FREE

Five Minute Fridays often bring me a sense of thanksgiving.  I am able to reflect on blessings that I often overlook.  Today is no different.  My word is FREE and today I feel free.

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for every activity under heaven.  I'm sure you know the reference:

a time to be born, a time to die; 

a time to tear down and a time to mend; 

a time to weep, a time to laugh 

and a time to be silent and a time to speak.  

My new spin on this scripture is that there is a time to enjoy life, a time to experience freedom.  Often parenting feels like a struggle, at least for me.  It's hard to find time for myself and to truly enjoy the things I want to do.  I love being with friends, talking, laughing, weeping and listening.   But it is rare for us to get to do that as women.  Hence, a positive aspect of teenage parenting.  As our children get older, they need us less.  We are able to leave them at home more, we are able to seek out those friendships that our hearts desire.  There is some freedom found in parenting teenagers.  So in the midst of the angst of raising a teen age daughter, I find myself thankful that at this stage of life, I am able to step out on my own.

As I think of freedom, I am also reminded of the freedom I have from the bondage of sin.  Again, back to Ecclesiastes.  Freedom.  God gives us this incredible freedom to live live that is pleasing to him.  In verse 14 it says,

14  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Nothing I do can add to my freedom- no amount of good parenting, determined prayer life; accolades from peers... no nothing can add to what Christ has already done for me.  On the flip side, nothing I do- gossiping about others; a lazy spirit or unwillingness to help someone in need... no nothing can take away from what Christ has already done for me.  If that isn't true freedom, I don't know what is.

  

HOPE

There is power in words.  They invoke emotion.  Maybe that is why I blog... words have meaning in my life and often I can't get them out in conversation, so I blog.  I'm following Five Minute Friday's word prompt.  

You can snag the details here: 

 http://katemotaung.com/2015/06/25/five-minute-friday-dream/

HOPE-  definition: noun- a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. 
              definition: verb- want something to happen or be the case.

Is it possible to desire one word to be both a noun and a verb in your everyday life?  As I write this, I can think of things I hope for... a well balanced checkbook; a clean kitchen when I get home.  But I also find things I want to happen.  I hope to rest well tonight.  I anticipate a good dinner with friends. I hope my daughter makes decisions that will benefit her life.  

As I write, I am reminded, that I have both hope (noun) and hope (verb) in my life.

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"

by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When every earthly prop gives way,

He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,

Clothed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne!

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand

I especially like the 3rd verse.  

"When every earthly prop gives way, 

then is all my HOPE and stay." 

How comforting to know this hope: to know that THE HOPE is a verb is also my hope that is a person... a living, breathing, walking, talking person.  

FAVORITE

So this week, I am cheating.  I thought I would spend this five minutes reminding me of who I AM. Since I don't know if I will ever share my blog with another soul, it seems like the blogs are more introspective.  So here is the list I found online.  I am only going to commit 5 minutes to this so... if it is abruptly stopped, you know why.  

color- RED

movie- LES MIS

song- tough one but right now, FLAWLESS by Mercy Me

drink- LE CROIX ORANGE WATER

store- GROCERY STORES

flower- PINK CARNATIONS

restaurant_ MEXICAN- El Campesino

tv.show- SURVIVOR

book- BIBLE

candy- HERSHEYS WITH ALMONDS

celebrity- ???

fun spot- TABLE ROCK STATE PARK

accessory- NEW RING WITH PHILLIPIANS 4:5 ENGRAVED

hairstyle- SHORT

car-???

ice cream- COCONUT

fruit- ???

state- TN

music video, 

cartoon,

brand of shoes, 

donut, 

season- AUTUMN 

relative MOTHER

teacher- MRS ROUSE- KINDERGARTEN

magazine, 

game, 

joke, 

website, 

cookie- OATMEAL WITH CHOC CHIPS

number- 13

actor, 

cereal- SHREDDED MINI WHEATS.

Whew I did it.  There is nothing spiritual or life giving about this blog of a list.  It is the real me... somewhat boring, but specifically designed by God for his purposes.  

DREAM

My mind immediately went to a negative place when I saw the word
DREAM.  

Once again I am following Kate Motaung.  5 minutes of unscripted writing.  Its a lot harder than you imagine.  You can link with her here: http://katemotaung.com/2015/06/25/five-minute-friday-dream/

As a child I dreamed I would have a wonderful husband.  But before I settled down, I dreamed of dedicating a few years on the mission field... preferably in Africa somewhere.  I dreamed of being a mom to many adopted children both domestically and internationally.  I dreamed of growing old with my husband by my side and grandchildren all around.

But life happened.... my marriage fell apart.  My daughter is in a period of rebellion... I feel totally alone and inadequate in any type of ministry.  So dreams didn't come true.  UNLESS, those dreams were stepping stones to lead me to a closer relationship with my Savior.

I have to admit, as my dreams were "squashed" right before me, I could feel God's presence in a real way.  He was beckoning me to draw closer to Him, to see what his call on my life was.  I know that God's ultimate goal in my life is sanctification... making me more like Christ and to life my life giving God the glory.  It is a life of serving others so that they may see what God is doing in my life.

So I dare to peek over the fence into my future.  It is always scary to go into the "great unknown"...to seek first his Kingdom and then to figure out how to draw others closer to him through relationships

.   

This is the truth.  A year ago, my world looked different.  I was searching for God amidst my broken and shattered dreams.  Fast forward 18 months and I see God's hand in each decision and relationship I have allowed God to put me in.  

Eventually, God will make his plans known to me.  For today, I will continue to go where he leads, taking one step at a time.  I will go into the dark places with utter confidence that God has the plan and he only needs to give me daily nuggets of knowledge and courage.

BLUE

Blue... now there is an interesting prompt.  I have purposefully not read anyone else's posts because I didn't want to be distracted.  Blue is my favorite color.  It is so much so, that most of the rooms in my house, except the kitchen, have blue and brown as their color pallet.  Most of my closet is blue- from blue jeans, to nurse scrubs to t shirts to nice clothing... you will find blue.

But my blog prompt is found in my bathroom.  On my mirror, I tape various quotes, scriptures and thoughts.  It helps me as I prepare for the day or at the end the day.  Last week, I posted a new verse on a BLUE index card.  I thought I would share it with you.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ, our comfort overflows.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5

This verse is comfort for me.  Over the past couple of years, God has given me a support system that you would NOT believe.  I have a group I can call upon day or night to pray for us, or come to be the hands and feet of Christ in our lives.   They each have their own stories... stories of heartache in broken marriages, stories of trial in raising children, stories of loss of parents... each person has their own story.  But in sharing of our stories collectively, we can provide comfort to each other as our Lord has comforted us.  Isn't that what the Body of Christ is all about?  I marvel at the support system God has given me.  It is a challenge for me to go therefore and be a support system for someone else.  Last week in our community group a friend shared a quote that has stuck with me.

God won't waste any part of your story.

The trials and struggles we face now are meant for his glory.  Often we don't see it because we don't see the whole picture.  We have a God who is orchestrating our lives but even more special is we have a God who goes with us each day and comforts us as we grieve worldly sorrow.  He isn't playing games, or not paying attention... He is right here with us and chooses to use other people to demonstrate his love and comfort for us.

I find that incredibly comforting.

FOLLOW

Once again, I am spending 5 minutes using the word prompt from Kate Motaung at
/http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/.  I am finding myself a week behind... so technically this was last week's prompt.  I am continuously reminded to give myself a little freedom when I don't meet the deadline.

Two quick definitions of the word "follow."

1- to go or come after (A person or thing proceeding ahead); to move or travel behind.
2- come after in time or order.

I could write a lengthy blog about how either definition applies to my life.  After all, I am a follower.  I like simply be told what needs doing and then allowed to do it.  I am finding myself in more and more leadership roles within our church and sometimes I just want someone to tell me what needs doing.

But this morning definition 2 is pulling at my heart strings.  Have you experienced the period of time that comes after a storm; the peace that follows a trial in life?  That's where life has gotten "real" or "authentic" in the past 6 months of my life.  I have walked through the most difficult 16 months of my life.  I have felt: anger, bitterness, defeat, brokenness, grief and many other emotions.  But after about month 10 in the journey, I began to feel: at peace, less anxious, forgiven, refreshed and loved. This period following the darkest days have been some of my brightest days.

