Five Minute Friday ~ Afraid

(i am) AFRAID

Darkness falls....

and my calling, my desired-for vocation of motherhood has lately pitched me into the deepest darkest rolling waves of fear. How is it that I can at times be so unsteady and unsure and so incredibly fearful when I clearly cling to the lighthouse of my faith? The rock of my salvation?

As I scream prayers into the windswept wilds of my heart, or quietly whisper deep longings of hope above my sleeping children, it is still amazing to me the power that fear can instill. (you aren't doing enough. you are not enough. you are not helping them. you are enabling.) 

But oh. DEAR GOD. Please, please continue to steer me to the safer shores of trust and compassion and hope. Helping to see YOU in the shaping and shifting souls of my children. For I want to be there and ready and compassionate and yes,  fearless as....

The dawn comes...

Sharing gratefully today with Lisa-Jo and other wonderful writers for her 5-minute Friday...as she says:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog footer}
3. Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}

PHFR ~ Winter

~ Pretty ~

Trees capture the beauty of light, darkness, and shadows, and in the snowy bleakness of winter, I just can't get enough of them. 

They frame the beauty of the world in such a way that makes me take notice of all that is seen. 

And unseen.

~ Happy ~

This picture isn't just about the bread. It is about the physical act of making this bread with my son, Joe. Joe has a tendency to have an insensitivity to gluten, and we have been trying to limit our use of it. He has done beautifully with gluten-free bread sandwiches... 

But when we had a snow day, I told him that if he helped me to create this bread, that he could have some to actually eat. 

Well. 

We had the BEST time kneading and shaping and talking. I didn't take pictures, because, well, I was living the moment with my son. Connecting, sharing, shaping.... 

This bread is a picture of delicious happiness that happened because of sharing with my son.... 

~ Funny ~

Oops. Mommy forgot to get suitable mittens/gloves for Max. And when the first snow hit, he was going outside no matter what. (Not to worry, mittens have been purchased since, and will be put to good use!)

~ Real (and Really Funny) ~

So. Some of my dad's family is from Texas, and for as long as I can remember, he has loved Davy Crockett. (And when we visited San Antonio and the Alamo? Well, it was like watching a little kid....) 

Thus, the inspiration for the coon-skin caps for the grandchildren this Christmas. 

Trying to photograph them all with their caps on was a scream....and these two pics capture some of the hilarious-ness of gathering them together. 

But in some ways, I love these pictures because if they had all been smiling, we would have wondered what was wrong with them.... 

Life isn't always about pretty pictures or calm children. 

It is about the rough and tumble crazy that comes with the beauty of a life lived with excitement and joy.

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