GO: Day 7 (5 minutes daily in October)

Go or stay
When we want to stay
sometimes
we need to go
When we want to go
sometimes
we need to be patient, wait, and stay

How do you know?

???

When my husband and I wanted to go somewhere else to live, somewhere that was more affordable, we couldn't wait to go.
But then, when it was finally time to go
it was hard
it was scary
We would go to a state and a city where we knew no one
We would go away from all our friends and family
But it was time
time to go
And we knew it was, even though to go
was very very hard

I wonder how many times we don't go because its hard.
I wonder how many times we go because it's just easier than dealing with
the stay

Just because something is hard should you go?
Just because something is easy or comfortable should you stay?

When do you go?
When is it right to go?
When is it right to stay?

KNOW: Day 6 (5 minutes daily in October)

My oldest child turned 13 today
I thought about this word..
know
Then I asked myself, "do I know him"?
Do I know my other two boys?
Do I really know what their dreams are?
Do I really know what their fears are?
When I was that age I didn't think my parents knew me.
But I didn't know myself either
I was always trying to be someone else
Trying to copy someone I wanted to be like
What I did know about me
I didn't really want them to know
It's hard to take time to really invest in my kids
Not because I don't want to
by the time homework is done, dinner made, practice is over..
it's time for bed and another day is gone
How much of that was knowing what they do
not knowing who they are
I want to know them better
I want them to know me
Not just as the mom
but as a person who wants to know them
I want them to be free to be themselves
and not pretend to be the person
they think I want them to be

STUCK: Day 5 (5 minutes daily in October)

At first all I could think of was negative things about being stuck.
Things like
stuck in a rut
stuck in the mud
stuck in a habit that you want to be unstuck from

Then I thought about things you want to stay stuck
Like pictures on the wall
crafts that are glued together
pictures stuck in albums

I'm thinking of scripture
If I had scripture stuck in my mind
I might not have to be stuck in negativity
Then I found this little verse
"I have stuck unto thy testimonies; O Lord, put me not to shame"
Psalm 119:31

stuck:
cling tightly
hold on
hold fast
cleave
adhered

If I had more scripture stuck to the walls of my heart and mind
I would be able to stick closer to them
they would leave little room for me to have anything else stuck to the walls of my mind.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

LEARN: Day 4 (5 minutes daily in October)

Oh to learn the things that matter
to learn the things that make a difference
to learn the things that last

I want to learn
to pray
Not just when I need something or I'm in trouble
but to talk continually to the lover of my soul who lives within me
to pray as if it is the very breath within me

I want to learn
to trust God
To trust Him and not depend on my own understanding
To remember He is in control and not only in my life but in the lives of the ones I love

I want to learn
to listen
not with the intent to help or fix or correct
But to really listen
Not just to those I know and care about but those other people who cross my path

I want to learn
to love
to be free of judgement and love because that is what God wants me to do
To love without fear of being hurt or expectation to be loved back

I want to learn
to smile
because it affects me and it affects others
Not a plastic fake smile but a genuine smile from the hope that lies within me

I want to learn
to enjoy the now
to be present in the now and not in the later on or the next day
I miss so much because I'm hurrying to the next moment

Oh to learn the things that matter
To learn the things that make a difference
in the lives of others
in my own life
to learn the things that last

New: 5 Minute Friday

New: coming or occurring afresh
I wonder...
What would be different in my life
In yours
If we looked at everything as being new?
Okay, maybe not everything
But if we looked at each morning as a new start
If we looked at each hour as a new hour
What if we looked at our mistakes as a new learning experience?
What if we looked at the interruptions in our day as new opportunities?
What if we looked at the challenging day as a new adventure?
What if we remembered that we don't have to live on left over mercies from God?
What would be different?
What would change?
What if
we faced each moment
with new focus
new zeal
new hope?
"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him.'" Lamentations 3:21-24

VIEW: Day 2 (5 minutes daily in October)

How does your view of tomorrow look?
If you view it through the the news...
words like
scary
bleak
daunting
uncertain
might come to mind.
If you don't know the One who is in charge of tomorrow
then yes
your view of tomorrow can look this way.
But if you do know Him..
The creator of each tomorrow
Sovereign
Almighty God
who 
has a plan and a purpose, 
Your tomorrow's 
no matter how you view them today, 
have promise.

We need to put on Jesus glasses
So our view is clear and not clouded
With my Jesus glasses on 
I remember Psalm 139
"O LORD, You know
when I sit down and when I rise up
You scrutinize
(examine in detail with careful or critical attention)
my path and my lying down.
You are intimately acquainted 
with all my ways."

With Jesus glasses on
my view of tomorrow 
has hope
because I know my God is Mighty
and in His sovereignty
He does cause all things
to work together
for good 
to those who love Him and
are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)

With my Jesus glasses on
 my view of tomorrow is filled with light
"In Your light
we see light." (Psalm 36:9)

With my Jesus glasses on 
my view will be like Moses
a view of faith
"It was by faith
that Moses left the land of Egypt
He kept right on going
because
he kept his eyes on the one 
who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27)

Lord, clear my vision
help me to view my tomorrow
my today
through You.

"But friends
You're not in the dark
so how could you be taken off guard 
by any of this?
Your sons of Light,
daughters of Day.
We live under wide open skies 
and know where we stand.
So lets not sleepwalk through life
like those others.
Lets keep our eyes open
and be smart." (Thessalonians 5:4-8)

MOVE: Day 1 (5 minutes daily in October)

To just move is not enough
What direction am I moving?
I don't want to move backwards
"Do not say, 'why is it that the former days were better than these? For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.'" Ecclesiastes 7:10 
It is true that I can learn from my past
But...those days are gone
To move back is to miss out on today
I don't want to move side to side either
I do find myself doing this often
It is the deception that I am accomplishing something
To move, just for the sake of moving...
this is wasted effort and energy
I must move forward
To move forward takes courage
  To move forward takes faith
    No one says it has to be giant steps
      Even a baby step forward 
        is more progress
         than a step to the side
It is time to move..
"I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal." Philippians 3:13-14


Join several of us who are planning to write for five minutes every day in the month of October. We’ll be linking up with The Nester’s 31 Day Challenge, to publish a blog post every day in October —