Five Minute Friday: Stay Strong

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A few months after my son was born, I remember visiting my aunt and uncle.  The conversation revolved around my younger cousin’s recent automobile accident.  Thankfully she was not seriously injured.  My aunt was upset at how the other person in the accident treated her daughter.  Not with empathy or concern for her health but with anger and judgement. 

The teaching moment for me as a new parent was – you will do anything to protect your child and stand up for them when they cannot.  At the time I looked at this little boy in my arms and thought of all of the ways he could get into trouble, and believe me he has, but in that moment the belief that I could be strong and protect him was not giving me assurance that I could. 

You see at the time I did not have a strong faith walk and was attempting to do all of this on my own.  Of course, as a young mother I could not see how I would be able to be strong for my son but with God’s help I could. 

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.  1 Corinthians 1:25

That little boy recently turned 22 and he has had many bumps and bruises along the way.  Thankfully by the time he turned ten I turned many of my concerns over to God and allowed him be my strength and not rely on my own will power to get through. 

Praying that you can look to God for help, so you can lean on him when you need strength.  For when you are weak, he is strong. 

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Five Minute Friday: In the Middle

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Isn’t it a great feeling when things are going well, the plans you made are unfolding just as you laid them out, no glitches, no one asking you to do something when you are walking out the door, everything is blissful and on time. 

What about when things are not going the way you planned? You are in the middle of the storm; the waves are crashing around you.  Your mother is in the hospital and you are not sure she is going to make it, your child is sick again and not sure what is causing it, you lost your job and not sure when you will be able to secure a new one and will it pay the bills?

Believe it or not we were made to go through the middle.  Most times I want to skip the middle and get to the end where we are all happy and things are going smoothly but that is not how life plays out.  God made us for hard things, even if it is not where we want to be.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.  Habakkuk 3:19

 Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4:5-6

He never promised us that we would live free from trials but he does promise to be with us through them.  So, walk through the storm with your head held high, looking up, and he will direct you out of the storm.  He will walk with you on that narrow path, to the mountaintop where you are at peace in your soul.  Thank God even while walking through the middle, no matter where we are he is there too, and that is enough. 

Five Minute Friday: Permission to Grieve

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We have permission to grieve, the past year, for all of the things we lost.  Time with family and friends, warm hugs and the sparkle in a friend’s eye when she sees you for the first time in almost a year.  Laughing over a meal, feeling that joy and connection that you can only obtain when in the presence of someone you truly love. 

We have permission to grieve the loss of a relationship, which could not traverse the chasm of political and social disparity.  The time spent in deep conversation about hopes and dreams for the future, for the love of our Savior and spreading love and the message on our hearts. 

We have permission to grieve and stand in solidarity with our African American and Asian American friends who have had a lifetime of violence and deleterious exploits this year.  We can weep with them, listen to their grief, and put an arm around them in love. 

God gave us emotions as a beautiful gift, to experience joys and love but with that comes sadness and sorrow.  We have permission to feel and hold both at the same time.

Jesus wept for his friends Lazarus and his sister Mary.  You have permission by our creator to feel those feelings of grief and cry, knowing He is there with you weeping, and He gives us hope that there will be joy again soon. 

When Jesus saw her weeping, …he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord,” Jesus wept.  John 11:33-35

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Five Minute Friday: Gentle

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When my son was first born, I remember being afraid of hurting him.  He was so little, helpless, and needy.  My movements with him were very gentle and slow, laying him down to sleep, or walking from one room to the next, cradling his head so not to strain his neck, and watching every step I took so not to trip and jostle him.  As a parent the desire to protect your child never ceases. 

On this Good Friday the scripture that stood out to me was John 19:25-27

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,^[b] here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Not only did Mary have to witness her son being beaten with a flail, dragging his own cross up to Golgotha, and then hung on it to die.  How heavy was her heart, how many times did she think take me instead of him? Jesus felt her heartbreak and sorrow.  In the midst of His greatest weakness and pain, He gently said to her, John is now your son and will love and care for you as I would. 

I pray you can reflect during this Holy weekend, not only the great sacrifice Jesus gave for our salvation and redemption, but the sacrifice His mother made by being obedient to God’s call.  To carry, love, raise, and send out into the world a son that she would ultimately give up for the rest of us to live. 

Five Minute Friday: Redeemable

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

In the middle of creating my next blog post my daughter announces, “Mom, you won’t believe how much money I saved on this skateboard using a promo code!”  My next question was, when did you decide to get a skateboard and are you also purchasing a helmet, wrist, and knee pads too?  Of course, she did but as a Mom it is my duty to ask. 

Promotional codes have taken the place of physical coupons on line.  I remember when you could only redeem a coupon by brining it into the store and presenting to the cashier at the time of purchase.  There were times when I could not redeem the coupon since it required me to buy two of the same items. 

When I hear the word redeem it takes my mind to whom has redeemed me. The questions swirl around in my head am I worthy of being redeemed?  We have been saved by grace through faith, which is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8. That gift is not one I would ever want to return.  It is one that I am thankful I can redeem for the rest of my earthly life.  For when I fail all I need to do is go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and it is granted.  

The things of this world will come and go but our eternal salvation has been bought and paid for by Jesus.  During this Lenten season let us not forget the sacrifice Jesus gave which grants us full redemption and eternal salvation. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Five Minute Friday: My Green Garden

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Last year, along with most of the world, I started a raised bed garden.  This was new to me; I never planted a garden.  Our raised garden bed is located in the back of our property, on the flat part of the hill, and honestly, I didn’t realize it was there until we were in the house for about six months. 

