3/18/23

STORY


Th
is post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--STORY
Five minutes to free write about it
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There was so much I could relate to in Kate's post this week, it led me on a trip down memory lane to the year 2011. That's the year God and I wrote my story.

The Sunday before Lent that year, our pastor challenged us to do something radical. I responded by writing a post entitled  Sincerely Wrong.  It was the first time since I became a Christian, almost 20 years before that, that I'd ever spoken openly about having authored a book on numerology.

By the time I finished writing the post, I was convicted that it was time to bring all the other things I didn't talk about into the open too, because, just maybe, there was someone out there who desperately needed to hear it. 

I always believed that the reason I kept certain things hidden, especially from my mother, children, and other family members, was because I was trying to protect them from being hurt, but now I realize that was only partly true.  I did want to keep them from unnecessary upset, but if truth be told, the greater reason was fear of what they might think of me. 

I was ready to take the step, but writing does not come easy to me unless it's just something technical, like an instruction book, and I had no clue as to how to go about it. That's when I learned that if we are willing to obey the promptings of the Lord, He really will equip us to do what He asks.

So for the next several weeks, with notebook and pen in hand, I would sit in the silence of my room and listen for that still small voice that guided me step by step through the process. My story turned into a book published by Amazon, and available in both hard copy and Kindle formats.  Who would have thought?

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My Story Your Glory by Matthew West



3/10/23

CHOOSING TO LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

 

This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--CHOOSE
Five minutes to free write about it
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At the end of a heavy week where all my choices seem like non-choices, I choose to lighten up by combining our word prompt with a Friday Funny. This sign at my dentist's office always makes me smile.

I may not be able to choose my circumstances, but I can choose how I respond to them. It's amazing what a difference a change of perspective can make.

I can choose to look for hidden blessings, and for things that make me smile. 

I can choose to focus on the things I am grateful for.

I can choose to look on the bright side of things.

I can choose to lift up my eyes to Whom my help comes from (Psalm 121:1).

I can trust that God is in control and that He is working out a good plan, even if I can't quite see it yet.

I can choose to believe in miracles.

3/8/23

TONGUE TWISTER



Just being silly today, and thinking of how I could describe these pretty flowers that caught my eye by way of a tongue twister. 

This is what I came up with: Pretty Pops Of Purple Pansy Posies





3/5/23

REACH -- DON'T ASSUME!


 This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompts--REACH and ASSUME
Five minutes to free write about it
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[Last week when the prompt was ASSUME, I wasn't able to participate, but it was such a good and timely (for me) one that I'm combining it with this week's REACH.]

Making assumptions is something I do a lot, and most of the time my assumptions are wrong. Many times it has caused unnecessary hurt, and sometimes even a missed opportunity because I accepted my assumption as fact instead of reaching out to the One for whom nothing is impossible and who can make all things come to pass.

There is something about the tree (in the picture above) with its branches lifted high that reminds me to reach up instead of assume.  Right now it looks dead, but then I have seen deader-looking plants than that come alive. Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll visit it again and see buds on it? That wouldn't surprise me any more than this flower I discovered on my philodendron plant did. 
In all the many, many years I've had philodendron plants I've never ever seen a flower on any of them before. I'd always assumed they were not flowering plants.  But I digress...

Once a week I pray with a friend over Zoom. At our last meeting a couple of days ago we reached out to God with some tough prayer requests over longstanding situations we've been praying over for so long it required a real stretch of faith to not give up on believing they could come true. But that could turn out to be one more faulty assumption, could it not? 

After reminding each other of some of the amazing answers to prayer we've seen in the past, and that nothing is impossible with God, we actually ended the call in a state of great anticipation, excited to see what God is about to do. 

A quote in my Experiencing God devotional this morning spoke to my heart: "Don't discount the power of God as described in Scripture simply because you have not experienced it." To which I would add the word "YET." It reminded me of the times I have experienced it, so why should I assume otherwise now.