Five Minute Friday Intentional

I am really late to the five minute Friday party this week. In fact, I wondered if I should skip it this week. When I saw that the word was intentional, and thought about how well it fits with my #oneword for this year present, I knew that I needed to write about it today.

Oh, how I desire to be an intentional wife and mother. I find more often than not, that I am a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” wife and mom, but I don’t want to live my life that way. I want to leave a legacy, and I want that legacy to be intentional. My children are going to have memories of their childhood, either way. I want the memories to be of a loving, hands-on mom, who took the time to show how much I really loved them. I want to be available to them. I want my husband to know that he can count on me. I know, first off, that God needs to be the most important relationship in my life, and then my relationship with my husband, and then my children. I spend too much time chasing the wind instead of being intentional in the way that I spend my time. Help me to remember these words of wisdom from Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:15-16

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

 

 

 

 

 

Five Minute Friday Different

Oh, how I wish I could be different, that my life would be different, that my circumstances were different. I often feel like that I have to learn the same lessons over and over. I guess I didn’t learn what I needed to the first time. So, here I go again.  There are so many flaws that I had that I just wish that I didn’t. I wish I was stronger in this area, more organized, less frantic. I wish that I was a better wife and mother. I think that part of the problem is that I forget that I am a child of God. He loves me imperfections and all. He is not waiting for me to get my act together. I actually think that He is waiting for me to remember that I belong to Him. I am His. Only when I am submit and surrender to Him, can He work in me, and I can see growth and change in the areas that I so desperately need growth and change. Instead of spinning my wheels, trying to be different in my own strength, I need to remember that God needs me to give Him my heart.

 

 

Five Minute Friday Depend

Depend is a word that I want to be used to describe me. I want to be steady. I want to be reliable. The only way that I have any hope of having any of these attributes is if I keep my eyes on the only thing that is truly dependable in this life, my Lord and Savior. If I am not reading His Words, and praying, and being filled with his love daily, than my attempts at being dependable will crash and burn. I can not share the love of God with others without stopping and being filled up with his love. I need to seek the steadfast love of the Father, from the one and only source, so that I can show this love to family, friends, and strangers that God places in my life.

 

 

Five Minute Friday Accept

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.” -Reinhold Niebuhr

The above verse from the serenity prayer came to mind when I read the prompt word tonight was accept. I really struggle with this. I do not always accept things that I cannot change. More often than not, I whine and complain to anyone who will listen about things that I view as negative that I cannot change. Does my little pity party that I throw myself really help me? No. In fact, I think many times as the old phrase goes “I am making a mountain of a mole hole.” I am reminded of the verse Philippians 4:8

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This verse reminds me that I have a choice on what I focus on. I can focus on my blessings, and things that are true, good, positive, or I can focus on all the things that I think are unfair in life. Lord, help me to accept that bad days will sometimes happen in this fallen world. Instead when I am tempted to complain, help me to instead think of ways that I can make the situation better, even if it simply putting a smile on my face and giving someone a hug.

Five Minute Friday Support

I am and always have been a people person. Spendng time with a groupof friends or family refreshes and inspires me. If I don”t have the opporunity to interact with “my people” than I feel lonely and isolated. I am so thankful for the support of friends and family. My circle of family and friends encourage me so much. I hope that I can also be an encouragement and a supportive friend to the people in my life. Most of all I am thankful that on my loneliest days that the Bible promises that I will never walk alone. What a friend we have in Jesus.

This is my weekly contribution to the wonderful Five Minute Friday community. We gather each week to write for five minutes on the word of the week. The word this  week is support.

 

Five Minute Friday Place

I have always searched for a place where I belong. I think many people are searching for a place where they are known, and loved imperfections and all. Of course now that I am an adult I can truly appreciate all the Thanksgivings, Christmases, and random Saturdays that my family gathered around my mother’s kitchen table. With my brother sister and their spouses, and all the grandkids, my mom needed to put in the extra leaf of the table when all her kids and grandkids were home. I wish I realized as a child and teen how much I would treasure the memories of those celebrations now that I am an adult. I want to give my children those same kind of memories. As they grow older I want our home to be the place that they gather, where they know that they are loved for who they are. I also want to share God’s love, with them, so that they know that God loves them and is by their side wherever they go.

And, now just for fun because when I heard the word place I thought of this song. 

Five Minute Friday Define

John 13:35

³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Who am I? What do I want to be known for? What would I want my legacy to be? John 13:35 states that people will know that I am Jesus girl by my love. It is not stated that people will know that I am a disciple by my trying to make everyone happy, or by pretending to be okay when I am not it. It says that people will know that I am follower of Christ by my love. For me to show this kind of love, I need God’s love to take me over. I need to live knowing how depth of God’s love to me. I need to be preaching the gospel to myself daily, and asking God to help me live it out. I need to make sure that I am feasting on truths from God’s word and really letting His word get into my mind and heart, so that I can recognize what is truth and what is lie, and choose to be defined by God’s truth. My word for 2017 is Yours, and I want to remember that I belong to God. God is in control, and I need to trust in His plan. Times up 🙂

 

These have been my thoughts on the Five Minute Friday prompt Define. You can learn more about this wonderful community by checking out Kate’s blog at http://katemotaung.com/.

Five Minute Friday Embrace

Luke 10

⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. ⁴² Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”

Am I worried and upset about too many things? I know I can get in this worried, anxious mindset sometimes. I start seeing the problems and the messes, and I forget about how truly blessed that I am. I forget that the messes I clean up daily are because my dreams have come true. I always wanted to be a mom, and I am a mom of three enthusiastic, creative children. The house is never quiet unless they are sleeping because of their energy and joy. I want to embrace this season of motherhood. I want to embrace them more and give them great big hugs, and yell less. I want to stop being so worried about many things, and sit at Jesus’ feet as Mary did so that I can teach this lesson of sitting at His feet to my children. I want to be a fun mom, not a grumpy mom all the time. I pray that I remember today is a gift, and treat it as such.

 

Each week I gather with my friends over at Kate’s place for five minutes of free writing. These are my thoughts on the word embrace. If you are interested, go over to Kate’s blog and join this fun and encouraging community.

Five Minute Friday Easy

It is funny to think back on the aspects of adult life that I assumed would be easy as a teenager. I remember complaining to my older brother about needing to clean my room. He is ten years older than and me, and he said, “Wait until you have to clean a whole house!” I don’t know if it is an overly optimistic attitude, but I have a bad habit of assuming that something is going to be much easier than it actually is. I have wanted to be a wife and mom since I was seven years old. Before I was married, I would have told you that the waiting for these dreams to come to fruition was the hard part. I thought being a wife and mother would be easy.  The roles of wife and mommyhood are not always easy. Many days I feel woefully unprepared for the tasks that lay before me. I am so thankful for this truth.

 

My Dad used to tell me that, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” It may not be easy, but it is worth it.

This post is a part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. My friends and I gather over at Kate’s blog Heading Home to write for five minutes on the topic of the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Minute Friday Whole

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And he said unto her, Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your disease.
 Mark 5:34

Living life in this fallen world, I see brokenness everywhere. It is important to remember that brokenness is not what God intended for each of us. He wants us to take our broken pieces to Him, so we can experience the wholeness of His love.  I often want to pretend that everything is okay, when it isn’t. I paste on a smile and hope that no one can see my struggles or my flaws. I can’t hide my flaws from God. He longs for us to come as we are. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” I need to stop seeking wholeness from other counterfeit sources, and run to the only One who can give me true wholeness, peace, and rest.

 

This post is a part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. My friends and I gather over at Kate’s blog Heading Home to write for five minutes on the topic of the week.