Five Minute Friday - Timing

One word. Five minutes** to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

perfect timing

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My timing isn't always good, mainly because my 'toxic trait' is my tendency to procrastinate. I wonder why some people seem to be so good at time management and others - like me - have trouble estimating how long something will take or focusing on a given task during the allotted time. I even started writing an FMF last week about sticking to a schedule, but was so busy on the weekend that I didn't get it posted when I wanted to. The good news is that I could use some of my thoughts on that as a starting point for today's (late) FMF about timing.

Even though I have trouble sticking to the schedule I set for myself, and timing things well, I do like to use alarms and timers to help myself. I plan out my days and work in an attempt to meet deadlines, and though I often fail, I try to time my commutes and activitivies properly.

When circumstances in our lives are not lining up neatly, it's tempting to wonder if God is still in control and listening to our pleas for help or peace or certainty. But we can be assured that God sees the big picture, knows the future and all the things we can't see in the present, and is always working things out for our good and his glory. And his timing is always perfect.

His timing was perfect when he sent Jesus to fulfill prophecies, to die for our sins, and to rise in victory over death.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

~Romans 5:6~

His timing is, and will be, perfect in all the ways he works in our lives and in our world to bring about his will.

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ―which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ―everything in heaven and on earth.

~Ephesians 1:9-10~

What a comfort to know I can trust that God's plan for me is good and I don't have to worry or fret that he will be late.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

~I Peter 5:6-7~

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.

~Galatians 6:9~

Teach us to number our days carefully

so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.

~Psalm 90:12~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Timing"

**written in approximately five minutes, though I don't set a timer - extra time is taken to add graphics and quotes**

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Five Minute Friday - Benediction

One word. Five minutes** to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

receive the benediction

Kind words are benedictions. They are not only instruments of power, but of benevolence and courtesy; blessings both to the speaker and hearer of them. ~Arthur Frederick Saunders

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When I was a kid, and was fidgety and bored in church, there were times when we reached that final hymn and closing words and I was just anxious for it to be done so we could go get lunch or get on with the day. I don't remember whether our pastors typically spoke a specific benediction over the congregation, or made that announcement to "receive the benediction". I just knew the service was over.

I also don't remember at what point in my adult life the blessing or benediction became something I wanted to hear and truly felt like a blessing. I greatly appreciate a prayer of blessing on the congregation as we take to heart the things God has spoken to us about during a service and let the Holy Spirit change us and how we live in some way. The benediction is a prayer that we would receive what God has for us, and an encouragement to see God's blessing and stay in relationship with him. My very favorite benediction is the one known as the Aaronic blessing:

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

~Numbers 6:24-26~

The word 'goodbye' comes from the phrase "God be with you" so in a way, whether we know it or not, we're offering a blessing to folks whenever we say it. I also like the rather archaic expression "Godspeed" although I rarely use it. I do remember folks saying "Go with God" too. I have a dear friend who typically blessed her family members with this phrase or something very like it when they left the house. My family has gotten in the habit of simply saying "Love you!" as part of our goodbyes, whether leaving the house or ending a phone call, and I guess that declaration of love and affection is a sort of benediction to our loved ones. That's how I mean it, and that's how I hope each family member receives that as a benediction each time I say it, a blessing reminder that they are prayed for and loved.

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Y'varekh'kha ADONAI v'yishmerekha

Ya'er ADONAI panav eleikha vichunekka.

Yissa ADONAI panav eleikha v'yasem l'kha shalom.

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Benediction"

**written in approximately five minutes, though I don't set a timer - extra time is taken to add graphics and quotes**

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Five MInute Friday - Cold

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

baby, it's cold outside

Shut the door not that it lets in the cold but that it lets out the coziness. ~Mark Twain

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I suspect that this week, the vast majority of Americans are thinking about how cold it is. Relatively speaking. Those of us in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and northeast have been experiencing temperatures well below freezing and wind chills that are in the double digit negatives. But I have friends in Florida and other parts of the south where it's not sub-zero, but it is considerably colder than what they are used to. 

There's part of me that thinks, "guys, it's winter. It is cold in winter and it snows. It literally happens every year" and that is true. But it sure doesn't stop me, or anyone else, from discussing the weather like it's so unusual, or from commentaries on just how cold it is and how miserable it is. After all, the weather is a standard topic to begin small talk conversations, and very useful for building a common ground and shared experience as a starting point with almost anyone we interact with. 

