Joy and Finding Saturated Goodness... A One Word post.

***
Just the other day I was reflecting on the first couple of months of 2019 and how --even with all the surgeries and slow recoveries and difficulties in healing, this year is ALREADY so much better than 2018 and I was thinking it was probably time to check in with my OneWord365 and see how it has been showing up for me!

Do you guys have OneWord that you pick --or that picks you? If so, have you been intentional in finding it... in staying alert and aware in case it shows up for you in random ways or unexpected places? 

I only ask because I know how easy it can be to claim a word and then just move along with your living and forget to pay attention! (In fact, my OneWord is a Do-Over Do-BETTER Word! You can read about that here.)

Normally those New Years' Resolutions are fading away by March --at least for me. However, with my One Word --if I remember to look for it, it's usually all around me if I will just focus my eyes and expectations!

So I was already feeling the need to reflect back and take note of how (and where!) JOY has shown up for me this year when during my devotional time yesterday --the Lord whispered a specific Psalm to pray through.  He does this from time to time and I am never disappointed in following His lead.  

For much of the last couple of years, 
He has been quieter than usual. 
I'm not a fan of it... 
I much prefer His chattiness! 

Searching in the Wilderness... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

Hello, Sweet Readers! I am happy to tell you that I'm finally beginning to feel a bit more like myself and believing that a return of energy and drive is following close behind! Here's to a New Season unfolding and Hope arising around the Edges!

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer

and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: SEARCH

{GO!}

I see the word and I let my mind drift...

It can feel like these seasons of

wandering in the wilderness

are all Search and Seeking

with no Finding... 

--with no Being Found.  

But as soon as I think this,

I can feel that this thought-- 

--it doesn't fit. It's not true.  

I can testify firsthand as we are Turning the Corner

and finding Hope around the Edges of a New Season...

All the searching for answers... for a glimpse of the future... 

for whatever is Next and Right and Good...
--Well, He didn't answer the way we wanted.

But He did answer the way we needed!

He's good like that!

But I promise you... 

it doesn't always feel good!

When Life Doesn't Feel Just or Fair... A Five Minute Friday post.

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I have been quiet(er) than normal lately -- both in this space and in real life... mostly this is because of oral surgery and a slower than hoped for recovery. It's amazing how teeth/jaw/ear pain can make you not want to talk --or think, or do much of anything else either, really! Still... that's only part of why I've grown quiet.  I'd like to think it is maturity and wisdom (--I know that it is!--) but that maturity comes from mostly letting Him be the boss of me --not only with what I say and write but also with what I think and focus on! (It's a journey, Y'all!)

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer

and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: JUST

{GO!}

I set the timer to five minutes and mull over the word prompt. "Just" immediately points me to Justice and because of the season we have been walking through, my mind then jumps to thinking about how to live out our faith when Life doesn't feel Just or Fair!

Because you guys: I can stomp my foot and curl out my bottom lip with the best of them! I can... (and I have! But thankfully, mostly that has been at home in private! Mostly!)

Here's the thing: 

Life is NOT Just or Fair.

Not all of the time, anyway!

When Not Everything Convenient is Great... a Five Minute Friday post.

***
I have to say I miss the #fmfparty Twitter party and gathering with one of the most encouraging, supportive, fun and loving faith communities for writers online! Between health/eye issues, and limited screen time, and somehow agreeing to move our Bible study and Prayer group from Wednesdays to Thursdays... well, I haven't logged on or chimed in much over the past several months! Our meetings start at 7pm and every other week we meet in our home --so my hope is to get back on a schedule so I can at least pop in on those nights! Until then, I'm thankful to still play along --even if it is a day or two (or four --it's fine!) later! 

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: CONVENIENT

{GO!}


We often take modern conveniences for granted!  They are bright, shiny, happy when they are new and we sing their praises for how much time or money or impatience the said convenience saves us. But then it simply becomes part of our daily routine and before we know it, we are wanting something New and Improved all over again!

Through some long seasons of forced slowing down, I have been pondering how maybe not everything that we name Convenient is actually great --or even good!

We are masters of Multi-tasking, and yet we all talk about the need to be intentional and present! It's like an epidemic -how we are so scattered and unable to focus. It turns out multitasking isn't so convenient after all, right?

We want what we want and we want it now... thus the microwave of the olden days and the Insta-Pot of today...  

The Power (and Responsibility) of Influence... a Five Minute Friday post.

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Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope this weekend offers you rest and recovery... and a little fun and family time, too!  I am still recovering and while the improvements in vision are slower than I'd like --the improvements are happening and so I'm limiting screen time and resting when I feel the need... I had my one week post-op follow up and the healing is happening, and the doctor took me off all restrictions! This is great news... however, I will say - that was on Thursday afternoon and between Thursday night and Friday morning, I may have overdone it with my freedom! So I'm laying low today and resting well! But first... because, Y'all know how words build up and need to flow... we're gonna sit here and see what happens! 

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: INFLUENCE

{GO!}


When I see the word, I reflect back over a few conversations I had recently with my Only Girlie who is now All Grown Up and a Lil Mama herself.

Here's the Deal: 

When they are little, we are well aware.

We are intentional about being a good influence on them as they grow. These gifts in flesh and blood who at any and every new stage tend to stretch us and test us and cause us to grow right alongside them!

But this is a reminder that we all need:
All of us are influenced by others... 
and all of us are doing the influencing...
-whether we are conscious of it or not!
 -We are either a good influence or a bad one!

I know how often the word "Intentional" is being thrown around right now.  It seems it is a Buzzword and it's often overused.

However, I can't say for you --but for me?
I want to be Intentional in wielding my Influence for good!

Things Are Gonna Get Better... a Five Minute Friday post.

***
Hello There, Sweet Readers!

Here we are... mid-January already and I am on the other side of both eye surgeries. One was an instant miraculous success, the other is slower in healing and clearing up - but we are believing that both eyes will give clear vision and many of the 'issues' I battled the last few years will be no more!  This explains the quiet hush around here as it is taking time for my eyes to heal and adjust and work together! But Y'all know how I love the FMF Community... so, here we go:

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: BETTER

{GO!}


When I see the One Word Prompt, "Better"
--of course, immediately I think of my sight...
my vision --both physical and spiritual!  
I think of how it feels like we've been WAITING
and waiting and waiting for Better to arrive!

I am on the other side of eye surgeries and as I mentioned above, the first surgery was quite miraculous.  It was easier than they anticipated and the sight was closer to 20/20 within hours of being post-surgery than it ever had been before. The second surgery (done on 1/10) was a lot harder, longer, more complicated than they anticipated, and when I removed the bandage, the vision was extremely blurry and the concern was that the surgery either didn't work or the lens had shifted. (Note - this was MY fear concern... not that we had any warning that this could be true.) My Honey likes to say that as easy as the first surgery was, the second surgery was a Battle!

I laugh whenever he says this because he says it like maybe I was not aware. Oh, I was aware. I was awake and aware the whole time.

Listen, if 2018 had a theme song... this would be it:

God With Us... A Five Minute Friday post.

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With only a handful of days left until Christmas, I hope and pray you are all done with all the madness and chaos... but I know chances are good that at least some of you are running around down to the last possible moment!

As Advent winds down, and our waiting is met with the fulfillment cries of a newborn King, this is our final Five Minute Friday link up of the year!

Here we go:

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: WITH

{GO!}


With Christmas being literally just days away...
of course, my mind and my heart go immediately
to the verse in Matthew 1 where we are told
that Jesus will be born and
His name shall be Immanuel,
God with us.

God WITH us... 
I mean...
Come on!

After all the waiting... 
the lamenting and longing through Advent
(and through those 400+ years of silence!)
God promises that He is about to
break through the darkness and
break through the dawn
and He is coming to cram Himself
into flesh and blood and
He will be known as Emmanuel
--which means, 'God with us'!

And all of Creation heaves a sigh of relief...
Because -even before we knew Him...
we've missed Him!

Be Still and Know... A Five Minute Friday post.

***
I see the word and think of something we just chatted about for our latest episode, "The Christmas Story - Gospel Edition" on The Changing Our Minds Podcast... and I also think about how I keep wishing all of this Stillness and Waiting would move along already!

Here we go:

This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer
and free write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: STILL

{GO!}


When I see the one-word prompt,
my mind goes to an all familiar phrase...
one that we say often and one that has
felt oh so bossy as of late: 

"Be Still and Know that I am God." (~Psalm 46:10)

I mean... I used to love this verse!  
I used to relish in entering in a bit of
Stillness and Silence.  

