Five Minute Friday :: Choose

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday.  Her rules:

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.

The word today is choose. GO.
I choose to write in these last five minutes before we go. I should be doing a million other things, getting the children ready to go, making sure we have enough snacks, and all sorts of other things. I really want to get my writing out of me today.

It is one of those crazy weeks, and five minutes can sometimes be the most I can eek out. Maybe not even that much. I have chosen to write a little, and now I must go!  Shalom my friends, and may you choose to take a moment today to continue following your goals and pursuing your dreams!

and STOP.

Thanks for stopping by! It's been a crazy week this week with furniture shopping and wedding prep for my brother. I've been going almost non-stop, and my regular things are not being very regular.  Maybe next week?

Small Miracles :: a moment to write

These last couple of weeks have been a skip in the new routines I've been getting used to. Finding time to write has been a challenge without the predictable hours of solitude. So, amidst furniture shopping, thinking about my brother's wedding, keeping the house running, and making dinner, all with extra people around, I am thankful.

I'm thankful for this little moment I have to throw out a few words in the universe and see if they catch.

Shabbat Thought: Vayakhel

Each week in the Synagogue, a different portion of scripture is studied.  The Torah (Old Testament) is broken into portions which are read over the course of a year.  At the end of the year, it starts over again so the Bible is read annually. 

This week's Parasha is Vayakhel from Exodus 35:1-38:20.

It keeps blowing my mind how important the craftspeople were to God. I know I've said it before. It continues to strike me as amazing!

"And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship...so as to perform in every inventive work. He also has put in his heart to teach...He has filled them with skill to perform every work...as performers of every work and makers of designs." (Exodus 35:30-35)

When I think of God filling people with the Ruach(Hebrew for Spirit) in the Bible, I think of prophets, preachers, soldiers and judges. I don't think of artists. But here, God gives Bezalel and Oholiab the Ruach to understand and know their art, to be skillful, and to teach.

Has God given you an art, a skill to use? He may very well have put it there for a purpose to serve Him in amazing ways! Don't think that the Ruach isn't with you just because you're an artist. The work of your hands can be guided by God and used for big things.

Shabbat Shalom!

Five Minute Friday:: Small

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday.  Her rules:

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.

The word today is small. GO.
When I do my Five minute Fridays, the first thing that runs through my head is the word association game.  Small means little makes me think of this song I've heard, I thought it was called "Little Armpits" but it's, "Armpits" by Mike Phirman. It's the perfect tickling song!



But my kids aren't very little anymore. My house doesn't have small clothes, or small shoes, or diapers really. I know they still need me, even as they stop being small. I still need my mommy and daddy all the time, so I know that they need me. I can't get away with using this song anymore. They're bigger, and their legs hurt when they kick me!

Its not a small thing to mother. It's not a small thing to shape their world. It's not a small thing to tickle armpits...well. It occurred to me that when armpits get big, they might stink, and then my kids could get back at me with ARMPITS!

and STOP.

Thanks for stopping by! And check out my Shabbat Devotional for this week!

When Someone Asks for Change

When you frequent city streets, it's inevitable that someone will ask you for some change. "Do you have change?  I'm hungry.  I haven't eaten today."  Strangely enough, I'm often caught off-guard when someone asks me. And they ask pretty frequently. If you are like me, you generally have about four voices arguing inside your head telling you what to do in this situation. 

The first voice whispers, "Don't look, keep walking.  That person will just be using the money for drugs, or alcohol anyhow.  Keep walking.  If you don't see him, he becomes invisible."

The second voice you hear argues.  "Stop your apathy!  You know what is right and what is wrong!  It's not your responsibility for what they do with the money. It's your job to care for those in need."

The third voice complains, "I don't have cash anyhow.  I only use my credit card or debit card for purchasing in stores, so it's likely I don't have any change at all!"

The fourth voice cries, "Is there a different way?!"

I'm writing today at the Messianic Times.  Click here to read the rest of the article!

Small Miracles :: my capable 10 year old

I remember the days when it was too hard for me to help my husband with the shoveling. After feeding the kids, cleaning, changing, dressing, diapering, I barely had time to throw the laundry into the dryer before having to make lunch.

But this year is different. Not only can all the kids occupy themselves outdoors while I can help shovel, occasionally, they can help. They can even do it independently! This morning, my oldest went outside to play in the snow before anyone else was dressed. I think the snowballs were calling him. I asked him to do a quick clean of the back walk, which he did.

Now, there's only the evidence of where he's been. My small miracle: a clean walkway, with the sun working on it to melt the rest, without any work on my part.

Look for a small miracle today. I bet you can find one!

Five Minute Friday :: Garden

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday.  Her rules:

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.

The word today is garden. GO.

It's funny to think about a garden right now. Snow covers my world, the world of New England, and I can't even see the ground except where we've shoveled. It seems so permanent sometimes, when you're in a deep freeze. Ten inches of snow, snow fortresses and walls surround you.  In the parking lots, there are four or five mountains of snow that will still have remnants in May.

But underneath the snow, the frozen ground is getting ready. Once the earth warms up just a little, (well...maybe alot) and the ground is workable, it'll be ready for the beginning of a garden. Peas and lettuce can be started as soon as the ground can be worked.

I think life can be thought of in seasons. I'm thinking of my dear friend who has a baby girl and two five-year old boys. It seems in that season of life your world is covered in a foot of snow. What good can come when I am frozen in place and it's impossible to move forward with just about anything?

But underneath is the garden. When things warm up, dear one, the ground will be moist, roots will be able to take hold, and the flowers will be beautiful.

Trust me, I'm in the melting of early spring.

and STOP.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Enjoy all those who would fling their arms around your neck and deposit slobbery kisses! Thanks for stopping by!  While you're here, will you check out my devotional for this Shabbat's reading?