There are women who hold my heart.
Because they hold it tenderly.
They hold it like a treasure. They hold it with lots of trust wrapped up like so much fine, pink tissue paper.
Today we are all telling our stories about what it feels like to trust a friend. And not trust a friend. It’s a project I’ve been working on for nearly a year now.
You’re invited. Just as you are.
So let’s spend our five minutes of writing today, sharing about community. Fight it, love it, hate it, hurt or healed by it, we were certainly built for it.
Set a timer and just write. Don’t worry about making it just right or not.
Go all in with your words.
Are you ready?
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here 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:
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Community…
:
GO:
Every Tuesday night I meet up with a group of women. Sometimes in room 108 at church and every other week at Panera. We’re suckers for the broccoli cheddar soup. Connie always wears the most beautiful jewelry. And Christy sometimes brings baby Taylor and it’s hard to swallow past that lump in the throat one gets when in the presence of a new, baby woman.
We eat and talk and sometimes we laugh so hard the guy who vacuums gives us that old stink eye. No one leaves with an empty belly or heart.
We eat up community like so many cinnamon crunch bagels.
I’ve lived a long time here in the Internet. I’m getting better at living out loud and in real life too.
It feeds me.
It nourishes my soul.
Hugging Mrs. Santiago so tight and hearing Carol share about her journey into the heart of the heart of motherhood. That and what nail “schlacking” is.
Jessica amazes us by turning vegan and sticking to it.
Sometimes my hair is washed and other times it isn’t. Sweat pants are always welcome. But Shawna will rock the 6 inch heels.
These are my people. They know about the impending new puppy and the week of diahorrea the four-year-old has put us through. When they ask me how I’m doing, I know I’m going to need to come up with more than, “just fine.”
STOP
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{Subscribers, you can just click here to come over and play along}
And I’m particularly fond of how my friend Holley – in the middle of the photo up there – described community today over on (in)courage.
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Huh. Tuesday night I just posted about community. God must be talking. I’ll do it again tomorrow!
I smiled when I saw the Panera Broccoli and cheddar soup.. my absolute favorite.. what a way to be in community with others – and good food :)
Thanks for getting me all teary eyed — made the writing that much more real! :)
And thank you….for allowing us to be a part of your community here on Fridays. What a blessing!
Lisa-jo…thank you for the way you lay such a sweet foundation to build community here. I am richly blessed in this place…blessings to you~
Community issuch a word that has been moving me this week, so much that I wrote about it yesterday. So I linked today!
Community Rocks!!!!
Beautiful…. i long for more of this. I find myself making excuses because of my very active one year who makes sitting down for deep fellowship almost impossible… but I need this community and can’t just put my life on hold. Thank you for the reminder!
I just wrote about Community not long ago! It’s such a big and important topic. I love that it’s a 5 minute Friday! And your community seems just wonderful!
I love your post. You make me giggle! I too am learning to live out loud and most days you’ll find me with unwashed hair and jeans but I love my 6″ heel, gorgeous jewelry friends too!
Sorry I hadn’t read properly and linked up a hymn! Oh well it is a good hymn and I will definitely support many others who linked up with a visit and a comment. Thanks for all the great links! God bless!
Thanks for hosting the Five-minute fridays! I find myself looking forward to them more each week.
I love what you had to say about the community of your friends and it was written so beautifully; the closing sentence brought tears to my eyes!
Looking forward to the opportunity of meeting you (and so many others) tomorrow at the meetup–can’t wait! =)
I just have to let you know that this post inspired me to do something bold…I sent out an email, with a link to this post, with the subject line: “I want Friends!!! There, I said it..and not just email or facebook friends or friends that I don’t get a chance to hug or have a cryfest with…” Whenever I see pictures of you, or Nester, or Christyn, or Emily hanging out with your friends I get a longing knot in my stomach…a longing for friendships like yours. Thanks for inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone and be vulnerable.
Christina, I hear you. I actually was praying about this this morning, because as a brand new mom, I have been realizing I feel like I have very few real friendships as I navigate these waters without the community of women others seem to have. I’ll be praying for you along these lines!
I just love this. I read a friends 5 minute Friday post and decided this topic was perfect for me today.
Isn’t it amazing to have a group of friends who “get you.” Love it.
I was a writing major a thousand years ago in college…and then life…. and I have forgotten how to put my heart on the page. I read your posts and they speak so clearly to my heart and I think the five minute Friday is such a fun idea, but I am terrified to try…maybe one day the words will spill again for me. In the waiting I will continue to quietly enjoy this community.
I joined in for the first time ever and had a fun time writing the post. :) Thanks for hosting something like this. Thanks also for your words in the webcast this evening. Good stuff!
Love you, sister.
Community is so necessary. I love your depiction of each member in a way that is unique to them and (obviously) loved by you. Thank you for this reminder of how important and blessed a community is. I really enjoy your blog!
Beautiful post. Makes me want broccoli cheese soup! And I’ve missed by community here at the 5 Minute Friday. I’ve been unable to link up for the past month or so. But I am determined to be back here on Friday!
I adore all these amazing pictures!
Janelle