“No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:15-16
I’m Not Normal
Left-handed I am,
In a right-handed world.
Straight hair is “it”.
Mine is permanently curled.
Night owl, no doubt
I’m no early bird.
Rule follower, too
Which some find quite absurd.
Those “Goody-Two-Shoes”,
They are just my size.
And for playing it safe?
I’d surely win the prize!
I’ve never felt normal
Somehow always out of place.
“Maybe”, they’ve said,
“You’re from outer space.”
It took many years to
Learn “they’re” not wrong.
I Do have a home in the Heavens
Where I truly belong!
When saved by His grace
We’re not meant to fit in.
Being different from the rest
Shines a light upon Him.
No, I’m not normal
But see things in a new way.
The world may not accept me
And that’s really okay.
So, if you too are feeling
Set apart like me
Rejoice in knowing
It’s how God’s planned it to be!
“Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him.” Romans 12:2 (CEV)
Better late than never! I’ve been struggling with the prompt “Normal” this week and this is finally the result. I’m joining the other writers (just a few days late) at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you and yours are safe and well. I greatly appreciate you taking your time to stop in. God Bless You!
“Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.” Psalm 127:3 (CEV)
A Mother’s Refrain
There is no song so beautiful
No tune as pure and sweet.
A rhythm written lovingly
Echos her heart beat for beat.
It’s sung when they are tiny
Rewritten as they grow.
The lines are full of hopes and dreams
And love that overflows.
The verse not often spoken
But plays softly in her soul.
Composed of failure and success
A chorus of life made whole.
She lifts her voice in thanksgiving
When she sees all they have done.
And sings of them as always
Though they’re thirty-five and thirty-one.
This melody so enduring
Tells her stories of joy and pain.
Truly the greatest hymn ever written
None other than a Mother’s Refrain.
Offering this poem today as part of http://www.fiveminutefriday.com where the prompt is “Refrain”. There are many meanings for the word and I’m sure just as many different writings for you to read if you click on over. Once again, I thank you for being here with me. I pray you are well and safe. God Bless!
”I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12 (BSB)
Backward Perspective
There is much suffering surrounding us today. Many face physical and mental health challenges, financial difficulties, exhaustion, and even death. We are a world that is grieving what has been and the unknown yet to come. I’m so very grateful that for now, my family and I are well and adjusting to this new way of life as best we can. My heart aches for, and my prayers go out to those who are in the midst of much more agonizing situations.
There’s no doubt that living in a very rural area has protected me from many of the effects resulting from this pandemic. That being said, it hasn’t stopped me from at times, becoming overwhelmed by worry and allowing my fears to carry me away into a wave of panic. My thoughts have swirled around the safety of my friends and loved ones, the well-being of my daughter who’s expecting, the miles that separate me from my children, mom, sisters, and grandchildren, the growing case numbers in our state and country, and wondering what our future will look like. The list goes on and I’m sure you could add to it! Under the best of times, I have to fight the current of worry and fear, and in these worse times? There’ve been days when it’s felt as if their weight may just pull me under.
Luckily, this week I’ve had a change of perspective and it came in an unexpected way. Opening my post office box, I was surprised to find a note from my mom. Inside the envelope I found she’d enclosed two letters I’d written her in November of 1985, days after we’d experienced a deadly flood. (She’d been “isolation cleaning” and found them tucked in her desk.) As I removed the pages from the envelopes addressed in my own handwriting and began reading the raw, emotional words within them, I was transported back to a devastating time in my life. Those were days where it was hard to speak because there were no words and nights where the only sound was the raging river that made its way where the road once had been. No electricity. No water. No heat. No communication. No way in and no way out. Everything had changed overnight and there we were: isolated.
So how did reliving those heart wrenching, sorrow-filled, scary, uncomfortable months change my perspective? First of all, it reminded me how much better off I am in isolation now than I was back then. Even with the restrictions, I have everything I need right at my fingertips! More importantly though, looking back has helped me remember that as difficult as that time was, we saw God at work in many unexpected ways and received blessing upon blessing in the midst of all the challenges.
Sometimes, a backward perspective can help us move forward.
