Five Minute Friday: Jump

On Fridays around these parts we like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.  We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt “After” with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Link back to Lisa-Jo's blog and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in her 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 me your best five minutes for the prompt:

JUMP

Go:

I heard the clicking sound of the instructor attaching my harness.  I was single again and at that very moment....wanted to just lay down and die.  I couldn't...and I really wouldn't....but I felt that way.  My life of 23 years had ended....and I am the one who finally did it.  I was on my way back from Tennessee when I saw this sign just outside of Chattanooga that said "Want to Hang glide?"  I found myself leaving the interstate and heading toward the top of the mountain.  I felt myself magnetically drawn into the office as I pulled out my credit card and paid for this "experience of a lifetime."  My heart was pounding   I suddenly needed to use the bathroom.....but it was a little too late for that.  The instructor strapped in behind me and told me to run to the edge of the mountain and jump.  JUMP?  Was he crazy?  I turned a bit and looked him dead in the eye and asked him if he thought I was crazy.  Why would I jump off a perfectly good mountain?   He turned my head toward the edge and told me to give it all I had.  I started to run....and just as I got to the JUMP part....I felt my human brakes kick in.  I stopped within inches of where I was to step off into oblivion.  I sighed....another failure.   I could not even do this right.  The instructor sensing my pain switched places with me and literally drug me off the mountain.  We ran to the edge and continued to run when the edge left beneath our feet.  I had made the Jump.  I closed my eyes tight and prayed that God would be with me until we landed at the foot of the mountain.....then I opened one eye....and experienced God in a whole new way.  I was soaring with the eagles...I had JUMPED.  When I reached the ground and was unharnessed.  I fell to my knees and kissed the earth beneath me.  Life would go on and I would not be afraid to JUMP again.....just not from the side of a mountain.....or airplane.  A calming peace set over me and I knew I was alright.

STOP:

Five Minute Friday - Home

It is that time again.  Friday.  I look so forward to participating in Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday.  Want to participate?  It is so simple....all you have to do is: 

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back to Lisa-Jo's blog by clicking 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 please 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:::

Home

GO:

They say “Home is where your heart is” but when I was 19 I left home and I thought I had a good reason.  She was a 5’4.5” dynamo I called Mom.  Thirty-five years later home has found me and the roles were reversed.  My mom had dementia and my dad had cancer and I would be taking care of them.  They moved their home into mine and we became a family living under one roof again. You see, once upon a time there had been a happy little family of four who lived on street called Georgia Avenue.  They had a landlady, Ethel, and they  lived in her basement apartment and that was home.  The love that grew in that tiny basement apartment was amazing.  Life on Georgia Ave was wonderful.  While we lived on Georgia Ave I was the only child for three years among an entire block of adults…retired adults at that.  They treated me as if I were 3 going on 30. I could play Bridge at 4 and Pinochle by the age of 5.  I was a whiz at Gin at age 3.   At the age of three I was also one of the youngest children to ever hold a library card at the Palm Beach County Public Library.  By nine I had read every book in the juvenile section of the library.  I loved reading!  Home was where I read.  Both of my parents read voraciously and so did I.       Right before my fifth birthday we moved across town to Vedado Park and to a street called El Prado.  I loved the name of the street.  It was Spanish for “The Meadow” and had a beautiful ring to it.   This was a cute little house in a cute little neighborhood filled with all kinds of children. There were boys and girls older and younger than we were.  There were mean kids and nice kids.  It was heaven on earth for a child.   I met two of my best friends that first week.  Susan lived just around the corner and Carol lived two doors down.  Our new home had a yard full of trees. The yard of my new home was a child’s buffet…a  true smorgasbord.  There were Japanese Figs, avocados, grapefruits and oranges.  If those  were not enough then  the next door neighbor’s house held a Garden of Eden full of mangos, lemons, limes, and coconuts and it was free for the asking.  There was this one tree in the middle of the Garden that we were commanded not to eat from.  It was the King of Mango trees.  The minute restrictions were put on this tree was the minute it became open game…and one afternoon after our neighbor went to work we all slipped into his back yard and  ate from the tree.  We all learned immediately why this tree was off limits.  This giant of Mangos was a turpentine mango….and that is exactly what it tasted like…the sweet peachy taste of the other mangos was erased as we filled our mouths with juicy turpentine mango….YUCK!  We thought we would die and of course could not confess to our crime for fear of further punishment.  I never ate anything from the Garden of Eden again and have never let a mango cross my lips again.  The smell and taste of turpentine is still strong in my memories.  Many years have passed….and the definition of home sometimes got lost….my parents and I parted ways and I raised my own family 700 miles away from them ….I guess I thought I could run away from home…but the words to Karla Bonoff’s song would sometimes stop me in my tracks and remind me of what Home was…..”And Home, Sings me of sweet things, My life there has it's own wings, To fly over the mountains,  Though I'm standing still.”  With my parents living with me I learned the definition of home again….and being married to Frank I know that….home is wherever Frank is….right now…it is a parsonage in Rock Mills….and you know…in the words of Bonnie Raitt, “Feels like home to me, Feels like home to me, Feels like I'm all the way, Back where I come from.”   Ok...I will fess up....I actually wrote for 7 minutes.  It just came flowing and I could not stop. 

STOP:

 

 

Five Minute Friday: Beloved

On Fridays around these parts(blogger world) we like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.

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.

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  your best five minutes for the prompt:

Beloved…

GO:

Solomon 6:3a begins my thoughts on this topic since I read it just yesterday for Valentine's Day.  “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine...

When I was a child my grandmother had a book of poetry that I loved to read.  One of the poems was (loosely quoted because I am much older), "This man and this woman....my heart breathes a sigh.  This man and this woman....are now you and I.  Throughout each ...This man is my darling....this woman am I".  I don't know who wrote it....but it has always stuck in my mind and as a child I longed for the day when I felt that way about another person.  On January 17th, 1976 I married for the first time and with that marriage came two small children.  They had me from hello.  Each of them had a precious nature about them and I longed to be the very best mother I could be.  There was nothing like being hugged hard, or having a grubby little hand give you a bouquet of flowers (you had worked so hard to grow), the numerous poems written in Sunday School and class for Valentines Day or Mother's Day....oh yes....they were my little munchkin beloved ones.  Then on June 23rd, 1980 I was blessed with another beloved one.  As Dr. Stimson laid the red haired wonder in my arms I knew belovedness like I had never known possible.  When this tiny miracle wrapped her tiny hand around my finger she wrapped it also around my heart and the hearts of her brother and sister.  I felt beloved and she was beloved.  There is nothing like the pride you have in your children.  There is nothing like the feeling of them wrapping their arms around you and telling you that they love you....and allowing you to tell them that you love me......but back to the little poem....it haunted me forever.....I kept hearing it.  I tried to find it again as an adult...but couldn't.  Did I imagine it?  I don't think so....yet, it eluded me.  That is until January 26th, 2003 when I married that very man from the poem.  As we stood before our church family, family, and friends and Rev. Bassham spoke those marriage vows to us....I heard the poem in my head....and I knew '....This man and this woman.....are now you and I ' and I smiled.  I truly am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. 

STOP:

Be Not Afraid

Well it is another Friday and time to grab a cup of coffee and a warm Krispy Kreme and write.  (I wish....I am sitting at my desk at work with an extremely bitter cup of coffee....waiting for the sound of the kids entering my classroom.)

Got five minutes? Let’s write. Let’s finger paint with words –>{click to tweet}.
Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not. Here’s how to play along:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code on Lisa-Jo's blog footer}
3. Click here and Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}  It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week.  OK, are you ready? Give your best five minutes for the prompt:

Afraid

Go:

(My brother Dougie, my father Doug and me....in the second grade)

Isaiah 41:10 tells us "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."  My dad taught me this verse during the Cuban Missle Crisis.  I was a child in second grade when this monumental event ocurred.  Our school did drills where we were taken to fallout shelters.  The West Palm Beach airport became a military base and closed to the public.  I lived a the end of one of the runways and instead of watching the jets take off I now watched the big C-9 cargo planes fly over my head as we played in the street.  Do you know how frightening they look to a small child?  My safe world was now a scary place.  Every night the news would talk about Communisim and show Russian soldiers marching....and every night for the duration of this threat I dreamed the Communist soldiers marched down my street, came to my house, and took my father with them and I never saw him again.  I would wake up screaming in my bed in the middle of the night and my father would come and hold me in his big strong arms and read Isaiah 41:10 from the Bible to me....over and over again until I went to sleep.  Many nights he did this more that once.  I was afraid.  I was afraid of war.  I was afraid of losing my father.  I was afraid of being taken away from my parents.  I was afraid of Communism.  Throughout my life I have experience being afraid on many levels....hurricanes, tornados, hang gliding, flying, my children getting sick, death,  9/11, you know the typical fears.....but somewhere in the back of my mind I could always hear my father reading Isaiah to me.  Today, at 58 years old whenever I feel that evil demon fear creeping into my heart I turn to Isaiah and read God's word telling me that is here....and he will strengthen me....and I find peace.  Do I still experience moments of being afraid....you betcha....I am human.....but I don't dwell upon them.  I try not to fear because I know....God, my heavenly Father is holding me....that scared little girl in his arms and keeping me safe. 

STOP:

Five Minute Friday - Cherished

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.  We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to finger paint. For joy in the process. No matter how messy the result.

Got five minutes? Come and write with us!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. That is like the one rule we all really care about. For reals.OK, are you ready? Lisa-Jo givs us a word and she says she has had this word on her heart for you all week. So take some time to write about our word for the day and link up.  It is amazingly fun.

Cherished

 

GO: 

When I saw this word today I immediately took a stroll down memory lane and pulled up the words to my favorite Association song, "Cherished."  I remember hearing this song and claiming  the chorus just for me...."Cherished is the word I use to describe.  All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside.  You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you.  You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you.  You don't know how many times I've wished that I could mold you into someone who could Cherish me as much as I cherish you.  And I do cherish you.  Cherish is the word."  When I was in high school that song rocked my world.  Every now and then I hear it on XM and Frank and I will sing it together.  I do cherish him.   When I hear the word cherished I think of a special possession.  I have a mandolin that belonged to my grandfather.  It is a cherished possession of mine.  When I touch it I can see him playing it.  When I pick it up I can smell his after shave and see his long fingers stroking the strings.  Cherished...how I felt about my daughter from the moment they laid her tiny little being in my arms.  Cherished...how I felt the day Frank and I stood before our family and friends at the Arbor and exchanged vows.  I felt just like the words to Mark Wills song, "I do, cherish you...For the rest of my life...You don't have to think twice...I will, love you still, from the depths of my soul...t's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you...If you're asking do I love you this much, I do."Cherished....is how I feel when I read Isaiah 40:11 - "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs.  And carry them in His bosom;  That is cherished to the inth degree.  I am cherished by God because I am one of those sheep that Isaiah talks about.  Since most of you know I am very into music...it seems fit that I end with some words by Kool and the Gang about cherishing, "cherish the love we had, we should cherish the life we live..cherish the love, cherish the life, cherish the love.."

STOP:



Five Minute Friday: Dive

The rules are simple you just have to......

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 your best five minutes on:::

Dive…

:GO:
I have gone on a scuba dive...once in the Keys near a coral reef.  It is gorgeous there.  The only problem I had was claustrophia.  The mask over my face....even with oxygen flowing was more than I could bear.  I love to snorkel.  It is diving in a form you just don't go down as deep.  I love the concept of diving.....putting your face under the surface of the water and seeing the peacefulness of life there.  I have taken a dive off of  the Appalachian Mtns.  I decided to try my hand at hang gliding.  Yes, there is a euphoric feeling of gliding....but for someone like me it is more a non-euphoric feeling of diving off the edge of the world.  The fear factor kicked in and I made all kinds of promises to God.  When I landed safely on the ground I actually kissed the earth.  I promised never to do some that idiotic again and after 12 years I can say that I haven't attempted it again.  What was I thinking?  The whole concept is...I have a tendency to dive into whatever I do.  I do it non-stop....and usually until I burn out.  Then I don't even tread water there anymore.  I have always been one to take a plunge.  So, the word dive.....when I was a child I took swimming lessons at the YWCA in West Palm Beach, Florida.  I wanted to grow up and be a lifeguard.  The day I was supposed to do my dive training I woke up with a horrendous earache.  I did not tell my mom(should have) nor did I tell my swimming instructor (again, should have).  I took the low board test with ease.  I was a good swimmer and a good diver.  When I advanced to the high dive I felt a bit disoriented as I began the bounce for my dive but the dive went off without a hitch.....until I hit the water.  I cut through the water just like I was supposed to....and my ear drum burst because of the infection that was there.  I became very disoriented under the water and could not find the surface.  The instructor had to dive in and help me to the side of the pool.  I was mortified.  I learned then that sometimes when you dive into something it is not necessarily a good thing.  I don't make resolutions at New Years because I usually break them within the first fifteen days.  I seek opportunities instead.  This year one of the opportunities I am seeking is to dive into the Word of God and spend some time there with him.  I want to immerse myself thoroughly.  I also want to dive into my church's evangelism program and seek out special ministries for me.  I want to dive into travel this year and do a good bit of it.   I plan to dive into completing my book.  I want to dive into life, breathe deeply and enjoy the view.   Care to join me?

STOP:

Five Minute Friday - Wonder

Five Minute Friday is going to take the month of December off. To catch it’s breath. To reflect. To listen more than write. To rest. We’ll start fresh in January. So for now, let’s write our fingers off in just five minutes!  It’s the final #FiveMinuteFriday of 2012; be sure and join in!

How to Join:

Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here.
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..
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:::

Wonder…

GO:
My heart seems to fill with wonder every year about this time.  I wish I could bottle the feeling and take a good sized dose every day.  Music is my passion....and especially during the Christmas season.  I love almost every song. (I don't like Grandma Got Run Over.)One of my favorite songs at Christmas is not the traditional sounds but off a CD called "City on A Hill." The song, Child of Wonder, Child of Love, is by Sara Grove and the lyrical lines that fit th prompt word today goes something like this...."Child of wonder, close Your eyes.  Rest here in my arms tonight. Someday You will save the world. But tonight I'll hold You, right here in my arms...Child of wonder, close Your eyes..."  What an amazing moment that must have been to have experienced the wonder of the birth of the baby Jesus.  Can you imagine the wonder the shepherds must have felt when they saw the star and heard the angels singing?  Can you imagine the wisemen and their wonder when they found out about the baby?  Can you imagine Mary and Joseph....and all th other key players in this wonderful story.  Christmas is always a great time of wonder for me.  I love the wonder of what lies hidden in the beautifully decorated boxes sitting under the tree.  I love the wonder of the stories that will be shared in church each Sunday during advent.  I love the wonder of the children's Christmas pagent.  But my biggest thrill I saw last night when I checked into my hotel in Montgomery.  It had a massive, gloriously decorated tree in the Atrium....and there was a little girl....about three....squatting and looking with wonder at the ornaments, the lights, the gifts....her face was glowing from the lights of the tree....and I sat in rapture as I experienced her moment of wonder with her.  She was precious.  My hope for you all is that you will experience that great wonder just like a child throughout this Christmas season.  With love and many blessings!STOP:

So Won't You Stay....Just a Little Bit Longer...

Lisa-Jo Baker is the host of 5 Minute Fridays and for me she has been a lifesaver.  I had gotten to where I was dragging my heals coming up with things to write about that were meaningful and not just trivial (which if you know me....know that is my specialty....I am the Queen of trivia.)  The concept is....I want to be a serious writer....and finish the book I started many years ago.  I have bits and pieces of this book scattered in journals, boxes, envelopes...everywhere....and need to settle down and put it together.  That is where 5 Minute Friday came in.  I begin a few months ago and since I began I have actually began putting the book together.....I have 200 pages so far.  I am impressed with myself.  Who knows...maybe before the end of 2013 you will find me on Amazon....and not just as a book reviewer....but as someone who's book is BEING reviewed.  So, back to 5 Minute Friday...this is what you do.....

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...  BTW...it is ok to visit others too.  I usually try and hit at least ten.  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!

Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Stay…

GO:

When I saw this word prompt I immediately started singing at my desk, "So won't you stay...hey...hey...just a little bit longer."  I am a music person and my whole world revolves around song.  It is like I live in a giant musical.  When my children where young I would make up songs about whatever we were doing....and put my lyrics to a current song.  I kept them and their friends entertained for hours.  But enough rambling for the moment, I only have five minutes to broach this subject.  Stay at the high school where I work means where someone lives.  I say, "I live in Roanoke."  The kids say, "I stay in Coosa."  Stay to me is a word of permanence.  It means you will always be there.....or not if you tell someone to stay away. In my bible readings this week I came across the word stay.  It is from  Mark 26:36-38:    "³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”...this passage saddened me this week because none of the disciples stayed awake with him.  They all went to sleep and left him to deal with his upcoming death.  I am amazed at the fact that He stayed strong in spite of everything.  He could have chosen to walk away...and look where we would be now.....but He didn't....He stayed the course and died for my sins.  That is a perfect example of staying power.  I often wonder what kind of staying power I have.  I can't tell you how many diets I have started.....and not stayed stong.  I start projects and cannot stay with them til they are completed.  I am a classic ADD adult.  I am restless at times and cannot stay still....or in the same place.  Right now at this moment....in Rock Mills, AL I have found peace and the urge to stay forever.   It surprises me sometimes that I have stayed with my career choice for over 20+ years.  Knowing my lack of stayability I am surprised that I have not moved onto something else....except that I love what I do.  I stay where I am because it makes me happy, fulfilled, needed, special....so here I stay....at my desk....listening for the sound of children coming into the building to begin another day.Welcome to my classroom....come and stay awhile....let me touch your life.....and you in turn will touch mine....whether you know it or not. 

 

STOP:

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Enjoy your family, friends, the day and think on the things you are truly thankful for.  I know I will.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, my church, my porch people, my life....and I am going to stay that way for a while.....a long while.

 

In The Quiet

 

It is that time of the week again....you know...the time when Lisa-Jo gives us a word and we have to write on it for five minutes....period.  The rules are so simple: 

 

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!  I really hate leaving comments when I have to decipher some random and obscure word.
OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Quiet…

GO:
Quiet is something I am not experiencing right now....inwardly there is unrest brewing in my soul and heart and quiet cannot seem to be found. Voices are screaming at me telling me what to do and what not to do....and I found myself talking out to God this morning in my quiet car on Hwy 22.....where I could hear him....and listen. Outwardly my students are chatting among themselves..they think they are quiet....but I can hear everything....and some things I would rather not know....now or ever. On my Ipod I am hearing the quiet words to the Mercy Me song, "In The Secret."  I do not have the ear buds in....so I am just barely hearing the melody....reaching me....quietly.  I love that song....the words are so perfect for today's word..."In the secret, In the quiet place in the stillness, you are there.  In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait, only for you, 'Cause I want to know you more"  I love to hear this song when Rexton Lee sings it.  He is a former student of mine who now lives in Nashville and tours. My students have gone because the bell rang and this is my planning period.....now all I hear is quiet....silence....that is except for the tapping of the keys....it is true what they say...."Silence is Golden."  I love sitting here.....in the quiet....with just me, God, and my thoughts and concerns.  Shhhhhhh....quiet He says to me......Shhhhhhh it is going to be ok.  "Be still my child....be quiet.....and know that I AM God!"  Shhhhhh
STOP:

OK, show us what you got! {Subscribers, you can just click here to come over and play along}

Roots

It is Friday and that means it is time for Lisa-Jo Baker's meme, "5 MInute Friday."  I love doing this.  Several months ago I felt as barren and dry as the Mojave and then found Lisa-Jo and words have been in abundance ever since.  Want to know about 5 Minute Friday?  Check out Lisa-Jo's blog by clicking here.  The basic directions are below.  It is so simple and I hope you will join in with the group.    So....how to get started. 

 

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:::

The Topic Today Is:   ROOTS

 

Go:

 

My familial roots run deep.  I come from a family where people are treated with respect, love is given freely and unconditionally, God is worshipped and followed, values and a man's word are very important.  In my life time I have experienced great delight digging my hands down into the soil, smelling it, and planting the roots of a plant deep so it will bring forth abundant life....and that is what my family has done....they planted each of us deeply....so we would bring forth abundant life.  We were planted in rich furtile soil with plenty of sun and nutrients to grow strong and healthy.  Whether the roots are plant or person.....they are important because they are the foundation of a man....or a plant.  I have put down roots in many places in my life....and have loved my growing season there. Sometimes I feel as if my roots are those of a gypsy....or gitano.....or migrant worker....tended for but a brief growing season and then moving on.  My roots in writing came from poetry.  I have volumes of journals with words....my heart....my roots.  Roots are so much more complex than that underground tangled part of a plant;   I find that my beginnings....those are my roots....the part that shaped and nurtured, and continues too,  the future me.  When my world feels at if it is shaken to the core and the thing that connects me, the roots, are being ripped out of the ground...I remember my core....my roots....the elders who nurtured my roots when I was younger.....and I know I will survive....and I will grow.    My roots are held firm and secure by hands joined in prayer connected to  God.  A plant root draws water from the soil,
I,draw stength from my family.....my roots.  My roots are aging....they are not gone....yet....they are still sending out new growth.....going forth and multiplying. 

STOP:

Have a great weekend. 

5 Minute Friday Welcome

For the past several weeks I have participated in Lisa-Jo  Baker's 5 Minute Friday freewriting assignment and loving it.  I have really cleared some of the cobwebs out of my head and am getting clearer writing ideas.  I have even started carrying my pad with me again for ideas.  Want to join in?  It is really easy.  Just click here and head over to Lisa-Jo's blog to read the instructions.....then.....set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

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(Please!), it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

Today's word is:  WELCOME

 

GO:
Welcome to the world baby girl(said to my daughter when she was born), welcome home soldier(said to my nephew when we saw him in Atlanta for R and R from Afghanistan), welcome home punkin (said by Frank to me each day), you are welcome anytime(said by me to friends and family).  Welcome is one of those feel good words for me.  It reminds me of safety, warmth, love, and friendship.  I have a welcome mat at both of my doors.  I want everyone to get a warm and fuzzy feeling when they enter my house.  When I get home, after being at work all day, and pass across my Welcome mat I feel safe and at peace.  Welcomed.  Last Friday night we welcomed a sweet new baby into the world.  He is the first grandchild of this family and will be much loved I can assure you.  Frank and I were welcomed into the waiting room to be with family and friends as we waited for this blessed event.  There is a more serious welcome that I am looking forward to, and that is when I am welcomed into heaven by God.  Last night...we bowled and one of our league members came to the bowling alley only to be called home because her mother had just gone to be welcomed to heaven...it was a sad moment....but a blessed one at the same time.  She had suffered so long.  If you ever come to see me....I can assure you that you will be welcomed.  I truly believe in the words of Matthew 10:40.....it is one of my favorite verses... “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  So please come into my blog, my life, my heart...you are always welcomed.
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A Wide Five Minutes on Friday

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:::

Wide

 

Go:

Today's word is wide and there are two images that keep coming to my mind.  The first is simple and childlike and from the bowels of my memories.  I see Mrs. Mebold, my primary Sunday School teacher singing "Deep and Wide" to us. She was a lovely elderly lady.  I thought she was 100 back then...but she was probably only in her 60's.  She had the kind of arms that wave bye-bye to you and she would joyously sing the words to "Deep and Wide" with actions.  Her hands would spread apart vertically as she sang the deep verse and then they would spread apart horizontally when she sang the wide verse.  She had the longest arms in the eyes of a five year old.  I loved her madly.  My second image is one I learned in church as well.  It is a picture that was in our chapel at church of Christ on the Cross.  His arms were spread out wide on that cross....and when I was in elementary Sunday School my teacher taught us...."I asked Christ how much do you love me?"  With a tear falling down his face, he said, "This much," spread out his arms wide and died.  I don't think I will ever forget that.  I taught that little tale to my children and would always give them a wide hug when they would ask me how much I loved them.  Wide to me is fathomless.  It is from end to end.  The Mississippi is wide.  I remember the first time I crossed it.  I was amazed at the distance.  It was frightening to me because of the width.  I did not think it would ever end.  This great country is wide and expressive.  No matter where you travel....there is something different....and even more beautiful than the last place...so I will say it is Wide full of Wonderment.   When our forefathers left the East coast heading to the West coast...there was no end in site.  The Big Pond (a.k.a. The Atlantic) is wide.  I remember the first time I flew across it.  It did not seem to end.  I remember thinking, "what if the plane needs gas?"  When we flew there was nothingness forever it seemed...definitely wide to the max.  I love wide....I love wide opened spaces, wide opened windows, wide open means to me....come on in....and set a spell.

 

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See you next week for another writers prompt.  I love reading what everyone else has written about and it has been a great springboard for my own writing...and widened my own horizons.

Graceful, Anything But....

Got writer’s block? Lisa-Jo Baker has got the cure in a wonderful idea called Five Minute Friday.  According to Lisa-Jo it is where a beautiful crowd of writers/bloggers spends five minutes all writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here.  So I know you are wondering....this sounds like something I would love to do....but how do I go about doing this????  I have an answer for that:
How to Join:  Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here.  Every week Lisa-Jo picks a post that catches her eye and shares it downin her side bar – just look where it says “Featured Five Minute Friday”? Yea -that could be you...or me! Hop on over to Lisa-Jo's blog and visit some folk who make fireworks in just five minutes.   Are you ready to start????  Justs set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
STEPS:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back to Lisa-Jo 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 please take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!  I am one of those who has difficulty reading those mashed up non-words.  OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on::

GRACEFUL:

GO:
Gracefulness is not a quality I possess.  I am an accident looking for a place to happen.  My husband says Grace is my middle name...simply because I am so not graceful.  I can trip and fall over a leaf or blade of grass.  Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav'd a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.   This is one of my favorite hymns by John Newton.  Did you know that this song is done to a common tune and can be sung to many songs....like House of the Rising Son, Gilligans Islands theme song, Peaceful Easy Feeling...I may not be graceful....but I do have God's Amazing Grace and that makes me graceful inside.  I write poetry and that is words in graceful motion....I may not be graceful on the outside....but my words can be.  But this post is not about me....it is about my friend.  I have a precious friend, Mae Lynn who is the most graceful person I know.  She is a dancer and reminds me of the wind or a gazelle.  Watching her dance mezmerizes me and I leave her performance feeling blessed.  She is amazing.  Right now she is going through chemo for cancer treatment....and even with the loss of hair and sickness she is still graceful.  She enters a room with such gracefulness that it takes your breath away.  She speaks gracefully.  Everything about her exudes the word graceful.  When I am in her presence....I feel her gracefulness flowing through me.and for one brief shining moment...I am a ballet dancer.  At least in my dreams.

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Five Minute Friday On Change

It is that time again and I am excited about Five Minute Friday today.  The topic is change and I think I have a lot to say on that one.  So you are wondering....what exactly do you so....well....the first thing you do is 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, I hate having to figure out what all those mashed up letters spell, and besides it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!  OK, are you ready? Is your timer set?  I know mine is....so now please give us your best five minutes on:::

Change

Go:
Change started out for me early this morning.  I wore a black shirt today...in honor of our seniors for the pep rally...and when I got here Trina gave me a cute Wildcat shirt.  She has been losing weight all summer and her body has been changing....lucky for me I too have lost a good many pounds and can wear her hand me down shirt.  I am tickled.  So I changed shirts before my first class. I feel poetry in me today...that is a change for sure.  I have not written anything poetic in a good while.  But this morning I was looking at a guitar my father gave me when I was 13 and saw myself in it....only not so much.  I saw what I was...and the changes I have experienced in who I am in the past forty-five years.  It is a poem about change...some good....some bad.  When I looked in the mirror this morning I saw so much change...white hair, aging face....you know what I mean.....and I found myself asking the mirror image:

Who are you?  Where is the face I looked at yesterday....or was that last year?  God! This is so depressing.  I still feel young....yet, I am seeing me change intomy mother in this mirror more and more.  The change is rapid.  It seems to be more noticeable every single day.  I look at my hands and see that they are short and stocky,...man hands, remnants of my Creek Indian Heritage.  These hands were made to work hard and the calloused fingers are testimonials that they have.  When did they change from soft, delicate piano player hands to these hands who have seen work?  My eyes are the windows to my very being.  They change depending on what is happening at they time....they tell you when I 'm sick, tired, distressed, or even....lying!  My eyes have never learned to keep secrets.  My body, once looked like a sleek, classical guitar  before the days of children and marriage. Now I see change has occurred and where the classical guitar once was a bass violin stands in its place - curved, but definitely thicker.  All in all I like the changes I see in me both inside and out.  I mean we can't all be classical guitars.  Change happens and because of this change.  I am a bass fiddle, at this time in my life...so close your eyes and hear my music.  It changes from time to time....depending on the tune I hear. 

 

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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.