Sabrina J-R – Page 16

Five Minute Friday: Focus

One of the definitions of focus is: a central point, as of attraction, attention or activity. This is my spin on it.

There was a time I couldn’t see the point in the mega-huge big screen televisions. I appreciate new technology, but isn’t the point of television to watch it? Why focus on the size? But once I saw a display in an electronic store, I got it. Then there was the HD trend. Huh?! Wasn’t the big screen enough? Then I saw the clarity and precision.

There was a point. I couldn’t focus until it was magnified for me. When I compared the two options side by side, I understood.

Who knew that television was a lot like life?! What’s the focus, the point of life? Is this life really worth it? What about the struggles? The sacrifices? The secrets? The scandals? The shame? The serenity?

Is there a focus in living for Christ? There is one. Through His Word, we zoom in more and more. Through Bible study and through prayer we’re able to focus. In a nutshell, we are saved so that we can have eternal life. It’s a free gift offered to all, but accepted only by some. There is more to come, after life on this earth is over.

We’re to share this good news with everyone we can.

Because He loves us all. He loves me. Christ doesn’t want anyone to miss out.

That’s the point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How fitting that today’s prompt is “focus”, following a Twitter party?! Set your timer for five minutes and see where your focus leads you.

(Psst: Join us next Thursday evening, at about 10 pm EST/9 pm CST. Use #FMFParty to follow along)

Five Minute Friday: Graceful

She’s a confident woman whose head is held high, yet her nose is not stuck up in the air. Her hair is perfectly coiffed. She had an ideal figure and fantastic fashion sense. Her posture is pristine. Each step she takes makes her seem as though she’s gliding on air. Her skin is flawless. Her beauty seems so exquisite only because her personality is humble and loving. Compassionate, kind and inviting. She’s warm. And there’s much more…

That is not me. Not. Me!

However, it kinda sounds a bit like the Sabrina of my dreams.

Being graceful isn’t easy. Re-learning to ride a two-wheeler bike seems like a piece of cake compared to being graceful.

Life is full of bumps and bruises. There’s the endless cycle of falling and getting up, falling and getting up. Some of the bumps are things outside my own controllable circumstances. Admittedly, a few of the bumps are things that, with purposeful ignorance, I had swept aside. They were pushed under the rug.

There’s nothing graceful about tripping up on a lumpy rug.

What I love most about my ideal image is that it’s a possibility. See, the thing about the Dream Sabrina?

It’s the love of Christ that fills her with grace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What words come to mind when you’re prompted with “graceful”? Click below to join us.

Five Minute Friday: Change

“Can you break a $20?”

Change is that monetary category that is made to feel “lesser than”. If you’re holding a fifty or hundred dollar bill, you’re enjoying the feeling and don’t really want it broken. But once it’s broken, the smaller denominations and ensuing change just aren’t quite the same. Change is something that we sometimes leave as a restaurant tip. Perhaps drop it in the pail for a busker or easily say “keep the change”.

Change is leftovers. What was once whole is now broken. The results are change.

Kind of like life.

We tend to look for a change after we’ve been spent. After we’ve been broken, used, exhausted, fed up. We then look for change.

I’m tired of this hairstyle—time for a change. I’m bored with my long-term, full time 10+ year career—time for a change.

I’m tired of __________________ (insert your own boredom of the moment)–

Time for change.

No wonder why we’re so reluctant to make a change. We fear the unknown; what maylie around the bend.

When we go into change with a negative attitude, we feel the negative all throughout the change.

But then we see the results. And they’re usually pretty spectacular.

Before Jesus, we’re messed up. Ugly. Rude. Selfish. Inconsiderate. Unloving. Unloveable. Unworthy.

But when we finally let go and surrender completely to Him??

We’re cleaned up. Beautiful. Kind. Self-less. Considerate. Loving. Loveable. Worthy.

We’re changed and not left over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I liked this one! Your turn to give it a try. Check out the Five-Minute Friday community by clicking the button below.

She Wrote Me a Note

She slid a paper in front of my face. It said two words:

“Bad Mom”

I asked her why she thought I was a bad mom. She grabbed the paper, hurrying to jot down a few more words.

“Your a bad mom”

Again, I wanted to hear from her own six year-old self why she thought I was being “bad”.

“Your mean”

If I can be honest here–the note didn’t bother me one bit. A very small part of me was impressed that she’d chosen to write down her feelings, rather than yelling and screaming. My girl was entitled to her view on the situation. I chose to disagree without fighting back.

