How do I change the WORLD?!

I can't believe it's been since the end of May that I've blogged with the Five Minute Friday peeps! We get a one word prompt and cram for five minutes on that word with minimal edits - the point is to write. No pressure. No worries. Just let the words fall out that go with the prompt.

This week's prompt is WORLD.

Start

How do you change the WORLD?!

One moment at a time. One smile. One breath. One prayer. One song. One laugh. One yes. One thought.at.a.time.

When I think about it, I know the influence I have as a human in this WORLD is incremental. If I lose sight of those small increments, I will never influence the life, blessing, kindness, love, respect and joy I want to infuse into this hard place we dwell.

Sweeping tragedies, hardened hearts, acid tongues, self-hating thoughts push and shove to take authority of the WORLD around me.

But, I can choose.

One moment at a time. One smile. One breath. One prayer. One song. One laugh. One yes. One thought.at.a.time.

And change the WORLD.

Stop.

This song - Blesses me like crazy! I hope it blesses you too!

School, work, packing, moving, getting kids out of school, finishing PTO responsibilities, the list goes on... but, today, I'm back!

I have to write on Thursday night, because I never know what the next day will bring!

Thanks for reading!

TALK and I'll Listen - Five Minute Free Write

I have a great friend who says, "Talk to Me!" all.the.time. But here's the thing, he means it. He really wants to hear what you have to say.

If you are saving your pain, worries, or downright fears to wait until your through them - Please don't. "If you don't tell me about it, you'll get zits," is what I used to say to my friends when I knew they were holding something back. Now I add, "or a big a__." Because it will come out sideways, zits, over eating, etc.

TALK to someone you trust. If you don't trust anyone, call a crisis line, connect with an online friend/family who cares and TALK. Reach out. It turns out, if you TALK, some of the power of the thoughts tormenting you goes away. Not all of it. We still have to deal with our "stuff".

God wasn't kidding with these instructions: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16

You don't have to be hiding some scary sin for this to be relevant. Healing comes with TALKing to someone who will come alongside you and walk with you in your struggle. You don't have to be alone.

I'm here if you need me. Meanwhile, I'm praying for you.

Five Minute Free Write - ALL of October!

Where Do You BELONG?

Today's Prompt is the word BELONG. In October I am doing 31 Days Free Write for 5 Minutes.

Beginning in January I spent 19 days admitted to one of our regions hospitals, Sacred Heart Medical Center, for a migraine that didn't go away until early June. I was treated with extraordinary care, kindness, patience, and compassion, with consistency I have never experienced in any organization before. They made me feel like my individual care mattered to them. Every day, every night, and every time in between, the staff were there for me. There are still many stories to be told about this window of my pain season, but one of the most surprising highlights of those days of agony was spent in the care of the most loving place I've ever been outside of family and friends. 

The view from my window on the neurology unit.

Now, I BELONG there. Mid July I logged in to their website to pay my bill/update my financial aid request and I saw the link for Job Opportunities. I clicked, uploaded my resume' and said a prayer. October 1, I started working for the place that gave me a sanctuary in my agony. I hope to do the same for others. 

Let it RAIN

Five Minute Friday prompt this week is RAIN. I had to ponder it all day and here it is the VERY end of the day and I'm finally typing out my musings.

The song, Let It Rain, by Michael W Smith, came out in a traumatic season in my life. It's super repetitive and one my now Heaven residing Grandfather would call a 24/7 song. You sing the same song with seven lines twenty four times. He was funny that way. He preferred the hymns with the sacred words that matched his journey.

RAIN is refreshing to me. I don't find it gloomy, I find it washes away the yuck. That's why the song resonated with me so much. I needed a downpour of RAIN to was away my pain.

I've also prayed the same kind of prayer over my kids their whole lives:

God, please wash away the residue of the day. Refresh, restore and renew them, body, mind and spirit, in Jesus name amen.

I know we all get the residue of the day stuck to us. I know the True RAIN washes it away. The pain, the challenge, the struggle remains, but that soap scum-life residue that threatens to cling to the shower walls of our lives, that can be washed away.

Praying for you to experience True RAIN in your heart tonight.