Forty Plus Miles

            "Where to begin.", I'll wonder, examining the way out, then I'll reach up and begin to pull while climbing; climbing up and out. It'll be higher than I am (it usually is), these taller places than I.              This time it's a six or seven foot drop, a dirt floored crawlspace around and under a structure with a basement, next time it'll be something else. Either way it must be ventured somehow. Through low upper body strength and alot of prayer and strategy employed a way out is made. It'll be difficult, still I pull and push off what footholds I can find, ascending to get through the heights and the depths I'll take; these aren't much different than the tall trees I climbed as a kid.               Now it's a crawlspace, tomorrow It'll be an item on the top shelf of a grocery store, or some other height. These have become trees to me, ones I climbed as a kid, and I examine ...

     On a desert road I make way, some way. I say "desert" for the fire felt in an intense and dangerous heat, a summer humidity that has nearly broken outdoor laborers like me on a number of occasions. In the "fire" of rough work days I am motivated toward a better "why". Why I refuse to settle for my "supposed to". Why I am more motivated to create something better, so I write; writing for a better "why" instead of just what is safe. This is where pressure is channeled into what motivates better writing, that makes a better way for my family and I, and empowers others to do so also (such as the writing example of a VERY difficult writing experiment I attempted posted below). Remember your "why" for the better you seek to do.  Note About The Piece Below: While thinking about how to write Hiaku, another question came into my mind: "What if a Hiaku could be made into a fiction story THROUGH Hiaku form?" ; this i...

               “This is a tale of light and wonder.”, said Grandpa Ulis, as we looked out the window, tiny green lights blinking randomly, then disappearing into the dark of night. “They didn’t always shine.”, continued Grandpa Ulis, “ It was brighter then,”, he said, after a small pause, as memories looked upon passed through his mind, made obvious by the thoughtful look on his face, “ and the world was light, shining bright enough for all to see!”, said Grandpa. “ It wasn’t a blinding light mind you. Just enough to fill the world with wonder!”, he added quickly, seeing the wheels of thought turning in my curious little mind.            “They sang in those days too.”, Grandpa Ulis said with a smile none could take away. “Beautiful songs of hope and beauty of life!” The world around them turned their own ears to listen to these masterful melodies!”, he continued, and as he spoke I imagined their wor...

            Sharing these poems together to show how I've been "finding my 'voice' " through different writing. May these poems empower and encourage someone else to "find their 'voice' " also.  Poem 1.) Two (An Acrostic Poem) Trying to express in shorter ways, Where time and energy are limited, On the way to better results through intentionality. Poem 2.) Note About This Poem: This was me wondering if Acrostic and Hiaku styles could blend. Turns out they can.  One (A Poetic Experiment Blending Acrostic And Hiaku) One line of five times, Nearing a new form to write, Each line showing steps. Poem 3.)  Note About This Poem: Hiakus don't normally rhyme, I wanted to see what they'd look like if they did.  Rhyming Hiakus (A Hiaku Experiment) Rhyming Hiakus now, Writing Hiakus somehow here, Seeking change now near. Note About This Poem (below): One day while doing work at someone's residence, I noticed a shop across the road. The loud sound...

            "Watch that. Adjust speed and then go faster over the hill. We can do this; just keep going!", spoke a mind to a heart. "It's alot. The pressure is alot.", said an overworked heart. "Just keep going at a steady pace. Don't move too fast. I'll tell you when to go faster. ", reassured the doting brain to the weary heart.              “Slowly! Almost there!”, encouraged the mind to the heart. Suddenly the hill was crossed and the remaining lap was in sight! "I can't!", pleaded the struggling heart. "You can; we're almost there!", encouraged the mind to him. As the tense conversation and events were underway a finish line was crossed. The body being empowered by this mind and heart came to a stop, breathed heavy, and (with great effort) righted themselves; the life of a man overcoming heart failure less than a year ago and now winning first place in a five k marathon to raise heart health a...

         A note about the piece : When our son was a baby, one of the things I'd do (in my role as a dad) was wash his bottles. More often than not I wouldn't get to them right away (though I did my best). In talking with my wife about it, I half jokingly said, "It's like I'm scared of me." (Though I wasn't). This story was inspired by that.            It was dark as I awoke. In sleepiness I awoke, in great fear I was ripped from a deep sleep abruptly! I heard the terrifying summons, a cursed voice, call persistently to me.            Rising from the bed I stumbled through the house, horror gripping every part of my soul. “What was the voice?” Where did it come from? Why call to me? Why in the world did it have to call to me this early in the morning?!”, all questions I asked myself as a digital clock came into my sight, showing me the time.            Carefully, I searched...

