Expect Pockets of Peace and Respites of Rest - a Five Minute Friday post.

I am still leaning in to this season of dwelling... of resting... of simply being with Him and being still... of less 'swinging' and more 'hammocking'! 

So I was a little surprised when I felt Him beckon me to this chair, in front of this screen! But since I am here, let's play!

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 of: EXPECT.

{GO}

I see the word prompt, and I smile.  
   Actually laugh a little under my breath. 

I could go a thousand different directions with "Expect" (or the variations of Expecting, Expectations, etc.) but even with all this resting, I am tired y'all! 

And so I slow... I close my eyes and breathe in deep.

I focus in on what He wants (which I suppose is really fruit of this 'unproductive' waiting season) and I exhale fully... ready to write...

Expect.
  It's such a weighty word, isn't it?  

More on Rest... aka The Difference Between a Swing and a Hammock

I hope y'all still remember me! I feel like a stranger in my own little corner here.  

I have missed you and have thought of writing all kinds of things, but every time I wander over to sit in this chair the Holy Spirit beckons me back to just sitting... just soaking... just being with Him.

So, you know... as much as I love you... I love Him more and He - more than anyone else (--ask anyone!) gets to be the Boss of me!

I have felt like the lessons He keeps sowing into me are things I have been learning and living and writing about for AWHILE now... and yet, He won't let me move along already. 

He keeps asking me to sit and to be... 
to not produce anything...

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed." ~Lloyd Dobler, Say Anything

So, "What have I been doing?" you ask.

Well... not exactly much --and yet, He assures me that there is much being accomplished!

The Truth of Knowing and of Being Known... a Five Minute Friday post.

Last week, you guys!  Oh man. 

I was laid out sick... 

I'm feeling so much better, even though my voice is still not very convincing of that fact.

But what I really want to talk about today is Unveiled - the women's conference I attended over the weekend.  

No sickness or lack of voice could keep me away from worshiping live with Rita Springer, y'all! Seriously - what little voice I started out with in each session was long gone by the time the last song was sung!

* The theme of the conference was all based around knowing your identity in Christ.

If you're not new here, then you know that this is my jam.

(I know... I need to quit saying this... and yet: I. can. not.) 

She Is Priceless - A Global Giving Day post.

Today is the 2nd Annual Global Giving Day to support women around the world and I am honored to be among many who are linking arms and blogs and hearts (and wallets!) and raising awareness for nine amazing organizations who are making a real difference in the lives of women and children around the world!

This is the one post a year where I encourage you to give...

Listen... here's the deal:

I don't like to ask for money.  

I don't like to make you feel guilty or ever want you to think that I am unaware of the serious restraints of budget and income.

Y'all!?

  I get it.  

I mean - things are tight, but I am blessed. I know many, not just around the world but just around the corner, are strapped and can't give --even if they wanted to. That's fine. 

If this is you, please keep reading! There is still something(s) you can do if you are unable to give monetarily!

But many can give and maybe just don't know the need or have no idea where to give.

Lastly, many fall for the same lie that I fell for for years: that often times we think if we can't Go (give) Big we should just Go Home... we look at these international issues of poverty, human trafficking, slavery, and violence and hopelessness and we think, well --we think there is no hope.  

BUT GOD, right?  

Tapping in to the Maternal Heart of God - A Five Minute Friday post.

I made it to the twitter party for a bit on Thursday and it was so nice to catch up. This weeks' One Word Prompt comes as no real surprise... let's jump right in!

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

{GO}

"Your children don't have to come from you; they just have to come THROUGH you." ~ "Time" in Collateral Beauty 

I know, I know... it's Mother's Day weekend and so we should have seen this prompt coming, right?

I am one of the romantics... I love me a holiday with a theme and to celebrate being a Mom gives me all the feels.  We don't go big in the spending nor do we get caught up in all the commercialism of it all -but give me a day spent with family, with words of affirmation, and maybe a bit of patio sitting in a garden, sipping on something yummy and you are giving me a gift. On any day --but especially on Mother's Day!

