Five Minute Friday: Remember

It’s amazing the number of memories that can pop into our minds.  And the types of memories.

We tend to remember the good, at death.  The good times, the laughs, the happy moments.  The lessons learned, the way they looked, smiled.  That one super hilarious funny moment that still makes you guffaw.  Then, the not so pretty stuff also starts to seep into our remembering.  The last words spoken, the last encounter.  What you would’ve said or done differently had you known it was going to be your last encounter.  You remember the arguments, the disagreements and the grudges.  The nitty gritty that no ones wants to dwell on. 

You remember all the things that were left unsaid.

As I think about life & death, I realize that death often comes way to soon.  Life tends to get “cut short”, even for centenarians.  But there was One who lived a short life.  If I were given the same life span, my life would end in the next 2 years.  How’s that for perspective?! 

What’s cool about God and His master plan is that He left us with everything.  So, in the moments that we do forget–and we tend to forget a lot.  Too much and too often.  We have a big history book.  From the moment sin entered the scene, God put together the plan of salvation.  Jesus arrived on earth with a specific time frame with which to be born, grow up, connect with God.  And then spent only 3.5 years in ministry.  And then it was over.

There are such words of wisdom, of comfort, of love found in His Word.  There are words of warning, of direction, of protection, in His Word.  We’re encouraged to keep these things in our hearts, to learn them and teach them to our children. 

But in case we forget, it’s all been written down to help us remember.
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Your turn.  I must confess that I took a wee bit longer than 5 minutes today.  A cousin died today and it was much too fitting that the writing prompt was “remember”.  So, I put fingers to keyboard and just let God direct me.  No editing required; no editing recommended.

The Choice Is Ours

Free choice, while a free gift, does come with a high price.

I have a relative who was raised in a Christian environment and taught all about God.  Education was done at a private Christian school, helping to emphasize and reinforce the teachings in the home.  However, the home life wasn’t the most ideal.  As a result of a combination of things, this relative has chosen to turn away from God.  Completely.

It’s their choice to do so.  God has given all of us the power of free choice.  He outlines in His Word the benefits and blessings of life with Him and the great reward.  He also outlines what life is like without Him in it.  It isn’t as promising as life with Him.  Yet, in the end, the choice lies with each one of us.  We can choose either way.  And you also have the power to change your mind.

I know a number of people.  Not all are Christians, nor have they all been taught about the option of living life with God.  Yet, for the most part, the majority of these people are nice, kind, generous, sincere and loving in their own way.  Some are searching for a deeper meaning to life and are going along a more self-directed thinking.  Others recognize the need to acknowledge the power that is beyond them, outside of themselves and so, choose God.

The relative who has chosen to turn away from God has done so with such a vengeance and anger that it has made them bitter and spiteful and unattractive.  What a lonely life.  It’s been sad to watch.  Yet, it’s their choice.  Regardless of what I think and regardless of what I believe, it’s not my role to act as persuader.  Even if it helps them to become nicer.

All I can do is hope that my life painted a different picture of God than the horrible memories they’re clinging too from years past and refuse to forgive others for. 

This is enough motivation to always choose life.

Happy Birthday, Jhyelle

My little miracle girl is now 3 years old.  (She looked like this her first few days.  She spent a total of 2 weeks in the neo-natal intensive care unit.)  Where does the time go?  One minute, she was born and promptly whisked off to the NICU, with no guarantee of returning.  She was quite sick, but survived.  Then, we were told that she could have some developmental delays as she grew older.  The medical staff had no predictions, only precautions.

Jhyelle is doing wonderfully well!  She’s happy, she’s growing, she’s developing and she’s healthy.  My girl is all smiles and loves to have fun.  She’s into the mimicking stage, where anything she finds remotely entertaining gets copies or repeated, as she erupts into giggles.  Her vocabulary grows each day and she’s now speaking in sentences.  She shocked me a few months ago, when she pointed to some letters on my shirt and named them–correctly!  She’s growing up.

As a big sister, Jhyelle had adjust quite well.  She can always be found touching, hugging and kissing her baby sister.  She’s always trying to help care for her and keep her happy.  Her appetite clearly comes from daddy.  She’s also quite adventurous and seems to know no fear.

My dear preschooler is such a special part of our family–we’re so glad she’s here.  It’s amazing how each child just fits so perfectly into their uniquely jigsawed design, as a part of our puzzle.

Opening a few gifts at her party.

It Works, She’s Learning

We’re just under 2 months into the school year.  How’s it going?  It’s going well.  We’re enjoying it and this decision to homeschool is working out quite nicely for our family. 

In my newness, what hints can I share?

Start small.  If you’re able to, start with Kindergarten.  It’s a great way to ease into homeschooling.  Your child, at that level, only needs to start with the basics:  reading, writing, basic math concepts.  You can do more, but don’t stress out yourself or your child.  They pick up and retain info quite rapidly.  You will find homeschooling families where the young children seem to be able to recite the periodic table of elements.  If it works for them–great!  Bravo. 

But you’re not them.  Do what works best for you and your child/children. 

