Five Minute Friday: "Stuff"

 

What is it about the holidays that makes some of us want to stuff our faces beyond the realms of common sense?  I can't speak for anyone else, but for me I think that part of it is the prospect of eating lip-smacking delicacies that I don't consume until the appropriate season.  So, some the attitude is, "Hey, I'm not going to eat stuff like this until next winter, so just eat it."

The real problem (at least for me) is that the food becomes a substitute for closeness.  In other words, the anxiety surrounding food that's already a daily struggle is combined with overwhelming feelings of insecurity and the understanding that I'm going to go home (or wait for people to leave if they are at my home) and berate and judge myself for everything I said, did, or didn't say or do.

So, stuffing is easier (no necessarily better).  It's a preemptive strike against the mental chaos that delays the inevitable.

 

Maybe I need to declare a "No stuff holiday" that has nothing to do with decluttering or limiting purchases.

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In case you missed it:  

• My latest Weekly Digest: "Days 03 & 04 - Help Wanted:  The Weekly Digest [40 Days of Gratitude 2024]," is here.
• My latest First Line Friday Post: "#25: The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant" is here.
• My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Days 12 & 13 - Caught in a Snare," is here.
• My latest book review of Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear is here.
•  My "24 in 2024" list is here.
•  My 2024 reading challenge:  "Full Shelf Challenge V.2" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Respite."

Can I just have a day?  

Can I just have 24 hours of respite that I don't have to justify?  Just because I don't have a husband, kids, and/or big house to tend doesn't mean that I don't get tired.  My job doesn't involve much physical labor, but many of you know that brain work can stress and tire the body as much as (if not more than) labor intensive tasks.  

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job, but I need a break...a real respite.  Sure, I've had some days off, but they were not the rest I needed.  

Can I have a morning where I don't wake up tired after a good night's sleep and feel like I have to get up so early out of guilt because I didn't get it all done yesterday and have more to do today?  Can I have a day where all the electronics are off, my pajamas are on, my Fitbit is not on my wrist demanding that I get up and walk, I'm on the couch with my coffee or tea, a real book, and a notebook and pen?  Can I have 24 hours without a headache, eyestrain, and a twitching thumb from typing and clicking a mouse all day?  Can I have 1,440 seconds of not feeling lazy because I use my dishwasher, not feeling good enough no matter how much weight I lose or how much I accomplish, and not feeling like I need to punish myself if I don't do something right?

Even if all who read say no, even if all who read say I haven't earned the right to what I want, and even if all who read mistake my need of a respite for losing my hustle, I'm giving myself that 24 hours, and I'm giving it more than once!

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In case you missed it:  

* My latest First Line Friday Post: "#18:  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" is here.
* My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Happy Little Concussions," is here.
* My latest book review of The Invisible Leader is here.
* My "24 in 2024" post is here.
* My 2024 reading challenge:  "Full Shelf Challenge V.2" is here.
* My final Simple Woman's Daybook "Day 40:  The End is Just the Beginning?" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Scraps and Tools" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Ignore."

 
I took a walk at Union Square Park today (Saturday).  It's the first outdoor walk I've taken this year.  I ignored the urge to stay inside on such a nice day (Sunny and 61 degrees).  I ignored the still melting snow and ice from all the January storms.  I ignored pace and time and simply took a pleasant 20 minute stroll.

I could ignore the pond still being frozen over and the fountains being turned off, the field of dead grass, and the empty flower bed by the park sign on the corner.  Why?  I could ignore these things because they only point to what's coming.

Spring.

Yes, I know spring is notoriously short in Colorado, but it's coming.  Yes, we're going to get a lot more snow before this is over with, but the birds are already singing.  Yes, we may get more below zero temperatures, but some neighborhood flower beds have been dug in anticipation of spring flowers and summer vegetables. 

I'm choosing to ignore the ugly in anticipation for the coming beauty.

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In case you missed it:  

* My latest Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "The Dog in the Room," is here.
* My 2023 Treat Yo' Shelf Reading Challenge introduction is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Don't Forget the Unicorns:  Monday Mess Making" is here.
* My previous Five Minute Friday post "Explore" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Explore."

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (ESV) - “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

This summer, I will celebrate five years of being in Colorado.  I still marvel at where the Lord has brought me in such a short time.  I never get tired of telling the stories of His faithfulness and provision. One of the things I strove for once I settled in was to explore my surroundings, know all the fun places to go, learn about new culture, art, and food, and, like Jacksonville, know this place like the back of my hand.  Most importantly, I didn't want to turn into an old fart.

Ha!

