Five Minute Friday: “Messenger”

Messenger.  That is the word chosen this week by author, Lisa-Jo Baker, for Five Minute Friday.  And so the clock begins ticking as hundreds of bloggers participate in our weekly free writing flash mob…

Messenger brings to mind the great Pastors I have been blessed to know and receive the word from.

Dr George Tolman was the messenger of my childhood who was soft spoken, had an infectious smile, offered the best children’s sermon and had an impressive collection of Snoopy ties. He pastored my family through weddings, baptisms, funerals and everything in between.  Dr Tolman was a Godly man who shared a biblical message in everything he did.

The Reverend Frankie Oliver counseled me through a difficult adolescence. Her unwavering  love and most forgiving heart was one that my family counted on.  Frankie taught me to rely on God and helped me to truly understand and believe that ”with God all things are possible”.  She is a Pastor, a Counselor, and a Friend.

In more recent years my messengers have been two congregational Pastors.  Both with amazing gifts to share scripture through relatable stories and with engaging animation.  Pastor David Shirey was my Granddad’s best friend.  He dedicated and baptized my oldest son, baptized my husband, counseled my family through the loss of my Granddad, and officiated at our wedding.  And Pastor Brian Frederick-Gray dedicated my youngest son and continues to energetically serve our home church in Arizona.

These messengers have offered me weekly sermons, shared hugs & giggles, dried my tears and have been there in my life’s most memorable moments.

I thank God for these messengers.
– T

Five Minute Friday: “Hands”

It’s that time of the week when hundreds of bloggers log on to their computers to participate in a free writing flash mob hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker.

“Hands” is the word.  And the very first thing that came to mind when I read the Five Minute Friday prompt for this week was one of my favorite songs as a child, that I now sing daily to my little guy and one that I sang repeatedly to his big brother. 

Both my boys share my fondness for this song…

I washed my hands this morning,
O, very clean and white,
And lent them both to Jesus,
To work for Him till night.

Little feet be careful
Where you take me too,
Anything for Jesus
Only let me do.

I told my ears to listen
Quite closely all day thru,
For any act of kindness
Such little hands could do.

I told my eyes to watch them
About their work or play,
To keep them out of mischief
For Jesus’ sake all day.

 

At the start of each day when my three year old and I say our morning prayer we pray that we “make it a good day”. 

My hope is that me & my boys always remember to lend our hands to Jesus so that we may do good deeds for others which will undoubtedly make our days good. 

Might we remember the words in this song and share our hands & hearts for Jesus sake. 

And my hope for you, my readers, is not only that you be on the giving end of acts of kindness but might you also receive the giving works of others through their hands and their hearts.

Happy Friday.
– T

Note:  I copied/pasted the lyrics to the song above however I found two separate authors noted; L.M. Bateman & J.H. Rosecrans are both given credit for writing I Washed My Hands This Morning.

A Purple Flower; Making My Mother’s Day

 

Recently a blog post by Lisa-Jo Baker, author of Surprised By Motherhood, caught my eye.  The title of this particular post – How Not To Be Disappointed This Mother’s Day.  In this article Lisa-Jo discusses what we as mothers EXPECT; her point on Motherhood being more than a 24 hour period once a year is made clear.  She offers eleven ideas to celebrate and honor Mother’s Day by giving to others without the expectation of receiving.  Lisa-Jo ends with “Because the thing is, we mother because we’re called to it. We mother because it’s a gift.  We mother because God trusted us with these kids. We mother because we can’t not.”

This article really had me thinking.  Thinking of the moments I had been disappointed  without realizing that what I was really doing was putting an expectation on someone, some thing, or some day.  Years ago I read The Five Love Languages and discovered my first love language is quality time and my secondary language is acts of service.  So therefore I naturally want to give others those things that I like to receive sometimes forgetting to consider their love language and how they might like to receive a gift.  Without fail my little guy and I make a homemade creation for my husband each holiday.  In my love language time equates to love therefore it is important to me to teach my little guy this type of giving.

While my husband is a perfect match for me and pretty amazing at a lot of things he’s not so much the “sit down and create something crafty with a three year old type”.  He’s more of a “little blue boxes create smiles so I’m on my way to Tiffany’s after bath time the night before the gift is needed type”.   Thanks to Lisa-Jo Baker’s blog I decided to take matters into my own hands this Mother’s Day.  One day this past week when the time of the day arrived in which I teach my sweet boy a little something & we create with our hands I announced to him that on this day we were going to make his Momma something.  We discussed Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and how we give love, hugs, kisses and hand made creations.  And to my delight he was all-in!  He immediately responded “My make you a ‘fow-yer’!  A purple ‘fow-yer’ and ‘well-wo’ sun!!  Pwease momma.”  (He sometimes refers to himself as “my”.)

