Shake That Tambourine and Dance

On Fridays I sometimes link up with Liso-Jo over at Tales From The Gypsy Mama.  We write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
Today's prompt is:  Dance.
GO...


Shake That Tambourine and Dance


I have a little dancer.
He is six.  And full of life and little inhibition.
My sweet Ethan.  My musician. 
His heart for the Lord is pure and his natural bend is to praise Him.  
Praise Him with tambourine and dance. Psalm 150:4
This is such a gift.  And as much as I love it, his brothers don't always.
As we ride in the van, my oldest will bark, "Ethan, stop singing."  
"No."  I say.
"Let him sing."
I am protective of Ethan's heart.  For I  know it won't be too long before the world will try and rob him the purity of his passion.  The world will shame him or make fun or try to rob his joy.
The world does this, yes?  Rob us of our song and dance?
As much as I love to listen to Ethan sing and watch his tiny feet dance, I can only imagine how the Father adores us.  His little ones.  With hearts that dance for him.  With hearts that leap with joy.
Today, don't let anyone tell you to stop.  Shake the heck out of your tambourine.  Sing a little too loud.  Spin. And dance before your Father.
Your audience of One gives you a standing ovation.


STOP

Altogether...Together

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.

~Lisa-Jo @ The Gypsy Mama

Today's topic:  Together

Five minutes set: GO


Altogether...Together

I know that God will never leave me.

I know that He is an ever-present help in trouble.

I know that God is Emmanuel.  He is with us.

But I wouldn't say I often reflect on God and me as "together."

But we are.

Together is a family picnic or a cup of joe at Starbucks.

Together sits around a table at 5 o'clock.  Sharing dinner and our day.

Together shares a story.  And ice cream.

Together rides in the car and shops for shoes.

Together.

But if He is in fact ever-present, then we are in fact together.

If He is with us....  With me....  With you.....  Then we are together.

He will never leave me.  We are together.

As much as He is a big God in the big things, He is a Big God in the little things, too.


For the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deut. 31:9


He is together with me on family picnics, and drinking joe.  We are together around the kitchen table and sharing ice cream.  Together in the car and shopping for shoes.


He is altogether lovely and altogether ... together with me.


And He is together with you. Right now. Reading this. 


Together.


Stop

A Canvas Called Summer

Good Five Minute Friday to you!  I've been linking up with The Gypsy Mama some Friday mornings to write for five minutes flat.  No back tracking.  No over thinking.  Just thoughts.  Ahh, fresh wind in a writer's sail.

This morning we write on Opportunity.

Five minutes set.  Go...

A Canvas Called Summer

A white canvas is set before me.

A blank canvas called Summer.

A quiet canvas full of opportunity.

Two-and-a-half eager months ready to be painted with colors of fun.  Adorned in a mother's love.

But this mommy is just a creative-wannabe ready to plan a memorable summer for her three eager and highly anticipating little boys.

Left to myself, we will be left to repetition and a little boredom. 

I need an intervention with this opportune canvas.  

An artist.  Who is creative.  Innovative.  An full of brilliant color.

I need the Creator.  The Opportunity Maker to take His brush and paint me a picture.  A rough draft full of vision and idea.  A canvas painted with pool and park and play and prayer.

Opportunity is rich in summer.  

Full of discipleship.  Training.  Directing.  Teaching.  Investing.

All masked in the paint of sand and sprinkler pads and drives to the zoo.  Quiet mornings with coffee and creamer, snuggled on the couch with cuddly PJ boys and PBS.

Opportunity awaits.  Summer awaits...

Stop.


{I have also linked up with Faith Filled Fridays over at Beholding Glory.  First time!  How fun!}