It was in working to be a “good mom” that she thought I was “bad”.

In my heart and mind, a good mom is one who stays consistent. Who works through the obstacles to teach her children the importance and necessity of listening. The mother who doesn’t ignore rude behaviour, nor tolerate cut corners with certain actions. There are behaviours that are completely unacceptable for all age groups. There was no way that I wanted my daughter to grow up practicing these habits and turning people off everywhere she goes. That would be horrendous to her social skills.

That day, I refused to let her keep ignoring me. What’s more, I refused to put up with the huffing, puffing and groaning when she was giving a directive. There’s no need to stamp your feet in response to “please tidy up the living room floor”. Especially when it’s her toys strewn all over the place.

Moms, don’t quit! Don’t give up. It’s conceding to the negative behaviour, the rudeness, the ignorance, that makes us “bad moms”.

When you’re trying your best and working through the hard times?

You’re indeed a “good mom”.

How have you battled against the good and bad labels?

Five Minute Friday: Join

Every day, I’m bombarded with ads to join this, that and the other. There’s usually some sort of attempt at sweetening the deal too. Join this gym now to save money in the long run. Join this group for a wild adventure. Join this company to reap certain benefits. The latest and easiest– enter your email to join up for free deliveries in your inbox.

Lots of things to join. It’s nearly overwhelming.

With the vast array, the only thing, the only One who doesn’t seem to spend too much in attractive eye-candy for marketing is God.

His marketing technique is word of mouth: my word of mouth. His Word says:

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. ~~John 15:5 (The Message)

If we’re joined with Him, life takes on a whole new meaning. Gone is the urge to join fickle communities in hopes of fulfilling a void in life. When you’re connected to the right source, you’ll be exceedingly satisfied. Suddenly, you nearly stop noticing the ads around you.

There is community in God’s family. There is something special and delightfully attractive in connecting with other believers. And God’s family is so neat—we join together no matter where we are on our own spiritual journey. No two people look alike on the outside, yet they all have a couple features to match:

A blessed heart.

A bright smile.

Eyes that testify of a deep-rooted peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that was fun. Your turn.

Five Minute Friday: Stretch

I’ve been working out hardcore (or so I think) for the last four weeks. Already, a few physical changes are noticeable, even if only to me. The one pain I’ve been dreading, yet haven’t felt much of, is soreness. Usually I feel soreness after I exercise. Quite sore for days on end. Enough to discourage me from continuing and building on a good, healthy habit.

Exercising my body is a bit like exercising my faith. I get little stretches here and there: answered prayers, bonus blessings, feelings of peace. I think I’m alright, and allow myself to get comfortable. Then WHAM! It’s time for a strenuous workout. There’s pulling and tugging. Some grunting and groaning. There are even some complaints. I’m ashamed to admit how much negative talk happens within me, about how this is too hard and I should quit right here.

All of it is part of being spiritually stretched. How can I handle God’s plans for my future if I don’t go through the necessary growing pains right now? All of this discomfort and toning is actually leading somewhere. My short-sighted, near-sighted self often forgets that little crucial detail.

When a spiritual workout is over, I need to make sure I stretch as things cool down. I read somewhere that your muscles naturally contract after a physical workout. It’s the stretching that prevents the shrinkage.

I didn’t go through spiritual roughness only to shrink back down again. What would be the point? I want my faith to get bigger, bolder and stronger. I want to reap the full benefits of my experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click below to join in the five-minute Friday community.

Five Minute Friday: Connect

I’m terrible at making friends. The bosom-buddy kind of sister-friends. I know a lot of people. I have friends who love me (and whom I love too!) in various degrees. But the kind of pal that just pops in? The ones I could call after midnight just to share a silly joke or an ugly cry? Those are a rarity in my life.

This connection business is hard work. There are so many elements to being connected, that to think of it as hard work is underwhelming. In order to connect horizontally, I need to make sure that I’ve got something to offer.

I need to be an appealing jigsaw piece that connects to it’s right match. Sure, there are tons of other pieces that seems to fit pretty well at times.

But pretty well doesn’t always mean that it’s right for either piece.

How do I get something to offer? By the vertical connection. I need to be connected to God. He’s the Life-Giver, the Creator. I was designed with a specific, tailor-made plan for my life. I need to stay connected to Him, the power source.

