Tag Archives: Five Minute Friday

More Than Enough

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“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

More Than Enough

Over the years, I’ve been inspired by several excellent cooks and one of my favorites was my friend, Evelyn. She always created dishes that lured you back for seconds! (And maybe thirds if it was her homemade bread and jelly!) Now, most people would be happy if their guests left little behind at the end of a meal, but not Evelyn.  Her philosophy was to provide all we could eat and still have more to serve. “Enough” was not in Evelyn’s vocabulary. She’d always keep watch and when she saw something running low, she was ready to fill it right back up.  By her example, I’ve learned to always be prepared to offer more than enough. And that’s exactly what I try to do whether cooking for two or twenty-two! I only wish I was better at applying “Evelyn’s Way” when offering my talents, too.

“By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But He answered, ‘ You give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ‘How many loves do you have?’ He asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five-and two fish.’ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then He gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.” Mark 6:35-44 (NIV)

I’m afraid when it comes to thinking about offering to others the talents and abilities God’s given me, I’m an awful lot like the disciples in the scripture above, offering excuses instead: “Wrong place and time, There’s someone else who can serve them, I don’t have the means, Surely, you don’t expect that of me?”  I’m still learning, maybe I’m not the only one, the same thing the disciples were: that when we place our little into Jesus’s hands, He’ll make it into more than enough to be shared with those around us!

I don’t know about you, but for me, in today’s social media driven world, it’s easy to look around and feel I don’t have as much on my plate to offer as others do. But, just as a meal in Evelyn’s hands provided her family and friends with all they needed and more, so are we in the hands of the One who has given us our talent in the first place. He’s watching and ready to fill us with not just enough, but rather in “Evelyn’s Way”; so, that whether we’re around the table, sitting in the green grass, or anywhere else, we’ll have more than enough of what we need to serve one another OR even five thousand others, well!

Joining today with other writers in TWO places! You can learn more at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and https://anitaojeda.com/welcome-to-the-write-28-days-blogging-challenge/ This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is “Talent” and the prompt for Day 7 of the Write 28 Days Challenge is “Enough”. I know you’ll enjoy reading the offerings on both sites! As always, I hope you know how much I appreciate the support you give me by being here! 

 

Begin at the Beginning

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“In the beginning God….” Genesis 1:1a (NLT)

Begin at the Beginning

The beginning of a trip is always difficult. There are preparations to be made, suitcases to be packed, things that must be left behind, and you actually have to take that first step to be on your way. Our life journey leading to see our true selves is not so different: We spend time preparing, carry A LOT of baggage to bring along (most of mine has been gathered, carefully folded, and packed away by yours truly), there are definitely things we’d like to leave behind, and stepping into who we’re meant to be often proves to be a little daunting. But, if we’re going to get anywhere, step out we must.

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

When looking in a mirror, how often do we say to ourselves, “Wow! I am the spitting image of God!” I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that’s ever been my response as I’ve analyzed the reflection staring back at me. Why is that?

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:31a (NLT)

Did you catch that? God didn’t look at humankind and say, “I guess they’re ok.” And he didn’t even describe His creation as “good”; no, God looked upon all he’d made, including man and woman and declared them to be VERY good! Again, there are few times that I stand in front of a mirror and describe what I see as “very good” and I have a feeling I’m not alone.

So, when did we (OK, me) begin to look at ourselves and focus only on the unruly, curly hair (or freckles, weight, sagging skin…you get the idea) instead of seeing the image of God? What causes us to point out all the negative things we pick up on rather than leaning in closer to find the reflection of Christ? And why do we feel we must try harder, work longer, achieve more to make up for our perceived shortcomings when “In the beginning God…”

We can spend so much time believing we’re not enough that we forget that God IS. This is where my journey, and yours too must begin! When we travel to learn more about who God created us to be, we’ll be headed toward a destination where old thoughts and ways can be left  behind, extra baggage we’ve been carrying will be unpacked, and we can confidently step into who we’re meant to be. Exploring new places (especially within ourselves) can sometimes be difficult. There may be wrong turns, detours, dead ends, and if you’re like me, we’ll ask, “Are we there yet:” (probably more than once); but from the beginning, God invited us to join Him on the open road and sent Jesus to help get us to our journey’s end:

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians

Yes, with the Lord we are changing! Step by step, He teaches us to trust His plan, how to lighten our load, and to leave worrying about our old selves (curly hair, wrinkles, and all) behind. From beginning to end, our journey to becoming more like Christ is leading us to a place where we’ll finally learn to look at ourselves in the mirror, see the “glorious image” He sees, and truly believe, “It is very good!”

Joining today with other writers in TWO places! You can learn more at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and https://anitaojeda.com/welcome-to-the-write-28-days-blogging-challenge/ This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is “Life” and the prompt for Day 1 of the Write 28 Days Challenge is “Begin”. I know you’ll enjoy reading the offerings on both sites! As always, I hope you know how much I appreciate the support you give me by being here! 

Relief ~ Five Minute Friday

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How Do You Spell Relief?

There’s an old commercial, maybe you remember it, where the announcer asks, “How do you spell relief?” The actors’ answers were all the same: R-O-L-A-I-D-S. And while yes, easing stomach upset is important at times, if asked the same question, my answers would be quite different.

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed. him. But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now is found.’ So the party began.” Luke 15:20, 22-24(NLT)

I’d only walked away for a moment. Where could he have gone? I called and called. No response.  Breathing became difficult! My heart felt as if it would explode! Absolute panic began to set in. It’s a feeling I’ll never forget.  One more time, louder and with urgency, I shouted his name. This time in an answer to prayer: his little blond head popped up from its hiding place in the open trunk of the car. How he got in there I didn’t know.  What I DID know was that I wanted him out of there and safe in my arms. That was thirty years ago but in that moment, “How did I spell relief?” F-O-U-N-D

“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

More recently, both of my sisters have been facing major health challenges. Each has been on a journey in which they’ve had to relinquish some control, trust in the plans laid out for them, and accept help from others, any of which, as you and I know is never easy! These last months have been scary and stressful but I’m so thankful to say we’re blessed that they are both now on the road to recovery! So, at this time, “How do I spell relief?” H-E-A-L-I-N-G

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

No one can prepare you for how wonderful grandparenthood is! Waiting for your grandchild to be born though, can be a little (OK, a lot) nerve wracking! There are such a mix of emotions: excitement, fear, worry, anticipation, love, awe, did I mention worry?** We prepared and planned and waited…and waited…and waited some more, until finally the big days were here! Neither arrival of our grandsons went as we expected; but in the end,  we were handed a perfect gift, God’s miracle: our grand baby to hold! “How did I spell relief” each time? N-E-W L-I-F-E

As we know, life can present us with many challenges. We may find ourselves out of control, not sure who to trust, and in the need of help. Things we thought would turn out one way may not go quite as we expect. And at times, we can find ourselves feeling out of sight to those around us and just plain lost! So, how do YOU spell relief? How do I?  Our answers might be different or like the old commercial they may be the same. But just as the relief that “Rolaids” offers is temporary, so are all our answers. Permanent relief from this world is only experienced through One Answer. The answer where true life is FOUND in Him. The answer that offers HEALING from our sins. And the answer that through His death gives us NEW LIFE, eternal life, when we believe. “How DO we spell relief?” you ask?  That’s easy! The only Way possible:                             J-E-S-U-S!

Today’s prompt is “Relief” over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com Click over to read what others have written today or better yet, join us with your offering on relief! As always, I appreciate you taking your time to stop in. God Bless!

