bit  (--just a bit, He promised!)  from screen time to sow in to this local family that He is growing through our new church and it is amazing... and good... and I love them - but I miss you!

You know that you are maybe a little overbooked and way too rushed when the fifth person of the day stops you just to point out that you are busy lately! And by that fifth time, your response of "Life is Full... I'm full, not busy!" seems empty and slightly untrue.  

Maybe a bit of Busy snuck in to my Full and I was unaware. I didn't notice this until, you know, I hit the wall head on and am forced to just take a seat for a hot minute! 

We NEED Winter to prep us for Spring... and we need Rest to prepare us for Work --even (or especially!) for Kingdom Work!

So how do we cultivate Kingdom and graft in Rest?
How do we bloom in all seasons?

How do we make sure, even in our Winter seasons, that we remain well-watered and nourished? 

How do we push aside Scattered to make room for Sabbath... How do we stay calm in the midst of chaos and a crowd?

We let Death die and resurrect Life wherever we go!

When A New Thought Won't Leave You...

I close my eyes and hear the rhythm of traffic down below and the sun calling out to me, beckoning me to come outside and let its' rays soak in deep... thawing those chilled and frozen spaces the winter tends to harden.

Still instead of running, I hunker down and I can feel the Father's arms wrap around me and He gently lays my head to rest on His chest. I can hear the thumping of His heart and how it beats for me.

I lean in closer and wrap my arms around His waist and His heart races faster and I am reminded that I am His and He is Mine and we were created to be one.

There is no Limit to His Love... a Five Minute Friday post

A couple of days ago it was Ash Wednesday...

Can I be honest with you and tell you that I really don't know for sure what this means. I am a newcomer to Lent (and Advent and the liturgical things.) but not a newcomer to Christ.

I tried on religion as a young Christian and thankfully shook free from that bondage years ago.  Now I am clothed in His righteousness (not my own) --I am clothed in relationship and while Lent has become popular and trendy, I don't do it as a ritualistic practice. 

However, I know full well how it can quickly turn into that so I was praying earlier this week about what to give up.  I read THIS POST by Eugene Cho and THIS ONE by Osheta Moore and their words confirmed what the Lord had already whispered to my heart...

God oh so clearly spoke softly to me that it wasn't so much what He wanted me to give up this year, but it was more what He wanted me to add back in! 

--Like those blessed 5 minutes of silence at the beginning of each day... walks outside... lectio davina... simple easy (slower!) things that can so subtly get pushed aside.  

Things that give way to all our Doing, but steal so much from any of our Being!

So instead of joining in on the Twitter party last night for #fmfparty... I stopped all my doing, and I allowed myself to simply BE.  And then, this prompt... 

What IF... a Post If:Gathering post.

After all that adulting, I am introverting a bit today because, well, ...If:Gathering was last weekend!

But it was SO GOOD, y'all!

This is the third year of If:Gathering and this is the third year that I have participated.

The first year, I threw together a quick small gathering in my home with some of my people.  Ladies who came to my home for book studies or prayer meetings or just to hang out or go for a walk... there were maybe 10 of us and we loved it!  I loved sharing some of my favorite people/writers/bloggers/world changers with some of my inrl friends who had no idea who these women were!

The second year, --well, to host they really wanted you to be plugged in to a local church, which I love - but I was not so much plugged in to one.  It was not for lack of trying or wanting, but we just couldn't squeeze ourself in and so I watched it from home on my own in my pjs, Voxing with a handful of bloggy friends through out the conference.  That Voxer thread is STILL active, now over a year later, and we talk every week and pray together and love each other and it was a real thing.  We weren't sure in the beginning because, in real life is so vital and important... but the more we connected and opened up and prayed for each other and checked in, the more we realized our "If-Voxer" was an actual thing!

I had been looking forward to 'watching' with my Voxer girlies again this year when the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, "But we STARTED a local church, remember?" Oh Yeah... that, we did!

So, it turns out, He had plans for me to host an If:Local this year and we joined up with another local church and we filled a house (or two) and oh my goodness, did we meet with God together!

What I Learned in January... A Link Up with Emily P. Freeman

I am like a broken record (does anyone even know what that is anymore?) when it comes to this monthly Link Up over at Emily Freeman's place! Y'all know how much I love it! It is fun and quirky and filled with tips and tricks and great lessons learned... and again,if you don't play along yet, I think you should!

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12 Random Things That I Have Learned...