To Be Filled With..... WONDER

Today's the day we venture to the land of Five Minute Fridays! Drop by Lisa-Jo Baker's blog, visit other blogs that participate, and then jump right in! These are the rules we follow:

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that are posted on Lisa-Jo's blog at 1 minute past midnight EST ever Friday. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag#FiveMinuteFriday

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

Our prompt for today..... WONDER.

Have you ever had that one person in your life you know was put there by the grace of God? Ever had that one person that seems to know how to tell you everything you need to hear just when you need to hear it? Yeah, I've got that person, but I'm fortunate to be able to call her friend and family. The greatest joy I have is watching her shine. Oh, how he loves and lives the theatre. Being the director of the children's theatre consumes her and she loves it. She's one of those people that have the honor of giving kids the ability to dream. For a moment she allows children of all ages to step into a world where all they do creates joy for others. For a moment she fills their lives with WONDER. She has taken my family into the world of theatre, and thank goodness we will never be the same.There's more to her than just being the director because when SHE takes the stage she can take an audience through every emotion and give us all a chance to remove ourselves from reality and into her world. I watched her on stage not long ago performing Always... Patsy Cline, and when I could hear the audience crying, I knew she had moved us all into a place of wonder and awe. I'm thankful to have her as family, as a friend, and as a light in my every day. Kelley, you truly have a gift of WONDER. 

Tis The Season

The holidays make us want to be in love. Romance seems to be easier with lights aglow in every store, every home. The cold makes us want to snuggle. Every Christmas song on the radio draws out the joy we want to share with another. If ever there was a time to take a chance on love, this is it. If ever there was a time to risk it all to make your story one of no regrets, the holiday season will give you that courage. So grab some mistletoe, hop a plane if necessary, find that special someone and decide it's time to make your happily ever after begin right now!

If you think I'm talking to you, then you're right. If that special someone in your life needs a hint... send them my post. :)

Ramblings... With An Ocean View.

I turned 43 on the 18th of November. How strange it was since something seemed different this year. Something in me has changed, I guess. There comes a time when you just feel stronger, more sure, and ready for whatever comes your way. I'm there.... so let's do this!

Recently I had the joy of standing at the edge of the ocean. I love going to the beach. I take a giant plastic table cloth, my writing notebook, my camera, a cooler of snacks for the kids, and a bazillion towels. We play all day and I write there with such inspiration that I'm sure that's where I should be living. But while I was standing there I felt all the stress in my life melt away. So I gave it all to the waters ebbing at my feet. 

I wrote it and watched it disappear.

Funny that I had to write this one four times before I could get the picture.

Nice to see THAT words taken away.

Stepping in the water I enjoyed the moment of feeling free, and then I had to readjust my footing. The sand was being pulled from underneath my feet. I laughed thinking about what I had written in the sand and what I knew in my heart. Letting go means moving on. The world is constant and ever changing. You have to find your place to stand. So many of us want to exist in a place of comfort, but comfort doesn't allow for progress. Just as the shape of the shore changes with each pull of the tide...

..... life is in constant motion. Existing in comfort creates stagnation. Consider stagnant water.. full of bacterial growth that contaminates the water source. Be a source where life flows continually. Comfort is nice for those who give up on life. Me, I'd rather ride the waves. 

Five Minute Friday...... STAY

It's time once again for Five Minute Friday. I'm trying so hard to stay awake until the prompt is given out. All the fun of gathering on twitter using the hashtag #FMFparty on Thursday evenings is such a great way to connect with some amazing women. You'll find yourself laughing, praying, smiling, getting lost in thought, and making friends. Plan to be a part of the fun next week

The idea comes from Lisa-Jo Baker. Visit her blog and find out more. These are the basics she gives us from her instructions:

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that I post here at 1 minute past midnight EST ever Friday. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag#FiveMinuteFriday

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

Our Five Minute Friday prompt this week is....... 

