One of my favorite songs right now is Lauren Daigle's "You Say". It's all about who God says I am, which goes perfectly with the theme of this #write31days storyline.
One line says, "When I don't belong, You say I am Yours."
I get that line, from the bottom of my heart.
I'm an introvert. I'm socially awkward. I have learned to deal with it because I work in a field where you have to make conversation, but I still struggle sometimes.
So many times I feel like a fake.
And surely everyone knows I'm faking.
I recently listened to a news story that was talking about research about social media. I love social media like the next person, but I totally understand where this research was coming from. Basically, the findings said that despite all of our "connectiveness", we are more lonely that we have ever been.
Let's face it. Sometimes it's easy to look around and see how everyone else fits into the puzzle... and feel like a square peg in a round hole.
That loneliness that we feel can be expected, because we were made for community. We were made to belong. We were made to be in relationship.
And we do belong... to an awesome God who loves us more than anyone can describe.
He knows every piece of our story, and loves us anyway.
He has a place for us... a safe haven. A home.
Where we will always belong.
Participating in #write31days using Free Write prompts from Five Minute Fridays. These free write prompts are written in five minutes on one subject. Today's prompt... belong.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Share Your Story
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What, you too? I thought I was the only one!'" - CS Lewis
"No man is an island."- I think John Donne, but I'm too lazy to look it up. I'm not taking credit for the quote and I used to know in high school...
Our stories are meant for sharing. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the Bible, there's a verse that reminds us that we can use our troubles to help encourage others. If we don't talk about our troubles, how can that serve as an encouragement?
So often in this society we have measures to live up to that seem impossible. How can we share our story when it makes us look so bad?
Simply because, if we choose to be vulnerable, it may enable someone else to.
If they see what a mess we are, they may realize it's ok to admit their flaws.
I'm not saying that we don't try to do better...
just that it's ok not to be ok sometimes.
And it's also ok to share our successes. When we humbly express our achievements in a way that points to the Father, it encourages others to try.
Being willing to share our stories is hard. It's uncomfortable. And so often we wonder what we even have to offer someone else.
Here's the thing, though. That person standing in line behind you at Walmart? They may need a little encouragement. I'm not saying you tell them your life story, but by choosing to look them in the eye and look them in the eye, choosing to exchange a little pleasantry with them, we are sharing the human experience. In our day of technological connection, that little bit of human interaction can make a huge difference.
Small amounts of sharing can lead to big results- in the lives of others and in your own! So start sharing!
This post is a part of #write31days, with a prompt from Five Minute Fridays focusing on the word share. Five Minute Fridays is a community where individuals write for five minutes, unedited, on one topic. We're doing this all month instead of just Fridays! For more Five Minute Friday posts, click here. For more posts in my series about Telling My Tale, click here.
"No man is an island."- I think John Donne, but I'm too lazy to look it up. I'm not taking credit for the quote and I used to know in high school...
Our stories are meant for sharing. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the Bible, there's a verse that reminds us that we can use our troubles to help encourage others. If we don't talk about our troubles, how can that serve as an encouragement?
So often in this society we have measures to live up to that seem impossible. How can we share our story when it makes us look so bad?
Simply because, if we choose to be vulnerable, it may enable someone else to.
If they see what a mess we are, they may realize it's ok to admit their flaws.
I'm not saying that we don't try to do better...
just that it's ok not to be ok sometimes.
And it's also ok to share our successes. When we humbly express our achievements in a way that points to the Father, it encourages others to try.
Being willing to share our stories is hard. It's uncomfortable. And so often we wonder what we even have to offer someone else.
Here's the thing, though. That person standing in line behind you at Walmart? They may need a little encouragement. I'm not saying you tell them your life story, but by choosing to look them in the eye and look them in the eye, choosing to exchange a little pleasantry with them, we are sharing the human experience. In our day of technological connection, that little bit of human interaction can make a huge difference.
Small amounts of sharing can lead to big results- in the lives of others and in your own! So start sharing!
This post is a part of #write31days, with a prompt from Five Minute Fridays focusing on the word share. Five Minute Fridays is a community where individuals write for five minutes, unedited, on one topic. We're doing this all month instead of just Fridays! For more Five Minute Friday posts, click here. For more posts in my series about Telling My Tale, click here.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
I May Not Know Why
We are often told that we shouldn't ask God why... but I'm getting pretty comfortable with it.
