Five Minute Friday: Ugly

Every Friday a little group of us on Facebook joins to write for five minutes on a prompt that's posted Thursday evening. If you think you might enjoy it, you can check it out here.

I'm digging back in the archives and posting something I wrote in December for the prompt "Ugly". Yes, we have some odd prompts sometimes! Surprisingly, those odd ones can turn out to be the most interesting.

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UGLY

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, ugly is not a permanent state of being. Is there anything ugly that cannot be transformed?

A smile on the face that looked so plain....

A sweet spirit discovered in the person who once looked un-likeable...

A coat of paint on the house that once looked un-liveable...

Fresh clothes on the child that was dirty and bedraggled...

A cleaned up room in place of the mess and clutter...

A sanding and refinishing job done to the old, old table and chairs...

A beautiful yard and flowerbeds where once there was endless brush and briars....

An apology from the person who hurt you so badly....

Peace in the heart that was full of turmoil and questions....

The transformation of Jesus in the heart full of sin...

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May you have eyes to see beyond the ugly things in your life to the beauty of transformation and redemption. Happy weekend!

Five Minute Friday: Warmth

Sitting here in my nice, cozy house looking out at clouds and snowflakes and a cold, barren landscape. Back in December the prompt for one Friday was "Warmth". This seems fitting on this chilly, wintry day.

WARMTH

There's the warmth in your eyes,
The warmth in a handshake,
The warmth of a hug,
The warmth in your voice,
The warmth in one's heart.

There's the warmth of a cuddly baby,
The warmth of a tiny hand in yours,
The warmth of little arms around your neck,
The warmth of my teen's approval,
The warmth of a shared laugh.

There's the warmth of a fire,
The warmth of a home,
The warmth of the sun,
The warmth of fleece,
The warmth of a pile of covers.

There's the warmth of love,
The warmth of hope,
The warmth from peace,
The warmth of joy,
There's the warmth of knowing God is in Heaven and all is right with the world.

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May your weekend be filled with warmth!

Five Minute Friday: Smells

I'm still doing the little project I talked about here. It's a fun little group where I share a writing prompt every Thursday night and then Friday, if we have time or are in the mood, we set our timer for five minutes and write and share. I think I will start sharing some of mine occasionally, just for fun. Today's prompt was given by a member of the group: Let's talk about smells. What scent brings you alive, triggers particular memories, or influences your mood? Let's try to transport each other.

My mind went immediately to a scent from my childhood and, while I could have written so much more, this is what came out in 5-ish minutes. (We're not super strict  with our rules and three year olds will interrupt...)

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I am a child again, riding on the back of my father's pickup. It is the middle Saturday of our church's two weeks of summer Bible school, and we're headed to the traditional, in-between-Saturday picnic. The wind whips our hair, and as we turn onto the bumpy, winding dirt road, we find hand holds to keep us in place and look out for low hanging branches. The road is long, and our seats a mite uncomfortable but at last the air begins to cool and my nose picks up the peculiar, familiar smell. It is a dank and musty smell, and my nose tingles at the fishy, mineral laced odor. The smell spells sand and driftwood and water. It triggers memories of tables laden with finger food, volleyball on a sandy court played by all ages, children splashing in the frigid waters of the White River, while mothers keep a sharp eye on anyone straying out too far. I breathe deeply and inhale the earthy, damp odor and smile.

Even now when I smell it, I invariably observe, "That smells like the White River!"

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Is there a scent that immediately evokes strong memories for you like the river scent does for me?