The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “respect.”

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Yes I immediately started belting this song out when I heard the word prompt.

Respect is something we all can use especially right now. We need to learn to respect each other even when we disagree. It would be a pretty boring world if we all looked, acted and believed the same thing.

I know not everyone agrees with me. In reading the scientists and listening to epidemiologists, I believe wearing a mask protects my neighbors especially those less vulnerable than me. Yet I respect that not everyone agrees with me.

I fail at this often, but I want to be better at respecting all Gods people. I want to be respectful in this world but I also want to listen and learn from those that are different than me: the ones who haven’t always been shown the respect they deserve.

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The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “smile.”

When I was in college, my friend “Chewy” (his last name was Chewakin) gave me the nickname “Smiley.” Whenever I heard “Smiley” I knew he was calling out for me. His friendship was a gift. Sadly Chewy committed suicide. It was such a loss to our community. I have never let anyone call me “Smiley” since Chewy gave me that name.

He told me that I always had a smile on my face so that’s why he gave me that nickname. I do like to smile. In fact, it’s one of my favorite features.

I don’t smile when I’m sad or upset, so I don’t smile all the time. I’m reminded of the quote “Don’t cry because it’s over, but smile because it happened.” There are situations in life that I don’t think this always applies (our current pandemic) to but for the most part it’s true.

*I smile….at Luna and Neville. I smile at new books. I smile at a rainbow after the rain. I smile when I get to spend time with those I love. I smile at the little things.

What is making you smile in these days?

I’ve missed you all. I haven’t participated in weeks but I’m back. The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “endure.”

How much can we endure? That’s a question I find myself asking in these uncertain times. Yet I’m reminded of a verse from Scripture. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”-Romans 5:3-4

Hope is definitely something I can cling to. During this season, I see hope in gardens growing. I see it in fields producing. As my friend Susan often reminds us, “Hope changes everything.”

I also see the many in our world who should not endure anymore violence. We must speak up for the injustices in our world. I want a better world for future generations.

But clinging to hope, I trust in God who promises to never leave us or forsake us. There are things that I can and will endure. I’ll endure love…the love of friends and family. I’ll endure sharing my bed with sweet Luna and handsome Neville. I’ll endure sitting outside reading a good book with my feet in my kiddy pool. (I just started reading Caroline Fraser’s book Prairie Fires)

What can and will you endure? Moments of joy?