Turn every opportunity into a lesson.  This is the beauty of homeschooling–every moment is a teaching moment.  Not a high-pressure moment where you shove as much info into their brains as possible and quiz them after a cram session.  Follow your child’s cues.  When they ask questions (and you know they ask a gazillion in a day), don’t just give the short “yes” or “no” quick responses.  Think about their questions and see if there’s a piece of info that you can attach to your answer. 

A simple example:

“Mommy, can I have some fruit?”
“Sure.  Let’s wash it first though.”
“Why do we wash fruit?”
“Because it’s dirty.”
“From what?”
“It just is.”

What info was passed on here?  That fruit needs to be washed.  But, why?  Because Mommy said so.  That’s not the most valid of reasons.  Here’s an alternative example below:

“Mommy, can I have some fruit?”
“Sure.  Let’s wash it first though.”
“Why do we wash fruit?”
“Because the outside of the fruit is dirty.  It grew outside on a tree/plant/underground, under the open sky.  Then it was picked and handled.  In the store, they often spray to keep it moist/fresh.  Also, many people touch fruit to see how hard or soft it is, before buying, just like Mommy does.  Fruit has lots of germs on the outside.  So, we want to wash that off before we eat it.”
“Oh.  We wash off all the germs so that we don’t get sick, right Mommy?”
“That’s right.”

What info was passed on here?  That fruit needs to be washed.  We learned why and how we’re affected by washing or not washing.  We’ve also introduced basic hygiene among other lessons that we taught in that explanation.

Don’t underestimate yourself.  If you’re a Christian–prayer is key to your homeschooling experience.  I know that left up to me, I’d be floundering though every day.  However, I’ve asked God to lead and He always steps up and leads the way.

Enjoy!

Five Minute Friday: Relevant

Relevant.  To me, this means the things that matter.  What matters in my life?

Regardless of whatever someone says or does to me, what matters is how I react and how I respond.  My Bible says to love one another.  I need to respond with kindness and in love.  That’s what’s relevant.

It doesn’t matter how many hours of sleep I got or didn’t get during the night.  What’s relevant is that I take care of my family, my responsibilities and give it my best.  That’s what’s relevant.

It doesn’t matter how good something tastes or how many times I can refill a plate because the portion seemed too small.  What’s relevant is that I take care of my body, my temple and practice moderation.

It doesn’t matter how cold it it outside or how hot it gets in the summer.  The mosquito population has nothing to do with me.  If I can’t control it, I shouldn’t complain relentlessly about it.  What’s relevant is that I embrace each season and be thankful for that fact that I get to see changes all year long.

It doesn’t matter how many great ideas are brewing around in my head, just waiting to take shape.  One excuse after another only hinders the outcome. What’s relevant is that I seek God first and make sure that what I say is approved by Him.  And not speak first, then hope to gain approval.

There is so much in my life and while all of it seems to be a big deal in any given moment, what’s relevant is remembering that it’s not all about me.
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Your turn.  Today’s topic of ‘relevant’ comes courtesy of the Relevant Conference.  One of these years, I hope to attend myself.  Click below to link up today.

Five Minute Friday: Beyond

I first thought of beyond as something far.  Something way out there that was a bit further than my reach.  Think of the term “above & beyond”.  People are grateful when we not only extend ourselves, but over-extend ourselves.  In fact, the lengths that some people go through–it’s more like hyper-extending themselves.

Then I started wondering why “beyond” always seems to be associated with “out do”.   I think the reality is that for some, beyond is a lot closer than we think.

Sometimes we’re so wrapped up in ourselves, so self-consumed that we can’t see past the tips of our noses.  So, to redefine beyond–I’d say it’s outside your personal bubble.  When you start to put yourself aside and do things that aren’t limited to your comfort zone–that’s beyond.

When you step out in faith and work to help someone–that’s beyond.  When you pray for others, sincerely believing in God’s mighty power though your own prayers seem unanswered–that’s beyond.  When you don’t think twice about helping someone else and do it without keeping a running tab–that’s beyond.

When you set aside yourself and choose to give and exude love & kindness to everyone, in all circumstances–that’s beyond.
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Your turn.  It’s Friday–time to stop, drop & write.  Go beyond your comfort zone & link up too.  Or at least browse through a few other posts and maybe leave a comment or two or more.

Throwing in the Towel, Then Reeling it Back in

My immediate reaction was astonishment.

I was watching a replay of a sermon online. The message was fantastic and the speaker even had a couple props. His message topic was about fighting; letting God fight our battles. One of the analogies was a story from Rocky IV.  He told a scene in the movie when the manager had the ability to “throw in the towel” when things got too rough.  Then the fighter could just walk away, while he was still alive.  But in the case of the movie, the fighter let his pride overrule reason and he died in the ring.

Sometimes we let pride keep us in a lethal fight, when we should just suck it up and throw in the towel, trusting God for the outcome. The speaker’s final “act” was to take a towel that he was holding, ball it up, and throw it away.  This symbolized us “throwing in the towel” and surrendering our fight to God.  Then we can lean back against the ropes and let God fight for us.

Great point, right?  And such a fitting illustration.

