five minute friday: visit

fem minutters fredag​​: besøk*

Visit.

I've just spent 90 minutes on the phone to a friend.

For many people that's not so remarkable. In fact, for teenage girls that's probably a short call. But it's unusual for me - I prefer email or text or even FB chat for catching up with people. I gave up on voice calls ages ago. Never a conscious decision, they just slipped away. These days if my phone rings, it's probably my mum.

But today was about catching up with a friend who moved away last year. We used to live a few minutes apart. Today a quick "visit" would take over 10 hours travel there and back. I miss our regular times of chatting, laughing, sharing and praying. The travel was easy and the company was too.

A phone call will never be the same as an evening on the sofa but actually, after the conversation, I really do feel like she visited. I'm grateful for my friend and I'm inspired by all she's up to.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you! 

* Last time I did FMF I had just had an influx of Latvian visitors to the blog. This week I have had 85 visitors from Norway. So the title is in Norwegian. Velkommen. 

five minute friday: story

Tie ir mani zābaki*

These are my wellies. Pretty ordinary, green wellington boots. I've had them since I was 14 - that's 20 years! I don't think I have any other pairs of shoes, or indeed clothing that I've had for that long and am still wearing. (Well, OK there's the Eden Burning Brink tour t-shirt but it's too holey to wear now) Last time I wore them was at Greenbelt 2012, when the mud reached as high up my legs as the wellies did. My wellies and I waded through fields to meet friends, to hear great music and other acts, to evensong and compline, to communion, to food vans or to the contrib lounge for free coffee, to rehearsals and to the art gallery and room where I was working. Whatever I saw at GB2012, my wellies saw too. We share the same story.

Over 20 years, those boots and I have been to many places together. Camping all over the UK, youth events, festivals, celebrations, gardening and car washing. We've been there. They got wet and muddy. I didn't. Grateful for that!

You'll notice the tops are folded down. Last year I finally admitted that my calves are now wider than the top of my boots. I guess my legs were skinnier when I was 14? The only comfortable way to wear them was to fold down the tops, only allowing them back up to wade through the deepest mud.

So, sadly, this year is the end of the story of me and the green wellies. Today, for the first time in two decades, I have ordered new boots, hoping that these too will serve me at least 20 years of muddy stories.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

* Last week I had 48 blog visitors from Latvia so I thought I'd welcome them by translating the first line of today's blog into Latvian. Sveikt.

five minute friday: in between

In Between

Lots of things are changing at the moment. Decisions I made a while ago are beginning to come to pass. Reality hits. I'll blog in more detail on some of that soon (when it's not Friday and I've got longer than 5 minutes!)

So my "in between" at the moment is the space between the end of one thing and the beginning of the next.

I had some ideas regarding what might be the next thing. Safety nets, I suppose. Things which, even though they weren't definite yet, were possibilities which made deciding to end things feel safe and OK.

I can jump because there's a safety net for me to land in.

Now, having jumped, the safety nets I had planned for seem a little less secure. Gone, or perhaps not fixed. And who wants to land in a safety net that isn't attached to anything?

So I find myself in the in between. Freefall.

I know the jump was right.

But now I also know that my safety nets were flimsy. Unreliable.

So I fall. Not knowing where I'm going to land. But grateful that there's a safety net that covers not just the in between, but the endings and the beginnings too. And where better place to land than in God's love?

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

five minute friday: rest

Rest

Before I left for work this morning, I read Lisa-Jo's blog to see what the Five Minute Friday prompt is for today.

The word Lisa-Jo has given is Rest.

But what inspired me today is the image she included in her post. A simple silver keyring with the words "It is well with my soul"

Immediately the words of Horatio Spafford's amazing hymn were in my head.

I have a 45 minute drive to work and this morning it was filled with this hymn on repeat on my ipod. Brian Doerkson's version mostly, although I did allow Phil Wickham's version a couple of plays.

In listening, singing, enjoying the words, today I found rest.

So rather than write any more, let me share the rest with you.