As I think about my story, and the various components of it, I realize that it is really a series of "whys" and "why not".
Everything has a reason, but so often we don't see it down here. I can't help but think that at the end of our life, we'll be allowed to see it all like a slideshow, but we'll see the "whys" and "why nots" and they will make sense...
but by then, they really won't matter.
In the meantime, we have to keep living, even if we struggle from day to day. Even if we don't understand, we have to keep putting each foot in front of the other. We have to keep breathing and looking for the beauty and choosing to embrace joy even if we feel as though we have no reason to do so...
In the absence of understanding the big "why", we have to embrace the small "why". We each have a purpose. We each have a calling.
Today I talked about self-concept in class... identity and how it develops and how it changes over time as we have new life experiences. When I asked them, "If I were to say to you, who are you?" one student said, "I would say I really don't know."
And I get that, because somedays I'm not sure who I am. A lot of the time, actually. I'm still trying to reconcile my expectations and my desires and my dreams and my reality...
and I think that will always be the case, as long as we are breathing, because each day brings something new. We are dynamic, and that's a good thing, because otherwise if we are stagnant we die. Maybe not physically, but on the inside.
So, we may not know who we are... but we can know whose we are.
And we may not know why here on earth... but we can know the One who does.
This post has been a reflection for #write31days, using the prompt "why" from Five Minute Fridays.
As I think about my story, and the various components of it, I realize that it is really a series of "whys" and "why not".
Everything has a reason, but so often we don't see it down here. I can't help but think that at the end of our life, we'll be allowed to see it all like a slideshow, but we'll see the "whys" and "why nots" and they will make sense...
but by then, they really won't matter.
In the meantime, we have to keep living, even if we struggle from day to day. Even if we don't understand, we have to keep putting each foot in front of the other. We have to keep breathing and looking for the beauty and choosing to embrace joy even if we feel as though we have no reason to do so...
In the absence of understanding the big "why", we have to embrace the small "why". We each have a purpose. We each have a calling.
Today I talked about self-concept in class... identity and how it develops and how it changes over time as we have new life experiences. When I asked them, "If I were to say to you, who are you?" one student said, "I would say I really don't know."
And I get that, because somedays I'm not sure who I am. A lot of the time, actually. I'm still trying to reconcile my expectations and my desires and my dreams and my reality...
and I think that will always be the case, as long as we are breathing, because each day brings something new. We are dynamic, and that's a good thing, because otherwise if we are stagnant we die. Maybe not physically, but on the inside.
So, we may not know who we are... but we can know whose we are.
And we may not know why here on earth... but we can know the One who does.
This post has been a reflection for #write31days, using the prompt "why" from Five Minute Fridays.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
What's Worth Believing?
One of my favorite quotes by Audrey Hepburn (and this is a paraphrase) says, "I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls." The entire quote is pretty lengthy, with Hepburn telling several things that she believes. I like it because so much of what she says seems simple...
But often what we believe is not simple at all. It's a complex makeup of what we've been taught and what we've personally experienced and what we perceive about the others around us.
In order to tell our stories, we have to know what we believe. What we believe can help us combat those things we are afraid of, as well.
Often, as I think I've mentioned before, we don't really know what we believe, which means we don't really know who we are. I'm still in the process of figuring that out, and since we are dynamic individuals that adapt and grow and learn every day, I think it's impossible to know exactly who we are, because essentially it may change. Who am I today is not who I was when I was 16, nor will it be who I am when I am 80 (should the good Lord decide to allow me to live my story that long. If not, I'll fly away and will definitely not be who am I now because I'll be in a glorified body...)
With that being said, as I'm trying to figure out who I am in this moment, I've been thinking a lot about what I believe. Here's a short summary:
I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He loves me even though I am a huge mess.
I believe that the Bible is God's Holy Word, inspired by God, and applicable to my life even when I'm not sure how.
I believe that being blessed to be Caleb's Mama is the greatest job on earth.
I believe that nature is healing to the soul, and that I am no closer to God than when I sit on a cliff facing in the Gorge or at the Oceanside.
I believe that books are always better than movies.
I believe that laughter truly is the best medicine.
I believe that compassion is a lost art, but one that I should seek to practice every day.