We started with a white sheet of card stock that my tot painted blue with a paintbrush.  After his nap when the blue paint had dried he used his knuckles and fingertips to create a yellow sun, his finger tips to splotch a stem, “weaves”, & grass, and his hand to create my purple flower.  It’s beautiful.  My first “homemade for me (by my youngest son) creation.”  I framed it!  I love how enthusiastically my little guy agreed to give to his momma.  I love the act of love & time we shared creating it, and I love the smile on my tot’s face and the sincerity in his voice when he announced “All done!  Momma woves purple fow-yers.”  He’s right.  I love my Mother’s Day gift.  Though the real gift in all of this is that I was chosen to be his & his “Bubby’s” momma and that is the greatest gift I will ever receive.

Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all Mommas and Step Moms, Adopted Moms, Grandmas, Deployed Mommys & Mr Moms, Mothers-in-Law, Aunties and Surrogate Moms, and to all Women who Nurture.  I hope that you know and feel love on Mother’s Day and everyday.
– T

 

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Five Minute Friday: “Grateful”

It is that time of the week where I meet up with hundreds of bloggers for our five minute flash mob of free writing.  Lisa-Jo Baker selected “grateful” as this week’s Five Minute Friday word.

Today is my one month ‘blogiversary’.  For that I am grateful.

I read and researched blogging for a solid year before diving in and I explored the idea off and on for years before writing my first post.  I am grateful for the internet that I was able to use as a learning tool, I’m grateful for the bloggers who have set the path, and I’m grateful for the books that have been written.

Some of the most incredibly supportive and encouraging family & friends are in my circle.  For that I am grateful.  There is a large community of bloggers just waiting to mentor and be friends; they are open to sharing ideas, offer encouragement, and share their wisdom.  For them I am beyond grateful.

I am grateful for the people and the companies who have reached out to me to collaborate.  I am overwhelmed by the interest in my little ol’ blog.  And for the readers who click the link on their computer and phone that brings them to my home page I am humbly grateful.  My one year Blog Views Goal will easily be met before my two month ‘blogiversary’  In fact, if the pace remains I will celebrate that milestone in three days and that is because of YOU – the person reading this blog entry right now.  Thank you.  I am grateful for you.

Finally, and most importantly, I am grateful to know a God whose presence reminds me that I CAN try things.  I understand some of those things may feel like successful accomplishments and others like learning lessons but either way it goes those moments are part of my story.  And I am extremely grateful that I am the author of my story in this life and of this blog.

Thank you for reading my blog…
– T

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Five Minute Friday: “Friend”

Blessed.  That’s what I am.  Blessed for my circle of friends and the family that I am surrounded by who are the best of friends.  And I strive to be more like these beautiful women.

My baby sister is one of the bestest friends any girl could wish for.  She believes in me no matter what.  She offers the most unconditional love.  A love that is second only to my Grandma’s love.  I’m blessed to have aunts who are my friends, my role models, and the women God intended to guide me when my Grandmother would no longer be around.  And they have.  They give me more grace than I deserve.  The world’s sweetest friend is my little cousin whose calm brings warmth & peace to my heart; she knows and offers an unconditional love that matches my baby sisters.  I’m so grateful for the women in my family who are my friends.

And I’m grateful for my friends who have become my family.  My best friend.  She shares my past, believes in my future, and always reminds me of my faith.  She knows the good, the bad and above all else she knows my heart and I know hers.  She is my family.  I have an amazing friend who has been there to nanny both my boys, been to church camp with me and offers a smile and an ear that is unmatched to any other.  My real life cheerleader in Arizona who cheers for me, supports me and is 100% on my side. Always. Without fail.  We share similar parenting styles, tea, tears, and so many laughs.

I thank God for all of my mommy friends (near and far) who have shared the stages of pregnancy / birth / infancy / toddler & beyond with me.  They accept me for who I am – a momma with sleepless and scattered thoughts who loves them, appreciates them, wants good for them, and enjoys sharing their tots & this stage of life together.

I want to be the friend to each and every one of my friends that they have been to me.  A blessing.  My five minutes are up – time to post without editing (eeek).  There are so many others I’m grateful for!!  Thank you all.  You women noted above know who you are.  I love you!
-T

Note:  Five Minute Friday is where hundreds of people come together in a kind of writing flash mob.  We write for five minutes flat.  All on the same prompt that is posted by Lisa-Jo Baker, author of “surprised by motherhood” .  We connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FMFParty.  There is no extreme editing, major grammar or punctuation correction.  Just happily free writing.  Unscripted.  Unedited.  Real.  And in support of each other.  Read more “Friend” posts here.

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