My Favorite Reads This Year!

I had the wonderful adventure of going to Aruba this past July with some great friends. It was the perfect place for me to grab a couple of great books to relax and soak up some sun. Here were my two favorites, The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer and Kristin Kimball's The Dirty Life.

Check out The Art of Stillness By Pico Iyer- I originally heard an interview with the author on NPR and became intrigued. Iyer's adventures are poignant. He mixes personal experience with real life facts about taking time to unplug and the places we can go when we do. I'm getting ready to read this again at the start of 2017!

The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball has her own site, too!

Kimball found a new love and shares her hilarious journey of starting her very own CSA in upstate NY with the man she couldn't resist. It reaffirmed for me how satisfying it is to get dirty working hard. I also came to appreciate the relationship of farming even more and just how much goes into bringing the food we love right to our own tables. In one part she explains how we don't reap what we sow. 

"We reap what we sow, hill, cultivate, fertilize and harvest."

However, I cannot leave out my third fave which was what our community worked to put together................

To see what others have read this year, check out www.katemotaung.com

Top Posts of 2016 for FMF!

It's hard to believe the year is rapidly approaching an end. This is the first year I have reviewed what were my readers' favorites; a lot of action words. Here's what I discovered they loved.

1. Now- Five Minute Friday December 16

2.Test- October

3. Collect September

4.Five September

5.Team August

6.Build July

7.Rest June

8.Pass April

9. Limit February

10. Present January




Thanks so much for reading and your feedback! It has been such a blessing to be part of Five Minute Friday. I not only love writing, but also reading the many great posts from others each week. It reminds me of a chant I've taught my students:

Cooperate, cooperate!

Let's all cooperate!

Work together! Help each other!

Make a great team!

This is what the Five Minute Friday community means to me. We do it beautifully! Thanks, Kate and all my fellow writers and readers at FMF! I am looking forward to another great year with all of you.

Now-Five Minute Friday

Now I am home.

Now I am comfortable.

Now I am relaxed and full.


This morning I was not.

What if I miss it?

What if I lose it?

What if I forget?

What if there is no one to help?

What if? What if? What if?

It swirled. It stacked and echoed in my head.

Then I read today's prompt: now

Now is what I needed to hear and read.

Now is the time to ..........


Not

Overload myself

With details of what if

Now, live in it!

Move in it!

Function with what I have right in front of me.

Baby steps.

Now I can breathe and focus.

STOP

Matthew 6:24: "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NASB)

To see what others are doing it their now, check out www.katemotaung.com

Five Minute Friday- Joy is........

I've hemmed and hawed about what to write for this week's prompt. Hats off to our dear friend, Andrew who really got down to the nitty gritty. I had to reread what he wrote a few times as joy is not something that comes easy for me. Like most, I have not mastered it and yet my life is far better than many in our world today. To be honest, I don't know how many of us have truly found the secret to joy as our culture is so obsessed with the frivolous entertainment of silly videos on FB or youtube. They make us laugh, but they don't sustain us through those tough times in life that we all have to face sooner or later. They don't answer the deeper questions of why and how. I tried to summarize a few thoughts of details in different situations that can bring us joy.

My pastor explained to me that the Greek word joy means "calm delight, but is directed towards a person. It means we can rule over our struggles with joy because of Christ! The Hebrew mindset is that joy is tied to a relationship with God. The main word is Simcha and is a shared joy. The Jewish mindset is one of community." I am thankful to be part of this online community Five Minute Friday each week!

