Five Minute Friday ~ Again

“Again, Mommy! Again!”

Joyous toddler cries still faintly echo in my memory even today. In my mind’s eye, I see dimpled, chubby toddler hands reaching up, waiting to be spun around for the umpteenth time. But it’s been a long time since a baby or toddler has lived in this house.

Now those toddler cries have been replaced by the following requests:

“Mom, can I have $10 for the youth group activity tonight?”

Again?

“Mom, can you take me to volleyball practice in 10 minutes?

Again?

“Mom, can my friends sleepover Friday night?”

Again?

I know there will come a day when those requests grow fewer and then silent as each one of my children matures, moves out, and starts their own lives outside these four walls.

So, for now, I try with all my heart and soul to relish the requests of my pre-teen and teenagers, to hang on to each moment with these cherished kids of mine. And I try to remember that someday I’ll wish for their requests – again.

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This is an entry for Five Minute Friday. Every Friday hundreds of writers join in this five minute writing exercise at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog, Tales from a Gypsy Mama.

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa-Jo posts on her blog. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

Have a blog? You can join in, too!

 

Opportunity Knocks

It was 10 p.m. on Friday night when I finally sat down with my laptop to start the Five Minute Friday writing prompt. The word for this week was “opportunity,” and I had some good ideas that I just had to get down on paper. 

That’s when my teenage daughter and her friend bounced into the room with a pile of games.

“Will you play games with us, Mom?” she asked. 

I glanced at my screen and decided this opportunity - the one that offered a connection with my daughter and her friend - was the one worth taking. Writing could wait. 

They say opportunity only knocks once. 

I disagree.

Opportunity knocks every hour, every minute, every second of our lives. 

Sometimes we answer. Sometimes we ignore it. 

But the opportunities are always there. Waiting. 

Opportunities to put others before ourselves. To play with our kids instead of work. To look into the eyes of a hurting stranger and offer a smile. To choose forgiveness and overlook an offense. To pray with our families and discuss things that matter. To laugh and make memories.

We have over 8,600 hours' worth of opportunities ahead of us in 2013. What will you do with the opportunities set before you?

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:15-16

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 I'm linking this post up at the Time-Warp Wife's Titus2sdays Link Up Party... check out her site by clicking the button below!

One Little Word = Big Impact!

Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page... Take no interest in the things that were and are past.  ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Last year, we started a new tradition at our house in honor of the New Year. Instead of making resolutions, we each chose a word to focus on during the year. 

This year as we gathered at the table on New Year's Day, I realized that this tradition had quickly become one of my favorites. I handed each member of our family an index card, and we all bent into our cards, writing our soon-to-be-revealed word and a scripture to accompany it.

Then, one by one, we revealed our words. It's a vulnerable moment, sort of like baring your soul and trusting that those hearing your word will "get it" and be supportive. Because that's what family does.

And that's exactly what happened.

Some of the words were simple and others were a bit more complicated and needed some explanation. We all sat and listened and supported one another as we each shared our thoughts about our word.

Did I mention this is one of my favorite traditions? Maybe, just maybe, it IS my favorite.

My word for the year is a simple one, yet so very profound: PRAY.

To me, this is the word that helps me make sense of life. But I don't pray nearly as much as I should. But this year, God willing, I intend to become a woman of prayer!

Dwight L. Moody once said, "Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure." If I'm craving to see God at work in my life and the lives of those I love, this is where it starts... with a fervent focus on prayer.

When I was a little girl, my mother used to sing me a little chorus, and the truths of these simple words have stuck with me all these years:

Why worry when you can pray?

Trust Jesus, He'll be your stay.

Don't be a doubting Thomas,

Rest fully on His promise, 

Why worry, worry, worry, worry

When you can pray?

Can one little word really change a life? I'm willing to find out! Are you? There's still time to choose your word!