I believe that there is a purpose for my life, even when I'm unsure of what it is.
I believe that love is stronger than hate, but hate is sometimes easier... so we have to keep choosing love.
I believe that planners are awesome, even though I don't always get everything checked off in mine.
I believe that ice cream and sunshine makes any day better.
I believe that summertime is the best time, but that every season has its purpose.
I believe that there is always good... sometimes we just have to look harder. And we have to ask God to give us eyes to see the good.
This is where I'm at today. Each of those statements have reasoning behind them, and they make up a little piece of who I am.
Don't stop believing, people...
Thanks to Five Minute Friday for the prompt of "Believe". Today I wrote a little bit longer than 5 minutes.
But often what we believe is not simple at all. It's a complex makeup of what we've been taught and what we've personally experienced and what we perceive about the others around us.
In order to tell our stories, we have to know what we believe. What we believe can help us combat those things we are afraid of, as well.
Often, as I think I've mentioned before, we don't really know what we believe, which means we don't really know who we are. I'm still in the process of figuring that out, and since we are dynamic individuals that adapt and grow and learn every day, I think it's impossible to know exactly who we are, because essentially it may change. Who am I today is not who I was when I was 16, nor will it be who I am when I am 80 (should the good Lord decide to allow me to live my story that long. If not, I'll fly away and will definitely not be who am I now because I'll be in a glorified body...)
With that being said, as I'm trying to figure out who I am in this moment, I've been thinking a lot about what I believe. Here's a short summary:
I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He loves me even though I am a huge mess.
I believe that the Bible is God's Holy Word, inspired by God, and applicable to my life even when I'm not sure how.
I believe that being blessed to be Caleb's Mama is the greatest job on earth.
I believe that nature is healing to the soul, and that I am no closer to God than when I sit on a cliff facing in the Gorge or at the Oceanside.
I believe that books are always better than movies.
I believe that laughter truly is the best medicine.
I believe that compassion is a lost art, but one that I should seek to practice every day.
I believe that there is a purpose for my life, even when I'm unsure of what it is.
I believe that love is stronger than hate, but hate is sometimes easier... so we have to keep choosing love.
I believe that planners are awesome, even though I don't always get everything checked off in mine.
I believe that ice cream and sunshine makes any day better.
I believe that summertime is the best time, but that every season has its purpose.
I believe that there is always good... sometimes we just have to look harder. And we have to ask God to give us eyes to see the good.
This is where I'm at today. Each of those statements have reasoning behind them, and they make up a little piece of who I am.
Don't stop believing, people...
Thanks to Five Minute Friday for the prompt of "Believe". Today I wrote a little bit longer than 5 minutes.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
What Am I Afraid of?
What are you afraid of?
Big question, really.
There are so many THINGS we can be afraid of...
snakes. being alone. being unwanted. failure. the dark. driving on interstates.
Endings.
Telling our story means looking in the mirror and knowing full well who is staring back at you... and that can be scary sometimes.
Most of the time, actually.
So often we don't feel like facing those fears. I am guilty of wanting to be an ostrich with my head in the sand with more than just politics.
In order to share our stories, we have to know what is true and what isn't...
The difference between the fiction and the non-fiction...
And that means recognizing who we are, even with our flaws.
As that line goes from that famous movie (I can't remember which one... A Few Good Men, maybe?) "You can't handle the truth."
And because we're afraid we can't truly handle the truth of who we are, we fake it till we make it... one of my favorite mottos.
We paint smiles on our faces and keep on keepin' on... afraid to admit that we aren't "fine".
Afraid to discover who we are because we may not like what we see... or we may not be what others expect of us.
It's taken me a little less than 39 years to figure out it's ok to be afraid...
and I'm writing about that this month.
(Thanks to Five Minute Fridays for the daily prompts. Today's five minute write was on the word AFRAID).
Big question, really.
There are so many THINGS we can be afraid of...
snakes. being alone. being unwanted. failure. the dark. driving on interstates.
Endings.
Telling our story means looking in the mirror and knowing full well who is staring back at you... and that can be scary sometimes.
Most of the time, actually.
So often we don't feel like facing those fears. I am guilty of wanting to be an ostrich with my head in the sand with more than just politics.
In order to share our stories, we have to know what is true and what isn't...