STAY

Have you ever been in a place you really didn't want to be but you knew it was where you were suppose to stay? This was me..... living back in the town I where I grew up. I moved away for college at eighteen and at thirty-nine I moved back with my four kids. I kept one foot just out of the city limits and kept packing boxes in the garage ready to go if the opportunity should arise. It was home in the sense that my extended family lives all around here, but I saw it as a stopping off place. A pause.

Until......

Recently I have seen my world through different eyes. Seeing the world from a heart ready to live with whatever comes next. No regrets and never looking back. That's the way I want my kids to see me living. Time to settle in, make life real, make here..... home. There will always be a road for me leading out of town simply because my heart belongs to missions in Africa, but it's time to be where I am. Time to make life mine. Time to "be still" since that's the word God's been giving me. Time to stay. 

Picture It & Write

Flash fiction has become my favorite thing to do. A picture can send the mind whirling and land you in a place you never intended to go, but can't seem to leave.

For those wanting to join the fun, come be a part of  picture it & write.

The picture of inspiration.

"Let me take that out of your way."

"Be careful, you wouldn't want to break that."

"Oh honey, let's not use these for our tea. I'm saving these for something special."

The dreaded tea cups that adorned my grandmother's counter. How proud she was of her flawless set of cups and saucers. Oh how I loved to trace the design with my fingertips, but only did it once in her presence. The wrath of a woman that loved her things more than me was swift and sure. I was never allowed to actually use the cups. I'm not sure she ever used them either, but they were cleaned daily, used or not. 

It seems strange now that she's gone.She was specific on leaving the tea set to me. It's been eight years now, and today I have tea ready. I pour it carefully into the beautiful cup. This is it. I'm really going to do it. Taking a deep breath I sigh heavily. Even the noise seems too much for the delicate cup. I sip my tea slowly, enjoying every last drop from the forbidden cup. I feel bold and daring. This is it. My final reward. The four place setting that will haunt me for fear of breaking it and upsetting the heavenly realm. 

I place the empty tea cup gently on the saucer. Finished, and no one died. Taking the hammer from the drawer, I raise it over my head and bring it down with a forceful blow. Shards fly. I breathe deeply. 

Fear released. 

I clean up the mess and then carefully clean the other three cups. I'll call my two daughters in soon and we'll have a grand tea party. As it should be with such a fine set. 

That Good Old Holiday Feeling

Don't you just love the month of November? It's extra fabulous for my crew because two of my four have birthdays this month, and I turn 43 in just a few days. That's right, 43..... and yet I don't feel a day over 25. Great to feel great even if the mirror mocks me.

This time of year seems to make everyone seem a little nicer. Who doesn't look forward to Thanksgiving? If nothing else it's a long weekend of rest and time with family.

This month is also the one year anniversary of the release of FRIDAY LUNCH! It is now reduced on amazon for the holiday season. Drop on by and get your copy. http://amzn.to/JvbIrH

Perhaps the greatest time so many of us look forward to is the Christmas season. I can't wait to decorate my house. 

(Not mine, but maybe someday)

My crew counts down to Christmas each year and we make the most of our time together. There's just never enough time to do all the fun things we plan, but it's always fun to know that fun is coming!

The holiday are such a wonderful time of love, friendship, and family. That's right, I still believe in love... no comment from the peanut gallery. 

What are some great traditions you have with your family? 

Plan to do something fun and new this holiday season! It's time to make some memories! 

Make A Vow, Do It Now!

With social media, our life is full of brief encounters.
- comment on a blog
- reply to a tweet
- like a post
- share a link
- endless texting

How many times today have you talked to someone? I love talking with my friends. I always have. I do believe I've broken more phones than anyone I know, but well worth it.

I don't like texting. I don't, but I do it because there are those friends that just will not talk on the phone. My talk on the phone friends are priceless. They know secrets I would never put down in words. They know the sound of my laughter. They know the voice of my tears. These are the few that I trust with truth.

Ever wonder what makes a true friend? Give someone your time. Give someone your laughter. Give someone the sound of your voice today to let that one person know, she was worth stopping in your day and sharing your world. Those true friends... well, with them I would even share my chocolate.

It's the beginning of a new month. Make a vow for the month of November to call or see your friends. Spend time with family. Face to face... that's where the heart grows.