This year - well, this year my own Girlie is round with child and while Lil Miss doesn't arrive until September, oh my goodness -what a joy it is to see my Only blossom into a Mama!

But here's the thing:

She has mothered for many years now.

She takes after her Mama and we pour out love and we encourage and believe strongly in the ministry of hugs and cheering you on and of long talks over coffee or tea.

If We Were On a Coffee Date...

You guys!!!?  My friend Erin Salmon has a link-up called Coffee Date!  How am I just now knowing this? Well - you KNOW I had to play along, because of COURSE, right?  
So here we go:

If We Were On a Coffee Date...

If we were on a coffee date... Well, first off...
Oh how I wish we were! 

How I wish we were sitting across from each other in real life, sipping on something yummy and talking about all the things!

If we were on a coffee date, it would be beautiful... as in, for real... 

I love it when Coffee and Art collide!

When Should's Overwhelm... a Five Minute Friday Post

I missed out again on Thursday night but it was because it was the National Day of Prayer. Friday --well, I did a bit of soaking up some sun on Friday (and Saturday!) and Sunday... well, you know how it goes! Today is the first time I have been inside and in front of a screen for days... but I must admit, the sun is whispering my name and the patio awaits me and my stack of books... but this only takes five minutes, right?  Let's do this.

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

{GO}

I have a love/hate relationship with this word!

As in, for real.

Y'all know how I love me some bossy lists, and you also probably know by now that I'm not always a fan of having anyone boss me around. (Except Him... sure... mostly.)

I don't know about you, but me? Well, I can 'Should' myself to death --or at least to burn out, right?

Please tell me that I am not alone...

When We Fall for the Lies of More... A Five Minute Friday post.

Apparently I need to reset an alarm to remind me of #fmfparty on Thursday nights!  I got a new phone and realized last night around 8:45pm how much I relied on those little reminders! (I wonder what else I missed out on this week?!)

So no party last night for me, but here we are on a gorgeous Friday morning...
You know the drill:

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

{GO}

"There is no striving..."

I am in love with Rita Springer, and her newest CD Battles is amazing.  I first heard this song when she was singing with the worship team at Bethel a few years ago.  To find it on the album was a gift... a much needed gift in this season of declaring over and over things like, "It's not what you DO, it's who you are!"

So, this song is what is on repeat as of late around here.

Apparently, I need the reminder! 
I think we all do, really!

Because we DO strive... 

We fall for the lie that whisper-yells that
what we really need is MORE... 
What is really missing is (fill in the blank)...

And yet... we know the Truth.
(It's just that sometimes we forget!)

A Week Late... but Worth the Wait (aka: a Dad's House Update!)

I know...
  I'm a week late with this post.

Maybe it is because I needed a little rest after Easter weekend... or maybe it's because I had to let it all settle in and get a bit of distance and perspective that a few days offers, if given the time! (Hint: I took the time!)

Mostly I think it's because I feel a bit like the girl who went to the door to answer Peters' knocking... a little embarrassed that I'm surprised at how our prayers were answered while we were still praying!

Yeah. Mostly it's that!

When Heaven & Nature Sing... An ode to Springtime (and a Five Minute Friday post.)

I missed out on the party this week and I've been meaning to write for days about the awesomeness that was our Easter Service, but I think I will write that post on Monday! I will just say --it was a pretty big deal, and it was pretty amazing!

But for today... well... you know the drill:

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

{GO}

Oh Springtime... how we have been WAITING for your glorious arrival!

I have not been quiet about how I tried to break up with Winter for months and he just wouldn't go away!

But finally... finally... there is this:

I am so ready for Spring... and warmth... and new growth... for walks in the park and patio time and drinks that are COLD and refreshing... I'm ready for bare feet and tan lines and --well, there I go again --jumping ahead to the next season before it is time!

And that's that thing...

The Power of a Life Made New... A Spoken Word

It is Holy Week... 

