Five Minute Friday: Look

The jail keeper was doing his job.  He watched as the prisoners were escorted in.  He saw their injuries, taking special note of their swollen, bleeding wounds.  Maybe he winced?  Regardless of how they felt, the jail keeper locked their feet in stocks and dumped them in the dungeon of the prison.

He expected to hear groans, complaints & cursing.  Instead, his jail was filled with peace and contentment.  The aura was complete opposite that of jail.  He heard singing; praises to the God in heaven.  He heardprayers.  He heard silence as the other inmates were listening acutely.  No one asked the newest convicts to ‘shut up’.
The jail keeper never had to check on them.  He was satisfied with hearing them and fell into a fitful sleep.
He awoke from the rocking sensation.  As he glanced around him, he saw open doors. 
Oh no!  They’ve all escaped.  He didn’t hear anything anymore. 
So he looked.  Groping through the dark for his sword, he found it and raised it to take his life.
“Stop!” he heard with a cry.
Then he chose to really look.  Calling for a light, he illuminated the dark space and found all prisoners present and accounted for.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” he pleaded.  He saw their faces.  Looking at them, the jail keeper wanted what they had.  He wanted to know more about Who they were representing.
(Time’s up!  The words of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir song “Only A Look” also came to mind when I saw today’s word prompt.  I’ve included them below)
Only a look at Jesus,
Oh, so bowed down with care.
He has promised to defend you;
He will all your burdens share.
Only a look,
Only a look,
Can turn you away from sin.
Oh, a look will bring you salvation,
Eternal life to win.
Only a look at Jesus;
He’ll prove a constant friend.
He will bring you peace and comfort
And go with you to the end.
Only a look,
That’s all it takes.
Only a look
Can turn you away from sin.
Oh, a look will give you salvation,
Eternal life to win.
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It’s hard to stop when the clock does, but it’s worth it most times.  Click below see more interpretations of “look” and join the communal fun.
Five Minute Friday
 

Five Minute Friday: Race

My eyes sweep across the virtual room.  I see many gorgeous people here.  Yet, only a handful of them look like me. 
This topic of race has been weighing heavily on my mind lately, with increasing urgency.  I’ve been struggling to talk about it openly.  Or, at the risk of stripped down honesty—
It’s scary to start talking about race.
All the ‘what ifs’ start crowding my good thinking space.  Could my readers possibly understand my perspective?  Will they think I’m fanatical for highlighting race?  Is it fair to start a discussion without even having any answers?  Is this topic even valid?
How do I approach a topic that many people have never had to give a second thought about? 
There is a reason why I was born in this body.  My story cannot be told by anyone other than me.  My past, my ancestry, my upbringing all contribute to my voice, making my experience unique. 
When I chose to blog intentionally, I also chose to speak of difficult truths.  There are times we’re challenged by certain tasks now in order to help mold us for the near impossibilities ahead.  God’s promise from Luke 18:27 comes to mind: 
He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”  ~~New Living Translation 
“No chance at all,” Jesus said, “if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”  ~~The Message

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Yes, this was the very first thought that came to mind when I saw today’s prompt, so I went with it.  I completely ignored the timer today, however.  This post needed longer than the five minutes.  Click the button below to join the five-minute Friday community.
Five Minute Friday
Also, Deidra from Jumping Tandem is covering this topic for her 31 day challenge.  Please drop by her site to read more. 

Five Minute Friday: Welcome

It greets you at the front door, sitting expectantly. 

You walk on it, wiping off your feet.  Your shoes, which have trudged all over, supporting your weary body is the first thing to greet the welcome mat.  The mat collects so much.

Dust.  Dirt.  Grime.  Animal fecal matter.

Worry.  Stress.  Fears.  Hopes. Dreams.

Shaking your feet off on a welcome mat is one way to leave it all behind.  When you enter inside the home, you’re free.  The choice is yours.  To bypass the mat, stepping over your opportunity.  Or to leave it all on the outside, not wanting to contaminate the inner sanctum.

You may be greeted by a committee.  Or one person.  Or no one.  Despite the welcome, despite their best efforts to make you at home, the feeling of being welcomed cannot be forced.

The choice is oftentimes made on the mat.  Do you walk in with uncertainty, anticipating good things?  Do you enter with a goal of criticism, hoping to nitpick at any possible fault; any point of complaint?

The mat says “welcome” because that’s the intention.

Do you accept?

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You’re welcome to join in for five minute friday fun.  Click the link below to learn more.
I’m also doing a 31 day challenge this month.  Click here to find out more.
Five Minute Friday

 

31 Days — P is for Potential

I have a word list that I’d brainstormed some weeks back, when I was inspired to break down praise.  I have a few different words for ‘p’.  Yet, as I prayed over the right word for today, one came to mind that wasn’t on the list:

Potential.

Hallelujah for potential!  It means that there’s something better ahead.  The story doesn’t have an abrupt ending here.  Even if it feels like it’s over and done with, stay tuned for the sequel.

This verse, from Philippians 1:6 came to mind.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. ~ The Message

God has a ‘come as you are’ policy.  In all my Bible reading, I have yet to find a place where He lists hoops to be jumped through or extensive prerequisites for His love.  He says to come.

And He will take you, clean you up and transform you.  Isaiah 1:18 says

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” ~New Living Translation.  (emphasis added)

God sees potential.  This is why He’s willing to invest the time and effort needed to transform us.  And get this–there is no guaranteed return on His investment.  We still have the freedom to turn away from Him and do our own thing.

Though my life may be short term, God’s plan for me affects the long term.

I don’t have to understand it now; I just need to trust it now.

How has potential affected your praise?

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(Join me this month as I look at 31 days of reasons to praise.)
(This is part of the 31 day challenge hosted by the Nester.)

31 Days–P is for Praise

I’m praising today.

My favourite remedy and cure-all for all things that ail my soul and trouble me is praise.  While listening to one song on YouTube, I saw a link for a second song, equally fitting

The first is Praise Is What I Do by Shekinah Glory Ministry.  The lyrics say:

Praise is what I do
When I want to be close to you
I lift my hands in praise
Praise is who I am
I will praise him while I can
I’ll bless, him at, all times

[Chorus]
And I vow to praise you
Through the good and the bad
I’ll praise you
Whether happy or sad
I’ll praise you
In all that I go through
Because praise is what I do
Cause I owe it all to you

[2nd Verse]
Praise is what I do
Even when I’m going through
I’ve learned to worship you
No my circumstance
Doesn’t even stand a chance!
My praise outweighs the bad

(Repeat chorus)

Praise is what I do
Is what I do

The second song is Praise Him in Advance by Marvin Sapp.  The lyrics say:

I’ve had my share of ups and downs,
Times when there was no one around,
God came and spoke these words to me,
Praise will confuse the enemy.

I started singing,
I started clapping,
I started dancing,
People were laughing,
They knew my problems,
They knew my pain,
But I knew God would take them away.

(repeat verse)

That’s why I praise Him with my hands,
That’s why I praise Him with a dance,
He’s given me a second chance,
Come on let’s praise Him in advance.

That’s why I praise Him with a song,
When things are right and when they’re wrong,
He’s given me a second chance,
Come on let’s praise Him in advance

Praise Him
Praise Him in advance

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(Join me this month as I look at 31 days of words to praise.)
(It’s part of the 31 day challenge hosted by The Nester.)

31 Days–P is for Prayer

I’m praising God for prayer. 

Prayer, simply put, is talking to God. 

All excuses have been stripped away.  I can talk to God anytime and any place. There are times to go into your personal prayer closet and pour out your heart to Him.  Even when it’s inappropriate to get on my knees and close my eyes, I can still talk to Him. 

There are no long distance charges.  No hassle of a phone number to memorize.  No connection fees.  No daytime minutes nor free early evenings or weekends.  No special holiday bonuses.  It’s never too late nor too early to connect with God.  No static on the line.  No risk of battery life powering down.  No fine print.  No script to follow.

I’ve just returned from a funeral.  While celebrating the 80 year life of one man, another grieving couple also turned out to support this family.  They will be celebrating their son’s 32 year life on Friday in the same church.  I caught a quick glimpse of them as they came in.  The freshness of their pain disturbed me.  In that moment, there was one sure way to help them while giving them their space:

I prayed.  From my seat, I talked silently with God on their behalf.  They managed to make it through the entire service and slipped out at the end.

There is profound truth in this saying:

No prayer, no power.  Little prayer, little power.  Much prayer, much power.

When I consciously schedule prayer time, the day runs better.  Part of that prayer time is also spent listening.  God has lots to tell me; I shouldn’t monopolize all the time requesting stuff.  His direction always works out better than my own crazy ideas anyways.  He can be trusted to pick what’s ideal for me.

I’m very thankful for a God that is approachable.  

Praise God! 

Can you praise God for prayer?  Feel free to share your story in the comments below.

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(Join me this month, as I look at 31 days of words to praise.)
(It’s part of the 31 day challenge hosted by The Nester.) 

31 Days of Words to Praise

I’m doing something new this October: posting everyday!!! 

The Nester is hosting a challenge for 31 days.  Simply pick any topic and blog about it each day.  There is an option to link up on her blog. 

Weeks ago, I was brainstorming about my writing and post ideas.  One idea that stuck was to take the word “p-r-a-i-s-e” and break it down, by letter.  Six letters, five words each = thirty words.  Then I tucked it on the back burner, saving it for a special occasion.

I guess today is special, because I’m pulling it out and charging ahead.  There’s a lot of pleading in my life and countless thankful moments.  Yet, I don’t spend time praising God as much as I need to and should be doing.