This version is from last year's Prom Praise with the All Souls Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Soloists are Kristyn Getty and Jonathan Viera and I believe the orchestral arrangement is by Simon Elphick. It was a joy to play. If you look carefully, one of the blurry instrumentalists in the back of the orchestra is me. But that's not really the point. Enjoy the words of this beautiful hymn today.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

his eye is on the sparrow

It's Friday! Here's my 5-minutes...

Ordinary
I write this having just got back from a funeral. One of our neighbours died a couple of weeks ago, having battled cancer since October (at least, that's when she found out she had it.)

At the service, mostly in Greek, I was struck by how extraordinary most ordinary people are. Most of us live in the everyday - sleep, eat, work, friends etc. We're all ordinary really. But in between all that normal stuff we all have extraordinary stories.

Nicky had plenty of those stories. A life full of extraordinary moments.
- of growing up in Greece, family life, school life
- of how first polio, and then a serious accident on her Vespa broke and weakened her body but strengthened her spirit
- of romance and love with her husband Bernard
- of working double shifts as a nurse, earning extra money as a hairdresser and police translator and bringing up her son all at the same time
- of travelling the world alongside her beloved husband
- of parties, dancing and singing, the things she loved to do

We've only known her a couple of years - she was one of our neighbours in this block of flats. But visiting Nicky always involved looking through more photos and hearing more stories. Usually accompanied by samples from either her baking or her drinks cabinet, often both!

But the most extraordinary thing about her was her faith. She knew, unswervingly confidently, that she was loved by God. Death was not scary for her. It was peace.

It'll be quiet here without her. But as her son, Theo, said today, we don't need to mourn for a life lost, but can celebrate a life well lived.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

five minute friday: again

The trouble with writing a Five Minute Friday post a few days late is that before you know it, it's Friday again, back with another word and another five minutes. If you're wondering what Five Minute Friday is, there's more info at the end of this post. But for now...

Again
I think I have it sussed.

How life is. How it's different from some of the dreams I might've had. How I feel about it and what I'm going to do about it.

Some things are difficult - there's ways through them and ways around them.

And then some things are great. To be celebrated, although often forgotten, taken for granted. Moments of brilliance. Of blessings.

On the worst days, the difficult things take the shine off the brilliant things. Those days are rare. I'm grateful for that too.

And on some days, the amazing things make the impossible seem possible. There's a way through. Stop ignoring or going round.

This week had one of those days. A towering impossible appeared to have a crack. Just the tiniest glimmer of light. Inviting. Possible.

Step towards it. Nothing. Darkness and a reminder that I'd labelled it IMPOSSIBLE for a reason. There are no words for those moments. Nothing adequate anyway. But one rings in the emptiness.

Again?

My "Again" is a question. To myself - did you really let yourself get here again? To God - do we really have to do this again?

God's "Again" is an encouragement. Like the parent teaching the toddler to walk.Set back on it's feet. Again. Try again.

Again. It's all about hope.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

five minute friday: cherished

I missed it! The first Five Minute Friday of 2013 and I forgot. Can I have a Five Minute Early-Hours-Of-Tuesday instead?

Cherished

There's a story in our family folklore that goes like this. When I was little, about five or so, I was walking holding hands with Nana - my paternal grandmother. She wore a ring, a ruby set in diamonds, a sparkly ring that had caught my eye.

"Nana, when you die can I have your ring?"

Precocious child wasn't I? There's a whole prodigal son parable waiting to happen right there!

Thankfully my Nana was more gracious than that. I have no recollection of the story happening, although I've heard it so many times that I'm starting to believe I remember it. From what I know of Nana I'd be very surprised if she didn't laugh at that moment. Probably quite a lot.

Nana had three sons, who in turn delivered four grandchildren; my two male cousins, my brother and I. Here she is with her first grandson, my cousin Simon. So as the first female for three generations, I was cherished. That's not to say she didn't love and cherish the boys too, of course she did. But I have memories of a very special relationship with her as I was growing up.