As Aliza Latta wrote a few days ago,  Jesus is going to die on Friday.

Like Aliza, I can't get over it.  

The thought that He did it for me... He did it for you.  

Sure - it was over two thousand years ago now and I have walked with Him for some time, so Easter is not new to me... but the gift that Holy Week delivers every year is this astonishment at the price He paid to make us His... to call us His Beloved... to buy us back!

You just can't get over that kind of Love.  

There is no getting used to it! --or at least I pray that there isn't.  

I pray that we never tire of singing a love song back Him and we never grow 'used to' the idea that He took our place... stretched out and bridged the gap and died on the Cross to pay our debts... He did it all --2000 years ago-- so that we would live for eternity... so that we would have New Life... and have a new covenant and be grafted in to the Family... in to the Kingdom that is both here and not yet!

Jesus will die on Friday... 

Last Sunday, I was honored to give a Spoken Word...  

Consider this my offering on Wednesday...  lest we forget or become accustomed to this Story... His Story... the greatest story ever told that we have the honor of retelling every single day in how we live and tap into the Power of a Life Made New.

May He give you opportunities this week to let His heart be given through you... 

May you know and remember and lean in to the Power of a Life Made New!

Enough with the Silence Already... a Five Minute Friday post.

I made it to the party Thursday night and for the first time (at least to that extent) we had some unwelcomed visitors! Normally - all are welcome, but --well, let's just say we're not sure WHY they were using our hashtag! Still - even in the midst of reporting and blocking --we managed to connect with the tribe and encourage each other!

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: ENOUGH (and I'll go ahead and warn you right here that Imma go over my Five Minute Time limit! I've been saving up these words for awhile now!)

{GO}

Alright, already... here's the Deal:

We have been keeping a little secret. 
But finally, enough with the silence already...
We're ready to spill!

Never Unfriended - a Book Review post.

OK, so Here's the Deal: 

I wanted to be on Lisa-Jo Bakers Book Launch Team for Never Unfriended because I adore Lisa-Jo Baker! (I mean... Of course, right?) 

So I wanted to support her and help spread the word and who couldn't use a book about friendship and a little encouragement to risk and to grow and to be and to find true, authentic friendships, right? 

You guys... When I was only on Chapter Two I realized that nearly every page so far was underlined and marked by pen and tears... But we should have known this, right? 
Because, Lisa-Jo! 

This book holds within its pages the tools and hope that can heal you from broken relationships and that can stir up joy and grace to reach out and to hold on and to truly learn how to have and how to be a friend!!!

And who doesn't want that?

Define... a Five Minute Friday post.

You know the drill... 

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

{GO}

I {heart} Words.  
 I love them. 

And I use a lot of them, whether it be in person over coffee, in prayer -just Him and me (although I'm learning to speak less and listen more!), or in writing... I tend to have a lot of words at the ready.

I love to pray into a Word --a single word or phrase, that God may desire to use to speak to me through over the coarse of a year.  I also love it when I come across a word that I think I know -or one that is brand new to me, and God prompts me to look it up.

Because, here's the thing: Sometimes we can think we know a thing... but we must dig deeper, look further, wait longer, for the full(er) definition of the word to unfold.

Sometimes we see something, or hear something, or feel something... and we jump to conclusions without taking a breath and waiting for the Lord to define it.

Embrace the Season You're In... a Five Minute Friday post

Yep... you guessed it... we had plans last night so I missed out on the #fmfparty, but we were in need of a night out with friends and it was good four our souls to be intentional in growing some friendships.  I'm here now.  You know what they say... Better late than never, right?

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

{GO}

I remember back when the Lord first started coaxing me to "Embrace Change" --I was not a fan.

It seemed everywhere I went, I would see that phrase or hear Him whisper it to me in the dark of night or in the face of impending change.  

I was used to digging my feet in and resisting... 

I was used to kicking against the goads, thank you very much.  

I wanted things to stay the same... 
to stay seemingly safe and secure... 
small and secluded, even. 

God In The New Journey: Being Brave Enough to Step Out...

aka: Who told you that you could have

a Comfort Zone?

"Listen, I say this all the time: Saying this big, huge, life-changing Yes didn’t feel as much Brave as it did Crazy!  It was completely out of character for us.

However, my husband decided at the first of that New Year that he wanted to be more spontaneous and take more risks. He wanted to change things up a bit and be, his words –not mine, less predictable.

If I’m honest, and I am that, those words caused a mild panic attack to start to flutter around deep inside of me. I liked that he was steady and sure. But at the corners of my heart, I knew this was going to be a year of adventure and beyond the anxious flutters was an anticipation for God to show up and show off for us like never before.

I had NO IDEA…"

***

I am honored to be over at my friend Christine Duncans' corner of the interwebs today, sharing more on Saying Yes to God for her blog series, God in the New Journey.

I'd love for you to join me there to read the rest of the story!

Treasuring the Kindred Heart of a Friend... A Five Minute Friday post

Oh man, y'all! It felt SO GOOD to be back in the flow of the twitter party that is #fmfparty! I {heart} my tribe.

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

{GO}

So I have been making room to breathe... I have been settling in to my One Word this year (Dwell) and allowing myself to not only stand TALL in who I am, but to also sit BACK and relax into how He has wired me.

I wrote awhile back about how He has wired me slow.  It's part of who I am and when I do not fight it, I am able to more fully bring all of me to the table --whatever table it is that He is calling me to, on any given day.

This can prove to be counter cultural and easily pushed aside in order to keep up with my (self-imposed) bossy lists and (over?) full calendar(s)!

And yet... the Lord has been teaching me of the importance of self-care for awhile now too, so I'm catching myself before I hit the wall, full speed. #thankyouJesus!

This often translates to blocking out chunks of time to do things that help to fill me back up.  Even though it is not a secret that I love to introvert, filling back up often looks like this, too:

Because, of course! Right?

Because I need both alone time AND friend time!

With Reckless Abandon... a Five Minute Friday post.

What is it about Thursday nights that makes my Honey think we are open for meetings? I can't know... but it keeps happening! I hope to be with y'all next week! But until then, here's this:

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

{GO}

The first thought that runs across my mind when I see the One Word Prompt is a phrase that we often throw around in this house and in this heart... 

Worship in Reckless Abandon...

That is our hearts desire...
           it's just that sometimes we forget!

Reckless means without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action and Abandon means to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly... To give up control or to cease intending or attempting to perform.

Um... yes, please!  
What do we need more than to worship like that, right?

Oftentimes we think of Abandon and we think abandonment and it shifts to a negative trigger of emotions, but what if we decided to redeem Abandon and we just give it all over to God?

How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Truly See...

It's Monday.
  I {heart} Mondays.

I know that is not the norm. But for me, Mondays come after a full week and weekend of pouring out and loving on people, of being in community with my tribe --in real life and online, and spending time with friends and family, and doing everyday life things like errands, cooking and cleaning (and sometimes writing) and grocery shopping, etc.

For some this sounds like an amazing, charmed life. (It is.  I am well aware, that it is.) However, as an Introvert who loves people, it costs me something. 

Some weeks, it costs me a lot.

So Mondays are set aside to simply sit, to embrace my speed of slow and silence, to reconnect with God, one on one, and to give myself room to breathe.

As sun spilled through the living room window this afternoon, I thought I'd lay in the sunny spot on the floor. (You know... like a cat!)

What We Learned This Winter...

I keep meaning to not be so quiet here, friends! But Life, man... it is busy full and (mostly) great and God is being pretty bossy with me in staying true to my OneWord this year.  More on that below.

It is time for Emily Freeman's quarterly link-up on What We Learned, and it's my favorite! It gives me opportunity to reflect back over a few months at a time and process more fully what God is teaching me! (I'd love for you to join in, too!)

***
10 Random Things I Have Learned so far this year...