Five-Minute Friday: She

Write for 5 minutes on this week's topic. Go to Lisa Jo's blog for more info.

She.


GO.

She is a woman of faith, love, courage, compassion, wisdom, discernment.

She is me.

I am not all those things on a regular basis. I am human after all.

I am always a believer but I lack faith in some moments, some experiences.

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend. I love. I don't love perfectly and I don't love well. I struggle with my selfish desires and my wants and let love slip through my fingers.

I have courage, well somedays. I have so much I want to tell people but I rarely tell them. The good or the bad. I'm not very brave but it's something I want to be. May someday.

I have compassion. I guess this has come with motherhood. I have more compassion especially for children who don't have it as great as my kiddo's. I think they have it pretty great anyways. I hope I show compassion to those less fortunate. I hope I learn more compassion as I mature and as I raise my girls. I want to raise compassionate women.

I am wisdom and discernment. These are new traits I've discovering about myself. I've been praying and reading God's word (a little more anyways), wanting and craving His discernment in my life. There are many things to want discernment for, especially lately. I'm hoping I can discern His voice in this life of chaos.

STOP.


This post is linked to Lisa Jo for this week's Five-Minute Friday.

Five Minute Friday: Mercy

This week I'm joining Lisa Jo's Five-Minute Friday link-up. Come join the fun and read what others are saying about the word of the week. It's amazing to read what others think of when they hear one particular word! And don't forget, you only get 5 minutes of writing time!

GO.

Mercy.

Do I show mercy to others?

That's what I think of when I think of the word "mercy."

I'd like to think I've been shown mercy a time or two. Not by Jesus because I've definitely been given His love and mercy. Thank goodness for His mercy! But by others. We all do stupid crap. We all have tough times. Some would argue others have had it tougher. I'd agree with that. Honestly, I've had an easy life but I guess that's another topic for another day.

Do I show mercy to others?

Hmm. This is an interesting question and not one I'm sure I can answer. I'd like to say that my kindness and compassion comes out when I meet people. A few people in my life have described me as a "sweet spirit" and I hope that's what comes out and that goes toward showing mercy to people. There are so many who need our mercy and our compassion. Are we really giving it to them? Can we honestly say we love our neighbor and would show them mercy if they came across a tough time? I hope I would but I honestly don't know. I'm a selfish sinner who looks out for myself and my family. They are my bubble after all. But others? They get put on the back burner. Ouch.

STOP.

Five Minute Friday: Fall

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Fall.

I have 2 toddlers and they fall, a lot. They have banged up, scratched up, bleeding knees and feet almost everyday. Each time they fall I pick them up, hold them close and love on them as I dry their tears. I love that I'm able to comfort them. I love that when they fall they get up and look for me, wanting me to hold them and help them feel better.

Isn't this what God does with me? I fall, often, and He picks me up, cradles me in His arms and dries my tears. After I'm comforted I climb out of His lap and go onto my next adventure. I long to be close to Him but so often I feel so far. 

I know I create this gap between us. I choose to leave the comfort of His side and go out on my own. Only to find it's a cold and dark world on my own. I fall and then search the crowd for Him, wanting to climb back up in His lap for comfort. He dries me tears and I'm off again.

I love that having my girls has shown me a very small piece of the unconditional love that the Father has for me. Little ole' me. He loves me no matter how many times I climb out of His lap, mess up and come crying back into His lap.

Girls, I love you more than you'll ever understand. I will always be here to pick you up when you fall. I will always be here to dry your tears. I will always be here to comfort you and send you back on your way. I love you.

This post is linked to Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday. Come join the fun!

Five-Minute Friday: Opportunity

Opportunity

START

The opportunity to connect at our little church has been happening a lot the last few months.

Connect.

That's one of the "buzz" words our church is sharing this year. We want to "connect, grow and live." For now I feel like I need to focus on connecting.

Connecting and opportunity go hand in hand. How many times a week do we have the opportunity to connect with those we see around us? Do we see the same mail carrier everyday but never say "hi" or "thank you?"

Every Sunday I have the opportunity to connect with new people, new faces. Unfortunately, I'm pretty terrible about going up to the visitors and telling them "hi."I want to get better at this. And the opportunity to do so is coming in a couple of days. :)

Our Sunday school class has a great opportunity to connect with our fellow classmates through fellowships, service and outreach projects and random get-together's with a few couples at a time. One of my spiritual gifts is hospitality and I plan on opening my home and being more hospitable this year. I have a great opportunity to do so.

STOP

This post is linked to Lisa-Jo's Five-Minute Friday. Come join the fun!

31 Days: Voice (Five-Minute Friday)

Voice.

Finding my voice as a wife, mother and still an individual is hard to do right now. With two young children who need almost constant attention, I struggle with finding my voice. There seem to be so many things I want to do. So many things in my head I want to get out but can't. How can I still be Ginny?

Realizing that my girls will grow up quicker than I want I'm thrown back to the reality of "it's not forever." Tomorrow they'll be one day older than they are today. Tomorrow they'll be one step closer to not needing me as much. But still I find myself complaining to myself how frustrated I am with being stuck in this house all day. Not enjoying every moment like I long to. Not having an hour to myself and always having someone follow me to the bathroom. 

"Quit complaining" is something I've been saying to myself a lot these past few weeks. "Be thankful" I can even have kids and am able to stay home and raise them myself. Daniel sacrifices to go out and work all day so the girls and I can stay home and be together. It's a blessing, I know this.