The difference between the fiction and the non-fiction...
And that means recognizing who we are, even with our flaws.
As that line goes from that famous movie (I can't remember which one... A Few Good Men, maybe?) "You can't handle the truth."
And because we're afraid we can't truly handle the truth of who we are, we fake it till we make it... one of my favorite mottos.
We paint smiles on our faces and keep on keepin' on... afraid to admit that we aren't "fine".
Afraid to discover who we are because we may not like what we see... or we may not be what others expect of us.
It's taken me a little less than 39 years to figure out it's ok to be afraid...
and I'm writing about that this month.
(Thanks to Five Minute Fridays for the daily prompts. Today's five minute write was on the word AFRAID).
Monday, October 1, 2018
My Tale that is Told... #Write31Days
"...we spend our years as a tale that is told."- Psalm 90:9
I have always loved reading.
Words on a page, forming a story that allows me to escape reality for a few minutes... or helps me to expand on reality and think about how I can make my reality better.
Doesn't really matter what kind of story. Doesn't matter what the setting, or the time period.
I just love stories.
The greatest storybook of all times is a true story- The Bible.
It's full of adventure and love and action.
Full of infallible men and women... men and women that did mighty things for God.
Despite their weaknesses.
As I looked back over the past few months and looked ahead to this writing challenge, one month about one topic...
I was intimidated, because I don't feel like I know enough about anything interesting enough to write consistently for a month.
And then I stumbled upon Five Minute Fridays, a website I have frequented often over the past few years when I needed inspiration.
This month, they are focusing on the story...
of each individual writer.
Again, this is intimidating, because who am I to think that my story could be inspirational?
And then I thought of the Psalmist, who asked, "Who am I?"
Who am I, Lord?
This month, I'll be using this space and prompts from Five Minute Friday to explore that. It's really an exercise for me, this figuring out of my tale that is being told...
but if you're visiting, welcome. I'd be happy to hear about your story, too. Please share in the comments. Let's use our stories for His glory!
Day 1- My Tale
Day 2- What Am I Afraid of?
Day 3- What's Worth Believing?
Day 4- I May Not Know Why
Day 5- SharYour Story
Day 6-Where You Belong
Day 7-The Name of Hope
Day 8-Yoga Pants and Heaven
Day 9-Inspire
Day 10-I don't know How but I know Who
Day 11-The Revolving Door
Day 12 The Doxology of Praise
Day 13Too Much Talk
Day 14It's Ok to Ask
Day 15In the When
Day 16Pray It Out
Day 17In the Pause
Day 18Search Me
Day 19 Grace, please... no writing today
Day 20Audience of One
Day 21Starting Again
Day 22Help!
Day 23Common To Man
Day 24Life Is Brief
Day 25 Grace, please... no writing today
Day 26 This Present Moment
I have always loved reading.
Words on a page, forming a story that allows me to escape reality for a few minutes... or helps me to expand on reality and think about how I can make my reality better.
Doesn't really matter what kind of story. Doesn't matter what the setting, or the time period.
I just love stories.
The greatest storybook of all times is a true story- The Bible.
It's full of adventure and love and action.
Full of infallible men and women... men and women that did mighty things for God.
Despite their weaknesses.
As I looked back over the past few months and looked ahead to this writing challenge, one month about one topic...
I was intimidated, because I don't feel like I know enough about anything interesting enough to write consistently for a month.
And then I stumbled upon Five Minute Fridays, a website I have frequented often over the past few years when I needed inspiration.
This month, they are focusing on the story...
of each individual writer.
Again, this is intimidating, because who am I to think that my story could be inspirational?
And then I thought of the Psalmist, who asked, "Who am I?"
Who am I, Lord?
This month, I'll be using this space and prompts from Five Minute Friday to explore that. It's really an exercise for me, this figuring out of my tale that is being told...
but if you're visiting, welcome. I'd be happy to hear about your story, too. Please share in the comments. Let's use our stories for His glory!
Day 2- What Am I Afraid of?
Day 3- What's Worth Believing?