It is indeed very cold as I'm writing this, but I'm writing it from the safety and warmth of my home, where I have food and clothes and electricity. I'm not actually suffering. Few of us who complain good-naturedly about how cold it is are. For most of us it's uncomfortable and inconvenient, and prompts us to count the days until the cold snap is over or until spring arrives.*

In the cold dark days of the winter, dream about the flowers to get warmed up! ~Mehmet Murat Ildan

We know that relief from the cold is coming, because we can count on the seasons running their courses, and sometimes we even joke that it won't be long until we're complaining about how hot it is.

Thus he gives snow like wool,

scatters hoarfrost like ashes,

sends crystals of ice like crumbs of bread ―

who can withstand such cold?

Then he sends his word out and melts them;

he makes the winds blow and the water flows.

~Psalm 147:16-18~

The cold weather is a very small thing to complain about in the grand scheme of things*, but even these seemingly little things can be reminders that our inconveniences are only temporary. Spring and summer are coming, and hopefully we'll appreciate the sunshine and flowers even more after an especially cold winter. Believe it or not, even our big troubles will someday seem trivial in light of eternity. Just as we tell ourselves spring is just around the corner as we scrape our windshields and shovel our walks, let us encourage each other that heaven is our home when we go through times of pain and grief here on earth.

For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

~II Corinthians 4:17-18~

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck

*this is not intended to trivialize suffering in any way, or to imply that extreme temperatures don't have horrible consequences to those who do not have adequate shelter

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Cold"

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Five Minute Friday - Unusual

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

unusual circumstances

Time changes every man. Unusual circumstances change them in unusual ways. ~Bryant Gumbel

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I'm sad to say that it's been so long since I contributed something for FMF that it's unusual for me to do so. And I waffled over whether to write something or not, so I'm actually sharing on Saturday instead of Friday. This entire weekend is not going as I'd expected anyway, thanks to the winter storm bearing down on much of the midwest and south, and the unusually large amount of snow coming our way. Or so we're told. 

I was planning to attend a Sweet Adelines regional event in Louisville this weekend, but that area is exactly where some of the worst of the winter storm is expected to hit. So our chorus pulled out due to travel concerns and very shortly after that the region cancelled the entire event. We're all disappointed, but we cancelled our hotel reservations and started adjusting. I let our church worship director know I'd be here Sunday morning after all, and she put me on worship team. And now I'm waiting to hear whether we'll even have the church service. 

My husband and I went grocery shopping last night and weren't greatly surprised to find many of the shelves all but empty. Hardly any fresh produce at all, hardly any meat, milk and eggs and bread not quite as scarce but far less than is usual available. Fortunately, what was on our shopping list in those departments was more in the way of "want" than "need" but we adjusted our menu plan for the weekend since there were no peppers or onions! We joked about how surprised we were that there was so much toilet paper left on the shelf!

Everything in life is unusual until you become accustomed to it. ~L. Frank Baum

How do we handle it when faced with unusual or unexpected circumstances? A lot of it comes down to personality. Those who need to feel a sense of control and to know what's next may be rattled and anxious when something is out of the ordinary. Those who are less inclined to have detailed plans and are okay with figuring it out as they go might roll with the changes more readily. For the most part, I'm in the "roll with the changes" crowd, and tend to see the bright side of things too, but I still get upset when things don't go as planned.

Every start on an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to succeed. ~Albert Schweitzer

Whatever the unusual circustances we find ourselves in, we can be confident that God is not surprised or dismayed by what we were unprepared for. If we learn to trust him and turn to him in every situation, we'll find that he IS preparing our hearts and will provide what we need.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,

whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.

~Jeremiah 17:7-8~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Unusual" 

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Five Minute Friday - Behind

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

getting behind

look behind you

left behind

running a bit behind

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It's been a really busy couple of weeks at work, partly because we had some tech problems that I had to work around, and partly because I took on some additional responsibilities and will have to figure out how to fit them into my routine. As a result, I feel like I'm a bit behind in my work. And between me getting home later than usual some evenings, and being very busy some evenings, I'm also behind in some housework and things I should be doing at home.

This isn't new for me, and I'm getting used to feeling like I'm running behind. Wishing I'd done something sooner, or planned better, or just that I could have a do-over. We seldom get do-overs though, so since we can't go back in time and fix mistakes we may have made, we need to move on and perhaps learn from those mistakes so we can do better in future.