I know I'll find my voice again. I know it'll take some time.

Linked to Lisa-Jo's Five-Minute Friday link up party!

31 Days: Race (Five-Minute Friday)

Race.

On and on we race through life. Do we ever stop to enjoy the little moments? You know the ones that come and go so quickly. Those little moments for me are building towers with my girls, snuggling on the couch reading books, having a helper in the kitchen.

This year has been what I call my "Year of Contentment." I've strived to not pursue "things." We have so much and yet the world keeps pulling at me that I need more. But I feel like I've overcome that lie many times this year. I'm proud that I've overcome "the lie" that I need more stuff. I want to enjoy the moments in life. My girls are small and the days sometimes seem sloooooooow but the weeks fly by. Each moment is precious. I don't want to race through life and look back and say, "I wish I had more stuff." I doubt I'll say that. I'll want to say, "I'm happy with what I did in my life. I enjoyed the moments, each experience. I enjoyed my family and the simple things in life."

As I race through each day I try and remember that life is short. The special moments don't last forever. The hard moments don't last forever. I want my girls to see me living and experiencing life.



This post is linked to Five-Minute Friday. Hundreds of women join each week, write for 5 minutes on the same topic. Come join the fun!

Five-Minute Friday: Welcome

I also wrote a post for my 31 days for today. You can find it here. I LOVE 5-Minute Friday and had to write today. You get two posts because of it. :)

Welcome.

I want to welcome guests into my home and have them immediately feel comfortable. While I want my house to be warm and inviting I'm not looking for perfection. I know I struggle with having things "perfect" but over the last few years I've learned that I'm imperfect and there are some things I have to let go.

And my home is one of them. I like to have a picked up home, especially when people are coming over, but with two young children my house will never be completely picked up. And I've learned to deal with it. I'm not going to apologize for it either. I'm not going to feel bad that my house isn't all shiny and smells like fresh baked bread all the time. That's setting a standard I can NEVER live up to. Why even bother putting that kind of pressure on myself? It serves no purpose and I beat myself up if I don't live up to my too high standards. Pointless.

Welcoming my guests with open arms and an open heart are want I want to focus on. Do they feel comfortable coming in our home? Do they know they are welcome and loved here? That's what I want to display when welcoming guests. Love.


Go here to join the link up party for Five-Minute Friday.

Five Minute Friday: Grasp

Grasp.

Grasp onto what I have. That's been the goal of this year. Contentment has been a big thing for me. Or rather finding more of it. I feel like I'm a fairly content person. I have a wonderful husband who loves me to the moon and back. I have two beautiful and healthy little girls. I have a loving family that surrounds us. I know and have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have a home with 3 bedrooms a nice kitchen and den and everything in between. I haven't quite grasped onto all these wonderful things though.

I look around, as most probably do, and see that I could have so much more. But I know deep down it wouldn't make me happy. Would a fourth bedroom be nice? I would say "yes" to that. But then that's an extra room to clean and that would probably come with another bathroom to clean, etc.

Grasp onto what I have. Grasp it. Be happy with it. I live a wonderful life with loving people all around me. People of character. People who love Jesus. Grasp them. Don't let them go. Build a life with them. Love them. Live out life with them. Make them my community. Love Jesus. Love people. Be content with the many many many blessings God has given me. I have definitely have a lot to be thankful for in my life.

This post is linked to Five-Minute Friday. Click here to see this week's link-up party and join the fun!

Five Minute Friday: Wide

Wide.

I welcome him with arms open wide. I missed him all day. While my girls keep me busy throughout the day I think of him often and look forward to his homecoming each afternoon. I love the little moments of lying in bed and relaxing for five minutes before reality calls us back that we have two little ones to care for.

With arms wide open I welcome my man into my heart each day. I never want to be closed off to all he has to offer me, for all he has to offer us as a family. I am here with arms wide open.

My love grows more each day for my husband, mate, friend and lover. With arms wide open I want to not miss a moment with what God has provided us. Do I take him for granted? Will I have each day to wait for him with arms wide open?



This post is linked to Five Minute Friday. Go here for this week's post.
Come join the fun!

Five Minute Friday: Focus

Focus.

We hear it a lot these days. And it means something different to us all.

Right now, for me, it means focusing on my relationship with my husband, my girls and trying to lose some weight.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I focus on dragging my tired, big butt out of bed at 5 a.m. to meet my sister around the corner to run for 20+ minutes. She's sacrificing her sleep to help me. I definitely take this for granted. I love that she lives 1 minute away and she can help me train. I still take it for granted.

Focusing on my husband is another priority. He's going back to school to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and that means less time with him as he'll be in class 4 hours on Tuesday night and studying most other nights. The time we'll have together for the next year will be precious and some nights of cuddling on the couch will be cut short. But I know it's only a year and something he needs to do. And I'm very supportive.

My girls. They are now 2 and 10.5 months. Where has the time gone? I want to soak up every moment with them. The days are long but the years are fast. This is so true and I didn't realize it until my oldest turned 2 in July. This can't be! And now I'm thinking about #2's first birthday party. Eek!

I want to focus on living a simple life with them and honoring God in the process.


This post is linked to 5 Minute Friday by The Gypsy Mama. Go here for this week's post.