Five Minute Friday: Enough!

It's Friday morning and time to meet up with Lisa-Jo Baker -- Tales of a Gypsy Mama, who spreads a feast before us consisting of a challenge:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

Today's word is ENOUGH, and here's my best five minutes . . . .

READY, SET, GO!

"Enough is ENOUGH!" my mother would scream at us.

"I've had ENOUGH," I'd cry at the table when told to clean my plate.

"That's ENOUGH" our teacher would say as we misbehaved.

A word heard by every human being walking the face of the earth!

But what really is ENOUGH?

Simply put, God is my enough.

Some days I might consider the necessities of life, or what I presume to be necessities and be tempted to go shopping.  It doesn't take long for me to become one bored individual.  I don't really like shopping and I just thought I needed to shop.  That's because shopping isn't enough.

Another day I might spend my time searching for something to satisfy -- perhaps my sewing and quilting, reading a good historical novel, chatting with friends online.  But satisfied I'm not!  Why?  Because these things aren't enough.

Only GOD is enough to make me sense peace, feel unconditionally loved, feel comforted when I'm hurting, fed when I'm hungry for something more than this world can give.
 
After all He tells us so in 2 Cor. 12:9, as found in The Message:

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Photo credit

 Images and Scripture verse added after 5 minutes was up.

Simply Sunday -- Letting Go

Humbly let go. Let go of trying to do, let go of trying to control,
let go of my own way, let go of my own fears.
Let God blow His wind, His trials, oxygen for joy's fire.
Leave the hand open and be. Be at peace.
Bend the knee and be small and let God
give what God chooses to give
because He only gives love and whisper a surprised thanks.
This is the fuel for joy's flame. Fullness of joy is discovered only in the
emptying of will. And I can empty. I can empty because
counting His graces has awakened me to how He cherishes me,
holds me, passionately values me.
I can empty because I am full of His love.
I can trust.

(emphasis mine)

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
by Ann Voskmamp

Attribution

With Barbie at Freshly Brewed Sundays

and with Deidra in

and linking up with L.L. Barkat at 

What's A Mother To Do?

Ever feel like your days go straight downhill?  Ever wonder what made you think you could handle parenting more than one or two children?  Ever think, "Why did I give up my career for this?"

I invite you to pull up a chair, right here at my kitchen table.  I'll pour you a cup of your choice -- coffee or tea -- and offer you a scone.  We're going to have a little chat about a young woman who spoke to our Mothers of Preschoolers group last Friday.

Ready?  Take a deep breath and let's enjoy our time together.  Whatever you've had to drop to sit awhile will still be there when we're finished.

Our guest speaker, Kim, was an amazing young woman -- wife, mother of three small children, and the children's pastor at her church.  And here she was on time and ready to speak to us on a Friday morning.  Well, she did admit her mother had driven her so she would be on time.  And thank goodness her mother had done that, or she said she likely wouldn't have finished her notes for her talk.

The quality I loved about this young woman was her courage in sharing honestly and with such authenticity the low points in her days.  Not every day was a high.  Some were very low.  Kim stressed that even the mom who looks as if she has it all together probably has some high stress days too.  Like the day a week or so before when Kim had suffered a serious meltdown in front of her children.  Kim even shared with us she had yelled at them.

Obviously she was at the end of her rope that day.  The children wouldn't listen, she couldn't get things done, nothing was working.  She ran crying into her bedroom, locked the door and called her best friend.  Thank goodness for best friends!  This friend allowed her to cry and tell her story.  This friend just listened.  She was able to unload all her frustrations and angst to this dear friend.

When Kim hung up from that call, she called her mother.  (This is something I doubt that I'd have ever been able to do because my mother wouldn't have listened -- she would have criticized.)  This young woman was far more blessed than me with a mother who did just listen.

All the while her two older children were crying and banging on the door wanting to know if mommy was all right.  The youngest of her three, only six months old, was in her crib and likely oblivious to mommy's meltdown.

Kim waited until the next day to talk with her two oldest children about her actions.  She asked how her yelling at them had made them feel.  The older of the two said, "Afraid."  "And sad."  "Oh, and angry."  The younger of the two just looked at her as she talked.  Can you imagine how these words tugged at her mama heart strings?

Bless her heart, Kim held them close and told them that sometimes we all lose our cool, but the one thing mommy had forgotten was that she could lean on Jesus when things got tough.  (And it's true we mommies do forget!)

She then went on to tell them how when they have difficult times they too can lean on Jesus, by just calling his name.  What a blessing to their young hearts!

With her honesty and authenticity came more examples of the difficult days in her life.  I could see in the faces of the moms at my table the relief at knowing that someone else had these same kinds of troublesome days.  There were even moments of comic relief in her talk that gave great release to all the women in the room.

So, when you're having a tough day, call a best friend or if your mom is a good listener, call her.  But if it gets so tough and you have no one to call at that moment, don't forget that you have Jesus to lean on.  In Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, he speaks of Jesus' words to him when he begged to have his burden removed:

"My grace is enough; it's all you need. 

 My strength comes into its own in your weakness."

 2 Cor. 12:9 (MES)

I pray that you will accept that you are not alone as you travel this journey as a mom.  Perhaps you can find community among other moms who are also struggling.  Maybe family is the source of your support.  And try to take the verse above to heart and know that He is with  you every step of the way.  God bless you as you love your children and your home.

Sharing with Darlene and her readers at Time-Warp Wife

Also linking up with KM Logan at Lessons from Ivy

Photo credits:

Top -- ADHD Specialists 

Bottom --  Shutterstock

Heart Full of Thanks -- Counting One Thousand Gifts (414-428)

The risen living Christ

Calls me by my name;

Comes to the loneliness within me;

Heals that which is wounded within me;

Comforts that which grieves within me;

Releases me from that which has dominion over me;

Cleanses me of that which does not belong to me;

Renews that which feels drained within me;

Awakens that which is asleep within me;

Names that which is formless within me;

Empowers that which is newborn within me;

Consecrates and guides that which is strong within me;

Restores me to this world which needs me;

Reaches out, in endless love to others, through me.

~~ Flora Wuellner

(Scripture reference on image:  Matthew 28:1-10)

Photo credit:  St. Mary's Parish East Islip

* * *

Following Holy Week and after a glorious Resurrection Sunday, who can help but continue to count to One Thousand Gifts:

414.  Life itself.

415.  My husband's commitment to the busy choir activities of Holy Week, practices included!

416.  Privilege of praying for sick friends and their families.

417.  Life of a dear friend who has left us for a better place in Heaven.  Such a Christian example!

418.  Preparations for Easter weekend.

419.  Passover meal on Maundy Thursday prior to moving service of music and Scripture.

420.  Good Friday meditations and another moving service at church.

421.  Easter dinner and egg hunt with our son's family.

423.  Watching great-granddaughter (3 yrs.) hunt for eggs and her excitement at finding them.

424.  Cuddling and talking with great-grandson (4 months), soaking up his gorgeous blue eyes and smiles.

425.  Easter Sunday and celebrating our Risen Lord.

426.  Honor of serving communion at services on Easter.

427.  Quiet Easter afternoon spent at home reflecting on the price paid for my sins.

428.  Matthew 28:1-10.

Linking up with Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience for Monday Musings.  Have you ever stopped by to see what it's all about?  Maybe today's the day to visit.

 

And also visiting with Laura Boggess at The Wellspring

 

Heart Full of Thanks -- Counting One Thousand Gifts (386-399)

Continuing to count One Thousand Gifts with Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience, an exceptional way of thanking God through every single moment of life!

386.  Safe travel these last weeks.
387.  Incredible week of weather -- from warm spring days to snow and hail to rain and cold, but still in God's hands.
388.  Trips down memory lane as we shuffle through boxes of treasures in the attic.
389.  Old photographs.
390.  Sharing laughter and tears together for many reasons.
391.  Our daily devotion and prayer time together as husband and wife.
392.  Isaiah 40:31.
393.  Praying friends and praying for friends.
394.  Amazing worship service on Sunday.
395.  The beginning of Jesus' journey to the cross over the next two weeks.
396.  A friend's reunion with a child given up for adoption 16 years ago.
397.  Online friends I've never met face-to-face who are so faithful.
398.  Sparrows perching outside the window.
399.  Squirrels chattering about who knows what!

Hope you'll stop by and count with us over at Ann's site, A Holy Experience.  It's an incredible experience.

Enjoy the above free printable from Mother Letters.

Heart Full of Thanks -- Counting One Thousand Gifts (377-385)

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews
who had come along with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
“Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 

John 11:32-36 (NIV)

The Gospel of John is rich.  And it contains the shortest verse in all of Scripture:  "Jesus wept."  Only two words. Only nine letters.  Yet that short verse speaks volumes to Jesus' compassion not only for Lazarus' sisters, but also his compassion for us.

In times of trouble, we seek answers and understanding to situations we may not fully understand.  We question:  Why I am the one to have this disease or this problem?  Why am I the one who can't do everything I used to do?  Why am I the one diagnosed with an insidious disease?  Why did I lose my job?  Why is my home in jeopardy?  Why, why, why???  Likely, we shed tears as we shout angrily at the world, family and friends and sometimes even God.  

Jesus sees our tears.  He hears our anger and despair.  He knows our burdens.  And he comes to us with compassion and yes, love.  In the verses above, Jesus saw one of Lazarus' sisters weeping as well as the Jews who came with her.  Seeing their tears, he was "deeply moved in spirit."  

In our own times of trouble, no matter the source, Jesus sees our tears, hears our anger, and he is moved to touch us with his compassion and love. 

Photo credit above:  Central Church Cambridge

Continuing to count One Thousand Gifts:

377.  Jesus' compassion and love for us, no matter what.

378.  Understanding of family needs and wants.

379.  Daffodils and crocus blooming bright yellows.

380.  First hyacinth blossoms, purple for the season of Lent.

381.  Safe travel this last week.

382.  Children who care.

383.  Safety of a daughter and grandson.

384.  Joyful acceptance by the next generation of family treasures.

385.  Season of Lent.

We're all counting over at Ann Voskamp's site, A Holy Experience.  Won't you stop by and join us?

A Heart Full of Thanks: Counting One Thousand Gifts (261-287)

A Holy Experience

Have you read it?  Maybe you've heard of it.  Have you been counting?  Maybe you're asking, "What is it? And what would I be counting?

It is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and reading this book is and can be life changing.  Ann's unique style of writing transports the reader, at least in my case, to a height of awareness that may have never been experienced before.  The senses become more perceptive to even the smallest of gifts, God-given gifts, around you.

And then you begin to count, each tiny gift, each awe-inspiring gift, one by one until you reach 1,000!

But in this new year of 2012, a new challenge has been brought to the forefront.  It seems Ann agreed with a radio interviewer to challenge the station's listeners to count 1,000 gifts in this year.  And Ann agreed to count with them.

Now, she has challenged her community of followers online, via Facebook, and throughout the space we know as cyber to count along with them -- counting 1,000 gifts in the year 2012.

It won't be hard to do -- 1,000 gifts in 365 days equals out to three gifts per day, and Ann provides on her site, A Holy Experience, a month-by-month Joy Dare list of things to be looking for in your life's days.

I don't know about you but I'm accepting this challenge.  I had started counting last year, but hadn't come close to the 500 mark when I read Ann's post about Joy Dare.  So, here I go covering the first nine days of January:

261.  Good health
262.  Attitude of compassion
263.  Giving nature
264.  Sun breaks
265.  Loving husband
266.  Fresh fruit
267.  "My grace is enough for you."
268.  "The Lord is my Shepherd."
269.  "And you shall call Him Jesus."
270.  Memories
271.  Everett's growth in these three months of life
272.  Peeks of blue sky
273.  Book of James
274.  Working on baby quilt
275.  Hints of spring all around
276.  Time to work on cardigan I'm knitting
277.  Healthy food
278.  Promise to practice more grace
279.  Patience from my husband
280.  Prayers from Margie
281.  Compassion from Genevieve
282.  A tiny ray of sun
283.  Seeing myself in others' eyes since surgery
284.  Hummingbird feeder's shadow on family room floor
285.  Ability to reach out
286.  Buds showing on the hellebores
287.  Sitting next to my husband at a concert

I'm joining Ann and others on her site to share our counting of gifts.  Won't you join us?

A Holy Experience

A Heart Overflowing: Counting One Thousand Gifts (#252-260)

Grace Magazine

Grace isn't easy.  And during this last year, I've worked hard to be more gracious in many ways.  Grace is not a stranger to me -- God has blessed me with His grace a thousand times over.  Grace is sensual, warm, intoxicating, diaphanous -- you know it when you feel it wash over you.  But physical limitations aside, and they could be used as excuses for not being gracious, this wasn't my most gracious year.

So, in 2012, my desire is to grow closer to God not only to experience more of His grace in my life but also to experiment with touching others with that grace in ways I've never tried before.  I read just yesterday of a man who decided one year to resolve to write thank you's, not emails, not text messages, but handwritten notes to people who'd done something nice for him -- the barista in his coffee shop, the teller at the bank, the person who straightened out a discrepancy on a bill -- you get the idea.  For each of the 365 notes he gave out, he most always received a very positive response in return.

What does this tell us?  Grace given is grace returned.  Fairly simple, but often hard to put into action.  What are you doing to extend grace to those around you?  Do you need to experience more of God's grace to you?  Then draw closer -- God will provide.  Come with me, won't you, on this journey to Grace.

www.aholyexperience.com

252.  Sounds of rain and wind
253.  Beginning signs of tiny green shoots and buds
254.  Progress in recovery
255.  Connecting with two high school friends I've not seen since 1964
256.  God's incredible goodness in 2011
257.  Frost painting patterns on the ground
258.  Sunny Sunday to begin 2012
259.  Sweet little girl at the Children's Sermon, the only girl among all those boys
260.  Dappled sunlight to begin the day, telling me it's working hard to wake up too

Signing Off for a Few Days

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, I'm undergoing surgery tomorrow and expect to not be up to blogging for a few days.  However, at this season of the year, I wanted to leave a short post to say where I am and to wish you the very best of the Christmas season.  Remember to take time to anticipate and wait patiently for the gift of God's immense love.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:3 (NIV)

 

Counting One Thousand Gifts #5 (160-171)

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

I look forward to Mondays.  Not many people think about looking forward to Monday.  For a lot of folks, it's the return to the work week, the school week, running kids here and there.  Mondays can be hectic for many.  For our household, my husband and me, retirement has made it possible to look forward to any day of the week.  The Sabbath is our favorite day, but I look forward to Mondays because it's the day I link up with Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience to count our gifts and blessings from the previous week.  Oh, I could do this on my own, but the accountability and the joy of seeing all the other folks' lists of blessings and thanksgivings is a joy!  Take a moment and come over to see what I'm talking about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

160.  Morning devotionals together over breakfast.

161.  Laughter and tears as we remember the life of our dear friend, Bob.

162.  Joy of sending handwritten notes by snail mail!

163.  Planting winter pansies and violas.

164.  Reading Margaret Feinberg's Hungry for God.

165.  Reading The Blogger's Prayer (thanks to Ann for posting it!) (http://www.aholyexperience.com/).

166.  Lessons learned -- again!

167.  Celebration of Bob's life with his family and friends.

168.  Time spent with Bob's family enjoying memories and stories.

169.  Joy of worship and celebrating The Last Supper.

170.  Quiet Sunday afternoon.

171.  Monday morning and giving thanks!

Hope to see you over at A Holy Experience.



Counting One Thousand Gifts with Ann Voskamp - #2

Today is Monday and that means I have the opportunity to share with you God's wondrous grace and what I've added this last week to my list of a thousand gifts He has provided:

120.  Chance encounter with amazing woman of faith named Marilyn.
121.  Bible study with Margie, Julie and Gail.
122.  Quiet time for writing and reflection.
123.  First MOPS meeting of the year and new moms.
124.  Powerful Sunday message from our pastor wife.
125.  Baby Lillian's safe arrival -- happy mom and dad, Wendy and Chad.
126.  Seeing Gail once more before she goes home to Florida.
127.  Goodness of kids helping others, especially their parents.
128.  Patience of my flute instructor, Sarah.

How has God graced your life this week?  Want to share with us?  Come on over to Ann's place, http://www.aholyexperience.com/, and link up to share your thoughts and gifts.  Also, take time to see some of Ann's amazing photography on her post today.  Just click below and you can be there in a flash!

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

See you there!

Counting One Thousand Gifts with Ann Voskamp -- #1

If you haven't read Ann Voskamp's beautiful book, One Thousand Gifts, you really should.  God's grace has been taught to me by pastors, Sunday School teachers, my parents, and other folks along the way.  Ann, however, has written so beautifully about God's grace and how we can see it in everyday acts and things that my concept of grace has changed monumentally!  Not only that I've learned so much about gratitude from Ann's book -- gratitude isn't just about being thankful in the bigger things but in the lesser also. 

One of Ann's challenges to her readers is to begin keeping a list of one thousand gifts.  I've recently started my list, and today I'm joining Ann at A Holy Experience, along with many others in offering gratitude for my gifts in recent days:

103.  Juicy red tomatoes
104.  New moms coming to MOPS
105.  Sunday School teachers
106.  Good MRI results for Bob
107.  Joy of seeing Kylie ready for dance class
108.  Beck's return to the south
109.  Jeremiah 29:11
110.  Visit with friend from Florida
111.  Sundays
112.  Anticipation of new baby in the family come December
113.  New friendships
114.  Fall shadows
115.  Sounds of rain
116.  Rest from a good night's sleep
117.  Waking to sounds of rain on the roof
118.  Kitty brushing love against my legs
119.  Good phone talk with older son Craig

Even if you haven't read the book, start now counting your gifts from God.  His love is all powerful and encompasses us with warmth and gifts unimaginable until we stop to take account of them.  Join us each Monday to share your gifts!

Are We THAT Old?

My husband and I have been struggling with some hip and back issues, respectively.  In a conversation last Saturday with our older son, he mentioned "dropping by" that afternoon.  I cautioned that the house he might find wouldn't be the house kept the way he remembers when living at home.  Instantly, we were offered help from son and his wife today to "help" us get caught up on things inside and out.  BAM!  That hit us both hard -- we interpreted it as a statement on our aging (we're 74 and 65!).  We've struggled this week about what to let them do as we all know that no one does things the way we do ourselves.

A friend pointed out that they are trying to do the only thing they can and know to do.  Our medical issues are beyond their control and assistance, so they are looking for a way to ease the burdens in our lives.  She is most likely correct.  We've prayed for God to shower us with gracious thoughts and attitudes today as we don't want to have hurt feelings among family, and we want to honor our son and daughter-in-law's caring nature. 

Our plan is to take them to lunch so that we can at least have some time of sharing about our recent days and weeks, and also to spend time with our son who travels out of town quite a bit in his job.  The reality is we don't see them often even though we live in the same town, so beyond the help offered this is a chance to spend quality time together. 

Father, I ask that you watch over our thoughts, words and deeds today that we will honor Craig and Gigi and their caring for us.  Give us quality time together and sharing around the table not only sustenance for our bodies but for our souls.  Amen.

Q4U:  What similar experiences have you had and how did you handle them?