Five Minute Friday - Broken

Yeah, yeah, so I missed Five Minute Friday and am posting this on Saturday. That's 
okay :) Today's word is Broken.

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So I read the word and had no clue what to write. What's broken? I looked it up at dictionary.com - reduced to fragments, ruptured, torn, fractured, not functioning properly, out of working order... Sounds painful. 

I think of broken things - a mirror, that cute ceramic night light shaped like dolphins but most of the tails and fins have fallen off, the heart of that woman who's husband said he no longer loved her. The first two, annoying. That last one, terrible.

How varying the results of brokenness can be! I read other ladies' posts hoping to gain inspiration for my own. Not sure if that's "cheating" or not, but I did it. And something that stood out to me is how God takes our broken pieces and makes something new and wonderful out of them. But I'll let the ones that thought of that keep the claim on that idea.

I tried racking my brain and searching Bible references for the word broken but all I came up with were warnings about diseases. Gross.

Then I thought about how it's Easter weekend and Jesus and the Disciples' last supper, and how He told them to break the bread. Ah, yes. A way to tie in the coming holiday and give this a moral lesson. But alas, I have no lesson to teach. Just a reminder that God loves us and sent His Son to die for us, and the hope that comes with knowing that Jesus rose again.

And that is enough :)

Click here for more posts on Broken and click the button below to find out how Five Minute Fridays started and how you can join in the unedited fun! Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Check out my photo from two years ago: Easter Morning

Healing Your Broken Heart - Guest Post

My friend Johnette posted this and I just think it is a wonderful example of God's love for us. Used with permission.

When I was 12 years old, some college kids came to our church. They did a skit and I never will forget it. They did it as mimes. And it was a girl with her heart. She carried it around and was so careful. But she was quick to give it to a group of friends because she wanted friends so bad. They threw her heart around, laughed and let her heart drop on the floor and it broke in pieces. She cried as she picked up her heart and taped it back together. Now her heart was even more fragile. She carried it even more carefully. Then a cute boy flirted with her, smiled... and asked for her heart. At first she said no. But he continued, and she gave him her heart. She was so happy. He was everything to her. He took her out and even held out his arm for her to hold... until another pretty girl walked by. He dropped her heart and ran to the new girl. Now her heart was shattered. It was so bad she had to sweep it into her hands. She couldn't even put it together. She held it close to her chest and just wept. She heard a voice and looked up into the sky... and shook her head and grabbed the shattered heart even closer. The voice called again asking for her heart... the stubborn look on her face, she shook her head even harder grasping her broken heart so tight you couldn't see it at all. The voice called again... of course it was God... and He softly was telling her He loved her, and He would mend her broken heart. He wouldn't laugh at her, leave her, or break her heart... just trust Him. She thought back to what all the others had done. She had a hard time. I mean look at all the others I trusted and look at my broken heart. She slowly handed the heart up to Him. Tears flowed down her face, her eyes to the ground... and just stood for a few minutes. Then the voice called again... she looked up... He was handing her something. She reached to take it, and it was her heart. He had fixed her heart. You couldn't even tell it was broken. It was even better than before. She was so happy. She was thrilled! And then God asked for her new heart back. But wait, what should she do? She finally had her heart back... She knew God fixed it, but it was hers. She decided to give her heart to God... and boy the joy that was on her face then! She didn't have to worry, or tightly hold her heart. She knew God had her heart safe and sound in His hands. This is all He wants for you. He wants to love you, protect you and for you to trust Him with your heart and life. He will never hurt you. This meant so much to me and it still does. I hope it will bless you too.

Five Minute Friday - Remember

Hooray! Another Five Minute Friday. Lisa-Jo Baker gives us a word and we just write for five minutes without planning or editing. Today's word is Remember.

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I remember when I was 5 years old and our new neighbors moved in to the house connected to ours. A couple with two boys around the same ages and my brothers and I. The five of us became best of friends and did everything together. Playing soccer in the backyard, board games, video games that I could barely understand, babysitters and cookie jars and koolaid, trading candy out on the front porch after trick-or-treating. Roller blading down the sidewalk. Riding bikes when we were older and allowed to go a few blocks away. Yard sales and birthday parties and missing you when you were on vacation. Excited when I got home from school so we could all hang out. Even more excited when I switched to home schooling and realized we could hang out sooner. Sad when you moved but had a great time throwing a soccer ball down a laundry chute in your new house. Growing up, high school, we've drifted apart some - one of you is now in another state and the other in another country. But we still talk and we'll hang out when you get back. I just want to say how amazing it has been knowing you and I will always remember the good times and look forward to more :)

That's it. For more five minute posts on Remember, click here. To learn more about Five Minute Friday, click the button below.

A Place Prepared For Me

You may have seen my Five Minute Friday post on Home last week. When I saw that was the word for the day, my heart knew I had plenty to say about it. But getting it out into words isn't always the easiest.

