Five Minute Friday: BEFORE

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up! Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week's prompt is BEFORE.

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Before I was a wife, I was free to be selfish.  I was free to do what I wanted, to go where I wanted, to see what I wanted to see.  I was unchained but desperately wanting something more.

But today, I am a part of an incredible team.  I have found my life partner and we are better together than we were apart.  I am so thankful for the man my husband is.  I no longer want to go, see or do anything without him.  

Now, I am free to be complete with my other half.

Before I was a mom, I was care-free.  I was selfish with my time, energy, body, and mind.  I was free to go on spur of the moment adventures.  Every night was date night.  There were no sitters, no bedtimes, and no issues with putting on shoes.  

But today, I have two amazing kiddos.  I will say 7 and 3 are no walk in the park, but they are my best buddies and I love them more than anything in the world.  They are worth all of the unselfish things that it takes to be a momma.  

Now, they are my everything and I would literally fight bears, lift cars, and go to the ends of the earth for them.

Before today, I was tired.  I was overwhelmed.  I was crippled with the troubles of the 'before'.  

But today, I will stand in the truth that I am fought for and brought in from the ends of the earth, by someone who loves me most of all.  He tells me this: 

"I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places- firm muscles and strong bones.

You'll be like a well-watered garden, 

a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,

rebuild the foundations from our of your past.

You'll be known as those who can fix anything,

restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,

make the community livable again." (Isaiah 58:12-12)

Now, I am whole, I am complete, I am truly free.  I can use the "before" to shape my after.

Before, I was on my own.  But now, I have everlasting life and will never be alone again.

Five Minute Friday: RISK

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up! Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This weeks prompt is RISK.

I have just finished a Bible Study called Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons. This is an amazing feat in and of itself because I never finish things, so I'd just like to say that I'm really proud of myself.

The final lesson of this study was over Creativity. The premise of the week is that God, our Creator, has invited us to create WITH Him. This allows the overflow from our renewed and refueled hearts to go somewhere productive. I have never really thought about that before, but my heart has been intrigued to see what shape this could take.

Upon pondering where this lesson might lead me, my mind settled on how much I have previously enjoyed writing... I wrote a few blog posts many moons ago, but as time marched on, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed just writing.

I think the thing that God has placed in me is a passion to share stories, both my story and the stories of others. I am grateful to have a job where I get to share the lives of others in order to bring LIFE to others.

As much as I enjoy writing social media posts regarding our ministry at Hope for the Hungry, I feel the Lord telling me to do more. So, here I am, 5 years and another kid later, writing on my blog again. This might just be a post for today, or it might be something that sticks around for a little bit. Only time will tell. What I know is this: it feels good, and it feels right. I have things to say, and if I'm the only one who reads them, at least they are out there. And that's enough for me.

END.