Forty Plus Miles

         Down an old street walked a life, among the old houses of brick and past designs now past that lined either side of the street. Where busy distracted humanity from this one lone life; distracted all but me. Down an old street on a hot day this wanderer made their way. Searching for solace somewhere, a place to be accepted and belong; been there, long ago.           In the middle of a day, where one says, “Achieve.” And another says, “Get to.” , I see this hidden life missed in the mad rush down an old street. I am not better, better than any other. I have thought, “Achieve.”, “Get to.”, and these are bad; though as I look again at that moment in time I wonder why I was that busy. Wonder why I didn’t take time, make a more intentional action to be kind (even if it was simply to notice and offer empathy), maybe even pray for these hidden lives, regardless of whether the life was a cat like this, or a person. Sidenote: If any of t...

         Honing words under pressure. Every sentence becomes a sword there.  Redeeming rush time in a little time.  Entering the fires of fast fueling me again. 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!

          Looking, looking, searching through busy thoughts and busy days. Looking, thinking, seeking some other way to make a new way more than simply existing; and it is here that the way is found.           Busy gives way to creativity as they speak once more and collaborate instead of resist one another and the first three words are spoken, ones of a six word story that emerge, and the rest follows. Here I am grateful, grateful for creativity not being stifled in the busy, rising to create once more through a six word story that is listed below. Gone (6-Word Fiction) Going, going, gone; rabbit fleeing danger. 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!

            Snapshots, pictures of the day that flicker on then off again. Looking as they enter again this camera of my memories with each shot taken in a day.  This still life becoming movies that play off and on in my mind and I long to rest; yet reflection bids me look and watch again, process and heal from this busy.               Snapshots turned to movies and I ponder how to process well these varied moments, how to find grace in it all and I'm torn. Still, I look again, and consider how help came, perseverance was given, and how the rush of it all blended together, blended where Jesus was leading me through; here I see the beautiful snapshots of His leading presence and love through a wild day again. Here, I am grateful for these snapshots that reminded me I'm not alone, and not without help. Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was someth...

           As the day closes I still see it, that brown spotted gray car covered with time's toll yet refusing to die, refusing to be hidden. I think on the car that caught my attention, the old woman who drove that rust spotted chariot and I am inspired. She cared not if it was pretty, not if it was new, only that it worked. She drove through town giving a message, "This is me, using what I have; and I'm not afraid to.".              As the day closes I consider the events of the day. I reflect on change; and a world that always seems to. I look at these and ask how to respond, how Jesus would have me respond with each prayer offered. I consider what matters, what difference I can make; me, at forty some years old. I look at how to have hope with each change, and I remember that metal horse, covered in it's beautiful brown rusty spots. I think on that old woman and find myself driving through these towns called days and o...

      Hidden Lives (Non-Fiction)            Down an old street walked a life, among the old houses of brick and past designs now past that lined either side of the street. Where busy distracted humanity from this one lone life; distracted all but me. Down an old street on a hot day this wanderer made their way. Searching for solace somewhere, a place to be accepted and belong; been there, long ago.           In the middle of a day, where one says, “Achieve.” And another says, “Get to.” , I see this hidden life missed in the mad rush down an old street. I am not better, better than any other. I have thought, “Achieve.”, “Get to.”, and these are bad; though as I look again at that moment in time I wonder why I was that busy. Wonder why I didn’t take time, make a more intentional action to be kind (even if it was simply to notice and offer empathy), maybe even pray for these hidden lives, regardless of whether the life w...

        In an attempt to clean the blog up, add value, and make navigating it easier, I put several older posts together (below). Below is a mix of several different types of writing I've done, both new and old. Thanks for being here.         The Old Place On The Hill (Older Non-Fiction)        Sitting as one speaking stories of long ago, there remains the old place on the hill. The large old house of red brick stands steady yet worn, tired, though not enough to speak of it's long years long forgotten now. It speaks and none seem to listen....almost none. Years of lives lived there and it remains quiet, simply is, and this is it's final story.         Representing it's small "community" of dwellings, it stands to listen as they speak. I pass by and listen if they'll speak, though they never do. Only memories of old echo from their worn and tired frames, some old narrow trailer and a carport that seems to wan...

