When All Goes Still

There never seems to be a quiet moment in my world. Funny enough, I don't have kids, so you'd think there would be plenty of quiet time in my life.

But the noise is constant.

Sometimes it's because I want it to be there. I need the noise to keep me motivated, energized to do whatever task lay before me.

Dishes.

Laundry.

Sweeping.

Heck, even writing a blog post.

While I'm driving to work, the music has to be playing. Otherwise I talk to myself  God. He doesn't mind all the chit-chat during the commute.

And when I'm home, the TV seems to always be on, the same shows repeating themselves over and over again.

But this evening, oh blessedness, there is not one sound in this house. I can breathe.

Peace, the stillness has come.

And I'm enjoying every moment of it.

Is this noise constant in your life or do you find moments of quiet?

Today I'm joining up with hundreds of others who like to take five minutes every Friday to free write. There's no need to be perfect or to worry about taking time to edit. Feel free to join us as we link up here!

New {Day 3} A Five Minute Friday Post

It's Friday, so I'm joining up with the Five Minute Friday peeps today! Just five minutes of unedited writing. Love these moments of writing with abandon! Here we go...

There's this saying in Christian circles that God is doing a new thing. I think it's scripture, and I know it's an old-school DC Talk song. 

While I love the fact that God's in the business of doing new things, there's also this apprehension about whatever He's gonna do. Sounds kinda silly, right? But for those who don't do well with change - like me - it can leave you feeling unsettled. 

There's another saying, "change is the only constant." Maybe that's why I'm always a little on edge.

Thank God for the grace and mercy He extends in the midst of the newness. Of all the change. Because I'd lose my mind without it. 

Change is on it's way. And while it makes me nervous and anxious and all, I'm excited. Because I know that the new thing is going to be good in the end.

Is God doing something new with you? What's He doing?

Things I Just Don't Understand

Today I'm linking up with Lisa Jo Baker (aka Gypsy Mama) and lots of other folks from around the world for Five Minute Friday.  The rules are simple - set the clock for five minutes and write.  No editing, no backtracking.  Here goes nothing...

Grasp.

There are some things that my mind cannot possibly comprehend.  They are too big, too complex, too crazy for me to understand.

Forgiveness.

Grace.

Mercy.

Love.

The fact that God forgave and continues to forgive my transgressions is far too much for me to understand.

His grace that never ends and His mercy that is new every morning?  Beyond my comprehension.

My Father's unconditional love is unfathomable.

Scripture tells us that there is nothing that will ever separate us from His love.

I can't even begin to grasp that.

Can you?

Fuzzy Vision

Today I'm linking up with Lisa Jo Baker (aka Gypsy Mama) and lots of other folks from around the world for Five Minute Friday.  The rules are simple - set the clock for five minutes and write.  No editing, no backtracking.  Here goes nothing...

Focus.

Some days it's truly hard to focus on what needs to be done.  Today, for instance.  Instead of focusing on the job at hand, I'm writing this post.  :)  And I'm sure that my focus will be off for the rest of the day as I'm anticipating a night away with friends at a Hillsong concert and a day off in Cincinnati tomorrow.

While I'm sure that the things I'm looking forward to are going to be wonderful, I need to focus.  Focus is absolutely necessary in life.

Last Tuesday I had an eye exam.  It was a dilated exam, so for most of the day my vision was out of focus.  Things were fuzzy and my vision was skewed.  It was hard to do much of anything, so I took a nap hoping that upon waking my vision had returned.  No such luck.  Instead, I woke with a headache and a desire to just go back to sleep.

Life without focus can often be like getting a dilated eye exam.  It sounds silly.  But think about it.  Without focus, our purpose can be fuzzy.  Our perspective gets skewed, and we just want to give up and climb back into bed.

There's a scripture that says something to the effect that without vision people perish.  The scripture isn't talking about physical vision, but more along the lines of having purpose or a goal to focus on in life.

I'm reminded of another scripture that tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Today, let's focus on Him and see what happens.

When your life seems out of focus, what do you do? 

Crooked Lines and Dizzyness

Today I am linking up with Lisa Jo Baker (aka The Gypsy Mama) and folks across the world who participate in Five Minute Friday.  Last week was my first time linking up, and I enjoyed it so much I thought I'd try it out again.  The task is simple - set the clock for 5 minutes & type.  No backtracking, no editing.  Just write and see what comes out.  Here goes...

Photo by: Quinn Dombrowski (Creative Commons)

Graceful.

When I think of someone who is graceful, I immediately picture a ballerina.  She is the epitome of grace with her long, lean lines.  She has the ability to leap across a stage and make it seem effortless.  She pirouettes around the stage, never stopping, never getting dizzy.  And she does it all in pointe slippers and a tutu.

If life is like a stage, I'm screwed. 

My lines are often crooked.  My steps are clumsy.  While I often feel like I'm going round and round in circles, I get dizzy and just want to stop.  (Nevermind that I wouldn't be caught dead in ballet slippers and a tutu!)

Thankfully, there's Jesus - Grace Giver.

The more I spend time with Him, the more graceful I become.  My crooked lines become straight and I can lean on Him when I am dizzy and feel like falling. 

When you hear the word "graceful," what do you imagine?  Are you graceful?

Change is Inevitable

For the first time ever, I am linking up for Five Minute Friday with Lisa Jo Baker (aka Gypsy Mama).  The task seems simple - set the clock for five minutes and write until time is up.  No editing, no backtracking.  Just write and publish.  Here goes nothing...

Change.

If there is one word that causes me to freeze in fear and yet crave at the same time, it would be the word change.

I hate change.

But I want to change.

My heart's cry is that God would change me from the inside out.  That at the end of my life I wouldn't be the same impatient, stubborn, sin-filled woman that I am now.  I want a clean, pure heart.  My soul longs to be different.  To be closer to Jesus. 

They say that change is the one constant thing in this world.  And as much as that stirs a panic in my heart, I hope it's true. 

When you hear the word change, do you freeze in fear or do you embrace it?