So all of this has been ruminating and led to this in five:

Joy is knowing we can stop wasting

Everything has value

Apple cores, ends of celery stalks, eggs shells 

Paper towels and worms can all go together

Organic materials

Heat from the sun, cooking up something great

Our disappointments, times burned and punctured

Adding something vital

Understanding compassion and sacredness of life

Moments when the sun pops up each morning

Knowing there is an end to every storm

Sooner or later we will laugh again

Finding the smallest details to be thankful for

Waking up from a serious complication

Finding out six months later the doctor on call,

was the best you could get because God took care of it

You couldn't pick that one, but He did

STOP

To see how others define joy and find it check out www.katemotaung.com

Crave- Five Minute Friday on Saturday morning

Here we are once again. I read the prompt last night, but decided to let it simmer while I slept. Craving connection is something all of us have built into us. The problem becomes when we don't crave it anymore. As frustrating as it can be to not have what you long for and live in the tension of that, at least you know you're alive and not just existing. When we don't feel pain anymore, we're as good as dead. Here is what I cam up with for today.

You pine for something 

You lust and long

Nothing else satisfies

Not even Snickers

The friendly cat who purrs

He keeps brushing up, around,

against your legs

He needs it, too

The ninety-six year old who has

seen more to life than most of us

She rocks, she gazes, she aches

When a visit is over she wants to 

hold on to it and you

The single who comes home to darkness

Night after night, she wants it, too

A touch of a hand, the warmth of a hug

Conversation and smiles to share

Crave we do

STOP

To see what others crave check out www.katemotaung.com

Surrender-Five Minute Friday time

It's a gray day outside today and I am still in my jammies. I'm not a Black Friday shopper, so here I am getting an early start on this week's prompt. It certainly wasn't what I expected for the day after Thanksgiving, but it is what it is and here I am to respond and write. This is what I came up with in five today.



The old time hymn plays in my head- "I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Jesus Blessed Savior, I surrender all."

Yet a white flag waving also materializes.

I wonder how many have seen this picture of a woman donning a colorful hat with the caption, "Life is all about how you handle Plan B"?

How many have had to go with a Plan B or even C when life throws curves we never anticipated?

I have learned to surrender expectations. Plans for school have always been written in pencil, but now I live with Plan B or C on a regular basis. It's life.

STOP

To see what others are surrendering, check out www.katemotaung.com

Acra

I know a place north in the Catskills

It takes some time to drive

I venture here for a vacation

I travel for a real good time

Through small towns, along tree lined roads

I know this place, there are times I long to go

Across the mighty Hudson, up route 23

Different businesses, lots of rock and trees

Off the main highway, an old country town

Pictures of veterans posted throughout

Some bends and curves til I turn off

Finally a long stretch lined with fences

Equines grazing post to post

I turn in and up a long, dirt road  

I can't wait to see the barn

I can't wait to ride her

Out of my Forester, into the aisle

Smells of fresh hay and horses, make me smile

Grooming kits lined up outside stalls

My friend munches hay until I call, 

She pokes her head out over the door

"There you are!" 

Her soft muzzle searches, "Did you bring me something more?

 I put her halter on, then give her a pat

I lead out this big, brown, beautiful draft

Patient and still,  she enjoys being groomed

She picks up her hooves now, she gives us room 

All tacked up we head out the barn door

Leaving the arena, she won't be bored

Catskills stretch for miles and miles

We head east with others, single file

Up and down rugged terrain, ears perk up

More aware, she listens and surveys

Her nostrils flare, she has spring in her step

We soak in the sun, my worries I forget

Trotting over hills and through deep
woods

I wish life was always this good  

Enjoy-Five Minute Friday

the ride home at dusk

sparkling diamonds in ebony at twilight

waking up to a new day dawning

tweets and chirps greeting

fresh, brewed coffee awakening

children bustling and hustling through hallways

smiles and laughter spreading

watching them building and playing


imagine a future when they can and will

build bigger and better

the moments

a ride on a tram

twists, turns, slopes and flats

enjoy

remember nothing stays exactly the same

STOP

Genesis 1:25 "God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind ; and God saw that it was good." (NASB)

To see what others enjoy, check out www.katemotaung.com

Yum, Yum Butternut

It's November when squashes are plentiful

Butternut, acorn, spaghetti

Hard, smooth, round and oblong

All with a solid, stiff, stem

I can't bite into them like an apple

Yet with the right tools, some time, and skill,

I can create something scrumptious to eat. 

I love butternut squash soup.

Thick, sweet, savory and warmed.

It's not easy to create, it takes some work.

Is anything worth having without some work?

My serrated peeler helps me peel off the light, peach

colored skin, revealing the rich flesh beneath.

My chef's knife helps me halve it and cut off the

bottom and top, before scraping out the seeds.

Then I cube the flesh before tossing it in a pot 

of chicken broth, while fresh, sliced, peeled apples

sautee with thinly sliced onions in coconut oil.

The aroma is rich and sweet. It swirls above my stove.

I give them time to cook. The heat makes everything

tender, before I combine everything in one and blend.

A dash of cinnamon, some maple syrup, cayenne pepper

along with cream, blends beautifully together in my

large pot with a handy immersion blender.

It is perfect on a cold day with a hunk of hard, crusty 

fresh bread.  It is edible only after I have taken my tools

and time, to prepare it, and then let elements transform it.

It is a lot like life. It reminds me of relationships with people.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)

If I hope to have something delectable and full of nutrients to satisfy,

I need to prepare. I must have the right tools and be ready to use them.

I must have time to put into the process and not rush it. 

Microwaveable, relationships are NOT, time consuming they are.

I also need to know what to discard as compost and what is worth

keeping to cook and savor.  I must have a purpose and a plan.

I must follow the recipe instructions I was given. 

There are rules to respectful and honest communication.

When followed they allow for the dance of flavors to mesh together,

swirling and filling the air with a rich, sweet aroma wetting appetites.

We can create something satisfying, warming our hearts and homes.

We can satisfy our souls and bless others, if we are willing and able to

put in the effort and the time. We can use what we are given or harvest.

We can make something wonderful out of it. We can be a living example.

I don't know who thought of taking a funny looking squash and transforming

it into such a yummy autumn soup, but I'm so glad they did!

Colossians 3:23 "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,

not for human masters."

James 1:12 "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those that love Him."

Common- Five Minute Friday

I thought and thought about this one on and off throughout today. I had hoped to come up with something more uplifting, but guess I am just a bit taken back at current state of humanity today.

Easily found, ubiquitous

Nothing to jump for joy over

BUT where has common decency,

courtesy, and sense gone?

What was common sense years ago,

is NOT so common anymore.  

And so it has become novel, prized

or despised; depending on each one's

point of view.

I can't stand the lack of it today!

How do we find common ground when

what was once ingrained and underlying

for so long is gradually eroding away to

nothing?

STOP

Psalm 11:3 "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (NIV)

To see what others have found common, check out www.katemotaung.com

Journey=Five Minute Friday

There were so many thoughts that came to mind for this, but only so few minutes. I could've kept writing for another fifteen at least. This is what I got in five today.

"One million miles, it starts with a step or two," someone once said. Ups, downs, twists and turns. 

My journey to Syracuse, NY began at four something yesterday morning. The birds are not even awake then, but I was. It was a long day and a long trip, not without unexpected twists. My colleague, Monique and I, went to the registration desk to sign in for the conference and they could not find our paperwork. After about fifteen minutes, they found it. All I could think in the interim was, "Don't tell me I go up at 4:00 a.m. and drove three hours to come to something I can't attend now." It worked out. 

I am out of time now.

Life is full of the unexpected. Roll with it. It's not always beautiful, but in the end, may we be able to say it was a beautiful ride.

STOP

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 "We urge you brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for another and for all people. rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Sky

It has no limit

It covers us

It kisses the land and seas

Calming at dawn

Dancing at sunset

Sparkling at midnight

A background beckoning


Open space inviting

Where does it begin?

Where does it end?

The higher you go,

the colder it gets

A barrier protecting

A place only a few have traveled beyond

Atmosphere almost any color

Bringing us weather and change

Eat-Five Minute Friday on a late Saturday

Funny that this week's prompt is "eat" as I spent most of the day cooking. I tried two new recipes, a potato leek soup with bacon and a sweet potato and black been chili. Both came out pretty good.  However, what came to mind is sweeter memories of days long passed.


"Let her eat," my grandfather would answer my mother back. It didn't matter if I had just finished eating lunch before visiting with my parents. Grandpa's meatballs were the best.

For Italians, there is never anything as too much food. Eat and feast we must and we do. My father, Frank was always trying out new recipes and always made sauce from scratch. It was a joy for him to provide a scrumptious meal and see me and others eat and eat and eat. It feels good, like home, when I'm able to the same for others. 

Alice Waters philosophy is, "Eat together. Food is precious. Cook together. Include your family and friends and especially children." 


What a gift and art it truly is!

STOP

To see what others have cooked up this week, check out www.katemotaung.com

Park- Five Minute Friday

It's that time again when each week a bunch of us set our timers and write or type for five minutes flat. This week's prompt is .......

Park

Park it
Sit on a bench
Watch and Wait
Let the fresh air fill you
Let sunshine splash on your face



Whistle or listen
Marvel at beauty dancing in leaves
Gaze and catch miracles
Leave your worries behind
Hear him, the red bird, sing


Rest your tense muscles
Relax and ponder
Park it in a park

Find a new one, a new scene
Choose different seasons
Respond to nature's call

Watch, observe, appreciate

Be still in the sacred moment

This sacred place

STOP

To see what others have come up with check out www.katemotaung.com

Mail- Five Minute Friday

Our new prompt for the week is "mail".  I love sending and getting mail, so that is what came to mind for my five minute free write this time. I hope someone is encouraged to revert to snail mail. I know it's outdated and old fashioned, but it has value. I think if something is not broken we shouldn't fix it. Enjoy the read this week and if you have time you can check out what others have posted at:

www.katemotaung.com

I wish we could get mail from heaven.  I would love to be able to still send cards or letters to my loved ones long gone. I would love to write out all my questions to God and get a response back.  There's something about those handwritten notes and cards I still love to give and get. The mail with a handwritten address, colorful stamp, and a few stickers on the outside can always brighten someone's day.

Recently, I read of a church that set up a booth to provide free cards and stamps to whomever would like to send that personalized note. One lady said she only texted her mom and asked for help. She didn't even know how to address the envelope.

STOP!

Test-Five Minute Friday

Tonight I am going to try something different for the post. Instead of writing it out first, I am going to just type and see how it comes out. Ideas have been floating through my mind all day today about this word which can evoke so many different emotions in different people. So I am setting the timer and am off.

Ready. Set. Go.

The first thing that came to my mind was the verse in psalms- Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (NASB)

An image of a battery commercial came to mind also. You know how good something is by how it responds in extreme temperatures or conditions. If it can hold its own, it's worth its weight in gold.

Then there's all the testing we do do in public schools today -YUCK! YUCK! AND DOUBLE YUCK! Welcome to America's public school system, if it moves, we test it and not just once or twice.

One of the most sobering thoughts of a test though is the test of time. We truly see what and who people are over the long haul. True colors come shining through in all kinds of weather.

I am also reminded of Joseph when he recognized his brothers after all those years. He didn't just throw open his arms right away and tell them how much he missed them and let them feast to their heart's content. He tested them!

STOP

To see what others have been tested with check out www.katemotaung.com

Collect for Five Minute Friday

Collect yourself, your things, your thoughts

Gather everything in one place

Hold it together

There are so many collections to be had and stored. And they will all wear out just like a garment. In fact, can you think of any collections that have remained totally intact before you or your mom or your grandparents were even born? 

I only know of the Bible, a collection of writings from over 2,000 years ago, and it still holds value for today. The words were spoken, written down and have been shared so many times. The message sticks.

STOP

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, or both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (NASB)

To see what others have collected, check out www.katemotaung.com

Time for Ten at Exploring the Writer's Craft

This morning I had the privilege of participating in a free writer's workshop where we were given ten glorious minutes to write about any topic after reading a mentor text. It impressed upon me even more that I need to make time for that on a daily basis. I need to just stop and clear my head. Here is what I came up with this morning and later revised again and again.

Time for ten minutes
Last night it was five
How often do I do this?
How often do I sigh?

Breathe in deeply, exhale out
Let words flow freely
Time for five or ten is how

Let the ink flow purposely 
moving words through and out
World of work in motion paused
Heart strings resonate now

Don't get this much 
Doesn't come knockin' on my door
Art of stillness in writing
Allows focus and so much more

I am running out of time
Running out of space
Blocking all else out just to write 
Five or ten is what it takes

Phone turned off, beauty sitting still 
Writing what I value, what I love
This really is not new

Again, won't come knockin'
But other voices will
They can wait till I'm done
So for now, I bid them adieu

How much more can I say?
Will I stick to this now?
Perhaps reminders on my i-phone
Can encourage this vow

Stop and write, 
Reflect, look outside
Stillness beckons and woos me
Right now it is LOUD!

My body will thank me
This can help keep me sane
Tick, tick, tick, time's almost up
Time for ten was the frame

Five on Five Minute Friday

I wonder how long it's been since I joined this online community. I don't know if its been five years yet. I will have to look and see. 

Next year it will be five years since my dad passed away which is hard to believe. 

Five is a mile marker, halfway to a decade. They seem to go faster and faster. I am always wanting just five more of something like sleep or time to finish everything.

How I wish everything in the world would pause at 5:00 for five. Maybe I should start that and see if it helps. Take five at 5:00 and think of five great things.

Who, what, when, where and why.

STOP

wwwkatemotaung.com to see what others have come up with for "Five".

Listen- Five Minute Friday

I love to see his flaming, red plumage and bright, orange beak. He is my favorite. Yet I have learned to recognize his tweet; high pitched and very boisterous, at times. As soon as I hear it, I know it is him. He loves to hide in shrubs and tall, dark evergreen trees, so there are many times I can't see him. Yet I know he is there. I know his call.



How often it can be with God's mysterious ways. If we have trained our ears and quieted ourselves enough, we can hear Him. Even if He's not flashing brightly in everyday circumstances, we can learn to follow the voice of the King.

STOP

I Kings 19:11-13 "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here Elijah?' " (NIV)


To see what other have come up with this week check out www.katemotaung.com

More Healing

Sometimes we don't know what needs healing until something breaks. It's easy to keep busy with duties at work or home, but when the busyness halts, what comes floating to the surface? What oozes out? What is heard and seen?

Proverbs 27:17  reads, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." (NASV)

I am so thankful for those people who do that in my life!  They are honest and real with me. Like a bathroom mirror, they can reveal how I come across. Even as I am getting older, I see I am still in need of some sharpening. Nobody's perfect and I have certainly not arrived.

After a long talk with a dear friend last night, I was stimulated to think of three straight to the point questions.

• Does the issue or feeling keep me from fulfilling my everyday responsibilities?
• Does it interfere with my relationships?
• Does it keep me from enjoying life?

If I answer yes to one or more of those questions, the warning lights are flashing.  It's time to put the car in park and take a look underneath.  Healing comes when the truth sets us free. 

Each year I get my car inspected. Every three thousand miles, the oil gets changed. Eventually the tires and brakes need to be replaced. If I don't keep these regular service appointments, it will be sure to break. The day will come when I won't be going anywhere except to the shop for some major repairs.

Just like my car, I need to make time for emotional/mental health check ups. I need to keep the people I trust and love close by. I need to let them challenge me and make time for that to happen. I thank God for those who already have.

Heal-Five Minute Friday

Google defines it as "cause to become sound or healthy again".

How? Depends on the wound.

I remember my very first surgery over ten years ago. I had an abdominal myomectomy for a fibroid that was nearly 18cm long. They cut me straight down to remove it. No driving for two weeks or lifting over ten pounds, but I did need to get up and walk.

The very first time, I needed help getting up from the hospital bed. A nurse supported me as I held on to stand up and take those first few steps. I hated it, but each day got a little easier.

STOP

John 5:8-9 "Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. (NIV)

To see what others have to say, check out www.katemotaung.com

Path- Five Minute Friday

For those of you who don't know what Five Minute Friday is, I will briefly explain. Each Friday, I join with several other writers to respond to a one word prompt that is given on Kate Montaug's web-site. We set our timers for five minutes and write whatever comes to mind. No editing, just a fun free write using whatever she gives us. This week's prompt is.........PATH


This is what I came up with today.

When we travel the same path again and again, it becomes well worn, flatter or deeper. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote,"Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path."

Be intentional, make time.


Have a purpose.

Perhaps start or blaze a new trail,

but then use it often and see where it may lead you.

Every year I try to learn something new. This year it was how to can tomatoes. A new skill for me, a new pathway in my brain, a new gift to give others and share. Time will tell where it leads me. Anything is better than leaving weeds to choke an unused path and thrive.

My neighbor, Ida helped!

STOP

To see what others from our online community have drummed up check out www.katemotaung.com

Loyal- Five Minute Friday

I picture a golden retriever, man's best friend, the ultimate symbol of loyalty.

I think of the people in my life who I've enjoyed friendships with for almost twenty years or more.

Praise God!

Yet I also think of how I've kept many of the same doctors for several years. It is a pleasure to return to the same dentist every six months. I started seeing him at age 15 and have kept on ever since. He is a kind man, who loves Jesus, and takes great care of my teeth. When I go, he'll often greet me with a smile and say,"It's a pleasure to be serving you today."

My gynecologist, another very caring and compassionate man, has cared well for me during some very complicated health issues. I would not have wanted any other professional to help me get through the issues I had to deal with.

My chiropractor, has not only been there to relieve aches and pains, but also listened extensively and has pointed me in the right direction for health matters many a time.

I am thankful for these men in my life, the witness of God's love and the excellence shown through them. It is easy to remain loyal to such as these.

Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (NIV)

STOP!

To see what others have posted this week check out www.katemotaung.com

A Day of Great Team Work!

Today is my grandmother's birthday. She would've been 88 years old. It is the first year our tradition of celebrating our birthdays together was broken. We were both born in this month.

However, to honor her life and memory we held a special service at her graveside and celebrated with a nice lunch afterwards. I am so grateful for all of the people who contributed to make this day so special and lovely.

Thanks be to God for great weather-not a cloud in the sky and not too hot!




Thanks to all the people who came! What a pleasure to meet some friends of Mom moms who have known her since they were kids. Also to see some of my cousin's friends who came out to support all of us.

Thanks to my cousin and her hubby for setting up the tent canopy, chairs, getting the good china for us to eat off, and the red carnations. (Red carnations were Mom moms favorite!)

Thanks to my Aunt for helping with clean up and bringing her long time friend.

Thanks to my Aunt's friend, Barbara for the beautiful poem she wrote about Mom Moms.

Thanks to my brother and his fiancee, Nikki for joining us via FaceTime.




Thanks to my friend, Cynthia for letting us use the fellowship hall at her church for the luncheon.

Thanks to my loving pastor for his encouraging and beautiful words to everyone. Also for the time he visited my grandmother in the hospital when she was dying and the time he spent with my family and I afterwards in talking about how we can all honor her.









Thanks to my mom, Linda who helped with set up and clean up for our lunch.

Thanks to Guy and Cherish, brother and sister in law of my new family, for being there and helping to set up for our lunch.




Everyone cooperated. We worked together. We helped each other. Today we came together as a team to honor my grandmother on her special day, the day she was born, and IT WAS GREAT!

Psalm 133:1 "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."