Monthly Archives: July 2018

Have Thine Own Way ~ Five Minute Friday

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No WAY! Yes WAY! It’s Five Minute Friday already again!!! And, by the WAY, the prompt today is…. WAY! So aWAY we go and if you get carried aWAY you can make your WAY over to
http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to read WAY more!

Have Thine Own Way

“Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) / Pixabay

Many years ago, when my daughter was young, she and her friend were in the kitchen cooking with a recipe they’d found to make play-doh.  I could hear their giggles from the other room and decided to peek in. Rounding the corner, what I saw made me squeal!  There stood one girl holding my best Tupperware bowl over a hot stove element while the other was mixing vigorously.  It was quite a sight because the tallest one was holding the bowl and the tiny one, standing on her tip-toes, was attempting to stir the mixture.  When I was able to finally get my words out, I asked what in the world they were doing?  Dismayed, they couldn’t understand why I’d be upset as they were just following the instructions which read: “stir OVER heat”! “Stir over heat” has since become a standing joke in our family.

There’s just something about play-doh and clay that children love. Adults too! (At least this adult does) I think it’s that you can work and work to make something just the way you want it.  It may take a few tries with a squeeze here to close a gap, or a pinch there to cover a mistake until ultimately you create the masterpiece you’d visualized.

There’s an old hymn that says: “Have Thine own way, Lord! You are the Potter; I am the clay” and the book of Isaiah shares with us, the same message.  God sees the masterpiece each of US can be.  His artistry created  through our good times and bad, the people we come in contact with, the gifts we have, and everything in-between as we journey through life. With a squeeze here or a pinch there, we are skillfully being molded into the Potter’s vision. I have to admit, it’s easier to say “Have Your own way” when things are smooth and coming together.  Not so much, when we’re being stirred over heat and there are mistakes to cover! But, just as play-doh in a child’s hand lovingly becomes a treasured creation; so are we, in the loving hands of our Creator who continues to mold each of us until one day, He will look upon His perfect design and say, “Well done”.

Oh Eve, What Have You Done? ~ Five Minute Friday

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These thoughts have been tumbling around in my head since a friend and I talked about how many years we’ve been doing chores we don’t like to do.  For some reason, mopping floors, matching socks, and putting groceries away are jobs I don’t enjoy.  What are yours? Anyway, the prompt for today is “Done” at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and this title just popped into my mind and so here we go:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit y itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 (NIV) / Pixabay

Oh Eve, What Have You Done?

Have you ever stopped and thought of
All we wouldn’t do today
If it wasn’t for old Eve
Following her own selfish way?

Menu plans and grocery stores
Not used for our family to feed;
The garden would have provided
Everything we’d need.

Pills, shots, and doctor bills
Wouldn’t subtract from our wealth.
Living where God intended us to be
We’d stay in perfect health.

No ironing. No mopping.
No chores at all to bear.
In Eden, there’d be nothing to scrub
Or the need to wash what we wear.

Disappointment, pain, and grief,
Failure, sin, and strife.
Never part of God’s perfect place
Her forbidden bite brought them to life.

Without a doubt I know,
In my heart this to be true:
We’re not so different Eve and I
In all we say and do.

Way to often I listen to
That cold, slithery voice
Offering up tasty bait
And I bite at the wrong choice.

Full of shame, fear and guilt
I run for a leaf and hide.
I deserve to be kept from the Garden
Because of my own pride.

Yes, once Eve bit the apple,
It couldn’t be undone.
Banned from the Garden forever,
The serpent thought he’d won.

But God had another plan;
His Son died for our sin.
He’s opened up the Garden gate
For all to enter in.

Today like Eve, we have a choice
Take a bite or abstain.
Will you follow after the viper
Or with the Gardener remain?

Vacation or Planted?

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It’s Friday again!  Boy the weeks fly by, especially for those of you on summer break!  You always read about the lazy days of summer but somehow, they seem to rush by way too quickly.  Today’s prompt at  http://www.fiveminutefriday.com is “Vacation”.  Pretty appropriate isn’t it?  I hope you’ll click over and see what the other talented writers have to say on the subject!

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)/ Pixabay

For me, it usually began in mid-May:  the countdown leading to the end of the school year.  There was something reassuring about those tiny numbers I’d written in the corner of each day’s lesson plan.  They somehow made it seem possible that I’d make it to the end; and believe me, some days it definitely felt more possible than others!

