Dear Annie

No, I'm not going to get all weird and write a letter to Annie Downs, but I will say this...

Annie, I don't know you, but I do know you, and I thank you for being brave. Girl, we have got be long lost sisters.

I mean really.

Moments, yes, just moments ago, I finished the last words in Annie's book Let's All Be Brave.  And just so you know, I am adding it to my list of 52 Book in 52 Weeks under the category a book that scares me.

Because you know what.....being brave scares me.

I am the least brave person I know. Well, until I read Annie's book.

Seriously though.

In so many ways, she touched my heart.  I laughed. I cried. I had to explain to my five year old why Mama was writing in her book when his school librarian has just taught him not to.

And I did. I underlined and circled and put brackets and cute clouds around Annie's words.

And as I read Annie's words, I felt braver.

I felt God tugging at my heart.

And I was reminded that I am brave.

I married my high school (ahem middle school) sweet heart and have supported his desire to serve God and country. We've been married for 16 years, together for 26.

I am the mama of 3 boys. 'Nuf said.

I am a teacher to these elementary school kids who look to me for hope and direction.

I connect with these women each week in a choir room at church (no, I don't sing) and we laugh and cry together about being moms and wives and women of God.

I went to a retreat where I knew NOT one person there, yet we all knew each other's hearts and wishes and dreams. I found my people.

I come here in this space in hopes of sharing words of experience and encouragement to hopefully add something to your life.

And in me, deep inside me, I have this desire to do something more with these words. That's led me to begin my first book. Whether or not it actually publishes or sells is out of my control, but taking that step in actually following my dream...

Well, all of that is brave.

And in all of this reading and laughing and crying....

I was slapped in the face with this.....

I struggle people.  I like to eat. I like to drink. I like food and beverages. I know my habits aren't healthy. No one needs to tell me that.  But Annie reminded me that it takes courage to stop thinking and start doing. So I will embark on a new journey.  A journey to get a healthier, braver me.  Something I've always known I've needed to do, but never said yes to doing.

God works like that. He uses these complete strangers and their words to get our attention. It's found in their books, on their blogs, in their songs.

God speaks. We just have to listen.

Annie, thank you for listening. Thank you for being a tool to reach people like me. Women (or fellas) that feel like they are the least brave people in the world.  Thank you for reminding me that it takes courage to be me, the me that God created.  And to be me.....that's brave.

*****

I have to also say thank you to Zondervan for giving me Annie's book as part of the Five Minute Friday Retreat.  What a wonderful gift!

On Being a Writer: Engage

I think sometimes people just don't get writers. Words can be a little scary. Words can seem simplistic.  Words can.....well, words can do anything.  And writers get that.

While at the Five Minute Friday Retreat, I was asked if there were any other writers that I knew and talked with.  They only one I could think of was a coworker friend that has begun to blog more regularly about her faith.  Other than that, I didn't really have any real life writer friends.

I've been blessed to find some amazing online communities that have welcomed me with open arms.

When I first started blogging, one of the first blog hops I found was MckMama's Not Me Monday.  It wasn't for writers, per se, but it was fun getting to know others through the shenanigans of motherhood.  I got a taste of the writing style of others. I was able to begin interacting with other bloggers, learning about the people that were out there in cyber space, those who could potentially become engaged with me here at A Life Worth Living.

I then found Wives of Faith, an amazing online Christian community for military spouses.  Sara Horn has done a fabulous job reaching out to other military spouses and connecting with them.  In doing so, she offers the opportunity to submit blog posts to Wives of Faith.

Through this, I have developed some online friendships with other military spouses.  We are able to share words to support and encourage one another.  We are also able to pray with one another and grow and strengthen our relationship with Christ by taking part in the Survival Sisters program.  Because of Sara and Wives of Faith, I got my first taste of writing for other audiences that didn't include my blog followers.

Through Wives of Faith, I was able to become part of Kori Yates' online community called Planting Roots.  Again, this Christian community connects military women and spouses through the Word of God.  I have been able to have posts published at Planting Roots as well. This community is very welcoming to women who have a desire to lift up one another who are experiencing the ups and downs of military life.

And let's not forget the Five Minute Friday community.  I think this community has challenged me the most.  With a one word prompt and a timer set to five minutes, I desperately want to choose my response carefully.  Sometimes I get an immediate idea, and other times, I struggle to find the right words.  Either way, I think I've grown because of the Five Minute Friday community.  I've been encouraged by both reading other posts and through the comments left by others.

But perhaps the biggest impact from the Five Minute Friday community came from the Five Minute Friday Retreat.  When I first read that Kate and her crew were planning this, I was giddy about it, which is so unlike me because meeting strangers is not my cup of tea.  But the feeling just wouldn't go away.  After a lot of prayer and encouragement from my husband, I signed up and attended the first every Five Minute Friday Retreat.

To make a long story short (If you want the long version, just click HERE), I was forever changed by attending the retreat.  I found my people.  I found the people who "got me." Because really, they were just like me no matter how different we were.  We all had the same hopes and dreams when it came to writing and the sharing of our words.  It was simply a blessing.  I may never meet these ladies again in real life, but they will always be a part of me. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of them.  I'm grateful for what they shared. I'm grateful for the love and encouragement they gave.  I am thankful for each of them.

It is so important that writers find those connections, people that they can encourage and challenge. People that get what is like to be a lover of words.  I am thankful for the opportunities that online communities provide for people like me, those that want to grow as a writer and take advantage of the power of words to have an impact on the world.

These Are My People

I'm a homebody.  I don't like to bring attention to myself.  New social situations are uncomfortable for me.

So the thought of attending a weekend retreat with total strangers terrified me.  With the encouragement of my husband, I clicked submit and marked my calendar for August 7-9: The First Ever Five Minute Friday Retreat.

And y'all, let me just say this: 

These are my people

Different Ages. 

Different Races. 

Different Backgrounds.

Different Hometowns.

Different Experiences.

Different Denominations.

One Heart.

The Heart of Jesus is the way I'd describe these women.  Amazing women.  Women who are now a part of me.

As a writer....and yes, because of these women, I can boldly say, I am a writer.....I've learned so much in such short amount of time.  

I was reminded that we are the body of Christ.  We've each been given different spiritual gifts, different life paths, and different hopes and dreams and realities.  But in all of this, we need to be content with our own journey, our own path.  We need to realize, as Mary said, "My big is someone else's ordinary."

And for me, the Five Minute Friday Retreat was my BIG, very big.

Where else can you walk through the door not knowing what's on the the other side and be greeted by strangers who already know you?

Where else can the theme of the weekend, whether woman planned or God planned is bravery, when you feel like the least brave person you know?

What else can make you feel a little empty when you walk away from it that last day?

Y'all, these are my people.

I'll never forget Martha's sweet manner.

I'll never forget Janel's contagious personality.

I'll never forget listening to Kate read about Spanx as we laughed til we cried.

I'll never forget praying for Christy and Melinda when they were stranded with a flat tire even though I'd never met them in real life.

I'll never forget praying for women that I'd never know, only God would know, as I cut denim petals.

I'll never forget dinner at Hadley's with fried everything and saying a few Spanish words with that southern twang.

I'll never forget sweet Haven and the joy she brought to us.

This was a time of many firsts for me.

The first time to leave my family and do something on my on, by myself, for myself.

The first time eating grits. 

The first time cooking with black beans (Thank you Mollie for letting me know I needed to rinse them!).

The first time sharing my writing face to face.

The first time connecting with women on a different level than I am used to.

The first time using my bar of Zest to wash my hair because I grabbed body lotion instead of shampoo.

I admit.....It would have been easy, oh, so easy for me to back out.  With Space Camp, Army Training, Soccer Tournaments.....yes, I could have easily said it just wasn't the right time for me.  I was a too busy. I wasn't quite ready to jump into this.

But

God gave me a peace of mind. He never gave this socially backwards girl a nervous heart.  He sent me right where He wanted me.  And Kate, I agree with you.  We were meant to be there.

I take away from this experience many things.  New friendships. Wisdom.  Memories.  I take away a little piece of the bravery shared through our devotions. I take away gifts from obedience and following through with what God has asked me to do.  I take away the reminder that as a writer, I am called to write TRUTH.  My audience isn't necessarily you, the blog readers, my audience is Christ.  When I  click publish, my words should reflect His Truth. His Love. His Mercy. His Grace. His Hope. His Redemption. His Story.

And that's what I've found in these women.  I've found that He lives in their hearts and in them, they have a story to tell, and as Kaitlyn says, a story that matters.  We matter.  We matter as women, as mothers, as daughters of the One True King.

And y'all, these are my people. These are my sisters.  Forevevermore, because of a little thing God put in the heart of Lisa-Jo Baker and she passed along to Kate Motaung, these five minutes we spend on Fridays, knit together a bond that is strong, that is pure, that is God created.

I'm grateful.  I'm grateful for the time spent with these women.  For their love, their sincerity.  I'm thankful that although we are all different, no judgement was passed. Our insecurities were out the door because of love, because of kindness, because of compassion.

I am grateful for these people, my people.  

Love and hugs to you all until we meet in real life again!

Five Minute Friday: HERE

We are gathered here at the Five Minute Friday Retreat. We've chatted, eaten, laughed, and applauded one another.  So now, before bedtime, I will spend five minutes writing, unedited, no overthinking, just writing.


HERE.


So often we are consumed by WHAT WE MUST DO to get the approval or love of others.

How do I get people to like me? How do I keep my friends?  How should I act? What should I say so I don't offend anyone?

We go there to their world.  We act like we believe what they believe.  We do what they do.  All to be accepted.

But God's not like that.  We don't have to go "there" for Him.  He meets us HERE, right where we are.

What an amazing gift that is.

You see, I will never be good enough.

I will never be holy enough.

I will always be imperfect

cracked

scratched

broken

sinful

whatever you want to call it.

And that's ok.  He meets me here where I am, in my brokenness and loves me anyway.

Thank you God for that gift.

Thank you for not requiring anything of me other than surrender.

Five Minute Friday Free Write: TELL

Here it is. I can't believe I am here at the Five Minute Friday Retreat.  Tonight we are having time to Free Write.  We are contributing one word prompts and and getting ready to write for five minutes flat.

Let's do this!!

"Tell me a story, Grandma."

I hope to hear those words one day.  To be surrounded by grandchildren who want to hear my story.

But what will I tell them?

I hope to tell them of a life worth living.  One that was lived to the fullest. One that, well, at the end of it, has NO REGRETS.

I hope to tell them that although life wasn't always easy, I made the best of every situation.  During my struggles, I leaned on God for support, comfort, and guidance.

I hope to tell them how God took a broken woman and used her for His Will.  That I was obedient despite the devil placing fear inside of me.  That each time, I overcame and was victorious because of Christ.

I hope to tell them how I loved my family so much that we laughed together, cried together, played together, and prayed together.

I hope to tell them that although I didn't always agree with the choices their parents made, I still loved them and they never doubted that love.

I hope to tell them that they are my prized possessions, precious gifts from God.

I hope to tell them that they, too have a story to tell. A life to live.  I hope to tell them to seek God, serve Him.  Obey Him. Then one day, when their grandchildren say, "Tell me a story," they will have a story to tell of a life worth living as well.