Five Minute Friday: Worship

Today we are joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

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.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: WORSHIP

I am the only grown up in the room. Other than me, nine smiling faces, aged three through five fight over play dough  share building blocks and make endless circles on scrap paper. They roar with the dinosaurs and hammer the house center a little bit too aggressively  but hey, that's how you hammer something, isn't it?

Every day, every minute, I learn something new. How it is hard to share your favorite Max Steel toy, when you can't even go to bed without it. How it is a drag to have to stop to go to the toilet when you are in a world of princesses and pirates. How the same book with a handful of pages can have a mesmerizing effect on you for weeks.

And how the human heart is made for song. Put on some music in an Early Childhood Education class and you will have no doubt that we were made to sing, to praise, to hum. Silence is overrated. 

Yet, somewhere along the way we lose this. We become all serious business people and singing is demoted to car trips and washing dishes. It becomes unnatural. Contrived. So I ask you Lord, to bring it back into my life. Let me sing as I pick up counters from the floor or teach little ones to brush their teeth. As I enjoy a sunny day or mope over cleaning spilled juice. Let's all praise Him. All. the. time.

Five Minute Friday: Small

Today we are joining Lisa-Jo Baker for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

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.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: SMALL

We haven't met yet. You are safe and sound inside this wonderful thing called my body, protected by a cocoon that the Lord made in order to have time to grow. I have no idea who do you take after, or how is your personality. I don't know if you will be into sports like your daddy or into reading and arts like your mommy. I am not even sure if you'll like the name we picked for you, or your owl themed Nursery.

What I do know is that we are here to help you. We'll attempt to aid you in this crazy thing called life, praying that you will grow in stature and in favor with the Lord. You will be taught the Word of God, raised in a Christian household which is full of sin and repentance, love and grace. 

I pray that we will be able to hear His voice and distinguish what to do. When to offer mercy. When to discipline. When to allow you to stay up past your bedtime just because. When to dance in the kitchen while waiting for the water to boil to show you how much love there is between a husband and his wife. 

At the end of it all, I don't feel afraid. I know I cannot do this at all. I know that He must do it through me. And I am the one who feels so incredibly small, yet through Him, strong. 

A wholehearted year: offering hospitality

I've been talking about a wholehearted year. If you missed out, start here.

Yet another aspect of my life in which the Lord has asked me to sink in with all my heart is offering hospitality. This is such a foreign concept to me because, although I am a big homey person, I tend to want my house to myself. 

Slowly I have been learning that this is not a want to sort of deal, but a have to sort of deal for Christians. And with a little help from a lovely blogger, I even ended up understanding I had a huge misconception about what hospitality is in the first place.

I was in good company when I figured out that my main problem was always having the same excuse: the lack of room to entertain. As if friends and strangers cared about the square footage of my humble abode. 

So this weekend we did something radical. After coming home from church, at around 9pm we started moving furniture around. We got rid of excess and opened up some space, dreaming of a cozy backyard. The result? A huge living room (ok, maybe not that huge) that just happened to be cluttered with stuff. Now it is ready to get cluttered with souls. And we intend on putting it to good use as soon as we can!

Five Minute Friday: Quiet

Today we are joining Lisa-Jo Baker (am I the only one who still referred to her as The Gypsy Mama?) for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

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.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: QUIET

Why balloons, you ask? Anyone who's been hot air ballooning knows you need to be up and ready before the sun, as the temperature rises with the sun in the sky. So for me, balloons equal quiet mornings.

After being branded by my family as a sleepy head, and spending the first two decades of my life sleeping in until hunger actually woke me up, I know better. When I started working in schools I quickly learned that there is no sleeping in for teachers, and often you get to wake up before the sun rises. 

It took me a while, but eventually I learned the benefits of waking up even earlier than I have to. I slip out of bed while the first sun rays are coming out. All is quiet. All is still. 

I can move about in my own slow pace. Make tea. Grab my Bible. Grab a blanket. Sit. Be silent. 

I love my husband, but quiet is one of the last adjectives I'd pick for him. We complement each other that way. And when it is the crack of dawn, he has no interest in being up, so that is when I come and God works. In me. Through me. With me. 

Before my mind starts rushing about job problems. Before I can notice the pile of laundry. Before I have time to think that I need to lose weight or schedule a dentist appointment. When my mind is quiet. That's when I feel His comfort. 

Five minute Friday: Wide

Today we are joining Lisa-Jo Baker (am I the only one who still referred to her as The Gypsy Mama?) for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

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.

 

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: WIDE

 

 

 

'And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God ' Ephesians 3:17-19

 

 

I once read in a Donald Miller book that trying to understand God is like a breakfast pancake trying to understand me. It sounded like an odd analogy at the time, but I am now beginning to understand what he meant.

 

We think with our human minds, feel with our human souls, love with our human hearts. Although we may love our closest relatives very deeply, there will always be times in which we are frustrated, disappointed, angry or upset with them. We don't love them any less, but we just wish they would do things a bit differently.

 

The idea of a Jesus who loves me and accepts me no matter what still seems foreign to me, and I have to keep reminding myself of it. He loves me even when I scream at my husband. He loves me even when I curse at someone who cut me off in traffic. He loves me even when I am too lazy to get a load into the laundry. Not only does he love me, he loves me just as much as if I were perfect. Actually, he probably loves me more because he knows I am not.

 

My human heart, mind and soul cannot fathom that.

 

And so I must learn to depend only on His Spirit. To focus only on Jesus. To live only for God. So I may continue to feel the love that surpasses knowledge, and that is showered upon me, whether I realise it or not.

 

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!



Weekend links

I love how (unexpectedly) I got back into blogging this week. Maybe it was the fact that I have been reading Grace for the Good Girl and learning I don't have to do it all. Maybe it was the fact that my husband did not monopolise the computer during evenings. Maybe it was the coming back after a refreshing break from the no-expectation blogging.

Not only did I write, I've also been reading again in the blogging world. Here are some of this week's favorites for me:

Lisa-Jo Baker, as always, wrote beautifully about seeing grace everywhere.

C.R.A.F.T. posted 21 neat pumpkin ideas. Although I think it's entirely too early to be thinking about Halloween, I'm a slacker, and seeing inspiration now means I might just be able to pull one of these off.

Design Sponge shared a tutorial for a Sunkissed ombre stripped pillow. Gorgeous!

And if you didn't check it out yet, Natalia shared the most gorgeous wedding ever- ha!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! I intend on spending most of it in bed, reading and relaxing. If there is any space left for me, that is!

Five Minute Friday: Here

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: HERE

Multi-tasking. It sounds so fancy and makes me feel great about accomplishing 5 things at once. I get all excited to be able to answer an email, think about a lesson plan, eat a cereal bar and talk on the phone all at once. I can do it all.

The problem is, all that I do is half-hearted. I don't really hear what my husband is saying on the other side of the line. I don't really focus on how to word my sentences carefully. I don't take in the nourishment for my body.

It's worst when people are talking to me. I nod along and I smile, but am I really giving that person my undivided attention? The answer is clearly no.

Maybe that is why every second of my alone times with God are a struggle. Errands run through my head as I worship. Unsaid sentences pop in when I am in prayer. Feelinngs about something I can no longer change creep up while I read the word. And the tears come, asking to learn to be still. To be here, and trully here.  



Five Minute Friday: Dance

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: DANCE

In our household, there is no need for formal music. A soap opera opening song is enough for us to break into dance. The idea of making the dogs mad is enough to make us break into dance. The feeling of coming home after a long day is enough to make us break into dance. It's one of the little quirks about us that I love. It's one of the things that makes my heart ache for missing you when we are both at work. It's one of the small joys of this world, which shows me that no matter what, we are going to be alright, as long as we are together.

Lots of couples have 'their song'. We have several. All equally important, all equally representative of places, dates and feelings. And when I am huffing and puffing and ranting about something, there is nothing better than your hand grabbing my wrist for a music-less spin acccross the kitchen floor. As Sting would say, When we dance angels run and hide their wings.

Happy weekend everyone!

Five Minute Friday: Risk

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Risk

I play by the rules. I follow procedures. I respect authority. I have always been a do-gooder and have always been quite amazed at people who seemingly throw it all to chance. Don't they realize that houses don't clean themselves, so they should probably get on that vaccumming instead of going out for a drink? Don't they see that debt is the most horrible thing and they should pay it off instead of charging it up? Can't they understand that what we invest in our own education is what builds us, so they should go to class and not skip school to tan at the beach?

In March my husband and I made a decision that was hard for us. It wasn't life threatening or urgent. We needed to decide whether we would spend our New Year's in Disney World. Simple, right? Well, living in Brazil, the cost of plane tickets alone is absurd. Plus hotels, meals, shopping, parks....you get the picture. And we aren't exactly the proud owners of a chubby savings account.

In the end, against all rational we booked the ticket. We decided memories are made of moments, not of how many times we avoided credit cards (and we are very careful with them). We decided we deserved it. We realised that we work hard and don't often play hard.

It didn't come lightly, but it was the best decision we ever made. Each day, God has been comforting me and showing me how to depend on Him  and not worry. I am sure He will provide enough for us to do it with no debt. Because risks taken with HIM are no risks at all.

 

Five Minute Friday: Opportunity

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Opportunity

Some of the most important moments in our lives comes as an unforgetable action or speech. Before I attended college, I was a Rising Star, a member in a summer program for upcoming seniors in highschool to get to live in the college dorms, have classes and see how fun the city is. Those were some of the most fun five weeks of my life.

When I came back to college the following Spring (school years end in December in Brazil), I ran into one of the Rising Star assistants, who was now an Orientation Leader. My mum and I got to talking to him and he casually said 'OLs are the coolest kids on campus'. I was sold.

Some four years later I graduated as the mace bearer of my college. I had held many positions in the student involvement office and gotten a couple of awards in the process. But none of that trully mattered to me.

What did was the fact that I really think I did belong with the coolest kids on campus. The USF kids(student government  members) were movers and shakers. The SAC kids (Programming board) knew all the coolest new bands and had the most fun parties. The SOS kids (Community outreach program) taught me how to genuinely give my time, which is far more important than my money. And the OLs....well, I must say I agree with Ben, they are the coolest kids on campus.

My life would have been totally different had I ignored that one sentence I heard back in 2000. And my college memories probably wouldn't be so much fun.





Five Minute Friday: Perspective

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Perspective

For an entire decade I identified myself as a 'twenty-something'. I was a college student, a grad student, a teaching assistant, a brand new and inexperienced teacher. I went out to movies often and wasted away hours from my Saturday roaming the halls of Barnes & Nobles to search for a good book and the latest cool CD. I told myself I would never give up on the things I loved so much, which made me who I am, and knowing all sorts of obscure recording artists was part of it.

As of last July, I have no longer been twenty-something. It didn't bother me much because I figured I have been maturing and making decisions to improve my life I just couldn't be bothered doing it in college- I was probably to busy gulping down Sonic slushies.

But a couple of days ago, as I drove for over two hours into the city for an appointment, I listened to my Ipod and began to feel old. All the songs that were on shuffle were from my college days, and I reminesced until I felt the best days were gone. How come not a single one of them reminded me of my initial romance with my husband, or my awesome honeymoon?

That's when I realized I have not bought CDs or music from the Itunes store in about, oh, I don't know when. I honestly think it might have been when I still lived in Atlanta, circa 2006. Add that to the fact that I used to live and drive alone, pumping songs through my stereo but now live and often ride in the car with the hubby, doing something a bit more important called talking.

Which is when I realized that my college days weren't the haydays of my life, I just don't have a soundtrack for the last couple of years. I'll get onto that as soon as possible.

Five minute Friday: Identity

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Identity

One of my all-time favorite books is 'Searching for God knows what' by Donald Miller. It has a lot of insightful observations, but its main point, which the author refers to again and again, is what makes me like it so much.

Miller claims we have a 'lifeboat mentality'. It's like we live in a Survivor type show adrift at sea in a small life raft. We have to continuoesly convince everyone around us that we are worthy enough not to get tossed overboard, because someone will. That is the single factor of why we would try to put others down in hopes to make ourselves look good.

To prove our point, we create labels, and get affiliated to parties. Christian. Teacher. Dog lover. Vegetarian. Humanitarian. Businessman. Rich. TV Star. All we are is supposed to come down to one noun.

The truth is, I cannot fit into any of the boxes that is assigned to me. Yes, I am a Christian, but I refuse to tell others they will burn in hell if they don't surrender to Jesus because I can't quite wrap my heart around that one. Yes, I am a wife, but at times I want to be left alone watching five consecute episodes of House. Yes, I am a teacher, but my love for the kids who have called me 'Miss' goes beyond an acquaintace-type. Yes, I am a dog lover, but at times I need my husband to call Jack because I just want to shake him.

We all have our pretty side. and our not-so-pretty selves. The biggest lesson is being able to open ourselves to learn why we do certain things, and whether we want to change or not. 

Five Minute Friday: Real

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Real

I once heard that perception is reality. If people think you are rude, chances are that you really are rude and you are the only one who can't see. I had an easy time accepting it when it pertained to others, but not such an easy time when it pertained to me.

Until I started reading the bible, devoting myself to building a relationship with God and understanding His ways, I would have said that perception is reality, since we are relational driven. However, I know that we can have a perception of reality which is not necessarily true.

Our minds are powerful things and can change our whole line of thought. If you tell yourself enough times that you are unhappy, you will end up with a knot in your heart for believing it. If you believe you will never ammount to very much, how can you rise above?



Gypsy Mama's Five Minute Friday

Happy Friday! In Brazil, we are extremelly happy, because since we have a holiday on Tuesday (Labor Day), we get a four-day weekend!

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Community

Today I have five men to thank. Their names are Claudivan, Fabricio, Anderson, Antonio and Regis. I know nothing about their lives, history or personality. All I know is that they are construction workers.

Coming to work, I got stuck in the dirt road that was more of a muddy sea. When I realised my path was a bad idea, I was too into it and panicked. Then, all of a sudden, I couldn't go backwards or forwards. My wheels just kept spinning to no use.

I saw the worst situation in the world, and the scariest thing I ever been to. I was stuck, in the mud, in the rain, in a curve where they are building a bridge. If I went backwards, I'd have to do it carefully stearing so I wouldn't drop in the river, because there wasn't any protection between the road and the water beneath. Going forward was not an option because there was no road.

Five minutes of tears, Oh My Gods and complete despair later, I had these five men coming to help me. None of them asked me for anything in return. None of them complained of the rain. None of them told me how stupid I was. They just told me to calm down and directed me in what I had to do.

I am sorry to say I cannot remember when it's the last time I did something so selfless for a stranger. But today I learned that community goes beyond those you know and care for: it's about those God puts in your path.



Week long link party goodness!

Although I am not a blogging queen, I couldn’t help but feeling a bit jealous of all these bloggers who got to go to Salt Lake City this weekend. One, because Utah is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I’m not even joking. Check out this sunset:

Two, because this weekend was Snap. A blogging conference? How fun does that sound?

So, since I couldn’t make it (and am sure I would feel sooo overwhelmed and out of place surrounded by those blogging goddesses), I decided to have an interactive, link-party-filled week.

If you have no idea of what a link party is, you probably don’t read that many blogs, but that’s ok. A link party is basically a themed day in which people link their own blogs to others, getting people to check out what they have been up to!

There are literally tons of link parties out there, so I had a hard time picking the ones I really wanted. Here is this week’s schedule for Oh My Gosh! Hope you like it!

Tuesday:

Yes teacher crafs is super-cute, and has the easiest (and one of the prettiest) link parties out there! Check it out tomorrow!

Wednesday:

The cutting edge of ordinary has a beautiful link party: Wordless Wednesdays. Which means I'll have to shut up for one day!

Thursday:

Delightful Order has an extensive Thursday link party on anything you do, from cooking to crafting!

Friday:

The Gypsy Mama writes for 5 minutes, no editing. Sounds fun! 



Next Monday:

Midnight Maniac has a Meatless Monday link Party. Yes, please! But since today IS Monday, I'll be linking on NEXT week!

Come back every day to check our linking party posts, and remember to link your blog in the comments section in case you decide to join in the fun!