But what happened next on my computer screen killed the moment.  As soon as the towel landed, a lady sitting nearby picked up the towel, and brushed it off, and set it on her lap.  My immediate reaction was shock & outrage.  I wondered how this lady could just disrupt the mood by her action.  It seemed to me that she was more concerned about the towel than the message.

My second reaction was understanding.

This is exactly what we do at times.  Way too often than we should.  We finally get the courage to let go. Then we start to second guess ourselves, still clinging to our issues emotionally.  So, we chase after our stuff and pick it up again.  We brush it off and settle it comfortably on our laps, almost as though the letting go part never happened.  We kill the moment.

This incident was a great reminder for me to let go–with both hands.  Let go and leave it there.  Stop trying to chase after the stuff.  Stop trying to coach God on how to handle my battle.  He’s the only One who can see the end from the beginning.  I do not have such oversight.

Let it all go.

Five Minute Friday: Catch

Oftentimes when we think of “catch”, we think of a ball or the common cold.  Mostly ball, though.  Another thing that pops to mind is more dismal.  As in “what’s the catch”?  The popular question that more and more people tend to ask when a deal sounds wayyy too good to be true.  It’s said that if it sounds too good, it usually is.  Lots of skepticism in the world, which is unfortunate.

But this thinking is everywhere.  Cell phones and their hidden fees.  Airline tickets and their extra surcharges.  Contests and their disclaimers.  Coupons for great savings, but only if you purchase multiples of the item.  We need to ask what the catch is now, upfront, before we sign on the dotted line or commit to anything long term.  Even marriage hopes come with pre-nuptial agreements.  A “safety net” in case something goes wrong. 

Thankfully, there is one thing in life that’s completely free and catch-less.  God and His gift of salvation.  It’s free.  There is no catch.  All we need to do is accept it and it’s ours.  No amount of money, no long lists of deeds done, no record of people witnessed too could ever repay such a priceless gift.  His love, His overflowing, overwhelming, unconditional, everlasting love is poured out on everyone.

There is no catch.  Since God cannot lie, this deal is guaranteed.
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Welcome to Friday, where you’re invited to join in.  Stop, drop & write for 5 minutes flat.  At the end, hit “post”.  (Note, I didn’t say to stop and edit.)  No editing required for this exercise.  You’ll soon be hooked.  Oh, and you’re invited to also link up and leave some encouraging words on other blogs as well.

I Think I Need To Wake Up Earlier

Each day, like clockwork, I figure I’d let the Baby wake me up.  She’s usually the first of the three girls awake, and that allows me to get decent sleep.  My lofty fantasy is to watch her drowsily eat and fall back to sleep, while I awake and enjoy quiet time.  Enough to do my Bible time and have time to write a wee bit before the other girls come bouncing along. 

This is usually how each day starts, with one minor difference:  the Baby stays awake, followed by the Toddler, followed by Ms. Kindergarten.  And there goes the time right out the window.  I do take a few moments for Bible time–that’s a must.  Like breathing & drinking water–can’t get through the day without connecting with God first. 

As the day goes on, I have snatches of time here and there that let me at least read some fantabulous blog posts from some incredible women.  If I allow myself too much time, I keep finding more and more little goodies hidden here and there.  And then I start dreaming more about my own blog and the posts that I could very well pump out after being inspired by others.  Believe me, I’ve written many a blog post in my head, gone off on many a tangent and had even more lessons come to mind. 

But stuck in my mind is not enough.  I need to transfer it from inner thought to outward expression.  The adventure continues.  My princesses are young enough that they need me to do quite a bit for them still.  And that’s okay.  I’m their Mom–I’m supposed to meet their needs at this season of their lives.  If I want time for extras, however, I need to carve it out of somewhere else.

Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

Who defines what ordinary?  Who decides what’s commonplace, what’s plain and not all that more special than something else? 

My kids think that life is ordinary.  They think that little girls gets their heads washed in the kitchen sink and done up nicely the night before church.  They think homemade bread and tasting the bread dough before it’s baked it ordinary.  They believe that family dinners at or on their birthdays are the norm.  Until they start chatting with other kids.

My parents thought life was ordinary.  My Dad spoke kreyol & french at home, believing that how people spoke.  And he was right, to a point.  He & his brother grew up respecting their parents, being obedience to their instruction and teaching.  My Mom grew up in a large family, where her Mother worked hard to provide.  She lived with an older sister for a time, helping to tend to her niece & nephews.  Then they arrived to this country.  No longer were their accents normal or commonplace.  Their faces were extraordinary.  Their values and morals, far from the new ordinary.  And snow?!  There was only one place they’d ever heard the term before.

I think that life for an earnest Christian is also far from ordinary.  God does amazing things and operates in His timing.  If He operated in our timing, we’d probably look and act just like every one else around us.  But He has a special purpose for each and every one of us.  We’re not meant to fit in.  We’re meant to stand out.  Not stick out like a sore thumb, but to be extraordinary among the humdrum around us…
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Phew!  I had no clue where this post was going when I first started it.  Your turn.  5 minutes, no editing.  Just let the words flow and your fingers type. 

Be be warned:  You’ll have fun :-)