Five Minute Friday: VIEW

When I lift the blinds of my bedroom window each morning I have a VIEW of the East 55th Street Marina and Lake Erie, the northeast view from our apartment property.

Most mornings that VIEW helps to shape my mood. Whether it is the bright, warm sunshine, the still or boisterous waves of the lake water, the lucidity or drabness of the clouds, the steady stream of morning rush-hour traffic whizzing along the interstate, or the industrial vehicles and boat transports along my street. And for the second year, an alpaca and sheep grazing in the grassy area adjacent to our property have been fixed into the view (they are part of an urban farming initiative, they maintain the lawn at no cost which also protects the environment).

This morning the strong and high waves of the water were crashing the breakwall, there was some atmospheric battle in play.  While the VIEW was captivating, it was the result of a tumultuous interaction of the water and the air.  Sometimes there is beauty in the chaos. Confucius said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

Our lives can be that way sometimes, chaotic, disturbing, discomforting, lost in translation, out of control, blurring our faith VIEW.  But underneath the current, our faith prevails, unmoveable, undergirding, withstanding the turbulance, giving us the buoyancy needed to hold fast until the winds and the waves calm. Then we are able to refocus and our faith VIEW becomes clear again.

No matter what the VIEW looks like, there is beauty in the chaos. God is at work performing His will and purpose for your life.  Be encouraged, look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” ~ Psalm 121:1-2

Today I’m linking up with the Five Minute Friday and writing on the prompt given by Lisa-Jo Baker. This week’s word is VIEW.

Five Minute Friday: Sing a New SONG

Tags

faith, Inspiration, Jesus Christ, worship

I love music! It, particularly Worship music and Gospel music, renews my life literally each and every day. 

One songwriter wrote,
Sing unto the Lord a new song,
Sing unto the Lord all the earth.
Oh sing unto the Lord a new song,
For He is worthy to be praised.
Come before His presence with thanksgiving
And enter His courts with praise,
Be thankful unto Him and bless His holy name
For He is worthy to be praised.

Sing a new song, let it worship from the heart and bless His Name
In so doing, you will be blessed with renewed life.  A song for me is a healing therapy, the balm of Jesus, that gives perspective to everything in my life.  Somehow with a song, I can make it.  I feed my spirit, my heart, my soul, and my mind with a song at the start of my day and it rings all day and all through the night. It covers me. My life is sustained by a resounding praise, a never-ending song.

Ephesians 5:19 says, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
When you’re lost in a song, there is no room for anything else

Sing a new song!

 

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Today I’m linking up with the Five Minute Friday and writing on the prompt given by Lisa-Jo Baker. This week’s word is SONG.

Five Minute Friday: BRAVE

It didn’t come easy to me how to approach this prompt.  The only thing I’ve been writing about lately is Nonprofit Fundraising Plans and Statistics to finish my first semester of Grad School which I would say takes bravery on some level.

After reading some other posts, however, it dawned on me what real bravery must be  …

BRAVE: Ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

This week three young women, one with her young child, escaped ten years of horrific captivity … right here in the city of Cleveland where I live.

From the darkest darkness of fear, degradation,  and bondage, at the hands of an obviously disturbed monster; from the depth of loss, violation, trauma, and rage; from the hopeless despair of separation from family, society, life! From all that incarceration of evil arose a life-altering moment of BRAVE.

I know it was from God.

There is no other explanation.

The God-breathed, God-awakening, God-inspired, God-force BRAVE cried out, I’m here, I need help, get me out of this house!

BRAVE broke the bondage, destroyed the yoke, set the captives free.

BRAVE.

Linking to http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/

Here

[S]he that dwelleth in the secret place of The Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty God.
Here, in the secret place, there is safety, there is comfort, there is peace.
Here, with Him and in Him, there is an assurance, there is a security.
There is not a care because here, He consumes all space and His aura overshadows me. My heart and mind are lost in Him. Here, in His presence, abiding here in the secret place with Him, I never want to leave, I never want to let go of Him, I hold fast to Him, I cling to Him.  My heart empties these tears for Him, these warm tears of joy, appreciation, and adoration stain my face here in this secret place with just Him.
Here the world is shut out, all pain and worry subsides, every wild racing thought of doubt, fear and unbelief comes to a screeching halt and there is peace and calm, here in this secret place.  Here, under the shadow of His Almighty-ness, there is healing, there is hope, there is promise.
Here, in the dwelling.
Here, in the secret place.
Here, in the abiding.
Here, in Him.

