overcoming – Rivers Renewed

Building New Foundations

It amazes me how we can walk through the fire looking back at how we used to be strong, or how we hold onto the one we love, and that love can push us forward beyond what we ever imagined……

we not only survive but we build new foundations, because the old framework was never meant to sustain us.

As you may know my wife has had cancer for many years, off and on. She will be on chemo for a very long time. You may not know that she recently had some small tumors show up where they are not supposed to be! So to be truthful it is easy to go down the bitterness road or the fear road, but we decided to go down the trust road. Meaning trusting in God.

You see our faith not only helps us, but becomes a type of a certain foundation. Never assume a person of faith is a nitwit or naïve. You have no idea what they have been through. And my wife and I want nothing to do extremist politics, which is totally off target. I’m speaking of a heart filled with love.

Back to those small tumors……they turned out to be benign! So we didn’t have to walk through the fire this time……and we thank God for that. A small yet important victory.

The Late Winter Winds

The bluster and power of the late winter winds told him a different story now, unlike his younger days when meeting the winds head on, spoke of courage and the ability, to press forward meeting the challenge.

Now it just meant the brutal force of cold air, chilling his bones, so he zipped up his coat a little further, and held onto his hat, as another gust tried to knock him sideways.

Star Trek and the Klingons

I, like many of you, watched the news yesterday, horrified and angry. And as a writer it’s easy to rant and rave here about what happened at the Capitol, in Washington. Yet I’m not going to do that. There are plenty of news sources already analyzing the events.

I’d like to offer a different view. It was awful, beyond words, yet I can easily see the US as being similar to Star Trek Voyager. We are a ship (a nation) with an advanced society, that has lost our way, facing unbelievable challenges, like a crippling disease.

Sometimes the struggles are within ourselves. And yet we face each incredible challenge and move forward traveling at the speed of light. We did that this past November fighting for what was right. And Joe Biden won by the largest margin since FDR. Did you know that?

And now this week we did it in Georgia. For the first time in the history of Georgia, they will have an African American pastor as a senator. And the son of Jewish immigrants as the other senator. Ain’t that something?

Yep, that’s our America! And moving forward, working on getting home at the speed of light. And one day, our Captain will be a woman, just like on Voyager!

And the Klingons? Oh those are the angry, war-like people…….And they always loose. Always. Violence always loses.

Peace.

Poetry Still Lives

Black and white holding down the page, gleaming

sharing the hope and faith,

that words can still heal,

that in each of our hearts,

poetry still lives,

and we will survive.

Tapestries

Our tapestries are not made from our battle scars or tears,

but from our courage,

the audacity to survive,

in the refusal to give up,

we somehow learn to create

new beginnings,

as if it was spring again,

with purple infusing our being,

we build something beautiful

once again.

Note: I will never thank God for my wife having cancer, only for the courage for both us to survive.

Lifting Our Heartsong

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When we lift our heartsong in these times

of uncertainty and strife,

even our wings

will be restored

our voices strengthened,

through shaping our poems

and prayers.

Have you encouraged someone today?

The Promise of Blue

100_1123 On those days when the wind gets knocked out of me, I remember the sea.

Pine trees swaying on the shoreline, with my sails full….I journey seeking the promise of blue,

and the adventure

of tomorrow.

Gentle Radiance

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The gentle radiance of soft petals, reflecting

the light of the sun

give us so much courage,

so much hope,

that darkness is defeated

every single time.

We Share Something Beautiful

20190918_095327 In all that we see around us, and in our world, does our wordflow, our paintflow, become affected?

We often see with our hearts – so how do we respond? I wonder at times if I should stop blogging.

I won’t replay the news but so many horrible things are happening. Racism, killings in the street, disease taking so many away, and an economy faltering.

How can I write, or attempt to write something beautiful in these difficult times?

Well maybe, just maybe that’s the best time to write, and create artwork.

We don’t turn a blind eye, yet we offer hope by sharing our hearts through our creations.

And hopefully……we share something beautiful…..with our world.

Amen.

Today in the Rain

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Today as I walked I carried my umbrella shielding myself from the sky, a light rain,

and puddle splashing, in my old tennis shoes, that I really should throw away,

and I realized, I needed to maintain my peace, a sense of purpose and strength.

It really is difficult to watch the brutality and insanity of the far right…..

but I needed to let the grief and anger go……in spite of the numbers increasing, in spite of them denying science,

I can choose to be descended from the sky and birthed by the ocean….and besides,

those that live in darkness and leather are nothing more really…..

than spoiled children craving power and attention.

May we win our battle with the endless peace witnessed by the earth, and sky and oceans, flowing strong within us…..

against the rage of insanity.