Happy Five Minute Friday time.

The assignment this week was, quite frankly, challenging. The FMF prompt was TESTIMONY, which should be easy peasy. But my mind kept wandering off in different directions {that’s why I call them free range thoughts} and trying to herd them into a coherent five minutes was quite a challenge.

I wonder if my fellow writers at Kate’s place on Facebook at fiveminutefriday had the same challenge. After this post, I’ll take a peek at the offerings from my writing soulmates. It’s always exciting — and often informative — to see how my fellow FMF friends develop their thoughts in a variety of different genres.

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

“So many times, since I stumbled across Five Minute Friday, I have been blessed and encouraged by it. Not only in my own blogging but also in the community of bloggers that   participate. I love how each word prompt can go to so different a place in each person’s heart and mind! Though it’s been a while since I had time to participate, now that life is slowing down a little, one of the things that I am most looking forward to is getting back into Five Minute Friday.”

If you get a chance, stop by. Or, better yet, try your hand at focused, unscripted writing for just five minutes. And share it on Kate’s website.

But for now, the timer is set for five minutes, so let’s see what kind of a herdsman I am. Lets GO …

Testimony. Its not a word I use too much. I find it pretentious … or at least self-serving.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have a testimony, especially when it comes to publicly recounting my religious conversion or experiences. But I would rather just talk about and write about my experiences, not so much the burning bush moment, but my every day living of the gospel.

To me, testimony is one of those “church” words that immediately shuts down conversation for far too many. I mean, “Do you want to hear my testimony?” is a turn off for those not versed in the church and its lingo. It’s a buzz word.

Instead, I want to talk to people one on one {or through mass media like posts and social media} focusing more on the effect of my conversion rather than the cause. The cause — hopefully — comes through in those conversations allowing me to engage with non believers as comfortably as believers.

My testimony is my life and, hopefully, my legacy. I know Jesus as a special … STOP

… Friend and I want to share how that friendship frames my actions.

Am I always successful?

No. In fact, my life is a series of friendship failures but the message remains the same, I know I can go on, take the next steps in faith, try to be a better friend. My Friend doesn’t look at my failures. He  looks at me, warts and all, and yet loves me nonetheless. He took a bullet for me — actually suffered a horrid crucifixion for me. Because He loves me. Because He loves you. And He promised when He walked  out of that tomb He would accompany me along all my steps. Because He lives, I can face today and tomorrow and the next day. He made the same promise to all who call Him Friend.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. You can call it a testimony if you want. I just know I am not perfect, but I also know I am forgiven and I am more than happy to share my Friend. In fact, the more the merrier.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shovel of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker. — Helen Keller