Since we have bunnies and chipmunks, that live in our yard, I decided not to go with green leaf lettuce and reduce the temptation.  The planting consisted of just peppers, green jalapeno, green sweet, and banana peppers. 

It amazes me how a seed germinates, puts down roots and sprouts.  With some water, sunshine, and a little time it starts to sprout little green stalks.  It makes me think of the relationship we have with God, with time, energy, and being in the word, our relationship flourishes.  Like the little green plant that burgeons from the fertile soil. 

This reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”  Matthew 13:31-32

The best part of growing my garden, beyond the obvious fruits of my labor, was the time I got to spend with my 21-year-old son.  Since we did not have a hose that could reach out to the garden bed, every other day, like clockwork, my son and I would haul huge buckets of water, up to the garden to water it.  The conversations we had about his day and what was going on in the garden grew our relationship.  What a special unexpected gift that I received as part of my new garden.  I will miss those chats this year as he is graduating college in May and will be moving out of state.  I pray that you can grow your garden in addition to your relationships and you too can enjoy the fruits of your labor.   

Five Minute Friday: Sunrise Sunset

Sunset at the Charleston SC Ravenel bridge

Many people are geared for the morning, they jump out of bed, stretch or exercise right away, ready for whatever may come their way. I on the other hand am not a morning person. If I had my druthers, I would go to bed at 11:30 and get up at 8 a.m.

When I was working a full-time job and had to be at work at 7:30 a.m. I would get up at 5:30 a.m. to arrive on time. Many mornings I would drive to work in the dark but occasionally I would drive in the summer and the sun would be coming up. Although living in upstate New York it was difficult to actually see the sunrise.

When we moved to Charleston, SC, nine years ago, that is when I could really drink in the sunrise. Mostly when I was dropping my daughter off to school. How spectacular the yellow and orange skies were. Being so close to the ocean you can watch the sun coming up over the water. Such wonderful artistry!

God’s creation is so beautiful and it is a shame when we do not appreciate it. When it becomes common place then what? Every day will be the same.

God speaks to us about waking in the morning in Isaiah 50:4. The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. If we are not grateful for what He is putting before us, are we listening to what He says? Are we being obedient?

Since I am more of a night owl than a morning person, I witnessed many more sunsets than sunrises. They were just as beautiful if not more so. It would seem like the colors were richer and more vibrant in the sunsets. I have included a couple of sunsets from our backyard in Charleston.

Hope that you can watch a sunrise or sunset and give thanks to God for all that He has created, that we get to be part of, on our journey through this life.

Five Minute Friday: Fix Your Eyes

Picture by Andrea Piacquadio

When you wake up what do you fix your eyes on? What do you see? Do you see the sunlight coming in through the blinds on the window or is it pitch dark? What do you hear? An alarm clock ringing or a dog or child crying for your help and attention? Where does your mind go first thing in the morning? Do you think of all of the tasks that you need to get done at home and at work? How does that make you feel, anxious or excited? For me if I start with my to do list I will easily slip into the nervous/anxious perspective and begin my day not wanting it to start at all.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus first thing in the morning, thanking Him for the day. Saying out loud, thank you Lord for this day, let me rejoice and be glad it came. It puts our minds in a place that is holy, that is grateful, to the one who is for us and never against us.

Let us start our day fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Remember to come back to Him when you are making that turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch or cleaning the pile of dirty dishes. Continue fixing your eyes on our savior, Jesus, and He will continue to mold and fix you to resemble Him.

Five Minute Friday: Fresh

Picture by Irina Iriser

What comes to mind first is a fresh start, a fresh day, a fresh year. At the end of 2020 I thought this is going to be great a fresh year with new beginnings. Can we start over again?

Fresh smelling flowers on my walk, in my backyard, and in the park. All of God’s wonders to fill the senses. To see the beauty, to feel the sun, to hear the birds, and smell the colorful beautiful roses, the lilies, and the lilac. It gives me peace to be able to use all of my sense in a fresh way.

Fresh smelling laundry when it comes out of the dryer. All clean and ready to be worn again to start a fresh new day.

I wake up to a fresh day and thank God that it is here. That we can partake in the beauty and the bounty of what He provides. Grateful for the newness, the freshness of it all!

Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt

Hello friends, I want to make you aware of a new endeavor that I am starting this week and will post on the off weeks of my blog. It is called Five Minute Friday writing prompt and it is hosted by Kate Motaung. The purpose of this is to encourage and assist other Christian writers on their journey to excel in their composing.

Kate provides a word and as a writer you are to write for five minutes on that one word with whatever comes to mind. You are not supposed to edit it but since I am an Enneagram 1, I will probably at least do some correction of my grammar.

I truly enjoy writing and want to improve on how I present the information to my readers, i.e., you guys. This process, along with taking some on line classes, will hopefully get me there.

Can I ask a favor of you too? If you have time to read these Five Minute prompts can you please provide me with some feedback on the writing? Just leave a note in the comments section of the blog or email me your thoughts at: thegodlypodreview@gmail.com. If you don’t have time you will not hurt my feelings by passing it by.

Thanks again for supporting me on this journey and pray it will be beneficial to you too. Have a blessed weekend!