I haven't done a RevGalBlogPals Friday Five in a couple of weeks - I just never get to it so I decided to just stop and do this right now.
Jan writes
Jennifer recommended this book, which I got because I always value Jennifer's reading suggestions. The author of Life is a Verb, Patti Digh worked her book around these topics concerning life as a verb:As I read and pondered about living more intentionally, I also have wondered what this Friday Five should be. This book has been the jumping off point for this Friday.
- Say yes.
- Be generous.
- Speak up.
- Love more.
- Trust yourself.
- Slow down.
1. What awakens you to the present moment? Okay, um, I have to confess this kind of language about "awakening to the present moment" is pretty foreign to me. It's poetic language and I'm a prose person. To me life needs to be a balance of reflecting on the past, looking and planning to the future and being aware of what is going on right now. To be "awakened to the present" makes me think of an emergency of something that needs to be addressed right now. Like when my daughter suffered suddenly from a kidney infection a week ago and I had to take her to the emergency room. That "awakened me to the present moment" fer sure.
2. What are 5 things you see out your window right now? I could mention rain 5 times since there is so much of it. My garden. Robins. The raspberries growing in the backyard of the house across the alley. The church. OH CRAP!! THE GARBAGE MAN IS HERE AND I HAVEN'T TAKEN THE CANS TO THE ALLEY AND I CLEANED OUT THE REFRIGERATOR LAST NIGHT AND IT's RAINING. Be right back. How's that for "being awakened to the present moment"?
3. Which verbs describe your experience of God? Present. Loving. Grace giving.
4. From the book on p. 197:
Who were you when you were 13? Where did that kid go? I was a sullen, overweight, unpopular, very unhappy child. What happened to her? She survived a lot of difficult things. She discovered Grace and learned to be happy and grateful for what she does have and not worry about what she does not have. She's still tough and doesn't take any shit from anyone.
5. From the book on p. 88:
If your work were the answer to a question, what would the question be?
Who is going to tell you the truth?
Bonus idea for you here or on your own--from the book on p. 149:Yea. Maybe after it stops raining. But probably not.
"Go outside. Walk slowly forward. Open your hand and let something fall into it from the sky. It might be an idea, it might be an object. Name it. Set it aside. Walk forward. Open your hand and let something fall into it from the sky. Name it. Set it aside. Repeat. . . ."
If you decide to go out can catch some of that rain, send it my way. The desert is bone dry. good play...
ReplyDeleteIsn't that just the most unfair thing? Flooding in one part of the country, draught in the other. Couldn't we use our technology to do something about that?
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need rain in TX--an extremely severe drought is going on down here.
ReplyDeleteHow frightening to take your daughter to the emergency room with a kidney infection. I hope you didn't have to wait for hours and hours for help. Is she ok?
Ames is not that big a town we did not have to wait too long - although it seemed like forever since she was in so much pain. She was well enough to go work at a figure skating camp this week tho she is tired and hasn't done much skating for herself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post - I very much understand the prose not poetry thought and lvoed the gardbage guys moment.
ReplyDeleteHope your daughter recovers fully soon
hope your daughter is well.
ReplyDeleteI like your number 5! (well, and all the rest, too.)