The Middle Matters... a Five Minute Friday post (and Book review post --because, of course!)

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August? It's already August? If you subscribe to the monthly NewsyLetter then you may have just read about how I feel like we JUST fell into the rhythm of lazy summer days and it's already August? (Not that I'm actually complaining because if you have been around this little corner for long at all, you know Fall is my favorite!)

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: MIDDLE

{GO!}

I have said it several times: Whenever Lisa-Jo Baker writes something, I'm gonna get my hands and my head and my heart all around it. (And more than likely, I'm gonna share it and tell all my friends to read it, too!) So it was no real surprise to find myself on the Launch Team for her latest book, The Middle Matters. I've been on all of her launch teams to date... I knew that going in this book was different in that it is a collection of essays and they are all based on the Middle --of life, of parenting, of marriage, of --you know, our middles!?

I love Lisa-Jo because she is real... she is honest and open and she just tells it like it is. She is full of grace and love and she makes room at any given table and scooches over on any given couch. Her message rings loud and clear: You are welcome here.  

There is something that is so needed for voices like hers --for hearts like hers-- in our world right now! She is an InCourager (--ya see what I did there?) and a Champion and, gah! We need more people to be people that love well and follow hard after Him (while being Oh So Real about our messy lives!)

I have found myself in the middle of oh so many things right now... 

When Questions Still Linger... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hey there, Sweet Readers! Can you even believe that July is almost upon us? Slow Down Summer... Gah! We need to savor all of your long days and warm nights and the slower way of unwinding!

Let's just get to it! 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: QUESTION

{GO!}

Oye, with the Questions, right? 

I mean... they can seem to be on an endless loop

that never slows to a stop

or gives room for answers!

Listen, I think we are all 'prone to wander...' 

and we are all prone to wonder... 

to question and ask over and over...

to overthink or second-guess or obsess...

to fear and worry and doubt... 

to forget that God --as He likes to remind me

from time to time-- doesn't actually answer to us!

Leading with No Lack of Humility... A Five Minute Friday post.

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Hello, Sweet Readers! We are officially entering what is known as Holy Week and I pray you are giving yourself a little room to breathe... to rest and reflect on what Easter really means and on how, way back then, the next few days changed --well, they (read: HE!) changed everything!

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: LACK

{GO!}

Today is Palm Sunday...

I see the word prompt and I immediately envision Jesus sitting on the donkey, entering the gates and going into Jerusalem.

What constantly strikes me while reading familiar portions of Scripture is how Jesus never just does something... 

He is always saying more with His actions than He does with words only.  Everything He does --almost always really, but especially starting with this day-- has layers and layers of meaning!

Nothing He does during this Holy Week should be glossed over or ignored!

In biblical times, a donkey symbolized Peace and Humility while a horse symbolized War and Power! And an unridden colt? Those were considered ideal for royal use!

So Jesus riding a donkey entering the city gates, on this particular time and day of the Passover festival... well, it was a visual example that He came to change things up and He planned on being a different kind of king!

An Offer We Can't (or Shouldn't!) Refuse... a Five Minute Friday post.

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I know!? I wrote TWO posts in one day, PLUS the monthly newsletter for subscribers already this week... but I've managed to miss #fmfparty for too many weeks and months to keep track and I haven't written a Five Minute Friday post for a couple of weeks so --here I am! Sitting in the chair... right? #WritersGonnaWrite

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: OFFER

{GO!}

My first thought upon seeing the One Word prompt was,
"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

Which, of course, made me laugh because --well because,
God... You're SO FUNNY!


You may or may not know that --even though I've never actually watched (any of) The Godfather(s)... God often quotes a line or two from that movie to me to get a point across!

I referred to my favorite Godfather quote He whispers to me over and over a few weeks ago on the blog.  
You can read that one HERE.

But here's the thing about the quote above about making us an offer we can't refuse... We CAN...

We CAN refuse it, but
Oh, how He hopes we won't!

A Desert Land Refreshing & Being Broken for a Purpose...

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We say it... and we hope we mean it...

We hope it will help lessen the pain
or bring meaning to it, anyway!  
We believe it is true...
even when we wish it wasn't!

Two Things I have discovered (again) in the last year or two:
Desert Land Refreshings and
Being Broken for a Purpose!

One thing I know for sure...
God wastes NOTHING!

It's just not in Him to sweep aside something
or to let a lesson learned stay with only me.  
He is not flippant or mean.
He is the opposite of that, 
I promise you!

