This is becoming a habit. Before I close up shop on Thursday night to find Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday word in my inbox. I couldn’t resist writing about this word. The one word is my daughter, now spending a year in Japan. She’s probably singing in Japanese by now. The word is song. I have five minutes.
Go.
Jenny Parker in Japan. She had to crop out her friend because of Japanese privacy laws. They put a robe on her and conscripted her into the parade. Jenny, my song.
I always know when she enters the house. Her song precedes her, always different, always encouraging, always positive, always the way she looks at life.
Her song is in her presence, in the way she walks, in the smile she brings to those she meets, on her lips, in her fingertips.
It is in the way she approaches life with a newness and excitement that lasts beyond the first seeing of a new adventure and continues to the discovery of the details of life.
It is in her love of people seeing them as people of worth and value rather than individuals who may be different or not fit in the box that everyone wants to stuff them in.
It is in her value of other cultures and experiences. Looking at understanding others different from herself as a way of understanding God.
And it is in the way she worships, full out with abandon, singing loudly, unafraid for others to hear her strong alto voice, hands raised to God.
Oh God You are my God and I will ever praise You.
Oh God You are my God and I will every praise You.
I will seek You in the morning. I will walk with You every day.
Step by step You lead me and I will follow You all of the way.
Stop.
Teresa Shields Parker is a Christian weight loss author, coach, podcaster, and speaker, who has lost 250 pounds and kept it off since 2013. Her books include: “Reconnecting Jayne: Her Sister’s Support,” “Rebuilding Jayne: Her Father’s Protection,” “Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor,” “Sweet Grace Study Guide,” “Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle,” “Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds,” “Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy”, “Sweet Freedom: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off With God’s Help,” “Sweet Freedom Study Guide,” “Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation,” “Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God,” and “Sweet Excuses: Stop Lying to Yourself & Start Losing Weight.” She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP intensive coaching. Don’t miss her weekly podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, where she shares tips from her personal journey of losing weight and discovering healthy living. Contact her at [email protected].
What a delightful surprise to find you as my first click tonight. So touching Teresa, thank you
I think we’re up too late! But thanks
What a great daughter!
Thanks. She’s a keeper.
Beautiful!! I have a pretty red-headed song that flits through my house on occassion. :)
She is a joy. As I told another poster, she’s a bottled redhead. And really it fits her personality better than the blonde hair she was born with.
Thanks for that regarding the redirecting. I have redirected my weebly blog here. But because I didn’t have a purchased url for the blogspot or wordpress.com blogs, I don’t know if they can be redirected. I think I have everything off of them over here so I probably should just delete them. IDK.
My Jenny always felt unique because her given name is Jenny, not Jennifer or Genevieve. My husband felt that you should name a child the name they would be called. She’s a bottle redhead! Formerly a blonde but she felt people thought she was an airhead. I guess she thinks Redheads appear more intelligent.
Thanks for your note.
You must be so proud of your beautiful daughter Teresa. She is a marvel, and she does you great credit.
She is and does. Thanks.