Today’s prompt is OPPORTUNITY. 

Ready?

– GO –

.

What does opportunity look like?

Is it the applause of many, the chance to see and be seen, the big step up you’ve been holding your breath anticipating?

Or could it be that sometimes opportunity comes quietly, slips in through a side door and takes her seat without fanfare?

I’m learning — ever so slowly — that opportunity often presents in a way I would never have looked for.

carelinamia | flickr creative commons

The quiet prompting of the Spirit to stop, look, listen for His hand.

A gentle nudge to wait and think, to pray instead of leaping.

I want to grasp the things that scream of promise and attention and notoriety, to run headlong into the limelight when His voice beckons instead from the sidelines. I never thought I’d need this: the courage to not jump on every opportunity that comes my way, restraint and discernment to clasp what is best and let most of the good slip through my fingers.

I don’t always understand His version of opportunity, but I trust His hand.

Lately I’ve had the opportunity to say no, to slow down, to decline offers, to keep promises whose quiet importance far outweighs the other, shinier options. Although I don’t always understand His economy or His game plan, I know He has provided me with chances to do what is right and holy in His sight.

Sometimes opportunity looks like a spotlight, and sometimes it whispers from the back row. Lord, please give me the courage to sit in shadow with You and honor Your name.

phil dowsing creative | flickr creative commons.

– STOP –

.

So what does opportunity look like to you?

Has God presented you with an opportunity
that looked different than you expected?

I’d love to hear your story! Please leave a comment below,
connect with me on Facebook or Twitter, or let’s chat via email:
{graceformymess} at {gmail} dot {com}.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

image via jennifer merchan | flickr creative commons

On Fridays, word-slinging lovers of story from all over join in a little game called Five Minute Friday. Lisa-Jo provides the prompt (and contributes her always spot-on commentary), then everybody lets loose for just five minutes to write their hearts out. No editing or over-thinking — even when we’ve already used a week’s worth of hyphens in just our opening.  ;)

I love Five Minute Fridays. Really. But seriously, Gypsy Mama? You just had to go and wreck me this week, didn’t you?

Sigh.

Today’s prompt is PERSPECTIVE. 

Here goes nothing.

– GO –

I am small and irregular, a squiggle of cardboard painted in traces of blue and green. I have a bit of this and a bit of that, nondescript bits of pattern and light that dance and swirl across my surface.

I cannot tell what I am, don’t understand why I seem made for no particular purpose, with no particular talent or destination.

I watch longingly as other pieces are chosen, other shapes with brighter colors, stronger edges, more easily defined  purpose and function. I am continually passed over, brushed aside in the pursuit of ones deemed more suitable, more important, more worthy.

Everything I can see tells me I am without value, plain and average in a sea of plain, average pieces.

image via yann.co.nz | flickr creative commons

Yet when the Master’s hand brushes across me, I know. He can use me, wants to use me. It is just not yet my time.

His strong hand is sure and deliberate, selecting some and leaving others aside for now, like me. He has a plan, knows how the final image will shine and where I will fit in. I cannot be a corner piece, for I am made without the hard edges. I cannot be the brilliant, flamboyant focal point, for my job is not to be what I am not.

His patient hands know exactly my place, the place I will fit perfectly without shoving or straining, the place where I will compete the masterpiece He has envisioned.

I trust the Master Artist, and I wait expectantly to be placed…

– STOP –

.

Hey friends – want to know how cool God is??

I wrote the post before I found the photo.
Wrote about being nondescript with little bits of blue and green,
and God waiting to place me until later…
then found that photo.

Go back and look closely.  I’ll wait.

Uh huh. That’s what I thought, too.

So tell me, friends:
have you felt the Master’s hand,
or are you still waiting to be placed?

Are you ready to believe with me
that He has a plan for you? 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below,
connect with me on Facebook or Twitter, or let’s chat via email:
{graceformymess} at {gmail} dot {com}.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

Let’s play along with Lisa-Jo and pour out our hearts for five minutes without editing, backtracking, or second-guessing your words. Just let loose and write!

Want to play along? Today’s prompt is IDENTITY, with a special nod to mamas. (ooh – I totally just got goose bumps!)

{P.S. I’m honored to be posting today over at the Allume blog for our Bloom in Blogging series! Be sure to stop by and say hello — I’d love to see you there, too!}

– GO –

You wreck me, you three. My beautiful kids, three little monkeys, all dirt and laughter and silliness mixed up together. I never dreamed I could love you this much, never dreamed it would be this hard to be a mama, never dreamed it could be this good. 

I have so many dreams for you, so much I need to teach you. I hold on tightly and forget you don’t really belong to me — you’re His. I pray you’ll always know this, always know how He holds you in His mighty hands.

I want so much for you to to find your identity in Jesus, not the stone-throwing ugliness of this world.

I pray you’ll learn to see yourself as He sees you — beloved, gifted, set apart, cherished. I pray you’ll run hard after Him and cling to His robe as if your very life depended on it, for it does, my babies. It does.

I pray you’ll find the path He planned for you, not the dreams I want to recapture from my own childhood. I pray you’ll be mighty warriors in this land, that you’ll know the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and reap the blessings of obedience He has for those who serve Him.

I pray as I let you go, die this slow death one tiny moment at a time, you’ll realize you’ve been in His arms the whole time, and He is strong enough to handle anything this world throws at you.

Laugh hard and play hard, love deeply and believe with your whole hearts. Say yes to Him, and be all He created you to be.

– STOP –

{I think I’m just gonna boo-hoo by myself for a minute now. *sniff*
Talk amongst yourselves, or feel free to leave a comment below.
I love y’all.}

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Please feel free to leave a comment below, connect with me
on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to
{graceformymess} at {gmail} dot {com}.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

Related articles

• Five Minute Friday: I Want Your ‘Real’ (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Community (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Gift {Praise Him!} (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Loud (graceformymess.com)

image by swister_p | flickr creative commons

…

Psssst!

Hey, blogging friends –

Did you know God can use your small blog in a BIG way?

I’m posting today over at the Allume blog as part of
our Bloom in Blogging series for Sisters in Bloom!

Be sure to stop by and say hello — I’d love to hear from you!

…

Let’s play along with Lisa-Jo and pour out our hearts for five minutes without editing, backtracking, or second-guessing your words. Just let loose and write!

Want to play along? Today’s prompt is REAL.

GO

image credit © Mika5 | Dreamstime.com

I’m too old for this, too tired of surface friendship and “everything’s fine” answers when they clearly are not. We all have wounds, disappointments, down days — so why do we hide behind our “fine”?

I want you to give me the messy, the lopsided, the totally upside down craziness of your real life, the one you think isn’t company-worthy. Sharing our realness divides our burdens and multiplies our joys, and I want to multiply your joy. God can work in and through hearts brave enough to be real, to show fear and vulnerability. His Spirit is a Healer and we are the instruments He longs to use in His heart surgery.

It’s such a waste to long for community and push it away at the same time.

Share your good days when you have them, by all means, because life is full of blessings and grace and love and glory. But on the hard days, sister, open up and be real, and invite others do to so, too. You may just find exactly what your heart needs, a friend who loves you an understands you for who you really are. No masks, no costumes, no having to continue to be something you’re not just to keep up the façade.

Real is beautiful, and I want to hear your real. 

STOP

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The “real” me — no makeup, hair not straightened. {I cannot believe I’m posting this!! *gulp*}

I’ll admit to being exhausted today after caring for a sick 5-year-old. Puke is so. not. my. thing. I haven’t had a shower in two days and my laundry is piled to the ceiling. I’m forty years old and my skin still doesn’t realize it’s supposed to have outgrown acne. I adore my kids, but honestly, I’d rather be with my girlfriends today. I’m missing a dear friend I haven’t seen in a long time, and longing to spend time with the online-BFF-turned-real-life-BFF I’ll finally get to meet face to face in October {hurry up, Allume!!} I’ve only had one cup of coffee so far and I’m almost out of creamer, which does not bode well for those in my immediate proximity. {My joy kicks in after the second cup }

Okey-dokey, it’s your turn. I want to hear your real — or you can just say hi if you’re not ready for real yet. It’s okay — I’ll still be here when you’re ready.

Please feel free to leave a comment below, connect with me
on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to
{graceformymess} at {gmail} dot {com}.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

Related articles

• Five Minute Friday: Community (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Loud (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: This is Real (graceformymess.com)

Tiny threads begin to separate as the fabric of my faith thus far unravels into something far more precious than before. God is undoing me, strand by strand, in great ways and small ways, for His glory and my good, and I know not why or precisely where it will lead.

I have long gulped the infant-milk of Christianity, swallowed the pre-digested Word filtered through others in devotional form, until my belly now swells satisfactorily and I rest in the comfort of easy answers and explanations long ago accepted.

But what good is it to drink the milk when we were made for teeth and flesh and the hard gristle that runs alongside and throughout the meat? What benefit to suckle and remain small, juvenile, when the nourishment of the Holy Mystery awaits?

I have been lazy, and I have been complacent. And in His love and grace He is calling me out, calling me to grow up, reach up, look beyond easy answers and Sunday School stories to the evidence of His mighty hand in this world and in my flesh. He calls me to look within at ugly places long hidden, long known to Him despite my best efforts at disguise. My Father wants to clean house, and His white glove exists only and ever for my refinement. He has torn the veil in two and bids me into His presence, into the full knowledge of His glory and power, and I am undone, face down, gasping for breath in His shadow.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you the elementary truths
of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use
have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
~ Hebrews 5:12-14

I have no map. I have no timetable, no gauge by which to measure my progress or the breadth of His infinite plan, and He calls my blindness good. He has rendered me mute for many weeks now, allowed no oasis of words in this parched desert — only sight, and feeling, and wave upon wave of knowing in this landlocked sea.

So I wait. I listen. I drink deep the thoughts and emotions and questions that threaten to overtake me in this place of silence, stillness before Him. Here live questions and holiness, deep wounds and deeper grace.

I trade my soft spoon and clumsy fingers for fork and knife, for tools that pierce flesh to extract nourishment and maturity from the meat of His Holy Word. I am learning to chew, to savor, to dig deep for that which feeds body and soul as He slowly draws back the curtain to reveal His glory…

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings 
about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…
~ Hebrews 6:1

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

{Linking up with Ann today ~ The Practice of Gospel: Looking for New Life}

photo credit: © iamnotandrewlee via flickr creative commons

image by RyanBSchultz via flickr creative commons

My family is entering into a season of big changes.

My husband begins a new job today after eleven years with his former company. For almost seventeen years — our entire married life — we have lived close enough to his job that he could run home for a quick lunch. It has been such a blessing for the kids to have a little time with their daddy during the day, and he has loved spending so much time with them while they’re little. But now his job is further away, so he will have to leave earlier in the morning and come home later in the evening, plus he won’t be able to take his lunch break at home. I hadn’t realized how much our day revolved around the lunch hour until now.

His job change brings a change in schedule for the kids and me, too. Everyone will wake up earlier so we can start our day together, and we will be together for a longer period of time before my husband comes home. For the first time, I feel like I’m solely in charge of our day, and it’s sort of exciting. (Does that sound weird?)

Our oldest daughter gets out of school in just a few weeks, and our busy summer will begin. Church camps, VBS, swimming, trips to the park, zoo and museum visits, youth group activities, and traveling to see family will eat up most of the summer. It looks to be a fun, whirlwind-busy few months. Then this fall, my middle child will start kindergarten and Babygirl and I will be home all day by ourselves! I can’t believe my son is old enough for school! Where did the time go?

Oh, and after a lifetime of being a night owl who writes in the late hours of the night, I’m desperately trying to become a morning person and start writing during naptime. {Prayers are appreciated!}

Sometimes change is hard, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I know God designed the seasons and will see us through all the changes that lie ahead. He holds our days in the palm of His hand, and we draw our breath from Him. Each day holds infinite possibility. Each day is a gift.

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.

~ Lamentations 3:22-23

….. 

My 1,000 Gifts ~ #296-311

296.  a new job for my husband — a chance to learn, grow, embrace change and celebrate God’s provision

297.  fiery sunsets through sweeping clouds

sky on fire {not too shabby for the ol' iPhone, huh?}

298.  mockingbird sonnets at dusk

299.  sweet tea in mason jars

300.  laughter from my children

301.  the power of social media to unite friends and strangers alike — did you join in for the (in)RL webcast this weekend?

302.  crayon scribbles in coloring books

303.  dear friends who make me laugh

304.  freshly cut grass under bare feet

305.  finding roly-poly bugs in the yard, teaching the baby to be gentle and brave at the same time

306.  God’s genius in giving us a sense of humor — my oldest is hilarious and keeps us in stitches all the time

307.  baby snuggles at bedtime

308.  my beloved Hello Mornings friends, who help this night owl get up early! Love you, #HMCCT ladies!  {summer session registration begins tomorrow!}

309.  light refracting through dimpled glass

310.  Sonic Happy Hour. Amen!  ;)

311.  planting roots deep, and needing to dig them up from time to time for our growth

This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is just perfect. You know the drill: on Fridays, we “just write, without worrying if it’s just right or not.” It’s like a get out of (grammar) jail free pass. Amen.

Want to play along? Today’s prompt is COMMUNITY.

To love at all is to be vulnerable.
Love anything, and your heart will certainly
be wrung and possibly broken.
If you want to make sure of keeping it intact,
you must give your heart to no one,
not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round
with hobbies and little luxuries;
avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe
in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket — safe, dark,
motionless, airless– it will change.
It will not be broken; it will become
unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
~ C.S. Lewis

I need community, need the friendship and camaraderie it can offer. We all need to know we’re not alone. My heart beats for connection, but it’s a slippery slope to tread. Community can build us up or tear us down. Choosing to make yourself vulnerable can be a scary step, especially for those who have been hurt before. Even so, I choose to open myself up to others in this space, to share my heart in hopes that you might find authentic connection with another, a genuine community.

I’ve seen the power of community this week. Friends uniting for a common purpose, drawing hearts and minds close to cover a need in prayer. When the body of Christ works together as it should, Christ Himself is present, and His power and grace abound.

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name,
I am there in their midst.” ~ Matthew 18:20

When we gather in community here — on a regular basis or just by happenstance — we welcome Christ to our table. As we share small bits of ourselves and our lives, something beautiful happens. The Holy Spirit begins weaving the body of Christ closer together, drawing hearts and minds into community for a purpose greater than ourselves. I’m so privileged to be part of the amazing community of believers, strangers drawn in and made one in the love of Christ Jesus.

I am so grateful for every single reader-friend and every stranger who happens into this space. We have a chance to connect in a way that is real and necessary, to reach across the miles and share common hopes, dreams, prayers, hurts.  I hope and pray you will find friendship and camaraderie here, that you will sense my desire to know you better, pray with you, laugh with you, and find a kindred spirit in this place.

You are welcome here.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

How can I pray for you today, sweet friends?

Please feel free to leave a comment below, connect with me
on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to
{graceformymess} at {gmail} dot {com}.

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

The rain poured here last week. Not a gentle spring shower or a polite drink of water for the lawn, but a good-old-fashioned Texas gully-washer.

I knew the day’s forecast called for rain but decided the sky looked fair enough, so out we went. The sun was shining through the clouds as we brought out toys and set up our “picnic” in the back yard. Then suddenly a fierce wind blew in, bringing noticeably cooler air and the promise of rain. I gathered the kids like a mother hen counting her chicks, and we leapt inside just as giant drops began pounding the ground.

Isn’t that the way life goes sometimes? We make plans and go about our business, oblivious to the warning signs, willing the day to go as we’ve planned.  We think we know best, that we can handle it all on our own, yet we’re surprised by how quickly things can change, astonished by troubles even though Jesus Himself promised we’d have them.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

~ John 16:33 NIV (emphasis mine)

.

The thunderstorms hung around for two dreary days, soaking everything in their path, then receded as quickly as they had come. Now the sun glows brightly once again, warming plants and spirits alike as I continue counting the evidence of His love and grace…

….. 

My 1,000 Gifts ~ #280-295

280.  healthy kids

281.  protection from harm when tornadoes struck in the area (oh thank you, Lord)

282.  soft grass underfoot, and warm weather to enjoy it

283.  the tiny flashlight that is helping my son overcome his fear of the dark, and my mom who gave us the idea (thanks, Mom!)

284.  baby curls

(aren't they gorgeous?!)

285.  movie night with my girlfriends and laughing until your sides ache

286.  genuine apologies all around after a misunderstanding

287.  hazelnut creamer. amen.

288.  the strawberry blond color of my son’s hair, half my husband’s and half mine

low-quality photo compliments of my phone

289.  a new job for my husband (he starts next week!)

290.  joy found through obedience

291.  my daughter’s invitation to join National Junior Honor Society (so proud!)

292.  warm blankets and good books

293.  the gift of connecting with others, how we divide our burdens and multiply our joy

294.  an outpouring of love from friends and strangers alike after opening up about depression

295.  grace to stand through whatever storms this life holds, all because of Him

We bloggers like to play together, too. On Fridays, we play along with Lisa-Jo in a little game she calls Five Minute Friday. We just write, without worrying whether it’s right. {Even when our post is very late. Ahem.}

Wanna play with us? Today’s prompt is TOGETHER.

You’re an early bird. I’m a night owl.

You’re quiet in a group. I’m sometimes too loud.

You think things through and get everything settled in your mind before you act. I get caught up in the moment and fly by the seat of my pants.

image credit: sergey | flickr creative commons

Somehow in this crazy, mixed-up life, we’re better together. We temper each other, compliment each other in a way that’s so much more than one plus one. God knit our hearts and lives together, and He calls it good.

And when we add Christ to the mix? Well, then it becomes something holy, something amazing. We invite Him in and His power can move mountains. He made us with a need for each other and a God-sized hole that only He can fill. And when we’re pressed down, shaken together, running over with His love, we can ignite a world.

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name,
I am there in their midst.”
~ Matthew 18:20

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama

Related articles

• Five Minute Friday: Loud (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Trust (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Delight (graceformymess.com)
• Five Minute Friday: Gift {Praise Him!} (graceformymess.com)