Gumballs and leaves are evidence of trees!

It's Five Minute Friday! 
Today's prompt is TREE...Go.

We have many trees in our well established yard. When we moved out of our previous home, the one with 2 small Bradford Pears planted carefully by the builder, we knew we wanted a home with trees.  When Jonathan was a baby, he and I would meet a friend and her little one at a nearby park to stroll a few times a week.  I'll never forget one day when Jonathan saw a little furry creature in the grass. He asked, "whazat?" I answered, "a squirrel", realizing that he had never seen a squirrel because we did not have any trees.

As we have lived in our home with trees for some 9 years now, we have grown to love and hate the trees. In the spring, we have thousands of sweet gum balls under our feet, all over the driveway and clogging up the mower. This time of year, we find ourselves raking, bagging, mowing, blowing and crunching through leaves. Leaves that are so numerous that if left on the ground will smother the newly planted grass.

The gum balls and the leaves are the evidence of trees. Big trees that are alive and producing and reproducing season after season. They are growing and stretching both above ground and below. Without the evidence of life, the trees would need to be cut down, or else they may become a threat the next time a strong wind blows. 

We talk a lot about fruit in our family. About how people will know who we belong to and what we are living for by the fruit we produce. We don't want to be useless or dangerous. We don't want to be cut down. We want to be alive, with the evidence to prove it. Growing on the outside and the inside and stretching and thriving.

Leaves and sweetgum balls are not as delightful as apples and pears, but the evidence of life is still there! So, tomorrow, when I am bagging up another yard full of leaves, I'll thank God for his reminder of life and growth and a season for everything.

Happy Friday creative ones!

Linking up here for another Five Minute Friday!

Longing and Truth!

She is confident and beautiful and comfortable in her skin. She is not disappointed with the portrait she sees of her unfinished self. She believes the truth that she was designed by her creator to be more than good enough....to be more than anything that she can conjure up. She has dreams and fears that fight against each other ..wanting to run ahead, but scared to fall flat on her face. She prays for wisdom and vision and some sense of belonging. But, she knows that what other people think still matters and she fights the desire to win approval. She longs for life....real life that comes with surrender and so she lays it all down. She seeks hard...and truth finds her. She is content. {stop}

   

The truth is....I am not content. I struggle with wanting to be fully satisfied and then wanting to be at that place where I am always longing for more...because I know that the longing keeps me moving and striving and dreaming. For several months, I have been feeling like I am on the edge of something new...a small part of the more that I was really made for. I know it will only reveal itself as I surrender, looking at myself less, and seeking Christ more. 

I am afraid at times..and about to bust wide open at times. I have no idea where this is gonna take me. No idea at all.

Fridays are fun Y'all.

If you've got 5 minutes...or more like Twenty- 5, join the fun at Five Minute Friday! 

The writing is "no pressure" and the comments are always kind!  

Grace...Go!

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Grace for the moment...or for a salad and a couple of hours!
I know that grace means getting something that I do not deserve. That is more than enough. I feel like I should know that everything I have is not just undeserved, but overflowing and abundant. On some days, though, it feels as if I am lacking grace. Zac has been sick all week. On Thursday, I had plans with 3 friends (who finally found a time) to meet for lunch...all together. Zac headed to school with a "just in case" dose of Motrin. At 10:30, he had been there long enough...and he needed to come home. In that moment, I forgot about grace. I was frustrated because I had not had my moment of peace and girl-talk over salad and iced tea. I grumbled and complained and felt defeated. In a last ditch effort, I texted my husband. He knows me, and in that text he must have realized my disappointment. He re-arranged his schedule so that he could work from home. I ate my salad and shared a couple of hours with dear friends. I recognize the blessing... {stop} as grace!

It's Five Minute Friday!
5 minutes is never enough. I don't know how you people do it, but it is, oh so much fun, to try!

Until next time,