Joy

I haven't joined in with Five Minute Friday for ages.  I think because I can't seem to follow it via Blogger GFC.


"You shall go out with joy
And be led forth in peace
and the rivers and the hill will break forth before you
There'll be shouts of joy and the trees of the fields
shall clap, shall clap their hands.
And the trees of the fields shall clap their hands
And the trees of the fields shall clap their hands
And the trees of the fields shall clap their hands
As you go out in joy"

As a myriad thoughts burst forth from me in response to the prompt, this song was prime in my mind.  This very Jewish-sounding song is one we sing at the end of our KS2 Christmas church nativity every year and we all love it.  I think it's based on a psalm but 5 minutes wont allow me to search!

Aside from being a mighty fine tune, it resonates with me so much because when I sing it, I am prompted by a great source of joy for me.  When I am alone, unhampered by luggage, just walking in God's creation, I find the joy burbling forth from me like a stream.  I giggle with delight in my mind as I regard something so simple at first glance yet extraordinary when you look at it more closely!  God made each thing so beautifully. A breath of wind, across your face- wasn't so joyful when it made my skirt swoop up as I ran across a crowded playground (though it was slightly amusing!) but as part of a welcome break, it is a source of joy.  The delight in playing an amazing piece of music.  The joy of appreciating someone else's gift, appreciation of an amazing sermon, being in a wonderful place with wonderful people..  Sometimes joy isn't soo forthcoming as these situations, but it is always there, if you look more closely (and put that luggage down).

STOP.
Five minutes is over.

Five minute Friday: What Mama did...

In just five minutes. Tell me all about what your mama did that made her yours….


My Mum has always been someone in my mind who is free-spirited, not afraid to be different and likes what she likes.  This is certainly part of her legacy in me.  She has always been someone with eclectic tastes who has an interest in many things and again, this has been part of me.  Her love of nature and the natural world is something that has passed from her parents to her and onto me.  I am happiness when I am seeing the beauty of the natural world.  Somehow though, her green fingers have not reached me yet!  She was always very very strong on the subject of smoking and drugs- she found it to be something that made her cough and she knew the dangers of it- I was aware of this from a young age and knew that peer pressure would be something that would never convince me to start.  I did try it, just to say, "Yep, that's disgusting," and out of those who I tried it with, I am the only one who didn't start and continue smoking. 

My mum has always been a hard-worker, she worked hard for us as children, juggling several jobs, none of them particularly well paid, in order that we might have our music lessons and learn skills, and well, live!  We ate vegetable stews that we had grown the ingredients for ourselves.  I think this is why I have certain thrifty ways, particularly regarding food, because I know how hard it was for my mother to earn the money and to spend money on food seemed less of an importance (somethign I know that CBC gets a little cross with me about).  Her love of the dramatic, music, acting, creativity and the such like has formed such an important part of my life.  And giving us an independence and a real perspective on the world.  All these things make her mine. 

And most importantly, she went without for a good many years that we might prosper in our professional and social lives- I never had the time to get into trouble- I was always busy!  What has she done to maker her mine? Well, she is part of me in so many facets of my personality and life!
Today’s your turn. What did your mama do that makes her your mama? Let’s unpack those memories today. Let’s trace our fingers along the lines of the unexpected. The ordinary beauty in a day of motherhood. The food or the laughing or the dancing or the story telling.
Where is your memory buried?

{and don’t forget to spend some time commenting on the post of the person who linked up just before you}


Linking to Lisa-Jo Baker at Five Minute Friday.

Beloved: Five minute Friday

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.




2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.



3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

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When I think of the word beloved, immediately what comes to mind is that I am beloved of my
Father in heaven.  He knows me and he's there for me.  Or so the Bible tells me.  Sometimes, it is hard to feel that- I sometimes feel that I wish I could hear his voice clearly, knowing that he's definitely with me, hearing clearly that I am where he wants me to be and I am not just doing my own thing. I sometimes doubt whether I am doing what I should be.  Is he there with me?

And yet, I see and feel and have felt through my life, that I am his beloved:  I have been extraordinarily blessed in my life.  I have had so many opportunities to do things, to try things, to go to places, to meet people and I have been safe in many situations that could not have been so.   He has nurtured a side of me that has kept me safe, a caution from a young-age, that is in-built. There is a comfort, deep within me, a sense of being beloved.  I don't necessarily have to have a loudspeaker message saying, "Kezzie, you are mine," to know that I am beloved, that he loves me.  I feel it any time of despair.  Any time I feel I need to run, to be away from things, a calmness comes over me in the knowledge that I AM beloved. I've felt this extraordinary sense of being watched over and loved right from a young age.

One of my favourite songs when I came back to church as a 22 year old was, He brought me to his banqueting table.  The second verse begins with the lines:
"I am my beloved's and he is mine."

CBC said to me once that he didn't necessarily need to say, I love you for me to know that he loved me- it is there in the way he speaks to me, looks at me and in other ways.  That's how it is with God. There is a comfort in knowing that I am his beloved.  And he is mine.

Again

I'm linking to 5-minute Friday on the subject of 'again'.


http://lisajobaker.com/2013/01/five-minute-friday-again/

Several thoughts come to mind when I think about 'again'.  Firstly, what came first to mind was the thought of repeating the same mistakes, again.  Doing something at it and failing several times.  And yet, by doing it, again and again, there is always hope and usually success, of getting it right.  It brings to mind perseverance.  As a music teacher, doing something again and again is crucial to the success of my young learners.  Yes, there are those who get something instantly  But for a large majority, the need to try, retry and do it again and again is a necessity.  Some children get this.  They patiently try it again and again until they succeed.  Perhaps it's in their mentality- nature or because they have a background of being encouraged to persevere and try, try, try again-  nurture? Others find it hard.  They instantly state, "I can't do it!" and don't want to try again. They want it instantly and aren't willing to feel those feelings of 'failing' at something in the attempt. One thing that I have to teach at all ages is the modelling of 'practice techniques'.  HOW to practice, how to improve, how to break it down and the need to try, try, try again.  All the time I say to groups who say: "We've done it!".  "Practice it again and again- seeing how you can improve it." 

This week, one child decided to leave all my after school clubs she's been in. (she was currently in choir and drumming).  She did them for one term.  She did orchestra for one term, she did recorders for one term, but she's not willing to persevere and improve at something by doing it again or get good.  She enjoyed all of them but won't do things again.  I had her last year in class, and she was like that with everything. Not willing to do things again, didn't like the effort of having to try things again and again.  I do hope that she will learn to persevere and give something a try and do it again to see how she can progress.  I guess it's my job to try and reiterate THAT to her, again and again. 
*****
The rules of the link:
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..
Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

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And if you missed it- check out my gentleman doctor style inspiration from yesterday!xx