Just Follow the Word

It is 5 minute Friday and the word today is Relief.  Yes the first song that pops in to my head is an old commercial.  "Plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is." Yes, Alka Seltzer. And then, as usual my mind asks questions, "What is relief for me?"  What has been relief for you?  I have found relief in many places over the years but today I wonder over my younger years of seeking relief. I have been pondering food lately.  I had an issue with food as a young teen.  It started so innocently with a few pounds that maybe "needed" to come off.   Yes I was in the Pretty Plus section at Sears, luckily we didn't shop at JC Penny because then it would be Husky section. Relief to me was feeling a hunger pain as I lay my head on my pillow. Relief was swimming nightly all summer long to get my laps in. Relief to me was wrapped up in what I deemed success. When I went back to school that Fall and heard you look amazing from shocked faces... ...

Which way do I go?  Do you love it when someone is giving you directions with the terms North, South, East and West?  Is your preferred choice go left or right?  Or maybe your favorite way of getting directions are landmarks, you know, turn left at the red barn with the cow on top.   The landmark direction sometime comes with a story of the past, and why the landmark was special to the direction giver. I sometimes wonder if the landmark directions are the best, but seldom do we have time to hear the long dialogue of memories.  I wonder if directions given by those who have traveled before us NEED to have landmarks so we understand the way better. Lets consider Paul from his letter in Ephesians and his direction he give us about himself and where he is going and why.  Often times looking at the past of what was done long ago gives us the best way forward. Paul,  an apostle of Christ Jesus   by the will of God , To the saints who are i...

It began a few years ago. It was the spring of 2016. There were tears. Alot of tears. They came at the weirdest times. I did not know what they were from or why they came. I remember the tears came mostly in the salon, while getting my hair done. They would come from no where and my stomach usually felt queasy, you know  when you feel like your getting the flu.  These tears came every 5-6 weeks at the salon through the spring and into the summer.  I knew it had nothing to do with a change in hairstyle. Unexplainable in my eyes. The tears and the feeling would make me ponder what is going on that makes these tears come. The stylist would ask each time these tears appeared, "Is everything ok?  I am worried about you."  To which I would reply, "One thing you need to know is this is not about you." You may be making YOUR own assumptions right now as well. Sometimes when the tears came, we would laugh and say, "It must be menopause!"   ...

What does it cost? It is the first question we often ask.  Well, it is the first question I ask. I am also discovering getting the definition of a word helps me with how it works in my life. Definition of cost =  noun an amount that has to be paid or spent to buy or obtain something. verb 1. (of an object or action) require the payment of (a specified sum of money) before it can be acquired or done. Then there are some days I jump into something that may not cost me money, but it will cost my time, energy and my heart.   How do we look at cost when it comes to day to day life?  How do we filter the word cost into our life if we are believers?    What is my or your life worth? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ...and just like that 5 minutes is up.

5 minute Friday word is unknown. The word has come up many times in the last few years.  Did it come up before?  Probably I suppose. Why am I noticing it more?  I wonder if it could be because I am realizing more often, that most things I thought where known, and controllable, are not. I remember the feeling of unknown as a late teen, then it sounded like this, "Will I get married?" I remember the feeling of the unknown as a first time Mom, then it sounded like this, "How do I care for a baby?" I remember the sicknesses of our children as a young Mom, then it sounded like this, "Will this turn into RSV or an ear infection?" There was a period of time I don't remember the unknowns, I believe it was during the period of time when our children could talk to when they began to drive.   I wonder if the word control would be why I didn't hear the word unknown? The word appeared again during the teen years of our children, during the care of our...

It is 5 minute Friday again.  Fridays come quick, but not as quick as Mondays :) I think the word convenient is quite convenient to be the word for this week due to what happened in New York this week.  And, how convenient that it was right after the Sanctity of Life Sunday and the March for Life in Washington. Is anything other than fun, ever convenient? And actually, sometimes, if you are a workaholic planning fun is not convenient either. I am beginning, well I began about 3-4 years ago caring for my aging parents.  I found from the very beginning it is and was never convenient.  I also learned I like a plan in my day and old people and babies are pretty hard to plan.  Please don't take offense to the word "old people."  As I sat in church in Sunday, and listened and watched all the years of people representing the length of time we have stood for life, it hit me.  If you don't have power or a voice you don't have a choice.  That may be c...

Hello Friday!  2019 Linking up with Kate Motang for 5 minute Friday. The word this week is better and the timer begins now... ...What does the word better mean to me? When words enter my mind, the first thing I do is grab the first thing that comes into my mind, and today the first thing was, "a better high priest".  Deep? Yes I know.  What does the word better mean to others?  What is the first thing that comes to mind for you? I want to be better at math might be a thought from a elementary student that struggles with math facts. I want to be a better Mom might be a thought from a Mom who lost her patience with her toddler, or teen yesterday. I want to a better friend to someone who forgot to keep an appointment that was scheduled just days ago with a hurting friend. I want to be better at_______________ I believe there will be 1,000 things that each of us can fill in that blank with and the next question is why do I want to be better ? ...