Five Minute Friday: Reflect

Five Minute Fridays, a day I look so forward to because on Friday’s we silence the inner critic. The loudest of all naysayers. And on Fridays we remind ourselves that The Word is for us and loves us and welcomes us. Your words are safe here. January will kick off the forth year of Five Minute Fridays. I have been writing here for over a year and love it.  Lisa Jo can hardly believe that this has been building for three years. So in sticking with tradition we’ll be taking December off again – a quiet sabbatical. And we’ll be back to writing wild and free starting Friday January 3rd. 2014 holds so much promise. So many plans. A world of stories I can’t wait to share with you. If you want to check us out then click here and visit Lisa Jo's blog.  Maybe you will feel like joining us in 2014. I hope so.  Todays word is:

Reflect

This has been an interesting week.  It has been a week of quiet, silent, sad, funny, comforting, discomforting, and powerful reflections.  You see I hurt myself on Thanksgiving Day and spent Monday and Tuesday flat on my back....reflecting.  I was reflecting on why it was me who always seems to fall.  I was reflecting on the upcoming Christmas holidays.  I was reflecting on my life as a wife, mother, friend, pastor, pastor's wife....a whole lot of reflection going on.  I returned to school on Wednesday and found myself reflecting on me the teacher.  Thursday and Friday I attended the Alabama Education Association Delegate Assembly in Birmingham and found myself reflecting on what I would be doing when I retire in 2015.  Every piece of information/business that was brought up I hung on, deep in reflection on how it would affect me in the coming years.   While the Christmas Carols were sung I found myself reflecting on what my life was going to be like in 2014.....at 60.  As I reflected on Christmas past I could see my fathers face as he read The Christmas Story from the bible to me each Christmas and then read The Night Before Christmas.  I loved see my father's calloused hands open his worn bible to read me (us, before my brother died) two very important tales of the glorious holiday coming up.  I reflected on Christmas past with my own children and how I tried to make my own traditions with them.  I sat and reflected on the tiny white lights from the tree reflecting on their tiny faces as we placed our crèche under the tree and read The Night Before Christmas.  I reflected on Christmas past with Frank and our own special memories without small children in our house....just two grown-ups who are children at heart.  I reflected on Christmas present.  Who would have ever known that I would accept the call from God and become a pastor...ever?  If anyone had ever told me I would one day have my own church I would have laughed in their face.  I reflected on why it took me so long to give in to God.  I reflected on questions I had of why me?  Then last night I began to reflect on the life of a great man, Nelson Mandela.  He has always fascinated me and as a teacher his reflection on education has always made me wish I could make my students feel this way:  "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."  So, in finishing up my five minutes and my AEA Delegate Assembly I reflect on what kind of difference my life as a teacher has made in the lives of the students I have taught.    I also reflect on what kind of difference they have made on my life.

Five Minute Friday: Fly

It is that time again.  Time to clear my head, limber up my fingers, and just write.  I look so forward to Five Minute Friday.  It is my one day of the week when I can just free my soul and write.  If you want to learn more about it click here and head over to Lisa Jo's blog.   Now, set your timer friends, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right. These are your people. The poets, the mothers, the bloggers, the writers, the pencil and paper artists. Let’s do this. 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:

Fly

The word fly brings many memories flooding to my brain.  The first would involve my youngest child.  My daughter thought she should fly.  When she was just a toddler she would drag a chair to the counter and climb up.  She would stand there and see if someone was looking then squeal and say, "Look!  I am flying!" as she dove off the counter.  I had many terrifying moments with this....but she had great faith that we would catch her and she was right....she never once hit the ground. 

The second one involved sweet childhood memories of flying kites with my kids.  We lived in the country and they loved seeing the kites take off and soar in the breeze. One of our favorite places to fly the kites was at Horseshoe Bend Military Park.  We would lay on the ground once they were airborne and just enjoy their dance.  The kids could not wait to get a kite and make the tail for it.  They would have contests to see who could make the longest one.

My third memory of flying was my first trip on a plane.  I was 8 and flew to my grandparents in Alabama.  I flew alone and actually earned a set of wings for being a good traveler.  My grandparents picked me up in Montgomery.  It was great fun.  Then came the big flight the night after seeing the movie Airport.  My seat mate was a young hippie with a duffle bag he kept nervously between his legs.  I just knew I was going to die when the bomb in his bag exploded.  Weather was bad on this flight and we flew out in the direction of the Bermuda Triangle.  I could see lightening and a bolt actually struck the wing of the plane.  I did not fly after that for a long while.

Hang gliding in the Chattanooga area was next.  As you can tell I am like my daughter and think maybe I should fly too.  I had just signed my divorce papers and was headed home from being with my friends Chuck and Sue in Knoxville.  I stopped, paid my money, and as I ran toward the edge of the mountain had a sobering thought and came to a screeching halt.  The instructor and I switched places and off we went. (I honestly drug my toes on the ground all the way to the air).  I remember making all kinds of deals and bargains with God those first few minutes.  I eventually opened my eyes and thought I was in heaven.  I actually paid for two rounds....but one was enough.  I figured if I made it to the ground once...why test fate. 

I also para sailed off the coast of Acapulco.  I was terrified of that one when I saw sharks swimming below me.  I offered the boat driver an extra 50.00 to bring me in without me hitting the water.
Flying has always appealed to me.  I love the feel of the air on me.  I love the peace that comes from the sky.

When I was a child I wanted to join the Navy and be a Blue Angel.  When I was young I don't think we missed any airshows where they were performing.  I get the love of flying honestly.  My mom wanted to be a pilot all her life.  One her 65 birthday I arranged for her to fly in a helicopter.  She was like a child at Christmas.  I don't think she could have had a better gift...oh wait...there was one...but that is for another day.  My dad was in the Naval Air Corp and never logged ANY time in a plane.  He did other peoples duties and they did his plane time.  My dad was a staunch follower of the Bible and in Matthew 28:20 we are told, "Lo, I am with you always."  That is a passage he followed until the day he died.  Both of my parents are in heaven and it thrills me to think my dad is flying with the angels and I cannot wait to join them both one day.  Yep, "Some glad morning when this day is o'er, I'll fly away!  Happy Friday and have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Five Minute Friday - Truth

So I see you asking yourself what is this Five Minute Friday....well it is simple.  We all write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa Jo posts here at 1 minute past midnight EST every Friday. And then if you have a Twitter account we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Unscripted. Unedited. Real. It started because Lisa Jo had been thinking about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take 5 minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing. So now on Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes. Your words. This shared feast. - See more at Lisa Jo's Blog. It’s easy to join in, just: Check what the prompt is on Lisa Jo's blog. Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog. {And if you don’t have a blog, no worries! Just leave your writing as a comment on her post} Link over  to The Gypsy Mama and invite friends to join in. Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ } Using the blue linky tool at the bottom of her Five Minute Friday post enter your link. It will also walk you through selecting which photo you want to show up in the linky. Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky. Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you! The most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no -  ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community. Todays word is: 

TRUTH
GO:

In John 14:6 we are told "I am the way, the truth, and the light: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  So I found myself wondering what is truth to me.  I know in court "you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God."   The most important thing about truth to me is that almost two thousand years ago, Truth was put on trial and judged by people who were all about lies. In fact, Truth actually faced six trials in less than one full day, three of which were religious, and three were legal. Yet, none of these characters of this real-life drama seemed to be able to answer the question “What is truth?”  So I asked myself....what did I see truth as and came up with my definition of the word truth.   Truth is something that corresponds to reality,  Truth is simply telling it like it is.  Truth is the opposite of a lie and is actually easier to tell than a lie.  You don't have to remember which lie you told.  You simply told the truth.  When I was younger some of the worst things I did, that ended up in a lie, had the worst outcome because I lied!  If I had told the truth I would have still been punished....but the punishment would have only been for the action....not the action and the lie that went with it.  I had strict parents....when your parents lose a child things get hard for the remaining sibling.  My life was no different and so I resorted to embellishing the truth from time to time so I could do things my friends did.  I have learned one thing in my 50+ years....you cannot embellish something ugly like a lie and make it work.  At least I never could.  My mom always knew when I did not tell the truth because my right eye would twitch; a dead giveaway for sure. I cannot believe how much easier my life became when I finally learned that the truth was the only way.  John 14:6 should have been my mantra as a teenager.  Truth is the way....but now I find myself wondering....does telling the truth have to hurt?  Here is where the sticky wicket is.  I believe you can tell the truth and still save someone's feelings in the process.  One of my dear friends believes in being brutally honest and the hurt feelings I have seen because of it bother me.  I am not talking about bending the truth....I am talking about saying it nicely.  Instead of telling someone, "You look terrible," you can still tell them the truth in a nice way by saying, "I love it when you wear that blue blouse...it makes your eyes pop."  You have not lied....and you spared feelings. My five minutes are ending and I have really danced around the word for today....and that is telling the truth 100%!

Five Minute Friday - Grace

On Friday’s we silence the inner critic. The loudest of all naysayers. And on Fridays we remind ourselves that The Word is for us and loves us and welcomes us.  Your words are safe here.   So come and write with us. Together. On one word for five minutes. And then link up your post or leave it in the comments. But remember, the one must rule here is that you visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their writing.  That’s it. The gift of encouragement – pass it on.  All the back story and details for how to play along are over here.  Once you link up at Lisa Jo's blog then pick the person before you and leave some comment love on their post.  You can visit all you want....just be sure to visit the one before you.  Today the word is the one that’s been hammering in my head all week. Today the word is GRACE.

GO::

I am trying to write this while my class is taking a test.  I have already had three interuptions so I am stopping my clock and starting it back each time.  I know my thoughts are disjointed.  I had a student ask me once, "what is it about Grace that makes it so amazing?"  I wanted to cry.  I could not believe that someone did not understand the ramifications of Grace.  Grace  in Christian terminology  is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.  It is amazing.  In Ephesians 2: 8-9 I find this assurance of grace, "You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. "  That is what I love so about grace.  There is nothing that I did to earn it....or deserve it.....but God gave it to me.  When I found the word for the day I immediately began humming the tune to "Amazing Grace" and started my day with a huge smile on my face.  As I sat here at my desk in my room while my students did their work the tune for Chris Tomlins song, "Amazing Grace - My Chains Are Gone" moved into my mind and by the time it was over the students were actually smiling back at me.  My whole day....even at this very moment....I feel blessed with grace.  Grace makes me feel like it is Christmas morning all day long.  I( am sitting here wrapped in warm fuzzy feelings of grace unearned.  Thank God I am saved.  Thank God for the Amazing Grace.  Thank you for all the second chances I have been given.  Help me Lord to pass grace on to others.  Help grace temper my action and reactions.  If you have not ever watched it, please take a chance and watch the movie, The Grace Card.  It is well-worth the effort and time.  You won't regret watching it I promise. 

STOP:

Five Minute Friday - Laundry

It is Friday once again and time to head over to Lisa Jo's blog and write your Five Minute Friday post. Don't forget to go and link up with her after you complete your post. Today's is interesting.  Today we are going to talk about Laundry.  Remember the rules.  You write for five uninterrupted minutes on the subject....period, post and link.  It does not get any easier than this.

The word for the week is:     Laundry

Go: 

Laundry does not just refer to clothes.  Sometimes in life we all have dirty laundry that gets aired and it can be embarrassing to say the least.  I can think of many moments in my life when my dirty laundry was aired and I was left with a red face and speechless.  When Kat was 5 she had a puppy called Patches. Late one night when returning home I accidentally ran over the dog.  My son, Eric buried it, and I never told Kat what happened.  Every day she tore my heart out as she went out on the porch and called for her puppy only to find him not there.  Sixteen years later my son aired my dirty laundry when he told her what had happened.  I will never forget the look on her face....and I will never forget the feelings I had as the story unfolded.  This was not the first time my dirty laundry was exposed to the world....but since it involved my child....it was the worst.    As far as clothes go....I don't mind doing laundry.  I would rather wash dishes by hand than sort and wash laundry.  Laundry is not the most popular chore in our house.  This is one job that Frank only does if he HAS to.  Frank's idea of laundry is put in as much as  you can and let it ride.  It is kind of like a game of craps.  He has dried things I don't dry....he has washed reds with whites and I am sure you can figure out the results of that.  I love the feel of fabrics.  I love soft, velvety, silky laundry.  These are usually the pieces of laundry I do not dry.  My favorite laundry thing to do is when the day is sunny I love stripping the beds and after I am done washing the laundry, hanging the sheets and towels out on the line.  The smell of sunshine makes my heart sing.  Speaking of laundry I have not done any this week because I have been busy.  I guess I will begin tonight and finish up tomorrow.  That is the nice thing about there only being two of us in the house....not much laundry!

Five Minute Friday - Ordinary

It is really Saturday here.  I was out of town this week and to be honest was not in the mood to blog.  I was in the mood to spend time with my loving husband and my dear friends Chuck and Susan.  We had planned to take in the Smokey's....which thanks to our government we did not get to do like we had planned.  We still spent time together and drove less driven roads and experienced all of God's glories.  Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on the word:::

Ordinary…

Go: 

I am just an ordinary girl.  There is nothing that stands out about me that makes someone stop dead in their tracks and say, "Whoa!"  While I may be ordinary on the outside I am far from ordinary on the inside.  I have a huge heart, I hate to see people hurting, I love to help others, I love to laugh, smile. commune with God.  I am a Christian and that makes me extra-ordinary.  You see my God gave his only Son so that I am forgiven of my sins.  WOW...how extraordinary is that?  I love exquisite flowers....like orchids.....and ordinary flowers like daisies.  I am not a stunning dresser.  I wear ordinary "teacher" clothes.  I used to laugh at my SAHM when she would wear her ordinary "going to the grocery store" dress and here I am following suit in my "teacher" attire.  I dress professional for my profession....except on Friday's when we get to wear jeans and sport our Wildcat shirts.  I love ordinary days.  You know...the kind where you get up, go to work, do your job, come home and nothing out of the ordinary occurs.  Those days are so restful.  I also love a few of those days when things are chaotic and not on schedule.  I am an ordinary cook.  I love to mess around in the kitchen but have no desire to make fancy cakes and such.  I have an out of the ordinary sense of humor and speak in sarcasm from time to time.  My home is comfortable....but ordinary.  I am not an art lover, yet I love things on my walls....mostly pictures I have made of my family.  Ordinary...yep that pretty much describes me to a tee....but I would not have it any other way.  I am just an ordinary girl.  Back in the day when Miley Cyrus was Hannah Montana she did a song about being an Ordinary Girl.  I have it on my Ipad and play it from time to time just to remind myself that I am ok just like I am.  I wish she still believed this about herself.  I think she is far from ordinary now....kind of out of the ball park.  The lyrics go like this:

Don't get me wrong, I love who I am
I don't want to be ungrateful, it probably sounds strange
I really love the role I play
The songs I sing, but with all the fame

The things that seem so simple
Are suddenly so far out of reach Wish that they could see that underneath
I'm just an ordinary girl

Sometimes I'm lazy, I get bored
I get scared, I feel ignored
I feel happy, I get silly
I choke on my own words

I make wishes, I have dreams
And I still want to believe
Anything could happen in this world
For an ordinary girl

Like you, like me
For an ordinary girl
Like you, like me

How are you? Hello, goodbye
One day here, one day there, and again it's time to go
Ms. Popular, always on the roll
Put my best foot forward, gotta get on with the show

Strike a pose for the front cover of a magazine
Everywhere I arrive, I get high-fives
They pay me larger than life [YEAH!]
I'm just an ordinary girl

Sometimes I'm lazy, I get bored
I get scared, I feel ignored
I feel happy, I get silly
I choke on my own words

I make wishes, I have dreams
And I still want to believe
Anything could happen in this world
For an ordinary girl

So give it everything
Or nothing at all
Get back on your feet
When you stumble and fall

A little luck can go a long way
So don't you worry 'bout what people say
Who knows where the wind may blow
For an ordinary girl [Mmmm]

I'm just an ordinary girl

Sometimes I'm lazy, I get bored
I get scared, I feel ignored [Yeah!]
I feel happy, I get silly
I choke on my own words

I make wishes, I have dreams
And I still want to believe
Anything could happen in this world
For an ordinary girl

Like you, like me
For an ordinary girl
Like you, like me
For an ordinary girl

For an ordinary girl
Like me, like you

 

 

Five Minute Friday - Write

It’s time to silence the inner critic. It’s time to hush the voice that whines on and on about how you’re no good. It’s time to cram out the distractions and excuses and take pen to paper, keyboard to screen and write. It’s time to write. We call it Five Minute Friday. Where everyone writes for five, unedited minutes all on the same prompt.  When you finish jump over to Lisa Jo's blog and link up.  Then comment on the person before you.  Feedback means a great deal to a writer.  At least it does to this one.   This week, that prompt is the challenge itself, the dare, the scary.

This week’s prompt is “WRITE.”

Go:
Writing has changed a great deal over the years.  I remember when a pen and paper were the mediums to write.  Then came my first typewriter, but I still put my thoughts down on paper.  Then one day a computer came into my life.  I still use pen and paper to write because I keep them in my car and purse to write down things that strike me as funny, worthy of a story, or just interesting.  I then will take what I have written down and make it into one of my many mediuims, you see....
I am a writer of letters.  I love getting a handwritten piece of mail and I love to send them too.  I love pouring out my feelings on a piece of paper to send to someone.
I am a writer of songs.  Most of my best ones came from my life as Ronnie's wife and the remnants of our marriage.  Frank says he never wants us to divorce because he does not want me to write a song about him. 
I am a writer of poems.  One of my first loves was writing poems.  I can remember even as a child whipping out poems about things that were going on in my life.  When my brother died the psychiatrist I saw gave me my first journal and told me to write my feelings on paper.  I did.  I wrote my feelings in the form of poetry.  No one has ever read the words I wrote when my heart was breaking in to pieces.
I am a writer of stories.  I come from a long line of storytellers and was smart enough to write many of their tales down while they were still living.  I preserved written tradition in my family.  I am the keeper of the stories.
I am a writer of sermons.  My newest hat is that of pastor at Midway United Methodist Church and with that hat comes the responsibility to write a sermon for Sunday services.  I love sitting down with my computer, my bible, and pen and paper and just writing what I hear God telling me.
I am a writer from the heart.  I write what I feel in my heart.  I write what other's tell me about their feelings too.  I listen to their stories....and then I write. 
I am a writer of a blog.  I began my blog as an outlet when my parents moved in with us.  You see my mom had Alzheimer's and my dad had cancer.  Life was difficult and the only way I could deal with it was to write...so write I did.  I posted book reviews I had written, I posted poems, short stories, stories, pleas for prayers, answers, and sometimes just a sympathetic ear to listen. 
I love to write.  I love picking up the pen.  I love the feel of it as it glides across the page.  I love the release I feel when I write.  So here it is Friday....and once again for five glorious minutes I find myself with the chance to write....and write.....and write until my time is up.
STOP:

Five Minute Friday - She

On Fridays a bunch of brave writers gather here to all spend 5 collective minutes writing on a single prompt.
Here’s how it all got started, back story, details and all. The short version is:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. (On your blog or in the comments).
2. Link back here to Lisa Jo Bakers blog and invite others to join in {you can grab her button code in her blog footer}.
3. Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you.
It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week.
Simple and Easy Peasy.  I look forward to Fridays and unwinding in word! 

SHE

GO:

She picked me up when I fell down countless times.  She washed away my tears and fixed my hurt with a bandaid.  One day she went away.  Her physical body was still there but her mind was somewhere else.  I could not fix her when she needed fixing. 

She found me playing in my back yard in 1959.  I was five and she was getting there.  She  became one of my bestest buds.  She was with me when I rode my first bike, went to Kindergarten at Vedado Park, went to Belvedere.  She was there the day I graduated and se was there the day I walked down the aisle the first time.  Susan, she was there in my neighborhood when we moved in.  She became my fast buddy.  She was there when my brother died and I was there when her father died.  We went to school together from Kindergarten to PBJC and when she walked down the aisle and married the love of her life I was there singing the songs she picked out.  She still figures large in my life.  She is the one I love to spend time with.  She is the one I call when I am struggling.  She is the one I want to share my dreams, hopes, and fears with.  When we get together after being apart it does not seem like any time has passed.  She is something special.  She is my daughter's Godmother. 

Speaking of my daughter she came to me one hot June morning.  She was a month early and my blood pressure was rising.  When the doctor laid her on my chest she opened her eyes, looked at me, grabbed my little finger and I was hooked for life.  She was my daughter. 

She went to work at BRHS the same year I did.  She and I became fast friends.  She fell one day during a bomb threat and we became soulmates.  We traveled together, we raised our children together, she secretly hoped that my daughter would marry one of her sons....it did not happen but she was ok with that.  She died and there was a massive hole in my heart that she had filled for so long. 

 

She came to me at church, caught my hand and lead me to pray with her.  She did not plan for me to pray about her.....oh no!  She was praying for me.  My tears flooded the altar rail as she clung to my hand.  She gave me hope....and strength.  The words she uttered fell upon me like black velvet.  She, her sister, and the rest of the Porch People fill my life these days. 
I am a fortunate one to have had so many "she's" in my life.   

STOP:

Five Minute Friday - Red

“Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.” ~E. B. White
1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in. Here’s how.
3. Be generous and leave an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. That’s the best part about this community.
And if you don’t have a blog, feel free to leave your five minutes of writing as a comment. And we’ll love on you there.
Today’s prompt is:

Red….

Red is one of my favorite colors.  On the color pallette of life it is in the top five....I love red because.....

I have seen the red poppies in fields in Italy.  I must have taken a hundred different pictures.  I loved to feel the breezes and watch the beautiful red flowers dance for me..........

Of red orchids that my best friends mom grew in her yard where I grew up.  One of my favorite happy places was sitting in her back yard and enjoying the colorful, dainty orchids.  One of the saddest places it became when the neigborhood disappeared and FAU took it over to be a sports practice field.  Gone are all the red orchids. They live on only in my memories.

Of the red in the roses that Charles W. gave me on my 18th birthday.  I had 18 red roses...my first....they meant he cared for me.  I adored him.  I have often wondered where and how he is.  My next door neighbor painted those 18 roses for me.  The flower itself is gone....but the painting still reminds me of when I was young....and in love.

Of the red in the tomatoes that I canned.  I have to remember the red in my hands where they were scalded too.  Canning tomatoes is NOT one of my favorite things to do.  I love to eat them....but forget canning them.  Yet, they are so beautiful and red in the clear jars.  Beckoning me to eat them.

Of the red that borders the sun as it sets over the Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan.

Of the red hibiscus in Mrs. Betty Jeans yard that draws me to that happy place often.

Of the red of the leaves in the fall.  They are beginning to change here and I cannot wait for the colors to arrive and delight me.

Of the red of the Rock Mills new rescue truck.  It is so pretty and shiney.  The guys are all very happy to have it.

Of the red in the hair of my precious daughter and the red on her lips.  I love running my fingers through her hair.  She is one of the things I have been blessed with.  Red....one of my favorite colors for many reasons. 

 

Five Minute Friday - Small

It is that time of the week, Friday.  Time to set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.
Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks! OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Small…

 GO...
Thoughts on School:  I sit here in my classroom on the last Friday of summer with tears running down my face.  the Temptations are playing softly on Pandora.  I do not know why I feel so very small at this very moment.  My job appears to be overwhelming me....as it always does at the beginning of the school year.  I want to be a great teacher.  I want to make a difference in some child's life.  I want them to tell me on my Facebook page how much I touched them.  Here I sit.....Everything is done, the copies are run, the dust has been cleared, all the inservices are over, the room is inviting, creativity abounds....I cannot be more ready.....yet in the grand scheme of things I feel small....insignificant.  I am but one small person.....put here on this earth to teach.....214 students this year about Spanish and English.....and I feel so small.  I find it hard to breathe.  Monday....when my classroom is full of excited and anxious students I will no longer feel small.  I will feel in control.  This is my element.  These are my classes.  Let the learning begin.

Thoughts on Church:  I stand at the podium on Sunday's and I feel small.  My knees knock so loud I am surprised I am not deafening the congregation.  I feel so small next to the E family.  They are all so tall....and know their scriptures.   I know that this is Satan working in my life.  I know that I am where God has placed me.  I know this is a God thing....yet...that feeling of small sucks the very breath out of my longs.  I am not going to let Satan have the last word.  I am mighty....I am a princess.  My father is a king....and no one can make me feel small in His presence....except....me.  So I am going to "Let Go and Let God" and put small in its place.  I am going to rise to the occassion.  Carpe Diem....Seize the day.  Think about it....have you ever seen an ant colony?  I had one as a child....they are amazing....and look how small the little critters are.  I want that kind of persistance.  I don't want to even think....hey I am small and I can't do this.....I want to believe....hey....that mountain is in my way....watch me bring it down. 

Five Minute Friday - Story

On Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. While the kids are changing into their swim suits, while the pop corn is popping, while the dog is outside doing his business, while the show cuts to commercial. Just five minutes. Your words. This shared feast. So I know you are asking yourself....How do I get in on this fun?  It is simple. 
Here is how to join: It’s easy peasy, just: Check what the prompt is on Lisa Jo's blog. Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog (or in the comments below if you don’t have a blog). Link over here and invite friends to join in. Using the blue linky tool at the bottom of Lisa Jo's Five Minute Friday post enter your link. It will also walk you through selecting which photo you want to show up in the linky. Your post will show up in the Five Minute Friday linky. The most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community. Today's word is:

STORY

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As my timer ticks off five minutes all I can think about at this very moment are the lyrics to Blessed Redeemer.  You know that part that goes, "This is my story, this is my song."  My mind is a flutter and I am not sure that I will be able to fence it in today....right this moment it jumps back many years to when my mom would share bedtime stories with my brother and I. Our favorite stories were the ones from the Giant Storybook Treasury and Black Beauty. Reading stories was a nightly ritual and she would read from our beloved books each night.  I would want to hear her read every page in the book....but alas....all we got was one chapter/story for my brother and one for me. 

When my brother died....right after Christmas...the story she read pretty much every night was The Littlest Angel.  I would fall asleep most every night in tears because he looked so much like my brother.  The story was a great healer.  One night my mom read it and I did not cry as much....and I realized that life went on.....and my story was not finished.  Stories have always been an important factor in my life.  I come from a long line of story tellers and we are proud of it.  Stories come at you in many forms in my family.  We sing, we write music, we sit around and share stories....and we love oral tradition.   One of my favorite expressions when something goes very much wrong is, "well that is the story of my life."  When my blogging days began it was started to share stories about dealing with a parent with lung cancer/short term memory loss and a parent with full blown dementia/Alzheimer's Disease.  I needed somewhere/someway to vent.  I found my solution through telling my story.  I have met many people along this road who shared their stories with me and slowly I began to heal.  I have discovered stories everywhere...everyone has one....some I like...some I don't.  A Christmas Story( I am a purist when it comes to Christmas)....you know the one about Ralphie is NOT a favorite story....yet I love Toy Story with Woodie and the gang.  I love the Christmas story being read from the Bible at Christmas as the manger is placed in its place of honor.  I love the stories of Anne of Green Gables, Mary Queen of Scotts, Amish stories, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Black Beauty, Jonah, Noah, Jesus, the REAL Christmas Story, Huck Finn(taking a deep breath), and all the rest of the gang.  I love stories. I love hearing my friends and strangers stories.  I love having the chance to ask anyone, so..."What is your story today?"....and then sitting back while the story unfolds.

STOP

Five Minute Friday - Broken

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here to Lisa Jo's blog and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::

Broken:

Go:

In the corner of my bedroom was a child's toy baby bed....filled with memories of my childhood.....broken dolls.  My Shirley Temple doll was there with clouded eyes from being exposed to too much heat.  My Madam Alexander Doll was there because she had a broken arm.  Mastectomy Midge was there because her right breast had been removed after I played with her....and my bike....using it as a ferris wheel.  She went through the spokes and she was broken.  On my dresser was a broken poodle statue that my dad had lovingly glued back.  My precious Ethel had given it to me when I moved to El Prado.  My chest of drawers had a broken handle that fell lopsided and so the drawer was never entirely shut.  Inside the walls of my house was a broken little family because of the death of my baby brother. 

