Who are you listening to?

Who are you listening to these days?

So many voices, so many noises vying for our attention. 

Our devotion. 

So many “good” things drawing us in.

But, whose  voice are you listening to?

There is a still, small voice.

Inside.

Those who believe in God might say it is God’s voice.

Or our intuition.

That voice is usually right.

Don’t ask me how. 

The Creator wired us that way.

Just as in nature, the robin knows when to build her nest, and what to build it out of.

We have intuition that we use without thinking many times. But, at times we need to use it and we don’t hear it.

It takes being still to hear that still small voice.

Like an effervescent spring-- those little bubbles of air rising to the top--as we stop and listen, and allow the cacophony of noises and chaos to roll past us as a ship on the sea, we will hear. 

We’ll hear things that our souls desperately need to hear.

You are worthy.

You are enough.

You don’t need to do such and such to be worthy or 

important.

You are valuable just for being you.

Listen to your heart.

Love is an open door.

As we are still, that still small voice begins to speak and we can actually hear it.

We might do better if we hear it,

then to actually heed it.

We will hear and rise.

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Thanks for stopping by today, friend! I'm linking up with a group of writers for Five Minute Friday over at Kate Motaung's place. Anyone can join in. Head on over there to read how, and to see what other writers have written on the prompt, "rise". 

Blessings to you today, friend!

~Anne

Are you leading or following?

It may not come as a surprise to some of you, but I’m more comfortable following.

I’ll follow you to the restaurant, the movie or the shopping mall. I’ll probably follow your suggestions for something even if they aren't good ones. :)

This fact about me has been changing somewhat, and it’s a little mixed up because I want to lead too.

I want to be a leader. A good leader that others will want to follow. I want to lead others in the truth, in love and in grace.

But, a good leader has to be a good follower, too. If I don’t know how to follow well, how will I know how to lead well?

Oh, what a juxtaposition!

Are you a follower or a leader?

I have a newsflash for you.

You are both.

And, so am I.

You are following someone or something all the time.

And, someone is always following in your footsteps. Even the person behind you in the grocery store line. 

They are following you. Literally. 

But they are also following you in that they’ll see how you react when the price is not on your item. What will they see?

What kind of a person do you want to follow?

Who do you want to follow you?

These are the questions I’m pondering today.

Thanks for stopping by today for Five Minute Friday, where a flash mob of writers write for five minutes straight on a single word prompt. Today's prompt is "follow". Head on over to katemotaung.com to check it out!

Blessings to you this day, friend!

~Anne

10 things I learned in April

Linking up today with Emily at Chatting at the Sky for her monthly "What I learned" link up! A time where we share the mundane and epic. I'd say most of mine this month are epic learnings. Here, in no particular order, are ten things I learned in April.


A week ago I returned from five days with friends I'd never met in person. We met online through Brene Brown's e-course on her book The Gifts of Imperfection last year. We decided it would be fantastic to meet up in real life!

Each of us had to step out into courage to book tickets or drive to meet one another. What an adventure it was as we met face to face and spent five days seeing the sites of New York City! 

We traveled from Thailand, Utah, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Canada, California and Iowa. 

My list of "things I learned" in April is all from this epic trip!



1.  Hailing a taxi isn't as hard as I imagined.  I had been anxious about this part of NYC for awhile. Never had ridden in, much less hailed a taxi. Here are the directions for hailing a taxi:

A. stand out by curb
B. stick out your arm really high, like you are in school
C. step into taxi when it pulls over for you.
D. tell taxi driver the address where you need to go
E. pay with cash or swipe your credit card 


2.  20% tips are the suggested minimum in NYC taxis. I wouldn't want to try tipping less.

3.  This was my first time ever in New York City so I was definitely a newbie at everything. I grew up on a farm and never realized that this kind of trip would be a reality someday! Woo hoo!

4.  The views from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building at midnight are a sight to behold!

5.  Meeting my dear online friends in real life was a huge blessing. Getting to hear their voices and see their smiling faces. Priceless!

6.  Seeing Lady Liberty is so much better than on a post card. She's regal, stately and elegant. I can just imagine how my dad must have felt coming to America in 1948 and seeing her for the first time from his ship!

7.  Going to Ellis Island where my father came in to the United States from Sweden in 1948 was very moving for me. I was able to look up his name on a computer right there and see the ship manifest where his name and important information was written when he was registered. Awesome.

8.  Manhattan has 13,000 taxis, and 85% of Manhattan-ites do not own a car. (wow, I would miss my car!)

9.  Delta Airline snacks brought much more joy than they should have.

10.  I was moved more than I thought possible by Monet, van Gogh, Picasso and Klimt at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. I don't consider myself an art museum junkie at all. But, when I saw these originals, something clicked. I got what all the fuss is about!

There are so many more things I could've written on this list, like how fun it was to walk around on Rockefeller Plaza, where I used to watch Bryant Gumbel, and now Matt Lauer and Al Roker from NBC news interview people right there in front of the building!

Thanks for letting me reminisce a bit on a fantastic trip.

Blessings to you, friend.

~Anne

Do you have a little change?

"Give a little change today? Do you have a little change?"

He kept calling out to the passers by, of which all of them did. We all passed by this man perched on the ledge of a mid-town Manhattan building. My group and I walked past him as he held out the clear Dixie cup and called

"Give a little change today?"

I averted my eyes. 

I am ashamed to say it, but that's how I've been programmed. What then goes through my mind is why, how and when and all sorts of unanswered questions. 

Guilt because my eyes avert, and I walk past. 
Then my group stood right in front of his space on the sidewalk while we waited for the tour bus. 

"Give a little change today?"
"Do you have a little change?"

The bus hadn't come yet. 
It was sure taking its sweet time. 

Finally, it dawned on me that this time didn't have to be like all the others I've encountered where someone needed money. 

Someone without a home, probably.

I decided that yes, I did have change. That part was very true. 
I decided that this was a door of opportunity for me. 

A different type of door than I've ever encountered, but a door nonetheless.

"Give a little change today?"

And, I opened my wallet and dug out my change.

I walked over to this man sitting on the ledge in downtown Manhattan and I looked into his eyes and smiled.  I dropped the change into his clear Dixie cup.

He thanked me from the bottom of his heart, while mine changed just a little bit that day.

Blessings to you today friend.
May we all be the change, just a little bit.

~Anne

Linking up with the fabulous writers at Five Minute Friday for five minutes of free writing. No fancy edits. Just writing from the heart. Head on over to katemotaung.com for all the details and to join in! This week's prompt is "door".