As funny as it sounds, those words I wrote thirty plus years ago helped me realize that I. Am. Here! Even though the flood of 1985 was something we never expected to experience and at the time, couldn’t imagine what life would hold in the future, I’m now living that future. I made it through! And that, my friends, gives me hope for today! I pray it brings some to you, too! Yes, life changes, but I’m learning that remembering God’s faithfulness in our past can help us trust in His unchanging love now and in whatever the future holds.
I’ve decided to keep my letters where I can see them for a while so that if I find myself beginning to sink back into worry or fear, they’ll prompt me to change my perspective, stand firm, and remember, “I am here!” Thanks be to God!
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
Psalm 103:2 (NLT)
Today’s prompt at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com is “Perspective”. I don’t know about you, but I need to change mine more often than I’d like that’s why I think these old letters have made such an impact on me. If you’d like to read what others have written on the subject, just click over and enjoy! Please know that I am so grateful for your presence here. If you have a prayer request please leave it in the comments and I will be honored to pray for you. God Bless and stay safe!
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18
Another
I open my eyes
What day is this?
One seems to blend with another.
The scenery’s the same
The company, too
I miss my grands and my mother.
I close my eyes
So many needs
I lift them one after another.
The fear’s the same
The worries, too
I pray that we’ll soon recover.
I open my eyes
And look for the good.
I list them one, then another.
The helpers, the healers,
The sacrifice, the love
Opportunities to serve our brother.
I close my eyes
But before I sleep
I count blessings, another and another.
The world has changed.
I hope we have, too.
New priorities for us to discover.
Yes, I open my eyes
What is this day?
A gift! Let us be grateful for another!
“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NLT)
It’s April, Poetry Month, and I haven’t written one poem so figured today was a good day to do it! Joining with my friends at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to write to the prompt “Another”. I’m pretty sure there will be lots of inspiration and encouragement there! Click over and see for yourself! I hope you are safe and well! Thank you for stopping in! It means a lot to me!
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14 (NLT)
Do It Now
Someday, I’m going to forgive him….
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to tell her how much she means to me…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to do more for my church…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to publish a children’s book…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to be a better Christian, daughter, wife, mother, MiMi, friend…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to stop striving for perfection, control, attention, worth…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to live as the one God designed me to be, not who I see in the mirror…..
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to trust….
Do it now!
Someday, I’m going to stop saying someday…..
Do it now!
Someday I’m going to _________….
For whatever you’ve filled in the blank with, join me in saying:
Do it NOW!
Living in this unexpected, uncertain time has already taught me many things. I’m sure it’s the same for you. One of the most significant for me, is that we don’t know what the future holds, not even tomorrow! And here’s the funny thing, I’ve never known; and yet somehow, I thought, and maybe you have too, that I did. So in the midst of nothing but the unknown, I’m challenging myself to learn to stop being a “someday” gal and instead, live seeking God’s direction and then: Do it now!
Anyone want to join me?
“Never boast about tomorrow. You don’t know what will happen between now and then.” Proverbs 27:1 (GNT)
The prompt this week at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com is “Now”. Pretty timely right? I’d love for you to share in the comments so things you want to do now instead of someday. Hope you know how much I appreciate you joining me here and if you’d like to read more offerings just click on the link above. God Bless and stay safe!
“Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.” Mark 8:25 (NLT)
The Three Mirrors
Back in the dark ages when I was in high school, Driver’s Ed. was required before you could get your license. I remember nervously awaiting my first time behind the wheel. When it was finally my turn, was I ever disappointed because we didn’t go anywhere! We never even turned the key. The lesson was spent in preparing to start the car: sliding the seat to where the distance to the pedals felt comfortable, positioning the seat back, fastening the safety belt, monitoring the lights and gauges, and coming last but not least, looking into the three mirrors.
The three mirrors…. My teacher stressed the importance of adjusting them, so as the driver, I could see clearly behind me before ever moving ahead. I was also taught to glance often in each one in an effort to remain aware of what was behind me, but not to spend too much time looking back. And then, I learned how their use could help me safely change lanes when the need arose. Lessons from so long ago ( I won’t tell you HOW long) and yet I still use them today, each time as I travel down the road.
