Favorite: Five Minute Friday

Another week, another chance to write on a one-word prompt for only five minutes. We set timers, type quickly, and let it flow without criticism. Then, we link-up our posts so we can read others' posts and they read ours and we have a community that grows from one word each week.
Five Minute Friday.

Go!

"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things"

The very first thought I had when reading "favorite".
Oh how I loved listening to Julie Andrews sing when I was a child.
My parents have told me that our copy of Mary Poppins was so frequently watched, I actually wore out the videocassette tape.

With The Sound of Music, I could imagine I was Maria, twirling on the hill and singing.
Most of the story was far above my head, but the music always touched me.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime
That flies from a church on a breeze

To laugh like a brook when it trips
And falls over stones on its way
To sing through the night
Like a lark who is learning to pray

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more"

My favorite thing in the entire world is music. I cannot imagine life without it. Whether it's instrumental or vocal, soft or crazy wild, this world is full of song. Birds, waterfalls, oceans, thunderstorms, each have their own song.

And I think of God when I am in a quiet place and can hear the song of the wind rushing through evergreens. And the song is always the same. It's a love song.
Today, can I remind us all of something? "You are God's favorite."

I heard that a long time ago. It was puzzling, as favorite had always meant "favored above all the rest" to me. And how could God choose?

But, I am thinking that the world tries to tell us there's always somebody better, and the messages are half-true. (Satan specializes in half-truths)

Jesus Christ is always better, but He died for every single one of God's favorites. You and me and everyone you see.

Here is a declaration of God's favor over you. (Zephaniah 3:14-17)
"Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
¹⁶ On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
¹⁷ The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Listen for God's song to you this weekend. You are His favorite. 

~Tammy

P.S. Since I don't have the lovely comment love widget...can you tell me the number of your post in the linkup in your comment so I can find you? Thanks! (example: #7) or you can give me a direct link to your post.

Winning isn't Everything-My 100th Post!!!

This is my 100th post on Sincerity and Hope.
I had a different blog I was typing. And, though I may still post it, it's mostly a thought-collector for the 1,000 thoughts in my mind regarding a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Yes, each thought needs to come out of my head so I can make sense of them, but it may just be for my own sake.

As I was typing that one, the title of this blog hit me with some truth.

The original post was going to share the goings on at home when my daughters and I played checkers with each other at bedtime. I outlined it, but never got back to filling in the details, and the moment has been lost.

With each decision in a court, there is a winner and a loser. I can't think of any time that I've wanted to win and been happy that I've lost. The more I care about the outcome, the harder it is to accept a losing decision for myself. (Not that I've actually been to court. I have prayed with friends facing court decisions and experienced their reactions and my own with wins and losses.)

At the heart of the feelings surrounding this decision is that sense of winning and losing.

Over 2,000 years ago, some other people also had a sense of loss, of defeat.
Their answer to all that was bad in the world was tried, convicted, and condemned to death. He was brutally tortured before his death.
And? His followers kept hoping for that moment when he would reveal himself, call down fire from heaven and consume his enemies, and take the kingdom by force!

Imagine how they felt when he stated "It is finished." He gave up His Spirit and died. Actually died. Full death. The soldiers checked. He was buried and sealed in a tomb, guarded by soldiers, whose own lives were at stake if the body was removed from that same tomb.

And his enemies? The spiritual ones? They were rejoicing! They had won! Total victory!

We know, though, that it was not the end of the story.
Jesus rose from the dead.
He has not died since then. He is ALIVE!!!
He Lives!!

So, regardless of how large a decision seems to be and how saddened you are at being on the "losing side", perhaps you are in the same place as the disciples right now. Perhaps there is still a comeback from God's hand. We don't know what comes next. But how we react can be telling.

I can understand your disappointment that this did not go "your way". I can understand your concern about the impact of major decisions. I was disappointed, and I am concerned about how this will affect our civil rights.
I cannot understand that if we, who are mere mortals, become antagonistic and offended and offensive, how we can use 1 Corinthians 13 as the "marriage chapter" when we are faced with a different definition of marriage.
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."
Though we do not have to be in agreement with others, we also know that a gentle answer turns away wrath. For me, I want my testimony as a Christian to be an extension of God's love. He is the Savior. He will save those who want to be saved. I want to be an instrument He uses to lead others to salvation. I don't want to be a roadblock.

Ultimately, God holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives. "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future, 
and life is worth the living, just because He lives."

I'll leave you with this song by Rich Mullins. It's based on John 16. "That where I am, there you may also be."

John 16:33 (NIV) 33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Sincerely,
Tammy

Dream: Five Minute Friday

Another week, another chance to write on a one-word prompt for only five minutes. We set timers, type quickly, and let it flow without criticism. Then, we link-up our posts so we can read others' posts and they read ours and we have a community that grows from one word each week.
Five Minute Friday.

Go!

This week's prompt is "Dream".
"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep..." ~Cinderella, 1950 Disney

I equate the word dream with "vision".
Joel 2:28 "[ The Day of the Lord ] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."

This year, I have seen this pouring out. I have seen young children praying for their school, their community, with fervor and sincerity.

After reading "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson, I have a challenge for you. What is your dream? What is your vision? If Jesus stood in front of you right now, what would you ask Him for? What is your God-sized dream?

Mine was huge, once I considered the question. And it was something aligned with His will. But, it will take time to see it through.

I have had visions and dreams in the process leading to that final goal, and perhaps it will take my lifetime to see it through, but when you delight yourself in the Lord, the desires of your heart that He gives you are also the desires of His heart. (Psalm 37:4)

One of the visions I had in the larger part of my dream was of all our students praying together, hands joined. Unified praying for our school and our ministry.

It happened! And we closed with the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus."

My devotional from Christine Caine this morning contained this verse:
Proverbs 29:18 says, Where there is no vision, the people perish ... (KJV).

We must have a goal, a dream, a vision, a purpose. Then we will pour what we are given into that dream.

Some of my other dreams? I dream of my children following Christ. That they would lead others to Christ. That when I am done on Earth, that He will tell me "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Timer sings, time to stop.

~Tammy