So, here’s the skinny: every Friday for over a year hundreds of people join a kind of writing flash mob over here.
We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that I post here at 1 minute past midnight EST ever Friday. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday {and on Thursday night with #FMFParty}.
No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.
Unscripted. Unedited. Real.
It started because I’d been thinking about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And I figured, why not take 5 minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.
So now on Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes.
Your words. This shared feast.
Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must 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.
Tonight a bunch of us are together at a conference so we’re doing it live – come join us, eh? And link up below.
OK, are you ready? Won’t you please give me your best five minutes on:::
Voice…
Sometimes you sit in a room full of women and their hearts speak with one voice. Louder than the chocolate wrappers peeled back on the tables. Louder than the doubts that throb through their heads when they pound key boards.
Louder than the wondering if we’re cut out for this thing – this act of all our courage – this bleeding our stories onto keyboards and blog posts and other people’s lives.
Sometimes you can hear the echoes of another Voice that whispers through the words of these women who speak, who sing, who dance, who dream, who twirl through consonants and vowels and symphony their voices into the big, wide, black, Internet that lights up with a thousand comets reminding us we are not alone in the Grand Story that one voice once wrote in the beginning.
This is our story.
This is our song.
This is our testimony to the darkness.
This voice that cannot will not be silenced.
This voice of a thousand women. One woman. You. Us. Me.
All pouring our harmonies out for nothing but the certainty that we cannot be silent.
So we say the hard things. We tell the truths. We type the encouragement. We live in between each other’s front doors through each others screens and no one can tell me this isn’t real community.
This isn’t Jesus testimony.
Because words have always been His territory.
Just like tonight.
STOP
OK, show us what you got! {Subscribers, you can just click here to come over and play along}
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what a delicious treat this was. I will sleep tonight with a heart full of gratitude for this community, for YOU, the fearless community builder who set this in motion. I am amazed at what god has built here. What a privilege it is to know you, and all of these amazing women, and to hear their incredible voices.
You don’t let anyone miss out on this community here, Lisa Jo. So honored to be able to be a part of this night here–even from afar.
Thank you for echoing what I believe is true: His story has no boundaries.
humbled to be a part.
thank you!
WOW. you packed a punch in those five minutes. glorious.
I am so thankful to get to be a part of this amazing community of fearless women who aren’t afraid to have their voices heard!
You helped me to choose courage for my voice, sweet friend. One day I submitted a guest post and then reeled in fear over my story. You sent me encouragement to affirm that my story can be trusted and is valued. Courage grew exponentially, all because of that moment. What my writing is today, it’s because of how He worked in you. I’m so very grateful.
Great prompt today! How timely it is for me. That always seems to be the case ;)
Happy #FMF!
“our testimony to the darkness.” I love that.
Beautiful.
This was a powerful topic. I was amazed at where it took me.
LOVE your words here today about being part of His grand story! Lovely!
My first FMF experience, it was great! It’s funny, earlier in the day I’d changed my “speaking” tab on my website to “my voice”. Crazy timing. :)
I love how these topics and my immediate response to them surprise me. I may only spend 5 minutes writing about them, but I continue to ponder as the day drifts on. When I read voice I thought- I don’t have anything to say about that. Ironic isn’t it? :) Happy friday Lisa-Jo- a pleasure as always!
Twirling with you, Lisa-Jo. And wishing I could crackle chocolate wrappers with you. Wait–I get to do that in April! (I hope Deidra has chocolate!)
Hi Lisa-Jo, Thanks so much for FMF! I have participated several times, and am currently taking a break from my blog, but I love to do the writing exercise each week anyway. So often the very act of reflecting and writing for five minutes can be God’s tool to bring clarity of thought (or insert his thoughts) into whatever I am writing about. Today, as soon as I saw the word “voice,” I was reminded of several months ago when I heard the Lord saying “I want to develop your voice.” My five minutes this week were spent reflecting with Him on that and surrendering once again my desires and talents in the area of writing. Thanks again and God bless!
Another great week Lisa Jo. I am so grateful that I found this community and can share in all the voices here.
This was my first time doing this AND I am not at the Allume conference but feel like I am there. I was telling another person I might have burst with joy if I went, overwhelmed with joy to see so many worshipers of Jesus Christ in one place there tuning their voices to His song as they sing as ONE.
God has placed the Allume conference, all of the organizers, speakers and attendees AND those that are not present physically on my heart. God prompted me to pray John 17:15-23–for all to be comforted, empowered and encouraged that Jesus prayed for THEM. May they have eyes to see, heart to know and love Him and ears to hear Him. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give you all a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17). I pray they have the strong revelation they are ONE.
After reading many of these posts I see prayers have been answered and I can’t help by rejoice. This shows growth in me too because in the past I might have been disappointed, even jealous and envious that I couldn’t bear to read or see the photos of everyone having fun but no, today I am dancing for my Father, singing a song of gratitude that He gave me contentment in the role He entrusted me for this conference: prayer! Be filled so you can pour out ladies, I love every single one of you–to God be the glory!