So if you, too, find yourself in a season of brokenness...
if you find yourself bent down low, and wishing the pain away, 
can I just simply share a couple of flashes of visions
I saw the other day while in prayer?

I know they encouraged me... 

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!

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!

When Your Spiritual Equilibrium is Out of Balance... a Five Minute Friday post.

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Hey there, sweet readers!  

I know this is December and the Christmas season
and this is the time of year where this little corner
is normally full of festive thoughts and good cheer.
However, I see the word prompt and I know
the chances of this post getting around
to Christmas Joy is slim... 
but Truth can always be found here... 
as well as honesty! 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: BALANCE

{GO!}

We were talking in our home group just the other night...
it was after spending an hour in prayer together,
where we simply speak out
whatever God puts on our hearts
and others come alongside in agreement
and lift our arms and hearts and heads.  

Oh, how we need each other!

We are a small band of brothers and sisters
with kindred hearts and we all have found ourselves
this year in some sort of an In-Between season...
a bit unsettled, and feeling a tad unsteady!

We shared how we seem to be
missing the Thrill of Hope... 
We are most definitely all
feeling the Weary World... 
yet we're still waiting for
the Rejoicing to begin! 

















But isn't that Advent?
  It's the waiting... the hoping... 

And even though we know He came... 
even though we know He is still here now... 
we feel a bit out of balance and we are
longing for a bit of Wonder & Joy!

When You Need a Visual...

  and for Wonder and Joy to Abound!

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I hope this holiday season has arrived for you with plenty of wonder and joy.

Maybe, for you, this really IS the most wonderful time of the year... or maybe Bah Humbug (rather than Merry Christmas!) is what is on repeat in your head.

Or maybe... just maybe... this season is slowly unfolding and you haven't (yet!) felt the presence of Peace or Goodwill! Perhaps Wonder and Joy haven't shown up and shown off, but I assure you --much like Advents' message... they are coming! 

Sometimes we just need to look for them... 
to seek them out... to ask the Lord to
open our eyes to see them!

Wonder and Joy... 
They tend to go hand in hand.

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

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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... 

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 We Can Not RUSH a Season... A Five Minute Friday post.

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I see the Word prompt and I immediately know what He has been speaking to me... I'm amazed at how it all comes into clarity just at the sight of this one little word! It explains why it has once again been so quiet around these parts... and it reveals my longing and how even when my flesh wants what it wants... I have given Him full access and ownership of my heart - so I let Him be the Boss of me... even when I don't want Him to be!

Let's go! Our one-word prompt is: RUSH!

{GO}

Immediately I think, "How many times have I wanted to RUSH right on to the next thing? How many times have I pleaded to just be released to move along already?"

Too many to count, lately! 
  I'd love to rush the transitions.

It's hard enough sometimes to come to the end of something... a season or a dream or a task... and know it's the end. To be willing to let it go or lay it down. That alone is a challenge... But then to be held in a loving embrace that forces all forward motion to cease? I mean... come on!  

This is not how our culture works!

We find'success' and 'satisfaction' in our productivity and we often accidentally find our sense of identity wrapped up in what we do --even though we know it's really all about the being and not the doing.  

That's super great to SAY... but to actually allow Him to hold you still, and keep you small... hidden, even... That is something else altogether!

A Tribute to a Real Proverbs 31 Woman... A Five Minute Friday post.

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I can't even...

I saw the word prompt on Friday morning and thought of writing a tribute to the Woman my girlie has grown up to be! After vacationing with her for five days and seeing her Mama Lil Miss -- honestly, I was so blown away with her awesomeness!

But the day got away from me and I never did find my way back to this chair.  And then we got news this morning and my sweet Mother-In-Law passed away and I knew... even though five minutes will never be enough time, with the suddenness and the shock - it will be a start of processing and praising, so here we go:

{GO}

I was grafted into this family through marriage some 25+ years ago. 

Ours was a short courtship. I was a new Christian and My Honey was newly returning to his roots as a PK and believer.  This falling in love with the Lord was happening while we were falling in love with each other and I am pretty sure that I was not what his sweet Mama had in mind.  

This was the return of her firstborn... her only son.

But I was different from his other girlfriends... 
I don't know that that was bad
--and in the end, it turned out to be very good... 
but it seemed her first impression of me was not great. 

I was clearly no Proverbs 31 woman. 
I hadn't even HEARD of a Proverbs 31 woman.

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

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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.