Five Minute Fridays

So I'm trying something new here on the blog - Five Minute Fridays. The deal is that Lisa Jo Baker gives a prompt. We write for five minutes on that prompt and stop. Then link up to her blog and encourage others who are doing the same. Sounds like fun!!

Here's today's prompt:

VIEW...

GO.

You hear the word view used in many ways. "The VIEW from here." "Room with a VIEW." "What's your VIEW on that?" "That's a magnificent VIEW."

My first thought on hearing the prompt is how we VIEW things. How do we interpret the world around us? How do we read the people we come into contact with? What do we choose to line up with for truth? There are a lot of things out in the world tugging on us for attention. Vying for a place in our hearts and our minds. Competing for the chance to influence what we feel, say and do.

That means it is extremely important for us to choose wisely. We can't afford to take chances with our foundation for truth. We have to know where it came from...what it means...how it affects our viewpoint...and how we will live it out in our lives.

Scripture tells us that the devil prowls around like a lion looking for whom he can devour. He will use any method available to attack us, make us doubt and question, and lead us into disobedience. One of his strongest weapons, in my opinion, is the things we see and hear that seem to have a grain of truth in them but aren't built on God's truth and thus, can lead us slowly away, one step at a time.

How can we judge if something is truth and determine if we should allow it to affect our view? By comparing it to God's word. He is not a god of contradictions. He is not a god of confusion. Jesus said that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. We can take the things we might want to allow to influence us, compare them to God's word, and decide it makes the cut or not.

When we don't do that, our view is clouded by falsehood and misconceptions.

When we take the time to compare what we hear with God's truth, our view will be clear enough for us to see all the way to heaven.

STOP.

Linked up today with:

So I'm trying something new here on the blog - Five Minute Fridays. The deal is that Lisa Jo Baker gives a prompt. We write for five minutes on that prompt and stop. Then link up to her blog and encourage others who are doing the same. Sounds like fun!!

Here's today's prompt:

VIEW...

GO.

You hear the word view used in many ways. "The VIEW from here." "Room with a VIEW." "What's your VIEW on that?" "That's a magnificent VIEW."

My first thought on hearing the prompt is how we VIEW things. How do we interpret the world around us? How do we read the people we come into contact with? What do we choose to line up with for truth? There are a lot of things out in the world tugging on us for attention. Vying for a place in our hearts and our minds. Competing for the chance to influence what we feel, say and do.

That means it is extremely important for us to choose wisely. We can't afford to take chances with our foundation for truth. We have to know where it came from...what it means...how it affects our viewpoint...and how we will live it out in our lives.

Scripture tells us that the devil prowls around like a lion looking for whom he can devour. He will use any method available to attack us, make us doubt and question, and lead us into disobedience. One of his strongest weapons, in my opinion, is the things we see and hear that seem to have a grain of truth in them but aren't built on God's truth and thus, can lead us slowly away, one step at a time.

How can we judge if something is truth and determine if we should allow it to affect our view? By comparing it to God's word. He is not a god of contradictions. He is not a god of confusion. Jesus said that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. We can take the things we might want to allow to influence us, compare them to God's word, and decide it makes the cut or not.

When we don't do that, our view is clouded by falsehood and misconceptions.

When we take the time to compare what we hear with God's truth, our view will be clear enough for us to see all the way to heaven.

STOP.

Linked up today with:

Friday Faves 5.24.13

It's been a busy week around here. Sunday, I enjoyed worship and lunch with my son's sweet girl, Emily. Her plans for going to Uganda later in the summer are on track and we are praying great blessings over her fund-raising and her time ministering to the children there.

I've enjoyed helping my folks get their newly-finished sunroom decorated. It's been fun to catch up with some old friends. And I really enjoyed the view of one of my favorite skylines as I drove into Charlotte this week to sit with a friend who's husband had surgery. A little writing here and there. More job searching...and more waiting to hear. All in all, an uneventful but nonetheless rather busy week. I hope your's has been full of good things too!

Here's a few things I found inspiring on the web this week:

• Love this video featuring Jen Hatmaker about women in leadership.

• Priscilla Shirer has stirred me on to some organization.

• A nap sounds like a good idea. Here are some suggestions for good napping from Michael Hyatt.

• Great encouragement for parents this week from Beth Woolsey.

• The English major in me was absolutely giddy over this post from Copy Blogger.

• I am so totally from North Carolina!!

Finally, this was my favorite picture this week - Cohen as a brand new baby and his sister, Cambrie, who hasn't made her appearance yet. Just five more weeks...not that we are counting the days or anything. I believe Cambrie is going to look A LOT like her brother!

Happy Friday, y'all.

It's been a busy week around here. Sunday, I enjoyed worship and lunch with my son's sweet girl, Emily. Her plans for going to Uganda later in the summer are on track and we are praying great blessings over her fund-raising and her time ministering to the children there.