              When I first started this blog, I wasn't looking for a way to blog (I was deeply discouraged at failing before), but simply ways to gain new skills that would allow me to create a passive income (something I'm STILL seeking to do). I have longed to both make a difference in the world around me AND create an income through it. When I stumbled across this blogging option through Google I took it, cautiously optimistic it would work. The domain name portion was no longer a block for me (where it WASN'T free before).                  I've found though that the FREE audience I expected DID NOT arrive. I thought maybe people would stumble across it and I'd be able to reach people and get paid (hopefully); it hasn't happened though. I don't fully understand what they call SEO that uses different search words to make your platform stand out. I couldn't use Google Adsense that uses ads to generate incom...

 Rest there. Time together. Family camps. 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!

         A small breeze and I'm feeling it, a little grace in the change from pressure's fires. A welcome relief in the tension from busy. Feeling that daytime breeze and receiving it with welcoming arms, the ones in my soul as I'm resting in it while moving slowly but forward still. Here I continue on, through this wild day, where awareness is key, awareness given from Jesus that good is coming, and I will receive that welcomed wind also; in Jesus' name.  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!

      Going, going; until its gone, until I'm gone. Grace and good. Going, going; grace and good. Going and waving as they leave; fading then disappearing.... or so it seems.       Looking, looking, at what fades: circumstance. Looking, looking, at what remains: grace, good. Disguised were these hardships, these bitter tests; my soul saw not. Slowly, slowly I see. Going, going, until circumstance is gone, where grace remains. Looking, looking, to remember; to heal. 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!

             I've tried MANY ways to write better. Some have been harder than others to learn, and some I still haven't learned (to be fully transparent). Some are EXTREMELY fun (The Triolet, Pantoum poems and various experimental styles of writing come to mind).                One other that I've been able to learn is Ekphrastic. It's simply a poem that is inspired by a piece of art, and your "reaction" to it. They are free of structure, and open to interpretation of a piece of art. One I wrote in March for a paying publication that was rejected is listed below. It was inspired by the painting, "Best Of Us" by Matt Beyrer (which is VERY accessible online, and FREE to view).  As The Day Closes (Ekphrastic Poem) As the day closes it never does, walking gently, slowly and with intention it's nurtured: love. Fully, embracing the moment regardless of how long, taking time to make time, to make memories, here as ...

          When days are busy and I still need to create, I actively look for new, and creative ways...ways to process, heal, and inspire all at once. In one such time God showed me Ernest Hemingway's famous 6-Word story; his FICTION story. I wondered recently however if this could be applied to Non-fiction; turns out it can. On a brutal morning, where I'm struggling and need to process before I continue, the two most recent writing results (below) came about, ones I believe Jesus helped me to create, cause I didn't know if I could write ANYTHING. Your gift will make room for you. Maybe my gift can inspire or encourage someone as I share this today as it "makes room" also. If You Must (6-Word Nonfiction) Keep going; slowly if you must.  As You Go (6-Word Nonfiction) Adjust speed; focus as you go. 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 ...

 I'm just gonna live. One moment at a time.  One day at a time. Planning with a pencil. One moment at a time. Breathing in life again. Planning with a pencil. Learning to edit when needed. Breathing in life again. Looking around at what living is. Learning to edit when needed. Eager to erase unhelpful and create good. Looking around at what living is. One day at a time. Eager to erase unhelpful and create good. I'm just gonna live. 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!

           More than circumstances, or feelings. More than wishful thinking. More than fluffy feel good affirmations; I'll hope. When I've fallen flat on my face. When the odds are against me. When the hardship, the setback, the failure are still there; I'll hope. Looking again with irrational faith that good is still possible; in Jesus. This is faith that's unlimited; and I need limitless now. 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!

           You'll start to see this more, me posting less to manage both time and this blog better. I will still be writing, but I wanna make sure I'm able to post better content here. I started this blog to express myself both for therapy and to create something honest yet constructive and creative, while sharing these words in hopes of inspiring and encouraging others around me (however that would be). Lately life has been REALLY busy. I may post more on certain days as the creativity sparks and Jesus leads me, but it will be only a few times a week versus 6-7 days a week. So, I'm restructuring this blog in that way. You'll see dates posted more spread out. So, since it's been REALLY BUSY, and to post SOMETHING, I'm reposting older writing that went unread below. As always thank you for your support; also the winter writing was posted in January (to be honest about the timeline of that). Practicing The Steps (First Triolet Poem I've Ever Written) Practici...

Three dots and I'm trying, striving to be patient, wait it out, struggling no doubt, as three dots on a sea of white and black travel, through what feels endless, in the text, the journey between waiting and heard, impatient and not. 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!

           Become present even in busyness. Engaging every moment, even if seconds. 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!