A few weeks ago, during my devotional time, I was hit with a startling lesson from the Bible.  Many of the request-type prayers (asking for help, healing, answers) in the Word, are quiet brief.  One or two lines.

However, the prayers of praise?  They are much longer.  Sometimes a paragraph, sometimes even an entire chapter. 

Since the God described in the Word is the same God of today and tomorrow, then He’s more than deserving of my words of praise.

In honour of the 31 Days, I’ve created a blog button.  Click below to grab the code.

And Then Some

Five Minute Friday: Grasp

It feels like a horror movie scene.  A glass filled with grape juice has slipped out of your grasp, aimed for the white carpet below.  Your hands fumble, hoping to catch it.  You can’t. 

That awkward moment when you step and trip over the invisible microscopic hurdle.  You stumble, hoping to regain your footing before anyone sees you.  Praying that your flailing arms looks worse in your imagination than in reality. 

Grasping is never quite having a firm hold on something.  You manage to get your fingers around it, but it’s not yet secure. 

Yet grasping has impact.  Ask the nameless woman in the Bible who spent many secluded years with a hemorrhage.  She knew that there was healing just by touching Jesus.  But as hard as she tried, she couldn’t even grab his pinky toe.  The edge of his garment was all her fingers grazed.  She’s etched in history because of her miraculous healing. 

God has a firm hold.  His hands are so ginourmous that nothing falls out.  There are no gaps, no skids.  We can’t teeter on the edge where a breeze might blow us over.  His hold, His grip is firm. 

Even when we’ve tried to rappel down the side, grasping at our own self-made ropes, His hold is so strong.  So firm.

So secure. 

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The prompt said ‘grasp’.  Yet, most ideas I had lead to a dead end.  Except one.  I thought maybe it would be overdone.  But perhaps this was what God wanted me to share today?  So I did.
Click below to join the Five Minute Friday community.
Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday: Wide

Wide:

The vast expanse that is my mind.  Blank.  Words seems to have run away from me today.

The way my eyes bugged out of my head last Friday, after receiving that fateful text message.  “Jerome died!!!”.  I’m still in shock over the sudden and very unpredicted death of a long time, childhood buddy.  We grew up together in church.  Sang today, laughed together, prayed together. 
The distance my heart fell, after reading a friend’s online status.  I’d thought it had plummeted already.  “Craniopharyngioma”.  Benign tumor in her toddler’s brain.  Unwanted news moments after my first bombshell.
The open & all embracing virtual arms of my community of new writing friends.  It may be online, but the love of Christ links us all in heart & mind.
The best description of the Ultimate Sacrifice:
Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide:
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

The range my thoughts & emotions have covered in this post. 
The number of reasons I have to praise.
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Your turn.  What does wide mean to you today?  Take a few minutes, oh say about five, more or less and write freely.  Click below to find out more.
Five Minute Friday

Why Compare?

There are some things that moms do that I can’t quite get, like comparing.  Sometimes it seems like a big game to one-up the mom who told their little ditty before you.  Perhaps you’ve been part of  a discussion like this:

Mom 1:  You know what Junior did this week?  He threw out my new watch, the one I got for Christmas.

Mom 2:  Oh, I hear that.  You know what Ella did this week?  She threw the tv remote in the garbage. Good thing we’d just changed the bag!

Mom 3:  Oh yeah?  Well Robin tossed the new container of diaper cream into where?  The. full. diaper. pail.  I just left it.  Not worth the stench.

Mom 4:  Ha!  This one takes the cake.  I was wondering where my crystal coasters were going.  Turns out that Kaylee was chucking them out one by one.  I caught her the other day.  The entire set is lost now.

And it goes on and on. 

Sitting with a group of moms one day, this comparison game crept up.  One mom innocently mentioned something her toddler had done that week.  Not to be outdone, a second mom shared her similar story.  My turn was coming around.  As a mom of three, of course there was plenty to share.

Then I heard that Voice.  I knew what to share: nothing!  I remained silent, saying nothing, letting the other moms continue on with their sharing.  

The comparison game looks harmless on the surface.  It’s even a tad funny at times, to hear some of these stories.  Except it goes deeper.  Questions flood my mind.

Was my story worth sharing?  Was it funny enough?  Was my trinket valuable because of its sentimentality or because of the dollar amount?  Do they think I’m a bad mom for not noticing it sooner?  Did they laugh as hard at my story as they did with the others?  

Do you see where my mind went?  During my inner comparison game, I quickly grabbed onto the disadvantages; the negatives.

The comparison game is unhealthy and unproductive because I don’t play fair.


The Word encourages me to “fix my thoughts on what is true”.  Comparing myself to my peers doesn’t accomplish much.  However, choosing to set my sights on God’s standards improves my life.  Nothing I say or do can compare with that.
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What has your experience been, playing the comparison game?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.