It seems like home is all I think about these days. I'm homesick. I hadn't thought about it this way before. But that's what it is. I'm homesick. Not for a place I've loved and left. Believe me, I know there are many people in this world who are away from home and can't wait to get back. But for me homesick has a slightly different meaning. I'm homesick for that home I haven't found yet. I don't know if it's better or worse. 

I can't imagine being a soldier in a foreign country longing for their home. They can picture it, remember how it looks and smells, the way the light shines in or how comfortable the couch is. They can see their family there and remember all the great times they've had. And it must be heartbreaking to not be there. They might sometimes wish that they didn't know what they were missing.

At the same time, I kind of wish I could see my home and what it looks like and the way the sun shines through the windows and the colors and what kind of neighborhood it's in. I want to have an actual picture in my mind. It would make it easier to imagine my husband and I and our friends hanging out, maybe having a barbecue or playing games. To see me trying to make dinner, planting my first garden, meeting the neighbors... After all, it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. If only I could see what I will one day have, it might make the waiting slightly easier.

And yet, I also know that God's plan and timing are perfect, and that the home He one day reveals to us will be more than my husband and I can imagine. And I can't wait for that wonderful surprise! Meanwhile, I'm just praying about it and longing for it more and more every day. I even found myself crying about it to God the other day. And you know what? He already knows. But it felt good to tell Him.

This verse made me smile: See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)

Which then reminded me of this: My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)

God isn't just preparing an earthly home for me - He's preparing a heavenly one! Did you know He's preparing one for you, too?! How awesome to know that God has a place for each one of us to live with Him forever :)

Five Minute Friday - Rest

It's Five Minute Friday again! Today's word is Rest.

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There is always so much to do - piles of laundry and dishes to clean, a ridiculous amount of emails to sort through, mail to be sent, errands to do, dog to be fed and walked and fed and walked again, dinner to be made, books to read... it never ends! And then you need to rest - sleep, take a nice long shower, pray, nap, sit quietly with your thoughts, or even sometimes just relaxing in front of the TV for a little while. Whatever you consider rest, you probably have a hard time finding time for it. And that's where I've been going wrong for so long - sometimes, you just have to figure out what's most important, and leave the rest of it for later so you can rest. You can never do everything. Unsubscribe from some of those emails, get rid of those books that have sat on your shelf unread for years, sort through the clutter and give or throw away things you don't need. (I know, that may sound like adding something else TO your to-do list rather than taking away, but in the long run it will help!! Less things to collect dust, ya know?) Whatever you need to do to give yourself a little less to do each day and a little more time to breathe :)

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (Genesis 2:2)

To read more posts on Rest, click here. And to learn more about Five Minute Fridays click on the button below.

Five Minute Friday - Home

It's Five Minute Friday again! Lisa-Jo Baker gives a one-word prompt, and then you just write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. It's fun and freeing and a little scary, and I look forward to it every week :)
Today's word is Home.

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Home is where the heart is. Right? That's what they always say. And I understand. And I agree, to a certain extent. But for me, I haven't found my home yet.

Home. As in, a place of my own, a place where I don't have to apologize or clean when I don't want to or worry about making plans around the schedules of others who live here. Where I can decorate the way I want and let my friends eat whatever they want out of the fridge. Where I'm not embarassed to tell people where I live or to have them over. I can't wait for a place like that.

This is just me. No big inspiration or thought-provoking story. Just what I think of as a home. Something I long for and dream about and am working towards. And I know that when I get it, I will never take it for granted.

Like the song This is Home by Switchfoot. It's from the Prince Caspian movie soundtrack. And I love what it says:

I've got my memories, always inside of me

But I can't go back, back to how it was

I believe you now, I've come too far

No I can't go back, back to how it was

Created for a place I've never known

This is home, now I'm finally where I belong

Yeah, this is home, I've been searching for a place of my own

Now I've found it, maybe this is home

I can't wait til I can sing that chorus and know that it's true :)

That was it. Hope it made sense but if you don't understand, it's okay. Just something that's been on my mind and with me for a long time.

To read more five minute posts on Home, click here. And for more info about Five Minute Fridays and how you can join in, click the button below.

A Bride In The Bargain

I just finished reading A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist. What a fun novel! Set in 1865-66 Seattle, you will fall in love with the characters and root for them as they stumble their way through relationships and other of life's problems.

Joe Denton moved to the Washington Territory ten years ago, to claim his free plot of land. Single men were allowed 320 acres, married men 640. His wife was to follow him there after he had the land settled and a house built. But she never made it. She died back home. Now, as the Civil War is ending and many women have been widowed or orphaned, businessman Asa Mercer has announced to the men of the Washington Territory that he will go east and find them each a bride - for a fee. Joe thinks this idea is ludicrous. Until the judge tells him that unless he can produce a wife soon, he will lose half of his land, reminding him that single men only got 320 acres. Joe can't lose his land now, not after putting ten years of hard work into it. So he grudgingly pays out the money for a Mercer bride.

Meanwhile, Anna Ivey has lost her whole family because of the war. She is working as a cook at a restaurant in Massachusetts, but the owner is a rude and lewd man who is determined to make Anna his. So when she sees an ad in the paper about a ship taking orphans and war widows to the new world out west, she jumps at the chance. The thing is, Mr. Mercer leads her to believe she is being hired as a cook. Little does she know that across the country, Joe Denton is expecting a wife.

As the back of the book says "The wedding is all planned... Someone just needs to tell the bride."

And of course, many more things go wrong. Funny things happen, dangerous things happen, embarrassing things, and through it all Joe and Anna must decide if they should marry out of convenience or wait for true love.

I highly recommend this book (and any by Deeanne Gist) to anyone who loves romance, history, laughter, and a good book.

You can find Deeanne online at her website and her Facebook page.

Five Minute Friday - Ordinary

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing them over at The Gypsy Mama. No editing. No planning. Just writing. Today's word is Ordinary.

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. - See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/03/five-minute-friday-ordinary-2/#sthash.8In546Sy.dpuf

GO

I'm not ordinary. I know that. I mean sure, I have an average life. I haven't done anything truly awe-inspiring or record-breaking, and on the other end of the spectrum, I haven't done anything too horrifyingly terrible. So, in that way, I guess I'm ordinary. Normal. But beyond that... No. Lol.

I have crazy friends. And I am crazy. I'm a tomboy but I'm not athletic, am scared of bugs and the dark, live in t-shirts, jeans and sneakers but love to wear make-up.

In my mind I'm this free-spirited, go with the flow, fun kind of girl, but in reality I take a while to get ready, get worried and over-think things (although I'll admit I still think I'm fun, most of the time.)

I'm a shy extrovert, a nerd who loves musicals, common-sense smart but not school-smart. A leader who gets ignored and talked over.

And I'm okay with that. I love who God made me. At the same time I'm always wondering what I can do to be better, look better, do better...

But then again, who IS normal? Being "normal" or ordinary, is being different and having quirks. The one's who aren't weird and complicated and confusing are the odd ones, not the normal ones.

And God used, and still uses, ordinary people to do His work. He doesn't just take the strong, confident, super talented or knowledgeable people. He takes normal people like me, and allows them to do extraordinary things.

So yes. I'm unordinary in an ordinary way. Aren't you? I think it's a good thing. And a God thing.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:12-14)

For more posts on Ordinary, click here. To find out more about Five Minute Fridays and how you can join in on the invigorating, inspiring and kinda scary fun, click on the button below.

Arrrgh and Huzzah!

Arrrgh, me mateys. Today be the release of MaryLu Tyndall's newest novel, Forsaken Dreams.

Here be a bit about the book!

Forsaken Dreams - Escape to Paradise Series Book One

They left everything behind to build a new southern utopia.

Colonel Grant Wallace cannot leave his once precious Southern homeland fast enough. After witnessing the death and destruction of the Civil War, he charters a ship and sets sail for the pristine shores of Brazil, eager to start afresh in a new land. Widow Eliza Crawford boards the ship NewHope harboring a dirty secret and a blossoming hope within her heart for a new life away from old memories. But once at sea, troubles abound. Will Grant overcome his demons of bitterness and rage? Can Eliza find the peace she longs for?

 
And here be a bit about MaryLu:

"I'm a multi-published, best-selling author of Inspirational Adventure Romances normally set on the historical high seas.  I spent my early years on the Florida coast, dreaming of adventures at sea with  swashbuckling heroes!  By age 15, I had a thousand stories swirling about in my head, but I never thought I could ever get published, so I took a different path. One that led me far away from my destiny and from the God who created me. I got a degree in Math and Computer Science and spent twenty years working at a career I hated. Still I wrote in my spare time. I couldn't do otherwise. It was who God made me to be. After years of searching  for meaning and after making a mess of my life, I finally came to my senses like the prodigal in the pigpen and gave my life, my all, to the living God. Since then, miracle after miracle has happened! And one of the biggest miracles of all was that God told me to write a book about pirates, so I did. And then He got me published. It's been a wild ride ever since!"

You can find MaryLu many places on the web:
Her website: MaryLuTyndall.com
Her blog: Cross and Cutlass
Her Facebook fan page: Marylu Tyndall: Swashbuckling Romance
And her Twitter page: @MaryLuTyndall 

 

I got me copy, and am about to start readin' it. Methinks you should be doin' the same, or ye may find yerself walkin' the plank!

You can buy Forsaken Dreams online from Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million or pick up a copy at your local bookstore.