And so – we write for five minutes, our words tumbling out – no editing, no polishing – just flat out on a one word prompt! We gather all our beautiful thoughts here in our Five Minute Friday community and then love on each other as only we can do! Click here to learn all about it.
Home is where the Five Minute Friday community gathers so please join us at Kate Motaung’s for our Friday fun!
RISE
GO…
Life is changing…
Nine more early wake ups
A lifetime of memories wrapped up in 30 years
A chance for a beautiful new beginning
My time to shine and rise to the occasion
As retirement looms ahead on the horizon, my life will cease being so busy with teacher stuff but instead will be full of God stuff! My early rising out of bed at 5:00 am will be replaced with a chance to rise and meet God at the crossroads of my life. The intersection of grace and bravery will stretch before me as I pursue God and His plans for me. Every step will be a new chance to say “yes” to God and use my gifts in challenging and creative ways. Everyday will be a new beginning as my Part 2 unfolds. Every moment will be an opportunity to rise to God’s call and not my own.
[Tweet “At the moment that life changes directions, make the choice to rise and meet God.”]
God has promised new life in Him. I feel like I have the chance to begin again in retirement. God’s call for me is to honor Him in this newness and share with others what it means to be brave and rise to meet Him with all I am.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 NLT
STOP
I am so blessed to be finishing one career and starting another that can focus more fully on what God has next. The courage, excitement and nervousness that I am feeling is all because the next steps will be amazing. Thank you all for joining me on my journey.
Love to all,
Mary
Don’t forget about our first ever FMF Retreat. We would love to have you join us August 7 -9 in Nashville, Tennessee. Click HERE to buy a ticket and join in the fun.
I am really excited for you as you enter this new season! May rising to the occasion be full of blessings and surprises!
I appreciate your sweet words so much. Thank you for the encouragement and may we all find that when we meet God in the new we feel empowered and ready to spread our wings. In grace and peace!
Such a nice post, Mary! The way you are handling this transition is such a good example for me (and others, I’m sure). Instead of giving in to whatever fear you might have, you’re approaching this with excitement and curiosity. Love that!
Thank you for the encouragement and blessing of understanding what is next for me. I believe that looking ahead through God’s eyes provides a perspective that is positive and exciting. Weekend blessings!
9 days? I know it must be flying by. Excited for you in your new adventures!
I am excited as well as uncertain as to what is next but it is all good. I am praying for you and your family as you work through a difficult loss and teach Salem how to embrace such a difficult situation. Much love!
9 days will fly, dear friend! Take pictures, journal, capture the memories, the love, the life you’ve given so beautifully!
And then?
Rest. Sweet rest …
Oh yes it is flying by! The moments are treasures, the memories are being tucked away and the blessings are being counted. SO thankful that God has me covered for this next step. Weekend blessings of rest, remembering Him and enjoying the beauty of creation.
I am so excited for you Mary! I can’t wait to see what God has for you in this next season as you rise up to meet Him. Hugs!
I cannot wait either and in the waiting we learn that God is ever present and is always loving. You my friend are such a treasure to me. Love and hugs as I pray you find rest this weekend.
Enjoy your last teaching days and rise into the next level God has prepared for you.
How are you Mary?
Enjoy your weekend.
Hi Ifeoma! Hope you are well and that you had a wonderful week. I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life and all that God has planned for me. Praying your weekend is blessed too.
I’m so excited for you! I’ll keep you in my prayers as this chapter comes to a close and a whole new one opens up before you. Go in courage and bravery, my friend!
I cherish your prayers and love the connection we have as #Fmfparty friends and teachers. I am looking forward to new beginnings and for God to work mightily in my life. Blessed that you are here and by your friendship.
Mary, so excited for where this journey will take you. I’m blessing our retirees in worship on Sunday I’ll be praying for and thinking of you too. Like Abraham and Sarah didn’t know where they were going exactly, you might not either but God does. May you be “blessed to be a blessing.”
Your sweet words Tara are a beautiful way to start my Friday morning. Thank you for praying and for the reminder that many who follow Jesus don’t see a clear path but the path is always there. Have a blessed weekend!
Congratulations, and best wishes!
I bet your students will miss you.
Here from FMF.
So good to see you Andrew! Being missed and missing will go both ways and I am blessed that so many students have crossed the threshold of my classroom for 30 years. Weekend blessings friend!
Congrats on retirement! Ironically, I just posted congrats to a graduation on someone else’s blog a second ago!
Enjoy your final days of teaching! So exciting to rise and meet God for new seasons of our lives!
Thank you for your encouragement. There is something very exciting about rising to meet God in a new season. May we all rise up to the challenge and let God become the leader of our lives. Weekend blessings!