I'm writing this at 2:15 a.m. Friday morning.  I'm in my comfortable old lady nightgown, in my comfortable old lady house shoes, sitting in my comfortable recliner (I don't know if that's more old lady, or dude like). I like the fact that I have certain routines and places I frequent.  It's easier to get to know people that way.  But, my explore button is broken.

When I did "My Mythical Year," it was so much fun; I ate at new places, learned some new things, and even cut my hair short.  My only regret was not being able to buy all the badges I'd earned.

But now what?

Can I safely explore alone?  Is there enough to explore without having to be out at night?  Can it be called exploration in the context of safety?  Come on, even Dora the Explorer had Boots and a talking Backpack to keep her safe.

What does someone in my (house) shoes do?

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Behold" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Barbara's Crab Shack," is here.
* My latest 2022 Book it Reading Challenge review of Belong is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
* My last Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing III" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Behold."

Smashing 16-inch plates at the reunion

Romans 13:8 (AMPC) - Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements].

Behold(en) - having a duty to someone in return for help or a service. 

What is the balance between truly asking for help and making oneself beholden to someone?  My recent trip home and all the missteps that went with it left a trail of either my feeling sorrow and embarrassment over, or people being angry with me for asking for help. So maybe there is not balance; someone is going to be hurt either way.

Just a side note:  I'd like to thank the Avis company for their part in trying to ruin my vacation with their ridiculous rules that marginalize those of us who are actually wise with money and don't borrow for every little thing we do.  Your bougie efforts caused a lot of consternation among my friends and family and made my rare visit home way more stressful than it needed to be.  In return, I have ceased receiving you e-mails, recommending you to friends, plus you've earned a permanent spot on my dookie list (right under Enterprise for the same reason).

Anyway...

As fun as it was to go home, visit with people, go to the Marching Southerners' reunion, and participate at both of my home churches, I came home with the dreadful feeling that I may never be able go back.  Call it pride or self-preservation, but if I have to go home begging, annoying people to the point that they lie to me, or pissing off people, I'll stay in Colorado and leave everyone alone.  In my Hodgepodge post this week, I talked about all the grief I was experiencing.  This mess didn't help it any.

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Purpose" v. 2.0 is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Just a Little Trim," is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing III" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "From."

This prompt made me think of "to and from" labels on presents.  Funny to have gifts and presents come to mind.  Pastor Gelinas has started a series on ministry and spiritual gifts (If you're interested in viewing/hearing it, go to https://subsplash.com/+e3c1/lb/mi/+3ypdzrv?branding=true&embed=true&recentRoute=app.web-app.library.list&recentRouteSlug=%2Bn4y8xst ).

I do believe that God has given me gifts to share with others.  What I wonder is who can I put in the "to" column.  As I've said before, will someone accept a good gift if it's wrapped in an ugly box or in wrappings that don't appeal to them?  I know who the gifts are "from." James 1:17 (NIV) says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Again, how do I wrap them properly?

Is there a bodily equivalent of a gift bag?  Gift bags are wonderful for those of us who don't wrap presents very well.  some tissue paper, a bow, and a lovely card makes a beautiful present.  How do I do that to myself? 

Anybody got any ideas?

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Summer" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Fourth Down," is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Summer."

 

 

Luke 9:25 (NIV) - "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"  

The Monkees "The Door Into Summer" was among my favorite songs when I was a teenager (this was their resurgence in the 80s--I'm not that old).  While I still enjoy the Nesmith/Dolenz harmonies, the great blend of the instruments, and of course, the prominent bass line I would love to learn, the lyrics (that I didn't understand when I was younger) speak of gloomy regret:

[Verse 1]

With his fool's gold stacked up all around him
From a killing in the market on the war
The children left King Midas there, as they found him
In his counting house where nothing counts but more

[Chorus]

And he thought he heard the echoes of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading through the door into summer

[Verse 2]

With his travelogues of "maybe next year" places
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
And he pays for it with years he cannot buy back with his tears
When he finds out there's been no one keeping score

(Lyrics by Chip Douglas and Bill Martin.  Copyright 1967)

To me, the "door into summer" speaks of the fun moments and joys of life that were traded for "fool's gold" and "a name upon the door."  I can easily shake my head at such nonsense and lament over someone wasting their life on doing nothing but seeking riches and status while ignoring simple joys and the possibility of friendship and love. But what am I trading for a chance to step through the "door into summer"? I've never been rich or been important enough to have my name on the door (Ok, I had a name plate on my cubicle at work, but that's not the same).  The past 18 months have found me fighting the temptation to trade my soul (mind, will, and emotions) for following arbitrary, fear-filled rules and regulations; trading mental and physical health for vegging in front of escape entertainment; and trading loving friendship for depressing isolation and incessant scrolling through "anti-social" media.  

My "door into summer" isn't about a season, it's about an attitude. Even with the great things that happened in 2020 and the tragic events in my own family, I can't shake the feeling that the year was a wash and never really happened. I can't shake the feeling that I literally lost a year.  Joel 2:25 (NIV) says, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." My "door into summer" is regaining the attitude of summer fun and joy, regaining what I lost, and keeping that "door" open all year long.

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Quiet" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Salty Dog" is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "Junior Asparagus," is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Quiet"

 

I love the quiet of the mornings.  My neighbors haven't started stirring much, the trash truck hasn't bounced by yet, and the birds are even briefly enjoying the stillness before beginning their morning chorus.  I light a candle, sit in my prayer/reading chair, sip on my morning beverage of choice, grab a pen and paper, and prepare for my time with God.

Ah, such quiet bliss...

Until...

My mind does NOT know quiet like my body does. Even in the stillness of my morning fellowship with God, my mind runs like a wheel-treading hamster juiced up on Red Bull.  If you try to follow the track of my roller coaster thoughts, keep your hands in the car or you'll fall off the ride.

Anyway...

One my goals for the year is to learn how to better settle myself totally in the presence of God. Psalm 131:2 (AMP) says, "Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [resting] with his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent]."  That is the goal.  But how?  "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (I Peter 5:10 KJV).  So, as I suffer through the discipline of trying to settle my mind in order to spend quality time with God, His glorious presence settles me so that I can spend more quality time with Him.

Cool, ain't it?

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Disagree" is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "Junior Asparagus," is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Cutie Patootie" is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Disagree"

 

Whatever happened to agreeing to disagree?  Whatever happened to adult discourse where everyone's opinion matters?  When did we suddenly turn into a bunch of whiny, strident toddlers who lay in the floor and scream for life and everyone in it to be my way or no way?

Look, I have beliefs that I wish everyone shared, but I'm smart enough to know that I can't force someone to share them no matter how big of a fit I pitch.  Besides, who wants to be coerced into belief?  Is it even real belief?  Dale Carnegie is quoted as saying, "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still."  He's right!

On the flip side, why are those who attempt to engage in honest discourse labeled as "haters" if they hold dissenting opinions from the majority?  OK.  Pull out your thesaurus (or open an app or search engine), and show me where "disagree" and "hate" are synonyms of each other. 

 

You can't do it, can you?

 

That's what I thought.

 

If you want to know how to navigate the toddlers without becoming one of them, I'd recommend this book.  It's excellent.

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Recovery" is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "Junior Asparagus," is here.
* This week's Hodgepodge post, "Cutie Patootie" is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Broken"

Mark 14:3, 6 (NIV) - While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head....“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me."

A while back, I wrote a post about the concept of beauty in brokenness. At the time, I honestly didn't get it.  Sometimes I still struggle with it. Since that post, off and on I've been racking my brain trying to find things that are more useful or  beautiful when broken.

Some things that are more useful when broken are: eggs, nuts, herbs
Some things that are a beautiful use of broken items:  Mosaics,  kintsugi pottery, art pieces and countertops  made with broken glass, sea glass jewelry.

So what's my point?  I still don't believe that Father God relishes in the brokenness of his children (that's child abuse).  However, I think that God looks at those broken pieces of my life and like an artist, finds ways to lovingly gather and put them together into something useful and beautiful.  Like kintsugi masters, God binds the cracks, chips, and voids in my life together with the strength and beauty of gold; making something more lovely and more valuable than before.

Ok, so I've come this far.  

Now, how do I allow these pieces to be reformed into beauty?  How do I not sweep these pieces into a dustpan and throw them into the dumpster to never be seen again?  How can I, like Jacob/Israel not hide my limp, but instead have an exciting story of meeting God to tell that makes others want to meet Him too?

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In case you missed it:  

* Last week's Five Minute Friday post "Pressure" is here.
* This week's Hodgepodge post, "A Penny Saved...is Still a Penny" is here.
*My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of The Five Love Languages:  Singles Edition  is here..
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing I" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Pressure"

Proverbs 11:16 (ESV) - A gracious woman gets honor...

At least she SHOULD. 

I know that Mother's Day is a month away, but it's been on my mind for the past few days.  This will be our first one without mama.  One joy to which I look forward is that commencement is the same weekend.  My other joy is that on Sunday my Pastor will not be preaching a Mother's Day sermon.

The near decade that mama and I served together at Faith Temple were the best years of our mother-daughter relationship.  They were also the years that I felt less pressure on Mother's Day (I didn't say none, just less).  I could simply say "This is your day, mom.  Have at it." 

What was the first seminary that taught the pastoral formula for preaching Mother's Day sermons?  The formula goes like this:  Expound on a famous mama from the Bible--the top three are the Virgin Mary, Hannah the mother of Samuel, and Jochebed the mother of Moses. Now, pull out Proverbs 31 (always!) and use those wonderful feminine attributes to 1) commend the godly mother you chose from Scripture, 2) commend all the mothers in the church as being the finest things since sliced bread, and 3) hold this standard up to single women and married women with no children, and ask them what's wrong with them that they can't live up to this high standard of womanhood.  Be sure to ignore other passages that empower and commend all godly women regardless of marital and procreation status.  In the closing prayer, be sure to use beautiful flowery spiritual language to pray God's blessing over the moms, but ask the Almighty to fix these "wrong" women who are "desperate to become wives and/or mothers" (even if they are not--we're not BTW).  

Talk about pressure, embarrassment, and pain.

I've endured nearly 30 years of these sermons and thankfully, my Pastor at Colorado Community Church has bucked the trend.  Yes, the church acknowledges and honors the moms on Mother's day; and rightfully so. However, they don't do it in a way that degrades and alienates women who are trying to follow God, rather than peer pressure, in their choices about marriage and family.  Remember, NO IS A CHOICE.

I honestly wish I could send Pastor Gelinas a Mother's Day card thanking him and the leadership of the church for seeing the importance of all the members of the church, being sensitive to the pain of others, and following God, rather than ministerial peer pressure in the sermons he presents.

I know, it's too weird, but I wish I could.

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Savor" is here.
* Last week's Hodgepodge post, "Hoping for a Patio" is here.
* My latest Simple Woman's Daybook post "What Season is it?" is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing I" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Savor."

2 Corinthians 2:15 (KJV) - For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

Have you ever smelled yourself? 

I have.

Whether it's after a hard workout, hours of working in the yard (when I had a yard), or sleeping under a box fan on a hell-hot Alabama summer night with a relative humidity of 2643%, no matter how much deodorant I'm wearing, eventually the stench overwhelms my olfactory receptors and I must take action.

How do I get rid of stink? The only surefire method is with a bath or shower.  I can try to cover it up by changing clothes, adding another coat of deodorant, or spritzing on perfume or body spray, but guess what?  I'LL STILL STINK.  In fact, all the extra covering makes the stink worse.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (KJV) says, "... Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."  In other words, the Word of God is the only thing that will wash off spiritual stink.  And trust me, we've all got some spiritual stink that needs washing off.  Plus we've got the stinky spiritual dirt others try to throw on us (lies about who Jesus is, what the Bible says, and what the true Christian church believes).  We can try to cover it with our own efforts, but it will only stink worse.  Only through the Word of God can we be a sweet savor not only to fellow believers, but to those who do not yet believe.  Otherwise, spiritually we go around smelling like an onion patch.

And who wants that?

Five Minute Friday: "Redeem."

Ephesians 1:6-7 (KJV) - To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Redeem - save (someone) from sin, error, or evil.

Many people, including Christians, think the word sin is harsh and heavy. However, to me the word itself is freedom when fully understood.  Yes, sin is "missing the mark," a "defect of character," but most importantly it is rebellion against God--a rebellion against His perfect love.  When I tiptoe around sinful actions and thoughts by not calling them what they are, I leave Jesus out of the equation.  Instead of leaning on the sacrifice of Christ, I lean on my own power, which always leads to minimizing, justifying, or hiding sin--which isn't freedom at all, but more bondage.  Knowing what sin is (and isn't), openly exposing it to God through confession and repentance (I John 1:9), rather than it exposing itself to others and ruing relationships (Numbers 32:23) brings true freedom and spiritual renewal (Acts 3:19-20).

Job 19:25 (NIV) - "I know that my redeemer lives."

Five Minute Friday: "Once"

 
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"You're once, twice, three times a lady."
Once in a lifetime.
Once Again (great praise song by Johnathan Stockstil and Bethany Praise--see below)

I once had this album...well cassette.  I first heard of Jerome Olds in 1989 when I was at a youth retreat in Montgomery, Alabama, but couldn't buy the cassette until I saw him again in Panama City Beach, Florida in 1992 when I was participating in Campus Outreach's Summer Beach project.

Well, why didn't you buy the CD?  Because I was a broke college student who couldn't afford a CD player at the time.  Is that OK with you? 

Anyway...

The day my tape recorder ate this cassette (which was more than 25 years later, I might add) was a devastating day for me.  Not only were there songs on this particular compilation that are not available on any of his available CDs, but the album itself holds great memories for me.  Mr. Olds didn't realize how God used him in my life.  During the youth retreat, he took to time to minister to and pray for me.  He opened up James, chapter 1 and explained perseverance to the fullest extent a tired, lonely, angry 17 year old could receive.  That encounter got me through college.  Even in the years I was away from God, I would still play that tape and remember.

Even today I still cannot find this on CD (they once existed).  I've tried every music service I can think of.  I even had a friend in Georgia try to find the church where Mr. Olds used to be the worship minister in hopes that they had the CD. No luck.  If you know Jerome Olds, or ARE Jerome Olds (not sure if the Facebook and Twitter pages I @'ed are really him) and have access to this CD or mp3 album (I don't have a cassette player anymore), I'm willing to pay a REASONABLE price for it.  Just contact me through Facebook messenger or auntiesworkshop@outlook.com. Please and thank you.

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Five Minute Friday: "Design"

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Intelligent Design

Design on a Dime (I miss that show)

Divine Design (I miss that show too)

Deserving Design (Ditto)

I used to love to watch design shows (as mentioned above) back when HGTV was worth watching... well and PBS too.  I would see these awesome artists take some of the most butt-ugly houses or yards and make absolute masterpieces out of them--some on a huge budget, some on a shoestring.

I'm in the process of decorating my apartment (have been since I moved here more than 3 years ago).  The space and rules of apartment living put a few limits on what I can do. My monetary budget is small, but my creative budget is abundant.  I don't have fancy designers to get advice from, but I do have Pinterest, YouTube, and Southern Living magazine.  My studies are almost over, so soon I'll have my evenings and weekends back to dive into creativity with both feet and finish this thing.

But what of my most important design project?  How do I design my life around God's plan for me?  His budget is endless and His loving creativity knows no bounds, but what about my own limits?  I saw an article from Forbes that gave five steps to designing the life you love.  I believe the Word has its own spin on these steps:

1. Design in small doses.  In Matthew 25:14-30, three stewards were given small sums of money to invest for their employer.  Those who did well were given more to tend to.  I believe that as we trust God by following His design for our lives, we are given even more to work with.
   
   
2. Emulate your heroes.  In I Corinthians 11:1, the apostle Paul instructed the church to follow him as he followed Christ.  This holds true in any area of life.  If you hero in the faith is building a life that follows Christ's example, take cues and learn from from him or her.  If not, move on.
   
   
3. Rescript self limiting beliefs.  "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]" (Romans 12:2 AMP).
   
   
4. Blend need-want tensions. "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4 KJV).
   
   
5. Let design values underpin your dreams. This step is really a blending of the other four. If you value what God values, His dream and your dream will match.  If not, it's up to you to allow Him to change your dream.  Trust me, His is better.

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Five Minute Friday: "Cancel."

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I'm tired of the cancel culture where people who think for themselves are "cancelled" by those who claim they want people to be free to think for themselves.

I'm tired of plans being cancelled.

I'm tired of needed items like toilet paper and paper towels being cancelled AGAIN.

Quite frankly, I'm pissed that our spring commencement might be cancelled.

I'm tired of fun being cancelled.

I'm tired of life being cancelled.

I'm tired of being tired of life being cancelled.

I'm so done with this.

How do I find joy in the midst of a cancelled life? 

I think I'm done...very done.

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Five Minute Friday: "Disappoint."

Romans 10:11 (NASB) - "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed..'"

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To disappoint is to "fail to fulfill the hopes or expectations of (someone)."  We flawed humans disappoint each other without even trying.  Sometimes our lack of action produces disappointment in others. However, most times our expectations are what produce disappointment.   This is not to say that we shouldn't have reasonable expectations of others we depend on.  They key is reasonable.  

God has guaranteed in His Word that He will never disappoint us.  Why?  The Scriptures tell us what to expect. We get disappointed with God when we don't know what to expect due to ignorance of His Word, we expect God to honor our timetable rather than us honoring His, or we expect godly perfection from each other.

As I continue to grow in my Christian walk, I've learned to analyze my disappointment. God is never the problem; my own lack of understanding or unreasonable expectations of others is always the culprit.  The more I learn about the love and care of God, the more I trust Him and the better I can receive from Him.

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