Still that thing called "Loud"

Diving straight into my Five minutes of the day.
I am linking with Lisa-Jo and 100 plus women pouring out every Friday.

LOUD

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I love my children and my husband. Don't get me wrong. But I would love to be surrounded by silence for a CERTAIN length of time. I love to hear my kids call me "mama" and talk to them. But I would love to not hear them for a tad bit long.Sometimes even in a silent moment, I do hear their voice ringing in my head.Loud and clear! Veggie tale music playing in my brain and I can actually hear it.The tuneless guitar strums of my 5 year old still playing in my head even if he is at school.

What can I do to silence the loud noises reverberating in my head from the day?

A walk alone in the sun perhaps.....

An afternoon nap, to energize the tired mind...

What I have been looking forward to the entire week is our once a year English speaking AGLOW conference in the Netherlands. Just 40 minutes away from home and a few more hours to go.Women from Europe gather together under one centre for the entire weekend, represented from different nations waving their flags at the nations welcome ceremony, away from home to worship and rest.

I love the rest part. And of course the worship.

Taking some time off to refresh and rest, have a change in perspective, step out of those roller-skates, is a good idea.

And I am embracing it.

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Thy art Brave, woman!

Another day , another word to ponder and write over. I am joining over 100 women this Friday, like other Fridays, to write our heart out, not go back and edit,and just write for the joy of writing.

Lisa Jo over at Gypsy Mama has a word for us this morning... and that word is BRAVE

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Women have been doing it for centuries. Its an ingrained feature in our specifications. Rearing a family. Women work full time, part time, home school,organize birthday parties, stay up nights with those raging temperatures,discipline, hear those first words of "I don't love you", "no body loves me"phrases, nurture them, instill values, raise them up sowing seeds of The Word.

Everybody is doing it. There is even a word some have coined called"superwoman". Are we able to keep up to those "standards"? Are we wearing those sweatpants for the fourth time this week?
If you are like me,and you definitely have those broken chap sticks, that the kids have a reason to experiment with and, you always try to fix back and use them until there isn't anymore to use... sister, "Thy art brave!"

I have realized, thankfully sooner, that we don't have to be doing it all and ticking up all the boxes in the "Superwoman code of conduct manual". You have taken the brave step of conceiving, going through childbirth and bring them up this far. If there are days you try to put them to bed, hoping that they sleep off soon without asking for stories, so you could have those extra minutes to sit and take off those roller skates.... you are brave indeed. Say a prayer for them and rest those smelly feet!

God knows our heart, and He knows we fervently pray for them.And try to remember that we are on an assignment from God to our children(Elizabeth George from A woman after God's own heart). He knows because we are already amazing to Him.

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Empty the jug everyday

Its that time of the week... I look forward to putting down those thoughts that fill up my mind.
I am hooking up with Lisa Jo.. She gives the word prayerfully.. we write our heart out in 5 minutes of unedited, continuos writing. Here goes....

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My neighbor commented on the jug of water sitting on the table:"You should not keep water in it for too long,its going to collect dust and have that slimy thing on the insides."

Hmm... thats the conversation, that flashed through my mind as I thought on the word "empty".

By the end of the week ,I am filled with impressions,things people said, stuff I learnt, things people didn't say... you know the routine list, right? And it overwhelms me.

I have realized that I need to empty out the entire jug on a daily basis, to Him.For Him to sort out, purify and cleanse. Not to have any "slime" left behind to carry on the next day, affecting the quality of the day He gives me.

It's not as easy as it sounds. Emptying everything and throwing it out at His feet does stir up things inside. Sometimes I want to keep a little to myself to process and analyze on my own. Well, a little slime is enough to make the day sour. So I might as well surrender to every one of those things.

Thats the best part about learning from your mistakes.Somethings you just know not to repeat. You know for sure.. thats a "no repeat".

Or so I think so often.

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Ache

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.

I am linking up with Lisa Jo over at Gypsy Mama.
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Certain things that people say to you stick. Stick like glue. And you are reminded about it every time you breath.
A week ago a teacher from the school and also a friend from church was discussing possibilities of a new student that might need help. The child didn't require speech and language Therapy but in- class support in following tasks among other needs.She said she would help in training me for that role and she thought I was best suited because of my skills,could stay focussed and at the same time empathize with the child. I thought wow.WOW. She thinks highly of me! But then, she added, "And God is on your side." That is what , stuck like glue.

Every day I pray for my own children, worrying about their safety. What they will become when they grow up? Will they be kind and compassionate? Will they stick with God through out their life?and the list goes on...

In my mind, the children and the parents that I help, those with dyslexia, ADHD/ADD, delayed speech and language... also have a place in prayer.I pray that I can help them the right way and they will be able to shine through those labels, as stars.How their parents worry and remain clueless of the future their child will have.A great future, I pray. I empathize with them. As a student , I struggled too with school and worked hard to reach where I am. And I didn't have any disabilities or labels. But God was on my side.

God was on my side, through my ache, as a student, as a parent and now as a professional.

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Thank you Tracey for coming over for tea... speaking to you did bring my thoughts together into this post for today!

Grit

Today I'm joining my friend The Gypsy Mama for five minutes where I'll write without editing, backtracking, or second guessing. Writing because it brings me joy. Five minutes to share, to unite, to process our hearts. Just five minutes.
Ready...Set...Go!

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Grit is defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” When compared with the construct of persistence, Grit adds a component of passion for the goal.(Good old Wikipedia)

Yesterday being the first day of Lent, I was scaffolding in my mind the various "things" I do in my work and church life. The roles I assume everywhere.The list was quite long. I wasn't analyzing to remove or take a step back from anything that I do, but to actually assess the God given passion in all of these. Am I doing it because someone has to and I do it best or am I responding to God's calling? To my grit perseverance am I adding that passion for the goal? I saw that I did lose it somewhere along the way. I did lose that time in His presence because, you know, "I HAVE TO PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING..."What I did was "prepared outside His presence, rather than in His presence and at His feet".

I pray, as I submit everything He has given me in His calling, back to Him. He can purify it, and I can start fresh in His presence.

An image that did come to my mind as I thought about Lisa Jo's word for this Friday.. was how when a worker sieves the sand and gravel, the grit... the heavier, larger one, takes longer to fall through the tiny netted gaps... holding on as long as they can, irrespective to the wild shakings around them. I want to be that grit. Not shaken,but holding fast onto the net of His protection around me.

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Delight

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we want to, not because we have to. We write for fun, for joy, for discovery at how much creativity is crammed in our heads and even if we just unlock if for five minutes it can paint the world in dazzling wonder.


On Fridays we just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. It’s such a relief, I promise.

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 & leave an encouraging comment.
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

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Delight..... The first thing that did come to my mind was the verse from Psalms: Delight in the Lord and He shall give you your hearts desires....

But I want to tell you the desires of my heart that He has given...

Delight is when He chose the right man for me at His right time... when I was completely unaware and not looking.

Delight is when I held on to my first born and named him Benjamin.. the son of my right hand.

Delight is when God speaks and reveals His plan for you.

Delight is when I look into my Elijah's eyes and knew that "Yahweh is His God".

Delight is when God grants me work in the Netherlands when my bitterness was given to Him.

Delight is to see the way He protects my husband and my children.

Delight is when I get ready for bed after making Elijah's Second Birthday cake at 1:30 am, but steal in a quick look at my boys and watch them sleeping peacefully....The tiredness and the aching legs somehow go away....

My 5 minutes are up but I go on in my heart .. delighting in the desires you have granted me.

How have you delighted in the Lord...? How has He granted the desires of your heart?

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The Reality Show

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we want to, not because we have to. We write for fun, for joy, for discovery.

We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not.

Won’t you join 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.
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

::

GO
I was catching up with my reading through the Book of Acts from over Moms Tool Box.And today I read the chapter 12: Peter's miraculous escape from prison. While the angel was leading him out of the chains, the jail doors and through the city, Peter thought he was seeing a vision. According to verse 9: He had no idea what the angel was doing was really happening.

Do I see what God is doing for real or keep on wishing and imagining He did something about it? Did I see that "real moment" from God? I may have missed quite a few of them.But I do see the real working of God's hand in me and my family. The past 2 weeks have been weeks of ear pain, ear infections and fevers. They are all well and playing ball as I write. Grace and love like a mighty river, as Brian Johnson sings in the background. That was the real doing of God for me.Even though I may have snapped and fed them dinner late. Chanted that melody a million times to clear up the toys. HE was walking through it all with me.Walking in front of me so I could see HIM and stop myself from shouting. Holding my hand so HE could take the petty frustration away.Reminding me of the real thing.I CAN MAKE IT TO THE END IF I COULD JUST SEE YOUR FACE.Your grace abounds.Focus and purpose clear. I continue the work of motherhood, walking on the water with you, Lord.My eyes on YOU.

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