Well, here I am doing a "Five-Minute Friday" on Monday. I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving weekend! This week's topic is appropriately "Thank You." You can check out all the Thanksgiving inspiration of these talented writers at Lisa Jo's website. For now, here's what I have:
It has almost become a game. Tiny hands picking up pennies off the floor and putting them in my hand. I say "THANK YOU!" like I have just been given the grandest of treasures. This makes the baby smile, and the game continues, each time little hands putting all they can hold into my hands that can hold so much more. And when all the pennies are picked up, again I say, "Thank you!" for a job well done. As the day goes on, there are many more "Thank you’s" to be said for so many little things. Now we sit, all wrapped in a blanket, with a sippy cup of milk. The lights are off and we watch cartoons as this little one tries hard to stay awake. Then I hear soft even breathing as this little bundle relaxes and gives in to sleep. And I have to say another "Thank you!" This time to God above for giving me such a precious gift.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Five Minute Friday - Stay
OK - I know it's not Friday, but I haven't had access to a computer since I saw Lisa Jo Baker's post last week. This week's Five Minute Friday topic is "stay." Here's what I got:
I am at a very comfortable place in my life right now. But I know I can’t stay here. Soon God will move me to the next plateau. I have viewed life at many different levels. As a child who thought my parents could do no wrong, to a grown woman making plenty of mistakes and realizing they are human just like me. As a new believer at the age of 9, and as a rededicated Christian many years later. As a young wife and mother of one, then of two, then three, and now as a keeper of my home, seasoned with years of life and death, laughter and tears. The view from all these levels has been breathtaking. Some lush and full, others barren and dry. But one day I will reach the top of life’s mountain. The peak that reaches through the clouds and into Heaven. There to stay for eternity.
Click here to meet Lisa Jo and the rest of the Five Minute Friday community.
I am at a very comfortable place in my life right now. But I know I can’t stay here. Soon God will move me to the next plateau. I have viewed life at many different levels. As a child who thought my parents could do no wrong, to a grown woman making plenty of mistakes and realizing they are human just like me. As a new believer at the age of 9, and as a rededicated Christian many years later. As a young wife and mother of one, then of two, then three, and now as a keeper of my home, seasoned with years of life and death, laughter and tears. The view from all these levels has been breathtaking. Some lush and full, others barren and dry. But one day I will reach the top of life’s mountain. The peak that reaches through the clouds and into Heaven. There to stay for eternity.
Click here to meet Lisa Jo and the rest of the Five Minute Friday community.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Right On Time
Several months ago I had the privilege of giving devotion at a ladies’ retreat. At the time I believe I did what God wanted me to do, but I have never felt completely satisfied with it. Like something was missing. Like I didn’t give the full story or get my whole point across. Well, last night as I was doing some reading, I got it. The "other half" of that devotion. It came to me plain as day, word for word, the prologue to my story:
"Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Your brain always going over and over the list of things you need to remember? The list you have written down of things you need to do today, this week, some time this month, or just whenever you can get to it, well it just gets longer and longer. As soon as you take time to clean out that closet, then you have to pack up what you’re giving away, find somewhere to store it until you can find a place to take it, load it up, haul it off. Mark one thing off, add four. That’s where I was.
I had prayed for God to show me something He wanted me to do. Get me out of my comfort zone. The next thing I know, I’m trying to build a Mary Kay business, believing God had opened that door as a way for me to witness to women I otherwise would never have a chance to talk to. I realized I loved to write, and so found myself writing my church’s article for our district's monthly publication. I also took on the job of putting out the church’s "weekly" bulletin (which I was actually only getting out once a month). I had a lot of plates spinning, and no clue how to let one fall. I prayed daily for God to help me get my priorities straight.
One particular Wednesday evening, we had moved our church services to a sister church since our pastor was helping them in revival that week. I was just a little late. This had become my normal because I seemed to be working late more and more (not so much too busy as lack of time management). By the time I got there, the place was standing room only. So I quietly scanned the room for a familiar face, and I found one in the back corner. There was one seat left on her pew, and she gladly welcomed me. I sat through the service, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what the sermon was about. All I could think about were the stops I would need to make on my way home and all that awaited me once I got there. Even while I tried to worship, again I could only ask for guidance.
I heard Him plainly tell me I needed to go to the altar and pray, not just sit in my seat. But when the time came, I put Him off. "Lord, I don’t want to prolong the service. I really need to get home. You know what all I have to do." But it was almost like He was standing at the front of the church saying, "If you want your answer, come to me." (Looking back now, it reminds me of what we do when our children are young. You tell them to "come here;" they stand there and just look at you as if to say, "Why? You can just as easily come to me, or tell me from where you are." So we go get them and bring them to where we want them to be.) So anyway, back to my story... I kept thinking, if they’d sing one more verse I’d go to the altar. They sang the chorus three extra times, and I didn’t move. Finally they stopped singing, and I thought I was off the hook. Then the preacher turns and says, "No, we need to sing one more verse." Are you kidding me! Fine, I’ll go! And I went. I cried like I hadn’t cried in a long time. All my pent-up frustration at myself and my situation just came pouring out. I knew when I got up that God would show me exactly what I needed to change, and I now had the clear vision to see it. There was light at the end of the tunnel.
As I made my way back to my seat and the service ended, my friend came to me, the first words spoken to me after I got up from the altar - "Would you like to do devotion at the ladies’ retreat this year?" "Yes! I’d love to!" But when I got to the car, I had to question God. "I asked you to show me what I could stop doing, and you give me one more thing to do? I don’t get it!"
I figured I was just supposed to be a busy person. That was my lot in life, what God wanted from me. I was to get things done. Okay then. Over the next few months things did ease up though. Priorities fell into place at home and at work - God first, Family second, Career third. My Mary Kay business settled at a level I could live with. And with an extra driver in the house, I could trust him to handle the small errands. Unfortunately, the church bulletin did get dropped, but mainly because my printer ran out of ink and my home computer crashed.
All this led to the devotion I wrote about in "My Basket of Leftovers" post back in March. I was that loaf of bread. I knew God had a purpose for me, and I was comfortable just getting to dabble in it. But when He called me to do that "big thing," he had to pull me apart to accomplish His purpose. Why all this came to me so clearly six months after I needed it, I’ll never know. Maybe that was just the beginning of something bigger He has in store for me. Maybe this will reach more people now than it would have then. One thing I do know - God's timing is always perfect.
"Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Your brain always going over and over the list of things you need to remember? The list you have written down of things you need to do today, this week, some time this month, or just whenever you can get to it, well it just gets longer and longer. As soon as you take time to clean out that closet, then you have to pack up what you’re giving away, find somewhere to store it until you can find a place to take it, load it up, haul it off. Mark one thing off, add four. That’s where I was.
I had prayed for God to show me something He wanted me to do. Get me out of my comfort zone. The next thing I know, I’m trying to build a Mary Kay business, believing God had opened that door as a way for me to witness to women I otherwise would never have a chance to talk to. I realized I loved to write, and so found myself writing my church’s article for our district's monthly publication. I also took on the job of putting out the church’s "weekly" bulletin (which I was actually only getting out once a month). I had a lot of plates spinning, and no clue how to let one fall. I prayed daily for God to help me get my priorities straight.
One particular Wednesday evening, we had moved our church services to a sister church since our pastor was helping them in revival that week. I was just a little late. This had become my normal because I seemed to be working late more and more (not so much too busy as lack of time management). By the time I got there, the place was standing room only. So I quietly scanned the room for a familiar face, and I found one in the back corner. There was one seat left on her pew, and she gladly welcomed me. I sat through the service, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what the sermon was about. All I could think about were the stops I would need to make on my way home and all that awaited me once I got there. Even while I tried to worship, again I could only ask for guidance.
I heard Him plainly tell me I needed to go to the altar and pray, not just sit in my seat. But when the time came, I put Him off. "Lord, I don’t want to prolong the service. I really need to get home. You know what all I have to do." But it was almost like He was standing at the front of the church saying, "If you want your answer, come to me." (Looking back now, it reminds me of what we do when our children are young. You tell them to "come here;" they stand there and just look at you as if to say, "Why? You can just as easily come to me, or tell me from where you are." So we go get them and bring them to where we want them to be.) So anyway, back to my story... I kept thinking, if they’d sing one more verse I’d go to the altar. They sang the chorus three extra times, and I didn’t move. Finally they stopped singing, and I thought I was off the hook. Then the preacher turns and says, "No, we need to sing one more verse." Are you kidding me! Fine, I’ll go! And I went. I cried like I hadn’t cried in a long time. All my pent-up frustration at myself and my situation just came pouring out. I knew when I got up that God would show me exactly what I needed to change, and I now had the clear vision to see it. There was light at the end of the tunnel.
As I made my way back to my seat and the service ended, my friend came to me, the first words spoken to me after I got up from the altar - "Would you like to do devotion at the ladies’ retreat this year?" "Yes! I’d love to!" But when I got to the car, I had to question God. "I asked you to show me what I could stop doing, and you give me one more thing to do? I don’t get it!"
I figured I was just supposed to be a busy person. That was my lot in life, what God wanted from me. I was to get things done. Okay then. Over the next few months things did ease up though. Priorities fell into place at home and at work - God first, Family second, Career third. My Mary Kay business settled at a level I could live with. And with an extra driver in the house, I could trust him to handle the small errands. Unfortunately, the church bulletin did get dropped, but mainly because my printer ran out of ink and my home computer crashed.
All this led to the devotion I wrote about in "My Basket of Leftovers" post back in March. I was that loaf of bread. I knew God had a purpose for me, and I was comfortable just getting to dabble in it. But when He called me to do that "big thing," he had to pull me apart to accomplish His purpose. Why all this came to me so clearly six months after I needed it, I’ll never know. Maybe that was just the beginning of something bigger He has in store for me. Maybe this will reach more people now than it would have then. One thing I do know - God's timing is always perfect.
Friday, November 9, 2012
My First Five-Minute Friday
I have been reading a blog by Lisa Jo Baker for quite some time, and she has this thing she does every Friday called "Five-Minute Friday." Once a week, bloggers from all over take five minutes and write on the same topic. This week's topic is "Quiet." Here's my attempt to write for five minutes flat, no editing, just typing:
I just got to work. The phone hasn’t started ringing yet. The boss is out of town. Looks like a quiet day ahead. I have a few minutes at my computer to check email. I find myself reading inspirational blog posts and daily devotions. I see that my friends on facebook are living their own lives today. In this quiet time, I hear all those voices. Some needing prayer, some giving praise for prayers answered. Do I hear God speaking to me? Yes, I think I do. I hope this quiet continues so that I can use my own voice to share what God says to me. Will it be profound? Will it be simple? Will it be something I’ve known for a long time but only now is confirmed? Will I need to make decisions that will affect not only me, but the lives of my family and others? As a wife and mother, my life is not quiet. I cherish these moments, when I can sit and listen. Sometimes nothing speaks quite so loudly as the silence.
And right on cue, the phone rings.
Here's a link to Lisa Jo if you want to try it out for yourself: http://lisajobaker.com/2012/11/five-minute-friday-quiet/
I just got to work. The phone hasn’t started ringing yet. The boss is out of town. Looks like a quiet day ahead. I have a few minutes at my computer to check email. I find myself reading inspirational blog posts and daily devotions. I see that my friends on facebook are living their own lives today. In this quiet time, I hear all those voices. Some needing prayer, some giving praise for prayers answered. Do I hear God speaking to me? Yes, I think I do. I hope this quiet continues so that I can use my own voice to share what God says to me. Will it be profound? Will it be simple? Will it be something I’ve known for a long time but only now is confirmed? Will I need to make decisions that will affect not only me, but the lives of my family and others? As a wife and mother, my life is not quiet. I cherish these moments, when I can sit and listen. Sometimes nothing speaks quite so loudly as the silence.
And right on cue, the phone rings.
Here's a link to Lisa Jo if you want to try it out for yourself: http://lisajobaker.com/2012/11/five-minute-friday-quiet/
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