I've a new relationship with my Savior.  

I am able to be more "authentic" in my relationships because I have experienced the darkness. 

I find myself more aware of the needs around me.  

I find myself pouring out more praise to a God who never let me down.  

I find myself looking to the cross for strength rather than trying to go it alone.  

I find myself desiring more time of God and less of me.  

Don't get me wrong, I would never, ever want to walk through that valley again.  But the time that followed is a sweet time.  And don't get me wrong, after this time of restoration, there will be another valley to follow.  

MEET(

Welcome to my Five Minute Friday blog hosted by Kate Motaung.  You can follow the details here:

http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/

This week's word is MEET.

I am a self proclaimed introvert.  I don't like being in unfamiliar situations.  Meeting new people is very awkward for someone who doesn't know how to make small talk.  Being in new places, leaves me longing for the quiet retreat of my home.  Most likely you will find me around children.  That is where I feel at home... with small people.  I say all of this to say that I rarely put myself into situations where I "MEET" people.

Recently, I felt led to change community groups within our church.  Our community groups are called Grace Groups and they exist to help us build relationships with others in our church family and to invest in those relationships and "live life together."  I'd felt the prompt of change for several months but I finally prayed over it and "took the plunge".  It is a small group- 3 couples, 1 single female, and myself.  (And 8 kids ranging from 4-15 yrs old.)

The first night, we carpooled to the group.  Honestly, I can say that if they hadn't come to get us, I would have found a way to stay home.  Once we got there, I was too nervous to eat or drink.  I listened to the small talk and contributed very little.  Finally it was time for discussion from the service, I felt my body relax.  I participated in discussion, prayer requests and survived the car ride back home.

But it was at the end of the evening that a conversation came up.  I tried to explain to the women how difficult and almost painful it was for me to come to group.  I thanked them for being so caring and welcoming.  All three women were shocked at my proclamation that I was an introvert. "Melissa, you are an amazing woman.  I can't believe you feel that way.  Oh my goodness, we are so surprised that you are shy."  I thought, "Are they serious?"

I went home thanking God that my awkwardness is not as evident to others.  I realized this group had no idea what battles I was facing.  But even so, they welcomed me.  They made me feel at home.  My prayer is that I will be sensitive and welcoming to those around me and that I will have the courage to "MEET" new people.  Isn't that part of what we, as Christians, are called to do?  To love, accept and welcome others...

 (Side note:  I have been back to group 3 other times and each time we MEET I feel less anxious.)

HIDE

Hide and seek... 

Marco Pollo...

Memory Match... 

all teach us to find things that are lost.  

We as adults play "hide and seek"... 

we frantically clean our houses before someone comes over; 

we hide our "messiness" from others because we don't know if we will be accepted

We don't allow ourselves to be vulnerable because we don't know how we will be perceived.  

If there is anything I have learned in the past 15 months, it is the truth that authenticity comes from putting away the pretenses, the masks, the "should haves" and being truly ourselves.  I treasure the few friendships I have.  You know, the intimate ones where I can be my true self without fearing judgement, pity or counsel.  Sometimes we need a listening ear even if our "listener" hasn't experienced our difficulty.  Those few women have impacted my life far more than anyone can imagine.

I want to be the kind of woman that other women can come to when they need authenticity.  I want to be the safe place for others to let down guards and pretenses, not only for my friends but also for my daughter.  There are very few people in our world that are willing to go out on the limb and be themselves.

DOOR

A door... it opens and shuts, often moved by a person but also sometimes moved by the wind. At our house the screen door always seems to pop open when I am in the middle of something else.  Then it is a mad dash to get to the door before the cats... SO FRUSTRATING.  

This is the image I have... the door opening and closing without any physical effort on my part.  It typically happens when I am occupied with something else.  It has happened several times in my life... closed ministry opportunities, ended relationships and even changes in the work place.  But it is when the door closes by something other than myself, that I see the hand of God at work.  Left to my own, I will manipulate a way to open and close my own doors but this often results in heartache and disappointment.  I have learned to sit, be patient, allow God to do His thing.  It is those times when I see His guidance most clearly.

