Five Minute Friday: Blessing (is beauty from ashes)

~ Lisa Brittain

It is my delight and honor to get to participate with Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday community for a five minute free write challenge.  Our leader, Kate, sends out the prompt each Thursday evening at 10 PM.

The rules are gentle and simple:  Know the one word prompt.  This week is {blessing}. Set a timer for 5 minutes.  And then write.  Do not worry about editing, corrections and improvements.  Offer yourself plenty of grace and everyone in the community will too. Please join in.  Five Minute Friday is so fun and something I look forward to every week. Special thanks to Kate for heading this up!  Bless you one hundred fold for all you have opened up and provided to each of us in this community!

fmf logo

SO… Alarm set.  Here I go….

Blessing:  I hear a song faint in my memory.  My grandma is singing it…”Count your blessings one by one….see the work God has done…”  I love to be reminded.  And I’m learning in these later years (I’m going to call them the last half of my life) to look for blessings rather than expecting them to be served up to me on a platter while I lounge.

As I write today my husband and I are recipients of an enormous blessing.  He planned for a year to take me to a remote beach location, which has recently been renovated.  It is a place we visited many years ago with our sons.  We learned that we rather enjoy this off season location in the heat of the summer and the international people we meet along the way.

Unfortunately for the hotel owners, this newly renovated hotel suffered a fire earlier this month.  The fire was small apparently, however the sprinklers created significant damage and the hotel was closed for repair.

I call upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.  Wondrously show Your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge…     Psalm 17:6-7 esv

We thought because we did not purchase any type of travel insurance we were just going to lose out on our highly anticipated plans.  Remarkably though as we decided not to waste the good deal we obtained in airline tickets and set about to find an economical adventure near the airport, the blessing arrived in my husband’s email box.  The Spirit of the Lord moved on someone in this huge international corporation to accommodate our stay at a competitor resort on the beach.

Only our good good Father is able to open His pockets of unlimited resources to provide for us in such a grand way.  And the blessings of our stay were only beginning as we arrived.

I hear my grandmother singing…”Count your blessings one by one….See the wonders God has done”

Amen!

Treasures under the sand
Sand dollars under the sand. Please note the live sand dollars were returned to the ocean after the picture.

Published by Lisa Brittain

I am an avid follower of Jesus. I have been since my early twenties when I met Him personally and received dramatic healing in my body and mind. After many years of marriage and raising sons into the teen years, I was challenged to explore the duplicity of my spoken faith followed up by fearful actions. I received the challenge presented by both of my sons. They love me and so they dared to confront me with the truth. Chips off my proverbial block! I determined then {more than a decade ago} to overcome fear with faith that was more than words. In my late 40's I made a decision to leave the desert wandering behind and set out to pursue the abundant life Jesus promised His disciples. I am a tentmaker {actually a reupholsterer} by day, which helps to support the call God has on my life to serve Him in my community. I thoroughly enjoy my work. Repairing and restoring throw-away furniture is a fulfilling creative outlet. More so, my Cheer House Repair and Restore business opens the door for me to interact with my community. My passion is to walk so closely to Jesus that others want to know Him too. I love to introduce women to Him as we walk, talk, and work together hand in hand through everyday life. Nothing thrills me more than to watch someone fall so in love with Jesus through His word and conversation; learning to trust His heart and receive His great love! I have been married to my dear man for over 30 rollercoaster years. We're simply thrilled that our latter days are more joyful and purposeful than our first. Together we have two - grown young men on their own journeys. Additionally, we share our home with 3 lively rescue pups. I look forward to having you join me on this journey of faith... Bold feet, humble heart Psalm 131 ~ Lisa

12 thoughts on “Five Minute Friday: Blessing (is beauty from ashes)”

  2. Amen, in my own words, our God, our good, good Father is bigger and greater than anything we can think of. Also even though none of us deserve blessings, our Father delights in lavishing His LOVE on you and me! Ephesians 1:7-8, 1 John 3:1 Thank you for blessing me with a visit and precious words of encouragement. I bless you, new friend, with a feast of Joy!
    Lisa

    1. Thank you, Lesley! I will be visiting your post later tonight. Thank you for taking time to stop in read and share an encouraging word. I bless you with a feast of Joy! Lisa

  4. That is awesome! In my small mind, I never quite think I’m deserving of blessings. But, those undeserved blessings are just how God wishes to grace us, sometimes. Thank goodness my God is bigger than I can ever imagine. I have to stop boxing him in! I appreciated your FMF moment. Thanks! http://www.dianeweidenbenner.com

    1. Hi Tara! Thanks for taking time to read and comment with encouragement. I too love stories of God’s amazing provision. This is why I share my stories. I’m hoping they will encourage others to brag on God!
      Blessings of feasting on JOY!!

  6. I’m loving the fact that you attribute these good things to God. Your heart is so obviously full of praise for God. Hope you have an amazing time away! I’m coming to you via Five Minute Friday – I write a blog on the spirituality of suffering from the viewpoint of chronic illness. Great to meet you!

    1. Thank you, Tara! Thank you for taking time out to read my heart here. I appreciate your precious words of blessing and encouragement. Your words come forth as one who understands in a deep way the need for encouragement! I have read your words on your blog and I’m hooked. I receive! And I bless you friend to Feast on Joy under trial. And I stand with you in asking Jesus Healer for a touch of His Healing Hands. He loves for us to ask!!

  7. Giving thanks with you for God’s provision of a lovely vacation/retreat for you and your husband. We need the time to relax & refresh with our spouse. I’m your neighbor at FMF.

    1. Thank you, Carol! I agree with you and always have…even more so since my husband was diagnosed with PD a few years ago. So many blessings to count as they are magnified by trials! Thanks again. Blessings of feasting on Joy!!

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