Tag Archives: Five Minute Friday

Generous in the Little Things ~Five Minute Friday

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“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

Generous in the Little Things

Family traditions: I love them! From the time our children were little there have been things I’ve done year after year to celebrate every holiday. Gifts, food, activities, and more, some of which I remember my mom doing for my sisters and me when we were little.  Now that I am a MiMi, a new tradition I’ve come to truly cherish is my daughter taking our young grandsons shopping and allowing them to pick out anything they’d like to give us as a Christmas gift. 

Those packages wrapped with lots of paper and way too much tape have become the ones I most look forward to, not because I’m expecting something grand, but because the little things inside were chosen with me in mind and show how known and loved I am by the generous, little givers.

As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t always treat God the same way. After all, I know He is powerful and can do anything. He’s performed miracle after miracle, so when I ask God for something I most often expect Him to give me something BIG. Maybe it’s healing, a new job, a relationship restored, or any of the myriad of things we put on our “grown-up wish-list” to pray for. 

And that’s just what I’ve been doing lately, praying for some pretty extravagant things and yet, I find myself still waiting for God to wrap everything up neatly for me like I’ve asked him to do. Despite knowing better, I’ve begun to wonder if He’s even heard as I’ve shared what weighs heavy on my heart. 

In the midst of my BIG and heavy I also decided on a whim this week to pray for my favorite birds that have been absent from my feeders all summer to return. I know it sounds like a silly, little prayer, especially with so much trouble everywhere, but I prayed it just the same. 

Not even 48-hours later, looking out the window I couldn’t believe my eyes! There, scurrying down a branch toward the feeder was a Nuthatch, my favorite of all the birds. A Nuthatch that hadn’t been to my feeders in months! A Nuthatch that I thought was gone for good. 

Why did God answer my silly prayer instead of the big ones I’ve been waiting on I wondered? It was then that I thought of those gifts from the boys. Tears fell and are falling again now as I type this because I’m certain that the Nuthatch, a little thing, was chosen with me in mind as a reminder that I am known, heard, and lavishly loved by the most Generous Giver and it has left me looking forward to more!

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV)

Are you like me, waiting for God to give you something BIG but feel like it will never come? That silly Nuthatch was an “a-ha” moment, a prompting to begin to look for the little things. It has shown me, and I hope you too, that because our God is generous in the little things, He can also be trusted in the BIG things. He sees, hears, and knows our every desire. 

Yes, we may think we know the what, when, and who’s we want from God, but “how much more” will we receive when we wait on the good gifts He wants to give us of His outcome, His plan, and His timing, and not just given at special times, but offered to each of us day after day, month after month, and year after year, for eternity.

Read more on generosity at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

 

Twenty ~ Five Minute Friday

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Twenty Things I’d Like To Tell the 20-Year-Old Me

“For we are God’s masterpiece.” Ephesians 2:10a (NLT)

1. No one cares about your hair, you shouldn’t either.
2. Dance to your own beat, sing off key, wear what you want. Embrace who your really are.
3. Don’t take yourself so seriously.
4. You can’t be perfect so stop trying.
5. Talk to yourself as gently as you do to others.

“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

6. Don’t let fear keep you from seeking adventure
7. Try new things even if you fail at them. That’s called learning.
8. Go with the flow. You can’t control everything.
9. Rock the boat sometimes.
10. Hard times will knock you off course. You will make it through.

“Do not 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)

11. Be content where you are instead of worrying about where you’re going.
12. Happiness comes and goes but joy in the Lord can always be found.
13. Read your Bible and pray a lot more.
14. You don’t have to do it all on your own. It’s OK to ask for help.
15. Even when it’s not easy, forgive others and forgive yourself.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

16. It is OK not to fit in.
17. Never underestimate the gift of friendship.
18. Stop looking so hard. Love will find you when you least expect it.
19. You’ll be amazed at how the bad experiences in your life will be used for good.
20. Trust God. (Even when it’s hard)  He has great plans for you!

To the 63-Year-Old Me: Don’t just read the above, live them!

“I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”
Psalm 71:16-18 (NLT)

P.S. These twenty things are for you, too!

Danger ~ Five Minute Friday

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“Think about things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:2

In Danger of Being Confined

Wanting to be an involved “MiMi” I purchased some plants from our grandsons’ school fund raiser. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about how they would get to me since I live four hours away.  Needless to say, my daughter had to babysit my flower collection for almost a month before I could pick them up and bring them home.