I've enjoyed helping my folks get their newly-finished sunroom decorated. It's been fun to catch up with some old friends. And I really enjoyed the view of one of my favorite skylines as I drove into Charlotte this week to sit with a friend who's husband had surgery. A little writing here and there. More job searching...and more waiting to hear. All in all, an uneventful but nonetheless rather busy week. I hope your's has been full of good things too!

Here's a few things I found inspiring on the web this week:

• Love this video featuring Jen Hatmaker about women in leadership.

• Priscilla Shirer has stirred me on to some organization.

• A nap sounds like a good idea. Here are some suggestions for good napping from Michael Hyatt.

• Great encouragement for parents this week from Beth Woolsey.

• The English major in me was absolutely giddy over this post from Copy Blogger.

• I am so totally from North Carolina!!

Finally, this was my favorite picture this week - Cohen as a brand new baby and his sister, Cambrie, who hasn't made her appearance yet. Just five more weeks...not that we are counting the days or anything. I believe Cambrie is going to look A LOT like her brother!

Happy Friday, y'all.

Habits and Surprises

I like surprises - blessings and lessons that sneak up on us bringing a rush of unexpected pleasure. And I'm often surprised by the lessons that God has for me to learn.

For instance, I've recently learned that I like walking as exercise. Well, to clarify, I don't really like walking as exercise. Rather, I like the discipline that walking has brought to my life...I like the time to just be by myself with God and my thoughts...and I like the way I feel after I've walked.

I began walking as a way to pay closer attention to my physical health. And now find that I'm kinda grumpy when I don't get out for a daily walk. Surprise! Who would have thought that would happen?

The habit of walking has also helped me be more disciplined in other areas of my life too. I prefer to walk in the mornings and most mornings, I'm ready to get out of bed and go for a walk. Even on the days when I really want to just roll over and go back to sleep, I'm compelled by habit to get up and walk. Which leads to my quiet time and morning chores. Which ushers in my day in peace and purpose. There is a centering that comes with these habits that helps to prepare me for the surprises God may bring throughout the rest of my day.

Sometimes I'm surprised by what I might see on a walk. There are some geese in a pond near where I've been walking lately. And as the flowers have been blooming this spring, the yards of neighboring houses are awash in the colors of creation. Other times, surprises come later in the day when a mind cleared by discipline and good habits is able to see God working, even in the most subtle ways.

I Timothy 5:13-14 reminds us as women not to "get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense..." That's not really a pretty picture, is it? Rest plays an important part in our lives...idleness not so much as it may lead us into sin. Since I don't want to become one of these women, I'm grateful for the discipline of good habits that God has been instilling in me. I'm not perfect by any stretch...remember the days I want to roll over and go back to sleep? Some times I do! But those days are becoming fewer and farther between as God's work continues in me.

How about you? How is God instilling habits in your life that open you up to the surprises He may  have in store?

Linked up with:

I like surprises - blessings and lessons that sneak up on us bringing a rush of unexpected pleasure. And I'm often surprised by the lessons that God has for me to learn.

For instance, I've recently learned that I like walking as exercise. Well, to clarify, I don't really like walking as exercise. Rather, I like the discipline that walking has brought to my life...I like the time to just be by myself with God and my thoughts...and I like the way I feel after I've walked.

I began walking as a way to pay closer attention to my physical health. And now find that I'm kinda grumpy when I don't get out for a daily walk. Surprise! Who would have thought that would happen?

The habit of walking has also helped me be more disciplined in other areas of my life too. I prefer to walk in the mornings and most mornings, I'm ready to get out of bed and go for a walk. Even on the days when I really want to just roll over and go back to sleep, I'm compelled by habit to get up and walk. Which leads to my quiet time and morning chores. Which ushers in my day in peace and purpose. There is a centering that comes with these habits that helps to prepare me for the surprises God may bring throughout the rest of my day.

Sometimes I'm surprised by what I might see on a walk. There are some geese in a pond near where I've been walking lately. And as the flowers have been blooming this spring, the yards of neighboring houses are awash in the colors of creation. Other times, surprises come later in the day when a mind cleared by discipline and good habits is able to see God working, even in the most subtle ways.

I Timothy 5:13-14 reminds us as women not to "get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense..." That's not really a pretty picture, is it? Rest plays an important part in our lives...idleness not so much as it may lead us into sin. Since I don't want to become one of these women, I'm grateful for the discipline of good habits that God has been instilling in me. I'm not perfect by any stretch...remember the days I want to roll over and go back to sleep? Some times I do! But those days are becoming fewer and farther between as God's work continues in me.

How about you? How is God instilling habits in your life that open you up to the surprises He may  have in store?

Linked up with: