What! It’s Saturday? And I’m working on Five Minute Friday?

What else is new?

Seriously, I have always had the desire to put the words on paper (okay, the screen). Blame it on busyness, schedules or — okay — procrastination, more often than not the assignment shifts to Saturday. And I visit because I believe in it and the community.

I don’t have to tell you the drill — I’ve done that many times over. I’ll link at Kate’s place on Facebook at  http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and scan through the incredible work of my fellow writers. I hope to see some of you there.

As I’ve been doing, here’s Michelle’s take on the value of the exercise, taken from snippets found in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat as an added inducement to join us.

“Being an introvert, finding FMF has been such a blessing. People who meet me will tell you I am friendly. They find it had to believe I am an introvert because I am friendly. I’m more friendly now than I was before I met Jesus. I still prefer solitude to group activities. I still prefer to hike alone, but I’m not averse to hiking with others. Solitude is just my preference. On that note, I still have a lot to say. It’s a conundrum. Or it was a conundrum before the Internet, before blogging. When I found FMF I fund a community that is a perfect fit for me. I can have interaction with like-minded women and men AND solitude at the same time. I’m super thankful for FMF and all that it has brought to my world.”

Michelle is so right. FMF is way more than just writing. It’s extending ourselves, our family and our outreach.

So, it’s time to set the timer for five minutes, settle down and ponder on the prompt, RETURN. GO …

After a couple of days in the hospital, I’m back. I’ve returned to the confines of my familiar surroundings and routines.

When I think of “return,” that’s what I envision … a look back to times and places where we’ve been. It’s one of the reasons I listen to oldies music and belong yo You Know You’re From …” and other specific Facebook groups.

The past is the connection to the present. We are where we are beca use of where we’ve been … good times, bad times, indifferent times. And I’ve had a host of experiences in New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland/Washington, DC, upstate New York and currently in Maine. Each experience has been a stepping stone to my present … just as today’s steps pave the way to the future and the ultimate return to my heavenly abode. There are people to see and places … STOP

… to experience on the other side of the Jordan. That’s a return I’m really looking forward to.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Spend time alone with God every day.