5 Minute Friday: Community

This is my first time writing a 5 Minute Friday Post but I could not have stumbled upon it at a better time.

Tonight, I watched with many women, from all over the globe, in preparation for a day of {in}RL time tomorrow...that's "In Real Life".

{p.s. it's lead by the community at www.incourage.me and is a conference hosted in volunteered homes everywhere, tomorrow...mine is one of those homes}

Anyway, where was I?

5 Minute Friday...Tonight's webcast...

Community.

You know? That word kind of freaks me out a little {if I can be honest}. I'm someone who longs for friendships but am also very self conscious at the same time. And why, you ask? I'm a WOMAN...and if we can be transparent for a moment, we can all admit that women can be...well...all over the map at times. We can be driven by our emotions and our thoughts and our fears and our desires...

but it's all a wonderful thing, isn't it? We're all "fearfully and wonderfully made".

I shared not to long ago about feeling challenged by the word "engage" this year. My very first step at accepting that challenge was volunteering to host for this conference and welcoming people I don't yet know into my home. The women who will be here all live in the same area I do and I want to welcome each of them warmly, creating an atmosphere of acceptance, and "You're OK just as you are".

The webcast this evening inspired me so greatly. I need to cherish the women that God has placed in my life. I need to nurture those friendships and reach out to new ones. I need to be vulnerable and let my guard down.

I need to choose joy. {I could write an entire post on the word "joy". I think I will sometime.}

This is my heart on my sleeve.

Dropping my guard. Choosing Joy. Living out loud.