I'm sure I will come to love it once again,
but over the past month or so
I have grown weary of waiting.

I've been pondering the 400+ years of silence
and it is not lost on me
--how my impatience is so silly
in light of my (relatively 'short') wait.  

And also there is this: 
I know deep down in my bones and my soul
that --always!-- He is worth that waiting...
He is worth the wait!

In Oceans Deep My Faith Will Stand... A Five Minute Friday post.

***
Hello there, sweet readers!

Can you even believe that today is the beginning of December? DECEMBER, people? 

I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure I'm ready for all that tends to come at us during this month! That may be because I am still 'grounded' awaiting surgeries in January, and we will not be doing many of our 'normal' December things this year because of that.  (Some of this makes me happy... and some of it, not so much!)

Anyway, December is here whether we are ready or not! So let's welcome it and kick it off together... This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt: DEEP

{GO!}

I see the word and immediately hear
the lyrics to one of my favorite songs... 

"You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep, My faith will stand..."

"My faith will stand..."

I sing it over and over... 
Sometimes as a statement or declaration.
Other times, as a plea and a prayer!

Because through the last few years, --you guys!!!--
I have felt the 'Oceans Deep' part, for sure!

He has called us out upon the waters... He has!
We talk about it all the time
--how He calls us to be water walkers
and how we believe... 

The Difference of One Little Word - a Five Minute Friday post.

***
Happy Thanksgiving, sweet readers!

It's been quiet around here, I know.  Between taking a little break after All the Days in a row of writing posts in October, and battling some eye issues yet again that limit my screen time, I have gotten a bit quiet.  However, it's Thanksgiving and you KNOW this is my favorite holiday and I've missed Y'all. 

So... here we go... a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt: ONE

{GO!}

All I can think of when I see the word is how easy it is for us to lose focus and to forget... to exchange one little word that skews our perspective and affects our attitude!

We can let the Heavy and the Hard press against us and knock us off center --but never off-course.  

We can accidentally listen to lies that feel more like truth than to the Truth that feels so far away and impossible... 
But God... remember?

But God...

So as Thanksgiving approaches and right after it, all the crazy chaos that has somehow become Christmas, I remind myself to count blessings, one by one. 

To slow time, as Ann said, and to count gifts listing them off as I close my eyes and open my heart to all the ways He is Present and Thick all around me!

He is Present and Thick
all around you too, sweet friend!
I promise it is true
--whether it feels true or not!

When You Need a Break from all the Heavy Burdens... A Five Minute Friday post.

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When You Need a Break
from all the Heavy Burdens... 
You head for the sea! 
(Well, if you are like us, anyway!)

This is a Five Minute Friday post, which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt: BURDEN

{GO!}

As I am tapping these words out, I am ever so thankful that I don't really need my eyes to see where the keys are... I've been at this long enough to be able to type with my eyes closed - which is basically what I am doing right now.

I haven't been super quiet about this long(er than we thought, hoped for, or desired) In Between season and I've hinted at some of the Heavy and Hard that we have endured over the last few years.  

My natural bent towards counting gifts and focusing on the blessings... on the positive and not the negative... on the abundance and not the lack... can make it seem like our life is charmed (it is) and that everything goes our way (it doesn't... but we trust that somehow it goes HIS way and we know He tells us again and again that His ways are higher and better anyway, right?)

But you guys... 

This is a hard season packed full with heavy burdens and if we are not careful, we can forget that those --well, those are not ours to carry!

When Nothing Feels Complete... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

Hey there, Sweet Readers!  Oh my, how I have missed you!  How I have prayed for you... Even when words would not spill out in this space, you have remained in and on my heart and His!

Honestly - I had NO PLANS to do the whole 31 Days Challenge this year. To be fair, I'm still on the fence. I didn't even want to pray about it! I mean, Y'all know how He is bossy about it with me every year. I just wanted to not do it... because I'm tired... and He's quiet... and I'm still processing all the things that He is teaching me. And yet... it seems He may just have an opinion about whether or not I do it! I'm still going to have to chat with Him a bit longer before I decide yes or no!  

