Waiting, Waiting (Five Minute Friday)

You know how Five Minute Friday works.  If not, click through the link in the previous sentence for all the details.

Setting my timer for five minutes....

START

So much of the Christian life seems to be about waiting.

We wait for answers to prayer.  That is, we wait for the answers we WANT.  Sometimes the Lord has said No and we refuse to hear it, so we just keep waiting.  We forget, sometimes, that His answer is always better than ours.

Do you know the Garth Brooks song, "Unanswered Prayers"?  The idea is that "I thank God for unanswered prayers," because what actually happened was much better than what he'd prayed for.

But other times we just wait.  We wait for test results.  We wait for healing.  We wait for a loved one to come to Jesus.  We wait for the rain to stop--literally and figuratively.

Waiting can be frustrating because we don't know how long we might be waiting.  I'm not good at it, so for me it always takes too long. :)

I know, however, that the Lord's answers, the Lord's timing, are always best.  And frankly, I don't know what's best in the Big Picture.  So as I wait and pray for our needs and for His will to be done, I pray for patience.  Waiting is still hard, but I know that He is beside me all the way.

STOP

Are you good at waiting?  How do you handle it?

Marinated Slaw: A Family Favorite Recipe

Originally posted 7/21/09, updated 1/28/15.

This is based on a recipe I found online years ago, but I've made quite a few changes. My family prefers this over mayo-based cole slaw. Other than the cabbage and onion, the vegetables can be varied to taste.  If cucumbers are expensive, for example, I just skip it and add more of something else.

Marinated Slaw

1/2 small head cabbage, shredded
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1/3 large green or red pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 cucumber, chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the dressing ingredients in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. (This can be done in the microwave, too.)

Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the vegetables, and stir to mix.  Let stand at room temperature for one hour.  Stir.  Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, overnight. Keeps, refrigerated, for several days.

Linking up with Friday Feast at Noelle's blog!

Share (Five Minute Friday)

Again I'm late with my Five Minute Friday post.  Last week the post was written, but then I had to rush out the door and couldn't post it until later.  Today I saw the prompt and was just not feeling it until now.

You know the drill:  Free-write for five minutes, no major editing, no perfectionism.  Today the prompt is SHARE.

GO

Some things are easy to share:  a smile, a recipe, a story, a joke.

Some things aren't so easy. Chocolate might be on that list. ;)  And some things can be downright hard to share.

I've been able to share my heart with close friends since I was young.  As teens, my friend Meri and I would share our deepest secrets and dreams.  We still do.

But then I got burned a few times, and sharing my heart became more difficult.  "I'm good, how are you?"  After carrying around the burden of depression for many years, I've learned to fake it when necessary.  But depression is also what led me to learn again to trust people enough to share my heart.

I started counseling.  And obviously that's not going anywhere if I just keep saying, "Everything's fine," when obviously it isn't!  It took me a while to trust, but once I did, it was such a blessing to be able to unburden myself in a safe place.  In return I was encouraged and strengthened and given sound advice.

With whom are you able to share your heart?  What benefits do you see?

STOP

Come join us!  Click the Five Minute Friday link at the top of this post!

Starting the Day Right

What are the things you absolutely must do within 30 minutes of waking up, or your day will not go well?  I'm doing this as a five-minute free write, just for fun.

Surprisingly, since I like coffee so much, having a cup of coffee is not on my list.  I don't always have time, and I don't really miss it when I skip it.  Besides that, I've found that coffee plus carbs wreaks havoc on my blood sugar; I don't know why, but I've seen it enough to know to avoid it!

So what is on my list?

Pray.  Before I get out of bed.  Even if it's just a quick prayer, it makes all the difference.  My best days have started with a simple prayer to ask the Lord to help me honor Him with everything I do that day.

Shower.  Postponing it just feels wrong. :)  I'm not really awake until I've had a chance to stand under the warm water, inhale the steam, breathe in the scent of the soap.

Brush my teeth and take my meds.   If I don't do this first thing, as part of my routine, I don't always remember to take my meds, and that is a very bad thing.  One of them has severe withdrawal effects, and those start within hours of missing a dose.  I've missed it exactly once, which taught me never, never to do that again!

So what about you?  What must you absolutely do, first thing in the morning, to start your day off right?

photo credit (prayer): Josh Kenzer via photopin cc
photo credit (showerhead): gfairchild via photopin cc
photo credit (meds): incurable_hippie via photopin cc