Five Minute Friday: BROKEN

Five Minute Friday, where a community of bloggers write on the same topic … 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back and invite others to join in, http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/. 3. Visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community…OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on: BROKEN

Broken and Spilled Out
Steve Green

This beautiful song came to mind when I considered the prompt for today.

Blessings all … http://youtu.be/aP2kZCigZKE

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a prisoner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

 

Lord you were God’s precious treasure
His loved and his own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though you were perfect and holy
You gave up yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God’s most precious treasure
Lavished on me
Broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet

In sweet abandon
Lord you were spilled out
And used up for me

Thank You, Lord, for your great sacrifice and unconditional love toward me.

Five Minute Friday: He (Jesus) Is Our REST

Tags

adversity, Christian, faith, Family, inner strength, Inspiration, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Trusting God, Women

Five Minute Friday, where a community of bloggers write on the same topic … 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back and invite others to join in, http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/. 3. Visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community…OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on: REST (Posting late.)

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ~ Matthew
11:28-29

Life can be brutal at times.
It is what it is.
You never know what the day will bring.
Our faith and hope in God is the only surety we have and He has
promised rest.
He, Jesus our Lord, The Christ, is our Rest.

My husband wrote a song,
He is always in the storm with you
And He sees he pain that you are going through
Don’t you worry, don’t you doubt
He will surely bring you out
He is always in the storm with you
He is our Rest.

That is the rest we have through the mountain and alley experiences of
life
He is there, an ever-present help, the lifter of our heads, the
Comforter
He’s our Rest when we’re weary of the way, lost along the path, shaken
upon the stone of steadfastness
He is our Rest when the whys, ifs, and maybes flood what we know to be
true of Him
When all around us seems unsure, He is our Rest.

Calming the storm
Speaking peace to the waves
Somehow righting the ship that is tossed about in the winds
Shoring up the sails and redirecting our faith
Anchoring us in His Rest
He is our Rest.

Home Is A Sanctuary

Tags

Family, love, Marriage, Ministry, Teaching, Women, worship

Five Minute Friday, where a community of bloggers write on the same topic … 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back and invite others to join in, http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/. 3. Visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community…OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on: HOME

“Every wise woman buildeth her house …” (makes it a HOME):

I strive everyday to make my home a sanctuary, a safe haven, an abiding solace.

Our Pastor teaches us that the husband is the priest of the home, but the wife is the heart of the home. I take great pride in my role as a wife, mother and homemaker.

We’ve been married for nearly 35 yaers. Our first home was a one-bedroom apartment, then a rented house, several rented houses, then home ownership. We became empty nesters, umm, can’t remember how long ago now. Our joys went off to college, became independent adults, started to make their own dreams. Three years ago, we decided to downsize, so we settled into a penthouse suite in a property on Lake Erie.

When my Love comes home from a long day and evening of work, ministry and service, he comes home to a sanctuary where he can rest his mind, spirit, and body … an abiding solace.

Titus 2 teaches us to be chaste housekeepers, Proverbs 31 celebrates the woman who looketh well to the ways of her household.

As wives, mothers, and single independent women, whether career women (which most of us are), including home/family managers or women of ministry, a valuable lesson I learned long ago is that “ministry begins at home”. Home, marriage and family is our first ministry.

My home is a sanctuary, a place where my family and my God can find an abiding solace.

The home should be the treasure chest of living. ~ Le Corbusier

Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Pray with me … Lord, abide with us, make our home a sanctuary.

Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

Five Minute Friday, where a community of bloggers write on the same topic … 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back and invite others to join in, http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/. 3. Visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community…OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on: ORDINARY

When I saw the prompt for this week’s Five Minute Friday, the rolodex of my mind began to spin through seeking inspiration for how to approach this “Ordinary”.
I immediately thought nothing is Ordinary with God because He and everything about Him is Extraordinary. It reminded me that a year or so ago the employee recognition theme on my job was “Be Extraordinary”. Somehow, certainly by the favor of God, I received “Be Extraordinary” recognition for my job performance in completing a task. I was shocked as I didn’t expect or anticipate it but was so honored for the recognition and the distinction.

