Lookit – our first Five Minute Friday in the new digs! Welcome, gang. I baked. Well, I picked up pies at the bakery. Actually, it was more like a regular grocery store. Whatevs, help yourself!
Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started? All the details are over here now on its own, special Five Minute Friday page. And I’m excited to introduce a new feature – every week I’ll pick a post that caught my eye and share it down there in my side bar – see where it says “Featured Five Minute Friday”? Yea -that could be you!
Because, as we all know, the first rule of Five Minute Friday is leaving an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. So getting to feature one of your fine posts is like frosting as far as I’m concerned.
So, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this!
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? Please give me your best five minutes on:::
Risk…
:
GO
Sometimes there’s an ocean of things we don’t say. Words can be more dangerous than all the king’s horses and all the king’s men. And who will put me back together again?
I whisper my fears into the quiet dark and the fan lazily bats them away. But sometimes the words we don’t say are the loudest and they can rage inside. I teach my boys to recognize their frustration. To own those two fists so tightly clenched. That gritting teeth and saying it – I’m frustrated – that’s OK.
Always better to say out loud. Always better to speak it into the open.
Sometimes dreams can feel like frustration. All knotted there in our bellies wondering when it’s their turn. But there are dishes to be done and a carpet to vacuum and who will gamble away the routine for the unnecessary. When we have what is sure, what is real, who will chase those shadows that beckon.
Who will follow the winding daydream that tastes more substantial than dinner tonight.
Who will put pen to paper. Who will paint. Who will plan extra hours into the day. Who will say yes.
Out loud even.
STOP
{Subscribers, you can just click here to come over and play along}
Oh Lisa-Jo you are just so good at this writing business! I haven’t participated in a few weeks, but I’m glad to be back! Glad I stayed up too! :)
MB
newlifesteward.com
Girl, you always make me a dribbly mess. That write is going to linger with me a bit…
I had intended to take the summer off of 5MFs but I just couldn’t! How long did I make it…3 weeks? One week too long I’m afraid.
And I’m loving the new scenery!!! Thanks for the pie!
Ohhhh I love your words. I sooooo want to follow my winding daydream….
Gosh that 5 mins goes way faster than normal!!!
Oh, oh…you’ve done it again. Your first 3 paragraphs in particular were two hands grasping my face, commanding attention at something I needed to take hold of. *sigh* THANK YOU, yet again. I came home – LATE just now, with frustrations on my mind. Ones I’ve been trying to convince myself I was past. over. done with. matured-enough-to-forget…..yep….didn’t stay away for long.
But I came, I resigned myself to bed, but took a moment to look here first. And there it was: awareness. Truth. Allowance to FEEL and exhortation to admit. I needed this.
I am continually blessed.
“…who will gamble away the routine for the unnecessary…”
My favorite line among many. :)
After a sabbatical from 5MF, I’m back. Sometimes I just need a little prompt to prime my writing pump; so I came right to the spot I knew I’d find it. Thanks friend.
xo
“Sometimes dreams can feel like frustration.”
Yes – this is me at the moment, with words all clogged up inside of me and not being able to release them.
I love your writing – thanks again for the FMF, it is a balm to my fevered imagination.
Yes, that winding dream…shares a risk….but the constant reminder to FEAR NOT – can overwhelm a soul who has found the love that shows that no fear can ever keep you from HIM! Beautiful post…and wow, love your new place!
“Always better to say out loud. Always better to speak it into the open.” So true. Fear often runs and hides when have the courage to confront it.
sometimes i am so afraid to say things out loud, because too many times i feel i have said too much. ps LOVE the new place, it looks fabulous!
Beautiful post. “…who will chase those shadows…” Shadow chasing is fun, even as a kid. Yet, it’s illusive sometimes because in the end we are truly chasing ourselves. Thanks for sharing.
I joined today but failed to follow instructions. :o) Sorry. I will next week.
Absolutely love the new look, Lisa-Jo! I appreciate Five Minute Fridays. They challenge me in just the right way.