Until then... here I sit... ready to tap out something that will be somewhat of an offering --for you and for Him! Let's go! Our one-word prompt is: COMPLETE!

{GO}

I am not sure, really, what is going on with me.

I pause longer than usual after I tap out that opening line... because it's true on all accounts.  I am not sure... and while I am consistently preaching about being authentic and vulnerable, this feels like a bit too much of both, thank you very much.  

But what I do know for sure is we are in one of those in-between spaces and we are being called to sit and wait... to not rush it! To Watch and See... before (or maybe so that) we can Taste and See! I've written about the not rushing recently and it seems we are still in the midst of this holding pattern. 

And it's fine.  It is... 
It's fine but
Nothing feels complete right now.

A Vacation In Your Mind... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

Let's not even pretend... I simply forgot what day it was because: Summer + a mid-week Holiday = Who Can know what day it is this week?! 

Our One Word Prompt is VACATION. This is Five Minute Friday! 
Let's go...

{GO}

I see the word and I think immediately, "Yes, Please!"

I mean, who doesn't want/need a vacation from time to time?

When I think of that word, visions of sand and sea come to mind... or memories of changing planes and booking hotels and exploring someplace new... 

I can reflect back to trips taken as newlyweds and as a new and growing family. I think back to traditions kept and remember when new ones were created... 
and I am oh so thankful!

We love to travel, but let's be real:
We don't have the budget for that.

At least not as often as we'd like! 

We always say it's just time and money... 
But when we are short on both, 
I've learned that we can still
take a vacation in our mind.

What If You Believed... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

After last weeks' Word Prompt and post on the Ocean, well-- we were packing last night to head for the water!

Our One Word Prompt this week is IF. This is Five Minute Friday! 
Let's go...

{GO}

I see the prompt and think, wow --that is just wide open! We could go ANYWHERE with that word!

So I stop and pray...

Because, as is always the case here, I don't really want to just share my words as much as I want to share His heart... so I slow and I still and I ask Him, "What do you want me to say?"

And I wait...

When the Ocean Beckons You Out... a Five Minute Friday post.

***

I had a friend stop by last night and --well, I'm pretty sure you and I both are getting tired of the excuses of why I keep missing out on the gathering on Twitter! My best explanation right now is: Summer! One day soon, I will make it back! 

Our One Word Prompt this week is OCEAN,  which just so happens to be one of my very favorite destinations and that friend I mentioned above? Yeah - we talked about the ocean and how we can't wait to get back there together! This is Five Minute Friday! Let's go...

{GO}

I have long had this love affair with the ocean.

I just can't get over it... how it beckons me to come closer... to sit and listen... to watch the mesmerizing rhythm of the tide pushing and pulling and how it reminds me that I am oh so small... and yet, oh so loved and held and protected!

It's so romantic... when it's warm and sunny and the kites are flying and the kids are playing in the waves... and when it's stormy and windy and the rains are coming at you sideways and threaten to blow you off course. 

Either way... 
I will take to the ocean
and lean into the Lord... 

Restoring Our Impression of Father... A Five Minute Friday post.

***

As this Father's Day weekend approaches, I know many are feeling all kinds of feels.  
The Good, the bad, and the ugly... right?

For many, Father's Day is a chance to celebrate an amazing Dad. For many others, however, this 'holiday' can stir up hard feelings, anger, resentment, old wounds, and fresh scars.  

Some experience a sense of loss because their father is no longer here... or at least 'there' (active and available in their every day lives), while others experience gratitude for the memories - both past and ones still being made.

Many of our single Moms pull the weight of mother and father and they deserve to be celebrated and prayed for this weekend as well!

I shared a bit over at LifeLetterCafe this week about that, but with our One Word Prompt this week being RESTORE, I am pretty sure we are going to go there today!  This is Five Minute Friday!

{GO}

I think back to when I was a baby Christian. 

I'm not sure why other than I remember a strange feeling rising up within me whenever I would hear anyone pray out loud.

It was a whole new concept to me --to pray out in the open to a God who couldn't be seen.

But it was more than that.

The community that I was plugged into as a new believer was one who often referred to God as Father. 

In prayer, it would be "Father God, this" and "Father God, that..." and while I liked my Dad just fine, this made me uncomfortable.