Despite my doubts, without fail each year the textbooks were counted and put away, final grades got added to report cards, walls carefully stripped of their decorations, and with a last glance over my shoulder I’d drag myself out the door not sure I could even make it to my car.

We’ve all been there. Life is busy and complicated and stressful! Whether it’s parenting, your career, caring for someone, an illness, or a million other things; our souls become drained and parched as if a drought has left us shriveled and burned up. What we desperately desire at that point is a vacation! A chance for respite to rest, recharge, and renew. Each year, summer break dangled that chance in front of me but somehow, despite several weeks off and an annual trip to the sea, the days always flew by and summer vacation just never seemed quite long enough to restore my drained soul.

Looking back, I now realize that it wasn’t the length of my vacation that was the problem; it was the depth that left me still feeling withered. I sought refreshment in a slower schedule with days of sleeping in, lingering, and doing less; when instead, I should have been seeking to be refilled by spending more time with God and His Word.

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.  It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” ” John 4:13-14 (NLT)

These days, when I get the urge to pack my bags or my thoughts head off in search of a place of replenishment, I’m learning to stop and remind myself where it is I need to be planted. Vacations are wonderful, but they only last until real life calls us back. Living day to day, deeply rooted in the hope of Jesus, the Living Water, helps us not only thrive in the midst of real life, but also eternally. And that my friends, is what truly satisfies the soul!

 

 

Share Four Somethings

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I’m excited to be trying something new today.  As I scrolled through my Twitter feed, I happened upon #ShareFourSomethings at http://www.heathergerwing.com The idea is to share the four somethings: something loved, something said, something learned, and something read you’ve experienced within the past month.  I don’t know about you but June flew by for me.  The calendar page was full of appointments, meetings, special events, trips, you name it; but within the busyness were some very special “somethings” that I’ll always hold dear. So, here we go….

SOMETHING LOVED

 

June brought a double celebration of love! Two birthday parties in one day!  Not a feat for the timid! Our morning celebration, in honor of grandson, Owen’s first birthday was a delicious breakfast buffet that included Cinnamon Roll Cake no less!  How can he possibly be one already?  Owen’s smile is infectious, his curls adorable, and he’s the spitting image of his momma!

Later that afternoon we went “Up, Up, and Away” for Carson’s third birthday! Airplanes and toddlers everywhere!  The energy level was higher than this MiMi is used to! I can’t believe I’ve actually been a MiMi for three years!  Carson has changed so much!  He’s learning new things all the time, loves to cook, and looks just like his daddy did at his age!

I thought I knew all about love until these two precious blessings came into my life!  All the sayings about how wonderful being a grandparent is are true!  Carson and Owen are my something loved in June AND all year round, too!

SOMETHING SAID

It’s funny how what we perceive as reality often isn’t.  I love to write and my kids know about “mom’s little blog”, however, I’ve believed that at best, they think I’m silly and at worst I’m wasting time.  That all changed with the most meaningful words said in a belated Mother’s Day Card, one by the way, I’ll treasure forever! Accompanying a journal, these were the words said:

“This journal is for you to write down all your ideas so that everything is in one place and you can write many books and blogs from the ideas. We can’t wait to call our Mom/MiMi a published author because we know you can do it!”

As you might guess, the tears flowed as I hugged that card to my chest.  To know my family believes in me are some of the sweetest words ever said!

SOMETHING LEARNED

The end of June found me atop a mountain at a cabin retreat with some of my closest and dearest friends.  Now, whenever we are all together there’s laughter that rattles the rafters, food that satisfies every tastebud, stories that go on through the night, and gatherings around a campfire.  This trip was no different except…….the wind!  It was so windy that the fire queen couldn’t safely do her thing.  Did that stop us? No!  I learned that though the howling winds may blow, S’mores will be made and that an electric stove comes in pretty handy when there are six women craving roasted marshmallows and chocolate!

SOMETHING READ

As I wrestle with this desire I have to write, I’m trying to soak in as much knowledge as I can from those who ARE writers.  I belong to a writing group called Hope*Writers and I’m going through all the varied trainings they offer.  One of their recommended readings is “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott, so of course I put it right on my Amazon wish list and low and behold it was given to me as an anniversary gift. (After 35 years he’s starting to know me HaHa) As I read it, a myriad of emotions come with each chapter.  I haven’t finished the whole book yet, but this I know from my something read so far……I have A LOT to learn about being a writer!

This was fun! Want to give it a try?  Share Four Somethings of your own in the comments! I can’t wait to read them!  I hope to share with you again in a month! Who knows what wonderments July might bring?

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