It's Five Minute Fridays, where we write for fun, and/or for free therapy for five minutes. Then we post our unedited work (I correct typos), and we visit the person, who linked up before us.

Our gracious hostess is the encouraging Lisa-Jo, and she selects a word as the guest of honor for each week's writing party.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user Don McCullough

This week's Guest of Honor is "Song."

Start.

When does God give you a new song? Do you go up to some heavenly jukebox, stick in a prayer coin, and a song plays?

Psalm 40:1-3 gives a surprising answer. In Psalm 40:1-2, the psalmist complains and then calls out to God, and then God answers him, and puts his feet on solid rock.

All after the psalmist struggled in miry clay. Will he stay in the clay? Will we? It may feel at times like we will never get up out of the mud and place our feet on solid ground.

But we can take hope, because in verse 3, the psalmist declares that God has given him a new song to sing, a song of praise to our God.

A new song after the shifting sands and struggles. And it is true.

Some of the people I know in person, and online, who have gone through some of the darkest struggles, and made it through, sing the most beautiful songs.

They tell of how God rescued them, although at times, it seemed as if He had abandoned them. They point to where they were and where they are now because of God's work in their lives.

And when I hear their song, I want to sing along.

So may we be encouraged to know that we will have a new song to sing although our lives may seem song-less and full of sand right now.

STOP.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.- Psalm 40:1-3 ESV

Prayer:

May you wait patiently for the Lord, as you cry out to Him,

Knowing He will draw you out of the pit, and out of the miry bog,

and set your feet on a rock, so you can walk secure,

May He give you a new song to sing,

a song of praise that will cause many to see and

revere God and trust Him.

P.S. Lisa-Jo's word "Song" reminded me of a promise God gave me last year about giving me a new song to sing, Psalm 40:3. I am singing but I don't feel like I have the whole song yet, just parts...but I am grateful to be singing. Even if it is on and off....

Where do you find yourself along the continuum of Psalms 40:1-3?
What song are you singing today?

Please visit The Gypsy Mama and link up and/or read other entries. 

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2013.

It's Five Minute Fridays, where we write for fun, and/or for free therapy for five minutes. Then we post our unedited work (I correct typos), and we visit the person, who linked up before us.

Our gracious hostess is the encouraging Lisa-Jo, and she selects a word as the guest of honor for each week's writing party.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user xlibber

This week's Guest of Honor is "Brave."

Start.

Dear Friend,

When I saw Lisa-Jo picked the word, "Brave," and the song, "Brave" by Sara Bareilles, I wanted to laugh and cry. Laugh because the teacher of my online writing class had shared that exact same song with me after reading what I wrote for a recent writing exercise.*

Cry because I felt like God was saying to me, "I see you. Keep going even if your knees are knocking, and you want to run far, far away right now." Not sad crying, but God, you are so amazing.

I don't know what you are going through right now. Or if you are feeling the need to be brave, or if you are even aware that you are being brave.

Honestly, I didn't feel brave when I wrote that piece down. I just needed to get the words out of my mind and soul.

But I hope you know that you can trust God with your brave scary words and fears and truths rattling around in the cage of your pain. If you've lived a while, you know what I mean.

God wants to set you free, and He wants me to be free.

Stop.* means I edited phrase to make it more clear.

Subscribers, click here to hear Sara's song.

Prayer:

May you pull away from fear's  shore and bravely sail toward new land. May you know you can be brave because you don't sail alone. God is sailing with you, and He knows where He wants to take you.

Be brave, my friend, this weekend.

Please visit The Gypsy Mama and link up and/or read other entries. 

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2013.

It's Five Minute Fridays, where we write for fun, or for free therapy for five minutes. Then we post our unedited work (I correct typos), and we visit the person, who linked up before us.

Our gracious hostess is the encouraging Lisa-Jo, and she selects a word as the guest of honor for each week's writing party.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user StevenDepolo(Not our girl.)

This week's Guest of Honor is "Jump."

Start.

"Don't look down, just jump," my friend tells me.

It is my first zipline experience and I am sharing it with our daughter. I try not to let any fear show on my face because I know her young eyes are watching me.

If I freak out, then her fragile courage latched onto mine, will fail. I ask my friend to pray for us.

The camp instructor finishes hooking both of us into harnesses attached to ropes, which will hopefully keep us from falling to the dirt ground below.

The couple in front of us leap off together. Well, actually, the wife sat down, and scooted off the wood platform.

I contemplate doing the same. The moment arrives, and we each stand in front of a small wood door, placed about four or five feet apart.

A little bit of fear appears in her eyes. I tell her, I will count to three, then we will both jump.

Dear God, please help us.

1, 2, 3...I look at her, and say, "Jump."

Stop.

We both jumped, and we enjoyed it. It was a very short zipline and a perfect first time.

The shared fear then excitement brought us closer. Whenever God asks me to jump into the unknown, and we jump together, our relationship grows. My trust in Him increases.

What images or experiences does the word "jump" conjure up for you?

Thank you for being here. I always jump for joy when I hear from you.

Prayer:

May you jump into new adventures this weekend that draw you closer to loved ones and God.

May you experience how God jumps in delight whenever you turn to Him. May you discover the joy of jumping into God's loving arms, where He is always ready to catch you.

P.S. Please continue to pray for the people of Boston and Texas. Let God guide you on how best to serve.

Please visit The Gypsy Mama and link up and/or read other entries. 

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2013.