** five minutes is up

 

 

 

 

 

Sacrifice ~ Five Minute Friday

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“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT)


Sacrificial Love

We watched the sun set over the ocean as we finished our dinner. Walking back to the hotel as darkness closed in, just a faint hint of the watercolor sky we’d admired remained. With a few more blocks to go, the only light for our path now came from the small, local businesses that were still open. As we strolled along, filling the night with talk of our plans for the next day, I began to nervously notice that the darkened entrances of some of the stores seemed to be meeting places, holding shadowy figures huddled together. I didn’t mention my apprehension, our pace didn’t change, but in an instant his position did. Without a word, my husband of only a few days left his spot on the street side of the sidewalk and placed himself between me and the potential danger in the dark. With his arm wrapped tightly around my waist we continued on toward the warm glow of lights welcoming us back to our home away from home.

We’d fallen in love quickly. New love became committed love, but** it was on that short walk, just days into our marriage, when I first experienced my husband’s sacrificial love: that rare offering when we lay down what’s best for us for the sake of someone else.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the alter day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”
Hebrews 10:10-14 (NLT)

“This is real love-not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:7-8 (NLT)

Yes, Jesus is the perfect example. He left his spot in the garden (even though He’d asked not to have to) and placed himself between us and the darkness of sin and evil by going to the cross. Despite knowing the danger that awaited Him, Jesus offered his life anyway for me and for you.  There is no greater Sacrificial Love!

We can’t match the sacrifice  Jesus has given us. As the passage in Romans tells us, we’re not likely to actually give our lives for another; but that doesn’t mean we can’t lay down our schedules, our priorities, our wallets, even our phones, for the sake of making a difference in someone else’s life. The ways to offer sacrificial love in our world are endless. And think about what would happen if we offered more and more!

A lot’s changed since that honeymoon walk 36 1/2 years ago, but one thing that hasn’t? Without a word we just know when to change spots to help each other make it through the darkness. And isn’t that what we should all do for each other? Stroll together, offering light for the path, until Jesus wraps His arms tightly around each us and welcomes us Home.

So glad to be back joining with writers I admire at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com ! The prompt for today is Sacrifice. 

**Five minutes

 

 

 

Direction ~ Five Minute Friday

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“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

Lost? Use GPS

Directionality impaired. That’s me. North, South, East, West? You might as well be speaking a foreign language.  To be honest, I don’t even automatically know my left from my right hand without touching my rings to really be sure. So, as you might guess when I get lost. I. Get. Lost! GPS is a lifesaver you say? I thought so too until…..

An invitation came for me to attend the culminating ceremony of the National Poetry Box Project that I’d put a lot of time, energy, and love into for the students at my school. Oh, how I wanted to go! But there was one problem; the event was taking place in the middle of downtown Columbus, Ohio. That would mean navigating five lanes of interstate traffic, finding exits, and making my way through a maze of city streets. Me! A country driver with no sense of direction. Enter the GPS.

With apprehension, I decided to take part in the project celebration. So, with my GPS programmed, I set out on the journey. And guess what? With its help, I arrived at the right place, on time, and had a wonderful afternoon with the other poetry loving educators. Trouble ensued however, when I attempted to find my way back home.  Turn here, merge there, then as I sat at a stop sign shadowed by tall buildings all around, the voice that was leading me on my way, the one I’d been following, directed me to turn the WRONG direction on a ONE WAY street and I didn’t know WHERE it was going!

Sometimes, I feel the same on my Christian journey: knowing the direction I want to go, but not sure of the way! Maybe you know what I mean. Whether we’re navigating life in the fast lane, trying to decide when to stay and when to get off the road we’re on, or making our way through the maze of distractions that often lead us the wrong way; we can lose our sense of direction. We. Feel. Lost.  Enter GPS. This one a TRUE Lifesaver!

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (NLT)

Remember the old church sign that said, “Lost? Use GPS: God’s Positioning System”? That’s exactly what we need to do! When we stop trying to find our own route and instead remember to get our directions from God, His guidance along the way will help us reach our destination!  But, because there are those of us who are directionality impaired (me!), we’re still likely to run into roadblocks, encounter detours, and take wrong turns. We may even find ourselves at a “spiritual stop sign” wondering which way to go?

“And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:4-6 (NLT) emphasis mine

Back in Columbus I did the only thing I knew to do: followed the one way sign. Making that turn, I was filled with relief as the GPS began recalculating to put me back on the road toward home.  The same is true for us as Christians. When we follow the One Way, despite getting off course now and then, He takes us where we are and reroutes us to where we need to be. Left or Right? North, South, East, or West? It doesn’t matter. Because with God’s direction we can travel this life with assurance, knowing He’ll guide us all the way Home!

Joining in with the Five Minute Friday Community for the first prompt of 2020: “Direction”. I encourage you to direct yourself over to http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to read the inspiring words of other members. 

 

 

 

Rush ~ Five Minute Friday

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“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV)

Where Are You Rushing To?

Tis’ the season or so we say
And yet we rush through every day.
Errands, parties, calendars full.
Obligations in every direction pull.

The Salvation Army bell that rings.
The choir on the corner who sings.
Their tunes fall upon our deaf ear
We’re too distracted to even hear.

Wrap a gift for a child in need?
Too busy for that, yes indeed!
Cookies for church? We wish we could.
No time for the lonely in our neighborhood.

The more we hurry the less we do
Of what we know God’s calling us to.
Keeping up fills our mind
Instead of joy we just feel behind.

But what if we rushed in a whole new way?
Straight to the manger filled with hay.
Like the Shepherds did of old.
Do we desire to be so bold?

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:8-16 (NIV)

Christmas isn’t about what we get done.
It’s a celebration of God’s own Son.
So let’s rush to the Christ Child; make no delay
Bow down, worship, and rest in His peace today!

Joining in with the other talented writers at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to ponder on the prompt “Rush”. I know you’ll want to hurry over and read what they are offering too!

Day 20 ~ Tell ~ 31Days2019

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“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7 (NLT) Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Tell

Tattling is one of those things that teachers find extremely challenging. Some children seem to enjoy telling anyone who will listen about all the things that someone else has done wrong. The funny thing is, quite often the tattler will have recently done the exact thing he is now trying to get someone else in trouble for. Of course, that does not occur to the one telling the tale. All he has on his mind is seeing punishment handed down.

It seems to me, that adults today are becoming more and more like those students all the time.  Our news and social media feeds are full of people “telling on other people” they don’t agree with. And just like the offenders in the classroom, these adults have the goal of gaining followers who believe their tales, want to take part in judgement, and then inflict punishment on those they’ve targeted. Simply put, they point their finger in hopes of getting someone else in trouble.** But, we all know the old adage that says when one finger is pointed at another, three more are pointed back at ourselves!

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’  when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-4 (NLT)

Just recently I was talking with my mother-in-love about cleaning my house. She was trying to reassure me that our house always looks clean and I responded that she just didn’t look closely enough, to which she replied:

“If I want to see dirt, I’ll look at my own house!”

Isn’t that exactly what Jesus is telling us in the verses above? Don’t look for someone else’s dirt until you’ve cleaned your own house! And the thing about dirt is, we can dust one day and then the very next time the “Son” shines in, new specks are already showing up again!

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet, God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 (NLT)

The truth is, every one of us deserves to be in trouble, with or without the help of a tattletale, and the world has seeing our punishment handed down on its mind.  “Yet, God.”  Because of His grace our punishment isn’t simply handed down; but because Jesus’s hands were nailed down to the cross, it has been forgiven. Now that’s a tale worth telling!

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

Active ~ Day 18 ~ 31Days2019

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“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) / Pixabay

Active

There’s a place I know that’s open just about 24/7. Songs play over and over there, stories are created, and conversations take place at all hours. The murky, dark corners are reserved for reliving and revealing fears and failures. It’s a busy and chaotic place! And…it’s my mind.

