I've got this...5 minute Friday

My dear child,

Stop.  Take a breath.  Enjoy the view.  The view from right where you are.  The season of life you are in…enjoy the view from there.  Stop rushing through.  Stop trying to cross everything of your to-do list. 

From up here I see the big picture and you can’t see it.  That heartache you went through when your mother died?  I used that to shape you, to mold you so that I can use you for my glory.  That is my view.

Before you were born I knew what awaited you on earth.  You can’t see it.  So trust me.  My view is perfect.  I don’t need rose colored glasses.  And I can see through the fog.  You, on the other hand, cannot see through the fog. It is then that I am carrying you or leading you, if you let me. 

So, slow down.  Enjoy the view.  Take the time to rest and relax in my loving arms.  Whatever you think you see now, isn’t really the whole picture…so trust me.  I’ve got this.

Love,

Your heavenly Father 

Joining with Lisa-Jo for 5 minute Friday

today's word was VIEW

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

When you can't see the end...

 

 

This was one of the views as I drove up the mountain. When I reached my destination, I sat quietly in my car by the side of the road.  Waiting.  I was picking John after he had completed a 62 mile bike ride that included at 7100 foot climb. (He is training to bike Pike's Peak in September.)

As I sat there playing Candy Crush on my iPad I couldn't help but listen to the quiet.  The only sound I heard was the birds.

The sky was blue. 

The leaves bright spring green.

The sun was shining. 

There was no one around expect me.

Occasionally a light fog would roll thru, then it would pass and the sun would be shining again. 

I waited for 15-20 minutes.  One car and three motorcycles went by. 

On the drive up the mountain it had been exceptionally foggy.  At times, this was all I could see.

As I sat waiting, it seemed strange.  Sometimes, things were perfectly clear.  At other times, not so much.

I was reminded of the times in my life that things were not so crystal clear.  What good could possibly come out of such foggy times?

Like the time we had a garage fire and burned up our cars and everything in the garage. (It was attached to the house.)  Thankfully, the house didn't burn down.

Like the time when Amy died.

Times that seemed so dark.  So distant from Him.  Times that made it seem like there was nothing that could redeem the bad.

I pray for those in Oklahoma today.  I think they may feel this way.  That there is no good that can come out of it.  And it is OK to feel that way.

But when you can't see his hand, trust his heart.

I'm joining Jennifer today

When the nuggets are hidden...

John and I recently celebrated our 30th anniversary with a trip to the Florida Keys and Sanibel/Captiva Islands.  On our last night in the keys we asked the concierge if he could recommend a place for dinner.  He asked where we had been and then recommended a place called the Hideaway Café.  He told it was located about 5 miles down the road and told us the name of the resort. 

He said, "You will have to drive in and park.  Then walk past the office and up the stairs.  It is kind of hidden and it might not look like what you expect.  But it is a great place to eat."

We tried to scope it out before committing to dinner so we drove by. 

Once we had driven about 7 miles we knew we missed it.

So we turned around.

I remembered the guy saying something about rainbow and as we approached a place that said Rainbow Bend Resort I pointed it out.

Sure enough the restaurant was located in this "resort."

Seriously?

YES!  Seriously!

Long story short, we had dinner there. 

Dinner was phenomenal.

The view spectacular.

And I was, once again, reminded that the way things look doesn't always indicate the true character, quality or truth of a situation.

The resort was old.  The building were pink.  The parking lot was dusty. 

But these PHYSICAL appearances did not truly reflect the quality of the food or the restaurant. 

It had white table cloths and the service and food was excellent.

It was truly a hidden nugget.  A "gold" restaurant hidden in the confines of an old, rundown looking resort.

Sometimes, life is like that.

Things are not what they seem and if I make a quick judgment, then I might miss out.

If I choose to take the safe route, I might miss the view.

If I choose to travel a familiar path, I might miss the blessing.

Miss out on something really big.

The Lord is asking me to step outside my comfort zone these days.

He is asking me to say and do things that are uncomfortable for me.

I don't know if I can do it, but I am praying for the courage to say yes.

Yesterday, the priest said "Jesus, is the coach.  The Holy Spirit is your personal trainer.  The one that pushes you to try harder.  To do more."

I work with a personal trainer and some days?  I love him. 

And some days?  I can't stand him.

But when I put on clothes that fit better than they have in years...it is all worth it.

When I wake up with little or no aches and pains, I know it is because I am exercising and taking care of myself.

 

I know that if I submit to the will of the Lord and

follow the Holy Spirit's lead,

then I'll feel better in the long run.

 

In the meantime, I think I want to throw up!

 

How about you?  Is the Lord asking you to do something

that makes you uncomfortable?

 

Joining Michelle for Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday

I have not disappeared. I'm still here...

I had a plan for the blog last week.  Really I did!  I was out of town celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary and I had a post that was to be published on Tuesday, May 7th the day of my anniversary.  Due to technical difficulties I could not publish the post.  My plan had been to publish the post and let you know I would be offline the rest of the week.

Oh. Well.  So much for my plan!

I cannot believe how blessed I am to be married to such a wonderful husband.  He is my best friend.

We went to the Florida Keys for 3 days and Sanibel/Captiva Island, Florida for 4 days.  It was a wonderful trip.  The picture above is the view from our room in the Keys.  The resort was nice. 

Beyond nice.  I had no idea how nice when I booked it.

Now...it is back to reality. 

Friends, I have had a lot of trouble deciding what I am supposed to be doing with this space.  Just about the time I think I have it figured out and I know what the Lord wants me to do, something strange and crazy happens to make me doubt that I have accurately discerned his will.

I have several things rolling around in my head.  I have spent many hours praying, reading, journaling, trying - desperately trying - to figure things out.

So...I ask for you patience and your prayers.  And one more thing...I realize that I don't have a lot of readers, but for those of you that DO read my blog, what type of posts do you like the best?  What would you like to see me write about? 

I am not promising that I can accommodate you, but I have decided to ask because it might help me decide what direction the Lord wants me to go.

So...are you in?  Can you help me?  Please...pretty please?

Thanks!!

Hugs & blessings~

5 minute Friday...

I'm joining Lisa-Jo for 5 minute Friday.  I write for 5 minutes on a word prompt supplied by Lisa-Jo...no editing, no backtracking...just writing. You can join too, check out the details here.

TODAY'S PROMPT:  BRAVE

Some days I do not feel brave.  But I know deep inside that some days I am.  I was brave the day I walked into the emergency room and saw all the blood and my son's face so torn up I didn't know if he would ever look "normal."  Whatever THAT is!

I was brave the day I buried my daughter.

I was brave the day I picked up my life and all my belongings and move to the other side of the country.  Yes, I know some people move to the other side of the world.  But that day, for me, moving from the Midwest to the east coast WAS like moving to the other side of the world.

I was brave the day I attend the Allume conference not knowing a single soul.

And other days I am not brave.  I just crawl inside my shell and stay there. 

I want to be brave and live my slowly, developing God-sized dream.  But I am not that brave...yet...but I am getting there.  And someday, I'll be brave enough to share my dream with others.

Right now, I am just brave enough to continue exploring, praying and waiting.  I know what I am afraid of and I wrote my fears on a rock and slowly, I am releasing those fears.

 

Are you brave? 

Do you know what you are afraid of?

 

Read more 5 minute Friday posts on BRAVE here.

 

Links and photo added after 5 minutes