Do You INSPIRE Anyone?

Five Minute Free Write: INSPIRE

Do you INSPIRE others? I've been told I do. The things I did that most people said inspired them was doing triathlons. These pictures make me smile. So much of this day was an enormous blessing. I've done 5 and this one was the most recent in July 2015.

Swim Finished

Bike Start 

Finishing the Run

The people that INSPIRE me are in my mixed bag of friends.

One friend has weathered so many storms and stayed steadfast regardless of my sanity levels.

One friend who prays for me more than talking with me. We are there for each other.

One friend works harder than I've ever seen to bring order to the world and love intentionally

One friend who kisses. We love each other fiercely. Siblings of the heart.

One friend who breathes life into me with words, prayers and consistency.

One friend who is super different from me but connects with my heart in unusual ways.

One friend who says ridiculous things some might call cringe-worthy, but when I'm with this person I can be all of myself , no holding back. What a gift!

 The people who INSPIRE me are: Steadfast. Unshakable. Tenacious. Committed.

Messy Monday: Comfort, Eyeballs, and Blooming Where You're Planted

 Today I am combining my Five Minute Free Write with my Messy Monday because both are relevant together. 

COMFORT - Five minutes on this word when I could write volumes...

I've used many things for COMFORT over the years. Food is the one I've worn the most obviously, 

 ... as I write this I am listening to my Love hold our son accountable for his choices and I'm feeling the need for something soothing... because he does it differently than I do... sigh. 

I lose weight on vacation because I'm a stress eater. But, I've found this tea to be quite helpful in the past few years. I prefer the Kava over the honey lavender, but both work. It's less hazardous than eating, drinking alcohol, smoking or whatever else, to sit down and drink a cup of tea. OR depending on the moment, suck down a cup of lukewarm tea as fast as you can before you develop a twitch from the stress or eat your young... 

My friend needed me to bust out some cupcakes this weekend. I had grand creative plans that shrunk with the amount of time I had and supplies I needed. I highly recommend keeping a stockpile of candy eyeballs and food coloring handy.

Also, the regular googly eyes they have at the craft stores are helpful too. I love to put them in all kinds of places. This April Fool's Day I plan to glue them on to all of the food in the fridge, so the kids will have their food looking back at them.

But, for Saturday's party, bright yellow frosting, and an eyeball or two made for fun birthday cupcakes. I always say, "Love is something you do" - and this was a fun way to show up for my friend and let her and her daughter know I love them.


Messy is stabbing myself with the sharp tiny points of the frosting tip while trying to clean it by sticking my finger through, yelping in pain and then laughing because I stabbed myself with a frosting tip! Hard!

I'm a messy hair loving beach girl. I grew up on the southern California beaches and feel most like myself near or in the crashing waves. A bright light goes on inside of me that lies dormant until the smell of salt water floods my senses, the ocean breeze whips through my hair and I get sand on my toes. I have never loved being anywhere as much as I adore being on the California beach. 

Until...

Colorado. It's not just the altitude that makes me woozy and light headed. Its the sunshine and the stunning beauty of the wild rugged Rocky Mountains. When I go there, I don't want to leave. This is very messy because we live in Idaho. We have beauty here in our Idahome. There are pretty beaches on the lakes where we live and lovely mountains too. They just don't compare to the salty air, crashing waves, beach hair, the majestic Rocky Mountains and up close and personal high altitude sun for 300 days a year. 

We are in our Idahome for a bit longer and it's not a bad or hard place to live. We have great jobs, great friends made over the 26+ years we've lived here. Only God knows when it will be time to move to our Mountains or when I will be at the beach next. Until then, we bloom where we remain planted and soak up the occasional sun here. 

Thanks for joining in my Messiness! I hope you have a lovely week! 

Five Minute Free Write: HOPE in What?

I have been pondering this prompt since late last night, contemplating HOPE and what it means - to me. And how to capture that in 5 minutes! Yikes! But, that's the challenge I'm leaning in to this month. Here I ...

GO. 

My HOPE is in God. Theology will only get a girl so far, I've found. Relationship, built over time in victories, losses, grief, celebrations, and struggle, that is where the rubber hits the HOPE road for me. Anyone can tell me what they think of God, the relevance, crutch, etc. but no words, attitudes or worries change what I know to be true by my own personal experience. 

I grew up in the church, yes, but again, like theology, it only got me so far. Sunday school, youth group, and retreats are great, but without my own encounters with God, it would not have done me much good. 

My HOPE is that you will be willing to have your own personal encounter with God. There is Love to be found that is yours to experience. 

STOP.

I drew this when I needed HOPE. It came out of an encounter I had with God. 

Writing with the Five Minute Friday group every day in October.