encouragement – Rivers Renewed

Happy Thanksgiving 2021

This is such a beautiful time of year, of pumpkins and apples and cinnamon spice. Along with the restful peace within nature. Of healing and renewal.

It is my favorite time of year, and Thanksgiving is extra special. We can thank God and be with our families, at least we hope to. This is more beauty that builds good things within us.

Let us remember that the holidays can be a tough time for some of us. We’ve lost loved ones, or we are facing a serious illness ourselves. So many things have happened. Let us think about all those we know needing our support, as we sit down at our tables.

Peace and wonderful blessings to each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

When Our Words are Filled with Light

When our words are filled with light, they will go on living,

beyond the page, beyond our fears, even

beyond our time, soaring into hope

wings defrosted

and courage,

filling us

and strengthening

each other’s hearts.

A Heart Filled with Peace

A heart filled with peace in the midst of the battle,

will offer more hope

than eloquent words

never spoken.

Be the light you want to see in the world.

Blogging and Life Update

The poem from yesterday, called “Night Wind” came to me so quickly and so clearly, I could not resist writing it down and posting it in a hurry, even though I had to be out the door.

That happens to me, even though I realize I need to slow down, or I think I need to retire from blogging. I always have more inspiration, just when I think I have run out of things to say! I have a writer’s voice like a river running strong.

Yet I always work hard and push forward, sometimes too much. To be honest 2021 has been a tough year. Several family members have died from cancer, and a close friend to my wife also passed away from cancer.

My wife still gets treatments for her own cancer, and that makes bad news even more difficult to deal with. I go on my own appointments for chronic pain, and I often think of the Beatles’ song, “Yesterday”. At least the first few lines.

My wife and I also had separate car accidents! We were both injured separately, but I’m ok now even though my car was totaled. My wife has improved.

It’s not the right time to retire from blogging. However whatever schedule I once had for posting, has gone out the window. I need to adjust my blogging balance and I’m thinking about possible strategies. I’ll keep you posted.

Thank you so much for reading!

Peace.

Shadows of Small Birds

Shadows of small birds can be seen now, returning to the land

while the sun takes its rightful place in the sky again

and on some days, a cold rain

chases away the snow.

Note: Just a reminder – I’m posting now on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with a little on the weekends.

Thank you for reading!

Carrying Winter’s Breath

My heartbeat quickened as I reached the top of the ridge carrying winter’s breath,

a sense of awe enfolded me, hope within the blue sky,

peace so amazingly present

covering

each one of us.

The expanse.

When Light Breaks Through

When light breaks through the heart of a writer,

a new path opens

where there was none.

And sometimes the light

for the path was there,

yet we had forgotten

where to find it.

The other day when I wrote, “Modern Love”, it was a real breakthrough for me, not because it was something new,

but because I used to write that way alot. I love writing minifiction. And in spite of everything, in spite of living in the middle

of a pandemic, my wife having cancer again, in spite of working long hours sometimes, I can still write like that,

and yes poetry too. I was encouraged and light was breaking through in many beautiful ways.

Thank you for reading!

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.

Our Spirits Will Still Speak to Us

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In this age where beauty and revelation are wounded

from disease and fear,

our spirits will still speak to us,

as if oceans still lived in our frames,

and as strength filters back into us

we will be confident once again,

standing tall

even in the mist and the ruins.

In Every Deliverance

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In every deliverance, truth becomes our shield

as we walk away from darkness

and to the light revealed,

allowing our true hearts

to increase our word strength,

and our blessed discovery

of who we truly are.

Tag: encouragement