I can think of a lot of things I might wish I'd done differently, or even appreciated more, but dwelling on regrets and all the things I miss or wish I still had can be counter-productive. It's pretty hard to be moving forward if you're focused on things that are in the rear view mirror.

Don't stumble over something behind you. ~Seneca the Younger

Personally, I do tend to focus on the present more often than the past or the future, but that doesn't mean that I never get stuck in a pattern of looking behind me. It's best to have a balanced view, learn from the past, and leave regrets behind in order to have a clear-eyed focus on where I'm going.

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 3:12-14~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Behind".

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Five Minute Friday - Opposite

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

opposites attract

equal and opposite reaction

quite the opposite

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This week I made a request to transfer funds from one of our accounts to an investment account, same way I'd done it several times before. Yesterday evening I checked on it and the reply to my message confirmed that they were transferring the money from the investment account to my bank. Wait, that's the exact OPPOSITE of what I asked! I reread my request to see if I'd been unclear or made a mistake in how I worded it. I couldn't see how it could have been misconstrued, so that meant I had to get in touch with the company to and tell them they'd done it wrong and straighten it out so the money went where I wanted it to.

It was a little upsetting, but I wasn't really angry. More exasperated. But it also wans't a very large amount of money and I figured it would be relatively easy to resolve. And it was. A phone call, an apology, and the company fixed the transaction. I could have called and been angry and nasty to them, but what would be the point of that? I wonder though, would I have been as calm about it if it had been a larger dollar amount or had caused an account to be overdrawn or something like that? I expect I would have freaked out but I hope I would have been reasonable and polite when I called.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. ~Newton's Third Law of Motion

Most of the time, even when things don't go the way we planned, it's not the exact opposite. It's often tempting to have a disproportionate reaction of anger to small annoyances. Or to exacerbate a situation by raging or seeking revenge on someone who we think has wronged us. Proverbs offers us a word of wisdom in how to diffuse and handle tense situations.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,

but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

~Proverbs 15:1, 18~

Often the best way to settle a dispute is to the opposite of what we feel like doing. Instead of escalating with yelling or rage, we can try doing the opposite - a humble and patient response that seeks a real solution and reconciliation.

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Opposite".

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Five MInute Friday (on Saturday) - Engage

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

getting engaged

engage in conversation

engage in business

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I remember the happy anticipation and excitement that we experienced when we got engaged. And when our sons got engaged, and when family members and friends got engaged. Being engaged to be married is a milestone commitment and celebration in a relationship, making it "official" and the kickoff into wedding planning and beyond.

But we use the word "engaged" in other contexts as well, and so I wonder whether the same forward momentum, hope, and commitment are demonstrated in those contexts. When we engage in conversation, it's more than just small talk about inconsequential things. It's a intent to really hear, understand, share, and communicate about important topics; and the goal is building relationship. Engaging in business means being deeply involved and committed to the success of the venture. Being all in, not passive. If you engage in politics, you are committed to your cause and being informed and involved, and taking a stand for the principles that you believe in.

It's important to be fully engaged in our relationships and especially in our relationship with the Lord. He wants to engage with us through his word and through prayer. When we are committed to knowing God and living for him, we find delight in his word and become engaged in living out that faith and hope each day. There's forward momentum, hope, and commitment in the way we go through life, and it makes such a difference in how we meet life's challenges.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

~Colossians 3:23-24~

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Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Engage".

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Five Minute Friday - Journey

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

journey through life

faith journey

joy in the journey

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We're all on a journey, so the saying goes. And of course, we are, but often the destination seems very far away or just unclear. When will we get there? How will we know when we've arrived? What if I take a wrong turn?

Life is full of twists and turns and unexpected detours and I've often been puzzled about whether I've made the right choice or how things could have been different. I've been discouraged when I couldn't figure out the purpose of the route I found myself on. I've been fearful that I'd gotten myself way off track and anxious because the map wasn't making sense. I've never been particularly good at reading maps, after all. To be fair, I've been pleasantly surprised and completely delighted by other unexpected turns my life has taken.

There is definitely truth in the little proverbs about finding joy in the journey, and great comfort in knowing that we don't travel alone. If we are walking with the Lord, we have a wonderfully reliable guidebook and an ever-present traveling companion that knows every bit of the road. It's good to know that I can trust him to get me to the destination HE has planned, and that he can use every step along the way to prepare me for something around the bend.

Nothing goes to waste on the journey of life. Both good and bad experiences shape your mind and heart for what is to come. ~Leon Brown

For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these past forty years, and you have lacked nothing.

~Deuteronomy 2:7~

Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, a detour from a journey that should have taken only a couple weeks. And yes, in large part it was because they disobeyed God. But God knew they would need training and teaching if they were to become a nation and bring his blessing to the world. It may have looked like they were wandering aimlessly, but God led them and cared for them every step of the way. We can be confident that he is leading us as well, and that he is using each experience to teach us, to grow our faith, or to discipline us; and he will always take care of us and be with us every step of the way.

Carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the LORD swore to your ancestors. Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these forty years in the wilderness, so that he might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these forty years. Keep in mind that the LORD your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. So keep the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.

~Deuteronomy 8:1-6~

Some journeys take us far from home. Some adentures lead us to our destiny. ~C.S. Lewis

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Journey".

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Five Minute Friday (on Sunday) - Worship

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

worship service

time of worship

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Although we know better, sometimes the way we talk about our weekly church gathering makes it sound like that's the one setting in which we worship. And refer to the songs we sing while in church as the time of worship, which can make it seem like the preaching and praying and listening and fellowship are something separate. I've been a part of the "worship team" or played a role in planning and leading the music at church for almost my entire adult life and talk about it this way! It's not that I think we're using the word incorrectly! What else would we call it but a worship service or time of worship? But I do ask myself if I'm intentionally engaging in worship every day and in more than just singing.

Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. ~Louie Giglio

It's not just the singing of songs in church that is worship. It's every part of our church service. It's not only in the church setting that we worship. We worship when we engage with God's Word, pray, make music, and serve others every day. We worship whenever we give glory to God, whether in awestruck and breathless silence at the beauty of what he has done or in giving voice to our prayers, praise, and testimony.

I've tried to be mindful that leading worship - singing or playing on the platform at church - isn't a performance. While we want talented people with musical gifts to lead, they should also be people who want to use those gifts in service to the Lord rather than use the platform selfishly. I like to think of the worship team's role as guides or mentors. We see God's holiness and we invite the congregation to come with us and experience him too. 

In the end, worship can never be a performance, something you're pretending or putting on. It's got to be an overflow of your heart . . . Worship is about getting personal with God, drawing close to God. ~Matt Redman

I will declare your name to my people;

in the assembly I will praise you.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

~Psalm 22:22, 25~

 

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Worship".

This post will also be linked at Scripture And A Snapshot hosted here.

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Five Minute Friday - Stuff

One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

too much stuff

the good stuff

the right stuff

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Somehow, without really meaning to, I keep acquiring more stuff. It might be stuff I like, but when it comes right down to it, there's a lot more stuff that I don't need and isn't useful to me any more, but it's harder to get rid of than it should be. It's hard to throw stuff in the trash when it might be useful or valuable to someone, even if that someone isn't me. But then I have to somehow get it to the someone else, and that means the effort of selling it or donating it or giving it away. It might sound selfish but I feel like I don't have the time or energy to put into that. For real, I have a little collection of stuff here that I've been meaning to offer in my local Buy Nothing group, but that requires me to take a picture of it and post it in the group and then respond to the inquiries. I need to just do it.

Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff. ~George Carlin

We lived in the same house for about twenty years and we knew our accumulation of stuff was too much, and were trying to get rid of things, but it was slow going. Our basement flooded and a bunch of stuff was ruined and it also forced us to assess some of the stuff we moved out of the basement and get rid of it. But two years later when we had to move, we still had way too much stuff and now I feel bad about what we left there for our kids to have to work around, and it's also overwhelming to see how much there is to deal with when we're back there for visits. It's the same problem in a way, we don't need the vast majority of that stuff but how do we sort it out and dispose of it responsibly?

A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff. ~George Carlin

There is nothing wrong with having stuff, wanting new stuff, or enjoying the stuff we have. The trick is to keep it all in perspective. We realized when we had the flood and when we moved that we had a lot of stuff that wasn't that important. Stuff can easily take up our time and effort and money, but if it takes our attention away from our relationships or prevents us from putting our resources towards much more important aspects of life, we are out of balance. 

Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil―this is a gift of God.

~Ecclesiastes 5:19~

Souls are always more important than stuff.

Good to remember as I'm doing my Christmas shopping and especially while making my wish lists.

 

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Going to a junkyard is a sobering experience. There you can see the ultimate destination of almost everything we desire. ~Roger von Oech

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Stuff".

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