Why bring up my schooling of yesteryear? Because I’m realizing that during this strange time of isolation and social distancing, like the three mirrors, my own vision is also being adjusted. Waiting nervously to have this behind us, I’ve begun to see that in the midst of this uncertain, challenging time there are lessons I may need to learn:
When the waiting is over, clearly look back on this experience before moving ahead. Prepare before just proceeding back into “normal life”. I don’t want to slide back into being comfortable and taking the little things of life for granted. I do want to position myself to best see what needs lie ahead that I might meet, and I want to move through my world a little more safely by monitoring the mark (or germs) I and others might leave in our paths.
Don’t live in fear by spending too much time dwelling on all that’s happened. With #1 being said, it would be easy for me to let anxious thoughts prevent my moving on and out. While looking back is important for learning, staying there will get me nowhere. And,
Be aware of the positive things that have resulted from this time of slowing down and staying in, then, make the changes needed to proceed. I’ve loved hearing and reading about parents interacting with their children, projects being done, dinners eaten together, books being read, games being played, neighbors helping neighbors! All these wonderful things happening and even some in my own life too, that never would have occurred under normal circumstances. I want to be watching for ways to help those kind of things continue!
Yes, my eyes have been opened and I’m seeing a little more clearly that I have a lot to learn! These are just a few lessons I’ve been taught as a result of what’s going on today. Ones I hope I’ll now remember and use everyday as I journey down this road called life. What about you? What are you learning as you travel through this time of uncertainty and accommodation? I’d love for you to share them in the comments!
I hope you are staying safe, doing well, and when this is behind us, if your vision, like mine, is being adjusted, then I pray that together we might just be the key that puts us all on the road to a better way of life! Oh, and let us not forget to check those mirrors! God Bless!
Even though it’s not Friday, I’m writing to join the others who have participated at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and shared their ideas about the prompt “Adjust”. I’m late, but there’s definitely still time for you to click over and read some great thoughts! As always, I thank you for being here!
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
Fixed Focus
Filled with excitement, I walked into the studio for my first ballet lesson. Wearing my new purple leotard, I felt gracefully light on my feet. We lined up in front of a mirrored wall and music filled the room. I pointed my toe, what form! I stepped this way and that, what poise! It was when we began to spin, as ballerinas do, that things began to go wrong. What dismay! Without warning, I suddenly found myself lying on the floor, the room whirling around me.
Our instructor quickly untangled my feet, helped me stand, and proceeded to use me as a teaching opportunity. She explained the importance of a dancer picking a focal point and keeping their eyes on it instead of trying to see everything around them as they spin. Fixed focus results in better balance and control of the direction the dancer is moving she told us. As you might have guessed by now, my dancing career was alas, short lived.
Life has become somewhat like my ballet lesson of long ago, hasn’t it? We’ve been moving this way and that, smoothly through our days, when without warning, everything began spinning out of control and now we find ourselves floored at what’s happening. I feel certain I’m not alone when I tell you that my mind has been whirling and twirling: “COVID-19.” “Social distancing.” “Stay at home order.” “Essential services.” What dismay!
We want to know what will happen tomorrow, next month, with our bank accounts, with our temperatures, with our loved ones, and our neighbors. The oh-no’s and what-ifs fill our minds. Taking it all in is dizzying and can easily put us into a tailspin!
Thankfully, we have an “Instructor” who will untangle our thoughts and help us stand in this, and in any challenging time. His Word teaches us that to finish the race (or the dance) we must stop trying to envision everything that might happen because it only serves to trip us up:
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” Hebrews 12:2-3 (NLT)
I’m reminded in this uncertain time, that to perform at our best, we must choose Jesus as our focal point, keeping our eyes securely on Him and trusting that He’s in control of the direction we’re moving. Of course, the unknowns, concerns, and questions of the changing world around us continue to upset our balance but we’re not doing a solo. He is with us and He cares. So, whether we find ourselves crawling, walking, or running, through these next days and weeks, let’s remember to fix our sight on things above. It won’t make everything else disappear but it WILL help keep us from spinning out of control.
I am tardy is joining with the skilled writers at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com where the prompt on Friday was “Tomorrow”. Well I kept putting off till tomorrow and am only finishing now on Monday. I’m looking forward to reading others’ ideas on tomorrow. I know you’d enjoy it too. As always, thank you for being here!