I don’t want to be one of those gorgeous, ornamental table lamps. The shape and lamp shade are perfect & exquisite. A lamp that could offer the perfect amount of light in the right setting. Yet, are completely useless if they have no light bulb connected to its socket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…And cut! That’s what it feels like sometimes, when the five minutes is up on the clock. (Yes, I use a timer.) Your turn. Click below to ‘connect’ to the five-minute family community.

Five Minute Friday: Here

Here, there and everywhere. Always something to do. Someplace to go. People to see.

But I can only be in one place at a time.

I can only be here.

There. The other place. That imaginary land where the clouds are big and fluffy with silver lining. The grass is a lush green, never lacking in vividness. The weather is the right mix of heat and breeze. It’s peaceful, it’s fun. The food is phenomenal and the aromas make me salivate. All the right people are there. You know—the ones that I adore. My favourites. The ones who never irk me in the slightest. Yeah, them.

Everywhere—the place where many moms are. Perhaps hover, is a better word. It seems that we tend to flit—even gracefully at times, between home, school, work, church, car, park, errands, grocery store. If we’re lucky, maybe even the mall. A listening ear to a friend, empathizing and encouraging them as though time has stopped outside of the chat box or skype screen. Everywhere—the place where it all happens.

Here. Where I am now. Look past the untidiness to see that it’s well lived in. The walls are bare—still, but the creative art work of young girls cover many a low area. The medium of choice is usually pencil crayon or fingerprint, sometimes even permanent marker. The furniture is sparse, but enough seats for the family. There are beds for all to rest on, a fridge and pantry with something to eat. There is a car, though small, but it still serves its purpose. Looking beyond the surface stuff, there are sounds and feelings and loving that happens here.

God speaks to me here.

I am here, blessed.

Here, my heart is full.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your turn. Click the link below to join in the fun and friendshipness of five minute Friday.

Five Minute Friday: Beyond

Beyond is going farther than. Breaking free of the comfy little bubble or box that is all I know and hold dear. Beyond means more than just thinking outside the box.

Thinking is easy.

It’s the doing that’s challenging. Uneasy. Eerie.

Beyond means allowing myself to dream. I stopped dreaming at one point. Not the dreams that happen while I sleep–those never stop. Any ideas, goals, wild fantasies for my future? Those stopped. I figured that if there was no logical way or finances for me to accomplish them, then what’s the point? Instead I dreamed in reachable increments.

That’s not really dreaming. That’s certainly not going beyond. It’s not even coming close to any limits.

Beyond means to stretch further. To aim higher. To keep persevering. It means not quitting when I start to warm up. I need to buckle down, grit my teeth and keep going. Let’s aim at breaking a sweat.

Beyond means me opening my hands, and letting go of myself. I have limits. I set limits.

I need to trust in Someone outside of myself.

God’s ways are mind-blowing. They are beyond me, beyond my imagination. He will take me farther & higher than I’d like to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s been a minute since I’ve linked up with the five-minute Friday community. I’ve missed it. Click below to gain encouragement for your “beyond” and to encourage someone else.

Five Minute Friday: Risk

Is it still called a ‘risk’ if you play it safe when taking one?

The times I attempt to be risky, it’s usually on my terms. If it’s somewhat of a certainty that things will turn out how I think they should, then I’ll jump in. If there’s a guaranteed outcome, then why not risk it? If there’s a promised reward at the end, then sure, I’d be silly not to do it.

Most people consider risks and plans and resolutions at that time between the old and new year. I tend to think of them today–my birthday. I think back over the past year and wonder if I’ve lived right. Have I loved the people around me as I am loved? Have I taken any risks? Should I be doing more with this next year of my life.

How fitting that tonight’s subject is risk. I’m not a risky person. It’s not in my nature to gamble. At all. Yet, that’s part of what life is about. Risk.

Trusting God is a risk. Obedience is a risk. I may find myself going solo or worse yet–looking like a fool. See how easily that turned into something selfish?

I shy away from risks because of how I think I may look.

Sometimes God requires me to take a risk. I should rephrase it. Sometimes God requires me to step out in faith. It’s not about me looking stupid. It’s about the wonderful things He can do through me. As a bonus–there are always blessings that come when I take a God-led risk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why not join in the Five-Minute Friday fun? Just write freely for five minutes. No guidelines, no boundaries. The only rule is that when linking up, you must visit the person before you and encourage them. Click below to find out more.