My Father's Daughter

So, I've been asked, "Why connect online?" Here's my answer..... It's such a common phrase now. "Social Network". We all know what it means. Whether it's Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Google + (and the list is constantly growing), email groups, chat rooms, blogs....it's everywhere. It's become a defining part of our culture. We all have a whole lot of information about one another then we ever had before. We know what our cousins across the country did this weekend and what our friend across the street had for breakfast. We see pictures of an event as it's still going on. We know international news in seconds. We get all this information as an "alert" in the palm of our hands. It seems so intrusive at times. It seems as though everyone thinks that every thought that crosses his or her mind mind needs to be typed out, posted for the world to see. It seems as though nothing is private anymore. Why? And what is the benefit? Is there

Five Minute Fridays. Writing with a prompt. For five minutes. No revisions. Just write. I never get to it until Saturday. Better late than never? This week's prompt.....FULL GO Live full. Right now. Right here. No matter where that is. Don't wait to get it right. Don't wait for a new week or next year. Right this minute. Make every moment matter. Make every moment full....full of thanks, full of right now. Love full. Give with your heart. Give all you have. Love like crazy. Love fully like you want to be loved. Love from the tops of their heads to the tips of their toes. Love those you live with and those you've never met. Love like you mean it. Love all the way. Pray full. Fill your days with prayer. Pray without ceasing. Pray prayers of thanks with eyes wide open. Pray for the hurting. Pray for the sick. Pray for yourself....and then let it go. Be full. Full of peace. Full of hope. Full of smiles and laughter. Full of the grace that is lavished on you every day. Full

492. pajamas to bathing suits to pajamas 493. watching grown nieces and nephews~who are now older than I was when I became a part of this family~make big choices, fall in love, live their own lives 494. my dad and my boys in the pool together 495. noises of kids waking up while I'm busy in the kitchen 496. dinners with my husband 497. time with my mom! catching up 498. full moons 499. beautiful breezes 500. cool summer nights 501. new babies due so soon 502. new babies just hours old 503. at the end of the day knowing he is all I need

465. the image of the invisible God 466. taking turns reading from Colossians 467. yummy cheeseburgers 468. tee-ball in the rain 469. forgiveness (again) 470. bedtime stories from older brothers 471. lots to do and getting most of it done 472. playing at the park until the lightning bugs come out 473. Laughing with my husband 474. wine and ice cream sandwiches 475. thunderstorms 476. scraped knees that feel all better 477. my sister's pain about her sons~knowing all is Grace 478. morning at the movies with all 3 boys 479. lots and lots of swimming 480. watching my oldest glide through the water~swimming so well 481. my youngest swimming a lap and a half~so proud 482. lots of chocolate cake 483. brothers and cousins all playing in the water 484. singing happy birthday to my sister in law 485. reading aloud Stewart Little between 2 boys in my bed 486. tucking in sleepy kids after a busy day 487. back scratches and good night prayers 488. Noah reading to Nathan~it's one of my very

Do we forgive as lavishly as we have been forgiven? How often do we remember the amount of Grace it takes to keep us right with God even just this past hour? If we approached those who wronged us with even a sliver of the Mercy we are shown each day how much would this change our relationships, our lives? Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 If we can just remember that we're all just doing the best we can, that we all endure some kind of pain, that He's not done with any of us yet, then maybe, just maybe we can be content with less than perfect.

Five Minute Friday (of course it's Saturday though) Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing. Just let the words go. GO Grateful... Gratitude instead of griping. Hands lifted in thanksgiving instead of clenched in in expectation. For all of what is given is gift and so I will give thanks in all of it. I'm grateful for all of it-the good and bad, the beautiful and ugly. I'm grateful for all I've been given and for what I haven't and for this journey. I'm grateful for joy and sorrow and peace and pain. I'm grateful to experience this life and all it brings. I'm grateful for second chances and..third chances....and fourth chances... I'm grateful for the dark because it reminds me just how brilliant the Light is. Gratitude, living in abundance, thanking the Giver, trying to give as I have been given to... STOP Thanks to the gypsy mama for helping me remember how I love to write. Even when it's just five minutes (or in