         As I was going about the day, I wondered how I could add more value to potential readers of this blog. Then, Jesus gave me a creative insight: share multiple poems together in one post. Sooooo....I decided to do that here. Also, this is normally what a writing submission for poetry (and other works) I've submitted tends to look like when I send off work. May these words be a blessing to someone today; and thank you again for your support! Poem 1.)  Tidbits(An Older Poem I Wrote) Little. Short. Few. Tidbits of life that are precious.   Powerful. Grateful. Pensive. Reflecting on the far and few between times of life.   Waiting. Watchful. Hungry. Ready for tidbits to arrive once again. Poem 2.) Bites (An Older Poem I Wrote) Small, yet effective, eating this feast called big goals, with little me, taking bites toward completion.   Dining on dreams, satisfaction in the pace, no matter the amount to eat still; in bites we live, move, overc...

          Sharing two pieces of prose I wrote together in one post to make it a bit more efficient (and maybe a bit easier) for any who come across it, AND to make more of an impact for any who read it. May this be a blessing to someone today; and thank you again for your support! Wait (A Slightly Older Fiction Story I Wrote)                    In the pitch black rubble that was their house they sat for a moment, a husband and wife. Burned to nothing they wanted nothing more than to rebuild this home, this refuge of security and peace where roots were being established. After what seemed an hour a word came into their troubled thoughts, "Wait.". In their loss this was not a welcome thought. They simply wanted to have a home, to be home. Here they were left, their thoughts and emotions in the same state as their now decimated home.              After another hour the word came to...

      Sharing two fiction stories I wrote in one post to be more efficient (maybe even a bit easier), and to make more of an impact to someone today. May this be a blessing to someone; and thank you for your support!  Gather (An Older Fiction Story I Wrote) Gather. The word appeared in his mind and he couldn't shake it. "Gather what?", he questioned, and then stepped outside.             Deciding to take a walk he travelled several streets. Slowly they started appearing, for sale signs of houses with info sheets in boxes included. Gather. The word entered his mind again, and this time he listened.             Several years had passed and he thought of the journey, the new house he lived in, had the courage to bid on, the walk that offered a second chance. Whether it was God helping him or not he knew one thing: he would gather grat...

                                  Old Roads Old roads, full of bumps, still I ride. Old ways, worn by time and trial, still I continue. Going, going, remembering consistency is key. Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Thank you for your support!

                            Better Clarity          Taking a moment, one to look upon open waters, she reflects on animals, on how one has helped her throughout her life. Here she leans down slowly, lovingly pats the dog at her side, and continues to look (from what she remembers in past visits) upon open waters of a seashore near a tiny coastal town; grateful for the seeing eye dog, and moments before when she could see the sea they both "seen" with better clarity, even in her "blind" state. Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Thank you for your support!     

        He thought about it over and over, considering his friends in need. “It would be a great help to this family. “, he thought to himself. He knew the difficulty that was involved in such a move to help them. The shop would close if he didn't make money, if he didn’t use these resources to draw in business to his already severely struggling business; these were his friends though, and this was a family in need: a house that needed to be sold, to gain much needed transition and resources to thrive once more.          The buyers liked the house, but would only buy it if new paint was applied was what he was told by his friends. Thinking again on this, he was left in waves of indecision, "Do I risk giving paint to help this family or not?", he wondered, a family that couldn’t afford it. He knew the risks, he knew also this family of close friends of his. He watched their growth together and their curren...

         In our failing, in our falling, there are cracks that shine. In our darkest, in our lowest, there are cracks that shine. In the lack, in the unqualified, in all that is not right, when we're not okay....still, there are cracks that shine. The Light of Jesus shines even here, even still, even in the "bleeding" (our suffering) Jesus is there. For He is close to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit: us(Psalm 34:18), where we have cracks that shine. Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Thank you for your support! 

  It was passed over and thought ugly each time. Most considered it badly done, still it was to be sold. The bright green chair stood, remaining for all to see, all to buy though no one did. The sale continued as many items were bought and only a few were left, including the bright green chair.                  At the last possible minute a small family arrived to explore the little yard sale outside. They looked and ventured through what was left until they saw the bright green chair. A music album came into view and the struggle began: an album for the musical family or the unique bright green chair that greatly appealed to their quirky artistic senses. The choice for them was difficult until it would all click into place when the bright green chair was the only thing left; out of nowhere a stray dog managed to rush the sale and topple a large exercise weight that landed on the reco...

