Five Minute Friday: Change

Fridays around here are for writing, for five minutes, unedited, hot-off-the-press. Today's topic is

Change

Always a good thing, right? Because lack of change is stagnation which is, after all, no change at all. But is change enough? How many times have I made a decision to change just so I would not remain the same? How often has that change effected a positive result?

In all honestly, more often than not. I think I've been lucky. Just because the results have been positive does not mean that the change was necessary or even good. Perhaps the change was safer than digging in; perhaps I should have taken another path.

All I know is that change, for change's sake, is not enough any more. I cannot just change; I must grow. Emotionally. Ethically. Spiritually.

Growth. Now that would be the right change.

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Five Minute Friday: Join

Around here, we write for 5 minutes on Fridays, unedited, unvarnished.

Join: a verb, usually referring to one person taking up with a group of people in a common endeavor. It also is a verb referring to the act of connecting two objects, like two pieces of wood. Those pieces of wood can be working side by side—in which case the join laminates the two, giving the joined pair the combined strength of both.

More delicate is the joining of wood at an angle. At minimum, something must hold the two together, like nails or glue, but, to be stronger, pieces of each must extend into the other, like interlocking fingers. The joint is stronger, but each retains its own identity.

Most delicate is the joining of wood at ends to make one continuous piece. It is possible just to abut the ends together and connect them with glue, but that is the weakest joint. That joint, to be strong, requires careful overlapping and even fusion of elements of both to be strong enough for the task. It is the joint that takes the most time, and requires the most of each.

And so it is with my walk with the Lord. I can walk alongside Him, or I can allow Him into specific places in my life while reserving others for myself, or I can surrender completely to Him.

Join me unto You, oh Lord, until I cannot tell where I end and you begin. Amen.

Read other Five Minute Friday essays at

Five Minute Friday: Enough

Well, it's Friday again and I get to play along the The Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Friday.  I write five minutes, unedited, on the topic.  Here goes:

I've spent most of my life with too much: too much food, too many clothes, too many things. One of the things I remember most about my grandparents is how much they managed to do with what little they had. I'm beginning to realize that one of my biggest problems is that I have too much, and no place to put it.

God promised he would supply my needs, but I insist upon fulfilling my wants, too. Funny thing is: I don't want as much as I used to. I'm tired of the things; they weary me. I'm ready to be satisfied with enough.

That means having to purge the “too much” to pare down to enough. I thought it would be tiring, but it's actually energizing.

So, here I go, Lord, trusting you to supply enough and asking for your help the break the “want” addiction. With You, nothing is impossible.

Check out other authors' musings on enough at

Five Minute Friday: Story

Well, here's the latest Five Minute Friday attempt at writing for five minutes--unedited, unvarnished.  Today's topic is

Story


I have a story I've been working on for a number of years.  I really like the plot.  I really, really like the characters.  Maybe that's the problem.  Maybe I like them a little too much.  Maybe they're all in black hats and white hats.

Who is like that?

Have I ever known anyone who was, in every single circumstance, entirely noble and good?  Of course not.

So why am I writing my characters that way?  Why is my hero noble and perfect and . . .

Oh.

Perfect.


So, there's part of the problem.  There is no problem, no inner conflict.  The exterior conflict--the plot--is just window dressing for the real story:  the inner conflict of the characters.  That's the part that rocks the reader, the element that resonates, haunts, inspires.

And my hero, as much as I like him, doesn't do any of those things.  He could.  After all, he's come through so much in his personal life, none of which was his fault.  Would he not have stumbled along the way?  What would he have done?

What is his story?

Sigh.

Please excuse me.  There's someone I need to get to know again.  Warts and all.

End Story


So, there it is.  Check out other musings on "story" over with Lisa-Jo Baker's Gypsy Mama.

Five Minute Friday: Risk

Happy Friday!  We're writing along with GypsyMama's Five Minute Friday today.  That means we'll put pen to paper, er, bits to blog, and write, unedited, on today's topic.  Here we go!

Risk

Gulp.  They say that Hell's the place where you get what you asked for (who said that anyway?), and, sometimes it seems that way.

A new opportunity has come along.  On an intellectual level, and an occasional level, I welcomed it.  But now, it's here and it's real and it's daunting.  Scratch that--it's terrifying.

What's so scary?

Well, other people will be depending on me and I'm afraid of letting them down--of not being good enough.  I'm afraid of criticism.  I'm afraid of . . .  I.

Well.  There's the problem:  I.  I'm not so sure about "I."

What am I sure about?  Well, I'm sure about Him.  Do I believe he put me in this place??  Yes, I really do.

Then it's time to put my faith where my mouth is, so to speak.  It's time to pray.  Past time.

I'm a little slow, Lord, please continue your patience with me.  You promised that, while your yoke is heavy, your burden is light.  Is that because I should count on you to do the heavy lifting?  Thank you for this opportunity to serve you with the gifts you've given me.  Help me to lead as you would have me lead so that everything I do in your name be for your glory.


I feel lighter already.  Now, let's get to work!


End Risk


Read more Five Minute Friday thoughts on risk at

Five Minute Friday: See

Around here we join Gypsy Mama and write for five minutes on Fridays--unedited, uninhibited, unvarnished.  Here's today's entry:

See.

Five Minute Friday: Opportunity

Around here we quick-write for five minutes on Fridays--unedited, uninhibited, unpolished:

Opportunity?

Gulp.

It's been such a busy week that I had not really had time to think about the opportunity that has dropped in my lap.

I wanted it.  I asked for it.  Now I am terrified because of it.

I am terrified that I will not live up to my expectations for the task.  I am terrified that I will not live up to anyone else's expectations for the task.

I am worried sick about it--worried enough to pray about it.

Oh, yes.  That is where I should have started.

Pray.

Lead me, Lord, in Your Name.

Direct me, Lord, that whatever I do be to Your Glory.

Humble me, Lord--well, I am quaking in my proverbial boots; job accomplished.

Teach me, Lord, what You would have me learn from this opportunity and to do this opportunity.

Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity.  May I glorify You so that those affected by my actions may be drawn closer to you.

Grant me peace, Lord.

Grant me joy, Lord.

Grant me wisdom, Lord, that everything I do be

In Your Name and for Your Glory.

Thank you, Lord.