Day 4- I May Not Know Why
Day 5- SharYour Story
Day 6-Where You Belong
Day 7-The Name of Hope
Day 8-Yoga Pants and Heaven
Day 9-Inspire
Day 10-I don't know How but I know Who
Day 11-The Revolving Door
Day 12 The Doxology of Praise
Day 13Too Much Talk
Day 14It's Ok to Ask
Day 15In the When
Day 16Pray It Out
Day 17In the Pause
Day 18Search Me
Day 19 Grace, please... no writing today
Day 20Audience of One
Day 21Starting Again
Day 22Help!
Day 23Common To Man
Day 24Life Is Brief
Day 25 Grace, please... no writing today
Day 26 This Present Moment
Friday, June 1, 2018
Return... A Five Minute Friday Linkup
This has been a season of new.
New job.
New home.
New people.
I started 2018 with a fresh desire to be a "new" me... a "better" me.
Here I am, starting my sixth month in, and I'm as far from that as I could be.
To say that new is hard for me would be an understatement.
To say that I'm good at adapting... well, I'm ok, I guess. I can do a lot of faking.
And in this season of "new", I kept telling myself not to look back.
As I saw all the blessings, I was reminded of the Israelites wondering in the desert. They were being fed manna from Heaven but all they could think about was the leeks of Egypt.
I felt that, as the teenagers would say.
So I pressed on and kept my nose to the grind.
Here I sit with a scraped up nose and a heart that's been hurting for a while.
In all my resolve to embrace the "new" and to get "better", I forgot the old.
Rather, I ignored the old... because I was a little mad at God.
I know, that sounds silly... but after all, isn't He sovereign? And yes, it felt (and still feels) like this is right where He wanted us. I have no doubt that my family was meant to be in Menifee County. At times it feels like home. The people have been lovely and Caleb has had a good year and we feel welcome...
but I have stayed homesick.
Homesick not for my home in Breathitt County, but for a home that is eternal.
Crazy, I know... noone ever said I was completely with it.
So, as this school year winded down and we came to the conclusion of this "new" year, I find myself in a serious funk... one I hesitate to share with anyone, because to look at us on the outside, we have everything that anyone would want...
but my temper tantrums and sulking led me away from God, and found me feeling more alone that I have ever been in my life.
So how fitting that this week's prompt was to return...
Turn back.
Not to a physical place...
but to a way of thinking.
Return to seeking Him first.
Return to time in His Word.
Return to joy and peace that only He can provide.
I hear You, Lord.
Here I come...
Linking up with Five Minute Fridays, where we write for 5 minutes on one prompt, no editing, not much thought... just writing. This week's prompt? Return...
It feels good to be back.
New job.
New home.
New people.
I started 2018 with a fresh desire to be a "new" me... a "better" me.
Here I am, starting my sixth month in, and I'm as far from that as I could be.
To say that new is hard for me would be an understatement.
To say that I'm good at adapting... well, I'm ok, I guess. I can do a lot of faking.
And in this season of "new", I kept telling myself not to look back.
As I saw all the blessings, I was reminded of the Israelites wondering in the desert. They were being fed manna from Heaven but all they could think about was the leeks of Egypt.
I felt that, as the teenagers would say.
So I pressed on and kept my nose to the grind.
Here I sit with a scraped up nose and a heart that's been hurting for a while.
In all my resolve to embrace the "new" and to get "better", I forgot the old.
Rather, I ignored the old... because I was a little mad at God.
I know, that sounds silly... but after all, isn't He sovereign? And yes, it felt (and still feels) like this is right where He wanted us. I have no doubt that my family was meant to be in Menifee County. At times it feels like home. The people have been lovely and Caleb has had a good year and we feel welcome...
but I have stayed homesick.
Homesick not for my home in Breathitt County, but for a home that is eternal.
Crazy, I know... noone ever said I was completely with it.
So, as this school year winded down and we came to the conclusion of this "new" year, I find myself in a serious funk... one I hesitate to share with anyone, because to look at us on the outside, we have everything that anyone would want...
but my temper tantrums and sulking led me away from God, and found me feeling more alone that I have ever been in my life.
So how fitting that this week's prompt was to return...
Turn back.
Not to a physical place...
but to a way of thinking.
Return to seeking Him first.
Return to time in His Word.
Return to joy and peace that only He can provide.
I hear You, Lord.
Here I come...
Linking up with Five Minute Fridays, where we write for 5 minutes on one prompt, no editing, not much thought... just writing. This week's prompt? Return...
It feels good to be back.
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