       Day after day he entered the classroom, dreading each moment. He knew it was coming, shame. "You don't do this. You can't do that.". They all stuck to him, served to label him...until one day.       "Do you write on your paper upside down while standing on your head?", scolded the teacher as the class laughed. He felt the usual humiliation, but also got an unusual idea in that moment.        That day after school he went home and researched how to do a hand stand. He practiced, and failed. Then he mustered up the courage to try again, and again. He quickly realized it wouldn't be mastered in a day, so he set out a plan to master it.         Day after day went by and the same old insult was heard, "Do you write on your paper upside down while standing on your head?" , and the class laughed; and day after day he practiced the hand stand.        After a month he began to get it down and ma...

  Pieces (An Older Fiction Story I Wrote)   Together. All these pieces fitting intricately, creating such a beautiful picture from all these unique pieces, these different lives gathered there. One challenge, then another, time and again they rose together, completing each difficulty fully. Puzzles and the competitions they won bound them, these pieces of a puzzle called common interests.           They won many and lost some, and time separated them. Graduation day came and the Pieces Puzzle Builders group went off the board of life they remained on for four High School years. They tried to stay in touch but drifted apart; funny how the "puzzles" of friendship we work in life don't always stay together.            Years had gone and all the "Pieces" continued to build "puzzles" of their own. Families were worked together. Marriages, kids and grandkids fit in...

         Sharing two pieces I wrote in one post to make a greater impact for someone today. May these pieces be a blessing to someone; and thank you again for your support! Identical (An Older Fiction Story I Wrote)       I went to get another cup of coffee. I was tired, yeah just tired. Surely if I woke up the problem would be solved. After all, it's not easy tricking a caffeinated person.          Then it happened again! Was she just really fast or something?! Over and over I'd find my co-worker in the same places of the office as I (and before I could get there!). I thought I was losing it, seriously!           Each day this happened, for five days. I seriously wondered if I was having a nervous breakdown. I considered self-committing into one of those mental institutions on day five when I saw two of the exact same co-worker in front o...

   It's been my hope ever since I started writing to not only express myself, but to make a greater impact through this God-given ability of writing (and maybe one day even earning a residual income through it; but I dream...and pray). May these works bless someone today; and thank you for your support!  It'll Take (Non-Fiction)        It'll take effort, but don't be afraid to take that effort. It'll take time, but it will be worth it in the end. It'll take discernment, honing how to recognize the way through and acting on the insight given. It'll take grace when it doesn't work out the first time (anything worth doing ever does). It'll take prayer, remembering to seek Jesus in (and through) the whole process; for this is the way to truly succeed in something GOOD.  Keep going, it'll take perseverance as well; you can do this! Again (A Poetic Experiment)     This piece is simply me reflecting on learning a ...

       To empower and encourage others in a creative way once more I'm sharing three pieces below. May these pieces shared empower and encourage someone; and thank you again for your support!         Building Time (Non-Fiction)        It was playtime and we would get time, time to make memories. It was building time and a relationship would be constructed and invested in: parent and child, father and son. Legos would build a legacy....or so I thought; the attention of children is mysterious that way.          In the change ups constants were present however; even here among the ever shifting, great reward would be shown in our time and activity together.  Even now great joy was being prepared and something vastly more amazing that couldn’t be achieved any other way. Great joy was there in spite of the eccentric ways present.  ...

  A Few Years Ago, I complied a small manuscript of a unique combination of Fiction And Non-Fiction together. I didn't have the funds then to publish the book (which was accepted by TWO publishers). This post is another attempt to replicate a similar combination, in an attempt to encourage and empower someone in a unique way. Thank you again for the your support. Could I Write On The Fly? (A Rhyming Poem) Could I write on the fly?  God knows that I will try,  writing in the running,  with both barrels gunning,  where I am writing again,  to find a better place from where we've been.       Twenty Minutes (An Older Fiction Story I Wrote)   "Every second counts.", someone once said to him. He was thinking heavily on this now. Reflecting again on it all: twenty minutes that changed everything.          It wouldn't be long, his drive to work. This day however, went on for...

     Gonna do something different again today. Sharing two fiction stories together in this post to be a blessing to someone today. May this bless someone today; and thank you again for your support. (Fiction Story #1)                                    Back And Forth            Back and forth he paced. The uneven pattern began to make itself known in the floor. "How?!" begged the question in his troubled mind. He felt useless, wondering how he'd use his skills for a good purpose, how he'd make money for basic needs. Just then it hit him: children's nurseries!                  He knew he'd have to try for the older kids, so he began making calls. "How do I do t...