I’m working on that saying out loud business. Emily Freeman is helping me as I read Grace for the Good Girl. It is always better to say it than keep it shut up where it can fester and turn ugly or die altogether. And I know He is in the business of dreams, givng them and orchestrating them. Lovely, the way you make us think in those short five minutes. Loving your new site.
Oh Yes! You really spoke to my heart with this one. Such wisdom. I have to say again, I love the new blog design. Awesome. :)
I LOVE the new look!! Very very nice!! I also downloaded your book and can’t wait to read it! :)
why is it every time i go to write you a comment, there are no words. just a smile :)
oh that part about “what we have is sure, …and real.”
a bird in the hand?! at least that is what we are taught.
but sometimes the risk and the dream are worth it too :)
still just makes me smile to click on over here and see your new home!!
*heavy sigh* Yes, friend. Yes. Sometimes it baffles me that words are so important to me, provide such release and relief and therapy for me to write….but at times I can be a such a drastic LOSS for words that do justice to the mumble-jumble of thoughts and emotions swirling in my head and heart!
Took the prompt in a very different direction: I wrote about the board game Risk and if I can ever think of war as a “game” again.
Ok I took a risk and pushed publish.
I really needed this prompt today- it’s perfect for some things going on in my family’s life right now.
I am always so inspired by your prompts. And I love the new look!
Lisa-Jo, your writing, your definition of risk splayed out across the table is so raw and naked … one of the reasons I love reading your words. You wrapped me up not only in thought but in scenes with vibrant word pictures. Really well done.
Oh how funny. I wrote my post before I had read yours and my post echoes yours in so many ways and is my risk – taking the time to just write again even for just 5 minutes! : )
I really love what you wrote and I LOVE LOVE LOVE these challenges!!! Today was a special topic for me as I was telling my oldest son what an amazing opportunity he has to go to college in Hawaii. I was telling him that it is a huge risk to leave home, go where you don’t really know many people and try to fit in and get a good education. I told him that I really look up to him….and I’m glad this post helped me remind me of why I am sending my child all the way across the ocean. :)
I am a new follower… I was visiting sites from SITS and several of them were linky up to your 5-minute Friday. It sounds like so much fun – and kinda crazy! Who knows what would come out of my mouth?! Can’t wait to see next week’s word!
Follow me back at… http://www.mustardseedsok.blogspot.com
Thanks for building such a great community!!!
I think that every Friday is a “risk” – putting out there unscripted thoughts and words…speaking the truth from inside that we usually want to stuff inside. Thanks for providing a safe place for us to “speak our dreams out loud”…
FMF are one of the best/scariest/most challenging/provocative things I’ve ever dived off a proverbial cliff to do. Thank you for creating a space where I learn some by writing, and so much more by reading what didn’t come to me but was visited upon someone else. “I whisper my fears into the quiet dark and the fan lazily bats them away.” I just love that imagery….
Thanks again for the feature (I am deeply honored). See you next Friday!
Peace and good,
Chelle
Lisa-Jo, love FMF and especially love the featured blog from TreatMeToAFeast. I am a new follower and will be sharing with others. Great job!!!!
It’s fantastic that you are getting ideas from this paragraph
as well as from our dialogue made at this place.
Risk
It is time to risk it all…it is time to change everything and jump all in
What am I so afraid of to put myself out there? I ask God for direction on what I should do and I’m unsure if I really want to know the answer. I know that God is going to stretch me and mold me into something new and it will require me to go outside my comfort zone, but in the end I know the new me will be a better me a changed person for the better. So here I ask, what am I so afraid of?
I guess I am afraid of being changed and being molded. I wonder what God is going to ask me to give up and if I will still get to be me. I have learned so much, but have so far to go. I wonder what changes are on the horizon and if I’m willing to do what God is calling me to do.
That was good !So often I want to say something but hesitate so guess I will write it!Your writing was inspiring