I was never a girly-girly....but I have had a broken heart.  I used to draw pictures of them when I was younger.  They would always have a shattered line and I would put a Band-Aid on them.  I thought that I was extremely artistic with this little venture.  I actually won a ribbon in high school after doing one in water color.  Broken hearts are devastating.  I was a student at Belvedere Elementary when I had my first one.  I think I was in second grade.  I liked a little boy and he did not like me.  I was broken.  I remember crying in my momma's arms while she tried to make the hurt go away.  I did not know that little boys were not into girls, like girls were into little boys.  Throughout my life there have been many broken hearts due to unrequited love.  Their names were Doug, Steve, Harold, Jim....and many of them are just faded memories.....I cannot even remember their faces.  Even though I was broken for a time....I survived.  I moved on to the next love....was broken again....and survived again.  It is amazing how one can survive growing up and the broken hearts that go with it.

Many times as a mother my heart has been broken by my children.  It does not mean that I don't love them any more...it just means that for a brief period....my feelings were hurt.  Kat's leg was broken because of a Water Slide in Pigeon Forge, TN one Labor Day weekend.  I was broken too....I felt as if I had let my daughter down.  I felt as if it were my fault that she had to experience this.  I wanted to fix her broken bone...I needed to...to fix my own brokenness. 

I was raised in church.  My parents went and took me.  I learned many valuable lessons while there....had a few more broken hearts....and I learned that there was beauty in brokenness.  I learned that lesson young.  There have been many times in my life when out of the ashes of the broken I have risen again like a Phoenix.  How have I survived this?  I have a special super power....called Jesus.  Whenever I feel as if I am so broken that I cannot go on....I remember His crucifixion.  He was broken and spilled out because He loved me so much.  It is because of His  great love that I find myself....broken....and humbled before Him.  When I read Isaiah 6:8....it broke me.  I knew what I should be doing and I knew what I was not doing....and that was not following His will.  Once I  was broken....I turned to Him and submitted to His Will.  Will I ever experience being broken again?  Oh, I am sure of it....but I have the assurance....His assurance....that this too will pass.

Stop:

Five Minute Friday - Belong

It is Friday and that means it is time for 5 Minute Friday.  I love this day and look forward to it every week because it is a time when I sit for five minutes and just write about whatever comes to my mind about a given word.  The rules are easy and if you would like to participate this is what you do:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here to Lisa Jo's blog and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on the word:::

Belong…
I belong to a big family.  I have 96 first cousins.  Belonging is important to me.  I love the sense of being a piece of a whole.  I began belonging to this family on April 15th, 1954.  I have children, grandchildren, and one precious little great grandchild.  I tell you what belonging to a family rocks.  I am blessed with a loving family.

 

 

I belong to Frank.  I love being his other (sometimes better) half.  I can exist without him but existing with him is so much more fun.  I love being part of his life and having him as part of mine.  He is so supportive and I hope that I am the same in return.

 

I belonged to the First United Methodist Church in West Palm Beach, Florida when I was growing up.  I loved my church.  It was a safe haven full of familiars.  I loved belonging to the choirs there, the Sunday School classes there, the Youth program there.  I belonged and to be honest was happier at church than I was anywhere else.  I have belonged to several churches since then.  I love belonging to a church.  Belonging to the Family of God is amazing no matter where you worship.

I belong to the Porch People.  This is a special group of folks we became a part of when we moved to Rock Mills.  I love each and every single one of them.  They took us in and made us feel like family.  They are like relatives from another mother.  Young and old they are an amazing group of people and I love them dearly.

I belong to the Class of 1972.  We graduated from Forest Hill High School together.  Some of us started Kindergarten together and went all the way to the Junior College together....belonging to each other....we were friends.  I love belonging to a group called friends.  Whether they are old friends from childhood or new friends right now.  Belonging to friends is a blessing.

 

I could be here for days sharing what belonging means to me, but I was only given five minutes.  I belong....here and now...and I love life.  Thank you God for letting me belong and having such a blessed life.  Can I get an amen?

This Is The Present. How Will You Use It?

On Friday's I participate in a meme called Five Minute Friday.  I love it.  It is a time when I can freewrite for five whole minutes and not have to worry about grammar, punctuation....nothing.  I just write.  Lisa Jo Baker and friends are the hosts.  If you want to participate you can. 

Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right. 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

 

Present…

The word present is a funny word.  it has a variety of meanings.  It can mean 1. being, existing or occurring at this time or now; current: the present ruler. 2. at this time; at hand; immediate: articles for present use. 3.  a gift; 4. being with one or others or in the specified or understood place: to be present at the wedding. 5. being here: Is everyone present?  6.  to endow with a gift; 7.to introduce to the public; 8.  to hand over to someone....and the list goes on.  It really depends on which form of pronunciation you chose to take.  These are my bow head girls.  They were presents from God to me.  Jill's birthday is June 4 and Kat's is June 23rd.  For their entire growing up years we celebrated their birthday's together and they always had a picture made wearing the bows from their presents.  This was the last one made.  I sit here in the present thinking back on the past when my children were growing up.  Every day we spent together was the present and who would have ever known that they would become the past so quickly.  I remember so many times in my life when the word "present" has taken on multiple meanings.  I was present on a warm and balmy June evening in South Florida when they presented me with my high school diploma.  When we married we were given presents by friends and family that would come in useful in our new life together.  When I had Kat I was given presents for the baby.  Frank and I were presented an award for knowing the most about each other in a Valentines competition between four pastors and their wives Oldy Wed Game.  Each Sunday I would present a Sunday School lesson to my class at Rock Mills UMC and now I present a message to my own congregation at Midway (Wedowee).  I love to get presents and on my birthday the Porch People had a surprise party and presented me with a cake and a host of presents.  It made me smile.  Only for today is this the present.  Frank will leave for class around lunch time and I will be alone.  Tomorrow night he will come home....and tomorrow will be the present....that is until the day after tomorrow is. Frank has used a quote while preaching several times that really sums up the word "present" for me.  “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why we call it the present.”  I think that pretty much sums up life.  We have experienced the past and it is part of our life puzzle.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow....“The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expression of God Himself.”  Can I get an amen this morning?

Five Minutes of Beautiful

On Fridays if you are around Rock Mills, AL you will find that I like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for fun, for practice, for joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.  I belong to a meme called Five Minute Friday and we love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat. All on the same topic.  Not sure how to participate – the step-by-step directions are over here:
Here’s how we do it:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.
3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.  OK, are you ready? Give us your best five minutes for the prompt:

Beautiful…

My father used to say, "beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is clear to the bone."  I never thought it was particularly funny and it was one of those little sayings that kind of embarrassed me about my father.  Sometimes his homilies did that.  But you know...he was right....sort of.  People can be beautiful on the surface only....but if their heart is black....they are ugly...no matter how they look on the inside.  True beauty is not just surface....it shines from within and there are times in my life that beauty has wrapped itself around me....and I was all in....for instance:

There is nothing more beautiful to me than a newborn baby.  Amelia Maeve is our granddaughter and she is the most beautiful baby ever.....ok...she is one of the most beautiful babies.  The beauty in a baby to me comes from their pureness.  The trusting faces.  The look when they grasp your finger and hold your heart forever.  Amelia can do that.  The first time I held her and she looked into my eyes and smiled her beautiful smile I was a goner and she knew it. 

Another most beautiful thing is the smile on the face of your first great-granddaughter.  B has a contagiously beautiful smile.  This child is something else.  She is just enough of her precious mom (my oldest granddaughter) and her dad(a former student).  Smiles show your beauty inside and out.  Don't you think?

A family is beautiful and rare thing in this day and time.  My son and his youngest two ooze beauty to me.  Their love is a beautiful site to behold.  It is special. When I am around them all I feel like my face glows.  The most beautiful thing to me about this little family is that they are Christians.  It has not always been that way....but it is now...and it is beautiful and I feel blessed.

Brides are beautiful and my granddaughter was no exception.  She was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful on her wedding day and if a man can be beautiful then Henry was definitely there.  This dashing young man in his uniform was stunning.  The love that they have for each other is beautiful.  Henry is in the military and Jazz is in school to be a nurse.  They are the parents of little B. 

There is nothing more beautiful than a bride.  The radiance that they emit lights up the darkest room.  Beauty can do that don't you think?

 

Sibling love is beautiful.  The love shared between two sisters is something very special. 

Even between a sister and brother.  Love among children is a beautiful thing.  It also makes for a quiet household - sin drama.....most of the time.

Family love is a beautiful thing.  No matter what we do....we conditionally love each other and that is a beautiful thing.  When a hug is shared or a kissed passed there is beauty for sure.  I love my beautiful family.  We may not be a family you will see on television or on the cover of some magazine....but when I look into the eyes of my family I see love....and I see the definition of beautiful.

Our children....with their children does not get much more beautiful than this.

Good friends and their parents (who helped raise you) are beautiful.  Good friends you work who are your soulmates with are beautiful. 

Soulmates and their moms who have shared your whole life with you....and given you the love for beautiful orchids.

 

The most beautiful man in my life and our beautiful niece and beautiful daughter.   

I am blessed with beautiful people in my life.  And in the words of a song by Alfalfa to Darla from Spanky and Our Gang:  "You are so beautiful to me, you are so beautiful to me can't you see?  You're everything I hoped for...your everything I need....you are so beautiful to me."

 

 

STOP: