Blue // Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes.  No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart.  To find out more, visit http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/.  This week's word is "BLUE".
 
The word for this week stumped me big time because "blue" is an adjective, not a verb. Had several ideas running through my mind, but it wasn't until my husband handed me the mail this afternoon that I knew exactly what to write about for Five Minute Friday!

A couple months ago, I discovered #fmfpartysnailmail where Christian women/writers gathered together to exchange cards with one another. We were divided into small groups and given names, home and email addresses, and blog info (if provided). Only two of the eight ladies in my group shared their blog which gave us a tiny glimpse into their lives. Other than that, we were writing pure strangers.

We knew nothing about one other except for our names and addresses. So what do you write to a stranger that doesn't come across cheesy and hollow? How do you send encouragement when you have no clue what someone is going through?

I admit that I stared at the first blank card for over an hour trying to figure what to write. Then, I wrote and rewrote (and rewrote) the card and then trashed it in frustration. I had no clue what to send the first person on the list and it turned into quite an opportunity for prayer. And not only prayer, it was a lesson on waiting on God to write the words on each card. Sometimes I don't know why I wrote the things I wrote except that God kept impressing on my heart to share certain verses, quotes, or experiences with these women. And by reading the cards that were sent to me, it looks like they went through the same prayer process, too! Every single card that was placed in my mailbox was filled with something timely, encouraging, God-specific, and even challenging.

I was amazed at how random strangers can speak so personally to one another through their own vulnerability and sharing what God is teaching them through their quiet times with Him. The quotes, verses, insights, and prayers were ones that came from women just like me. Maybe we aren't such strangers after all for we share that common bond of desiring God and desiring to walk faithfully and unhindered with Him. What a reason to come together and encourage one another!

It reminds me of Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Psalm 25:11 also comes to mind: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."

Aside from desiring God, the other commonality with these cards is that all but two of them contained a shade of blue! How fitting to close out Round Six of #fmfpartysnailmail!

Rise // Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes.  No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart.  To find out more, visit http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/.  This week's word is "rise".

As soon as I saw the word 'rise' for this week, the song "Hosanna (Praise is Rising)" instantly came to mind.  The song opens up with "Praise is rising / eyes are turning to You / we turn to You / hope is stirring / hearts are yearning for You / we long for You."

It follows on the heels of the verses I've been meditating on this week. Plus, leave it to God to round out last week's blog on "follow" (John 10:27) with these verses as well! 

"Seven times each day I stop and shout praises for the way you keep everything running right. For those who love what you reveal, everything fits--no stumbling around in the dark for them. I wait expectantly for your salvation; God I do what You tell me."
Psalm 119:164-168 (MSG)

"Put Your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by Your counsel. I'm homesick, God, for Your salvation; I love it when You show Yourself! Invigorate my soul so I can praise You well, use your decrees to put iron in my soul. And should I wander off like a lost sheep--seek me. I'll recognize the sound of your voice."
Psalm 119:173-176 (MSG)

I've been struck by the thought that David was specific enough (as displayed in every version of the Bible) to say "Seven times a day do I praise Thee" (KJV). Why seven times? It's an odd number yet it's used to represent "often" or "repeatedly". What would happen if we made a conscious effort to praise God seven times a day (the kind of praise that goes beyond the generic 'thank you' that we offer up at mealtimes)?

At seven times a day, our praise can't do anything but rise! And when our praise rises, our eyes, mind, and heart shift upward as our focus moves to God instead of ourselves. Praise makes our hearts yearn for more of God as we see more of Him. Praise keeps our mind occupied because it gives us something to do in the waiting. And praise brings us back to God when we've wandered too far because praise trains our feet to follow Him.

Do you see that challenge in Psalm 119:164 to make your praise rise seven times a day, too? 

Follow // Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes.  No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart.  To find out more, visit http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/.  This week's word is "follow".

In a noisy world where everything vies for our attention, we lose so many sounds that were once prominent in our lives. We lose the sound of productivity as we get sucked into another five minutes of reading Facebook statuses or tweets while not realizing that we've been engrossed for 45 minutes already. We lose the sound of individuality as we try to emulate those we feel have arrived or have achieved something great as if they are the only ones that know the way. We lose the sound of our voice as we hear other Christians gossip and ridicule us as we try to stand up for what is right and live according to God's Word.

And in all of that, we lose the sound of God's voice because we've become accustomed to hearing whatever is speaking the loudest to us at that time. We lose the sound of His voice because we lose sight of His face, His ways, and His grace. We mask His lasting peace and joy for temporary happiness and instant thrills that this world gives us because following Him requires more of us than we are willing to give especially over an extended period of time. It's easier to remain a surface Christian and pull our act together in front of other Christians for a few hours each week than it is to live ever radically for Christ as we draw lines in the sand and sift all the noise of this world through Philippians 4:8.  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Yet in John 10:27, Christ says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." I love this verse because it's a statement of fact. If we are truly God's sheep, we will hear His voice and we will choose to follow Him. Hearing God's voice and remembering how sweet it is always prompts action, obedience, and love. His voice has a way of canceling out those things that have no lasting value and don't honor Christ if we choose to hear Him. God's voice calls us out from among our peers, beyond our church services, and over our mere "religion" into a real relationship where following Him becomes our natural response to His voice because we desire nothing else but Him.

Meet // Five Minute Friday

Five Minute Friday (#FMFparty) gives writers a word prompt. We are encouraged to write whatever comes to mind about that word in just five minutes.  No editing, no perfection, only writing from the heart.  To find out more, visit http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/.  This week's word is "meet".

Meet!  lol, that word reminds me of this week when I met my voice teacher for the first time. Yes, voice lessons!!! It's one of the craziest, riskiest, most vulnerable things I've ever done. I'd rather stand in front of a large crowd and speak on any topic than stand in front of someone and open my mouth and sing. And there are moments when I think birthing another child would be easier than singing (yes, it's true).

For many, many years, my mind has been programmed not to sing because I let criticism keep me in silence. I've hidden behind other musical abilities so I wouldn't have to sing. One of my friends told me yesterday that she feels as if I've lied to her about singing, and I've been quite convicted about that. I've always been careful to say that I "don't sing" instead of "can't sing" because there is a slight difference between don't and can't. Honestly though, it's been more of a story of "won't sing".

However, as I move forward in life and in this healing process, God is asking me to sing once again, to open up to the music that is always in my heart (and in the shower and the car and in the public places where I forget that people can't hear my MP3 and are hearing me instead...embarrassing), and to go back to the things that I loved doing before Satan's lies and people's voices drowned out my music. To sing again is such symbolism of opening myself up to God. It means seeing my weaknesses and actually owning up to them. It means relying on God and others rather than myself to grow and succeed. It means jumping over all the hurdles in my mind that tell me why taking voice lessons at this age is the dumbest idea and that it's a totally frivolous activity and I'd be better off taking flute or piano lessons instead. Singing is taking an impossibility and getting to the point of being open enough to let God do with it whatever He wants.

For me, singing is an act of courage, of rising confidence, of healing, of restoration, and of trust as I let go of all the things that keep me from going there with God. These voice lessons aren't about singing as much as they are about obedience and taking steps of faith in being vulnerable before God and others. It's a lesson in learning to be led and instructed rather than always doing the leading and instructing. It's of knowing my inadequacies and moving forward in spite of them. It's a challenge to be met and one that is already proving to be quite a stretching experience just after the first lesson.

Singing is the avenue where the heart and worship meet (Psalm 96:1-4). To regain confidence in singing would be a picture of unhindered worship...of raw vulnerability where talent and ability don't matter as much as the music that arises from the journey of a heart that's finally vulnerable before God.

Meet.

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Psalm 96:1-4