This morning I set out to get the poor things into my flower bed. It turned out to be more of a challenge than I’d bargained for.  Because they’d stayed so long in their tiny pots, each plant’s leaves had started to become wilted and yellow from the lack of nutrition and all of them had become so root bound that it was difficult to pull them free without breaking their life-giving, delicate stems.

While digging in the dirt it occurred to me that we can be an awfully lot like my waylaid plants. Finding ourselves in less than ideal conditions and so wrapped up in our troubles, we can be in danger of becoming confined if we stay too long in an unhealthy place, too. 

In recent months, someone who’s hurt me in the past did something that left me in a place of pain once again. The more I focused on the situation, the tighter my chest became and the smaller my confidence felt. Hemmed in by my emotions, questions, and disbelief, I was tangled up in the consequences and the wound was all I could see. Been there?

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)

Today, I finally tore those confining containers from the plants and at long last freed their roots to be placed in the ground where they will now receive what they need to grow. Placing my pain into the Gardner’s hands had the same result for me. I began to understand that though at first I didn’t see it, He could take what was meant to restrict and instead, release me. God used the circumstances to carefully place me where I would thrive in His care. Throughout our lives, we will all face harsh conditions that threaten to break us; but when we are rooted in Christ who gives us life, we receive all we need to not just grow, but to flourish until He finally brings us home where we belong.

“For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.”
Psalm 92:14 (NLT)

P.S. Here’s hoping my little plants flourish too!

This I Know ~ Five Minute Friday

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“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

This I Know

On evenings like this one, looking at the lake feels just like looking in the mirror. The glassy surface casts back the lights and darks of dusk in perfect replication. Each soft hue and even the smallest leaves are reproduced beautifully across the transparent, quiet water. But…

When the tranquility is disturbed by the winds of a storm or something dropped in the midst of the reflection, the image becomes lost among the ripples as they roll toward shore. We know what we had seen, but now it’s impossible to make out.

My image of God can be the very same way. When things are going smoothly in life, I feel as if I can see Him reflecting love, mercy, and generosity back at me. But…

When the peaceful times are disrupted by raging storms of life, or if the unexpected is thrown into my days, I lose sight of God. Seeing Him in difficult times often seems impossible. Maybe for you too?

Looking at God and His plan through our earthly perspective will never allow us to behold His perfect, invariable image. We only get a glimpse of bits and pieces through the waves of our emotions, surging fears, and disrupted dreams. We just can’t make out the whole picture. But…

This I know: Even though we can’t see Him, He sees us. 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,”
1 Peter 3:12a (NIV)

This I know: Even though it feels as if we’re on our own in restless waters, He is always there.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

This I know: Someday, we will finally see clearly.

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know full, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (NIV)

As Fast As A Blink Of An Eye

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“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.” Proverbs 27:1 (NLT)

Fast As A Blink Of An Eye

It’s hard to believe, but in a few months I will have lived here in the mountains for forty years. Forty years! Pretty amazing for a gal who was only going to stay for one. (God and the guy in this photo changed that plan.) I honestly don’t know where those years have gone. My grandparents used to tell me that the older you get, the faster time passes.  I didn’t understand it back then, but my goodness, I sure do get it now! In a blink of an eye, the 23 year old child pictured here, became the 63 year old sitting in front of this laptop today.  A lot of life has been lived within the flutter of that eyelid. I pray for many more blinks before God changes my plan and leads me to a new home again, but we never know, do we?

“It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NLT)

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” Mark 13:32 (NLT)

The world shudders in fear as it awaits Jesus’s return. We can sense it all around us! The amazing thing is, when we know Jesus, fear is replaced with anticipation as we wait for Him. Maybe like me you’ve experiences a quiet trembling deep within your soul that’s a recognition  we are standing on the brink of something great, something we long for and yet, do not understand.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God “planted eternity in the human heart.” Just picture it: at the moment we accept the gift of salvation, Our Father buries a seed that begins to grow. It then takes root in our lives producing a hope that carries us through every day, month and year of this life, and then, in a “blink of an eye” into our future of life-eternal with Him.

Yes, it’s hard to believe how fast life passes…In a blink of an eye. We need to understand that with the simple opening and closing of an eyelid everything can change.  Everything WILL change! My friends, we must be ready. Are you? There’s no time to waste. 

“This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11 (NLT)

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee ~ Five Minute Friday

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“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
 “You shall not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.”
Exodus 20:4 (NLT)

May I be completely honest with you? I’ve taken pride in myself where this Commandment is concerned. Sure that I would never break it, I haven’t let it worry me one bit, that is, until the prompt this week was coffee and I began to ponder on it.

Every single morning when I get up, no matter where I am, the first thing I do is seek out a cup of coffee. Sitting in the quiet, I take my time and linger with it. The planning of my day goes better because I include my morning coffee in it, and between you and me, one cup is never enough, I always desire more. Even when I’m in a hurry, I don’t let that keep me from having my coffee. I’ll skip other things just to be sure I start my day with a cup. When I’m on the go? There’s no question, I bring coffee along with me. Thinking back, I can’t recall a day in I don’t know how long, that I’ve left coffee out of my routine.

Oh my! Coffee! The Lord is using my morning coffee not to waken me as I do, but rather to
A-waken me to the truth.

Idol: anything regarded with blind devotion. 

Devotion: an earnest attachment. 

I’m afraid you’ll have to agree, this sums up my feelings about coffee pretty accurately. Now you might be saying, there’s nothing wrong with a cup of coffee or two and that’s what I told myself at first, too. Until that is, I began comparing my relationship to coffee with my relationship with God and is it ever eye-opening!

Thinking about the description above, I began replacing the word coffee with God:

“Every single morning when I get up, no matter where I am, the first thing I do is seek God. Sitting in the quiet, I take my time and linger with Him. The planning of my day goes better because I include, God in it. I always desire more of God. I’ll skip other things just to be sure I start my day with God. When I’m on the go? I am sure to bring God along with me”……. The truth? While these statements are spot on about my morning coffee habit, I’m ashamed to say they’re all questionable in regard to my mornings with God. On top of that, I can remember many mornings when I’ve left God completely out of my routine, promising myself I’d get to Him later, but then never did.

Idol: anything regarded with blind devotion. 

Devotion: an earnest attachment. 

Here’s the bold, full strength, dark roasted question: Have I made for myself an idol that I put before my God? 

“This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Ephesians 5:14-17 (NIV)

Once again, the Holy Spirit has used my everyday to help me, and maybe you too, understand what the Lord’s will for our lives is. Has He given you, like me, something to ponder? If not coffee, is there something you you might be regarding with blind devotion and putting before God? It’s my hope that we’ll “wake up and smell the coffee,” making the most of this opportunity to change what’s needed to live more wisely and choose to put God first in our lives, where He’s always belonged.

Spring ~ Five Minute Friday

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“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-2 (NLT)

Spring has Sprung

I love everything about Spring, especially all the “re’s”: renewal, refreshment, rebirth, and return. There’s something so hopeful in tiny, green leaves appearing again on branches that once were barren, or the sweet, earthy smell of the first Spring rain that begins to replenish the ground. I’m always amazed when the bulbs buried deep beneath the ground come to life each year after being frozen below. That’s the thing about Spring, there are signs of promise everywhere!

For me, there’s one sure sign that Spring has sprung and that’s when the Robins find the way back to my front yard from their winter homes. Once they arrive, joyful song greets the morning and flitters on the evening air. The winter-worn grass becomes dotted with  red breasts hopping happily from one side to the other appearing to do a welcome back waltz with one another. Would you be surprised if I told you that watching Robins reminds me of something important in my, our, relationship with God? 

A Robin’s process for satisfying its hunger is fascinating! Cocking its head to one side, this amazing bird stands perfectly still and well, just listens. Moments later, it hops a few paces, stops, and listens again. This continues until suddenly the Robin moves into action diving its yellow beak into the ground and coming up with a worm. How is this sure sign of Spring able to hear something as quiet as an earthworm? It remains a mystery but it is a lesson for us.

“Be still and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10a (NLT)

“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Then he added, ‘Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given-and you will receive even more.’”

Mark 4:24 (NLT)

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.”
James 1:22a (NLT)

Following the example of a Robin, to be nourished we too must stop all the “song and dance” we’re doing in our day to day lives.  Then, we need to find time to be perfectly still and just listen. Hearing God speak can be a mystery too, but through His Word, in song, at church, or with His very voice we can hear Him. And when we do, we must then step in closer and listen some more.

Scripture reminds us though (as does our red-breasted friend) that it doesn’t stop there. Listening isn’t enough. We must then take action. What we are called to do will be different for each of us and we never know who will be watching. What we do know is that He will satisfy our needs.

Spring has Sprung! Are you ready? Let’s be Robins in a world that needs to find its way and celebrate “Spiritual Spring” every day of our lives: Rebirth in Christ, Renewal of our Souls, Refreshment in His Word, and the Promise of Christ’s Return.

 

Carry ~ Five Minute Friday

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The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)

Carry

Growing up in the days of vinyl albums and record players, I can remember lifting the arm up off the record and moving it to my favorite song over and over again. Back then the album I listened to most was Carole King’s Tapestry. And the song that was repeatedly played? “You’ve Got a Friend.” The chorus went something like this:

You just call out my name,
And you know wherever I am,
I’ll come running.

To have friends that when called, meet us in our need is a priceless gift.

“Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.” Mark 2:2-4 (NLT)

These men not only committed to carrying their paralyzed friend to where Jesus was, but they  didn’t let it stop them when they encountered the large crowd. Knowing the wait would keep them longer didn’t deter them from seeking help for the one they held in their hands. They’d come with the intent of walking home alongside their friend so, they came up with an “over the top” idea that landed him right at Jesus’ feet. The result? After encountering Jesus, the man jumped up, grabbed his own mat, and walked through the crowd toward home. 

To have friends who will go out of their way to lay our needs at Jesus’ feet, is a priceless gift.

I am the recipient of this priceless gift. Friendship abounds in my life! I’m sustained by a circle of women who don’t just walk into my challenging times, they run. When it seems impossible, they lift me up. Unable to move under the weight of my burdens, together, my dear friends help bear them and they don’t hesitate to lay them out before Jesus. Without thought, their plans change when my pleas for help reach them. They hold me in my grief, are a support when I fail, and offer solutions when I can’t see my way. And you know what? I do the very same for each of them.

But more than this, the love of friends spans all seasons of life and so, we also share in each others’ joys, encourage dreams, celebrate victories, and laugh. A lot! Through thick and thin, ups and downs, happy and sad, laughter and tears, we’re always there for each other as we walk hand in hand through this life, looking forward toward Home. 

I am truly blessed to know what it means to have friends. I pray, that you do too.

“A friend loves at all times,” Proverbs 17:17a

Trial ~ Five Minute Friday

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What Do You Plead?

“How do you plead?” My own pounding heart is the only sound I hear as I lift my head, eyes filled with condemnation meeting mine. Movements ever so slight catch my attention as hands move to pockets filled with stones. 

“How do you plead?” This trial would certainly be short. How could it not be? Haven’t I done what I shouldn’t, left undone what I should? My thoughts and words alone prove to be strong evidence of my iniquity. Breathing is impossible with the realization that there’s nothing I can do to save myself now.

“How do you plead?” Turning to the One sitting in the judgement seat I’m surprised to see nothing but love in his face. Falling to my knees, the only word that could escapes my tightened throat as a whisper, “Guilty.” And in that very moment my life was forever changed as the verdict was read: “You are forgiven.”

“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 of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God id this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26 (NLT)

How do YOU plead?

I’m so grateful you’ve joined me here today. I’ve joined with others, like I enjoy doing on Fridays, writing to the prompt “Trial” over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com You can click over to read more. I pray this might cause you to think a little about your own trial and Who is presiding over it.

Possibility ~ Five Minute Friday

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NIV)

Possibility

A night dark with fear, raining tears, and anguish in the waiting blinded me to the possibility of mercy. But God…

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Morning dawned begging for a miracle, spirits joined for one so small, and I wondered if hope was even imaginable. But God…

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 (NIV)

Days blurred into weeks carrying within them moments of such knee-buckling weakness, the strength to carry on felt impossible. But God…

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Months of conflicting emotions, seemingly incompatible, how is it possible there can be joy in such despair, peace in such heartache? But God…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

Life can forever change in a moment and we’re thrust into a place we don’t want to be.Suddenly, it’s as if we’re drowning with no possibility of saving ourselves. And  the truth is, try as we may, we can’t. But God…

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26

Time in the dark let me see me the Light. Being able to do nothing but pray led me to Hope. Weakness taught me about true Strength. The worst of days were intertwined with such blessing that Joy became real. But God… 

Thank you for stopping in. It means more than you know.  If you’d like to read other ideas about “Possibility” click over now to http://www.fiveminutefriday.com