Back to the present …
After coming off the high of a long and much anticipate spiritual retreat this past weekend, I’ve been struggling with feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. I had a presentation due this week and I struggled in a literal cerebral fog every day in preparation for it, trying to complete the assignment, pull it together, make it more than Ordinary. It seemed to be a simple enough assignment, but in a very strange unordinary way, my confidence and cognition kept eluding me. It has just been one of those weeks.
The flood waters of these emotions which I perviously have been able to control have overflowed their banks and wrecked my equillibrium this week and I’m still a little off kilter (also fighting a cold), but this Ordinary reminded me of a song:

Just ordinary people
God uses ordinary people
He chooses people just like me and you
Who are willing to do as He commands
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you
Because little becomes much
As you place it in the Masters hand
Oh, just like that little lad
Who gave Jesus all he had
How the multitude was fed
With a fish and loaves of bread
What have may not seem much
But when you yield it to the touch
Of the the Master’s loving hand
Then you will understand how
Your life could never be the same

These lyrics of this beautiful melody awakens in me the assurance that whatever I am, whatever I do is made Extraordinary when I place it and ME in my Master’s hand.

Artist: Lester Kerns

Five Minute Friday (on Monday) What Mama Did …

Tags

faith, Family, Parenting, Women

In just five minutes. Tell me all about what your mama did that made her yours….

What Mama Did
When I was really young, my parents divorced. When I was seven years old my Mother relocated from Pompano Beach FL to Cleveland OH with her companion who would become her common-law husband, my stepfather. They were married for most of my childhood until I was a student in junior high (now known as middle) school. My sister and I are 15 years apart, so during this time, she was an adult still living in Florida … it was just my Mom, stepdad and I.
What my Mama did that made her mine was commit her life to taking care of us (she and I). After two divorces, domestic violence and abuse (which I didn’t know then like I know now) which I understand now must have been a nightmare of a lifle, my Mother took care of us.
I reflect on the years of my life when I did not lack for anything. My mother worked and she took care of me. We always had a safe place to live, I never was hungry, I never missed school, I enjoyed my childhood, I was disciplined, I had boundaries, but I also had opportunities and quality learning experiences. She introduced me to Christ in the way that she knew, she taught me faith, she loved to pray and read her Bible (which I still have).
My mother did not have more than an 8th grade education, but she modeled resourcefulness and excellence before me. As an adult, I appreciate the example my Mother lived before me and the life lessons she taught me. Even when I rebelled because I wanted to be like my friends, my Mother loved me enough to parent me with high standards and expectations.
So much of her wisdom comes back to me, echoing life values that I pray I have modeled and continue to pass along to my children. My Mother lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease and pancreatic cancer almost four years ago. She was 83 years old.

I miss her, the lady I knew before Alzheimer’s, the lady with style, strength of purpose, pride, moxie and wisdom.
I have our memories forever.
I miss her.

His Banner Over Me Is LOVE

Five Minute Friday, where a community of bloggers write on the same topic … 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back and invite others to join in, http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/. 3. Visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Please give us your best five minutes on: BARE

I was reminded of a passage of scripture in Ezekiel 16, a message God told him to convey to Jerusalem … About how when she was born, she was bare, uncovered, unattended, laying in her blood and the Lord God saw her, washed her, covered her, adorned her.

SOURCE: Undisclosed

From that state of bare exposure when no one cared, no one pitied her, the Lord God made her royalty. Sadly, she abused His love, His favor, His care, she prostituted herself to the world, lost her beauty and regality.

BUT, oh the Love of Jesus …
His banner over her and over me and over you is Love.
He still loved her, He said to her … I’ll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I’ll make a new covenant with you that will last forever. … I’ll firmly establish my covenant with you and you’ll know that I am God. You’ll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you’ve done, it will leave you speechless.’” Decree of God, the Master. (The Message)

SOURCE: Linda Harris-lorio

His Banner Over Me Is Love
His Love covers my bare exposure
In my humanity, He covers me
In my zealousness, He covers me
In my impulsiveness, He covers me
His Love covers my bare exposure
His Banner Over Me Is Love
Love unconditional
Love undescribable
Love unstoppable
Love unimaginable
Love so merciful
Love so forgiving
Love so reconciling
Love so true
Love forever
His Banner Over Me Is Love