DECLINE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--DECLINE

Five minutes to free-write about it

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Look what I got in the mail.

Sandra from  Diary of a Stay at Home Mom was celebrating her 20th blogversary with a special giveaway I didn't even know I had entered until she notified me that I was the lucky winner.  

How could I decline such a delightful surprise?

If you are reading this post, Sandra, thank you so much. You made my day.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

LAZY

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--LAZY

Five minutes to free-write about it

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My first thought was of a very old song, Those Lazy Hazy Days of Summer. I looked it up on YouTube to refresh my memory, and though the lyrics are less than edifying, the tune is very catchy, and now I'm having trouble getting it out of my head. 

This week I cheated a bit by reading what some other people had written before writing my own thoughts, because to me, lazy means sitting around doing nothing, and I don't do that, but I do procrastinate a lot and am easily sidetracked as well. 

What I discovered was that the word seems to mean different things to different people.

My master to do list is long and overwhelming, and though my spirit is willing, my flesh is weak (not my words, but definitely my thoughts). Even though I try to keep the daily list short, I still have trouble getting through it because of how easily I get sidetracked, and because I sometimes just freeze and waste a lot of time trying to just get started. 

Jesus had an antidote for that --  "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38, NIV)

Through this post, I am committing to be more intentional and consistent about praying over what to include in the short to do list for the following day that I write out before going to bed each night, and praying for the Lord to enable me to resist the temptation to get sidetracked and help me stay on track.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

HARMONY

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--HARMONY

Five minutes to free-write about it

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Yesterday was the first day of spring and this blog's 19th anniversary, but the day did not play out the way I had expected it to.

It was a very dreary day with lots of rain and a few thundershowers,  

I don't know if any of you are affected by the weather and changes in barometric pressure, but I have always been very sensitive to both. 

As a result, instead of writing the special post I had looked forward to doing, I allowed my aches and pains to seduce me into attending a pity party where my thoughts were out of harmony as to whether or not I should even continue blogging, take a break, or just say goodbye. 

And then this morning, I woke up to a beautiful, blue sky day and wondered what all that had been about. 

Things seem to look so much more harmonious (at least to me) when the sun is shining, and when I remember to keep my focus on the Lord, knowing that He is in control, that the clouds will pass, and that whatever lies ahead, Jesus is my good shepherd and is walking by my side (Psalm 23:4). 

Catching sight of these tiny wildflowers in the grass of our courtyard gave my spirits an added boost, reassuring me that yesterday's gloominess, notwithstanding, spring really is here. 

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

My blog is 19 years old today, and I wanted to post something a little more significant than an answer to "What's In The Box," but time has escaped me, so this will have to do for now, just so the day does not pass unacknowledged. 

I will try and post a proper post in the next couple of days--maybe as part of this week's FMF challenge, which I obviously didn't have a chance to write today either.

Anyway, several of you were wondering what was in the box I posted a picture of for Wordless Wednesday. The answer is, that's it. 

I had ordered a battery from Amazon, and that's how it was delivered. One little battery rattling around a big old box with no padding or anything.

Happy First Day of Spring!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

POLITE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--POLITE

Five minutes to free-write about it

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At first, no thoughts came to mind, but after reading Gina's post where she mentioned being a New Yorker, and the memory it triggered of New Yorkers being considered rude, many thoughts started popping in--way too many to fit into five minutes--so this may wind up being a very disjointed ramble.

Why is that association so commonly made about New Yorkers? Is it because life is so much more rushed and stressful (or was, back in the day when I lived there)? Though I never considered myself a rude person, maybe I was. 

When I relocated to Virginia, there was much I needed to learn. Like slowing down and not always being in a rush, being more patient, not being so pushy when I needed something done and the person who needed to do it did not go about it as fast as I thought they should, and not always trying to be at the head of the line. For sure the pace of life was much different in this neck of the woods, and it took some time to adjust my ways.

Totally unrelated, the prompt also brings to mind how what is considered polite in one culture may not be in another. Like, for instance, the habit of burping at the table. To us here, how rude. And yet in other cultures, a loud burp after the meal is considered a compliment to the chef, as well as a way of letting the other people around the table know you enjoyed the meal and feel happy and well fed.

One last thought. Though these days, for the most part, my focus is no longer so much on me as on trying to be gentle, kind, and considerate to the people I interact with, and on being sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to guide me, there is a new challenge.

Though my heart's desire is to be an encourager and to speak and act in ways that honor Jesus, point others to Him, and that give Him glory, you would never know it if you heard me on the phone, screaming and yelling in increasing frustration at the robot on the other end as I try to get it to connect me to a live person. This seems to be a test beyond all tests. Please pray for me to be able to keep my cool and turn it into a testimony. 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY