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