Five things.

                  Heart-bending.

                                    Mind-grabbing.

One of my favorite bloggers, Emily P. Freeman whose blog Chatting at the Sky I always read, wrote a guest post over at A Holy Experience.  She addresses one of my big issues.  Fear.  Maybe sometime I’ll chat about that.  But right now, I want to draw attention to this.  Emily wrote:

But if we have forgotten how to live, it’s only because we have also forgotten we’ve already died. The life we hold on to isn’t really ours. And it’s hard to fear a thing if the worst is behind us.

Words.  Nothing more for me to say.  Please read to live.  Fully live.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/06/when-worry-fear-knots-a-bit/?

Lisa is a beautiful artist whose jewelry is seen all over the internet and in local boutiques.  She’s gifted, and grateful, and a giver.  She has a sweet family and is the mom of two boys.  As Lisa celebrates her 10-year-old’s birthday she writes these words which I guarantee…will touch your heart.

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/thoughts/a-spark-of-bravery

One Mind-Bending QUOTE:

How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?”  ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/06/bonhoeffer-counting-one-thousand-gifts/ –

I love reading Edie’s posts.  She’s an emergency room physician turned home-school mom.  She quotes C.S. Lewis regularly and next to the Bible her favorite book is the Lutheran Book of Prayer.  Edie always wears cowgirl boots and lives life fully.  She decorates her home with color and fun.   And through the total loss of her home by fire almost 2 years ago, gained more intimately this knowledge:

This brick and mortar is temporary but what we do behind these walls is eternal.

May He grant us the wisdom to live well.

To not take it for granted—but instead to relish it, drink it in deep and then share the overflow of that joy with others.

http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2012/06/around-the-house-summer-edition/

First I need to lay this on the table.  God did not choose to bless me with children.  I am not a parent.

However, I have had the privilege of loving and leading elementary, middle school, and high school students in various venues.  And that experience, week after week, has given me insight into the effects of parenting.

Recently I was over at InCourage, a DaySpring blog where amazing women writers and bloggers are featured.  This particular post blew me away.  I wanted to shout from the mountain tops,

“Parents, please read this!!!”  

I won’t spoil the story by giving a synopsis.  Instead, I urge your place your cursor on the link NOW.  Please?

http://www.incourage.me/2012/06/the-best-read-this-summer-guaranteed.html

And there you have it.  Five things.  {Two}

Yes.  There will  be three, four, and more.  And who knows what topics they will be about.  They might NOT even be heart-bending or mind-grabbing.  But…they will be worthwhile.  (In my oh-so-humble opinion.)

I’d love to hear which of these resonated with you.  Please share your thoughts, below.

Encouraging you (& me) to fully live ~ to be Extraordinary!

Diane

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