One of my favorite movies as a child was The Sound of Music.  Of course one of my favorite lines is:

 Maria: When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window. 

I don't have any life altering doors that I see need opening or closing currently in my life.  But I will treasure this peaceful time of life because I know that those doors are a source of dependence on God.They will swing open when I least expect it and I pray I will have the wisdom to acknowledge God's hand at work.    

TOMORROW

Tomorrow... When I first saw the prompt I immediately went to a certain red head who wished for a family.  But deep inside I knew that wasn't where my blog was headed.

Tomorrow... another movie with a famous quote...

Oh, I can't think about this now! I'll go crazy if I do! I'll think about it tomorrow. But I must think about it. I must think about it. What is there to do? What is there that matters? Tara! Home. I'll go home... After all, Tomorrow is a another day.

You guessed it, Ms Scarlet O'Hara... In all of her drama, I believe she's got it right.  "I'll think about that tomorrow."  The Bible shares this sentiment as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  -Matthew 6:34

I often find that I can worry myself to death about tomorrow.  In doing so, I fail to see the beauty of the day God lays before me.  I know God sets our lives into manageable portions.  He gives us years, months, days, hours, minutes and even seconds to measure the moments of our lives.  In His great wisdom, He knew we couldn't enjoy those simple moments if we were constantly looking to the next big thing.  So this week, I will choose to bask in God's goodness of today.  I will allow myself to live in each moment He has given me.

I will remember this song when I get overwhelmed by my tomorrows:

Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

RELIEF

I'm continuing as a Five Minute Friday blogger this week which is hosted by Kate Motaung.  You can get the details below.  Basically I am given a word late Thursday night and it is 5 minutes of uninterrupted and unscripted blogging.

http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/

RELIEF-  An old commercial said, "How do you spell relief?  R-O-L-A-I-D-S."  How accurate this has been this week as we have been battling the stomach bug.  (I won't give any further details on that.)  My daughter, 15, woke up at midnight one night and called out to me.  It was pitiful because there was nothing I could do.  Helpless.  I felt totally helpless.  I comforted and assisted as much as a mother can in the middle of the night.  I made sure she was resting comfortably before I went back to bed.  I found myself waking up every couple of hours to go and check on her.  Knowing she was sleeping relaxed me.  I got up early the next morning and ran to the store to get cleaning supplies and upset stomach supplies... I purchased everything from rubber gloves and Lysol to Popsicles and ginger ale.  I came home to find her still sleeping.  We spent the next two days resting, watching movies and monitoring temperatures.  One night before bed she began to cry,

"I can't do this.  You have to make it go away.  I need to rest."  

Again I felt helpless.  After tucking her into bed, I began to pray... Please Father, don't let her go through another rough night.  She can't handle it and I can't handle it.  Please give her rest...  Then I was led to familiar words from My Heavenly Father:

It was a precious thought that not only was God going to give us what we needed, He was going to sustain our weariness.  As I went to bed that night, I was reminded of another scripture in the Old Testament written by King David in Psalms:

How amazing is it that the King of the Universe comes to us and gives us words of encouragement for something so small as a tummy ache?  That night we went to sleep peacefully knowing that God would provide rest to our bodies as well as to our spirits.  

"How do you spell relief?  J-E-S-U-S."

GOOD

This week, in particular, the word "good" is in a Christian's vocabulary.  We celebrate Good Friday, which in my opinion, doesn't seem all that good.  So as Five Minute Friday's word, was put into cyber space on Thursday night, I struggled.  Why is Good Friday, GOOD?  It was the death of the King who was to bring an end to Roman rule.  What I realized is that when I see  Good Friday, I often place myself in that day in time 2000+ years ago.  I live in the past, in Jerusalem.  I know the end of the story, 1-2-3 days later we celebrate the Resurrection but Good Friday is painful for me.