“For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
Lovingly, Aunt Florence
My Great-Aunt Florence was a strong woman; she was confident in her faith, and to me, She. Was. Brave! I admire her courage, because like her, I care about my loved ones’ salvation; but unlike me, Aunt Florence went beyond caring and took action! The possibility of backlash, ruffled feathers, or hurt feelings didn’t stop her from reaching out to every member of her family who she had an address for, inviting us each to accept Jesus if we hadn’t already. Her letters spoke of the peace, trust, and contentment she found as a result of her faith in God and she urged us to seek the same through accepting Jesus’ sacrifice, going to church, and reading the Bible. She closed by writing: “Whether your response to this letter is positive or negative, I’d love to hear from you.”
It’s hard to admit, but I’ve missed opportunities to speak of salvation with others, simply because I fear receiving those negative responses that Aunt Florence openly welcomed, (I’m sad to say, her “brave gene” didn’t get passed on to me), but rereading her old letters has inspired me to do better! And I’m going to try and start now.
Have you stopped to think that we have less time to live today than we did yesterday? And that tomorrow, we’ll have less than we do right now? With everything going on in the world at this moment: the fear, the panic, the unknown, it seems the perfect time for each of us to stop and consider our future. We all know this, but our present circumstances clearly remind us that we don’t know what lies ahead. Let’s ask ourselves, are we prepared?
Twenty-five years ago at the age of almost 90, My Great-Aunt Florence shared these scriptures with our family and with me. And now, I’m going to share them with you:
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’ ” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ ” John 14:6 (NLT)
“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
1 John 1:8-9 (NLT)
And I’ll add this one to hers:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)
The world is in turmoil. The future seems bleak. But here’s the good news: there’s no reason for despair. WE HAVE A HOPE! My heartfelt desire is for each of those I love and care about to spend no less than eternity with me in Heaven. I feel the same about you, who are reading this! Let me end these more than “five minutes” with some of the last words Aunt Florence shared and while they were written for me and my family, I know without a doubt, she wrote them with the intent that they’d be passed on:
“For many years Christ has been my strength, my shield, and my song, giving me peace that passes all understanding. He’ll give it to you, too, if you’ll ask Him.
Evermore keep the faith!
Lovingly, Aunt Florence”
Today’s prompt is “Less” over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com Click over to read what others have written today! As always, I appreciate you taking your time to stop in. God Bless!
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.” Matthew 13:16 (NLT)
Clear Vision
I don’t know how my glasses get so dirty! I’ll be going through my day, when all of the sudden I realize that my vision isn’t as clear as it had been. Taking off my glasses, I discover a coating of grimy, who knows what that is blurring my view and a good cleaning is needed.
My glasses are a perfect reminder of how easy it is to go about our lives and suddenly notice that our own focus is clouded. We’ve been feeling our way, looking through a film of fear, a haze of hate, a glaze of grief, or any other residue we’ve clung to, and now, that’s all we can see. We need to regain clarity.
“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; but rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)
I want to see clearly forever! How about you?
This is Day 10 of the 10 Day Writing Prompt Challenge hosted by @fiveminutefriday Today’s prompt is: CLEAR #10daywritingchallenge #writingprompt #fmfparty #hopewriterlife #clear #Icanseeclearlynow #fixyourgazeonHim
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)
It Would Be a Mistake
It would be a mistake to think that these past few mild days mean Spring is here. I know from experience that there are more cold, dark days ahead. I also know from experience, that it’s a mistake to think Winter will last forever, too. These little catkins (blooms on a Pussy Willow tree) give me hope! They’re a promise of what’s to come: new life, sunnier days, a fresh start.
I know from experience too, that it’s a mistake to think that our lives are only filled with calm, pleasant days; or, that if we’re frozen in the chill of dark, gloomy times, we’ll stay there forever. We have a Promise of new life, renewal, and days full of Light. We have a Hope!
“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on.” 1 Peter 1:3 (CEV)
Easter is coming!
This is Day 9 of the 10 Day Writing Prompt Challenge hosted by @fiveminutefriday Today’s prompt is: MISTAKE #10daywritingchallenge #writingprompt #fmfparty #hopewriterlife #mistake #Hopespringseternal
