Hope Through Then Past The Pain — October 30, 2010 by Hope
INSPIRATIONAL POEMS
A wish denied;
answered with eyes for something new.
A dream dissolved;
becomes the fruit for a new imagination.
A door closed;
draws attention a window opening.
A future blurred;
strengthens the power of now.
An opportunity missed;
points to roads less travelled.
A love lost;
proves the strength of a heart;
Riches drained;
adds value to the simpler things in life;
The stretch of youth in the slipping past;
gives wisdom space where impulse ruled.
The lessons learned, when all seems lost;
Is in the willingness to hope, through the pain.
For it’s with the hope, first through, then past the pain;
that the new love, bright future, true riches and new dreams can be seen.
- here’s to hope
Hope…I love this poem. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. To learn more about Hope please visit : HOPE
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THE REASON FOR MY BLOG — October 28, 2010 Dolores Ayotte
A Wo-Man’s Voice
At the end of January 2010, I wrote my very first blog for The Word Guild. TWG is a Christian Canadian based writers group. At that time, when I had been a member of this group for less than a year, I was invited by Judith Lawrence to write a monthly blog. She is the person responsible for the authors’ blogs which features daily posts on a variety of topics by fellow authors.
First of all I was very honored by this request but I was also frightened at the same time. This was a very new concept to me and I didn’t know if I could come up with enough creative topics that would be of interest to other people. There is another reason I was intimidated as well. It was about the comments others might make about my posts.
To be perfectly honest, as the process unfolded, it actually became more about the fear of people not reading my blog and not making any comments rather than about the comments they might make. It kind of became like a catch twenty-two. I soon came to realize the importance of getting feedback especially when I had worked so hard and stretched myself beyond my comfort zone in this unfamiliar way. I thought that I was alone with this view so I never let it deter me.
It is at this time when I was inspired to investigate the idea of blogging more frequently on my own blog. I wanted to offer other women and men the same opportunity that I was given. You know what I discovered? All my guest bloggers were exactly like me in their expectations. They were honored, eager, and equally excited to see their creative abilities, but the thing that mattered to them the most was the reactions of others to what they had written.
All of them could hardly wait to read the comments they received. After they read these comments, they would sometimes comment again themselves. It was as if the article and the follow-up to the article via the comments created an opportunity to form the beginnings of a relationship. Those that did comment seemed to be relating to what the writer of the blog had written and this started a small but rewarding thread of positive communication.
Therefore, the reason for my blog is to create an opportunity for others to share a small part of themselves in a way that they may not normally have the occasion to do. Each of my guest bloggers comes with a different background and this offers the variety I am seeking. Perhaps, you will find something that you can relate to and you will be inspired to share a few words about yourself by leaving a comment. If not, that’s okay too. However, I do want you to know what my blog is all about…it’s that of reaching out to other women and men in order to embrace the importance of what each and every one of us has to say!
Whether you read a post, comment on one, or become a guest blogger, I would like to thank you for taking the time to visit with us today. I sincerely appreciate it.
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES
“The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.” (Aristotle)
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BEING TESTED by Fred Ayotte
MEMORY LANE
Many times in life we are tested by people in order to see if they can get a reaction out of us. We have all met someone who makes a comment or behaves in a way that is out of the norm. They are waiting to see how we will respond. If we are smart enough to realize what they are doing, we can really have fun by responding in a totally different way than they might expect. It is as if we’ve turned the table around and now their reaction to our unexpected response is sometimes worth the price….lol. Two people can play the same game, don’t you think?
This theory often holds true when teenagers interact with parents. I have been blessed with three beautiful daughters. When my oldest was growing up everything was new to me as a parent. So as a father, my reaction to certain behaviors was maybe somewhat more than was necessary. But when my twins came along, I had learned to take things in better stride. One of my twins, who is now a beautiful, kind, and sensitive woman, went through a rebellious stage in her teens.
She had long beautiful hair. I remember one day she came home and announced to her mother and me that she was shaving her head so that she could be looked at for her inner self rather than her outer beauty. My wife was very upset. I told her not to worry because our daughter shaving her head was far better than a lot of other things that she could be doing.
I remember vividly the night she came home with her hair all cut off. My wife had gone to bed and I was sitting in the living room. I think my daughter expected me to react to the bald look. All I did was go up to her, rub her head and say “hmmm fuzzy” and walk away. I don’t know what reaction she expected to get from me but none was given other than this warm gesture. It wasn’t too long after that, her hair grew back and we went on to the next issue…lol.
Thanks Fred for reminding me about not “sweating” the small stuff!
VERSATILE BLOGGER’S AWARD — October 23, 2010 by Dolores Ayotte
Here’s the rules:
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thank the person who sent you the award
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share 7 things about yourself
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grant the award to 15 blogs you like.
Hope – thank you so much for granting me this award. I find your writing equally inspiring. I love your talent for both your beautiful poetry and your storytelling.
So here’s seven things about me …
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I married my high school sweetheart.
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I am completely addicted to “The Young And The Restless” and I am somewhat ashamed to admit it! I consider it to be such “fluff” but it helps me wind down before supper time.
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I love walking, line dancing, and zumba.
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I am a former teacher, bank employee, and now I’m a relatively new author with a second book ready to be published.
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I enjoy Italian food and red wine.
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I am known for my smile.
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Last but not least, I have an incredible family of three married daughters and seven wonderful grandchildren.
Enough about me!
The blogs I would like to acknowledge are as follows:
*Inspirational for Women - http://inspirationalforwomen.com
*Gentle Recovery - http://gentlerecovery.blogspot.com
*Eyes On Hope - http://eyesonhope.wordpress.com
*Grass In The Backyard - http://grassinthebackyard.blogspot.com
*Hope Despite Depression - http://hopedespitedepression.blogspot.com
*Moon Dance - http://moondancenovel.blogspot.com
*Krellfish - http://Audrakrell.com
*Pilgrim - http://judith-lawrence-pilgrim.blogspot.com
*Writing Each Story For His Glory – http://authorlauradavis.com
*Food4ThoughtMinistries - http://woman4virtue.blogspot.com
*Christian Fiction - http://barbararobinson.blogspot.com
Thank you once again Hope for giving me this award. I am quite flattered and now I’m passing the compliment along to more of my fellow bloggers!
A World of Chocolate: The Sweetest Place on Earth – October 20, 2010 by Barbara Russell-Robinson
A Wo-Man’s Voice
Discover the sweetest place on earth. Visit Hershey’s Chocolate World Visitor Center, Hershey Park, and Zoo America and take a simulated tour of the Chocolate Factory on the Chocolate Ride. Stroll through a tropical jungle where cocoa beans are harvested. View the chocolate-making process during the ride and receive a free sample at the end. Explore the gift shops and restaurants and have ice cream Hershey style.
View the Really Big 3D Show and get a glimpse of the history of Hershey’s chocolate. The show is designed and produced by Landmark Entertainment, the group who designed Universal Studios “Terminator 2/3D,” and free candy samples make the show even sweeter.
Take in 11 acres of wildlife, included with park admission, of Zoo America. The most amazing adventure for some will be Storm Runner in Hershey Park. It’s the first hydraulic launch coaster with inversions and speeds off at 72 miles per hour. Discover the thrills of Great Bear, an inverted coaster with four inversions–vertical loop, camelback twist, and wing over that gives the sensation of flying through the air as your feet dangle.
Take lots of great pictures, even some of Hershey Kiss traffic lights. The streets are named after Hershey candy. Jolly Rancher candy is also a Hershey product, though it’s not chocolate. White chocolate Hershey bars with almonds and white Kit Kat bars, which are so hard to find, are all available. Like they say, Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the sweetest place on earth; it’s a world of chocolate right down to the traffic lights.
Barbara Russell-Robinson lives in Florida with her husband and cocker spaniel, Sunflower. Visit her on Facebook or at her blog, http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com. Sign to follow her blog to keep updated about her novel True Hidden Treasures and for an opportunity to win free novels.
Thanks Barb for sharing this great article. For those of us with a sweet tooth, it really hit the spot!
THE MAY RIVER AT SUNSET — October 18, 2010 by Diane Dean White
A Wo-Man’s Voice
The beauty that surrounds us seems endless at times, and yet I’ve learned that beauty is truly an individual perception. The ocean and its bouncing waves and strong rip currents are often threatening and yet on the same evening we might find the tranquility of a river quite peaceful. A true testimony of the goodness God has provided in His Creation.
A rough old road that runs past a country church takes us to a view along the May River. The river is wide, nothing like the ocean, and yet it goes into the ocean and runs parallel to the Savannah River, a few miles away. The old fishing hut and boats have closed down for another day, and in the early evening hours we watch as the sunset begins to sink into the horizon. The shrimp boats that can be seen along this part of the river, are often docked by late afternoon, to start their early run in the morning. And the old oyster company down the river will bring their crew in for another day.
It is a favorite spot that my husband and I come to and enjoy. We have the solitude and beauty surrounding us. An old boat that is seldom used, yet no one has bothered to remove it, adds charm to the setting beneath a towering oak tree with hanging moss.
As if by prior agreement a great egret swoops down into the water and picks up a fish displaying his wide wings and magnificent glide in the evening air for our enjoyment. We hear a whippoorwill in the distance and watch the sinking sun bid farewell to another day. We think of the years past and talk of the dreams we have for the days to come. We just bask in the stillness of the evening and thank the Lord for the blessings of another day.
© Diane Dean White 2007
Thanks for the great post Diane. To learn more about Diane, please visit her website: www.DianeDeanWhite.com
Diane is a former newspaper reporter and author of two books. She contributes to various publications and shares heartwarming stories with readers. She and her husband Stephen, reside in Florida.
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MIRACLES — October 16, 2010
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES
“For all his learning or sophistication, man instinctively reaches toward that force beyond…Only arrogance can deny its existence, and the denial falters in the face of evidence on every hand. In every tuft of grass, in every bird, in every opening bid, there it is.” (Hal Borland)
“A miracle is nothing more or less than this. Anyone who comes into a knowledge of his true identity, of his oneness with the all-pervading wisdom and power, thus makes it possible for laws higher than the ordinary mind knows of to be revealed to him.” (Ralph Waldo Trine)
“You don’t need an explanation for everything. Recognize that there are such things as miracles–events for which there are no ready explanations….” (Harry Browne)
WRITER’S GROUP — October 13, 2010 by Judith Lawrence
INSPIRATIONAL POEMS
I am very much a loner. I love my life of quiet solitude with all the opportunities it gives me to read, write, and pray whenever and wherever I desire.
Each summer, however, I come out of hibernation and join with a small group of writers. These few months give me a chance to expand my writing abilities, writing on topics that normally wouldn’t be on my radar.
I am a firm believer that if one is a writer one should be able to write on any theme that is given to one. Sometimes, this can be a challenge and, indeed, I am challenged by the varying topics that come my way when I am with my fellow writers.
We are a group of five women and we take it in turns to lead the group and the leader makes the subject choice for the eight minutes stream of consciousness that we do during the meeting as well as the assignment for the at-home writing piece.
Even though there are only five members we are an eclectic group—a retired teacher, a lawyer, a counsellor, an author of romantic novels, and myself, a retired R.N. This opens up all kinds of topic possibilities and gives some amazing results.
For your interest, here is a haiku poem I wrote for my at-home assignment on the subject of radiance, along with a prose poem on Sophia.
AUTUMN RADIANCE
Red-leafed trees spread bright
Branches on blue cloudless sky
Sun’s arrows pierce through.
SOPHIA (Greek name for Wisdom)
Sophia dwells within me at my core; breath beats in my breast like a rhythmed drum.
Radiant, in my deepest place, Sophia gleams with steady light from the ancient day.
Down through the ages Sophia shines forth—Wisdom (Proverbs 8:30, 31) that is from Creation’s time dwells within me.
Fire waiting to be kindled glows in hot coals; Sophia breathes her breath upon them; flames flare within my soul; creation, like a phoenix, rises up with beating wings, drums new life into being, bursting forth upon the world.
© Judith Lawrence
Thank you Judith for sharing your creative talent with all of us!
HOPE IN EARTH’S CATHEDRAL — October 11, 2010 by Hope
A Wo-Man’s Voice
I turned thirty, on a peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park. I had embarked on a cross-country road trip and this stop was about 2/3 of the way back home and about 20 days on the road.
Each day of the trip was carefully mapped out and planned months in advance. I used the AAA travel service and studied my maps and road plan for weeks. My objective was to get to the East coast and back hitting as many of the National Parks as possible. Camping most of the way, with a nice warm bed about every 3 days was the game plan. I packed my camping gear and headed for all points due East.
On the return trip, I arrived at the Rocky Mountain National park just after dusk on a day that started at dawn in Chicago. I suffered a brief wave of disappointment upon discovering the luxury of the hot showers and restrooms I had become accustomed to in at National Parks my entire trip, were not available after labor day. Boiling water by fire light for my nightly rituals would have to suffice.
There was snow on the ground, but it was not new. It was flecked with dirt and melted in spots revealing leaves of a season gone by that had settled between rocks and stones on the ground. The tent was nestled into the shadows of a pine tree cove with the entry way was lit by the glow of the fire. The air smelled of pine, wet leaves and the snap of fall. The only sound was the crackle of the fire. I was determined to be twenty something as long as possible so I made a point of staying awake until midnight. The moment I turned thirty came and went without ceremony. I waited a few moments to feel different. When nothing of consequence came over me, I decided to retire for the evening.
As the night grew long the wind howled. It sounded like a thousand wolves and a train approaching all at the same time. My tent wasn’t moving. Nothing seemed to be stirring from the wind, but I needed this, almost supernatural sound that seemed to surround me in my tiny tent, to be something I could name. So I decided it was the wind.
Sleep did not come easy that night. Near sunrise I unzipped my way out of the tent. The light of dawn through the trees and the sparkle of the sun on the frosty morning was a sight for sore eyes. It only took a few steps of exploration with the benefit of daylight on my surroundings for me to know the true meaning of heaven on earth. Outstretched in front of me as far as I could see was an ocean of clouds. Above me snow-capped mountain hid their peaks in the clouds, below me rocky mountain peeks peered through them. Shimmering with the colors of the sun rise, the clouds looked like a carpet I could step out on and walk from one peak to the next. The sound of the wind from the night before made sense as I could see the howl came as the wind whistled between the mountains. It was breath-taking. I’m not sure how long I stood there staring. I don’t think it was long as I was wearing slippers in the snow. Suffice to say, I made a point to take it all in.
I drove down through the mountain pass of Rocky Mountain National park as I headed West into Utah. All day just astounded at the beauty I was driving through. “Purple mountain majesty”. I then understood the inspiration behind those lyrics.
I arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park about an hour before sunset. It was the autumnal equinox. The day of equal light and equal night when the sun and moon momentarily shine as rivals as their journey paths cross. The view from the edge of the red clay canyon, cast against an aqua green sky and shadowed by the sun and the moon is etched in my memory forever. I know that for the rest of my life I will not see a more magical place. I had no idea anything could be that beautiful. If the Rocky Mountains are heaven on earth, then this sacred place is earth’s cathedral. A tribute cast by mother nature in honor of her maker. A reminder to her keepers that we are a humble part of a majestic whole.
My return to the shore, my creatures and my creature comforts passed without event after leaving Bryce. I returned to my work-a-day schedule a changed person. Richer somehow for having been in that place and made that journey. Until then, all my travels were city to city by plane to places of amusement and places of glamour. I’m not sure what inspired the trip, taken for the most part alone, but it was life changing to see the middle. To see what was in between the two shores I knew so well. To stand on highest peaks and drink from wells of the deepest canyons. To see with my own eyes, the purple mountain majesty and the amber waves of grain.
For me the message of hope in this recollection is the reminder that there is much more at play than who we are happening where we are. If I had not seen Bryce with my own eyes; smelled her air, touched her grit and brushed her dust off my own shoes, I’m not sure I could have ever imagined the depth of her grandeur. Beyond the beauty of the experience, I carried away a humbled awareness of the limits of my wonder. A reminder that in times when hope seems at bay and possibility dead-ended, I may only be at the edge of what my experiences, thus far, have taught me to imagine. Sometimes all my hope needs to once again breathe deep, is to travel on the path un-taken, faith by my side and wonder in my heart and a willingness to be free.
- here’s to hope
Hope…thanks so much for sharing your unique and exciting 30th birthday experience with us.
THE SEASONS OF LIFE — October 6, 2010 by Dolores Ayotte
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES AND ANECDOTES
On October 2nd, I woke up to the first frost of the season. This isn’t quite the view I saw, but it captures the essence of the changing seasons. October 6th is a reminder to me of those changing seasons and how they pertain to so many other aspects of life. On this day, I remember my Dad in a very special way.
He would be 88 years old today if he were still with us. I wish Happy Birthday to him in his “everlasting season” of life in heaven. Dad, I wish you were still here with us but it brings me comfort to know that you are in a better place.
