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/