Good Friday is GOOD because:
1- We see the love of God, the Father and his willingness to offer his only Son on our behalf.
2- We see the love of God, the Son as he went to the cross when it should have been me
3- We see that our debt was paid in full.  We are clothed in His righteousness.
4- We see that we can live in freedom from a list of "dos and don'ts" of the law.
5- We are loved and accepted.
6- We are adopted sons and daughters of God our Father.
7- We live in the hope, that one day, all will be restored.




"Look, I am making everything new."- now that is GOOD NEWS.

BREAK

A real confession...  I have found relief in "breaking" things.  I've been in dire need of getting out anger and frustration over the past year and peace has only been found in "breaking" something. Granted, that when I break something, I place it into a pillowcase and take it outside, because who wants to spend less than 2 minutes getting out the anger only to be frustrated by having to clean up shards of glass? 

I read a book called, Mended by Angie Smith.  She talks about a time of struggle in her life where she felt God prompting her to shatter a pitcher.  She went outside and threw the pitcher.  She felt relief at the breaking of the object.  However, God wasn't finished with this lesson yet.  God told her to put the pitcher back together again.  As she began to glue to the pitcher back together, She noted that every piece of the pitcher was a symbol of her story.  "Every nook and cranny whispered to me, until at last it stood in all its imperfections."  She remembered broken promises, shattered dreams, deep felt hurt and resentment over the years of her life.  She goes on to share that as she looked at the pitcher that had been pieced back together with pieces missing and cracks, she was mad at those imperfections that represented her life.  But God replied, 

My dearest Angie, how do you think the world has seen Me?  If it wasn't for the cracks, I couldn't seep out the way I do.  I chose the pitcher.  I chose you, just as you are.

I related to this story because not so many months ago, my heart was broken into many pieces.  In the first few hours, days and weeks, I didn't know how anyone could continue living in our world with such a broken spirit.  It effected every part of who I was: as a teacher, as a daughter, as a mother, as a friend, as a Christian... I was broken to my core.  I had a lot of questions that couldn't be answered as to why it happened, how I could have missed the signs, where to go from this point.  But in the deepest part of my heart I heard my heavenly Father calling to me.  He reminded me that He uses the broken things of this world to bring light to those around us.  He called me to walk through the darkest days/nights of my life so that someday I could use it to bring glory to his name.

He chose me to be broken.  He chose me just the way I am.  

REAL

My daughter and I love to watch movies.  We would go to the cinemas more if it wasn't so expensive but whether a Hallmark movie on TV or the latest flick on the big screen, we love to just watch the story unfold.  Being avid readers, my daughter will select books to read and then let me know if I would enjoy the story or not.  If she thinks its a winner, we will read book and wait for a movie to come out.  This week-end, we enjoyed our most recent favorite trilogy on the big screen.  This brings me to the post this morning about being "real."

Stories follow a predictable pattern:  There is an introduction where you meet the characters.  Next you learn that the characters want something- freedom, love, money, power. Finally the character must overcome an obstacle to get what they desire.  Those characters face a conflict and a decision they have to make.  After that there is a solution to the conflict/problem.  In our household, we want love to win.  We want a happily ever after and we get frustrated when that doesn't happen.  I've watched my daughter throw down a book because she became so invested in the story line and when a leading character dies, she is beside herself.  

I say all of this to say, stories are stories and real life is... REAL.  I have to remind myself, and my mini-me, that life isn't happily ever after with true love, sunshine filled spring weddings and perfect harmony.  REAL life is messy- its broken, weak people struggling to make it moment by moment.  Whether we encounter "fairytale" people or "broken people", we don't know their life story so we cannot judge them based on what they see.  

BUT... BUT... BUT... and here is the great part... 

As Christians, there will be a happy ending.  Its a promise from our Savior that one day we will live with him in perfect peace, true harmony... a happy ever after.  I have to remind myself that REAL life here on earth will lead to a REAL life in heaven.  That my friends, is a story worth living.  

PLAN

This blog is all about "poor planning."

Thursday afternoon I realized I hadn't called in a prescription.  I promptly called the pharmacy for a refill and learned there were no refills left without authorization.  (WHAT?!?!?!  I always make sure I have what I need.)  Calmly, I asked the pharmacist to fax paperwork to the doctor for the following morning and I explained the office closed at noon.  Meanwhile, I looked online at the doctor's office and realized they were closed on Friday.  This led me back to the daytimer in the bottom of my purse.  I looked over the past month and realized I totally missed my follow up appointment. (This is where the panic sets in.)  I live by routine. I thrive on structure.  I need sleep, good meals, exercise, a little room for relaxation and I am good to go.  But take away any of these components and I am agitated, moody, frustrated and overall negative.