Having an active imagination is a good thing when playing with your children or grandchildren, planning lessons for your students, or brainstorming ideas at work, church, or home. But, when we (I) let that energy propel us to worry, anxiety, regret, and all those other bad “customers” who lurk about in the recesses, we find ourselves longing for the “bouncer” to come throw them out! And then, He does!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) *emphasis mine

This is the reminder I need!  Maybe you do too. My mind is open for business morning, noon, and night. Thoughts whirl and twirl like they’re in the middle of the dance floor. With some, I want to join and keep in step. Others…well, I’d rather sit those out. I’m learning that when we choose ** God to guard our minds, we can leave the noisy free-for-all behind and find instead a place of peace.

Philippians 4 goes on to say:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worth of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

I chose these verses as my theme this month because it is my hope as I ponder on everyday life and write these posts, I do try earnestly to fix my mind on those excellent things and offer to you what I’m learning along the way. And if it resonates with you, we can together, encourage and remind one another to clean out those dingy corners where Satan likes to hide and let the Light bring peace of mind there instead. Then, gratefully we can be “open for the business” that God has for us and actively share with others all He has exceedingly done!

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

Avoid ~ Day 16 ~ 31Days2019

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“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,” Acts 2:46 (NIV) / Pixabay

Avoid

There are lots of things we avoid. I would guess that some of the what I avoid, you do too. Things like snakes, bats, closed in spaces, the dentist, and others. Then there are those things that since moving to my rural, farming town I’ve had to learn to avoid the hard way: such as being stuck in a manure pile, an angry rooster, or eating raw ramps. And of course, there are those things I’ve learned to avoid by mistake, specifically swallowing a chicken bone, trusting my GPS, and brightly dying my hair the day before leaving on a trip with my friends.

On the flip side, we all have things we avoid that we shouldn’t. I’m thinking of things such as exercise, a yearly check-up (including the weigh in), ** cleaning out our closets, and getting together more often.

Why is it that most of us don’t make time to gather with friends and family anymore? Yes, we’re busy. But are we really too busy to find time to share a meal, have a game night, sit around and talk with those we care about or do we just no longer make it a priority?  I’m asking myself these same questions. Knowing there’s so much pain and suffering in the world today and time is short, shouldn’t we want to be with each other more rather than less?

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

Just imagine the difference it might make in our lives, our communities, our world if we’d come together more to support and be supported, to inspire and be inspired, to minister to and be ministered to. Or, to simply laugh and have fun. I think it’s about time to make a change. How about you? What if we stop looking at our phones and watching our T.V.’s as much, left work a little earlier, cleared a day on our calendar, and instead shared some of that time with friends and family? Let’s challenge each other starting today, to scratch gathering with one another off our “to avoid” list and begin making it a priority to “not neglect our meeting together”. Are you with me?

Now, who wants play a game of Yahtzee and have some popcorn?

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

Reach ~ Day 13 ~ 31Days2019

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“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV)

Reach

Standing at the corner of my house, I can almost reach out and touch our church. Yes, my next door neighbor is my church.  Our lawns connect. The church parking lot serves as a safe place for my grandsons to play and our driveway provides extra parking support when there’s more need than the lot can handle.

I love living side by side with my church! With just a few steps I can find myself within the walls of God’s house: a sanctuary of worship, a haven of peace, and an atmosphere of prayer. My close proximity also allows me to lend a helping hand to those who come and go (not that I’m THAT kind of neighbor who watches out the window, or….maybe I am!). And when we’re lacking something at the church, I can just run over and gather what we need from what I have at home.

Pondering what it means to have the church so close to me, I’ve realized that we are to be the church next door to those living around us, too!

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT)

” ‘Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?’ Jesus asked. The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’ ” Luke 10:36-37 (NLT)

To share love and mercy, we must first reach out to others, finding ways to connect with them. We need to ready ourselves to offer a safe place and extra support when another’s life feels like more than they can handle. As we walk side by side with our brothers and sisters, our lives should be open doors leading them to God through our words and actions. Being close also allows us to be on the watch for ways we can reach out a helping hand and fulfill a lack or need.  Yes, we are the church to our neighbor and maybe the only church they will see. Let’s do everything we can to be sure they love living alongside us, too!

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or place to stay. God has given each one of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.  Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”
 1 Peter 4:8-11 (NLT)

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy