Five Minute Friday: Grace

Five Minute Friday

Grace

In the spirit of the post I wrote last month when the FMF topic was mercy, I will begin with a few definitions.

Google:

2. (in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
“the graces of the Holy Spirit”

Mirriam-Webster:

1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification
b : a virtue coming from God
c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

Unknown:
When you get what you don’t deserve.

Elizabeth M.:

1. Receiving goodness from God on a daily basis in the form of two wonderful parents, a super husband and six incredible blessings by birth.

2. The patient, loving kindness and forgiveness of Jesus on the days when I’m not feeling grateful for the above grace-gifts.

1 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV 1984)
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Squinting family photo from the deck of a ferry during our Virginia trip in July. 🙂

**I forgot to set a timer–I don’t think it was too much over the limit though.

Writing: The Thinking About Edition

Today’s FMF post was something I mulled over throughout the day. I wrote and linked up last night and this morning had two very encouraging comments.
One was from a blogger whose personal blog I have subscribed to for several months, and for a few years on the (in)courage blog. She visited my blog because I left a comment on hers.
I didn’t realize how encouraging that could be. I have had several nice comments from FMF posts, but don’t have any real blog traffic. I’m just writing to write for now. All that to say that I need to comment more. I think it makes a difference. I know it did for me. Thank you, Kristen.
On a side note, along the thinking avenue, I’ve had a little extra time to think the last few days, as I am in the recovery process of minor eye surgery to repair a very lax muscle that should have been holding up one of my eyelids, but decided it would only do it’s job about half-way. It had been lazy for years, (my parents said it has always been that way), but has started giving out slowly over the last three or so. (What’s up with the 40s?)
Anyway, enough about that.
I would like to write more. My husband (The Blog Engineer) would like me to write more. I think there might be some correlation (thank you spell-checker thingy) between the amount I write and the amount I talk. As in the more, the less. Hmmm…
He is going to help me figure out the avatar/gravatar picture posting aggravation. But I will need to wait for a new picture. Maybe at the end of next week, I’ll post for fun some before and afters. Sleepy and hopefully not-sleepy eye. Don’t worry, no in-betweens. Not happening.
Ugh! I’m back on the eye topic. I guess having stitches can do that to you. 😉
Writing.
Thinking about writing.
I’m going to search through my old-has-not-been-touched-in-years writing file to see if the suggested profile questions from Mr. Glazier are in there. I would like to add some about faith and relationship to Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV, 1984)
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Just for fun:

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My wee-est one walnut wrangling on Wednesday.

Five Minute Friday: Write

Five Minute Friday

Write

Many moons ago, I minored in journalism, with a communications major, after deciding rashly that elementary education wasn’t for me. How funny that I now have my own little homeschool!

All those moons ago, I interned for a local magazine, then did grunt work (developed photos, gathered court documents, and wrote rarely) for a small business newspaper.
After that trying year, went back to the first magazine, as it was a much better atmosphere to try my hand at freelancing, as they specialized in what I have discovered is “my” kind of writing: profiles, which were basically mini-biographies. I even had a cover story way back then. Whoo hoo!
I felt unorganized with my time and writing an article or two a month, wasn’t making much income.
I guess I was afraid to say I was a writer and put myself out “there” to do the hard work of marketing myself and look for other publications.
Long on scared and short on perseverance and diligence.
So, I went to work for a not-for-profit, which I enjoyed and then came home to raise my babies.
The writing stopped, other than a Christmas newsletter here-and-there.
I wondered why I felt to blah about so many things. Homeschool burnout and hormones did a number on me and I needed an outlet.
The blog engineer, aka sweet Kyle, enjoyed the lengthy tome-like e-mails he received at work and bought a domain name for me. I still drug my feet.
After writing fairly regularly for a few months, I stopped this summer because it just didn’t feel right to write. I grew weary of writing about myself.
So, just this week, we have been tossing around ideas of people in my circles that I could interview and write about. I’m looking forward to it. Writing is such a good outlet and I would like to make it a ministry as well.
END
Disclosure: I re-set the timer for another five and finally stopped when the duck quacked for the second time.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (ESV)
“4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”