But this is my 'human-ness'.

Paul often talked about the thorn in his flesh and we never know what that ailment was, but we know it was painful.  This is my thorn of flesh, my burden I carry... some people closest to me know my struggle but all in all it is something that with medication I manage.  So I am clinging to the promise that God will never give us more than we can bare and that he will never leave or forsake us....

I PLAN to be gentle with myself over the next few days, taking things easy and in manageable parts. I PLAN to exercise grace with myself knowing that God is the one in ultimate control.
I PLAN to call the doctor first thing on Monday morning to get a new prescription so that I can rest with a peaceful heart and mind.

GATHER

So technically its early Saturday morning... I am just a few hours late but I wanted to type my unedited 5 minutes with the one word prompt.

To gather.  I spent today gathering.  I'd like to say I was gathering flowers, or recipes but instead I was gathering information and support from friends.  Today was whirlwind of emotion, beginning with an unexpected and unwanted letter in my mailbox.  After receiving the letter, instead of running into the arms of my Savior, I ran to others for support, validation and comfort.  Although these are good Christian friends, they are not the ones who can satisfy my quest for wisdom.

The letter in itself "gathered" a lot of hurt and resentment deep inside of me.  Who knew I could be so angry after all this time.  I realized, that although I have made so much progress, there is a lot of hurt and bitterness in the core of my being.  It made me realize that the forgiveness I thought I was producing is really superficial.  That work is totally up to the Holy Spirit and I am "just not there yet."

Thank goodness I have a God who is able to handle this.  There are no surprises for Him and He knew this day would be difficult.  He covered me with a wonderful concert on Thursday night and had already "gathered together" a group of supportive friends to help me navigate the "what's next" phase on my journey.  He never, ever, ever leaves me alone.

I immediately was drawn to "Shall we Gather at the River" when I saw our word prompt.  Here is a line that rings true today as I end this time.

1. Ere we reach the shining river,
   Lay we every burden down;
   Grace our spirits will deliver,
   And provide a robe and crown.

VISIT

For the second week in a row, I give you Five Minute Fridays.

http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/

Visit- As a child, I visited my grandparents.  On mission trips, I visited people in hopes of forming relationships that would show Christ's love for people.  As an adult I see that "visiting" is a lost art form. We spend time texting each other or private messaging important people in our lives... but how often can we say we have "visited" with another person?  The definition of visiting is, "to go to see someone and spend time with them socially."  I think this has to be intentional.

I am learning how hard it is for me to get out of my comfort zone and be intentional with other people.  Its hard for me to do this with people I hold in high regard, friends and family.  It is even harder to do this with people who are sick, or lonely.  I never know quite what to say.

This week I want to be more intentional in my relationships.  Instead of sending a simple text, I want to meet at coffee shop or in someone's home and truly spend time catching up with others, hearing their stories and finding specific ways to lift them up in prayer.

OPEN

I'm jumping on the band wagon of Five Minute Friday Blogging.  The details are captured here:

http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/

Since I try to keep my blog as private as possible, at least for now, I won't be posting it to other sites but just following the directions here. So here goes:

Open:

Over the past year, I have been called to OPEN many things.
Open my heart to be vulnerable to let others into my life to help me.
Open my life up to change, (which I didn't ask for).
Open my mind to what God is accomplishing through the heartache of the past year.

This weekend I am "opening" my home to share life with people, primarily women and moms.  For the past year, I have only let a few people into our world.  Call it self preservation, fear or just desperation... but my world has revolved around a few core friends.  Last week I felt the urge to open up our home to others.  People who don't know "our story".  People who need friends.  People, like us, who need accountability, friendship and spiritual guidance in navigating life together as Christians.

So today I declare, that with God's help, I am opening myself up to new friendships, serving Him and hopping out of my comfort zone in more ways than one.