I’m back for another Five Minute Friday exercise. Oh, look, the prompt is BACK. What a coincidence.

Seriously, though, here I am on the front end of the assignment (writing) and looking forward to linking with my Five Minute Friday friends at Kate’s place on Facebook at fiveminutefriday.com . It’s always exciting — and often informative — to see how my fellow FMF friends develop their thoughts in a variety of different genres. If you get a chance, stop by.

I’ve been sharing snippets taken from Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. They are a testament to the value of the exercise. This week, I’ll share some perspective from Kristin who I hope inspires you to check us out … and maybe join in?

“FMF was a foreign concept to me when I first heard about it. Writing for five minutes and NO EDITS?! Crazy town! But what I found as I joined in was that I not only had a reason to write, but there was a community of women [and men] who were doing the same. I loved that as I would go and read others posts. We all take the same singular word and yet come up with incredibly unique presentations of what that word meant. I attended Allume in 2013 and 2014 and sitting in a circle on the floor of the hotel I wrote furiously that Friday night, surrounded by some of my now closest friends. Five minutes never seemed so short but when we were done and women started sharing their words at the mic, community was solidified. Tears were shed, fears of public speaking were destroyed, laughs were shared and we all left that room a little lighter in our step. It is incredible to me that one word and five minutes could move in such a big way. But it does. I write much less than I used to now, life has a way of doing that to us at times. But I love knowing that when I am ready again there will remain a group of faithful writers gathering together on Thursday night, across the country [and world], ready to take one little word and pen a story, bringing light, hope and joy back int these often dark Internet spaces!”

There you have it. Words of wisdom from Kristin. I hope she moves you maybe, just maybe, to check us out and even give it a whirl yourself. I assure you, you will be welcomed, embraced and enriched.

But now to the task at hand. The timer is set, so it’s time to GO …

With the prompt still fresh in my mind and a plate full of apple pancakes and sausage patties in my belly, when I drifted off to sleep last night I was taken back to my younger days. More specifically, I was taken back to an amusement park. I can’t describe where it was or when it was, but the collateral visions — attire — place it in the early 60s and the attractions were certainly vintage. It was all quite vivid, as many of my dreams are … especially after sausage.

But as my peepers opened to the brightness of a new day, I was reminded the dream took me back, but I am very much in the present. And it got me to thinking. Why do we have to look back? Why can’t we look forward? More important, why can’t we just enjoy now?

For the last two questions, that’s what I try to do. But it doesn’t answer the first question. I think it is because the memories we have, the memories we cherish are the building blocks to today and tomorrow. I’ve always preached, you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.

Good Memories are great. They fill the holes … STOP

… in your heart. Even bad memories are helpful. They remind us of our journey and fill in and smooth out the potholes in our life.

But they are just part of the path we’ve taken, which brings us back to today — right now. Make good memories today so the trail to tomorrow can be a little smoother.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: If God is for you, who can be against you?