She died when I was 14, very unexpectedly. And in her will, also unexpectedly, she left me her jewellery. All of it, including that sparkly ring.

What an honour - Nana loved her jewellery and much of it tells her story. A delicate maple leaf necklace from her time spent in Canada. A Maltese cross, also from her travels. A gold sovereign that Grandad had set into a pendant for her. A locket with cherished photographs in it. A charm-bracelet so laden with charms that it's too heavy to wear, but each one of those in turn tells its own story, many of them stories I wish I knew.

I've enjoyed looking through those items many times. Cherished pieces of memory, reminders of a cherished relationship with her. I'm considering selling some of the pieces to buy one simple thing that I could wear to remind me of her. But there's much to think about before then.

But I love the way they remind me of her. Of the things we did together, the ridiculous jumpers she knitted (it wasn't really her best skill!), the white plastic donkey flower pot holder in the garden, the holidays at her house in Wales where there was a JCB at the end of the street. Cherished memories of a Nana who cherished me.

And a tiny hint of how much more we all are cherished by God. How I wish I understood that!

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!

five minute friday: wonder

Wonder.

I don't use the word very often but I think its something I do all the time. Leave me to my own devices and my mind drifts, chewing over an earlier conversation or an event or something I read. I wonder.

And so often it can be negative. I wonder what might have been. All the "what if?" questions. Quite fun, sometimes, to rewrite your own life story. But a distraction from the reality of today. That's OK, to a point. Maybe even leads to improvements and a better way. But on the other hand does it just tempt me to believe that what I have isn't good enough, that I should be/have/do better? I become regretful of the have-nots rather than grateful for the haves. I see the details of life as unfortunate irritants, rather than opportunities to marvel and be thankful.

My first teaching placement for my PGCE was with a year 2 class in a small school in north Warwickshire. The early placements are largely observations so by the time I was asked to take a science lesson I was keen to get stuck in. The class were learning about electricity and basic circuits and I was given the session with all the wires, bulbs and batteries. It was all set out, each pair of children had a piece of paper on their desk with a bulb in a holder, 2 wires with crocodile clip ends and an AA battery. We talked about how it all worked with demonstrations etc and then the children had a go.

The room was full of children clipping wires all over the place. But Lewis is the one I remember. I was at his table when he completed the circuit. The final crocodile clip attached to the bulb. The lightbulb went on, not just in the circuit, but behind his eyes too. Genuine wonder at the shining light that was a result of his simple connecting of the bits and pieces in front of him. A beautiful moment - for many of us we'd disregard it because the it was so simple. But Lewis' face and enjoyment of the moment is a reminder to wonder.

The word reminds me of a beautiful song by Keith & Kristyn Getty; Don't Let Me Lose My Wonder.

I've seen days melt into nights in circles of lights,
I've watched a spider spin a star between the window box flowers,
I've heard you laugh and cry in a single sigh, and a story form within.

Don't let me lose my wonder.
Don't let me lose my wonder.

I saw her broken dreams inside but helping others fly,
I saw his eyes without a doubt though other lights faded out,
And though her calling roared such graciousness flowed
From the vision of her soul.

A baby cried through the dark beneath a jeweled spark,
I knew Your voice upon the hill and heard my lostness still,
I found my home in the light where wrong was made right
And You rose like the morning star.

Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder.

It doesn't mention God at all but if you've ever heard it you'll know it's a prayer. God don't let me lose my wonder. Don't let me lose sight of you in the every day details. Don't let me miss seeing you even when everything seems dark and negative.

This blog is part of Five Minute Friday - a group of bloggers who write about a given subject for five minutes without, stopping, overthinking, editing or backtracking. There's rules:

* Check what the prompt is on www.lisajobaker.com
* Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog.
* Link to Lisa's website and invite friends to join in.
* Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url www.lisajobaker.com/2012/07/five-minute-friday-2/ }
* Using the linky tool at the bottom of Lisa's Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
* Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Be sure and encourage the person who linked up before you!